Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Okay - I'll bite.

Have looked at and read about the "Zone" diet - basically less carbs, good quality protein (fish, fowl, etc.), good quality carbs when you eat them (whole grains, good fruits), and good quality oils - canola, olive oil, avocado. PLUS exercise (which is absolutely no problem for me - I love to exercise). This diet is not that for off of how we always eat, except I am really watching those empty carbs, and doing that pretty well.

Have upped my biking due to summer and I can. Like 35 miles yesterday and a 20 miler this am, with more to follow this pm, with wife.

Have lost about 10 pounds (now at 229) these last 2.5 weeks or so.

Blood pressure down markedly was 113/67 yesterday - the lowest in a lloonngg time - (also new BP medication, but mostly due to loss of weight).

Looking and feeling better.

Way to go, DJ and Denver! :) Dramatic the difference steady exercise can make, eh?

I see that now that I'm getting more proteins (lean meats and fat-free cottage cheese, mostly) and cut down some on bread and pasta (which I think I was overdoing) my weight does seem to be going down slowly but steadily. I think that by the end of the week, I'll have hit the 30-pound mark for the summer.

Today I had a growing-into session, where I got out some of the old clothes I outgrew and checked how they fit now. I've gained some shirts!

To express my weight loss in sizes: in March I wore a 3X tee and too-tight size-24 jeans. Now I can wear XL's and I can take off my 24's without unbuttoning them. 22's are loose and comfy, and my single pair of size-20's is perfectly wearable. (And my experimental size-18's can be pulled all the way up now! But not buttoned.) Weird to be stretched out over 4 jeans sizes.

The second-hand "extra-large" (yeah right) biking shorts I got off Ebay, which I could formerly only pull up to my knees, are now almost wearable. In another month or two, I may be able to wear real biking shorts! :D

Good luck on your hi-pro low carb diets you guys.

My son moved back in a week before I went in for my knee surgery and brought his bad eating habits with him which were unfortunately acquired by me. Then I was off my feet pretty much totally for a few days and of course I ate and noshed and pigged out. Then I had to eat cheap because of a general money shortage in the house. Cheap translates to junk food in bags and boxes. Today is the two week anniversary of the surgery and I went back on the program of eating healthy foods. I gained 8 lbs. Disgusting but doing 5 miles a day on the bike and improving.

Wow!! Every one is on the ball!

What a relief to know that I'm not the only one who is struggling with weight and loves to ride.

I have posted in a couple of other areas, but I started riding about a year and a half ago and have dropped 130 lbs. I still haver I did it with a strict diet(counting calories, fat and carbs. and limiting each) and by riding as much as I can, as well as doing some weight training 3 x's a week.

It gets tough to find the time to do any thing with two kids, (one teen and one 2), as well as wrok and going to school. But I have really fallen in love with riding and feel great after a good ride.

It's great to read so many success stories. It gives me a little more motovation and inspiration.

Congrats to every one!!

Brad

Originally posted by bpherson
I started riding about a year and a half ago and have dropped 130 lbs.

Wow, Brad, that's fantastic, especially with your busy life! Bet your family is proud of you, too! :)

Originally posted by bpherson
...have dropped 130 lbs. ...Brad

Wow that is like having a little person riding along side you!
Very nice! I'm at a plateau right at 180, dropped down to 178 but drift up to 183, so I'm bumping up my distance riding during lunch to try and get in at least 8 to 10 miles in the hour, that's counting stops to the bank/post office and dvd rental place, as I do all my errands on the bike, makes life more enjoyable!

I'm going to be getting a new to me bike soon to keep at home to ride at night and on the weekends so that should get me down a little more, mainly want to fit into size 32 pants again! right now I'm close, wearing size 33 Columbia Roc pants, just a little more! A lot better than the size 40s I was sporting a little over a year a go this month!!

Keep it up everyone!
G2

Originally posted by LittleBigMan

It's really neat to see what my muscle looks like with the layers of fat gone.


I certainly agree that seeing muscle without fat is neat. My initial excitement though came from being able to see my feet without bending forward.

Love the bike!

Carl

I backslid terribly this week.:cry: Some types of stress just seem to demand chocolate and fast food. Oh, well.... back to the bike, and time to hit the veggies.

Thought you might be interested in something I read: I'm readinh A Woman's Guide to Cycling by Susan Weaver, and she mentions someone named Adrienne Rifkind.....she checked into a clinic weighing 425 pounds and barely able to walk. She used a stationary bike and diet to start out. A year and a half later, at the age of 37, she was down to 295 pounds and taking part in triathlons.

Keep pushing the pedals!

I guess I've lost weight. I had more than a size taken out of my wedding ring this weekend. I kept falling off in the shower.

Carl

Originally posted by webist
I guess I've lost weight. I had more than a size taken out of my wedding ring this weekend. I kept falling off in the shower.

Carl

Yeah. I have trouble standing on my ring in the shower. also!!:D

Good catch!

Corrected copy: It kept falling off in the shower:lol:

Carl

Some SUCCESS!!!

Just came back from the doc - for my "annual" (once every 3-4 years) physical.

When I got on the scale, the nurse kept pushing the little weight lower - much lower than I expected, before it balanced. Turns out I have lost 15 pounds since my last visit (not for a physical - about 4 mo's ago).

HEY, I said. I'll TAKE that weight.

Oh, the doc also said I had EXCELLENT circulation in my legs and feet. Chalk one up for bike riding. He said a whole lot of folks my age (almost 63) have extremely poor circulation in their legs and feet. He said he could tell because I was growing hair on my feet, and you can't do that with poor circulation.

I knew there was a reason I don't shave my legs!!:D

Way togo DnvrFox!

I hope that I am in such great shape( and not pear) when I get to my 60's.

Brad

Well, i am 5'6" and I was around 200 lbs as of May, I am now down to 160, and close to my goal of 150. I'm a vegitarian which makes it a bit easier. For the first 2 months I kept at 1000 calories a day, while working and riding 25-40 miles a day plus softball twice aweek. That part was quite unpleasant, but now I'm up to around 1500 cal. a day, and I plan to start some weight training to shape my body back to something that doesn't suck. 10 years of neglect takes some time to fix.

brian

Originally posted by monte
Well, i am 5'6" and I was around 200 lbs as of May, I am now down to 160, and close to my goal of 150. I'm a vegitarian which makes it a bit easier. For the first 2 months I kept at 1000 calories a day, while working and riding 25-40 miles a day plus softball twice aweek. That part was quite unpleasant, but now I'm up to around 1500 cal. a day, and I plan to start some weight training to shape my body back to something that doesn't suck. 10 years of neglect takes some time to fix.

brian

Good Brian!
Sounds like Deja Vu all over again! I'm 5' 6 1/2" very important that 1/2" ;)

I was at 225! now I'm down to just under 180, my goal though is to fit into size 32 pants and riding is a big part of my work to get there, along with eating a little more proper and NOT over eating!

Great to hear success stories!
G2

I should point out that I'm not overweight, but over the past couple of years I'd gained about 12-15 lbs which I'd been unable to lose. It doesn't sound like much, I know, but I'm not a big person and don't have a big frame, and it wasn't so much the weight. It was that I had no idea how i'd gained it and why I was unable to lose it. I thought it was stress, or getting older, but it certainly wasn't from neglect. I didn't overeat and wasn't inactive. It turns out I'm hypothyroid, which uis treatable by medication- once you are on medication you lose weight. However, I'm not medicated yet- only being monitored, which means blood tests. I was diagnosed this winter, but I'd probably had the condition for a couple of years.

So I started the season hoping that the cycling would help. At the beginning of the season I was still going to the gym as well, so I lost a few pounds, but since then I've lost about 8. And I've lost inches! I have done nearly 3200k so far, and it's really made a difference. I started noticing that my pants are loose on me and that stuff which didn't fit me last year, now fits me. I tried on a dress that I hadn't been able to wear since before I gained all that weight- nearly 2 years. I thought I'd never be able to wear it again. I didn't think I'd made that much of a difference until I tried on that dress and it fit. I haven't gone on a diet, but I hardly ever eat sweets or junk food anyways and actually have always been on a pretty low-fat diet. Apparently, most of the weight people gain from thyroid conditions is fluid, not fat, but I've lost more inches than weight, and that's from burning fat.

I know it seems kind of a small victory and I sound like a vain person who obsesses about being fat! But really, when you have this kind of condition it's essential to exercise to keep your weight down, because it makes it hard to lose weight once you gain it. I guess cycling is ideal! I now have new additions to my wardrobe because all this stuff fits me. Awesome!

But really, when you have this kind of condition it's essential to exercise to keep your weight down, because it makes it hard to lose weight once you gain it. I guess cycling is ideal! I now have new additions to my wardrobe because all this stuff fits me. Awesome!

Congrats!!

I also have a whole wardrobe one size smaller awaiting me and my weight loss. Not there yet, but getting closer. It is a great way to actually see physically your weight loss.

Congrats, Wabbit! :)

Always good to know if you have hypothyroidism. My sister kept going to her doctor and asking to be tested, and he kept telling her no, it was just a matter of dieting and exercise. By the time she dumped him and got another doctor, she was over 400 pounds! Now she's on medication, and has lost about 75.

(I got myself tested, too....nope, all my fat's natural. Darn.)

Well, I doubt that all that weight gain could have been from thyroid, although I don't know anything about your sister's lifestyle (exercise ,diet etc). Apparently, most people with underactive thyroids only gain about 10-15 lbs, and most of that is actually fluid. That's about what I gained. Anything else is probably due to diet or lifestyle. However, it's good that your sister was treated. People walk around with thyroid disease for years and don't know they have it. Weight gain is just one of the symptoms.

My weight loss has been an interesting story. Last October I was at 212 lb, which is fairly overweight for a guy of 5'7". I also had high blood pressure. I made a decision to get healthy, drop 50 pounds, and get back to 160-165. I stopped eating junk food and cut down on portions. I joined the Y, and worked out 5 days a week. I did 3 days of cardio and 2 days of resistance (Nautilus) training. By April I had managed to drop about 25 pounds. I had an annual physical, where I felt pleased with my weight loss, but annoyed that I felt horrible and wasn't toning up. The doctor did some blood work, and found that I had low testosterone! After checking for pituitary tumors and such, I was diagnosed with secondary hypogonadism put on replacement testosterone. My exercise continued, and I bought a bike. My riding every day helped me to lose more weight, getting me down by a total of 35 pounds. However, the testosterone started kicking in and instead of just losing fat I started also gaining muscle mass. So, 10 months after I started I'm down by 35 pounds, riding regularly and working out at the Y (when not riding). I'm getting leaner, but haven't lost an ounce in 2-3 months. I guess I should be happy that I'm not gaining. But, at 45 I feel great. I even had to buy new smaller clothes, my old stuff was getting too baggy! Now, if I could only lose that last 15 pounds.

Rick

Brainiac, I am with you! I have been weighing in over the past serveral weeks. Not one pound has left my body. I have worked out consistantly since last November with weight training, walking, since april cycling.

I have tightened my belt one hole, and everyone asks how much weight I have lost.

Hopefully, when I start losing, it will come off all at once.

Originally posted by Brainiac
I'm getting leaner, but haven't lost an ounce in 2-3 months. I guess I should be happy that I'm not gaining. But, at 45 I feel great. I even had to buy new smaller clothes, my old stuff was getting too baggy! Now, if I could only lose that last 15 pounds.
Rick

Way to go Rick! I've always found that what the scale says doesn't necessarily reflect how you look or feel. Muscle weighs more than fat so even though you haven't lost an ounce in 2-3 months, I'll bet you've lost a considerable amount of fat which is ultimately what you want. :)

Rick,

Awesome job on the weight loss. I too have dropped a few pounds in the last year and a half. And just like you after dropping some good weight I havn't really lost any in the past 2 months.

But, just like you I have lost a few belt sizes and feel great. And as rockymtn-girl said, muscle weighs more than fat. As long as you are burning fat and increasing muscle, you may even go up a pound or two. I know that my fat percentage has dropped quite a bit, but I have gained alot of muscle tone.

One other point, some times you plateu with weight loss. Your body just has to adjust to its new size and it may take a week,,or a few weeks, for your matabolism to kick back into high gear and you'll lose more weight and that last 15 pounds will melt off before you know it.

Good luck and great job,

Brad

Hi! It's good to see everyone out there is being more careful about what they eat, and exercising. I lost about 10 lbs several months ago--I know that doesn't sound like much, but the weight loss was mainly due to me being sick for a month or two, and eating better. I always thought I was healthy, but I was kind of stressed out at work, and not eating as well as I had thought. I had some bad stomach pains, and then it got worse. I found out that I had diverticulitis (inflammation of the diverticulum--a abnormal pouch in the intestine), so I had to be on a liquid diet for a few days. Ugh! :(

Anyway, I've been reading up on how to prevent that from happening, and mainly it's that I have to eat more fruits and vegetables (fiber), not a great deal of processed foods like cakes, cookies, drink more water, and just eat better! People say that you should stay away from seeds, but I haven't had that problem. My doctor says there's no real proof that that will cause diverticulitis, but he has patients that tell him otherwise. Go fig.

I've been eating healthier, and cut back on a LOT of junk which doesn't mean that I don't eat it. I just don't pig out and go crazy on stuff every other day.

Also, I feel a LOT healthier eating better, and I don't have any problems with my stomach any more.

It really sucks to be sick, by years of eating poorly! :( So, remember good health is important, too! Eat right and exercise, and the pounds will SLOWLY come off. :D

I have two VERY important words to say about weight loss...

WEIGHT WATCHERS

I have been on WW for a year and a half. At the beginning of 2001, I had decided that enough was enough. I joined. I weighed in that first night at a whopping 424 pounds.
Yes, I said four hundred twenty four. I was honestly close to being disabled at 35 years old. It was disgusting. I still have quite a way to go, but I have lost close to 120 pounds, and I feel great. My wife has lost over 80 and she LOOKS ooohh lala! I'm quite worried she'll dump my ugly butt now.
The WW plan is the easiest to follow.
You eat what you want.
No silly fad diets.
Just what nutritionists have been saying for years. Watch what you eat, drink plenty of fluids, make sure you get plenty of fiber, and EXERSIZE!!!
We recently read a study, I can locate it again if anyone really wants it, that looked at successful weight loss. They interviewed a large number of people that lost weight using a commercialized diet plan and kept it off for more than 5 years. The VAST majority, like 80% were WW members.
It works for me, that's proof enough.

ChipRGW!!

Wow, Chip! You go, boy! Great!! Congrats to the wife too!

There isn't a Weight Watchers where I live. Ya know what frustrates me? No matter what diet plan you do, there is always somebody who says it isn't healthy. Even for the pyramid nutrition charts. I can't recall ever hearing bad things about the WW plan.

Congratulations on the results of your hard work!

Cheers!
Linda

Today I went shopping!! wee hoooooo.... a smaller size... and 1800 miles under my bike shorts... but it is more than size or weight, it is how strong the heart is that matters to me.. Oh!! and of course... when I am on the bike, how much less my legs bang my little tiny not so tummy... but getting smaller all the time!

Wow, so wonderful to hear such wonderful stories.... Big HIGH FIVE for the HEALTHY GROUP!

Annie:fun: :fun:

TM,
That's because there isn't anything bad to say about it!:)

They (WW) have an online group you can join if you or someone you know is interested. It may help although I find the group meetings to be the crutch I need most weeks.

ChipRGW

Check out this software:

http://www.dietpower.com

If you're familiar with the Little Green Book idea from LanceArmstrong.com late last year you'll have an idea of what this program can do.

Pick your target date, target weight, input a few physical details about yourself, and you're off to the races.

I've dropped from 215 to 170 so far and should be at pre-season weight (from many, many pre-seasons ago) in another couple of weeks--ahead of schedule. :)

Download the demo and give it a try.

I like the Weight Watchers program as well. There is so much sense built into it. I had no understanding of portion control or what a balanced diet looked like until I first went to WW back in the 80's, when they did an exchange-type plan, and you had to eat liver every week. (As people here know, a portion is not what they put on your plate at a restaurant. Some of my otherwise intelligent friends think that the food pyramid 6 servings of grains is the equivalent to 6 restaurant servings of pasta, or 6 Einstein's bagels, ect.)

The program encompasses a wide variety of eating styles, I am vegetarian, and have no trouble using their food plan for meals. They allow for people that do better with a higher proportion of carbs vs protein, or vice versa, and leave that to the individuals discretion what works best for them, along with whether you do better with several larger meals or multiple mini-meals. In some of their more recent plans, they allow for more calories for larger people, with decreasing amounts of calories as you lose weight. This makes sense because a larger person requires more base calories (I can't remember what that is called), and increasing the calorie level keeps the weight loss to a safer, slower rate, which is more appropriate and less likely to run into health issues. (Ironically, gallstones, one of the risks of obesity, can also be caused by too rapid weight loss, especially on an excessively low calorie/low fat plan.) They also allow more calories for more active people, encouraging people to excercise beyond their minimum recommendation of 30 minutes a day.

I tend to more of an unprocessed food diet; people who can't manage without processed foods are accomodated equally well. I notice though, as people spend time in WW, even if they started out with a preference for processed food, many of them move away from it as they figure out they will have more satisfying meals if they make the switch. I think it's pretty neat how that works, without ever telling them they'd be better off without the processed foods!

I think they have a wonderful, well-considered program, the only thing I don't like are the crowded meetings, which are usually not all that useful to me, some of the topics are pretty trivial, and some of the leaders aren't that good. Nonetheless, I am suddenly getting a hankering to renew my membership that I let lapse 7-8 months ago or so!

Oh, and by the way, the 100+ discussion forum on the WW site really rocked the last time I checked it out (it's been some months.)

That was where I found out about 9/11 - I was reading the forum that morning, and had no clue about what was going on, and suddenly people were posting about it.

Way to go Chip!!

I don't know if you read back a bit, but I too was over the four century mark a year and a half ago.......I know how it is to feel that way. I'm not part of WW, but do what's working for you. Congrats on a great job.

On another front....did I read here about "bonking"? I'm not sure that's what it is called, but I did a couple of mornings last week where I ate jsut a little bit and then did a big ride...... 30+ miles. I was amazed at the results. I lost over 7 pounds in a weeks time. I'm not sure if it was a fluke or not....so I thought I would try it again. I'll let you know.
On the down side, my wife is worried that I am going over board, but I'm not sure. I felt great afterward and have not bee n sore or fatigued. Any suggestions or comments??

Great job every one and keep it up!!

Brad

lets see about 175 miles a week on the bike 4 days of weight training and 6 years later -60 pounds and I can eat just about anything I want ain't cycling the best. That doesn't even cover the change in attitude and outlook :beer: Oh yeah this last summer I did my first century ride 200 miles 2 days a childhood dream not bad for an old (46) fart :D

I like the Weight Watchers program as well. There is so much sense built into it. I had no understanding of portion control or what a balanced diet looked like until I first went to WW back in the 80's, when they did an exchange-type plan, and you had to eat liver every week.

L41, you provoked memories I had not thought about in years. I remember going to a WW meeting for the very first time in the mid 70's (I think). I actually went with a friend because I needed to lose 10 pounds. You paid by the visit back then and I lost the weight in one week. I remember the liver and the regimented menu that included unflavored Knox gelatin. More than anything else, I will never forget the woman who conducted the meeting. She was more like a drill sergeant. She yelled at some people who said their doctor told them their medication was causing them weight gain and she yelled at people who had any type of excuse at all for even maintaining the same weight from the previous week. She accepted nothing and demanded that you stood up and announced that you are fat because you were not following the plan. I'm really glad things have changed since those days.. LOL! I visited a WW a couple of years ago and yes, they have a great program now.

Cheers!
Linda

Its really great to read all these success stories. It really shows how great biking is!

I started this spring at 238 lbs, no longer able to fit into the 38" pants, in the hospital with chest pains. Turns out it was only work related stress. I got back on my 24 year old Releigh and started on 2 to 4 mile rides. When I got up to 10 miles per day, I decided to invest in a new Trek 5200. I have almost a 1000 miles on the Trek now and I'm down to 193 lbs, and just squeezing into the 33" pants. My goal is to drop another 20 lbs by the end of the year and confortably fit into 32" pants. I have hit a plateau that I can't seem to get under in the past few weeks. Its discouraging, but I'm keeping my head in the game.

I eat a lot a fruit, as much as I want. When ever I am hungry. Also, I drink fluids constantly. Dropped as much bread as possible. The big thing I really try to do now is only eat till the hunger goes away and never eat after 9 PM. I wish my kids would stop leaving candy around! :)

Keep it up everyone! Your success really encourages me!!!

Nice to see other members of this club.

I started with simply diet. I went on Atkins for 3 months, dropping from 290 to 250lbs. I then started cycling again, and have further dropped to 230lbs. I don't have a specific target, but I do want to improve my strength and endurance further.

I recommend the Atkins Diet to other people. It is not a panacea, but it does put you in closer touch with nutrition. If possible I still avoid carbs unless I am going riding.

Breakfast each morning is usually a protein shake with added wheat bran and a banana blended in. The low carbs in this is sufficient for the energy I expend at work each day.

Bike to eat!

Cycling has been a success story for me as well, but only as long as it lasts.
in 1996 I became a catholic vegetarian, or as some say, a pescarian. At the same time I took up cycling in the weekends in addition to commuting. Then, I happened to get a 5-mo. stint for which I had to cycle a total 40K/day to/from 2 railway stations, broken up in 4 fractions.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find a job that offered a similar commute later on, though the typical 2x10K commute to the railway station remained (the other station was mostly close to the job). However, in 1997 I stepped up the distance by cycling more in the weekends and finally cycle-touring for 4,5 mo. in NZ and Oz and lost even more weight and also had to give up my pescarian lifestyle for lack of proteins.
Since then I haven't cycled as much and probably for wasted muscles gained weight rapidly.

My main problem has been the too large difference between weekly distances in summer vs. winter, when everything is dark and gray and there are no organized bike rides being done..
summer distance are hence extreme caused by the randonneuring I started to do in 1996 and kept doing until 1999 when I participated in Paris-Brest-Paris.
However, when I DNFed for that one in 1999, I rapidly gained weight to my pre-cycling weight and up till now have not been successful to keep it off, despite a full year of cycle-touring in 2000-2001 and some other largish bike tours since then..
Why? The tours are for a specific period, after which the weight piles back on in frightening speed.
The only solution is year-round cycling.. and for lack of a suitable commute, it's got to be the spinning classes.. but even these take a winter break around X-mas (put on 5 kg in just 2 wks)..
Sigh! Now I'm going to try the Cyclic Ketogenic Diet as I'm still 12 kg overweight, despite 3 mo. of cycle touring (only net loss of 5 kg).

Fietser

I was actually cheered this week.

I went to the gym today and weighed myself on an accurate scale. I have lost 12 lbs.

I can now wear a skirt that I haven't worn in 2 years! Which means I have lost a size.

I did notice that I have to really work on toning my arms and abdominals, but my upper body is much leaner. It's like the fat I did have melted off during the summer. It's not like it just happened- this is the result of 5200 kms!

The best part is wearing that leather mini. I never thought I'd get it over my butt again!

Originally posted by wabbit
I was actually cheered this week.

The best part is wearing that leather mini. I never thought I'd get it over my butt again!
Congratulations!!!!

I'm frickin' stuck! Lost a lot of weight over the last year-and-a-half and was pretty regular with the work-outs at the gym until the spinal surgery. Since then I've regained a couple of bad after-dinner eating habits, though it hasn't resulted as yet in any appreciable weight gain. Still, I'm not ready to "plateau", dammit! I want it all OFF! I realize that this leveling-off is normal and I have to train the body over time to shed more of the excess, but it's frustrating. :irritated

-Rob (Damn those peanut M&Ms!)

Yo y'all. I'm down to 215 now, from about 223-225. My pants are falling all about me. My goal is 210.

Secret? Nothing really. Lots of fruits and veggies throughout the day. Lead off with Fs & Vs for your dinner, then move on to other goodies. Cut down on the beers.

I've been doing more biking in preparation for a century, but not much more than before.

See ya when I hit 210.

At 6'6", 250lbs and 20% body fat, my main goal is to reduce the bodyfat to around 15%. I don't have the will power to diet strictly enough to go lower than 15%. I believe that this will get rid of the unsightly areas. I'll let ya'll know when I get there. While we're on the subject anyone know how many extra miles a mexican dinner is gonna cost me?
:beer:

Can anyone tell me how to lose weight by cycling. I rode about 2000 miles this summer and haven't lost a pound! I'm so hungry all the time, and if I don't eat right while I'm riding, I bonk. I am 5'4'', almost (omigod) 50 and about 40 lbs. overweight. I really want to lose a lot of that 30-40 lbs. by next summer because we have big riding goals. and I know if I was lighter I'd be faster.
So I'd really like some suggestions, please!:confused:

But if those 2000 miles weren't hard pressed and you didn't maintain a high heart rate that body fat isn't going anywhere. You need to constantly push to pedal harder and faster.

Otherwise you may be in a situation where math will help. Count your calories for 2 weeks. Figure out what you eat exactly and drop that by 2500calories a week (approx 1 pound). You should start to see a difference. If you don't loose anything you a) either aren't going hard enough to up you heart rate or b) you didn't drop your calories enough and are still eating too much or c) you are eating crappy foods which doesn't help at all.

Originally posted by Trigger1
At 6'6", 250lbs and 20% body fat, my main goal is to reduce the bodyfat to around 15%. I don't have the will power to diet strictly enough to go lower than 15%. I believe that this will get rid of the unsightly areas. I'll let ya'll know when I get there. While we're on the subject anyone know how many extra miles a mexican dinner is gonna cost me?
:beer:

You have a nice advantage. You have some degree of muscle mass (your stats are almost exactly the same as mine) this makes burning the extra calories pretty easy when the need arrises.

Best of luck and enjoy the biking. As for number of calories. If you are doing tough mountain biking 1.5 hours of cycling should do it for you. Otherwise you may have to go longer ;)

Originally posted by Bikerchick
...So I'd really like some suggestions, please!:confused:

I can only tell you what works for me in having lost 60 lbs in about a year. I read labels religiously. The saturated fat percentage is what I've watched most. If it's over 5 grams, I'd rather not eat it.

You might also mind the carbs you take in toward the end of the day. Carbs are important if you use them during physical activity, but eating a high-carb dinner in the evening and then sitting around for the rest of the night before bedtime in effect turns your body into a sugar factory and fat warehouse. Many people have seen success in upping their protein intake and cutting back on carbohydrates toward the end of the day. Everyone is unique, however, and before any dietary plan is initiated it's always wisest to consult a physician.

Good Luck!
:)

-Rob

Originally posted by Bikerchick
Can anyone tell me how to lose weight by cycling. I rode about 2000 miles this summer and haven't lost a pound! I'm so hungry all the time, and if I don't eat right while I'm riding, I bonk. I am 5'4'', almost (omigod) 50 and about 40 lbs. overweight. I really want to lose a lot of that 30-40 lbs. by next summer because we have big riding goals. and I know if I was lighter I'd be faster.
So I'd really like some suggestions, please!:confused:

Don't give up, I put on over 5000 miles last year and didn't lose a pound either :( This year I adopted a structured training program in conjunction with using a heart rate monitor (HRM) and I've managed to drop 20 lbs. since April. I'm still on the see food diet and on about the same mileage pace as last year, so it has to be the training structure that's making the difference.

I think a HRM is key to gaining an understanding of how hard to work on the hard rides & more importantly, how easy to take it on the easy rides.

Be prepared to ride through the times you hit plateaus and even pick up weight as you convert "other" body tissues to muscle.

Know that cycling is the absolute best long term weight loss and weight maintainence activity you can possibly be involved in...and if all else fails, blame your ancestors for your lousy genes ;)

I've been cycle commuting for about three months now, and put in on average 65-80 miles per week. It took a while before any wieght started to come off and in fact, I actually gained wieght the first month. My legs got huge and my waistline shrank, but I still gained wieght. I finally managed to lose 25 lbs when I started eating tons of pasta and rice and plenty of veggies. I don't believe the Atkins diet is appropriate for cyclists, it didn't work at all for me. I'm down to 220 from a high of 245 on my 6'2" frame.

Originally posted by Maelstrom
Count your calories for 2 weeks. Figure out what you eat exactly and drop that by 2500calories a week (approx 1 pound). You should start to see a difference. If you don't loose anything you a) either aren't going hard enough to up you heart rate or b) you didn't drop your calories enough and are still eating too much or c) you are eating crappy foods which doesn't help at all.

Good post. However, a pound is actually 3500 calories.

Originally posted by webist


Good post. However, a pound is actually 3500 calories.

I knew my math didn't sound right. And I was way too sick to look it up at the time. Thanx for the correction :)