Original episode & show notes | Raw transcript
This document synthesizes the key concepts discussed in the podcast featuring Kolie Moore and Dr. Namrita Brooke. It is designed for an educated audience seeking a detailed, science-based understanding of how to approach weight loss while prioritizing long-term health and athletic performance.
The foundation of weight change rests on the First Law of Thermodynamics, applied to the human body as the Energy Balance Equation.
The Equation: Energy Change = Energy In (Calories Consumed) - Energy Out (Calories Expended)
If Energy In > Energy Out, you are in a caloric surplus, and you will gain weight.
If Energy In < Energy Out, you are in a caloric deficit, and you will lose weight.
If Energy In = Energy Out, you are at maintenance, and your weight will remain stable.
The Role of Hormones (e.g., Insulin): A common misconception, often amplified by diet trends, is that hormones, particularly insulin, are the primary drivers of weight gain, superseding energy balance. This is an oversimplification.
Hormones as Influencers, Not Dictators: Hormones like insulin, ghrelin, and leptin do not violate the laws of physics. Instead, they influence the behavioral aspects of the energy balance equation:
Appetite and Cravings: They regulate hunger and satiety signals, influencing your desire to eat.
Energy and Movement: They can affect your mood and energy levels, influencing your desire to move (both structured exercise and non-exercise activity).
Insulin’s Misunderstood Role: Insulin is an essential anabolic (building) hormone. For healthy, exercising individuals, it is not an enemy. Its function is to help shuttle nutrients (like glucose) into cells for energy and storage. Endurance exercise dramatically increases insulin sensitivity, meaning your body becomes more efficient at this process. The demonization of insulin is more relevant in the context of metabolic diseases like Type 2 Diabetes, not in healthy athletes.
The Problem with Processed Foods: Ultra-processed foods contribute to weight gain not because they uniquely manipulate hormones, but because they are hyper-palatable and energy-dense. They deliver a high number of calories in a low-volume, low-satiety package, making it incredibly easy to enter a caloric surplus without feeling full or nourished.
Before attempting weight loss, you must understand your personal energy needs.
Step 1: Determine Your Maintenance Calories While online calculators provide a rough estimate, the most accurate method is empirical and individualized.
The “Scribing” Method: Similar to a carpenter scribing a piece of wood for a perfect fit rather than just measuring, you should track your own data.
When your weight has been stable for a couple of weeks, meticulously track your food and drink intake for 3-7 days.
Calculate the average daily calorie intake. This number is your personalized maintenance calorie level.
Step 2: Create a Sustainable Caloric Deficit Once you know your maintenance level, you can create a deficit. A slow, methodical approach is superior for athletes.
The Three Methods to Create a Deficit:
Eat Less: Reduce calorie intake.
Move More: Increase calorie expenditure.
Combination (Recommended): Slightly reduce intake while maintaining or slightly increasing activity.
Recommended Deficit Size: A small, sustainable deficit of 200-500 calories per day is ideal.
Recommended Rate of Loss:
General Guideline: 0.5 to 1.0 pounds (approx. 0.25 to 0.5 kg) per week.
For Leaner Athletes: The rate should be even slower, closer to 0.25 pounds per week, to preserve muscle and performance.
During a deficit, the composition of your diet becomes critical for preserving muscle and fueling performance. All recommendations are based on kilograms of body weight.
Protein (The Priority): 2.0 - 2.4 g/kg per day
This is higher than the standard recommendation for athletes (1.6-1.8 g/kg).
Rationale: A high protein intake during a caloric deficit helps preserve lean body mass (muscle), promotes satiety (feeling full), and provides the building blocks for recovery. Older athletes should target the higher end of this range to combat age-related anabolic resistance.
Carbohydrates (The Fuel): 3 - 12 g/kg per day
This is a wide range dependent on training volume and intensity.
Rationale: Carbohydrates are the primary fuel for high-intensity exercise. Undereating carbohydrates is a common mistake that leads to poor workout quality, higher perceived exertion (RPE), and impaired recovery. Do not cut carbs drastically when trying to lose weight.
Fat (The Regulator): ~1.0 g/kg per day (or >20% of total calories)
Subjective Signs of Inadequate Intake:
Disrupted sleep or waking up hungry.
Increased irritability or mood swings.
Persistent fatigue and low energy levels off the bike.
Consistently higher RPE for standard workouts.
Poor performance and inability to complete intervals.
An athlete’s body has unique responses to exercise and restriction.
Exercise and Appetite (The “U-Shaped Curve”):
Light Exercise: May not significantly stimulate appetite.
Moderate Exercise: Tends to increase appetite.
Very Hard Exercise (e.g., a race): Can temporarily suppress appetite due to stress hormones and blood flow diversion.
Rest Day Hunger: It is normal and expected to be hungrier on rest days. This is your body playing “catch-up.” Rest is when adaptation and rebuilding occur, processes that are highly energy-intensive. Over-restricting on rest days sabotages recovery.
On-Bike Fueling is Non-Negotiable: The bike is not the place to create your deficit. Your during-ride fuel is a tiny fraction of your weekly intake but is absolutely critical for performance. Restricting carbs on the bike will compromise your workout quality and hinder your progress. Fuel your work.
Just like training, your diet must be periodized for maximum effectiveness and minimal performance disruption.
Best Time to Diet: During the off-season or early base training. During these phases, training intensity is typically lower, making it physiologically and psychologically easier to sustain a caloric deficit without harming key workouts.
Worst Time to Diet: During the build or peak/race season. High-intensity training requires maximal fueling and recovery. Attempting to diet during this time will almost certainly compromise performance, adaptation, and race results.
Sustainability is Key: Avoid “food rules” (e.g., “no sugar,” “no carbs”). These rigid approaches are often unsustainable and can lead to a cycle of restriction, binging, and “yo-yo dieting,” which is detrimental to both metabolism and mental health. The goal is to build flexible, long-term habits.
Women have unique physiological considerations due to the menstrual cycle.
The Luteal Phase (Post-Ovulation, Pre-Menstruation):
Increased Metabolism: Resting energy expenditure (REE) can increase by 2-12% during this phase.
Increased Hunger: It is physiologically normal to be hungrier and have cravings. This is your body signaling its increased energy needs.
Guidance: Listen to your body. Honor this hunger with nutrient-dense foods. Fighting it can lead to under-fueling right before the follicular phase, a time when performance potential is often highest.
Water Retention: It is common to gain several pounds of water weight in the days leading up to menstruation. This is normal and temporary. Tracking your cycle can provide crucial context for these scale fluctuations and prevent unnecessary anxiety.
Amenorrhea (Loss of Period): This is a critical red flag for Low Energy Availability (LEA). While it’s a valuable indicator, it is a late-stage one. It’s crucial to monitor earlier, more subtle signs of under-fueling (fatigue, mood, RPE) to prevent reaching this point.
Focusing solely on the number on the scale is a flawed approach.
Performance Markers are Paramount: The most important metric is your performance on the bike.
Are you able to complete your workouts?
Is your power output stable or increasing?
Is your Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) appropriate for the effort?
If performance is consistently declining, your deficit is too aggressive.
Fat vs. Water Weight: Rapid initial weight loss is almost entirely water and stored glycogen. True, sustainable fat loss is a slow process. Be patient.
Body Composition Trends: While devices like BIA scales are not perfectly accurate for an absolute body fat percentage, they can be useful for tracking trends over weeks and months when used under consistent conditions (e.g., same time of day, hydration status).