Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

congradulations! Feels good to hit a goal like that.

Thanks John.

Did 30 off road with my wife this afternoon and kind of screwed up. I drank coffee all morning and didn't eat breakfast or lunch. She got home from work around lunch time and we decided to go for the ride. I was about 10 miles in when I felt my stomach screaming for food. I managed to get through the ride, but I was really hurting when I got home.

I understand that! I bonked 2 weeks ago when I decided to do an extra 10 miles in the high heat. The last 7 were tough! Enjoy your riding!

I know what you guys are talking about… I did 43 miles last Sat. I had a light breakfast and coffee. (No water) It was 95-100 degrees and about half down the road I realized I was no longer sweating. 5 miles to finish the ride and I started to chills. It was a rough ride back to the truck. Rides in the heat of the day are getting better… thankfully. :D

Wow...I'm glad I checked in. Talk about timeliness. I'm feeling a bit downtrodden about my own weight loss. LIke Sail and MKRG I've been a little disappointed by my own. I have been riding 5-10 miles every night for the past 2 weeks...eating well...better than I ever have. Taking in far less calories than I'm burning. I got on the scale today and for my hard work and diligence...I've lost 1 lb. I could have done that sitting in the backyard drinking nothing but coffee all weekend. Now rationally I know that my fat is changing into muscle...my heart is getting healthier...but it still stings. Am I making any sense? Guess I'm just looking for a little inspiration from the folks here also if anyone has a guess when I might seeing some real loss. Thanks!

Rad, if your just starting out it does take some time as you build muscle and get stronger. I also measure my self and I know I am losing weight as I am getting smaller. I lost a lot the first 2 weeks as I was way overweight and eating 3000+ cal's a day of junk. after that it was 1 - 2 lb a week. Been steady now for 3 months like that. Hit a plateau and been stuck at this weight for 2 weeks. Like you I am disappointed, eating 200 cal's a day less and still riding. Hang in there it will come off. I use John Walker's (AutoCad) weight program from the "Hackers Diet" Makes a trend of your weight and show's the average curve. Hackers Diet (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/) The excel charts are here excel charts zipped (http://www.fourmilab.ch/hackdiet/comptoolsExcel.html)

Thanks John-o

The blues have passed and I cranked up a notch adding another 5 miles to my ride. Thanks for the positive words and the excel spreads. I already have my own(I'm a numbers and stats geek). Good luck with your rides and your loss. Its own thing to know these things and its another hearing them from someone going throught the same experiences. Good riding.

Rad, your welcome and good luck. Enjoy your riding!

delirous.....its hard to lose the fat in the gut, the subcutaneous fat, which is the fat right under the skin is the hardest to get rid of....i would suggest trying to decrease the amount of calories you intake and burn more and keep doing the crunches

Hi gang...mind if I join the thread? My name is John and I am 30 (well 31 in Sept.) and way too heavy. Right now I am 5'10" 223lbs but that is down from 250 back in Jan. For a while now I have been on a plateau between 220 and 225. Last weekend I got to 218 but went back up and haven't gone back down. I have changed my diet a bit and have been doing a lot of cardio work which in the last 3 weeks has included cycling as I have taken to the sport again after about 8 years off.

What things have you guys found to work well as far as diet is concerned?

My main change in my diet has been control of what I eat during the day at work, i.e. no more fast food and chips at my desk and only 1 can of diet soda (vs. multiple non diet in the past). I am now drinking 32-64 oz of water during work hours as well. My typical day is a Slimfast for breakfast (7am-7:30am) a lowfat yogurt (10:30am), run over lunch (3-4 times a week) followed by an Endurox R4 drink, then a Special K breakfast bar for an afternoon snack. Dinner is whatever we have...pork, chicken, steak...probably too much starch and too few veggies (working on this). Wife and I just decided to cut out the ice cream that we were eating 4-5 times a week which should help quite a bit.

Wife and I are both alergic to fish so that is out. Is there anything glaring I should do to my diet? Along with the running I am starting to bike and am up to 2X 20 mile rides a week plus 1 or 2 days of commuting (3.5 miles one way but can make it long going home which I have done). I want to get to the point where I am riding 4+ times a week and be doing 120 miles plus per week.

The only suggestion I might make is if you azre looking for a substitue for chips or munching foods to try a 1/2 cup of cereal. Its better for you and basically fills that hole. Sounds like you're on a good start. Just to lose heart in the beginninig. I started biking again after a 12 year hiatus and my weight stayed the same in the begining even though I was doing far more exercising. The body has to shift gears and start converting fat to muscle and after that to burn fat. Good luck to you! I look forward to hearing your progress.

Mind a new member from the hills of California?
I'm 35, 6'6" and would really like to wear some of those pants gathering dust on the shelf.
Have recently gotten back into riding/healthy lifestyle and am wondering why I ever quit in the first place!! (Oh yeah... complacency, laziness, excuses.) It is really encouraging to see the range of balanced, sane, longterm approaches to fitness and weightloss presented in the forums.
Looking forward to more interesting posts.

Jumping in here - I'm down 50 pounds with about 100 to go. Though my childhood biking experience totaled about 20 miles of pure downhill coasting and pushing back up, I bought a mountain bike when I lost the first 10 pounds and promptly burst into tears on a trail when the quick-release seat post wouldn't hold my weight. A couple of years later, I'm interested again - first step, getting that darned QR replaced with a solid collar and a heavy-duty screw. Deciding to start riding again as fall comes to Boston is probably not the smartest idea I've ever had ;) I am also heading back to WW - I lost a great deal of my weight on Protein Power (modified low-carb) but since I started lifting weights I just can't keep up without the carbs.

Love this thread! All of you are so inspiring.

Welcome Kate - Don't be discouraged, I never liked the QR seatposts I think they were designed for the 100 lb. cyclists I see on the road. When I took up cycling again and returned to the gym I was on a low carb kick and quickly figured out it wasn't going to work. I'm just careful about my carb sources now. I still feel guilty everytime I eat carb though.

I've hit a plateau! My last report had me under 220 for the first time since college. I keep teetering on the 220 mark somtimes 218-219, sometimes 221-222. I think I'm turning fat to muscle instead of overall losing weight, which is good, but I'd really like to get down to the 200-205 range. Anything to do besides reducing calories? I'm still biking 90-125 miles a week and hitting the gym three or four times.

Grasschopper, welcome to the forum! Sounds like you go things in line. What I do is total my daily cal's and try to limit them to 2K per day. 5'7" presently 195. I ride 110/week and hit the gym twice a week and walk 30-45 min on my off day.

mountiangaot, welcom t the forum! Everyone is welcome :)

BostonKate; welcome to the forum and congrats on the weight loss :D Keep on plugging, I did the start again in 01 on Oct (Va here). Like you not the best of time, but I did ride through the winter. Get that QR replaced with a real binder bolt and you will be happy.

madopa: I understand your delema, I am in the same boat at 195, a spot where I have held the weight before. I have built muscle as my % bf has dropped 2-3% in the last week, but it is nice to see the total weight go down. I did drop a 1/2" in the waist also. I must be m aking progress, but not getting the numbers at this plateau. Go on vacation the 21st so I wanted to get beyond this #. Did a longer workout today, going to do an extra ride tomorrow and some additonal aerobic workout tomorrow at lunch to help jump beyond this point.

Jumping in here - I'm down 50 pounds with about 100 to go. Though my childhood biking experience totaled about 20 miles of pure downhill coasting and pushing back up, I bought a mountain bike when I lost the first 10 pounds and promptly burst into tears on a trail when the quick-release seat post wouldn't hold my weight. A couple of years later, I'm interested again - first step, getting that darned QR replaced with a solid collar and a heavy-duty screw. Deciding to start riding again as fall comes to Boston is probably not the smartest idea I've ever had ;) I am also heading back to WW - I lost a great deal of my weight on Protein Power (modified low-carb) but since I started lifting weights I just can't keep up without the carbs.

Love this thread! All of you are so inspiring.

Good luck to you, Kate. I know what it feels like to have 100 lbs to lose. It's all mental. If you can control your desire, your inner strength, and your will to do what it takes to lose the weight, then you have already won. You have to be tougher than the weight. I know I sound like a motivational speaker, but this sort of thinking is what really worked for me. You've already taken the first step. Keep up the good work!
Keep us posted on how you're doing, and by all means always ask questions on this forum. These people have helped me learn so much in the past year.

How do I get off this plateau?

Ok I have been between 220 and 225 for well over a month now. I run 3-4 time a week, have now started biking, do a little free weight lifting, crunches and am watching my diet. How do I bust through this plateau?

Honestly it is really getting frustrating.

Sat afternoon after a round of golf (always walk) I was about to sit down and watch the PGA and had grabbed a bag of tortillas. Realizing this wouldn't help I told my wife I was going for a ride, so I did 15 miles rather than a bag of tortillas. I feel like I am doing everything right but have totally stalled.

The only thing I can think of is that I am gaining leg muscle since I started cycling and thus the plateau?

Thoughts? Help? :(

You'll see above that I'm on a plateau myself. I think I've come up with something to keep from getting frustrated. I'm not going to look at the scale for the rest of the year. Instead, I'm going to keep the same cycling and workout schedule and I"m considering having a body composition analysis done by my health club then again at the end of the year and see how my fat/muscle makeup has changed. I'll weigh myself at the end of the year, too. I'm thinking this approach will give me a long term goal to work toward without getting any discouraging results in the interim. I know that the cycling and gym has had an effect on me. I have more muscle now than at any time in my life and can see a huge change in my appearance, so why torture myself with short term bad news about lack of weight loss when I know the changes are happening. I'm thinking this will also give me a reason to be a little more concious of what I'm eating over the holidays, too.

Grasschopper,
It sounds as if you are doing everything correct. I'm the same boat at 240 lbs. It's good that you are doing new activities to change up your workouts. One thing that happens to me is the more I workout… my caloric intake will inch up on me because I'm so hungry. You are gaining muscle so be patient. Bpohl said it best… "It is such a mind game."
Try not to weigh yourself too much (the mind game thing).
Hang in there.

grasschopper: that makes 3 of us at a plateau. It does help to talk about it. I weigh and measuer. In checking my measurements I see that my waist and belly & chest are going down, but weight is stuck. Also my % fat # is dropping, which means I am building muscle. It helps to talk about it and look at what I am eating. I use an excel spread sheet that does a 20 analysis and gives you a trend and gets rid of the dips.. This also helps.

Make that 4. I'm doing the same as you John...spreadsheet and all. I even added another 5 miles to my ride. I have been hoping that will answer my problems...lower calories and more miles. At this rate I'll be doing 50 miles and taking in 500 calories by months end.

Ahhh Grasschopper. When you can snatch the pebble out of my hand... Sorry, wrong movie. :rolleyes:

I've got a couple things for you to think about.

I've got you by ten years, other than that we sound like we're pretty much the same body build. I got back into biking last July after a many year hiatus. I was 223 pounds and felt like poop when I started. A year and a month later I'm at 179-183 lbs. It fluctuates around three to four pounds on any given day.

In all honesty the only thing I've cut out is soda. Instead of drinking soft drinks I've switched to Gatorade (I love the tropical flavors!). It has like less than half of the calories of most soft drinks and it's better for you.

I lay off the carbs when possible but don't go out of my way to do so. If I have eggs for breakfast I'll have ham instead of toast or something like that.

Keep in mind, you'll be converting a whole lot of body fat to muscle and muscle is heavier than fat. Don't get discouraged, just keep those pedals pumping! When I started last year I was doing around 8 miles, 4 or 5 days a week. Now I'm pulling down around 35-45 miles a day, 6 days a week. I can't get enough, It's like a drug! (although I'm dreading getting back on the rollers when winter rolls around)

Be encouraged and don't quit... Be very intentional about your goal. You'll hit those plateaus every now and again where nothing changes but just keep at it (think about how many years it took you to get to the weight you're at). There's a guy in my biking club who's lost 220 pounds between the bike and the gym. The rewards are well worth it!

Ok I have been between 220 and 225 for well over a month now. I run 3-4 time a week, have now started biking, do a little free weight lifting, crunches and am watching my diet. How do I bust through this plateau?


You might need to make a big change to get the weight loss started again. I'm no expert but I do believe that your body gets used to levels of exertion and/or dietary intake after a period of time.

During one of my plateaus (of which I hit one every 3-4 months) I increased my "regular" ride time (that is, the time I'm out for the 3x a week rides) from 1:00 to 1:45. That got me back to the rate of wight loss of 2 lbs/wk that I was at previously. Of course, there are other ways... I dropped 10 lbs in a month when my marriage was coming apart (but I don't recommend that to anyone).

Keep at it, man. On Jan 31, 2003 I weighed 235... now I'm 178 and it's all due to some better eating choices and bike riding (my only exercise).

Who has a sweet tooth? What do you to control it?

I have a sweet tooth. I know this sounds crazy, but sex really helps. It gets my mind off sweets until the next meal.
Also, if the woman is not available, a good piece of sweet fruit, like an apple, necturine, or a banana does the trick too. They have a bit of natural sugars to help.
I am 6'3" and two weeks ago was 205#. I went down to 2000 calories per day and now I am at 197.5# and still going. I would like to get down to 185-190#. I am not overweight, but have a little bit on the stomach.
And my wife doesn't mind, we are both pretty active so it benefits the both of us. LOL

Patriot

I have a sweet tooth. I know this sounds crazy, but sex really helps. It gets my mind off sweets until the next meal.
Also, if the woman is not available, a good piece of sweet fruit, like an apple, necturine, or a banana does the trick too.

Patriot

I am not having sex with fruit :p

I have a bit of sweet tooth and I found that only way of fighting it is to indulge it... in moderation. One thing that has helped is the portion control. Instead of a pack of Starbursts I eat 2. I store them over at my neighbors cube so they are just out of reach. Also I get "fun sized" snickers and freeze them. It takes longer to suck on and chew them so it kind of slows down the gobble factor.

I took a night off the bike last night but was active in the yard and house. Was stunned this morning to climb on the scale and find myself at 230...Down 10 pounds from when I started biking. The most noticeable thing is that I feel loads better just by the work out. I'm getting an energy level I haven't felt in a long time.

a good piece of sweet fruit, like an apple, necturine, or a banana does the trick too. They have a bit of natural sugars to help.
Patriot
Congrats on the weight loss! I think my real problem is that I'm not allowing for any snacks during the day. With the increase of activity I'm starving by mealtime. Today I packed some fruit and we'll see how it goes.

Thanks everyone for all the input. :)

Wonker, like the others I eat fruit. I eat fresh fruit 3 times a day 2 for a snack and 1 at lunch with my sandwich. I am a cookie nut and have gone now 3 months without so that I can help lose the weight.

Rad, congrats on the loss!

Hey everyone! Its been a while since I've checked in here on everyone! Boy its been a busy summer with work and injuries. Looks like everyone is doing well. I'm glad to see it! I'm also happy to report that I'm down to 213! :beer: I'm really happy to have avoided a weight gain, and actually lost a few, over the past month since my physical activity has been greatly reduced do to a rather nasty crash early in July. I'm still not 100% but was able to do a hilly 40 miler last Saturday. Ahhh, it felt good to be able to push myself a bit again! I still feel the injury to my ribs, so can't push as had as I'd like. However, I'm happy to do what I am able. :D

I also got a different bike! Now riding a late '90's Bianchi San Remo tourer. Its a huge upgrade for me.

Keep up the hard work everyone! WE are making grand progress!

All the best,

Bob

Hey everyone! Its been a while since I've checked in here on everyone! Boy its been a busy summer with work and injuries. Looks like everyone is doing well. I'm glad to see it! I'm also happy to report that I'm down to 213! :beer: I'm really happy to have avoided a weight gain, and actually lost a few, over the past month since my physical activity has been greatly reduced do to a rather nasty crash early in July. I'm still not 100% but was able to do a hilly 40 miler last Saturday. Ahhh, it felt good to be able to push myself a bit again! I still feel the injury to my ribs, so can't push as had as I'd like. However, I'm happy to do what I am able. :D

I also got a different bike! Now riding a late '90's Bianchi San Remo tourer. Its a huge upgrade for me.

Keep up the hard work everyone! WE are making grand progress!

All the best,

Bob

Hey Bob,

Sorry to hear about the crash. Congrats on the continued weight loss and the new bike. Getting pretty close to that 200 milestone.

Keep it up,

Dale

Bob, sorry to hear about your crash. Hope you are healing well. Congrats on keeping the weight down and the new bike :D Enjoy your time riding. I am off to a week at the beach, no bike to ride, but I do have my stunt kites to fly ;)

Just bought a bike. The old one was a 47 pound ***mart special that I rode close to 70 miles a week 10 years ago. I am older and a little bit overweight now. I thought I was in pretty good shape as I do a lot a work in the yard. That kind of work does not prepare you for riding as I have found out. The first ride on some hilly roads near my house almost killed me. It lasted an hour and I made 6 miles with 7 rest stops. The second ride I did better and sort of relaxed more and did 1 hour but more like 8 miles and only 3 rest stops. I am eating less and watching what I eat. I have not lost any weight yet and do not expect to see any results for a while. But I want to do this right. I am trying to lose weight and get exercise. Is there a difference in the method as opposed to someone who is training for a race? My only real goal on the bike is doing a century someday. I plan on getting a bike computer with cadence and a heart rate monitor eventually to help in this. Any suggestions on any good models?

I'm a bit of a newbie here, but I have been kayaking and going to the gym since February, and have been biking for a bit over a month now, and have lost 20 pounds. I became vegetarian, and have switched over almost entirely to organic foods. The new eating habits combined with the exercise have made me feel stronger and more confident about myself than I ever have. I still would like to lose 80 more pounds, but I am getting there. I am about to quit the gym as I have found the biking to be sublimely more enjoyable. I think that biking has got to be the best exercise plan ever dreamt up. I am looking forward to seeing more new muscles appear as the summer wanes and fall approaches.

I'm really happy to have avoided a weight gain, and actually lost a few, over the past month since my physical activity has been greatly reduced do to a rather nasty crash early in July.

Bob,
Sorry about the crash... But good to hear about the weight! Take it slow... don't make your recovery longer than it needs to be. :beer:

Any suggestions on any good models?
Your Local Bike Shop(LBS) will put you on the right ride. After that it's all about how much you want to spend. Me... I ride a Marin and love it:)

I'm a bit of a newbie here...
Congrats on the loss and welcome. I agree with you on the bike vs. gym thing. I have not had a gym membership all summer. I will get one when the dead of winter gets here.:(

I think I may have finally broken the 220 barrier. Was 219 this morning and that was after a rather large cookout last night with 1/3 lb burgers, margaritas, french fries and toll house cookies for desert. Rode to work this morning (and will just about every day this week as it is supposed to be very nice (yes I am a fair weather commuter) and will be doing at least 20 miles this evening.

Here is to looking forward to the 210 barrier rather than back to the 220 barrier (I hope). :D

Looking at you with envy Grasschopper from the 230 barrier...Congrats! Don't mention the fries and margaritas. How I miss the fat filled goodness!

Looking at you with envy Grasschopper from the 230 barrier...Congrats! Don't mention the fries and margaritas. How I miss the fat filled goodness!

Hey I don't think there is any fat in the Margaritas. :eek: Thanks though. One of the things I am trying to do (and it is no doubt slowing me down) is to eat things I like (had a nice 12 oz steak Sunday night) and just work it off. Rode to work this morning and have decided to tackle a mountain in the area at least once this evening to help work off the fries and the cookies. :D

Instead of my last diet when I just basically didn't eat and was miserable for 2 months...I'm doing this one much healthier and better. Just basically cutting out the "crap" foods. A couple "treats" during the week. Going more for a lifestyle change.

Instead of my last diet when I just basically didn't eat and was miserable for 2 months...I'm doing this one much healthier and better. Just basically cutting out the "crap" foods. A couple "treats" during the week. Going more for a lifestyle change.

My approach this time as well, and I can honestly say this is by far the longest healthy/fitness kick I've ever been on so I really do feel I've changed my lifestyle permanently. I'll know for sure after making it through the NFL season and the holidays! Last night I actually turned down a beer for water at a friends place.

Now that I've mentioned it, is anyone elses weakness beer? I'm convinced I'd be under 200 right now if it weren't for it. Come Friday night after a week of biking/training I've got to have one or three.

A small update

1 month ago...I was 242 lbs...no excercise and prettty resolved to just eating and drinking whatever I want but not very happy with it. After a month of biking 5-10 miles a night and paying attention to my diet I'm 228...my pants are starting to hang. Feeling very positive about the whole experience going to bust out on two 15 mile rides this weekend. Thanks to everyone for your advice and support. It has been helpful and inspiring coming to this forum.

Now that I've mentioned it, is anyone elses weakness beer?
I know what you mean. It's so easy to rack up a thousand extra calories pending which beer you drink. I'm down to 2-3 once a week but every once in a while I go over limit. What helps me is alternating beer and water. I may be able to go out for a night and only have two beers. Find what works for you and keep after it… it gets easier I promise. Wish me luck… I have an after work Happy Hour today.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and support. It has been helpful and inspiring coming to this forum.
Reading your success and others has helped me to stay focused. I was starting to lose my motivation but this forum has helped me stay in the game. This next week is going to be rough because the bike is at the LBS and will not be ready for a week from today :( … may have to take some evening walks.

Everybody have a great weekend. :)

Beer...its my weakness as well but if anything its improved my appreciation. I look forward to having "a beer" more. Its become more of reward for a good ride or a long day. Versus the day when I would come home and just grab one. I've become more choosy about it because if I'm going to reward myself I'm not blowing it on a Bud or an plain Miller. I went to a Packer Game last week after a few weeks of riding and dieting. Without hesitation I ordered up a Guiness (now on tap at Packer Games)...and I can't remember the last time I have sat down and truly savored a beer like that one. All things in moderation...unless your Oscar Wilde.

I've become more choosy about it because if I'm going to reward myself I'm not blowing it on a Bud or an plain Miller.
Amen! If I'm going to splurge… I'm going for the good stuff. One of my favorite flavs (ironically) is Fat Tire from New Belgium Brewery in Colorado. Or a cold Shiner and yes the sweet nectar that is Guinness are brews to be savored... in my opinion. Cheers :beer:

A small update

1 month ago...I was 242 lbs...no excercise and prettty resolved to just eating and drinking whatever I want but not very happy with it. After a month of biking 5-10 miles a night and paying attention to my diet I'm 228...my pants are starting to hang. Feeling very positive about the whole experience going to bust out on two 15 mile rides this weekend. Thanks to everyone for your advice and support. It has been helpful and inspiring coming to this forum.

Good job, Rad! I know how good that feels, and just wait till you hit that goal weight! Keep up the good work!

6 more pounds gone! Yay!!! I stepped on the scale yesterday, and that middle number had gone down a digit, that's always exciting. I also did a 70 mile ride yesterday, longest one so far! Here's to letting the bike erase the weight!

Way to go Kat! I'm stuck at ~215 for the last couple of months. :( I've picked up my resistance training again for the winter. Hope the muscle mass will help burn up more fat. I guess I'm not so worried about the scale anymore, but am watching the waist line shrink! :D

Hello everyone. I was on vacation last 10 day. I actually did 7 day with out the bike or treadmill. Felt good to take a break after 4 months of riding and working out 6 day a week. I watched my food intake, ate right and even spurlged one night on vacation. I managed to lose 1.5 lbs on vacation! Talk about suprised, that was a shock when I got home. However, I did fly my stunt kites for 3 - 4 hrs every day so that was some workout. Congrats to everyone on their progress and welcome to the new ones.
I did hit a milestone last night, I can now wear 38" waist pants and a size smaller shirts! :D I have not been able to wear 38" pants in better than 6 years. I am estatic that I can do this. last time was in 98.

Stunt kites? Were you in OBX? I'm headed there next week.

Also, congrats! I was starting to creep out of the 38" waist and into somethin bigger before starting my routine.