Health, Fatness and Training

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

Has to be a calorie cut back in the main, I think...

My normal working week consists of three or four days commutting 20km to/from work. I've stepped this up to five a week since the diet started. September - March I try to run three times a week and go to the gym twice a week too.

But obvs historically I've been taking in more than I've been putting out.

well.. that was not exactly what I meant! Obviously regardless what your excersise regime is, if you don't lose weight that means only one thing: you eat more than what you burn! (unless there are other health issues) It is as simple as that! What I suggested thought was to calculate what your daily caloric intake should be (what we call Basal Metabolic Rate [BMR] the calculation of which is consisted by your sex, age, body fat percentage and average approx daily activity) and stick with it in regards to your nutrition! If you stick to that (along with the changes I already mentioned) and you create your deficit by your exersice, you will have more effective fat loss (and not just weight loss), you will eliminate the danger of plateau(s) and keep your metabolism going all day.. btw 1500 calories/day is too low even for a middle age female. But hey! What do I know?

 

[martint235]

For me it has to be mainly the "eat less" bit of the equation too: I know from bitter experience that I don't burn up nearly as much as I think I do, even on the tours when S & I have been doing 60-80 miles per day for a week.

Still, I managed to shed a pound and a half last week, despite the visit with my sister to see my mum - so things are beginning to move in the right direction.

I have a feeling that the 12 magnums a week, large bags of cola bottle sweets and bottles of Cream Soda may have to go. At least for a little while.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

well.. that was not exactly what I meant! Obviously regardless what your excersise regime is, if you don't lose weight that means only one thing: you eat more than what you burn! (unless there are other health issues) It is as simple as that! What I suggested thought was to calculate what your daily caloric intake should be (what we call Basal Metabolic Rate [BMR] the calculation of which is consisted by your sex, age, body fat percentage and average approx daily activity) and stick with it in regards to your nutrition! If you stick to that (along with the changes I already mentioned) and you create your deficit by your exersice, you will have more effective fat loss (and not just weight loss), you will eliminate the danger of plateau(s) and keep your metabolism going all day.. btw 1500 calories/day is too low even for a middle age female. But hey! What do I know?

Apologies....

BMR suggests 1900 - 2100 kcals for normal daily weekday activity excluding exercise. I'm aiming at avg 2000 per day over five day working week and 2500 per day at weekends by way of cutting some slack and because I'm way more active excluding exercise on Saturday and Sunday.

Lob in 200 - 250 km of bike commuting, a longish ride of a weekend, and a couple of gym sessions and a jog/run or three and I should be sorted. That said, getting the fuelling strategy right for day-in-day-out commuting is taking a bit of work; have had the odd 'jelly legs' moment on the way home.

 

[Andrew_P]

Well I cam back from Holiday and had put on 4lbs, even though I cycled a few hundred miles over the flatlands of Aquitaine, no big deal once I am back home it will drop off.

Two weeks in I was just maintaining my new weight, because I had slipped back in to old habits (even before I went away), Which is quite good as I now know that I can live quite a nice food lifestyle without putting on weight assuming I carry on my active lifestyle.

Anyway my sister has recently been diagnosed with type two diabetes, she is quite overweight, and I have been encouraging her to start cycling which she is doing ok with, I then started looking at diet it seemed low carb low sugar was the best, I thought the diet ideas looked ok, and gave it a shot for me, the weight has fallen off me (mostly water I would guess) although further up my scales were deemed to not be that accurate (I accept this but they are good at seeing things change) my scales are showing the rapid weight loss as an increase in body fat and decrease in muscle hence my assumption that it is mainly water being lost currently. I think I can feel it at the back end of my rides too, getting more tired legs etc..

So I am going to and cycle (pardon the pun) low carb 2 weeks normal carb 2 weeks and see how I get on. My Target weight is 11st 4-5lbs I am 12st 1lb today and this time last year pretty close to 17st if not a bit more. As Greg points out it really is less in and more out, at best I burn around 600 extra calories per day on my 30 miles per weekdays and I try and get a couple of rides in at the weekend. Its easy to kid myself that I can eat what I like as I am doing 30 miles a day but the reality is I can easily "secretly eat" those 500-600 calories in foods that I do not really need, treats as it were!

Sorry not sure this turned out as informational as I thought it would be!

 

[Marshmallow_Fluff]

Well I cam back from Holiday and had put on 4lbs, even though I cycled a few hundred miles over the flatlands of Aquitaine, no big deal once I am back home it will drop off.

Two weeks in I was just maintaining my new weight, because I had slipped back in to old habits (even before I went away), Which is quite good as I now know that I can live quite a nice food lifestyle without putting on weight assuming I carry on my active lifestyle.

Anyway my sister has recently been diagnosed with type two diabetes, she is quite overweight, and I have been encouraging her to start cycling which she is doing ok with, I then started looking at diet it seemed low carb low sugar was the best, I thought the diet ideas looked ok, and gave it a shot for me, the weight has fallen off me (mostly water I would guess) although further up my scales were deemed to not be that accurate (I accept this but they are good at seeing things change) my scales are showing the rapid weight loss as an increase in body fat and decrease in muscle hence my assumption that it is mainly water being lost currently. I think I can feel it at the back end of my rides too, getting more tired legs etc..

So I am going to and cycle (pardon the pun) low carb 2 weeks normal carb 2 weeks and see how I get on. My Target weight is 11st 4-5lbs I am 12st 1lb today and this time last year pretty close to 17st if not a bit more. As Greg points out it really is less in and more out, at best I burn around 600 extra calories per day on my 30 miles per weekdays and I try and get a couple of rides in at the weekend. Its easy to kid myself that I can eat what I like as I am doing 30 miles a day but the reality is I can easily "secretly eat" those 500-600 calories in foods that I do not really need, treats as it were!

Sorry not sure this turned out as informational as I thought it would be!

That is so true! Moderate cycling (say, 14-16mph) will on average (depends on sex, age, weight, fitness level etc) burn approx 500 calories/hour.. which equals.. errrr.. 2 slices of low-fat cheese pizza or two -small- scoops of chocolate fudge B&J's ice cream or 1 tiny cupcake + 1 latte (with semi skimmed milk)!!!! That's why I maintain: be strict with your caloric intake!!
Personally I advise to ditch sugar (and be very careful because you will find sugar in foods you'd never think of.. crisps, most commercially prepared bread, most flavoured yogurt, cheese, canned and pre-packaged food.. you name it!! So READ THE LABELS people! You'll be amazed!). By that alone you can reduce your daily calories by 20-30%.. Go unprocessed as much as possible is another good way! A general rule when reading the lebels is: "if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it"!!! (much debate about that, I know.. but I swear by it!)

 

[Andrew_P]

I think the low carb diet is good as it is best described as cave man diet. In fact you eat less as there is much less choice of foods to snack on, and apart from nuts it does not feel natural to snack on savoury so I end up eating far less than I would do normally. I am not convinved it is a sensible long term lifestyle though but I would really recommend it as a starter point of a diet, I think it will help me break some bad habits. In the long term I will add back fruits and a root vegetables but may stay away from the man made stuff bread, pasta etc and might stay away from potatoes.

I reckon my 50 odd minutes each way is around 300 calories each journey (despite Garmin suggesting otherwise)

 

[Sittingduck]

I can't eat low carb... although I don't buy bread anymore (only wholemeal pita). I cut down spuds but still eat rice and pasta (white, not brown). I go through a load of fruit, which is carb. I do try to eat more protein than I used to though, with greek yogurt, eggs, chicken and ham being my weapons of choice.

 

[srw]

I'm going to have to look at my diet. According to the scales, I put on a stone during my week off work. And I cycled the Olympic Road Race route during that time. I also swam quite a bit so I could just be building muscle but I think it's my diet needs looking at.

The book referenced in the second post on the thread (very good, incidentally) suggests that unless you're specifically bulking up it's very unlikely that you'll be able to put on more than a pound or two of muscle in a year.

 

[srw]

: "if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it"!!!

That's quinoa out the window, then.

 

[srw]

For me it has to be mainly the "eat less" bit of the equation too: I know from bitter experience that I don't burn up nearly as much as I think I do, even on the tours when S & I have been doing 60-80 miles per day for a week.

Although neither of us lost weight on tour, I think we both managed to lose weight very effectively in the first two weeks after getting back - despite still eating for touring miles. It's the month or two since that have been the real killer...

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Although neither of us lost weight on tour, I think we both managed to lose weight very effectively in the first two weeks after getting back - despite still eating for touring miles. It's the month or two since that have been the real killer...

yeahbut, you're still killing those smilies

a battle lost does not lose the war.

 

[srw]

yeahbut, you're still killing those smilies

a battle lost does not lose the war.

Embarrassing admission - I ought to have reinstated one. And I appreciate the sentiment!

Other useful things I've taken away from a first read of that book linked in the thread:
(a) Fat percentage measurements aren't perfect, but they're indicative if performed consistently.
(b) Because they're indicative they enable you to do a simple bit of maths to get a pure lean weight, and gross up for a target weight at a sensible fat percentage. In my case that's confirmed 13.5 stone as sensible, with 12.5 as a stretch.
(c) Weight training and callisthenics are extremely useful in weight loss - to balance bike rides and other activity. And my diet is actually pretty good fundamentally, but I'm not that disciplined.
(d) I may not be competitive, but with a resting heart rate in the 40s or 50s and the ability to do an 80 mile ride without really thinking about it (if I don't get bored) I've got the body of an endurance athlete - just an overweight one. I need to focus on weight loss.
(e) Nevertheless, a 20% fall in weight will make riding 20% easier.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I was (well) below 15st pre-LonJOG.

I didn't lose any weight doing it, but my shape changed.Beer is a wonderful source of calories after all.

I put weight on in July and August. (see comment re Beer above)

 

[andyg9053]

Great thread, even with a few upsets in the middle, my take on eating late, at night our metabolism goes into a form of hibernation as well, it slows down. That is why breakfast is so important, as it kick starts it back into action. The metabolism being slow means that all of its actions slow down including absobtion so everything tends to just sit waiting for your body to spring back to life. Therefore it doesnt matter when you eat just what you eat. Definitely not cut and pasted just an opinion.
2nd thought on loosing weight, turn off your heating, or at least turn it down, I used to be in the Army and on cold winter exercises even eating anything I could lay my hands on, probably over 4000 cal a day, i still lost weight. I took it to be my body making heat to keep me warm using all those excess cals. Just a thought.

 

[karl61]

no magic solution to weight loss......calories in v calories out, simple as that.