Why no weight loss?

[Libby]

I am just getting into cycling. Until 12 months ago I was a fitness instructor but since then I have changed to an office job and going from doing 2 - 4 hours exercise a day to siiting for 8 hours a day has meant weight gain (about 10kg) :-(

I started cycling 3 weeks ago and in that time I have done just over 380 miles. I use a heart rate monitor and am burning off a minimum of 6000 calories a week with cycling and gym work (I still do some weights and teach 1 spin class a week) and am watching what I eat (1600 cals a day in the week, 2000 a day at the weekend).

So far I have lost a big fat 0kg. Am I just being impatient or still eating too much? I am really enjoying the cycling though and do feel as though my fitness is improving again but need to lose weight!

 

[tyred]

It's possible you are over-rating the calories used by cycling.

It also takes time for these things to happen and there may be a bit of muscle gain and muscle is more dense than fat. Do you notice any difference in the fit of your trousers?

 

[JiMBR]

Give it time....I'm sure you'll find that the fat loss will kick-in.

Just keep doing what you're doing.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

As has been said Muscle is more dense than fat hence apparent weight status quo. Measure your vital stats and as if they chance. I have dropped two trouser sizes since January,

 

[Libby]

I'm used to the whole muscle weighing heavier than fat thing and have been trying to focus more on clothes fitting etc. But there doesn't seem to be much difference there either. In the past when I have needed to lose weight I trained about the same amount as I am now in terms of calories and was still losing at least 1kg a week. In reply to the over-rating the calories burned, my heart rate monitor is set up for me and has always been pretty accurate. For example last night I did a 33 mile ride, which took 2 hours 13 (1 hour 54 for the first 30 miles then really chilled for the last 3) Average HR was 140 and cals burned was 1410. I thought this seemed about right but let me know if you think differently?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I'm used to the whole muscle being denser than fat thing and have been trying to focus more on clothes fitting etc. But there doesn't seem to be much difference there either. In the past when I have needed to lose weight I trained about the same amount as I am now in terms of calories and was still losing at least 1kg a week. In reply to the over-rating the calories burned, my heart rate monitor is set up for me and has always been pretty accurate. For example last night I did a 33 mile ride, which took 2 hours 13 (1 hour 54 for the first 30 miles then really chilled for the last 3) Average HR was 140 and cals burned was 1410. I thought this seemed about right but let me know if you think differently?

FTFY

Maybe you have plateaued. You could be at your ideal size and weight and the calorific intake and exercise are balanced perfectly. Just a thought.

 

[endoman]

You can't turn an oil tanker round on a sixpence. You've stopped gaining weight so that's good.

Report back in another month and I bet a few k's will have gone.

 

[Becs]

Sounds quite high to me. I started a thread a while ago about calorie counting on "my fitness pal" and the general consensus was that most of these things, HR monitors included, over estimate wildly. If I remember rightly a rule of thumb of 20-40 calories a mile was suggested (depending on your weight) for moderate paced cycling. I've not used a HR monitor but I tend to work on about 300 calories an hour unless I'm beasting it! (successful weightloss so far - but then I've also temporarily given up booze!

 

[ColinJ]

If I remember rightly a rule of thumb of 20-40 calories a mile was suggested (depending on your weight) for moderate paced cycling.

That fits in with my experience. I burn about a pound of fat per 100 miles. 1 pound of fat = 3,500 cals, so 100 miles ~= 3,500 cals; 1 mile ~= 35 cals net loss for me at this weight.

That is on long rides where I eat and drink a lot so I am actually making up for some of the calories burned. I probably take in 2,000 cals on a century ride so I reckon I actually burn more like 55 cals a mile, but I'm pretty big and most of my rides are hilly so I reckon 20-40 cals/mile would be in the right ballpark for smaller riders on flatter rides.

 

[Friz]

even if the figures are correct:


1600 x 5 = 8000

2000 x 2 = 4000

that's an intake of 12000 calories per week.

and you reckon you burn 6000 calories per week. That leaves a 6000 calorie credit per week. What's the average body burn when not working out?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

even if the figures are correct:


1600 x 5 = 8000

2000 x 2 = 4000

that's an intake of 12000 calories per week.

and you reckon you burn 6000 calories per week. That leaves a 6000 calorie credit per week. What's the average body burn when not working out?

(10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (5 x age) - 161 gives average calories burned in a 24 hour period if at rest.

 

[LosingFocus]

(10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (5 x age) - 161 gives average calories burned in a 24 hour period if at rest.

lbs or kg? cm or inches? years or days?

 

[Angelfishsolo]

lbs or kg? cm or inches? years or days?

10 x weight (kg) + 6.25 x height (cm) - 5 x age (y) - 161.

 

[Libby]

(10 x weight) + (6.25 x height) - (5 x age) - 161 gives average calories burned in a 24 hour period if at rest.


That would give me 1480 cals a day if at rest so I should be doing enough really. Def not at natural weight, as although I have always weighed fairly heavy (at my best I was 70kg but 20% body fat which is ok for a female) but I'm up at 79kg now which is far too heavy for me - and nothing fits!

 

[Friz]

Jeez you were serious...


One of these days I'll try and figure that out (no idea how much I weigh or how tall I am).



To the OP. Three weeks is still early days. Even with the previous experience in the gym your body is still learning a new way to cope with what you are doing now. Took me about 6 to 8 weeks before I noticed a difference. But after that the difference was drastic.


The Unislim brigade at work have noticed it too and they are none too pleased about it....