Goals Set - Weight Loss - Sportive

Jahmoo

Hi Guys,

I am trying to lose weight and get fitter for my first Sportive, Spring this year. I decided I needed a goal to get my arse on the bike for longer, instead of a flittering few mintues, some real time and acheiving something as well.

I started my new years resolution early, well on Christmas day to be exact. December I had ridden 35mls since 25th to end of month, January I acheived my furthest of 166mls and so far since Saturday in February I have gone 75mls. I am now riding a 14ml and a 17ml route. I ride south of Reading, so those who know the area, know its not a mountian to climb, but none the less I am acheiving my goal so far which is putting the time in on the saddle, which was what was suggested by someone on here, a good place to start. I feel I am doing really well, as only time to ride is morning, early and weekends and with the weather we have had, ts not been easy!

A bit of history.....I am Diabetic, I have a prolapsed disc, L4/L5, Road Bike is no good for me, I know, post 2008 I owned a Trek 2400, not good for my back. Now own a Trek 7.3FX, 5 year old and going strong for what I need it for.

The crux is, I am putting weight on, even though I am riding more and further, the last 2 weeks I have put 2lbs on, lost bugger all, I am more hungry as so it seems, when I have been out,, but trying to keep the calories down.

At the moment I am 17.10 stone, need to be more like 15-15.7stone, so a long way to go, but even further if I am going the wrong way.

I notice this week with doing the 17ml ride back to back, Friday and Saturday, my body reacted to this better, well better than a 13-14miler. Whether I need to go further still to burn more fat quicker, not sure, just need to get it going as was hoping to be getting lighter, so at least I could go faster

Any advise appreciated

ShutUpLegs

How hard are you pedalling?

Jahmoo

Hard enough, but on the 17ml ride a little more pacey. I am averaging 4.6min a mile. I do not wear heart rate monitor, just know by the way I feel afterwards, tells me I have had a good work out.

17miler Friday average speed 13.3, Saturday 12.8.

I know this is slow, as used to ride 15 average speed many years back.

Any more info please ask.

Rigged

It's not unusual for weight to go up a little when you first start more intensive exercise. This is often caused by muscles retaining more water than they usually do. If you Google "muscle water retention" you'll find far more information than I can offer (though you'll have to filter the crap from the truth, as always with the internet).

Longer term, if you're eating fewer calories than your body is using then your weight has to come down. Obviously it's impossible for me to say more without knowing your diet.

twotyred

Good you have some goals and made a start but frankly the distance you are doing isn't that much. Keep increasing the length of your rides gradually and get out regularly through the week as well if possible. As you do so your body will become more efficient at burning fat and you will feel less and less hungry after rides and so less tempted to pig out. Do this and eat sensibly and the weight will come off.

team47b

Reducing portion sizes is good for weight loss and diabetes, eat little and often, work out your overall calorie intake and divide it up between 3 meals and 3 snacks so that you eat the right amount over a longer period, eating something every 3 hours will help lower your overall blood glucose and reduce fat storage.

What's your HBA1c?

Jahmoo

Thanks Guys,

Will look up Muscle Water Retention.

Twotyred, cheers for the big up and then the big kick in the nabs I am just conditioning my self for the big push when the mornings get lighter. You should have my legs after a couple of 17ml rides I do ride in the week as well as weekends, but time and weather usually to blame, not sure you can see my diary.

My HBA1c has not been good of late, but then that is when and why I put the weight on(old job was depressing), which has been over the past 18months. Hba1c was 9.4, but this has come down, as testing as much as possible, its not been over 10 on a bad test since Christmas. Have test beginning of March.

I did say that I felt my body reacted better when I rode 17mls on Friday and Saturday. I need to be out the door and cant cycle to work either. Too many idiots on the road to risk early dark rides, but its getting lighter, mornings and evenings, had time this evening to ride 14mls, as snowing at 7am this morning :!:

I will carry on what I am doing, see if I have any change, again, thansk for the advise

team47b

stole this from livestrong...

Eating for a Lower A1c
The key to improving the A1c is to eat low-glycemic, high-satiety foods and to watch portion control. The American Diabetes association recommends 10 "super foods" that meet this requirement. They are beans, dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, berries, tomatoes, fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, whole grains, nuts, and low-fat milk or yogurt. These foods also tend to have a higher satiety index.

Carbohydrates and fatty foods are not your friends. Control calories by limiting your intake of potatoes, rice, noodles and foods containing white flour. Pass up sugary desserts, candy, ice cream, soft drinks and store-bought cookies, pies, baked goods and doughnuts. Avoid fried chicken, frozen dinners, lunch meats, sugared soft drinks and flavored water, store-bought smoothies and fruit drinks, milk shakes, frozen pizza, and restaurant french fries, hamburgers, pizza and chicken and fish sandwiches.

Vegetables provide vitamins, minerals, protein, anti-oxidants and fiber without a lot of carbohydrates and calories. Eat plenty of asparagus, beans, broccoli, carrots, red onions, spinach, tomatoes and soy as tofu or in soy milk products. A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed as an oil or nutty seed can be incorporated into salads, breads, cereals and dressings. Nuts are an excellent source of cholesterol-lowering plant sterols but are high in calories. So eat them in moderation.

manxshred

Try something like My Fittness Pal, either online or on a ipad or similar.

Be honest and track everything you eat accurately and work out how much you actually do eat.
For me, it was understanding just how much I was eating compared to how much I actually needed that allowed me to lose weight.

Jahmoo

team47b - Thanks for all the information, appreciated. I have been Diabetic for 15yrs, so understand what to eat and what not, but as said, appreciate the info and the effort My weight gain has been over the last 2 years, started new job and worked nearly every minute of every day, then for the last 6 months, I was wondering why I had moved, so depression set in, but had not been exercising as did not have the time.....long story, but have not bored you with it I am now eating healthier meals with plenty of fruit instead of quick rubbish and cut out the sweet things.

ManxShred - My Fitness Pal is loaded on iPhone and used for the first 2 weeks, I went over my allowance on one day by 300 cal, this was because of a Hypo in the middle of the night. Still lost nothing, but put a little on, 2lbs to be exact. Now as I am a boring food eater, I now know what amount of food I can eat and stay with in this by memory, still weighing my food if and when I need to. Thank you for the info, again appreciated.

I measure my Carb intake and then measure the insulin needed for the meal, so I am getting very good with food and Sugar Levels, just need to start losing the weight, which I know if I keep doing what I am doing, it should not be a problem.

Might just be looking for a quicker fix

ShutUpLegs

Not sure there any quick fixes, but working at lower intensities can burn more fat as you can sustain the ride/ workout for longer

Jahmoo

ShutUpLegs wrote:

Not sure there any quick fixes, but working at lower intensities can burn more fat as you can sustain the ride/ workout for longer

Daylight is a big factor through the week, as so is time, but will up the miles at the weekend as I have been doing.

All noted thank you

ShutUpLegs

At 60/70% of your max heart rate your body is fueled by 10% Carbs, 5% Protein and 85% Fat.

Jahmoo

ShutUpLegs wrote:

At 60/70% of your max heart rate your body is fueled by 10% Carbs, 5% Protein and 85% Fat.

Best get myself a Heartrate Monitor now then

team47b

ShutUpLegs wrote:

At 60/70% of your max heart rate your body is fueled by 10% Carbs, 5% Protein and 85% Fat.

That's really interesting, so do you have to burn up the existing carbs in your system first before this happens or is it just getting past the 60/70% of your max heart rate that triggers the switch?

By max heart rate do you mean age adjusted times shoe size or real max HR?

Can an insulin injecting diabetic work at 60/70% max HR without going hypo?

Is the amount of fat you're going to lose totally dependent on expending more calories than you take in?

Herbsman

ShutUpLegs wrote:

At 60/70% of your max heart rate your body is fueled by 10% Carbs, 5% Protein and 85% Fat.

Percentage substrate metabolism is generally measured against percentage of VO2max

ShutUpLegs

No idea, I've never needed to do it.

team47b

ShutUpLegs wrote:

No idea, I've never needed to do it.

I was only asking 'cos I wanted to know how to burn the least carbs and not burn much fat, I guess don't pedal harder is the answer

Jahmoo

Just cycled 26mls at a nice pace, could not measure Heart Rate. had a few hills that made me breath heavy, but overall I felt it more, funny, legs were crying at 19mls, but carried on.

Will get my self a Heart Rate monitor, so I can measure this better.... This is my fursthest I have ridden since 2007/8, so going in the right direction

team47b

Nice one

twotyred

Great stuff. Don't worry about HR just get in the time in the saddle for now.

Jahmoo

Bit of a let down over the weekend, played Golf both Sat and Sunday, but back on the bike in the morning. Dong what I can in the time I have. But have a target for 30mls on Saturday, fingers crossed