"How much do you weigh?"
How rude to ask! Would you feel offended if somebody asked you this? Weight can be such a touchy subject, but if you should ever find yourself sitting with lightweight rowers then you’ll see how “touchy” is thrown out the window.
Most of the time when lightweights are brought together, we talk about foodJ. Athletes in general love food as #1) food is DELICIOUS and #2) it is looked at as fuel for the machine, your body. The added dimension for lightweight rowers (as well as wrestlers, martial artists and other weight restricted athletes), is that we have to perform at a specific weight. For female lightweight rowers there are two standards:
1) If you are in a 1x (single boat) then you can weigh no more than 59kg
2) If you are in a 2x (double with 2 people) or 4x (quad with 4 people), then the average of the boat can be no more than 57kg! This means that there could be an athlete below this and above this number, but the average of all four has to be 57kg.
The last time I think I weighed 57kg was back in Grade 9!! And guess what, should I make the team that Canada sends to the Non-Olympic World Championships, then my target weight would be 56kg..that’s 123.2 lbs!! I think I was 2 years old when I last weighed that …clearly kiddingJ.
In addition, lightweight rowers have to weigh in 2 hours before their competition. This tight timeframe between weigh in and competition is meant to decrease the amount of sweat runs or other things that athletes do in order to lose weight – it has proven to be quite dangerous and some have paid big negative consequences due to poor preparation. This is why I started preparing back at the beginning of April. I was a solid 60kg then, and over the past 2 months I have dropped down to 57.6kg. May not sound like much, but it takes time to teach your body to adapt and become steady at a new weight. It’s also hard when you are trying to put on muscle because as most of you know, muscle weighs more than fat. So the balance is to lean out, gain muscle but keep losing weight, and increase performance…fun times eh?!
I learned some hard lessons back in Triathlon (although not a weight restricted sport), and I have grown to truly understand my body and learn a great deal about food/water intake: what, when and why...
In general I’ve learned that:
- Carbohydrates s are NOT bad for me, I need them…and I love them!
- I perform best when I eat WHITE bread (breaks my heart because I was always against it) with almond butter and a banana before competition. It digests better and doesn’t overwork my system for race time.
- Drinking water the day before a weigh in will not negatively impact my weigh in, but rather it’ll continue to help cleanse my internal system and better prepare me for competition/training.
- Protein intake is essential for muscle building…I used to be set on only eating egg whites, but in my own reading and research I have found that whole eggs are more beneficial and the cholesterol quantity won’t impact me as I previously assumed. Of course speak to your own doctor if you have concerns…I am not a doctor. It also helps to have a dad who has his own chickens, so I am fortunate to have some of the best eggs out there each week. And no, the eggs are not the ONLY reason why I visit my parents every week-end ha!
- I need my protein smoothies within 30 minutes of training completion so that I benefit from my training and have a solid recovery. The best part about this piece is that here at the National Rowing Training Centre it is standard for every rower to have a smoothie as soon as we get off the water. YUM!
- Eating many meals throughout the day is better than eating 3 large meals in a day…and breakfast IS the most important meal of the day, so make it fun and exciting by mixing it upJ…greek yogurt with berries and granola, eggs with a whole what English muffin and fruit, banana/oatmeal pancakes, etc.
I can go on forever, but my message here is that if you are/aren’t an athlete, it is important to look at what you eat. You are what you eat. And so “yes”, some days I feel like a triple Oreo McFlurry, and that’s okay, but in general it’s good to understand that what you are putting into your mouth can affect your mood, energy and more. I can definitely tell you that when I've had that Oreo McFlurry I experienced a mood change...for the better, ha. I haven't had one since April though, but when I do I will be a VERY happy person!
Next week a number of us here at the centre will be getting body assessments, blood work and a consultation with a Nutritionist.
I’m keeping a log for the next 5 days of what and when I eat, so we’ll see what the Nutritionist has to say. I’m looking forward to learning more and finding out if there are ways I can better perform through food!
Keep you posted;)
I'll leave you with some pictures of meals I've had in recent days:
Sirloin Steak over brown rice (with sliced Onion, Red Pepper and Garlic), and a fresh home-made juice of Beets and Apple. Don't worry I have gum on hand:)
Cooked Orzo (a type of pasta) with Red Pepper, Mushrooms, Onion, Carrots, Grilled Chicken and Avocado.
Happy eating!
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