Loose a few pounds, tone up and up my fitness ?

s1mon
s1mon Posts: 618
Hi,

Just started riding again, been off a bike for about 3 yrs. I'm not over weight but I'd like to just loose a few pounds (about 6,a stone at the absolute maximum !) and tone up as well as getting my fitness level back up. Is there any training/diet/home excerise methods out there ? I don't want to use a gym. I'd like to use my bike and exercising at home. Anyone else done this, what method did you use, has it worked ?

Thanks.

Comments

  • thistle_
    thistle_ Posts: 7,121
    Can you ride to work?
  • s1mon
    s1mon Posts: 618
    No :(

    Just in the evenings or weekends.
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.
  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.

    This!

    and general core exercises, try push a bigger gear than normal for some of your ride.
    Finished, Check out my custom Giant Reign 2010
    Dirt Jumper Dmr Sidekick2
  • s1mon
    s1mon Posts: 618
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.
    Well weekends are normally mostly junk :oops: I think I could do with reducing my calorie intake a little.

    Your right I just need to get out more and ride but I think I might have a look around on the net for calorie intake guide. Any suggestions ?
  • 1mancity2
    1mancity2 Posts: 2,355
    Trouble with watching the calorie intack is it makes you think about food making you hungry!!

    Try cutting back on beer, wine and sugary things.
    Finished, Check out my custom Giant Reign 2010
    Dirt Jumper Dmr Sidekick2
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    s1mon wrote:
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.
    Well weekends are normally mostly junk :oops: I think I could do with reducing my calorie intake a little.

    Your right I just need to get out more and ride but I think I might have a look around on the net for calorie intake guide. Any suggestions ?
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Then http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calcu ... -equation/ minus calorie deficit (500 is usually a good start)

    Then use myfitnesspal or the likes to get an idea of where your calories are and where they can be reduced/increased.
  • Rankles
    Rankles Posts: 144
    s1mon wrote:
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.
    Well weekends are normally mostly junk :oops: I think I could do with reducing my calorie intake a little.

    Your right I just need to get out more and ride but I think I might have a look around on the net for calorie intake guide. Any suggestions ?
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Then http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calcu ... -equation/ minus calorie deficit (500 is usually a good start)

    Then use myfitnesspal or the likes to get an idea of where your calories are and where they can be reduced/increased.

    I agree with this ^ really helped me get a head for calories and what's in your food, what's high in protein and fat and what has carbs etc. Useful tools.

    Referring to the first post though, anyone who can stand to lose 6 stone is probably overweight. Do the BMI test above to get a rough idea.
  • Ransaka
    Ransaka Posts: 474
    Rankles wrote:
    s1mon wrote:
    Providing your diet isn't crap,get out there and ride.
    Well weekends are normally mostly junk :oops: I think I could do with reducing my calorie intake a little.

    Your right I just need to get out more and ride but I think I might have a look around on the net for calorie intake guide. Any suggestions ?
    http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Then http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calcu ... -equation/ minus calorie deficit (500 is usually a good start)

    Then use myfitnesspal or the likes to get an idea of where your calories are and where they can be reduced/increased.

    I agree with this ^ really helped me get a head for calories and what's in your food, what's high in protein and fat and what has carbs etc. Useful tools.

    Referring to the first post though, anyone who can stand to lose 6 stone is probably overweight. Do the BMI test above to get a rough idea.

    I think he meant 6 pounds to a stone to lose rather than 6 stone. :)
  • Then use myfitnesspal or the likes to get an idea of where your calories are and where they can be reduced/increased.

    I am using it at the moment and being really anal with putting everything on it.

    It is quite a suprise what is in some food with regards calories fat fibre etc. I track Calories, Fat, Fibre, Protein and Cholesterol on mine. The biggest suprise for me was egg as they take my cholesterol intake nearly to the max when I have 2 scrambled. Most of the time it is much lower (around 100). Been doing this now properly for 2 weeks and after having a chocolate cookie at my Dads (nearly 400 cals for that :shock: :shock: ) I am now very careful in what I do 'treat' myself to.

    Lost a kilo last week (about what I want to loose a week for steady progress) but also managed to rack up nearly 40 miles on cycle tracks over the week and today was the first time I managed to jog 8 1 minute sessions with a 90 seconds walk between them. Out again tonight on the bike for about 12 miles and then again tomorrow afternoon. Just getting the mileage at the moment to get the arse used to the bike saddle before moving to a more hilly parts of the Island.
    Weight on June 18th 129kg
    Target By June 15th 2013 - 100kg
    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    Weight July 1st - 127.3kg
  • s1mon
    s1mon Posts: 618
    Have you reduced your caloris ? eg. down to 2000 a day instead of 2500 ? or just stuck to a adults daily allowce.
  • anj132
    anj132 Posts: 299
    I am using it at the moment and being really anal with putting everything on it.

    It is quite a suprise what is in some food with regards calories fat fibre etc. I track Calories, Fat, Fibre, Protein and Cholesterol on mine. The biggest suprise for me was egg as they take my cholesterol intake nearly to the max when I have 2 scrambled. Most of the time it is much lower (around 100). Been doing this now properly for 2 weeks and after having a chocolate cookie at my Dads (nearly 400 cals for that :shock: :shock: ) I am now very careful in what I do 'treat' myself to.

    Lost a kilo last week (about what I want to loose a week for steady progress) but also managed to rack up nearly 40 miles on cycle tracks over the week and today was the first time I managed to jog 8 1 minute sessions with a 90 seconds walk between them. Out again tonight on the bike for about 12 miles and then again tomorrow afternoon. Just getting the mileage at the moment to get the ars* used to the bike saddle before moving to a more hilly parts of the Island.

    Yeah I've just started using it for about a week. I've got the wife's old android phone which is ideal for updating information. Scanning items is quite cool! Trying to do 1.5 lbs a week so net target calorie intake is 1360 and I know what you mean by how many calories are in things. I'm also trying to be a bit anal about it... getting out receipe books to work out how many calories were in the wife's homemade banoffee pie and recording all hot drinks!

    I have read that about eggs before but I've also heard that it doesn't have a large impact on your actual cholesterol. Far worse things to be eating.

    Because it's net calories I suppose it's a bit hit and miss with calories burnt doing exercise, I've used Endomondo as a rough guide.

    My profile if anyone wants to add as a friend from BR :)
  • mcnultycop
    mcnultycop Posts: 2,143
    It is quite a suprise what is in some food with regards calories fat fibre etc. I track Calories, Fat, Fibre, Protein and Cholesterol on mine. The biggest suprise for me was egg as they take my cholesterol intake nearly to the max when I have 2 scrambled.

    I wouldn't worry about eating eggs, I eat a minimum of 18 a week (for the protein, I do quite a bit of weights) and am losing weight and my "bad cholesterol" is in the correct level, according to the last two blood tests I've had.
  • I use myfitnesspal. It's not because I'm trying to lose weight, but because I'm trying to maintain it. I went through a phase of being pretty chubby at one point - never overweight, but close to.

    Now I'm down to 10st3 after tracking calories in that.
  • s1mon
    s1mon Posts: 618
    Well I've started using myfitnesspal after my gf used it a lot. Also been doing the couch to 5k, just about to start week 3 but I do hate running.

    I lost 2lb in the first week :) as I said I'm not trying to loose a lot but I was happy with that. Myfitnesspal definitely helps in seeing what crap I was eating !
  • jakjtb
    jakjtb Posts: 111
    s1mon wrote:
    Hi,

    Just started riding again, been off a bike for about 3 yrs. I'm not over weight but I'd like to just loose a few pounds (about 6,a stone at the absolute maximum !) and tone up as well as getting my fitness level back up. Is there any training/diet/home excerise methods out there ? I don't want to use a gym. I'd like to use my bike and exercising at home. Anyone else done this, what method did you use, has it worked ?

    Thanks.

    the trouble is with cardio you will lose muscle and wont really tone up. you should try weight training as this will burn more fat as well as build up muscle and get the tone that you want. keep up the cardio as well thou.
    i find that if you just talk, your mouth comes out with stuff - Karl Pilkington
  • t.m.h.n.e.t
    t.m.h.n.e.t Posts: 2,265
    jakjtb wrote:
    s1mon wrote:
    Hi,

    Just started riding again, been off a bike for about 3 yrs. I'm not over weight but I'd like to just loose a few pounds (about 6,a stone at the absolute maximum !) and tone up as well as getting my fitness level back up. Is there any training/diet/home excerise methods out there ? I don't want to use a gym. I'd like to use my bike and exercising at home. Anyone else done this, what method did you use, has it worked ?

    Thanks.

    the trouble is with cardio you will lose muscle and wont really tone up. you should try weight training as this will burn more fat as well as build up muscle and get the tone that you want. keep up the cardio as well thou.
    Could you possibly not contradict yourself.
  • jakjtb
    jakjtb Posts: 111
    jakjtb wrote:
    s1mon wrote:
    Hi,

    Just started riding again, been off a bike for about 3 yrs. I'm not over weight but I'd like to just loose a few pounds (about 6,a stone at the absolute maximum !) and tone up as well as getting my fitness level back up. Is there any training/diet/home excerise methods out there ? I don't want to use a gym. I'd like to use my bike and exercising at home. Anyone else done this, what method did you use, has it worked ?

    Thanks.

    the trouble is with cardio you will lose muscle and wont really tone up. you should try weight training as this will burn more fat as well as build up muscle and get the tone that you want. keep up the cardio as well thou.
    Could you possibly not contradict yourself.


    i meant weight train to lose the fat and tone up but do a little cardio to keep fit.
    i find that if you just talk, your mouth comes out with stuff - Karl Pilkington
  • Mark909
    Mark909 Posts: 456
    I know it's not cycling but Id really recommend the NHS couch to 5km running program. I just said this in another post but I feel it's really helped to boost my overall fitness which has crossed over into my riding. I'd deffo give it a go if you want to get fitter!
  • s1mon
    s1mon Posts: 618
    I'm actually doing the couch to 5k at the moment, just finished week 3. Really struggled halfway through week 3 but today I did the last day of week 3 and it was a lot easier, still hurt a bit but I nothing like in the week so it must be working :D
  • Mark909
    Mark909 Posts: 456
    I found that for the first 4 weeks Id be absolutely knackered at the start of the week and then breeze through run 3.

    I just did week 5 run 2 today. 2 x 8 min runs with a 5 min walk inbetween. I dont think I've run continuously for 8 mins since I was at school! Loved it today. Ive really found my breath and am no longer gasping for air!