Any daily mid-distance (40km round-trip) commuters tried the 5:2 diet?

[GrumpyGregry]

Does it work?
Do you have to back off the pace on the 600km days?

I'm finding it hard to shift my middle-aged middle, despite doing 250+km a week.

 

[MacB]

not tried it yet but will be giving it a go though I'm not sure it would help with targeting a specific body area. Even at my very fittest I've always had a hint of the old love handles.

Shape wise the best success I've had is via swimming and/or using a chin-up bar - but not done either in a while and I'm pretty sure age will lessen the effect.

Is there anything in the idea that once created fat cells hang around the same areas waiting to sort of reinflate? If so then maybe liposuction could be your friend?

 

[Andrew_P]

I never eat before the morning commutes, and have tried limiting calories during the working day but I found it made the return journey really tough, and that followed through to the next morning. I have never had a "bonk" but I would guess the closest I came was on those restricted calorie days.

 

[BSRU]

I have 60km round trip commute and I would never consider restricting myself to 600 calories in a day, below 1000 calories is regarded as starving yourself.
You would be better off looking into what heart rate zone is best for burning fat or even going for a zero fat diet instead of severely restricting calories.

 

[uclown2002]

I have 60km round trip commute and I would never consider restricting myself to 600 calories in a day, below 1000 calories is regarded as starving yourself.
You would be better off looking into what heart rate zone is best for burning fat or even going for a zero fat diet instead of severely restricting calories.

I call it! BS!
Starvation Mode is a myth ( except in exceptional circumstances)

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html See myth no4.

You should read up on benefits of intermittent fasting rather than discourage OP from riding without a significant number of calories.

FWIW I ride every day, 2-4 hrs in a fasted state at 16-18.5 mph and I'm nearly 50 years old.

 

[BSRU]

Martin Berkhan, one swallow does not a summer make, especially when they have financial interest in promoting their opinion.

Strange how my various Muslim colleagues are not their usual self when fasting during ramadan.

Strange how if my calories out is way in excess of my calories in I feel like crap the next day.

Oh well everyone's entitled to an opinion.

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I call it! BS!
Starvation Mode is a myth ( except in exceptional circumstances)

http://www.leangains.com/2010/10/top-ten-fasting-myths-debunked.html See myth no4.

You should read up on benefits of intermittent fasting rather than discourage OP from riding without a significant number of calories.

FWIW I ride every day, 2-4 hrs in a fasted state at 16-18.5 mph and I'm nearly 50 years old.

Nobody mentioned "starvation mode" The term used was "starving" which is not the same.

Maybe the "benefits" of fasting (which lack quality evidence) should be better understood on the long term before being "encouraged".

 

[uclown2002]

Nobody mentioned "starvation mode" The term used was "starving" which is not the same.

Maybe the "benefits" of fasting (which lack quality evidence) should be better understood on the long term before being "encouraged".

Perhaps BSRU is best placed to explain whether he was hinting at starvation mode or not; but that was my inference. Of course he didn't challenge that directly in his response, so perhaps my inclination was correct.

I think the benefits of fasting have credibility, and I certainly feel it is working for me. I can therefore offer an informed opinion on the question posed given my experience. I'm happy to encourage the OP to give it a go; if it doesn't work out then so be it. What suits one does not suit all.

Each to their own I guess.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I never eat before the morning commutes, and have tried limiting calories during the working day but I found it made the return journey really tough, and that followed through to the next morning. I have never had a "bonk" but I would guess the closest I came was on those restricted calorie days.

I break my fast, barring a back coffee a vitamin pill and a cod live roil capsule and some water, after my morning commute. Like you I've found when dieting on a daily basis via calorie restriction the home run can be a struggle. I got there in the end last year by being vary careful over what I was eating but the whole process fetishised what I was eating to a distasteful degree.

 

[Flying Dodo]

Since 1st March, I've been on a ketogenic diet (similar to Atkins), so basically you convert the way your body operates, by burning fat directly, and avoiding carbs.

I've lost 6 kg and virtually all of the beer gut around the middle. It means you don't get the bonk when exercising, as you're not using glucose any more. So when your stomach's empty, the body's still got plenty of fuel to keep you going, so you don't get hunger pains like before. Initially for the first couple of weeks, I noticed I'd lost about the top 20%-25% of my top speed as I didn't have the extra energy, but now I'm firing on all cylinders and can power away up hills far better than before.

On the downside, I've had to buy replacement smaller shirts and trousers for work!

 

[MacB]

I remember similar from when I was young, thanks to a Mum that dieted her whole life I know far more about fad diets that I ever wanted. But I remember it as being called Eat Fat Grow Slim

 

[Andrew_P]

I break my fast, barring a back coffee a vitamin pill and a cod live roil capsule and some water, after my morning commute. Like you I've found when dieting on a daily basis via calorie restriction the home run can be a struggle. I got there in the end last year by being vary careful over what I was eating but the whole process fetishised what I was eating to a distasteful degree.

I now have two toast and a large costa after my morning ride, lunchtime I have an innocent Veg pot, I can drop a 1lb a day on this. My problem is it mostly goes back on Friday to Monday Morning. Having said that I have lost 4 and bit stone over 18 months of doing variables of the above. If I really wanted to if I controlled the weekend to the same level I could sustain the weight and drop down to 11.5 stone.

I am 100% sure restriction did have an effect on the pleasure side of cycling, it started to be tougher and more leg achey.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Jebus Loco, I could drop a lb a day on that but I'd drop on the last hill before home too!

Commuting/riding weekends on fixed, 400 miles thus far in April, not much by the standards of some in here but a good whack for me especially this early in the year, has seen my shape change for the better, my legs become more sculpted, and even my belt buckle tightened to the smallest notch, which normally only happens well sub 15st for me, but I've not lost a pound in weight, yet.

This pleasure side of cycling of which you speak; how does one find it?

 

[Andrew_P]

Well I did miss out an Apple plus the various toppings on the toast. I reckon I am still calorie positive by the time I get home.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Greg you sound similar to me, I checked myself on the scales at work today and was shocked to see me tipping 101kg. Now to look at me you would never believe it, I normally hover about 95-96kg but I would appear to have put some beef on but I cannot see it. I do have the old middle age spread but not a massive amount and I do cycle normally 100+ miles a week and then try and do some longer stuff at the weekend if time permits. Weekends are the let down for all the good work I do through the week but even then the last time I hit 101kg was about 8yrs ago and I did no exercise whatsoever??