Losing too much weight!

mclarent
mclarent Posts: 784
I know this is an unusual concern, but I'm starting to get worried that I may be losing too much weight through my training. My main concern is that I will start losing muscle mass or that I may have some kind of problem when I up the intensity early next year.

I set a winter weight target based on the fact I would be doing base miles and that the extra kgs could be lost once quickly once I moved from base to intensity work. I hit my target winter weight of 83.5kg a week ago. I've now moved on to weight maintenance, but have continued losing, and have now lost a further kilo now since I hit my target. I'm eating a balanced diet, lots of fruit and veg and grilled meat, low fat, low processed food (inc carbs to an extent) and low alcohol.

Should I be worried about this? I've been using KJ as a proxy for calories burnt and counting calories, and have tried to be conservative on my estimates, which may mean that I'm still in negative territory. However, I have no idea how "low I can go" - should I embrace this or put a safety margin into my eating?
"And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
- eccolafilosofiadelpedale

Comments

  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    edited December 2010
    "'I'm starting to get worried that I may be losing too much weight". :evil:


    Seriously... Leave this forum and never return. You don't belong here with the rest of us fat bloaters.




    (OK - to answer your question: you've lost an extra kilo? That's nothing, especially at your weight. Take the extra weight loss while you can. Come Christmas you'll no doubt gain it back. 83.5kg is still pretty heavy by cycling standards and unless you find yourself with no energy or losing power, then you're probably just fine. I can swing a few kg's in a day anyway. I don't stress over just one).
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    Cheers - sounds reasonable. :)
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale
  • Just how low is up to a number of things - most important about how you feel and perform and perhaps how you look. If you feel healthy and are not getting ill (colds, listless) and are performing as you would hope or better- don't worry about it - And bear in mind Christmas is just around the corner.
    but if you're always running out of steam, getting sore throats, having trouble exercissing hard etc - think about holding your weight where it is for a while.
    And of course it depends to an extent on how tall you are, how big your body frame is etc
  • mclarent
    mclarent Posts: 784
    Cheers - FWIW, 186cm with a big frame. None of the above symptoms yet, which I chalk up to healthy eating! :)
    "And the Lord said unto Cain, 'where is Abel thy brother?' And he said, 'I know not: I dropped him on the climb up to the motorway bridge'."
    - eccolafilosofiadelpedale
  • you can have some of mine if you want ive got plenty to go around
    going downhill slowly
  • LJAR
    LJAR Posts: 128
    I am 185cm, used to be stable at around 85kg, now 78kg and feel a bit chubby.

    FWIW I have a pretty big build too.

    Go look in a mirror, pinch yourself all over and see if there is anything to grab hold of.

    Also unless you are feeling really low on energy just keep on with the weight loss.
  • As long as your sensible about the weight loss it shouldn't do you any harm, plus if your eating healthily now then that will also aid weight loss.

    Guess it also depends on what you are looking for is it just cycling only in which case you will loose weight if your riding the miles, eating well and recovering properly. But you could be mixing your cycling with another sport and and could be a tri-freak like me in which case you will need a good bit of muscle in the upper body which would be extra "unnecessary" weight for a pure roadie.

    Dont worry though as others have said if you start off with a large body you will have more to loose than a smaller body & as long as you don't feel a loss in your power then you are doing nothing wrong.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.