Training & Nutrition - I can't seem to lose the 10 lbs I gained this winter

I'm already a big guy (6' and 208#) at my "comfortable" weight, but I can't shake the wieght I gained this winter. I work out consistently and it doesn't seem to effect my riding so far this spring.

Anyone having the same problem?

Increase your aerobic levels on the bike. I gained 12 lbs this winter and upped my weight to 192 and have shedded it when Spring was officially here. You might also want to watch the diet as your body is not burning all the caloric intake you are inhaling....eating, I mean.

It takes time. If it was really that easy to take the weight off, we'd all be skinny. Am I right, or am I right? :)

It's difficult to comment so far. How much exercise do you do? What are you eating? How often do you work out? What are you doing for exercise?

Koffee

I'm already a big guy (6' and 208#) at my "comfortable" weight, but I can't shake the wieght I gained this winter. I work out consistently and it doesn't seem to effect my riding so far this spring.

Anyone having the same problem?



You need to ride more. It's that simple. How much are you riding now?

[/QUOTE]It's difficult to comment so far. How much exercise do you do? What are you eating? How often do you work out? What are you doing for exercise?[QUOTE]

I exercise 5-6 days per week, mostly aerobic. On an average week, if the weather keeps me off my bike, I will Spin two or three times and on the other days do 30 minutes on the ellipitical. Usually one day a week with wieghts (no aerobic).

In a week where I can ride, I'll do two longer rides on the weekend (between 30-40 miles each) and one short ride during the week (15-20 miles). The other three days are ellipitical and/or wieghts.

My problem, I think, is that I used to be much bigger (250 lbs) and over the last 2+ years I lost a lot of weight using Atkins. Now that I'm no longer as strick about carbs, my weight wants to come back. I need to get my body buring fat.

And there's your problem- a lot of people "diet". Diets don't last forever. Once you come off the diet, you gain the weight back. When they do gain the weight back, they immediately start pushing the new diet, and they try to lose it all too fast, and when that happens, they'll find it just doesn't happen that quickly. You have to think of exercise as a lifelong commitment to a healthy, active way of life. The side effects of weight loss will naturally follow, especially as you change your eating habits and stick with it.

I'm glad to see you want to make those changes, though! It's just how to accomplish it that you need to figure out.

Koffee

It takes time. If it was really that easy to take the weight off, we'd all be skinny. Am I right, or am I right? :)Dead wrong on that one. Low % bodyfat? Yes. Ripped? Sure. Skinny? Nah.

Weight loss is simple - calories in vs. calories out. Unfortunately, just because it's simple doesn't mean it's easy.

A daily deficit of 500 calories per day should result in weight loss of around 1 lb per week (a pound of fat contains roughly 3500 calories). This is a healthy rate of loss, but even smaller deficits can be useful if maintained over time (and, they're easier to maintain). So, you need to figure out how to burn a few hundred more calories per day, or eat a few hundred less calories per day (or, some of both).

It sounds like your exercise program is pretty good already, but if you have the time for it you can burn more calories by exercising more (especially if you do intervals or higher-intensity work).

Unfortunately, the diet side of the equation is even more important. It's easy to subvert a good exercise program with a few poor food chioces. Exercise can induce hunger, causing you to eat more, and you can also get trapped into "rewarding" yourself with food after a 20 mile bike ride.

Start by looking closely at your current diet. Are there any "empty" calories? Do you drink sugared sodas or beer, or eat junk food? If so, stop...or, at least cut way back. Do you have any "problem foods" (for me, it's cookies)? If so, cut way back on those too.

Bottom line - if you can find a way to consistently consume 200-500 less calories per day, or burn that many through exercise, you should start to lose weight once again. Best of luck, and congrats on your progress to date.

Dead wrong on that one. Low % bodyfat? Yes. Ripped? Sure. Skinny? Nah.


Semantics, my dear. I'm sure you understood what I meant. :)

Koffee

I understand where you are at, pjuarez. I used to be 253 lbs. then I was stuck at 231 for a long time! It can be done to lose the weight. I would definitely rethink your "intake" of food because that is what is causing the weight to linger.