Lean and mean

webboo

I read my diary for the time I was at my lightest this morning. One thing stood out which was I got a lot of colds, whether this was related to being lean or a coincidence I’ve no idea.
My daughter was a toddler at the time attending nursery which might have meant lots of bugs which could another cause.

ugo.santalucia

webboo said:

I read my diary for the time I was at my lightest this morning. One thing stood out which was I got a lot of colds, whether this was related to being lean or a coincidence I’ve no idea.
My daughter was a toddler at the time attending nursery which might have meant lots of bugs which could another cause.

I had lots of colds when I did a lot more miles… at the time I was heavier than I am now.

feelgoodlost

Interesting documentary on GCN+ at the moment about cycling weight and eating habits/body dysmorphia etc.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

re. W/kg
for most hill climbs, I am looking at an effort which is 5-6 W/kg, so it isxa case of whether losing 1-kg loses me more or less than that amount. Let’s say that I have never found putting up 3 kg giving me an extra 15-20 Watts

Fair point Ugo. I think absolute watts vs w/kg in terms of increasing speed (i.e. what you are really after as a hill climber) probably varies a bit from person to person. I was watching a Chris Opie video and he has recorded some of his fastest climbs and highest power numbers after retiring as a pro (and being about 7-8kilos heavier). For him, the extra weight did translate into more power and faster speeds, but I appreciate others will be different.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

I read my diary for the time I was at my lightest this morning. One thing stood out which was I got a lot of colds, whether this was related to being lean or a coincidence I’ve no idea

Don't want to tempt fate but I very rarely pick up colds/viruses. I have put that down to eating well and a big dose of luck.

The one comment I get from non cyclist friends is how I can be lean and train outside in the winter, but fortunately the lower body fat has never been an issue in that regard.

wavefront

ugo.santalucia said:

re. W/kg
for most hill climbs, I am looking at an effort which is 5-6 W/kg, so it isxa case of whether losing 1-kg loses me more or less than that amount. Let’s say that I have never found putting up 3 kg giving me an extra 15-20 Watts.

Me neither, I seem to have a limit on absolute power when in form with the hours I do, and then the only option really is to get to a minimum weight where I can maintain that power and don’t get ill, or feel ragged.

I don’t think losing 1kg or 2 kg will be detrimental to your power at all, IF however, you have a nutritious diet and eat well (sensibly, on AND off bike) to support it. I don’t know your body composition but you’ll know if you have fat to lose. It’s up to you how far you take it for performance gains.

I feel most will have a natural body weight and then one that can be comfortably maintained with some focus, and then as I said up thread, it’s possible to dip quite a bit lower for a temporary peak but you’ll feel it’s just not sustainable for more than a few weeks.

My one comment to all this, is that I carry no muscle on my upper body. It is a problem in general life as I am quite weak when it comes to lifting things and as I age I am now focusing a bit more on overall fitness and strength rather than just cycling.

daniel_b

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

I did 4hrs 20mins at zone 2 today with no efforts. Breakfast was around 400g porridge (cooked) with a large banana, cup of dried fruit and a dessert spoon of honey. Had a large flapjack, cereal bar, snickers bar, and 700 ml each of water and lucozade sport on the bike. Had a yohgurt, banana milkshake and cup of salted peanuts as soon as I got home. I don't worry about whether it is a little too much, or a bit too little here and there, as on a day to day basis I know I am getting my nutrition pretty correct.

Yo @MidlandsGrimpeur2 is that a typo, or genuinely 400g of porridge??
I normally have 40 or 50g for breakfast, not sure I could envisage eating 8-10 times that amount, or what size bowl I would need
Straight from the saucepan perhaps!

If that is legit, I'd love to see a picture of it dished out

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Good spot @daniel_b ! It is indeed a typo, should be 40g like yourself!

I would be spooning it straight from a large pot with a ladle, 'Desperate Dan' style otherwise

daniel_b

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

Good spot @daniel_b ! It is indeed a typo, should be 40g like yourself!

I would be spooning it straight from a large pot with a ladle, 'Desperate Dan' style otherwise

Quality!

A part of me is intrigued to see if I could actually consume .4 of a kg of porridge now

I'm guessing, if I could fit it in, it would power me for some distance

Re your fuelling on the ride, I think I would consume similar, but I do tend to (rightly or wrongly) consume clif bloks (Mostly as it's something I can easily eat whilst riding) which seem to work with my body really well, and if I stop an energy bar - clif bars are rather nice.

Interesting about the salted peanuts when you get home, is that for a reason as such, or just because there is protein in it, you like them, and they are not too unhealthy?

I tend to knock back a whey protein shake when I get home, or finish a harder turbo session.

My weight has crept up again, 72kg last time I checked, probably due to still eating a lot, and having dialled back the workouts a bit
Believe my ideal weight is around 65kg, so just under 10% to try and shed.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

A part of me is intrigued to see if I could actually consume .4 of a kg of porridge now

I think you should Dan and report back on the outcome! Thinking about it, 400g uncooked would need around 400ml of liquid to cook it, so the cooked porridge should therefore actually weigh 800g (my maths of adding 400g + 400ml may be an incorrect assumption here!).

To be fair, if clif blocks and energy bars work for you then don't see that there is any issue with that.

Largely I just like salted peanuts but the added benefit of the protein/carbs and a bit of salt/sodium does make them a handy snack I think (or a scoop of peanut butter on a couple of crackers).

You will get that off I am sure, as wavefront said, just a case of a slow and sensible approach to weight loss.

ugo.santalucia

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

A part of me is intrigued to see if I could actually consume .4 of a kg of porridge now

I think you should Dan and report back on the outcome! Thinking about it, 400g uncooked would need around 400ml of liquid to cook it, so the cooked porridge should therefore actually weigh 800g (my maths of adding 400g + 400ml may be an incorrect assumption here!).

To be fair, if clif blocks and energy bars work for you then don't see that there is any issue with that.

Largely I just like salted peanuts but the added benefit of the protein/carbs and a bit of salt/sodium does make them a handy snack I think (or a scoop of peanut butter on a couple of crackers).

You will get that off I am sure, as wavefront said, just a case of a slow and sensible approach to weight loss.

needs a lot more… rice needs twice as much water, oats more than that

mrb123

Yep, I measure out oats and liquid by weight and normally go for about 5.5:1 liquid to oats.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

We are talking over a kilo of cooked porridge then perhaps? I think this should become a separate thread "How much porridge can one forum member eat in a single sitting?"

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Or have a handicap hill climb where lighter riders have to make up ballast with bowls of porridge.

mrb123

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

Or have a handicap hill climb where lighter riders have to make up ballast with bowls of porridge.

Paolo's Porridge Punisher?

ugo.santalucia

MidlandsGrimpeur2 said:

We are talking over a kilo of cooked porridge then perhaps? I think this should become a separate thread "How much porridge can one forum member eat in a single sitting?"

you are talking close to 3kg of cooked porridge… it would be one of those challenges for Man Vs Food

focuszing723

I'd rather be carrying a bit of extra weight in the advent of a zombie apocalypse to be honest. Those first couple of months...

mrb123

focuszing723 said:

I'd rather be carrying a bit of extra weight in the advent of a zombie apocalypse to be honest. Those first couple of months...

Too much weight though and you can't outrun them.

MidlandsGrimpeur2

you are talking close to 3kg of cooked porridge… it would be one of those challenges for Man Vs Food

Challenge accepted Ugo! 😂

MidlandsGrimpeur2

Too much weight though and you can't outrun them.

Depends on what your w/kg was! 😂

photonic69

1kg of dried porrige oats lasts my wife and I about 8 days and the ratio is 1 cup oats to 1 cup semi skimmed and 1 cup water. It's a big bowl of oats. I need to leave an hour before cycling after that. I couldn't even imagine 3kgs of cooked oats!!!

imposter2.0

Re the thread title.....interesting how everyone's focusing on the 'lean' - and not the 'mean'....

wavefront

imposter2.0 said:

Re the thread title.....interesting how everyone's focusing on the 'lean' - and not the 'mean'....

Interesting contribution. Given the threads original title, and that Ugo’s opening paragraph said

‘Tips and tricks on how to keep lean but strong find a home.’

the bias towards nutrition isn’t surprising. However feel free to suggest something about ‘mean’ if you want to join in.

imposter2.0

wavefront said:

the bias towards nutrition isn’t surprising. However feel free to suggest something about ‘mean’ if you want to join in.

'Mean' is subjective though. Any pointers?

wavefront

A timely podcast. Worth a listen as it covers quite a bit about nutrition - Dr Namrita Brooke seems to know her stuff and discusses points with clear simplicity and very sensibly. Advice on how to maintain strength whilst losing weight (guide to rate of deficit, protein / fat / carb ratios etc.) Hope some of you find this useful - link to main page, search for episode using your player of choice.

https://www.empiricalcycling.com/podcast-episodes/perspectives-23-weight-loss-diets-for-endurance-performance-with-namrita-brooke

pblakeney

mrb123 said:

Yep, I measure out oats and liquid by weight and normally go for about 5.5:1 liquid to oats.

🤔 That seems excessively thin to me*.
Depending how milky I want it I go for 2.5:1 using water or 3:1 semi-skimmed.

*Personal choice trumps opinions. 😉

mrb123

pblakeney said:

mrb123 said:

Yep, I measure out oats and liquid by weight and normally go for about 5.5:1 liquid to oats.

🤔 That seems excessively thin to me*.
Depending how milky I want it I go for 2.5:1 using water or 3:1 semi-skimmed.

*Personal choice trumps opinions. 😉

Nah, ends up pretty thick after a decent cooking time (always in pan, not microwave). The type of oats used may make a difference - Scotts jumbo ones for us.

pblakeney

mrb123 said:

pblakeney said:

mrb123 said:

Yep, I measure out oats and liquid by weight and normally go for about 5.5:1 liquid to oats.

🤔 That seems excessively thin to me*.
Depending how milky I want it I go for 2.5:1 using water or 3:1 semi-skimmed.

*Personal choice trumps opinions. 😉

Nah, ends up pretty thick after a decent cooking time (always in pan, not microwave). The type of oats used may make a difference - Scotts jumbo ones for us.

Scotts standard in a microwave so yes, YMMV.

daniel_b

3.5:1 here, generally just water, I often do it in the microwave, as that's the only cooking option I have at work

5 minutes on mid power works a treat.

Cheapest available oats I can get.

If you're cooking on a hob, you can pretty much fill your boots with regards to volume of liquid - or fill your pan I guess.

ugo.santalucia

Anybody a fan of oat bran?