The Eternal Question

suzyb

gasman_dave wrote:

By the way, avoid diet drinks. Your body thinks they contain sugar, so it produces insulin, dropping your blood sugar and thus giving you the munchies 20 - 30 minutes later, making you snack. Well suppressed evidence, I believe. Allegedly.

oooh interesting

meanredspider

Gasman_dave - thanks for your comments and the advice.

My typical day looks like this:

Medium home-made semi-skimmed latte
Porridge (half cup of oats) made 50:50 semi-skimmed milk/water & sliced banana
an hour before leaving

Morning snack of a Mulebar

Lunch of Tesco sushi and small bag of Minstrels(I know - easy target)

I normally have something bad an hour before my ride home - sugary drink normally - as I notice the difference in my energy on my way back

Dinner is normally out of my control - whatever Mrs MRS makes: pasta, curry or something like that. Portion control is my challenge here. As is dessert - often makes something bad. She unwittingly undermines my efforts..

Then it's just avoiding the chocolate tin for the rest of the evening. I often grab another latte too.

davis

Well, I've just read that essay by your daughter.

In your situation, I wouldn't give a rodent's posterior about my weight or my fitness. I might try to make sure I got enough vitamins and minerals so that I didn't feel unnecessarily knackered, but I wouldn't be bothered about having to buy another pair of trousers. That can all be dealt with in a year or two.

Best of luck to you all.

Escadrille Ecosse

I salute you and your kids meanredspider. Keep working at the weight, your job as a parent is to be there for your children, long term.

Know what you mean about the weight gain though, I'm sure it's the fat content. I'm built like a stick but at 50 I now need to watch the calories for the first time in my life, not helped by the fact that we have a filing cabinet drawer full of chocolate and crisps in the office (yes honestly). To avoid this I buy myself big packets of rich tea biscuits and eat them whenever I feel like having something with tea etc. If I am feeling particularly in need of something a bit more upmarket then the Abernethy biscuits come out (although they can be a devil to find this far south). You feel full, tea isn't too wet but without as much fat the spare tyre doesn't build up as much.

gasman_dave

I suspect that worrying about the weight gives a focus away from the more serious problems that have arisen. I think that is fairly common and healthy.

As for your lunch, sushi is easy to burn up as it is relatively processed white rice. I won't even mention the minstrels. Neither of these things will give long-lasting energy and nor will the sugary drink.

Making a few easy changes to your diet without changing portions is good for you short and long term. It will help keep diabetes at bay.

Anyway, good luck with the weight loss and give your kids a hug. They should know how impressed we all are with them.

meanredspider

I'm beginning to just get back to sorting my weight after just forgetting about it and letting it slip away from me a bit. Things are more in control right now than they've been for most of the last year. I am long-term tired though - not had a proper break for a year - just when I was hoping to chill out, a big reorg at work puts my job at risk. C'est la vie.

I moved to sushi as a change from sandwiches and to up my protein. I don't think my Type 2 diabetes risk is too bad - along with the exercise, my waist is usually ok - 32" waist jeans at 6'. Just need to come up with a better idea for lunch then. Tesco is within walking distance and the walk gets me out. Suggestions, please. Same for pre-ride energy boost.

Yup - make sure I tell all my kids (I have a younger son, too - he's been brilliant as well - in the same week Charlie was diagnosed, a classmate's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and another classmate's mum with breast cancer - the 3 of them raised £500 for cancer research) that I love them and I'm very proud of them.

veronese68

MRS, thanks for the earlier comment. I've been clear for 6 years now, but still have annual checks.
Glad you've had lots of support. I've always said it's harder on the people you love than the person that is ill. Being ill you just have to get on with being ill and staying positive and getting better. Every body else has to cope with the worry, and tend to the business of everyday life. Thinking there's not much they can do.
Speaking from my experience just knowing that people care and are there for you is more help than anyone can ever know. I hope you are getting the support for yourself as well.
I'm not surprised you are tired. I really hope the work thing gets sorted and you get the time soon to have a break all together.

sufferingpete

Hopefully your problems are behind you and you can have time to concentrate on yourself.

I have also started the myfitnesspal.

After 1 wk the first conclusion is that on the days that I commute 3x per wk I don’t eat enough by about 1200 calories.

On the days that I don’t commute I eat a too much.

In comparison to earlier post my polar HRM indicate 750 calories each way the MFP gives a lot higher – I enter the 750 calories x 2 =1500.

I am now trying to eat more on the commute day and less on the non commute day. I started this on Monday. Yesterday I did not have the hunger pangs that I usually have and did not feel starved. I even bought a pack of almonds and raisins and left them in my drawer!

I am going to give it a couple of weeks of trying to match what I eat to the amount I burn. In particular try different pre-ride and post-ride food.

Have others done this and did it work?

meanredspider

That's been pretty much my problem (eat too much on non-commuting days) so I'm trying the same thing. I'm also trying not blasting in as hard as I can go. HR is down by about 20bpm but speed is only down 1mph - consequently I don't feel anywhere near as hungry or tired. Will try this approach mixed with some intervals on some rides.

dgstewart

Focus on eating more healthily as a first priority and the calories should come down more easily. Cut out (or at least cut down a lot) the sweets and deserts. Have more main course if you're hungry but no desert - you'll eat fewer calories that way.

More than anything - eat lots of vegetables as they're obviously very good for you but also low in calories and help fill you up. Snack on fruit mid-morning and pre-ride home. Many countries promote a target of 7 to 9 portions of fruit and veg per day - these days I eat around 9 or 10 most days, and it's not difficult.

For evening snack, try something like fruit/yoghurt/honey or some carrots/humous, etc - something healthy but also tasty. Tesco do some very good versions of humous.

For your lunches, can you take food in and re-heat (i.e. leftovers from last night's dinner - stops you eating it last night!)? Or just make some tasty, healthy sandwiches in the morning.

Overall, good luck as you've had a tough run of it. Hope your job works out OK too.

meanredspider

Thanks, dgstewart. I should eat more fruit - probably a banana as my pre-ride home boost or something tasty from the fruit aisle. I'm probably comfort-eating the chocolate right now.

I can reheat stuff but it would mean different carrying method (currently just use a belt bag) and, with a family of 5, there's rarely much left anyway. Desserts is certainly another easy target - I'm trying to get back into the habit of having a glass of water any time I have hunger pangs after a one-course dinner. This worked really well for me before.

I think with the realistic calories-burned input, all should start to swing back into place. The lack of routine, the stress and long-term tiredness have just disrupted me.

Thanks for your kind thoughts.

dgstewart

No problem. If I'd been through what you had I think I'd be at the front of the Mars Bar and/or chippy queue as well!

meanredspider

dgstewart wrote:

No problem. If I'd been through what you had I think I'd be at the front of the Mars Bar and/or chippy queue as well!

This being Scotland, they're meant to be the same queue Disappointingly, I've yet to see deep-fried Mars Bar offered (not even in Glasgow) let alone tried one.

dgstewart

Despite growing up in Glasgow I've never seen it either. I did hear the other week that the chippy on the main street in Stonehaven allowed you to take anything you want in there and they would deep fry it for you! I learned this as someone was telling me it has recently closed down.

Maybe those two facts are connected...

sufferingpete

That's been pretty much my problem (eat too much on non-commuting days) so I'm trying the same thing. I'm also trying not blasting in as hard as I can go. HR is down by about 20bpm but speed is only down 1mph - consequently I don't feel anywhere near as hungry or tired. Will try this approach mixed with some intervals on some rides.

Last year I tried one day hard and fast, one day easy and enjoy and one day in the hills to the west of Sheffield. Previously I just went moderately hard all the time and got fatigued.

I think that this deafinately helped.

sufferingpete

duplicate post deleted

FoldingJoe

meanredspider wrote:

suzyb wrote:

I've started using myfitnesspal as well. Didn't realise it had an app though, sounds handy.
.

The app is good - love the barcode scanner

Once I've calibrated what I need, I can manage without the app - just need to get the balance right

Yeah, but you can't barcode a bacon and sausage bap bought at the local cafe!!!

FoldingJoe

meanredspider wrote:

suzyb wrote:

During that time they would; remove the bone that held the tumour, drive it to another hospital, blast it with the strongest form of radiotherapy, drive it back and place it back in to Charlie with titanium plates.

:shock:

Impressive, huh? They effectively removed half of his pelvis (not the easiest bone to chop out - all sorts going on down there), stuck it in a taxi (I kid you not) and sent it to another site in Glasgow where they nuked everything with high-energy xrays, then sent it back and screwed it back in place with strips of titanium meccano. All of this meant a 20" opening from his groin, up over his hip and back to his coxyx - it's a mighty impressive scar - like a shark bite. The idea is that the body will eventually replace the dead bone with new stuff. He has a bit of nerve damage but we hope that it will repair now he's off the chemo.

Mate, for me the impressive thing was that lovely piece of writing. You must be proud of your Son, and your Daughter, in totally different ways!!

All the best,
FJ

meanredspider

Thanks FJ - I'm very proud of them both (and Hughie, the youngest)

Well my week seems to be going OK. I'm using around 1000 calories as the RT number for the 32 miles I'm doing (approx 50% of what my Garmin reckons). I still come in 200 or so under target anyway. And I'm feeling fine on it. I'm planning on upping my commutes to 4 days a week now that I'm reasonably able to do so. That said, next Monday we're back to Glasgow for Charlie to have his Hickmann line removed and get post-chemo function results and Tues I have a work commitment which means no bike. But, provided I manage those days properly, from a food POV then I'll be fine anyway.

meanredspider

Well, I did 130 miles this week. Weighed myself for the first time in 2 or 3 weeks and I'm 2kg lighter so that's a good start.

meanredspider

Just a quick update on the other stuff

Monday results - no tumour in Charlie's pelvis 7 months after the op. Great news

Tuesday I heard my continued employment is secure. Huge relief.

As for the weight, by tonight I'll have done another 100 miles and kept within my calorie limit so I'll do a weigh-in though I can tell from my belt that the belly is disappearing still.

Wrath Rob

Sounds like good news all round, a nice way to enter the weekend

veronese68

Excellent, really pleased for you.

meanredspider

Thanks. And thanks for the other suggestions too.

Quick progress report. I'm around 3kg to the good and now getting a familiar problem with my jeans where, when the belt is done up tight enough to keep them up, they're rucking up and my shirts won't stay tucked in. So I'm making good progress. I have a pair of size 32" waist jeans as my next target fit. Must pull them out of the drawer at the weekend and check the fit. Once I've made the jump to the next size down, it's a good control to flag if I'm heading the wrong way.

clarkey cat

I know what you mean about losing weight when off the bike... its so much easier to control the eating when you're not exercising loads. As soon as I'm commuting I just want to raid the cupboards. However, I've been pretty disciplined and lost 7kg recently (got married recently) and only 1kg has gone back on.

For lunch I would have a massive salad from a nearby salad bar. Piled high with veg, brown rice, beans, lentils, leaves, mushrooms. That basically filled me up.

For tea I'd have whatever was cooked for me... and then to satisfy my cravings for puddings and tit bits I'd have a full fat yoghurt (something really luxurious) and a Dr Karg emmethal and pumpkin seed cracker with a glass of red. That would generally stop me making 6 rounds of cheese on toast with a big bowl of sugary weetabix after tea.

Doing between 140/180 miles a week. Need to get focussed again though... want to get to 85kg.

meanredspider

clarkey cat wrote:

Doing between 140/180 miles a week. Need to get focussed again though... want to get to 85kg.

I'd love to get to 85kg - I'd have about a 30" (jeans size) waist by then too. I seem to plateau at around 89kg.

I think I'm getting into the swing of it now though. I'm getting a routine back which really helps. The MyFitnessPal app is keeping me honest too and helping me gauge what I should be eating on non-bike days and bike days.

clarkey cat

How tall are you? I plateau around 91kg. I'm 6 2" and don't think I've worn 30" waist since I was about 13. I did wear 32" after doing the marathon in 2007 though... for about a week.

meanredspider

clarkey cat wrote:

How tall are you? .

6' on the nail. I know, 30" waist would be the same for me. I can fit in 32" CK Jeans already but I think they are American "flattering" sizes. But my Marlboro Classics in 34" are hanging off me so it's time to check the 32" pair. I can feel that the fat around my middle is less dense which is always a good sign. My wife described my butt as boney at the weekend too.

clarkey cat

I took two pairs of suit trousers in today to have the waist taken in.

It was a special moment. I treated myself to a Double Decker.