Dear Monique;
I know it is not great to try to lose weight and train hard right before a major event. However, does this make sense. My weight recently rose to about 10 pounds more than usual (about 15 pounds more than "race weight" for me, 6 feet, 165 lbs.) Exactly one month before running a marathon (on May 18) I put myself on a strict diet and have lost 7 pounds in two weeks.Though this may be fast weight loss, it seems reasonable to me. I am mainly losing, I think, from cutting out the beer, chocolate and pizza I had been eating over the past few months. I am now eating more fruit, more carbs and more protein (I am taking in 560 g. of carbs and 96 g. of protein/day and am eating 2250 calories/day NOT including any cooking oils or gels/sports drink (about 200 calories worth/day depending on length of workout).Is weight loss safe and okay in training if it is coming from eating better? -- Brian

Dear Brian;
I think it is great that you have improved the quality of your diet and are adding nutritious foods that are good for both health and your performance. But, even though you have improved the quality of your diet, I feel that you are losing the weight too quickly and could lose lean body mass as well as body fat.

Of course, when you first start a weight loss program, a good portion of your initial weight loss may be water. You weight loss may slow down, but it sounds like you are creating a caloric deficit of at least 1000 calories daily which is significant. This estimate can vary depending on your type of training for that day, and what you consume during training. It may be better if you restrict no more than 300 to 500 calories daily and continue to keep up a high quality diet. In the long run, your training and recovery may be better, which has a significant impact upon your performance. You should also consider that you do need healthy fats in your diet such as olive oil, canola oil, nuts and seeds, and avocado.Thanks for your question. --Monique

Hydrogenated oils?
Dear Monique;
As part of my nutrition program, I enjoy eating high protein/medium carbohydrate energy bars occasionally. Lately I have noticed that some of them contain hydrogenated oils. I’ve read that even small quantities of hydrogenated oil are bad for your heart. One bar lists fractionated palm kernel oil as well. Is this the same thing? What are your thoughts on hydrogenated oil? Thanks, -- NK

Dear NK;
Hydrogenated oils are liquid oils that have been chemically altered to create “trans fatty acids.” Research suggests that substituting trans fatty acids in the diet over liquid oils can raise the harmful LDL cholesterol, and lower the beneficial HDL cholesterol in your bloodstream. There also seems to be an association between trans fatty acid and coronary heart disease. More studies are still needed.The major sources of trans fatty acids in the diet are hard margarines and shortenings used in frying, and in the preparation of baked goods and processed foods. For a healthy heart, you should still limit the total amount of fat in your diet to under 30 percent calories, and saturated fat and trans fat should be no more than 10 percent of daily calories. Saturated fat does raise LDL cholesterol, and is found in fatty meats, high fat dairy products such as cheese, and in some oils such as palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. To limit hydrogenated oils choose margarines that have liquid oil as the first ingredient, or those that contain plant esters that may lower cholesterol. Use liquid oil instead of margarine whenever possible. Limit your intake of commercial baked goods and fast foods. Keep in mind that if one of these oils in at the end of an ingredient list, the amount contained in a product may be small.Thanks -- Monique

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Monique Ryan, MS, RD is author of the "Complete Guide to Sports Nutrition,” and “Sports Nutrition for Endurance Athletes” from VeloPress. She is a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a nutrition consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan regularly counsels athletes on performance and health-related nutrition concerns and offers services through her website at "www.moniqueryan.com.” She has consulted with the Saturn Cycling Team since 1994, and has also worked with Volvo-Cannondale, Trek-Volkswagen, and USA Cycling. Ryan offers answers to reader’s questions each Wednesday in this weekly column. Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan.