Why do I lose weight when I don't cycle?

[lesley_x]

This is bizarre.

Everytime I go out on a ride, I gain weight. I did my hardest, fastest, longest ride yesterday... and gained weight lol. I've been cycling for 8 weeks and overall have lost ~5lb if I'm generous to myself.

But the only time this weight loss has occurred (as opposed to weight gain!) is when I stop cycling, either through a holiday or when I fell off my bike trying clipless and couldn't ride properly for 2 weeks

Then it seems to drop off!

Any ideas?

 

[Rob3rt]

Maybe you eat more and drink more on days you cycle due to feeling hungry afterwards.


I would hugely doubt muscle gain could explain it.


5lbs in 8 weeks isnt bad going btw!

 

[tyred]

 I wouldn't worry so long as the general trend is downwards. Nothing wrong with losing 5lb in 8 weeks. 

 

[Alembicbassman]

Fluids add 1kg per litre.

If you're not sweating you're not losing.

If you drink 2 litres of water and sweat 1 litre then you're 1kg up. You'll pee the xs out as and when when you stop.

Wear a sweat suit, then you'll loose a lot of water.

 

[adds21]

Wear a sweat suit, then you'll loose a lot of water.

...Which won't help lose weight long term.

I suggest the OP keep a full (and honest!) food diary for a couple of weeks. I certainly eat more when I do more miles, but I don't really notice unless I write it down.

 

[lesley_x]

I did keep a frank and honest diet diary and was creating ~300cal deficit a day and gaining weight. If I go for a ride (currently doing about 10-12miles 3-4 times a week) I'll gain 0.5 - 1lb in weight. If I stop for a couple of days it comes back off and more.

What is even more confusing is that my body shape has changed quite dramatically, particularly around the hips. Quite a few folk close to me have commented on this. Yet it doesn't reflect in my weight.

I have kept measurements and my thighs and calves are bigger (and biceps). Everywhere else is smaller

Someone suggested it is water gain from muscle repair.

Can't understand the human body at all

 

[CopperBrompton]

There's a lot of random noise if you weigh yourself frequently, it's the long-term trend that matters - and 5lbs in 8 weeks sounds like a respectable trend that is likely to be maintained over time. The general advice from dieticians is that anything more than 1-2lbs a week is unlikely to be sustained.

 

[lesley_x]

Cheers! Guess I should give myself more credit

 

[amnesia]

I did keep a frank and honest diet diary and was creating ~300cal deficit a day and gaining weight. If I go for a ride (currently doing about 10-12miles 3-4 times a week) I'll gain 0.5 - 1lb in weight. If I stop for a couple of days it comes back off and more.

What is even more confusing is that my body shape has changed quite dramatically, particularly around the hips. Quite a few folk close to me have commented on this. Yet it doesn't reflect in my weight.

I have kept measurements and my thighs and calves are bigger (and biceps). Everywhere else is smaller

Someone suggested it is water gain from muscle repair.

Can't understand the human body at all

Pretty much the same as me... I lost over a stone in the first 6 weeks of riding regularly and eating carefully, but the last few weeks has been a real struggle to lose any weight, even though I am doing more exercise and only consuming around 1600 cals per day. I drink about 3 litres of water a day though, so I guess that's 6 pounds of water a day.
My calves are an inch bigger than two months ago too

 

[ChrisBD]

I did keep a frank and honest diet diary and was creating ~300cal deficit a day and gaining weight. If I go for a ride (currently doing about 10-12miles 3-4 times a week) I'll gain 0.5 - 1lb in weight. If I stop for a couple of days it comes back off and more.

What is even more confusing is that my body shape has changed quite dramatically, particularly around the hips. Quite a few folk close to me have commented on this. Yet it doesn't reflect in my weight.

I have kept measurements and my thighs and calves are bigger (and biceps). Everywhere else is smaller

Someone suggested it is water gain from muscle repair.

Can't understand the human body at all

Im nt going to get into specifics (because its been done to death) save to say well done; 5lds in 8 weeks is not to be sniffed at - and weight loss is not an easy thing for many, much harder than the basic maths of less cals in more cals out.

My only real point to note is that I think you would be better off jumping on the scales less frequently; your posts suggest you may be doing this after each ride? Cut this back to max once a week, then you will be getting a more overall picture and not getting dissheartened by fluxtuations - lets face it there is so much that can make the scales move over th ecourse of a day so as not to give you a true picture.

Keep at it, and it will come.

 

[gaz]

Pretty much the same as me... I lost over a stone in the first 6 weeks of riding regularly and eating carefully, but the last few weeks has been a real struggle to lose any weight, even though I am doing more exercise and only consuming around 1600 cals per day. I drink about 3 litres of water a day though, so I guess that's 6 pounds of water a day.
My calves are an inch bigger than two months ago too

1,600 cals a day? that has to be wrong. the daily amount you should be eating is 2,500 kcal and thats for people that don't do exercise. I once counted up how much i ate a day, and stopped counting when i got over 4,000 kcal.

 

[CopperBrompton]

Depends if they are male or female, of course. 2500 is maintenance level for a man in a sedentary job who gets an average amount of exercise, while the figure for women is 2000.

 

[lesley_x]

1,600 cals a day? that has to be wrong. the daily amount you should be eating is 2,500 kcal and thats for people that don't do exercise. I once counted up how much i ate a day, and stopped counting when i got over 4,000 kcal.

I am female and was trying to create a deficit. I even recorded things like butter in sandwiches... I have definitely given up on that as I wasn't getting any success. I'm eating more and losing more. Which suits me fine

 

[Spinney]

I am female and was trying to create a deficit. I even recorded things like butter in sandwiches... I have definitely given up on that as I wasn't getting any success. I'm eating more and losing more. Which suits me fine

The recommended calorie intake for women to lose weight is around 1000 kcal, so the OP seems to have hit on a sensible level if she is exercising more as well.

Keep at it !

 

[amnesia]

1,600 cals a day? that has to be wrong. the daily amount you should be eating is 2,500 kcal and thats for people that don't do exercise. I once counted up how much i ate a day, and stopped counting when i got over 4,000 kcal.

I am keeping a food diary this week - will post it up after the weekend