Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Help! I'd like to join the party. I'm 39 years old, 5'8" 185# and frightened by my weight gain of about a half a pound every month. I have gone from a size 16 to an 18 in the past 6 months...yikes...bad trend. I have aunts that are in the 300# range, and I really dont want to go there...my joints wont tolerate it. I already have a bad hip. I am inspired by the stories here. About 1.5 months ago I got a Gary Fisher Utopia that I've been adjusting over the past month...added bar ends and padding to the handlebars to reduce wrist pain and hand numbness. Today my hubby and I managed to cycle the local greenway...about 12 miles....took us 3 hours, as we stopped at the far end and drank some gatorade and read the Sunday paper. We've never biked that far before and we are thrilled we made it. I realize that is trivial compared to most of the distances mentioned in this forum. I'll look for that book you mentioned, and might just sign up for that fitnesslog website.
I think the hardest thing will be keeping up the healthy patterns when fatigue, stress, temptation, depression, bad weather, work responsibilities creep in. I hope that your forum will be an antidote to those challenges.

no distance is trivial when you're starting out!

My first distance was 6 miles, and I thought I was going to die! That was 4 months ago, and now I regularly ride 25-31 miles, with occasional group rides of 45 miles at 15mph...


In January, I was 225 lbs... A friend told me I was too fat, so I started losing weight... Now, I'm at 166, and in better shape than I have ever been in

Welcome aboard Puppypaws! Yep, this is the place you want to be, great folks all encourageing each other. Make yourself at home, and don't forget to wipe your paws on the mat when you come in. LOL! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Thanks for the cheers. I find tears welling up..
Wow Soni,
how'd you do so well?

i should clarify, i just signed up for that fitnessjournal.org that another bike forum poster mentioned. It looks kinda fun. The exercise calculator is nice. The food calculator is kinda clumsy, but I think i see how it works. FYI it costs about $20 for 6mo subscription. Looks legitimate.

Welcome Puppypaws! :)

Other parts of this forum has many "hot shots" who like to brag about how they do 100 mile rides and they are so knowledgeable they can feel like they are smart because they can find fault in someone like Lance Armstrong, etc....

But this thread seems to be all about encouragement at whatever level we are at. So don't feel ashamed to post what you did...we will surely be proud for you. When I first started I was only doing 5-6 mile rides and now (1 1/2 years later) I'm up to 20-30 mile rides. :)

BTW....it's about the "time in the saddle" more than it is about the mileage too. 12 miles in a hilly terrain is probably equivalent to 40 or 50 miles on flat terrain! :D

I'm perplexed - My new digital Tanita scale arrived in the middle of last week. The weight was on par with what my analog scale had been telling me, but now I could record slight losses/gains. On Friday morning, I weighed in at 180.4 pounds.

I was expecting to gain some weight this weekend. I went to my dad's place in Maine with my friends, leaving the bicycle at home. I drank beer. I ate a donut. I had two big ice creams. I had brownies. More bad food in two days than I had had in a month. I stepped on the scale this morning before my ride - 178.6. How did I lose almost 2 pounds? Christ - I need to stick to the donut/ice cream/brownie diet, I guess.

Then i looked at my Bodyfat Numbers - On friday I was at 20.5%. This was consistent with readings from days prior where I was at 20% and 20.2%. This morning it read 21.6%! Is it possible that in only two short days I lost enough muscle to lose 2 pounds and gain 1.2% in body fat or are these tanita scales just useless when it comes to BF%?

I had planned a little celebration for when I broke 180 pounds (from 205 in May). But I just don't feel like I trust the numbers... I actually feel BAD that I lost weight. Something isn't sitting right.

When you eat (good or bad), I notice that it doesn't "register" right away. It seems to take time for it to "take affect". So your weekend binge may not "show up" for a few days or a week.

As for the BF%, maybe its telling you a more accurate story. I don't know.

Puppypaws - I have found gel (fingerless) biking gloves have been great for reducing hand numbness. It takes the pressure off the nerve that runs down the middle.

Derek - Tanita is a great scale. I agree that it usually takes a while to register bad eating. Usually 5 to 10 days for me. Be careful because it's a slippery slope. You go 'off' the healthy eating, lose weight, it does a funny mind trick where you think 'what was I so worried about, I can go 'off' any time I want', then suddenly you are 'off' more than you are 'on' and then before you know it, you weigh more than when you started. You're doing great. An occassional indulgence is not a problem, but it's important to get back on track soon after.

I notice when I have sugar, it dehydrates me, so my scale goes down because I am actually dehydrated, not because I have lost weight.

With building up mileage, I realized I posted I did 70 miles during my first week of biking, but I should add a caveat to that, I have been going to a spinning class (on an indoor stationary bike) off and on for a few years which may be why I'm not experiencing muscle soreness. I say this as encouragement. It is important to respect where you are . . . and build from there.

Biking outside is kicking my rear cardio wise. My heart is getting a much better workout because I can't pull back as often or as easily as I do in class. When I am at the bottom of the hill, there is only one thing that will get me up the hill. Also, yellow lights are providing accidental sprints for me. I use a heart rate monitor and I don't like to see the high numbers, but when I am out on the bike, it takes my focus off of the beeping and keeps me focused on the road ahead of me. Much more fun that way.

Ride well,
Sandy

Also, yellow lights are providing accidental sprints for me.
Dogs are good for this too. :D

I'm perplexed-

DerekU2,
I'm no expert so take this w/a grain of… make that a glass of water… it's better for ya! I have been going through the same thing and this is what I found out.

"Is it possible that in only two short days I lost enough muscle to lose 2 pounds and gain 1.2% in body fat… On Friday morning, I weighed... I drank beer." -NEVER DO A BODY FAT COUNT IN THE MORNING. Your body is more dehydrated in the morning than any other time of the day (Under normal conditions). The alcohol caused more dehydration than you think. The reason why the BF and your weight numbers are off is because the Tanita scale sends the current though through your body and measures how much comes back. Your hydration lever will greatly effect this measurement. How accurate are those types of scales? Unless you are going to immerse yourself in a tank completely full of water and then measure the amount of water that spills over the sides of the tank (careful not to splash any out… this will skew the numbers)… the scales are accurate enough. I would only try BF measurements once a month.

When you eat (good or bad), I notice that it doesn't "register" right away. It seems to take time for it to "take affect". So your weekend binge may not "show up" for a few days or a week.KingTermite has it correct. Anything sooner than 5-7 days is just a measurement of the water in or not in your body.

I hope this helps explain why your BF is up and your weight is down.

BTW… the beer, ice cream and doughnut diet does not work. If it did I would be a pro cyclist. :roflmao:

Man, this thread is smoke'n! I'm going to have to check in more often! I just can't keep up! :)

Thanks for the warm welcome back! Thanks to those who have shared their stories. I am always amazed by the courage of the folks who post on this thread.

Hi folks--
I've been out for a while due to injury, but wanted to show folks my new web site:
www.HowILost100Pounds.com

(note: I'm not trolling, selling or anything like that. Just proud of having lost almost 100 pounds in about 1.5 years.)

Dewbert,
congrats on the healthy lifestyle. I love your website. I've put it under "Favorite Places" and will go to it for inspiration. I forward'ed it to my hubby who happened to suggest that we go to a Yoga class last week...perhaps we will!
Your recipes sound excellent. Those photos are terrific...you look so sporty on your road bike.

:rolleyes: WeightWatchers

Started New Year's Day this year 2005
Started Cummuting to work (every day since June 22)
Gave up the booze 3/4/05
Life is GOOD

Hit my goal last week...

Result: 90 lbs (8.75 months)

{make that 91+ weighed in last night}

Nice to be back in the saddle again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lost abut 15 pounds so far this summer...down to under 160 and able to wear non bibbed bike shorts and 31in waist pants...yeehaw.
Exercise, fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch, and beer on weekends only.

Whats up everyone! Well I injured my left MCL 3 weeks ago wasnt a tear or rip or anythign jsut kinda painful like a pull or something I have been taking it real easy not wanting to hurt it more. I havent been eating to great while being laid up but i havent gained any rel weight though maybe a pound or 2 no big deal. But i got back on the bike this morning and man it felt good. Went back to the gym last night and man that felt awesome to. Being off for almost 3 weeks i figured that my weight training at the gym woulda been down hill but i actully feel stronger and can lift more weight than before. I was way down on my performance on the bike but that will come back good. hopefully it doesnt rain this afternoon and i can hit the road bike. I am about 320lbs now so i am down 132lbs since feb.1, 2005 so my percentage is dropping but i still wanna hit my goal of 280-300 by jan 1 2006.

Later,

J.W.

P.S. - I read all the post and wow everyone is doing great glad to see everyone beatting this!

I initally signed up for this club at a little over 250. I have been on a weight raining and aerobic program for two months now (cycling included, but not primary). I am down to 325lbs to date.

I initally signed up for this club at a little over 250. I have been on a weight raining and aerobic program for two months now (cycling included, but not primary). I am down to 325lbs to date.


Wow, remind me not to go n your diet...LOL

(I know, you meant 225)

can I join the club?

I purchased a new road bike about 8 weeks ago, and have slowly been getting myself back into shape after a 20 year layoff. I used to be a strong rider and trim as well, but the years have added to my butt and reduced my general physical shape.

So after 8 weeks of riding maybe 40-50 miles/wk I weighed myself yesterday and I'm the heaviest I've ever been in my life! 206lbs. I'm 57. Back when I rode a lot maybe in my late 20's early 30's I hovered around 150-160.

I posted a couple of weeks ago on the 50+ forum my goal in 12 months to lose 50 lbs and ride a century. The feedback I got was that was a realistic goal, and others had done it. Well, after 8 weeks I feel much better, I look trimmer, but I'm gaining weight.

But actually I'm not discouraged, having read enough posts here about people gaining in the first weeks of getting into shape. I just ask for encouragement and I'd like to periodically share my weigh-ins and experience. Looks like a good group here!

BackintheSaddle - Lots of people report gaining weight at the beginning. Muscle does weigh more and you might just be shifting. When I have actively lost weight, the shifting usually happens during the plateaus. I have found that exercise . . . and biking in particular . . . increases my appetite. When I started counting my calories, I discovered I was eating closer to 2,500 - 3,000 calories. Way more than I should be eating to lose weight (I'm a 5'7" female). I wasn't gaining weight with those calorie numbers, but I wasn't losing.

I just have to be extra mindful of my intake, especially when I've increased my activity level. Back when I was training for marathons, I rarely met runners who lost weight while they were in training because they ate what their bodies demanded. Sometimes my body demands toffee ice cream, so I've learned there are times when I have to over-ride the demands and convince it to have a soothing cup of tea instead.

Metro - I'm assuming you meant that you are now 225 (not 325) after biking . . . that you've lost 25 pounds, not gained 75 in two months.

Sandy

DerekU2,
NEVER DO A BODY FAT COUNT IN THE MORNING. Your body is more dehydrated in the morning than any other time of the day (Under normal conditions).

So when should I do a body fat measurment? In playing with the scale I've noticed that the body fat measurement when i get home from work (after a 12 mile ride) is about 3-4% lower than my morning reading.

As for dehydration, I don't think it's much of an issue for me anymore. I try to drink at least two liters of water while at work and have another 12-24 ounces when I'm eating lunch. I drink water with dinner and try to have another glass before bed. I've never seen a body water % lower than 53% - no matter WHEN I take the reading.

I weigh myself in the morning, after going to the bathroom but before eating anything. I've heard this is the best time to weigh yourself for conistent measurements? When should I "trust" the body fat reading?

Hi SandySwimmer, the thing is that I've actually been eating the same or less. cycling always kept my appetite down, at least the nervous snacking of high calorie treats. That's why in the past I really could lose a lot of weight after a winter layoff. Exercise more, eat less. But I'll try paying more attention: maybe I'm eating more than I think -- I haven't really tried to log it.

Yes, I did mean 225. Sorry about the typo. Next stop 522 lbs. :)

Wow, some impressive weight loss!
MUST DO BETTER, MUST DO BETTER, MUST DO BETTER ;)

Derek - with the tanita body fat scale, I would say as long as you weigh yourself at the same time every day, you will have a reference. The instructions that came with my scale said 6pm (before dinner) was the optimal time for getting an accurate reading. I prefer weighing myself first thing in the morning though. Right now, I'm limiting myself to once a week. Once, I lose this last 20, I'm hoping to limit it to once a month.

backinthesaddle - if you are seeing a difference in inches, it could be that your body is shifting. When I was in active weight loss (30 pounds), I would lose weight, perhaps 8 pounds in a month and then nothing for the next six weeks. And, I was rather careful with counting every bite. The scale would stay the same or go up, but my clothes would suddenly be loose and the compliments would come. Very funny, the process of losing weight. It seemed veerrry slow for me, but I never had the problems of extra skin that some people have . . . because my body shifted as I went. And, most importantly, it stayed off. It made me see how necessary the plateaus are. It's good to keep things in check though. . . see that your portions, calories, etc. are all healthy. Fitday.com and a postal scale have served me well in that area.

Strength training 2-3 times a week was also helpful . . . I need to get back to that.

Dewbert - so great, your weight loss. Also, happy to see you've been doing yoga. So healthy. I had a yoga teacher who lost 115 pounds by doing yoga every day (which inspired her to become a teacher). She said it made her much more aware of her body's signals. It's reminding me that I need to get back to that. I stopped having injuries when I brought strength training and yoga into my life. Also, a guy in my spinning class started winning triathlons six months after he brought yoga to his workouts. Interesting.

Sandy

That's something I've been wondering about--loose skin. So far I don't think it's been a big problem, although my belly does seem a lot less firm (but then, it's not stretched tight over fat anymore.) I'm not too worried about it now, but it's something I wondered about before. I've got a friend who had the surgery to get it done, and it's obvious he's got a lot of loose stuff around the middle.

I was worried about the same thing. My wife lost a lot of weight and had some pretty loose skin, so much so that it folded over some. That was a couple of years ago and it seems to have righted itself. I've read that after fifty, which we both are, the skin starts to lose elasticity. As a preventative measure, I've been using some skin firming lotions. So far, so good, although I haven't a clue as to whether it can be attributed to the lotions I'm using. One thing is for sure: I have very soft, moist skin from using them. I tend to dry out easily and they surely help in this regard.

If after all the weight loss is accomplished, you find that you still have a lot of loose skin, some places like the Shriner's Hospital will do the removal for free. They use the donated skin on burn victims. It doesn't look like I'll need to do it, but I had my concerns as well. A friend at church who also has lost a lot of weight told me about this. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Another good reason to lose it when you're 27. I remember thinking to myself last year when I started that "I'm 26 years old. There's no reason a 26-year-old man should be this miserable. What will I be like when I'm 40?"

Another good reason to lose it when you're 27. I remember thinking to myself last year when I started that "I'm 26 years old. There's no reason a 26-year-old man should be this miserable. What will I be like when I'm 40?"
Consider yourself lucky for getting to it early enough. I'm turning 35 this month.....I wish I had "discovered" cycling 10 years ago. That was the catalyst that started this for me!! :)

I think that my knee is finally 100% but i am scared to start riding hard and running again?? But I can tell you one thing from all this weight training i am doing i can see a noticeable difference!

Congrats on the knee Big Lug, build up slowly to avoid another problem. Don, you are indeed fortunate. To be able to recognize the need to change, while still young (relitively), is a huge blessing! I am 41 and I wish I had "Discovered Cycling" ten years ago... Make that twenty. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Oh Yeah, I'm 277 as of this morning.

Good job Ritz!! My latest was 325 last night.

I set a goal to get below 300 by New Year's Eve for my dad's wedding. If things keep up the way they have been, I should probably be down around 280 or so. :) I think 280 is a bit optimistic, but if I can at least get below 300 I'll be happy. :D

Thanks for the kudos KT. I think with all the support that's on this board it would be hard not to lose weight! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

Right now am 315 pounds at 6 foot 6, i lost about 20 pounds in the last 8 weeks on a lifting/cardio plan, i got a road bike a month ago, and i am going to ride it at college to comute from dorm to class, the dorm is about 2 miles away, so about 4 miles a day of bike riding will be added to the exercise plan.

Your commute sounds perfect. Good luck.

Hey KT. I saw a box with your logo on it at Sun-N-Ski today... Any relation?

Hey KT. I saw a box with your logo on it at Sun-N-Ski today... Any relation?

Are you sure it wasn't THIS (http://www.termiteskateboards.com/) logo? That is the logo I kinda based mine from.

Originally a friend on another forum found that logo for me and I was using it for a while....I had no idea it was an actual logo for a company. So I stopped....and got another online buddy to use that as sort of a base to create another, yet different one from.

I'm plateauing here, right at 292-295. I admit I've been a little lax lately, not enough to start gaining, but not so careful. I don't know that it would have mattered if I'd kept cycling hard, but I got sick Wednesday and really struggled to get home, so I didn't ride Thursday or yesterday. It's only been a week since I hit 293, so I'm not worried about it, but I'd rather get back to losing weight. I think I can be 275 by Christmas, which is about my football playing weight. I have put some muscle on since I started lifting again, too, so I'm not going to panic over the scale--but I still must be around 40% bodyfat, if I had to estimate.
(I figure if I were totally lean, I'd probably weigh about 180 based on muscle and bone and such. If I weigh roughly 300, that leaves 120 pounds of fat. 120/300=.4, or 40%.
I scared the heck out of myself a minute ago by dividing 120/180 instead of 120/300. That comes to 66.6%!
You know, I feel like I'm in such great shape, I have to look at a mirror or my clothes to realize that my body is still made up of at least 40% useless, jiggly fat. I can only wonder what it will feel like to be 275, 250, 225 or 200.

Don - you're doing so great. You can definitely reach your Christmas goals. I am working on about the same weight loss goal (I started a thread - 20 pounds by New Year's - resolution - to keep myself accountable).

Plateaus are frustrating, but not a bad thing. My weight loss ALWAYS follows with a plateau, but that's when the inches suddenly go down . . . during the plateaus. Although, it's also good that you are looking to see that you are on track with things. Don't be too hard on yourself when 'slips' happen. Just make sure you get back on track.

About the extra skin issue . . . strength training also helps this. It can be small weights at higher reps (doesn't have to be the throw your back out kind of weights). The best I have found are things that use my own body for resistance . . . arm circles (a minute each direction 3 times), plank (the 'up' part of the push-up and holding for one minute 3 times), crunches and side crunches, back lifts (on stomach where you lift your shoulders off the ground), lunges, squats. All good. It always seems 'hard' though because as you build muscle, it's heavier. Also, these I can do anywhere, when I'm traveling, etc. . . . and strength training really helps prevent overuse injuries. Mine skin adjusted as I went, but I have seen others who lose weight and their skin adjusts within 6 months after the weight loss. It adjusts, it just takes some patience.

keep going, keep going, keep going . . . go, go, go, go, go
Sandy

It makes sense. That's why my weight and my goal are in my signature here--accountability. Everybody here knows my goal now, and even though most would probably never notice if I stopped updating it, I feel like people are watching me.

Don, sounds like you are hanging in there. I can't imagine trying to stick to a strict regimen when ill. I'm sure you'll keep making progress when you feel better.

Just checking in. I've been watching my calories. Logging them in on that fitnessjournal.org. exercised 5 days in the last 7. (Didn't when I was on-call, or today...was at a disaster shelter most of the day on the medical team...felt like exercise)

Last weekend started at 185, this morning 182. I am just thrilled not to be gaining. I might gain tomorrow though...going to a friend's for a dinner party. Then I'll get right back to the program.

Losers Unite!!

Don, I've always found my weightloss to start off steady but then begin to ratchet down — nothing for a week or two, then 3 or 4 pounds all at once, then nothing for a week or two, etc. It's frustrating but, in the end, the weight comes off so hang in there.

And, Puppypaws, dropping 3 for the week sounds like you're doing something right. :)

Good job Ritz!! My latest was 325 last night.321 this afternoon! :)

This morning I was 291.2. :D

If I can stay in that range for a few days, I'll update the weight in my signature.

Don, you are on a roll!

I have to post a correction...I must have been a little dry for a couple of days. My digital scale now reads 183.5. It's a little tempramental..hard to zero. From now on I think I'll use my old fashioned scale I got from a clinic that was upgrading. That scale says 183 even...and its easy to zero.

Are you sure it wasn't THIS (http://www.termiteskateboards.com/) logo? That is the logo I kinda based mine from.

Originally a friend on another forum found that logo for me and I was using it for a while....I had no idea it was an actual logo for a company. So I stopped....and got another online buddy to use that as sort of a base to create another, yet different one from.

You are correct KT, I like yours considerably better. A "Kinder, Gentler," termite... So to speak. :D

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

You know, I feel like I'm in such great shape, I have to look at a mirror or my clothes to realize that my body is still made up of at least 40% useless, jiggly fat. I can only wonder what it will feel like to be 275, 250, 225 or 200.

Unstopable! Incredible! Physicaly fit! I'm looking forward to that too! I'm down to 275 pounds today, and I'm shooting for 180 also, but I'll have to re-evaluate once I get there. I may actually want to get a little lighter. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

Congrats on everyone's weight loss! Plateaus are unfortunately, unavoidable. The good news, like others have said, they usually preceed more loss! Keep up the great work everyone! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek: