There is an important relationship between body weight, body composition, and racing performance. Athletes perform best when they are at their optimal race weight. Keep in mind, race weight tends to be lighter and leaner than normal or average weight. Athlete’s training or normalweights are at least a few pounds above their optimal racing weight. Please note, optimal race weight is not something that should be maintained for a prolonged period of time.  It should coinside with your training "peak" and "A" race(s).  Athletes struggle to achieve their optimal racing weight for the same reasons non-athletes struggle to achieve a healthy weight: their appetite is being tempted by our modern food environment. The human appetite was not designed to deal with the abundance of calorie-dense foods, nor the incredible amount of cheap/fast food that is both a blessing and a curse of our time.

To reach an optimal racing weight, you must practice effective means of combating appetite-subverting factors of the modern day. Here are five appetite management methods that will enable you to prevent a rumbling stomach from sabotaging your efforts to reach and maintain your optimal racing weight.

Eat a Big Breakfast
Research shows that individuals who eat the most calories before noon eat the fewest total calories over the course of the day. It seems that eating a hearty breakfast reduces appetite in the afternoon and evening. Eating early also provides plenty of time to burn calories consumed that day. Eating late by contrast limits the time or opportunity to burn those calories. Your body’s normal salvation mechanism takes over and saves the calories as fat for use on another day.

Eat Often
Eating small frequent meals throughout the day accomplishes several weight management objectives. First, it limits the insulin peaks created by large meals. Insulin enables digestion and the storage of fat. The larger the meal, the more insulin you generate. Keeping your meals small limits the creation of insulin and therefore the storage of fat. Eating small and often works your metabolism. The more your metabolism works the more efficient your digestion becomes. When we go several hours without eating, we tend to gorge at the first sign of food. Scientific evidence suggests people naturally tend to eat less when they eat often.

You can keep your appetite satisfied throughout the day with fewer total calories. A sensible eating sample schedule for most athletes that will keep your appetite in check and reduce total eating includes:

7:00 AM -- Breakfast
8:30 AM -- Snack (optional)
10:00 AM -- Snack
12:00 PM -- Lunch
2:00 PM -- Snack
4:00 PM -- Dinner
5:00 PM -- Snack (optional, preferably liquid)

Eat Healthy
Look to food for fuel not to satisfy the palate. Some foods provide more nutrition per calorie than others. Foods that provide the most nutrition per calorie are typically all natural non processed and preferably lightly cooked foods. For example, when preparing a salad use baby spinach leaves instead of iceberg lettuce. Many places offer apple slices instead of French fries as a side dish. Drink water instead of soda. Good sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Among the most satisfying proteins are dairy proteins. Dairy products are also great sources of calcium. Among the richest sources of long-chain fatty acids include macadamia nuts, almonds, peanuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil and other cold-pressed oils.

The best way to include these foods in your diet for appetite management is in the form of small (150 or fewer calories) pre-meal appetizers consumed 10 minutes before lunch or supper. Good examples are a light, broth-based soup, a garden salad, and whole-wheat crackers with cheese. Research has shown that such appetizers reduce eating in the subsequent meal by as much as 20 percent.

Resist Temptation and Dangerous Areas
Putting your hand in the fire is asking for trouble. So why are you in the kitchen after dinner? This is a no trespass zone. If you are in the vicinity of food, you are more than likely going to consume food. Once you’re done eating for the day, stay out of the kitchen.

Get caught pay a penalty. I have a friend, who will remain anonymous, that pays his kids if they catch him eating after dinner time. This is a great idea. Make the fee worth resisting the temptation. Is that 9:00 PM scoop of ice cream really worth $100?

Quantity
Lastly, to reduce the effects of food overabundance on your eating, experts generally recommend that individuals train themselves to pay better attention to the physical signs of appetite, hunger and fullness. The goal is to eat only until comfortably satisfied, never stuffed. As you get a better sense of how much food you really need to satisfy your physical appetite, you can also train yourself to purchase, prepare, serve and order smaller portions that meet this standard without exceeding it.