What to avoid eating as a tennis player?

TopFH · Jul 2, 2012

I played tennis for about two years before I called it quits in February. Now, I'm looking to get back I'm the game. The reason of why I asked this is simple. I gained quite a bit of weight during my hiatus from the game and sports in general. I'm looking to maximize my summer by losing some pounds and gaining some muscle.

Agent Orynge · Jul 2, 2012

Common sense applies, as it does in all things. Do you really need to be told how to diet and exercise?

ollinger · Jul 2, 2012

On "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" Guy went to this place that served a half-pound bacon burger that was mounted not inside a bun but between two grilled cheese sandwiches. One of these a week, at the MOST.

TopFH · Jul 2, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
Common sense applies, as it does in all things. Do you really need to be told how to diet and exercise?

Else I wouldn't ask.

krz · Jul 2, 2012

gluten free

Ash_Smith · Jul 2, 2012

ollinger said:
On "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" Guy went to this place that served a half-pound bacon burger that was mounted not inside a bun but between two grilled cheese sandwiches. One of these a week, at the MOST.

Followed by one of those bacon cheese burgers in a Krispy-creme donut that was on Man vs Food for dessert!

Cheers

Agent Orynge · Jul 2, 2012

TopFH said:
Else I wouldn't ask.

Less calories, more cardio. Use more than you take in. It's simple math. One pound of fat is about 3500 calories, so if you want to lose a pound a week you should cut out or burn 500 calories a day, both if you want to aim for 2 a week. Keep in mind that your weight is still going to fluctuate based on food consumption and fluid intake, so the best way to keep track of it is to weigh yourself in the morning, right after you use the bathroom. If your goal is to play like Djokovic, that's a whole different ball of wax with regards to fitness.

If you're trying to lose more than a pound or two a week you're going to have to crash diet, and I don't think anyone here is going to advocate that.

norbac · Jul 2, 2012

Food and cigar ash.

cucio · Jul 2, 2012

Bagels and breadsticks.

mikeler · Jul 2, 2012

Avoid cookie dough before matches.

Agent Orynge · Jul 2, 2012

mikeler said:
Avoid cookie dough before matches.

I'd love to hear your treatise on alcohol consumption and tennis... preferably both at the same time.

jaggy · Jul 2, 2012

Eating an ox, 3 cows and a pig for lunch never held Serena back much

sphinx780 · Jul 2, 2012

Pre match warmup: Whiskey 2 shots.
During Changeovers: Mamosa's
Post Match: Bell's Java stout, gotta settle that stomach.
A few hours later: Scotch, neat, 3 fingers.

If you're playing singles I suggest a large pizza before the pre match warm up. If doubles, then McDonald's should suffice.

I'd definitely avoid pistachio's though at any point, they are cumbersome to crack open.

subz · Jul 2, 2012

Fruit, vegetables, home cooked meals. Eat at good times, no midnight eating escapades.

Avoid or minimize bad carbohydrates.

TopFH · Jul 2, 2012

Thanks for the answers, even the LOL-worthy ones. They made me laugh.

TopFH · Jul 2, 2012

sphinx780 said:
Pre match warmup: Whiskey 2 shots.
During Changeovers: Mamosa's
Post Match: Bell's Java stout, gotta settle that stomach.
A few hours later: Scotch, neat, 3 fingers.

If you're playing singles I suggest a large pizza before the pre match warm up. If doubles, then McDonald's should suffice.

I'd definitely avoid pistachio's though at any point, they are cumbersome to crack open.

I think I'm taking this one.

Larrysümmers · Jul 2, 2012

ate a large big mac meal once before a soccer game because i thought i was just going to ride the pine the whole match. well guess who started at left mid that day :evil:

your body is a machine. what do you want fueling your machine? you can still eat manly food, but think moderation.

USS Tang · Jul 3, 2012

No dairy products within 12 hours of match.

Eph · Jul 3, 2012

No carbs, no sugar. Start there and then go to the gym.

volleygirl · Jul 3, 2012

mikeler said:
Avoid cookie dough before matches.

Says who? Thats a new one to me

Agent Orynge · Jul 3, 2012

Eph said:
No carbs, no sugar. Start there and then go to the gym.

I hope you're being facetious. Besides the redundancy of that statement (sugar = carbs), it's not a very reasonable expectation for someone new to dieting to incorporate those kinds of exclusions. Everything is acceptable, and generally necessary, in moderation. Even fat.

Just eat sensibly and exercise, preferably as I described above, and you'll lose weight.

volleygirl · Jul 3, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
I hope you're being facetious. Besides the redundancy of that statement (sugar = carbs), it's not a very reasonable expectation for someone new to dieting to incorporate those kinds of exclusions. Everything is acceptable, and generally necessary, in moderation. Even fat.

Just eat sensibly and exercise, preferably as I described above, and you'll lose weight.

Youre exactly right. The funniest thing to me is when I see a news anchormanman or woman saying that "our society is obsessed with dieting and getting in shape." Seriously? when we have more fat and obese people than we have ever had in our history it doesnt seem like a huge pct of our population is obsessed with being in shape.

ATP100 · Jul 3, 2012

volleygirl said:
Youre exactly right. The funniest thing to me is when I see a news anchormanman or woman saying that "our society is obsessed with dieting and getting in shape." Seriously? when we have more fat and obese people than we have ever had in our history it doesnt seem like a huge pct of our population is obsessed with being in shape.

lol...re-read your statement, it has nothing to do with what the anchorperson said.

Fuji · Jul 4, 2012

Larrysümmers said:
ate a large big mac meal once before a soccer game because i thought i was just going to ride the pine the whole match. well guess who started at left mid that day :evil:

your body is a machine. what do you want fueling your machine? you can still eat manly food, but think moderation.

Man, I've had a similar situation before.

I had a singles match later in the day and my girlfriend and I went out to lunch. I ordered the quesidilla, thinking that it would be relatively healthy and tasty. Turns out what I ordered was "one of the spiciest on the menu" and I proceeded to consume it. Singles that night was brutal! It was around 30 celcius outside and my insides were on fire.

Never Again.

-Fuji

Eph · Jul 4, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
I hope you're being facetious. Besides the redundancy of that statement (sugar = carbs), it's not a very reasonable expectation for someone new to dieting to incorporate those kinds of exclusions. Everything is acceptable, and generally necessary, in moderation. Even fat.

Just eat sensibly and exercise, preferably as I described above, and you'll lose weight.

No I'm not being facetious and you are wrong. I only add "no sugar" to my comment because most people do not consider sugar a carb. The point is you shouldn't eat any carbs.

It's not reasonable? Did he ask for reasonable suggestions or did he ask "What to avoid eating as a tennis player?" Okay, you want reasonable: keep your carb consumption under 50 grams a day for two weeks then cut out all carbs completely.

Fat is excellent for you. Eat it in any quantity, just don't eat carbs and you will be healthy and slim.

P.S. Exercise doesn't make you lose weight, in fact the opposite is true. There are plenty of good reasons to exercise; loosing weight is not one of them.

El Diablo · Jul 4, 2012

^^ No carbs, and plenty of protein?? Brilliant!! Don't forget the life insurance while you're at it. Am I the only one who reads the medical literature here? Paper in the British Medical Journal a month or two ago used a rating scale for protein and carb dietary content, looking at over 40,000 subjects with a 15 year follow up. They found that as dietary carb content goes down or protein content goes up, the risk of heart attack or stroke increases in a linear fashion. Other similar studies done in Europe in the past have also indicated that substantially lowering carb content in the diet increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Agent Orynge · Jul 4, 2012

Eph said:
No I'm not being facetious and you are wrong. I only add "no sugar" to my comment because most people do not consider sugar a carb. The point is you shouldn't eat any carbs.

It's not reasonable? Did he ask for reasonable suggestions or did he ask "What to avoid eating as a tennis player?" Okay, you want reasonable: keep your carb consumption under 50 grams a day for two weeks then cut out all carbs completely.

Fat is excellent for you. Eat it in any quantity, just don't eat carbs and you will be healthy and slim.

P.S. Exercise doesn't make you lose weight, in fact the opposite is true. There are plenty of good reasons to exercise; loosing weight is not one of them.

That's the most @$$ backwards, idiotic thing I've ever heard. Fad diets are called that for a reason, and you're not doing OP any favors with that bologna. Exercise doesn't make you lose weight? What on earth are you smoking?

I don't know who doesn't consider sugar a carb, but it's pretty obvious you don't know the slightest thing about biology or nutrition. Either that or you're an excellent troll.

Eph · Jul 4, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
That's the most @$$ backwards, idiotic thing I've ever heard. Fad diets are called that for a reason, and you're not doing OP any favors with that bologna. Exercise doesn't make you lose weight? What on earth are you smoking?

I don't know who doesn't consider sugar a carb, but it's pretty obvious you don't know the slightest thing about biology or nutrition. Either that or you're an excellent troll.

Read _Good Calories, Bad Calories_ by Gary Taubes. I don't recommend a a diet, rather a lifestyle change. It takes great dedication to cut out all carbs out of your body indefinitely.

No, exercise doesn't make you lose weight. It makes you hungrier, however. If it did--and carbs were good for you--over the past 20 or so years, the US would have become skinnier, not fatter. Instead we've ballooned in size as the public health policy of this country has pushed a low fat, high carb lifestyle and its minions, like you, run around preaching.

Agent Orynge · Jul 4, 2012

Eph said:
Read _Good Calories, Bad Calories_ by Gary Taubes. I don't recommend a a diet, rather a lifestyle change. It takes great dedication to cut out all carbs out of your body indefinitely.

No, exercise doesn't make you lose weight. It makes you hungrier, however. If it did--and carbs were good for you--over the past 20 or so years, the US would have become skinnier, not fatter. Instead we've ballooned in size as the public health policy of this country has pushed a low fat, high carb lifestyle and its minions, like you, run around preaching.

Then you didn't read what I wrote about moderation. I see you're still lost on the concept of exercise too. What don't you get about burning more calories than you take in?

Vis-a-vis your book: citing a highly controversial author whose works completely defy all traditional wisdom, and are supported only generally by alternative medicine practitioners and Atkins advocates, lends you about as much credibility here as the AMA, AHA, and any of the other dozens of respected medical establishments extends to him.

Eph · Jul 4, 2012

I learned of Gary Taubes through Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School-- are those considered controversial institutions?

Lots of research has been done backing up Taubes' claims. Well, they aren't exactly his claims, he is just reporting on the voluminous evidence.

Sigh, whatever, calories in/calories out, you're right, I'm wrong. G'luck on staying healthy.

El Diablo · Jul 4, 2012

^^ check out Scientific American about a year ago for a rather critical assessment of Gary Taubes.

Eph · Jul 4, 2012

I've read the blog post a long time ago (read: blog post, not article in the SA, not to say the SA is particularly noteworthy). I just typed a long response but lost it. I'm not going to rewrite it again-- I just don't have the time. In sum:

The reason Taubes is a "quack" is because the AMA, et al. is in business with government, which is bought and paid for by the corn industry. Thank farm subsidies for getting us fat. And it will never change.

Agent Orynge · Jul 4, 2012

Eph said:
I learned of Gary Taubes through Children's Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School-- are those considered controversial institutions?

Lots of research has been done backing up Taubes' claims. Well, they aren't exactly his claims, he is just reporting on the voluminous evidence.

Sigh, whatever, calories in/calories out, you're right, I'm wrong. G'luck on staying healthy.

Not much luck needed, since I do just fine eating and exercising as I've already described. Tout Taubes all you want, the proof is in the pudding.

Eph said:
I've read the blog post a long time ago (read: blog post, not article in the SA, not to say the SA is particularly noteworthy). I just typed a long response but lost it. I'm not going to rewrite it again-- I just don't have the time. In sum:

The reason Taubes is a "quack" is because the AMA, et al. is in business with government, which is bought and paid for by the corn industry. Thank farm subsidies for getting us fat. And it will never change.

Non sequitur fallacy, and this isn't the place to wax political anyways.

Eph · Jul 4, 2012

It indeed does follow.

Oh, now we are supposed to take the proof of one man (you) but not another? Got it.

Ronaldo · Jul 4, 2012

Avoid food, its a killa

Agent Orynge · Jul 4, 2012

Eph said:
It indeed does follow.

Oh, now we are supposed to take the proof of one man (you) but not another? Got it.

AMA + government + private interest = Pro carb conspiracy? Ok.

Beyond common sense, credibility comes into play in every argument. It's up to OP whether he wants to listen to me or your 'quack.'

Andres · Jul 4, 2012

Babies.

10 chars

Ronaldo · Jul 4, 2012

Cabbage Sprouts

Agent Orynge · Jul 4, 2012

Ronaldo said:
Cabbage Sprouts

Andres said:
Babies.

10 chars

Cabbage Patch Kids.

I bet OP isn't even paying attention anymore.

Leelord337 · Jul 5, 2012

my friend and i are both pretending that all fast food is poison and will kill you

(well for the next 60 days) good way to beat an addiction.

TopFH · Jul 5, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
Cabbage Patch Kids.

I bet OP isn't even paying attention anymore.

Why, because I haven't posted in a few days?

Either way, I found a really good way to lose weight which I think everyone should try. If you play, let's say, 3 times a week, why don't you add a UFC/Boxing workout to the non-tennis days? That is what I will do starting tomorrow.

volleygirl · Jul 5, 2012

ATP100 said:
lol...re-read your statement, it has nothing to do with what the anchorperson said.

No one ever slips anything past you huh?

Eph · Jul 6, 2012

Agent Orynge said:
AMA + government + private interest = Pro carb conspiracy? Ok.

Beyond common sense, credibility comes into play in every argument. It's up to OP whether he wants to listen to me or your 'quack.'

You must believe everything the government tells you, yes? It isn't a conspiracy-- the reasons for it are complicated, but yes, big business tends to collude with politicians.

Or this quack, right? http://www.childrenshospital.org/cfapps/research/data_admin/Site114/mainpageS114P0.html With his widely successful program? http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1896/mainpageS1896P0.html

Who just published this quackery in no other than the Journal of the American Medical Association http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1199154

El Diablo · Jul 6, 2012

^^ Ummmm, "no other than" as if this is impressive? When you've been around the medical profession a few more decades you'll learn that JAMA is where you publish when NEJM, Lancet, and (for really important work) Science have turned you down. Marginal poster presentations from the annual AMA meeting wind up as publications in JAMA. It's not a terribly prestigious place to publish.

Eph · Jul 7, 2012

I don't disagree. I said "no other than" because we were discussing the AMA's complicity in the issue.

The point is, there are centers dedicated to this idea and there is research being published in the field; it isn't limited to one "quack" named Gary Taubes.

Ronaldo · Jul 7, 2012

Soylent Green

sphinx780 · Jul 7, 2012

I've always been a fan of carbs and protien and fat, veggies and fruit, alchohol and pizza, water and fiber...hmm and tennis all in moderation. It's done me well. Figure I'll keep it up until it stops working. I'll have to bookmark this thread, and revisit the eph/AO arguments if I get fat and need to change my lifestyle.

That reminds me, it's time for my once a day grapenuts/turkey/avacado/pistacio/strawberry/carrot/pizza/rice/fettucine alfredo/captain crunch/twinkie wiener sandwich. It's the only thing that goes with a good scotch now-a-days. It's all good though, I put it on a whole grain wheat bun with some mayonnaise. It's a great mid-match pick me up and slides right down.

r2473 · Jul 7, 2012

^^you need to add some bacon to your sandwich

sphinx780 · Jul 7, 2012

You are absolutely right, it felt like it was missing something...

Ronaldo · Jul 7, 2012

sphinx780 said:
You are absolutely right, it felt like it was missing something...

Guacamole?

What to avoid eating as a tennis player?

Hall of Fame

Professional

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

Professional

Legend

Professional

Legend

Legend

Moderator

Professional

Talk Tennis Guru

Hall of Fame

Rookie

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Rookie

Professional

Rookie

Professional

Rookie

Professional

Legend

Professional

Guest

Professional

Professional

Professional

Professional

Guest

Professional

Professional

Professional

Bionic Poster

Professional

G.O.A.T.

Bionic Poster

Professional

Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame

Rookie

Professional

Guest

Professional

Bionic Poster

Hall of Fame

G.O.A.T.

Hall of Fame

Bionic Poster

Similar threads