Losing Body Weight during the Off-Season
The off-season is the perfect time for you to reduce weight. Lowering weight, fat or muscle, requires a reduction in energy intake, and to do this effectively during the season is risky as you are potentially reducing energy levels as well. Even though the off season is a time for relaxation, you will have to be a little more diligent and aware of what you are eating.
During the off season training is reduced. Not only do you have to reduce your intake due to the reduction in energy expenditure, but to lose some weight, you will need to reduce your intake even more to allow for weight loss.
Weigh yourself every second or third day to monitor your progress, you may get daily fluctuations, but the aim is to see a slight reduction in weight by ¼ to ½ a kg per week. This would result being about a 3 kg loss during the 4 months off.
Tips for reducing energy intake and losing weight:
- Reduce the portion of meal sizes as well as snacks
- Only eat till you are satisfied, try not to overeat
- Keep fat intake low; avoid butter, margarine, cream, oil in cooking, fat on meat, and fried foods
- Be careful of hidden fats in processed foods like biscuits, cakes, donuts, pastries, processed meats, salami, and takeaways
- Increase the proportion of vegetables or salad of the meal, cutting back a little on both the protein and carbohydrate portions - Don’t cut out particular foods or food groups
- Drink plenty of water during the day
- Have a glass of water immediately before meals to fill the stomach prior to eating
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