Tin Pot
Guru
You might benefit from structured training too, have a look at what others are saying here:
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/structured-training-in-2018.229025/
Weight Loss - why arent I losing more ?
- Thread starter zak3737
- Start date
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https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/structured-training-in-2018.229025/
Tin Pot: Dont get me wrong, we do have a good diet, my wife is a good cook, and on a mission herself, but even without that, rarely takeways etc, just good diet. Ok, I like the odd bit of chocolate or ice cream, but I dont drink much, or smoke, and we dont have crisps/biscuits at hand.
Si_c: The Chap I bought my Kickr from had had massive results from using Zwift, but I dont think I'm competetive enough for that.
I think I'm going to keep on with my TT sessions, as well as getting out now the weather is changing. I've been seeing my sessions output averages building each month, which is a motivator in itself, so I'll carry on with that. To date for April, my power output seems to have jumped markedly, so all's going in the right direction, and lets face it, the extra weight I carry hasnt gone on in 4mths, so guess it doesnt come off in 4 either !!
Si_c: The Chap I bought my Kickr from had had massive results from using Zwift, but I dont think I'm competetive enough for that.
I think I'm going to keep on with my TT sessions, as well as getting out now the weather is changing. I've been seeing my sessions output averages building each month, which is a motivator in itself, so I'll carry on with that. To date for April, my power output seems to have jumped markedly, so all's going in the right direction, and lets face it, the extra weight I carry hasnt gone on in 4mths, so guess it doesnt come off in 4 either !!
Fair enough, I find the competition useful, but you have a smart trainer, so using a virtual world like Zwift actually makes sense, I find that just going for a ride around the virual world is more interesting than watching power figures. But each to their own!
Edit: Forgot to mention, they do a 7 day free trial so you can give it a go see how it goes.
I started out my fitness/weight loss drive this year at relatively low intensity. I don't measure power or anything like that, but I do keep a check on my HR during exercise (all day, in fact, with my fitbit). I was originally riding mostly in my fat burn and cardio zones (as defined by fitbit) with relatively short periods in my peak zone. At the gym I was doing mostly cardio work with sessions on the elliptical and the rower.
As my weight has been falling, I've been pushing myself into higher intensity work. I get into my peak zone more when cycling - my last ride was a little under 3 hours, with a full 128 minutes in my peak zone (including belting round some woods on my MTB). I'm also doing higher-intensity things at the gym, like using weight training machines and doing harder rowing sessions.
Overall, I've got over my first weight loss plateau (I can't be sure it was upping my intensity, but it can't have done me any harm), and the weight is still going down steadily.
So higher intensity work, I definitely agree with that.
The other thing is keep a count of your kcals. It's easy to think your diet hasn't changed, but it's very easy to just eat a little bit more from time to time without really noticing. I know the kcals in just about everything I regularly eat, and every time I eat anything I jot down the kcals in my daily total - there's a text file open on my computer permanently, and it's surprising how often I get to the end of a day having eaten either significantly more or significantly less than I felt like I had.
A lot of people say kcal counting is no good, but I definitely find it helps me.
I don't know if any of this might help you, but you might benefit.
As my weight has been falling, I've been pushing myself into higher intensity work. I get into my peak zone more when cycling - my last ride was a little under 3 hours, with a full 128 minutes in my peak zone (including belting round some woods on my MTB). I'm also doing higher-intensity things at the gym, like using weight training machines and doing harder rowing sessions.
Overall, I've got over my first weight loss plateau (I can't be sure it was upping my intensity, but it can't have done me any harm), and the weight is still going down steadily.
So higher intensity work, I definitely agree with that.
The other thing is keep a count of your kcals. It's easy to think your diet hasn't changed, but it's very easy to just eat a little bit more from time to time without really noticing. I know the kcals in just about everything I regularly eat, and every time I eat anything I jot down the kcals in my daily total - there's a text file open on my computer permanently, and it's surprising how often I get to the end of a day having eaten either significantly more or significantly less than I felt like I had.
A lot of people say kcal counting is no good, but I definitely find it helps me.
I don't know if any of this might help you, but you might benefit.
PaulSB
Legendary Member
- Location
- Chorley, Lancashire
Ah Ha! The above to my mind is your answer. “we do have a good diet and, (in my case,WE), are good cooks.” These are almost the exact words I used when talking to a friend with a very deep interest in sports nutrition and weight control/loss. I was asking her for advice.
She helped me with some basic advice which I follow and helps me control my weight or lose it when necessary.
Keep a food diary, an honest one, then learn about the food you are eating, how the body uses and stores the carbs, proteins etc. If you’re “good diet” contains foods your body doesnt need immediately it will store this as fat.
Are you eating enough for your body and of the right things? Before I took advice I’d cut my calorie intake quite drastically but got little by way of results. After keeping a food diary and taking advice my calorie intake increased but my weight dropped. It was put to me that if the body is provided with the correct fuel in the right amount it will burn this efficiently. If the body “thinks” it’s not getting enough fuel it will store any surplus for when it’s needed. This is laid down as fat.
Do you drink a lot of tea and coffee? If do cut this down to at most two cups a day and up your water intake to 2-3 litres per day.
My knowledge is very, very limited but the changes I made resulting from my friend’s advice have been steady and sustainable.
While I don’t want to be a miserable so and so I wouldn’t expect 4-5 hours a week on a turbo to have any impact on my weight after losing an initial amount. Of the numerous cyclists I know who use trainers not one of them counts weight loss as a benefit. Most are still moaning about their winter weight gain.
Regular exercise is a huge help but the real answer is diet, diet, diet. When I commuted 36 miles round trip and rode 80/90 on a Sunday I lost weight. At +/- 360 miles/week that’s a lot more exercise, I think, than you describe.
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The Jogger
Legendary Member
- Location
- Spain
Try cutting carbs just for one week to see what happens. You'll be amazed, then try anything else if it doesn't work.
Interesting read.
But this hypothetical statement is more or less me.......replacing the running for TT.
"If a hypothetical 200-pound man added 60 minutes of medium-intensity running four days per week while keeping his calorie intake the same, and he did this for 30 days, he'd lose five pounds. "If this person decided to increase food intake or relax more to recover from the added exercise, then even less weight would be lost," Hall added"
Now, as I said earlier, I perhaps have lost a few pounds, which the above suggests, but having being now working out for 4.5months, and at increasing intensity, that would suggest that I should have lost a lot more !! I arent eating more, and I certainly havent changed my life/rest either, so literally, nothing has changed for me apart from the vastly more amount of exercise.
I think I know what cutting Carbs would do, I'd feel devoid of any energy and motivation to ride at all .......
Calorie/Food intake counting........hmmmm......dont want to be obsessive about this, I dont drastically 'need' to lose weight, I arent someone you'd look at and say he needs to, but we all think we can look better.
PaulSB: Thx for thoughts, and yes, your mileage is/was pretty heavy, dont think I'll ever get there ! Perhaps 3 Teas and 3 Coffee's /Day for me, and my Coffee's are Nespresso pods with Milk, perhaps they would be easiest to cut out, but I love 'em !!
Going to carry on with the TT and keep increasing Average Power all being well, and may have a go at an FTP test soon, not done one of those before.
And what I think I'm going to do, is go back to 5:2 Fasting, which I did try a few years back, with good results. I found that easier to simply not eat for 2 days, out of 7, much easier than trying to reduce somewhat 'every' day..........
I'm roughly your weight and couple of years younger. The wattage you're indicating is a little low. An FTP of 270W or more would be around where you would expect to be if you have no physical impediments, other than general fitness.
The like of Trainer Road or Zwifts training session will quickly lift your power number if you stick to it.
Thx Andy, I havent done an FTP yet, plan to. The 170W I mentioned is over an hour, starting steady to warm up, building through the hour.
I hope to increase that more, but doubt I'll ever get to 270W over an hour ! 20min/FTP test will show where I am currently I guess.
I hope to increase that more, but doubt I'll ever get to 270W over an hour ! 20min/FTP test will show where I am currently I guess.
Ps - my last hour on TT showed 736 Cals used, so yes, a little harder or even longer will get me between 750-1000. Must try harder lol
vickster
Legendary Member
For an hour, at 15mph over mixed resistance, I’d be very sceptical about that calorie figure, 400-500 might be a little less fictitious if you’re 15 stone. 25 miles an hour might get you to 750 if your metabolism plays ball
How much milk do you have in your 6 teas/coffees...in a day that could easily be 300 calories if milky/latte with semi skimmed or even skimmed
How much milk do you have in your 6 teas/coffees...in a day that could easily be 300 calories if milky/latte with semi skimmed or even skimmed
Vickster:
Tuesday's session......
1hr
@ 22.7mph Avg
184W
Cadence 62
= 736 Cals.
- so seems Wahoo's App Cal calcs are about right ?
Milk: Tea - very little, Coffee's about 100ml of Frothed Semi Skimmed each time, so 300mls, plus say 100ml over 3 Teas, = 400ml Total.
50Cals per 100ml it says, so thats only circa 200cals/Day.
Tuesday's session......
1hr
@ 22.7mph Avg
184W
Cadence 62
= 736 Cals.
- so seems Wahoo's App Cal calcs are about right ?
Milk: Tea - very little, Coffee's about 100ml of Frothed Semi Skimmed each time, so 300mls, plus say 100ml over 3 Teas, = 400ml Total.
50Cals per 100ml it says, so thats only circa 200cals/Day.
vickster
Legendary Member
So you’re going at rather higher output than 15mph?
200 cals is still a fair amount ultimately if you’re trying to lose weight. How many calories are you having a day?
Need a deficit of c. 3500 cals to lose a pound if metabolism normal
Have you seen a Dr to have thyroid function etc checked?
200 cals is still a fair amount ultimately if you’re trying to lose weight. How many calories are you having a day?
Need a deficit of c. 3500 cals to lose a pound if metabolism normal
Have you seen a Dr to have thyroid function etc checked?
