Heart Rate

Over the last 2 years, I’ve managed to put on around 10kg and now weigh 80kg. I’m 5’7” and age 52.

I exercise 6 days a week, mixture of running, cycling indoors and out and also some gym work.

I’ve noticed recently that my heart rate while exercising is fairly high compared to what it was 2 years ago. This both average and maximum.

I just had a full health check at the doctor 2 weeks ago and bizarrely my blood pressure was the best it’s been for 15 years.

Is it fair to assume that the excess weight is linked to the increase in HR when exercising?

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Comments

  • Yes.
    Eat and drink less... 80 kg at your height, you are well in the overweight category
    left the forum March 2023
  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 452

    Yes.
    Eat and drink less... 80 kg at your height, you are well in the overweight category

    I know.

    Was extremely fit and down at 70kg 2 years ago. Was doing a lot of triathlons but the bike is my first love.

    Took some downtime and didn’t train so hard, who knew that downtime would last 2 years?🙄

    I’m my own worst enemy, eat healthily all day, all plant based. Can’t resist crisps and biscuits at night. It’s all about willpower😬
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078

    Yes.
    Eat and drink less... 80 kg at your height, you are well in the overweight category

    Just tell him straight, don't hold back...
    Felt F1 2014
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  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 452
    elbowloh said:

    Yes.
    Eat and drink less... 80 kg at your height, you are well in the overweight category

    Just tell him straight, don't hold back...
    🤣 tough love
  • It is perfectly possible to reduce your training and keep your weight in line. Plant based or not might matter for other indicators, but doesn't matter for weight... do a bit of calories counting and work out where the problem is (although you seem to have identified it already) and get rid of it.
    Don't buy biscuits and crisps... if you live with kids who want to eat them, just deprive them of biscuits and crisps, it's good habit anyway. They'll thank you one day. You are the bread winner, presumably, so your word should be gospel and everyone should just adapt to what you say.
    left the forum March 2023
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498

    It is perfectly possible to reduce your training and keep your weight in line. Plant based or not might matter for other indicators, but doesn't matter for weight... do a bit of calories counting and work out where the problem is (although you seem to have identified it already) and get rid of it.
    Don't buy biscuits and crisps... if you live with kids who want to eat them, just deprive them of biscuits and crisps, it's good habit anyway. They'll thank you one day. You are the bread winner, presumably, so your word should be gospel and everyone should just adapt to what you say.

    No sh!t, Sherlock. This is what is known as the enthalpy diet.
  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 452
    Yeah, I know what the problem is, it’s the motivation to stop I’m finding hard!

    Not happy looking in the mirror but still do it
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338

    It is perfectly possible to reduce your training and keep your weight in line. Plant based or not might matter for other indicators, but doesn't matter for weight... do a bit of calories counting and work out where the problem is (although you seem to have identified it already) and get rid of it.
    Don't buy biscuits and crisps... if you live with kids who want to eat them, just deprive them of biscuits and crisps, it's good habit anyway. They'll thank you one day. You are the bread winner, presumably, so your word should be gospel and everyone should just adapt to what you say.

    I guess you don't have kids, generally they're not training to be a fab hill climber, they're just trying to enjoying life like 'we' did when we were kids, crisps and biscuits included.

  • shirley_basso
    shirley_basso Posts: 6,195
    edited October 2020
    Have you tried reducing portion sizes?

    Also - how much do you drink?

    I've had 2 years off the bike (reducing from 5k miles PA to 1.5k) and I've put on a kilo or two (75kg and 6ft) although accept that a lot is a shift from muscle to fat, esp the legs.

    I eat a lot of junk (chocolate, chocolate biscuits and can happily put away a pack of hobnobs or chocolate digestives without thinking) etc. But I am quite fastidious about how much eat at all 3 meals and get used to being a bit hungry. My wife says I am stingy but given how sedentary we are (relative to before) there's just no need to stuff ourselves.

    I also barely drink mid week - that is the game changer - although I also have a young child so early starts are all the encouragement you need to not have a beer!
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    edited October 2020

    Have you tried reducing portion sizes?

    Also - how much do you drink?

    I also barely drink mid week - that is the game changer - although I also have a young child so early starts are all the encouragement you need to not have a beer!

    To be fair, alcohol alone doesn't increase weight, it just gives you the munchies, and you end up eating a load of cr@p, which is where your 'beer belly' will come from.

    There is no way that the body can turn alcohol to fat.

    How many fat alcoholics can you think of? They don't bother so much with food, just a huge amount of 'calories' from drink.

    A few well known ones off the top of my head:

    Alex Higgins, George Best, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Ewan McGregor, Demi Moore, Kate Moss, Ozzy Osbourne... etc - not so fat.



  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    joe2019 said:

    Have you tried reducing portion sizes?

    Also - how much do you drink?

    I also barely drink mid week - that is the game changer - although I also have a young child so early starts are all the encouragement you need to not have a beer!

    To be fair, alcohol alone doesn't increase weight, it just gives you the munchies, and you end up eating a load of cr@p, which is where your 'beer belly' will come from.

    There is no way that the body can turn alcohol to fat.

    How many fat alcoholics can you think of? They don't bother so much with food, just a huge amount of 'calories' from drink.

    A few well known ones off the top of my head:

    Alex Higgins, George Best, David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Ewan McGregor, Demi Moore, Kate Moss, Ozzy Osbourne... etc - not so fat.



    Winston Churchill, Richard Burton, Charles Dickens, Oliver Reed...
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    “Calories in alcohol per se are not the issue. The body cannot store alcohol or turn alcohol calories into fat.”

    Dr Zoe Harcombe
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,510
    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    edited October 2020

    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?


    Beer is roughly 95% water, that's not going to make anyone fat.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    joe2019 said:

    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?


    Beer is roughly 95% water, that's not going to make anyone fat.
    A pint of beer = 208 calories. 6 beers = 1248 calories.
    Now, I like a drink more than most, and certainly much more than recommended, but don't go kidding yourself.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • joe2019
    joe2019 Posts: 1,338
    pblakeney said:

    joe2019 said:

    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?


    Beer is roughly 95% water, that's not going to make anyone fat.
    A pint of beer = 208 calories. 6 beers = 1248 calories.
    Now, I like a drink more than most, and certainly much more than recommended, but don't go kidding yourself.
    You need to do some research, as I said “Calories in alcohol per se are not the issue. The body cannot store alcohol or turn alcohol calories into fat.”

    You will never, ever get fat by drinking beer without eating.

  • Interesting. Plus it makes you lethargic which doesn't help
  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 452
    Nope, don’t drink, 7 years sober.

    Part of the problem may be a bit of an addictive personality, not helpful!
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 25,596
    joe2019 said:

    pblakeney said:

    joe2019 said:

    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?


    Beer is roughly 95% water, that's not going to make anyone fat.
    A pint of beer = 208 calories. 6 beers = 1248 calories.
    Now, I like a drink more than most, and certainly much more than recommended, but don't go kidding yourself.
    You need to do some research, as I said “Calories in alcohol per se are not the issue. The body cannot store alcohol or turn alcohol calories into fat.”

    You will never, ever get fat by drinking beer without eating.

    I completely disagree, but can't be bothered.
    Take the win, but you're wrong.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • vegas76
    vegas76 Posts: 278
    joe2019 said:

    “Calories in alcohol per se are not the issue. The body cannot store alcohol or turn alcohol calories into fat.”

    Dr Zoe Harcombe

    Oh dear. You're a flat earther.
  • lesfirth
    lesfirth Posts: 1,382
    joe2019 said:

    pblakeney said:

    joe2019 said:

    where does it put all the things that aren’t alcohol in the drink then?


    Beer is roughly 95% water, that's not going to make anyone fat.
    A pint of beer = 208 calories. 6 beers = 1248 calories.
    Now, I like a drink more than most, and certainly much more than recommended, but don't go kidding yourself.
    You need to do some research, as I said “Calories in alcohol per se are not the issue. The body cannot store alcohol or turn alcohol calories into fat.”

    You will never, ever get fat by drinking beer without eating.

    Assuming the above is correct if your body is running on the calories provided by the alcohol you drink you will not be using the calories in the food you eat. Nett result you will gain weight.
  • mully79
    mully79 Posts: 904
    Alcohol is always the fuel your body burns first. if its busy burning alcohol then carbs have to wait till its finished. Usually that means turning carbs into fat to store for later.

    Wear a hrm overnight and you can see how long it takes till your body finishes processing the food after the alcohol.
  • Well, that kicked off...

    Back to the OP... obviously the very first thing to do is to cut alcohol completely. That alone will lower your heart rate.
    And then of course stop buying biscuits. Crisps (real crisps, not Pringles) are not so much of a problem, a packet of crisps is 200 calories at most... biscuits are different, you only need 3-4 to get to 200 calories and you can probably easily eat a lot more of them. They're also full of sugar and heavily processed.

    There are a few centuries of history to prove you can raise kids without filling them with junk food... it might even be good for them in the long run.

    We all get cravings... we don't buy any snack, so it's slim pickings... an apple, a carrot, some unpalatable 90% chocolate or 0% fat yoghurt.
    left the forum March 2023
  • roscoe
    roscoe Posts: 452

    Well, that kicked off...

    Back to the OP... obviously the very first thing to do is to cut alcohol completely. That alone will lower your heart rate.
    And then of course stop buying biscuits. Crisps (real crisps, not Pringles) are not so much of a problem, a packet of crisps is 200 calories at most... biscuits are different, you only need 3-4 to get to 200 calories and you can probably easily eat a lot more of them. They're also full of sugar and heavily processed.

    There are a few centuries of history to prove you can raise kids without filling them with junk food... it might even be good for them in the long run.

    We all get cravings... we don't buy any snack, so it's slim pickings... an apple, a carrot, some unpalatable 90% chocolate or 0% fat yoghurt.

    Thanks for this. Yeah, I seem to have kicked off a right old debate.

    Alcohol is easy, not had any for 7 years and won’t ever again.

    Kids? Just one, 25 yrs old and lives in his own place.

    I can do a family bag of crisps at night and a packet of biccies, no problem.

  • well, then it's a problem of portion size. Remove biscuits altogether and limit yourself to one small packet of crisps.
    Like everything, it takes a few weeks to get used to the new normal, then it's fine.

    You stopped drinking alcohol, so clearly you are very capable of controlling your habits...
    left the forum March 2023
  • First.Aspect
    First.Aspect Posts: 14,498

    well, then it's a problem of portion size. Remove biscuits altogether and limit yourself to one small packet of crisps.
    Like everything, it takes a few weeks to get used to the new normal, then it's fine.

    You stopped drinking alcohol, so clearly you are very capable of controlling your habits...

    When you do psychometric testing, Ugo, where do you score on empathy?


  • When you do psychometric testing, Ugo, where do you score on empathy?

    That's an interesting one... haven't done one in 17 years.
    However, I admit I have almost zero empathy... that puts me in a borderline autistic category in those internet tests... I score just under 30... I could hit the jackpot and be diagnosed, with all the advantages that would come with it in terms of employability, if only I was a bit more socially awkward... unfortunately, I don't have any social anxiety...
    But I am working on it, and maybe all this lockdown malarkey is going to do the trick.
    left the forum March 2023
  • Good on you for kicking alcohol so you clearly have the mental strength and willpower to get through.

    Ugo seems right in this case - ultimately you shop for yourself so you choose what to fill the cupboards with and therefore what you eat.

    It reminds me of the Englishman Scotsman and Irishman joke where they all kill themselves after eating the same boring packed lunch day after day after day. The Englishman and Scotsman's wives are distraught as they wish their husbands had told them they weren't happy.

    The Irishman's wife couldn't understand as her husband made his own packed lunch.
  • Bike forums are great for checking out people's bike and biking experience, but definitely not - despite people's good intentions - for health queries. IME internet forums, even 'health' ones, seem to have as many opinions as there are posts.

    Go and talk to your GP (my wife is one) if you have concerns. You're around about my age, and my GP was happy to get checks (BP, cholesterol etc.) done as preventative measures, and to give proper advice about diet and alcohol etc.

    You'll feel more reassured, and the GPs - believe it or not - aren't under the same workloads as usual at the moment due to Covid because people aren't turning up at the surgeries in the same numbers (it's been nice to have my wife back home for meals again!).

    Ring them up or use their Footfall webpage rather than emailing, as that gets looked at daily.

    HTH and good luck
  • that is very true, but the OP asked a simple question, to which there is a simple answer, yes... weight gain causes heart rate going up for equal effort.

    If there is any further concern, then of course further medical investigation might be needed.

    I also think that advising to cut on biscuits can't be seen as medical advice... more like basic, solid, sensible lifestyle advice that nobody can argue with.
    left the forum March 2023