How to lose upper body weight?.

muz250

I was woundering what the best ways are for losing upper body weight. I am 5'11'' and weigh in at 85 kg. Not fit at the moment and am sure my normal / right weight should be around 75 kg.

Got a bike at the end of last year but only the last month or so have been riding regularly to get fit. My main aim to be able to start doing some sportive events and mayby next year do the etape, but before I can do either of these things need to get fit and loose some weight.

I also do motocross but due to alot of time off the bike over the last year and a half due to injurys lost alot of fitness and put on weight. Mainly want to get rid of all my upper body fat but not wanting to gain or lose alot of muscle, so that ill still have strength for motocross but lose all the exess weight to make cycling easyer.
So any advise would be helpfull.

cheers.

shisaa

I'm not an expert, but would just suggest the common sense stuff really. i think it's quite difficult to target weight loss on specific parts of the body, but regular exercise, cycling will get rid of some fat, along with some calorie control obviously, particularly avoiding fats i suppose. Just like any diet.
Another option would be some resistance work on your upper body, but if you don't want to gain muscle these should be low weight (relative to your current ability) and high repetition exercises, so it would build tone without giving too much bulk.

azzerb

Yep as Shisaa said, you should do some weight work, so low weights + high reps.

These would mean you wouldn't gain much muscle gain (the muscle fibres built up should be small fibres, not large), yet for 48 hours after the weights you would be burning off the calories at a higher rate.

Also altering how you eat would help, you might find that you'll be getting hungry quite quickly, so spreading out your meals, from 3 meals a day to 5-6 smaller meals a day would be more beneficial as you'll be eating the same, but "tricking" your body, so will keep burning off the weight. This might not be ideal if you have a family or time commitments.

shockedsoshocked

If your doing plenty of cycling don't worry about putting on loads of extra muscle weight lifting.

Mettan

muz250 wrote:

I was woundering what the best ways are for losing upper body weight. I am 5'11'' and weigh in at 85 kg. Not fit at the moment and am sure my normal / right weight should be around 75 kg.

Got a bike at the end of last year but only the last month or so have been riding regularly to get fit. My main aim to be able to start doing some sportive events and mayby next year do the etape, but before I can do either of these things need to get fit and loose some weight.

I also do motocross but due to alot of time off the bike over the last year and a half due to injurys lost alot of fitness and put on weight. Mainly want to get rid of all my upper body fat but not wanting to gain or lose alot of muscle, so that ill still have strength for motocross but lose all the exess weight to make cycling easyer.
So any advise would be helpfull.

cheers.

Eat less and do more exercise - sounds ridiculous, but roughly speaking, that 's about the size of it. I found with regular 5-10 milers throughout the week and a reduction in the size and number of food portions I lost 1.75-2 stone over 9-12 months - it took a while to get going, but once you're in the groove it seems to drop off. Appetite can often increase though, with increased exercise, so it might take a bit of will power to keep the food portions reasonable.

Alibran

Keep cycling, and cut down the amount of calories you're taking in. (That doesn't necessarily mean eating less, but just making healthier food choices - more fresh fruit and veg, less fatty, processed foods. Not suggesting that you do eat unhealthily, of course, since I don't know anything about your current diet.) Taking in less calories will mean your body has to start using it's own energy reserves, and keeping on cycling will ensure you maintain the muscles you need for cycling.

azzerb

The problem with eating less calories than you're using to lose fat, is that it isn't always specifically fat it'll lose.

That's one of the reasons why you need to do weights, it'll encourage the body to target the fat. Cycling just won't do this, the cycling will increase the number of calories being burnt off.

Eating less portions as well as less food is bad as well, because one of the easier ways to lose weight is a high metabolism, through not eating regular portions and smaller portions as well, your body will turn into starvation mode. That's why it's better to reduce your overall amount eaten while increasing your number of portions as it is in less starvation mode.

I think i also read about having to have some fat to lose fat, so basically, according to some body fat loss forums, a spoon of peanut butter at night is a fantastic treat.

Oh and i don't just preach this, i eat pretty much all the time, don't do a lot of training because of other things in my life (i do a total of maybe 6 hours exercise at the most a week), i eat 5-6 portions a day, some of those not small (I'm still young so can get away with it), and i hold a BF% of between 9-10% comfortably (i don't wanna be any thinner around exam time).

wheelermuk

that's a weird peanut butter theory - not that i'm saying you're wrong!

does anyone know the theory behind this??

also, a good way of shifting fat would be to ride fasted, maybe before breakfast, and generally keep to a more steady pace so you utilise a greater % of fats compared to carbs.

or lose a testicle. when lance lost his he was able to use a greater percentage of his fat stores and could therefore recover quicker as he had less carbs to replace. probably a bit of a drastic step for someone who isn't forced into making this choice though

Infamous

the theory of the peanut butter is presumably similar to the way atkins works.

There is a diet that bodybuilders use (that atkins takes it's "science" from) where you don't eat any carbs, and eat at least 50% fat (the rest being protein). By eating fat, your body starts to use your own fat as fuel. You would only ever have carbs to "refill" your glycogen stores if you have used some when training.

link:
http://www.uk-muscle.co.uk/losing-weigh ... carbs.html
its a good read.

Not sure if it will transfer over to a heavy cycling regime to well, but probably would.

jpembroke

I commuted 20 miles a day for 6 years but never managed to shift that little bit of excess weight around my middle. Then I quit my office job and became and landscape gardener and lost it all incredibly quickly even though I was eating way more. I'm now permanently under 10 stone. So, the answer for me was hard work.

and please do a lot of research on the Atkins before going down that route:

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/38/ ... h_Risk.htm

I'm fairly sure that the Atkins diet was the final straw for my stepfather who died from a massive heart attack at age 53.

Infamous

jpembroke wrote:

I commuted 20 miles a day for 6 years but never managed to shift that little bit of excess weight around my middle. Then I quit my office job and became and landscape gardener and lost it all incredibly quickly even though I was eating way more. I'm now permanently under 10 stone. So, the answer for me was hard work.

and please do a lot of research on the Atkins before going down that route:

http://www.atkinsexposed.org/atkins/38/ ... h_Risk.htm

I'm fairly sure that the Atkins diet was the final straw for my stepfather who died from a massive heart attack at age 53.

I wasn't suggesting doing atkins btw, if you click the link you can read how a lot of bodybuilders (who don't do a lot of cardio) lose fat while still keeping/building muscle.

but It does work in a similar way to atkins, ie, ketosis.

jpembroke

I didn't mean to imply that you were promoting Atkins, sorry about that. I just am very uncomfortable with the whole Atkins concept - it just doesn't seem at all healthy.

Also, us cyclists need carbs, surely.

Alibran

OK, carbs are vital for people doing a lot of exercise. If you try to fuel your body with mostly protein and fat, you'll feel tired and sluggish most of the time, and you won't perform at the same level. Therefore, you'll burn less calories.

Weight loss is down to a simple formula - calories in - calories out. (I've lost 5.5 stone following this formula.) It doesn't matter when you eat them, but eating several small meals a day is sensible because it keeps your energy levels steady.

The reason Atkins (and other similar diets) works is because protein takes longer to digest than carbs, so a high protein diet leaves you feeling full for longer, with the result that you est less. The lower calories make you lose weight.

If you cycle, and push big gears some of the time (no need to do it all or even most of the time), you will maintain your cycling muscles while you lose weight. You will lose other muscles that aren't involved in cycling, but only you can decide whether you're happy with that or not.

You can't lose fat selectively from one part of your body. Fat loss happens in a genetically programmed pattern.

Yes, it's quite possible to sculpt your body using weights, and there is also a strong argument for cyclists doing cycling specific resistance training to help prevent muscle imbalances. I find mixing cycling and running with plenty of stretching does the job for me.

Infamous

The reason Atkins (and other similar diets) works is because protein takes longer to digest than carbs, so a high protein diet leaves you feeling full for longer, with the result that you est less. The lower calories make you lose weight.

Incorrect.

(Read the link I posted) The aim of atkins is to make your body use your fat reserves as it's source of fuel.

ut_och_cykla

Try to live a life that promotes SLOW weight loss (1-2 lbs a week on average, perhaps no more than 2 that at the start if you are very overweight) - this way you will use the excess without losing much muscle. A 500 kcal deficit every day (cut 250 from food and do 30 mins medium pace exercise) will lose you a pound a week - that's 3 and 3/4 stone till this time next year - no starvation or wacky diets, adn you should be able to exercise fully.
Perhaps reschedule your mealtimes around your training - dividing it up to 5-6 small meals as suggested will be better for training too.
Work hard, progessive and structured with your cycling and Keep as busy physically as possible too - like the landscape gardener and the weight should go.
Watch the little things and the everyday stuff - its not the odd beer or pizza that makes you fat its the slow trickle of just a littlel too much day in day out.
Good luck!

the ferry

Since commuting regularly the weight as been falling off, its 25 mile round trip.
I try to avoid eating before setting of which I think helps.

I am now down to 12 st from 14, the thing that you have to contend with however is looking a bit skinny and comments like 'your wasting away'.

I have lost a fair bit of muscle around the shoulders which i didn't want to happen and will try and get in the gym to put it back on a bit.

Alibran

Infamous wrote:

The aim of atkins is to make your body use your fat reserves as it's source of fuel.

I understand what you're saying, but the science is very simple. If you take in more calories than you need, you will gain weight. If you take in less calories than you need, you will lose weight. If someone loses weight on Atkins, it's because they're taking in less calories than they need.

The problem with trying to trick your body into using its reserves in anything other than its prefered order is that it doesn't work, or only works to a small degree or for a short while. Carbs are the body's prefered source of fuel, but if these are in short supply, and unless you are very overweight, your body will always "cannibalise" muscle for fuel before it uses fat because it makes sense for survival. (Muscle requires more energy to sustain than fat, so if your body feels theres a famine coming, it will use the muscle for energy and hold onto the fat reserves.) The only way to stop, or at least reduce it, is to keep using the muscles. Your body is much slower to get rid of something that's being used regularly because it figures it needs it.

muz250

thanks for all the replys.

I,ll keep to plenty of cycling and start doing some push ups and sits ups after riding also and see how that works out. I am a heavy (trucks) vehicle mechanic which involves heavy work alot of the time so that is like a work out alot of the time.

Think my biggest problem is eating. I like pizzas and eat way to many and alot of the time get take aways. I also work shifts and generaly have poor eating paterns, when on backshift for example most night everbody gets a chippy and its hard to sit there eat something you ve made at home when everybody else has take away food.I,d say on a backshift week I would typicly have 3 -4 chippy / take aways over the whole week
Also after Iv been cycling / training, Im very hungry and would eat more than a normal meal portion. I,m going to try and be more strict with myself when it comes to diet for sure.

Alex_Simmons/RST

Why is it that on weight loss threads there is so much tripe (aka as "advice") doled about? It ain't that hard, it is simple thermodynamics and there's no magic bullet:

1. Eat well with a balanced diet.

2. Focus on improving fitness (sustainable power).

3. On average, consume no less than 500 Cal below your energy output per day. (Base metabolic rate + exercise output).

4. For the duration of training time you have available, ride as hard as you can sustain over the course of the training cycle.


It matter not what proportion of primary energy sources your body uses during exercise/rest (glycogen and fatty acids).

Protein contributes such a small % of energy as fuel it can be essentially ignored, especially if the fuel supply is adequate (eat well).

If you eat well and exercise regularly, sure you metabolism will rise, but the change in daily calorie consumption as a result is minor compared to energy expended through exercising at a decent and sustainable volume/intensity.

You cannot target the location of fat stores to be be utilised.

Special diets that purport to "trick the body" are simply rubbish and rob the body of essential nutrients required for maintenance of good health.

ut_och_cykla

ut_och_cykla wrote:

SNIP A 500 kcal deficit every day (cut 250 from food and do 30 mins medium pace exercise) will lose you a pound a week - that's 3 and 3/4 stone till this time next year - no starvation or wacky diets, adn you should be able to exercise fully.
SNIP
Watch the everyday stuff - its not the odd beer or pizza that makes you fat its the slow trickle of too much day in day out.

Not much tripe here Stay off the regular chips/take aways - cutting to once a week will make a big difference. Replace with fewer total calories but still filling - eat plenty of fruit and veg - yes its wimpy for a truck guy but you'll be laughing come your 50th birthdauy - not your work mates!

don2wonder

Definately agree with alibran and alex - you cant lose weight from your upper body in terms of fat stores. You have to exercise your whole body and as a result you will hopefully lose fat over your entire body. I think this is confused with muscle mass in that you obviously wouldnt want to cause catabolism of the leg muscles but that is quite different.
I think there also tends to be a bit of confusion regarding reps and intensity of training. If you "dont want to put on lots of muscle" then doing high rep/low intensity exercise wont "tone up those muscles but not make you huge", it simply targets different muscle fibre types, cardio mechanism and energy and nutrient storage mechanisms i.e. things that arent visible. If you dont want to get huge (which some try very hard at without success) then simply dont overdo the weightlifting. It doesnt mean you have to use those pink weights you see in the gym
So if you cycle you are naturally going to get slimmer overall and also larger muscles in your legs particularly.