The other thing to bare in mind is that it is worryingly easy to underestimate what you actually do eat. I did it for years. I was going around thinking, "I don't know why I'm so fat, I don't eat much and am reasonably active" before making a serious effort to loose weight and looked seriously at what I ate and was left thinking "Good God, I eat way, way, way too much." It's easy to criticise but I have some sympathy for anyone who falls into this trap. Food of the high calorie variety is so cheaply and easily available nowadays that it's all to easy to over-indulge without thinking about it.
What is best for weightloss?
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EssexRider
New Member
- Location
- Brentwood
I used to be a fat kid, I didnt change the way I ate a single bit and I went from 15 stone down to 11 stone in a year just from riding 4 miles twice a day (to work and back)
with a bit of football on the weekends too...
with a bit of football on the weekends too...
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I went to visit an old friend a few years back and immediately noticed that his previously large paunch had almost disappeared. It turned out that he'd started commuting just over a mile each way by bike and did one ride of less than 10 miles at the weekends. I couldn't believe how much difference 20 miles of cycling a week made to him.
His job got relocated so he couldn't commute by bike any more and his weight shot back up again.
gb155
Fan Boy No More.
- Location
- Manchester-Ish
Hi Rob, Yes the person CLAIMS, we all know the sore, but they refuse to accept this, My Cal intake is around 1200 a day, and I cycle on a bad day for 90 mins/ Average day 2.5 hours/Great day 4 hours.
This person has told me how I need to lose weight and how I am doing it all wrong, It makes me laugh but its tragic at the same time, this person is so deep in denial that its not gonna end well, and yet they think that they are more successful than I am, truth be told, im losing while this person is gaining and that’s the reason why IMHO we MUST look at weight loss in a different way for different ways.
As an aside I was in the Gym when this person turned up one day, it was an eye opener, they claimed to workout ball-out for hours, they were there for around an hour and a half and basically did nothing (running machine at walking pace for 5 mins, rower at walking pace for 5 mins, stepper for 5 mins and the rest of the time was spent walking round the gym)
:-D
Becs
Veteran
- Location
- Old Hatfield (it's nice honest!)
If it's any help I've lost 2 and a half stone this year using online weightwatchers (6 years of university level drinking hadn't done me any favours!). I was always very sceptical of these things and would never go to the meetings but the online thing was really easy (and cheap). It makes you realise how much you are eating (or drinking!) and how little you burn off with light-moderate exercise, but nothing is restricted - if I want to have a skinful it'll tell me how much running I have to do to compensate! I always put my cycling in as "cycling gently" even if I am beasting it so I don't overestimate the bonus points I'm allowed!
P.S. I have no connection to the company!
P.S. I have no connection to the company!
007
Active Member
Interesting thread, some great replies so far.
My take on this - it is all about control of carbs....sadly
1) Do not give a moments thought to the scales - bin them. Or if you must - weigh yourself once a month. Do not target being a weight in future. Target body fat percentage to work towards. Anything from 12% - 16% you will look good.
2) Invest in a cheapo pair of body fat calipers. Measure yourself in the exact same spots once a week at the same time in the AM - does not need to be a percentage, even a mm measurement would do. As long as the numbers are dropping each week. You will notice fat loss with your clothes. Really, the best device that will never, ever lie in the fat is the mirror! Lots of advice on the web on this.
3) Look into low carb diets. Now I am not talking Atkins as that is too extreme. However, I follow a carb-cycling regime, where on occasion I will go low carb Mon-Fri. Then on a Saturday a carb up. I am not talking 5 loaves of bread and a 12 bottles of beer here
- just a replenishment of glycogen stores. Or if a long ride is on the cards, carb up (not excessively) the night before. Then POST exercise only - some complex carbs, from fruit or veg. Or carb up in the AM, or drop the carbs as the day goes on. Lots of different approaches here.
Google ćarb timing for more advice on this
Once a month, or if low carbing is becoming too hard or you hit a plateau - throw in a cheat meal. You want to eat mashed potato - have it. You want ice cream - do it. You want rice - eat it. Go wild. Your metabolism will be fired up after it. No cheat meals all the time though - keep these for when it becomes too much of a slog!
4) Booze - when you drink you will never lose weight, as alcohol will be burned as a fuel source by your metabolism before fat. So - the booze intake is at a minimum.
Hope this helps. Good luck....
My take on this - it is all about control of carbs....sadly
1) Do not give a moments thought to the scales - bin them. Or if you must - weigh yourself once a month. Do not target being a weight in future. Target body fat percentage to work towards. Anything from 12% - 16% you will look good.
2) Invest in a cheapo pair of body fat calipers. Measure yourself in the exact same spots once a week at the same time in the AM - does not need to be a percentage, even a mm measurement would do. As long as the numbers are dropping each week. You will notice fat loss with your clothes. Really, the best device that will never, ever lie in the fat is the mirror! Lots of advice on the web on this.
3) Look into low carb diets. Now I am not talking Atkins as that is too extreme. However, I follow a carb-cycling regime, where on occasion I will go low carb Mon-Fri. Then on a Saturday a carb up. I am not talking 5 loaves of bread and a 12 bottles of beer here
Google ćarb timing for more advice on this
Once a month, or if low carbing is becoming too hard or you hit a plateau - throw in a cheat meal. You want to eat mashed potato - have it. You want ice cream - do it. You want rice - eat it. Go wild. Your metabolism will be fired up after it. No cheat meals all the time though - keep these for when it becomes too much of a slog!
4) Booze - when you drink you will never lose weight, as alcohol will be burned as a fuel source by your metabolism before fat. So - the booze intake is at a minimum.
Hope this helps. Good luck....
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I can see where you are coming from on this and agree that people shouldn't be slaves to scales, but I think they can be a useful tool. I weigh myself every day, but ignore the kind of daily variations I see. I average the readings over a week to determine what the trend is.
The most obvious fat measurement is just to use a tape measure round the waist! Make sure you don't suck the belly in when you are taking the measurement, and always take it in the same position. Maybe round the navel, or an inch above, whatever.
The mirror is definitely useful. Jump up and down in front of one and if anything wobbles that shouldn't be wobbling, you still have fat to lose.
I've never found this to be necessary. I got fat through beer drinking. If I lay off the beer, I lose weight...
Did someone mention beer!
gb155
Fan Boy No More.
- Location
- Manchester-Ish
RedBike
New Member
- Location
- Beside the road
In the 2-3 months i've been off the bike despite having tried (rather unsucessfully) to reduce my food intake i've gone from 72kg to 89kg.
I think that going out running / cycling and burning off 200/400kcal has a much bigger impact on your weight than simply reducing your food intake by 200/400kcal.
My theory is that you continue to burn calories at a higher rate after exercise while you recover.
Ever noticed just how hungry you are for 2-3 days after a LONG ride?
I think that going out running / cycling and burning off 200/400kcal has a much bigger impact on your weight than simply reducing your food intake by 200/400kcal.
My theory is that you continue to burn calories at a higher rate after exercise while you recover.
Ever noticed just how hungry you are for 2-3 days after a LONG ride?
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Blimey RB, you'll soon be catching up with me at that rate, and I'm 3 or 4 inches taller than you!
I suggest my informal salad/veg diet. Allow yourself unlimited size salads or portions of (non-starchy) vegetables and very controlled amounts of everything else. They are very filling, have loads of important nutrients and not that many calories. Don't smother them in high-calorie dressings. The bulk of them in your stomach leaves less room for the fattening stuff you might otherwise be tempted by. Oh, and drink a large glass of cold water before each meal. Or make a soup out of the water and those vegetables.
I'm sure that's true - see the example of my mate (above). 20 miles of cycling a week can't possible burn many calories, but I think doing it kick-started his metabolism and had him burning more when he wasn't on the bike. He swears that he didn't change what he ate or drank and it made a huge difference to him.
Atkins did the low carb diet the wrong way round. He started low and progressively increased the CHO g until no fat loss was measured. This was good for results and morale, but brought on Ketosis, halitosis and a banging headache that lasted days.
The sensible method is to assess the CHO intake at present, then take OFF until fat reduction is noticeable.
Start with a calorie count of BMR. Start at 50% CHO. As CHO comes off, Protein goes ON.
You will learn the same "Threshold for fat loss" that Atkins gives you, but it is safer and less painful, and kinder to the people who have to stand and listen to you talking ( smell you breathing ).
The sensible method is to assess the CHO intake at present, then take OFF until fat reduction is noticeable.
Start with a calorie count of BMR. Start at 50% CHO. As CHO comes off, Protein goes ON.
You will learn the same "Threshold for fat loss" that Atkins gives you, but it is safer and less painful, and kinder to the people who have to stand and listen to you talking ( smell you breathing ).
For light exercise and everyday activities, the body predominantly uses fatty acids in the blood stream to fuel muscular movement. When exercise and activity get more intense, more Carbohydrates are used until at maximum exertion, CHO is used totally.
A simple measure of when the threshold occurs is breathing. If you need to inhale through your mouth, that is an indication of when you are changing from fats to carbs as fuel.
For the body to reduce its mass of adipose tissue, ie fat stores, EVERY carbohydrate molecule that goes down the throat MUST be used for muscular movement. If it isn't, it will be converted to adipose for future use.
In theory, Atkins is correct. Low activity demands low carbohydrate intake; until adipose is so low, malnutrition ensues.
The trick for athletes is to balance carbs and exercise so EVERY carbohydrate molecule is used, WITHOUT running short ( the bonk ). To do this, it is necessary to know the ratio of fat vs carbs usage for increasing exercise intensity.
Going for a slow bike ride where breathing can be accommodated through the nose and the mouth is kept SHUT, special carb intake is not necessary. You are running on fat and therefore, reducing the adipose storage.
A simple measure of when the threshold occurs is breathing. If you need to inhale through your mouth, that is an indication of when you are changing from fats to carbs as fuel.
For the body to reduce its mass of adipose tissue, ie fat stores, EVERY carbohydrate molecule that goes down the throat MUST be used for muscular movement. If it isn't, it will be converted to adipose for future use.
In theory, Atkins is correct. Low activity demands low carbohydrate intake; until adipose is so low, malnutrition ensues.
The trick for athletes is to balance carbs and exercise so EVERY carbohydrate molecule is used, WITHOUT running short ( the bonk ). To do this, it is necessary to know the ratio of fat vs carbs usage for increasing exercise intensity.
Going for a slow bike ride where breathing can be accommodated through the nose and the mouth is kept SHUT, special carb intake is not necessary. You are running on fat and therefore, reducing the adipose storage.
thistler
Veteran
- Location
- Happy Valley
I am currently riding between 110-135 miles a week, and have a lot of fat to lose. I eat a low GI diet and am very careful about what goes in my mouth.
After I've warmed up I am breathing through my mouth, but with the exception of a sprint here and there it is a comfortable, not too taxing pace. Should I be riding slower/easier then to lose more fat? I think with the time available for me to go on rides, if I slow down I will be doing a less miles...my current belief was the more miles/hours I can ride the better...
I feel pretty darned good fitness wise, lots of energy, etc. since I started cycling again but my main goal at the moment is to lose the fat. I've got about 5 more stone to get off....I've lost 4 since Feb of this year.
