Weight watching v fuelling up - urgent advise please

flyer

I am trying to lose some weight after being off the bike for a while.

I have started to increase my miles and currently do about 100 per week 2 x 40 and 1 x 20.

I started my fitness campaign 4 weeks ago and have lost 12 pounds so far, however last week I did just over 100 miles and only lost half a pound compared to an average of 3-4 ponds previous weeks.

I must admit I go to Slimming world with my wife and they say I only lost half a pound, wait for it........ Because I hadn't eaten enough! also she said if I hadn't done any riding I may have lost more weight as my body is probably storing fat reserves. She said this because I had mainly been eating salads, fruit and hardly any carbs etc.

My concern is if I eat more then I think I will only be cycling to burn the calories of food I am eating and therefore not loose any weight.

Any help on a healthy diet whilst trying to loose weight whilst doing about 100 miles per week much appreciated.

Thanks

flyer

owenlars

I think it is pretty simple. If you eat less than you burn you will lose weight. People can wrap it all up in a load of mumbo jumbo but the eternal energy equation applies. Energy In < Energy Out = loss of weight

poynedexter

i'm reading recently that the type or source of those calories will affect how likely you are to gain/ lose weight. also how your body responds with insulin when you eat carbs will affect fat gain or loss. (saw on tv, so it must be true, how insulin spikes trigger the fat storage process, almost regardless of calorific value)

with this in mind, i'm trying to loose a few pounds by eating more proteins and healthy fats (eggs, nuts) and avoiding carbs which cause insulin spikes (where i can). oh and reducing portion sizes too. i'm finding tuna at lunch very good at keeping the 4 pm hunger pangs at bay, and my mid morning snack is now mixed nuts and raisins.

dont eat white bread!

dmont

flyer wrote:

I am trying to lose some weight after being off the bike for a while.

I have started to increase my miles and currently do about 100 per week 2 x 40 and 1 x 20.

I started my fitness campaign 4 weeks ago and have lost 12 pounds so far, however last week I did just over 100 miles and only lost half a pound compared to an average of 3-4 ponds previous weeks.

I must admit I go to Slimming world with my wife and they say I only lost half a pound, wait for it........ Because I hadn't eaten enough! also she said if I hadn't done any riding I may have lost more weight as my body is probably storing fat reserves. She said this because I had mainly been eating salads, fruit and hardly any carbs etc.

My concern is if I eat more then I think I will only be cycling to burn the calories of food I am eating and therefore not loose any weight.

Any help on a healthy diet whilst trying to loose weight whilst doing about 100 miles per week much appreciated.

Thanks

flyer

Hi Flyer,

You're doing really good ! Keep it up.

For what it's worth, I think Slimming World are talking utter tosh and you should keep doing what you currently are. At the end of the day, the best way to loose weight is from exercise and a healthy diet, which you're already doing... If anything you're losing too much too soon.... 12Lbs in 4 weeks is a heck of a lot.

I don't understand why Slimming World are saying you need to eat more and stop biking. My thinking is, if you're under eating then how come you manage to do 100 miles a week @ 2 x 40 and 1 x 20. That's pretty hard going by any standard, I would bonk doing that !

I'm not sure if you've been watching " The men who made us thin " but they interviewed an ex-weight watchers exec and he pretty much said it's all rubbish... Over 5 years only 10>15 % of participants on weight watchers kept the weight off.... In those terms it's one of the worst industries for success but one of the best for returning customers... it's all a con... you should watch it on iPlayer.... Even he says you need exercise and a healthy diet.... So wtf should you stop biking, I'm at a loss on that one.

They also said the best way to loose weight is to do it very slowley... ie if it took you 5 years to put the weight on, then it should take 5 years to loose it, this is the best for keeping the weight off long term and making it part of a new life style..

Ow and don't worry about only loosing 1/2 Lbs this week, when you're dieting your weight will fluctuate up, down, no change.... This is natural and next week you may loose 2 or 3 Lbs..

Keep it up and well done so far !

Dmont

Woodmonkey

When you start excercising your body can be shocked and store more calories, this is a very short term effect. As you get fitter you will build muscle, which is denser than fat, the scales might show less weight loss, but you will be getting thinner which is the real reason you want to lose weight! Keep doing what you are doing and you will get the results you want, and a lot faster than with just dieting. Good work and keep it up

Woodmonkey

And remember you can sh!t a lb and a pint of water weighs more than a lb. don't get hung up on the numbers!

Foobies

Woodmonkey wrote:

When you start excercising your body can be shocked and store more calories, this is a very short term effect. As you get fitter you will build muscle, which is denser than fat, the scales might show less weight loss, but you will be getting thinner which is the real reason you want to lose weight! Keep doing what you are doing and you will get the results you want, and a lot faster than with just dieting. Good work and keep it up

This. I've put on weight since returning to cycling as before I took it back up my legs were sticks. Now they're a lot bigger with the muscle gain I weigh more. Also the bmi thing can be shyte. Weighed myself in work for a "diabetes risk assessment" and according to the scales I am obese for my height. Our pharmacist looked at the slip and basically told me that bmi index is a flawed system as it doesn't take into account muscle mass. Look at rugby players. Laurence Dallagio was 17 stone but you wouldn't call him obese

njee20

Too many people hide behind the "BMI is flawed" thing. Most forms of cycling (not track sprinting) build lean muscle and burn fat, and you're unlikely to end up gaining lots of muscle.

Odds are that as a cyclist, if you're showing as obese you can stand to lose a good chunk of flab. Just saying.

robertpb

BMI does work on a rough basis for the majority, the exceptions are the Chris Hoys, Usain Bolts and Lawrence Delagios.

But even Chris Hoy would come out at 27, so current thinking is to use BMI and waist measurement, your waist should be less than half your height, and don't use the waist size of your trousers, get a tape measure out you'll find your waist is bigger than you think.

Using this system the above athletes are fine. But these bodies are only for the short haul.

Woodmonkey

Bmi is just a guideline, it's not perfect, but If you have a high bmi it's an indication you need to take a look at yourself (if you look and you are usain bolt or chris hoy then don't worry) the op has already looked and is working hard at doing something about it, he's just getting bad advice from someone.

njee20

Woodmonkey wrote:

Bmi is just a guideline, it's not perfect, but If you have a high bmi it's an indication you need to take a look at yourself (if you look and you are usain bolt or chris hoy then don't worry) the op has already looked and is working hard at doing something about it, he's just getting bad advice from someone.

That's what I'm saying - too many people get a BMI of 45 and think "s'ok, I'm a cyclist, and BMI doesn't work for athletes", which isn't really the issue for most!

Sure the OP's doing a great job losing weight, I'd not be worried about the odd fluctuation or slow down in the loss, at the end of the day if you're doing a load of exercise then you're more likely to keep the weight off than fad dieting alone.

BigAirNig

I'd suggest you read the book :-

Why we get fat and what to do about it
by Gary Taubes

£8 ish off Amazon

Also - The art and science of low carbohydrate performance - aimed at sports people doing mainly endurance sports.

Explains why so many people cannot lose weight by counting calories and how the concept of losing weight while doing more exercise is counter productive [because you will work up an appetite!]....

By changing your diet away from eating carbs, the liver converts fat in to ketones for fuel instead. You have a huge store of calories to burn via this method and will have more energy to cycle etc as a result.

My cycling (MTB) has improved and I've lost a stone so far ... so happy to begin with !