Training & Nutrition - Undereating=overweight

So, I've been sitting around for the last month, really watching exactly what I eat, with the intent of losing weight through caloric intake control (the whole 3,500 calories, blah blah) thing and noticed something odd.

Before I was decided to make a change, quit smoking and turn 20 years of self destruction around, I was eating like everybody else. It dawned on me:

I was taking in between 300-800 'nutrient' calories (its the only way I can explain it) through fast food, pizza, what have you.

I was taking in approx. 800 empty calories a day.

What threw me off was the realization that eating 1 meal a day, but 12 Mt. Dews a day helped me gain about 35 lbs. over the last year (the time off from riding etc. from the initial attempt to stop self-destructing - which failed, sorta).

Now, I'm carefully disecting my eating habits, and following the simple guideline of:

No soda.
No fast food.
No red meat.
I was drinking sobe's to replace my soda fix, but stopped this even.

I've added 3-5 servings of veggies; 2-10 servings if fresh fruit; 1-2 servings of chicken, tuna or salmon only a day. Still having issues getting my caloric level up to the 2,500 range without eating sometimes 10 times a day:(

I'm drinking between 64-100 oz. of water a day.
I'm drinking about 32-64 oz. of gatorade a day (probably need to kill this)

I run 3 miles a day now.
I ride 10-15 miles a day now (commuting+messing around).
I ride 25-30 miles on my days off.

On May 1 I weighed in at 216
Today I weighed in at 210.

I'm clearly aware I'm no athlete, but I think that everybody has to start at the bottom to reach the top and am making all the right changes in my life to get there.

So, with all that information, the crazy questions abound:

How the hell am I losing weight by being more gluttoneous than when I was 'non-healthy'?

What can I do to get down to 175 as I intend to, without hurting my run/cycling?

I want to attempt:

My first 5k ever, June 18th in Dallas
My first MS150 next year
and potentially a sprint triathalon next year.

My ultimate goal is, get down to 175 (at 5'11 and 1/4 inches) and eventually become a competitive athlete in triathalons and road races (I know, at 32, I'm a bit old to still want to be Superman when I grow up, but eh - still gotta have dreams). Is this a case of setting the bar too high, into the range of non-reality?

When you don't eat and get the nutrition you need, your metabolism slows down to try and compensate. You gain weight while being malnourished.

When you exersize and eat right, your metabolism speeds up AND your body is able to replace what minerals and vitamins are lost through your healthy eating.

It's my understanding that this is basically what happens to you. I'm no doctor, but I did stay at a holiday inn express last night :D

Eat lots of different stuff (salad, fruit, meat, pasta, bread, etc...) while minimizing the junk food, and continue to exercise. I'm sure someone else will help you out with the finer details. I would if I knew more about it. Good luck to ya, you'll get there if you put your mind to it!

and you don't necessarily have to give up "red meat". Bison is very low in fat and has a pretty good taste (if you can find it in your area that is).

I'm probably in about the same shape you are in weight wise, I'm a little shorter, and a little lighter at 5-10 and just a hair over 200.

What you eat is critical, so is how often. More often speeds metabolism, especially with an increase in activity. Did you know that sumo wrestlers eat once a day?

My understanding is that steady excercise is best for weight loss...meaning doing spints isn't good, but if you can do longer distances regularly you're better off.

I think your goals, including target weight, are resonable. I share your target weight, but I'm fairly broad and not built like a runner or cyclist. I mentioned 170 to my doc and he said 175 would be better but I better shoot for 180 and see what I look and feel like then.

A slower metabolism, as well as bad food choices will do it to you. Lots of high fructose corn syrup and partially hydrogenated fats is just the recipe to staying soft and fat.

Congrats for changing your diet and lifestyle!

Koffee

Yeah congrats!! And, what PengiunDed said!

You really need to get rid of the sugar-water, using Gatorade only for hydration on rides if it's necessary. This is the biggest problem in the American diet, sugar is NOT a primary food! 12 Mt. Dews a day, that was making Morgan Spurlock (the Super Size me guy) look like a lightweight - his gain in weight and fall in health was probably primarily the sodas, and secondarily the fries which have a lot of sugar. Notice the guy in the movie who eats burgers only doesn't look too bad.

I am not a nutritionalist and i didn't stay at the holiday inn last night but I do know I was in a similar situation myself(235lbs 5'11" 02/04-to-145lbs now) I know that after I changed my diet and continued to increase the intensity of my workouts I lost very little weight at first. As I kept training I relized I was gaining muscle and then started to drop weight. My suggestion is just keep going and be on the lookout for the hidin calories in foods.

I was taking in between 300-800 'nutrient' calories (its the only way I can explain it) through fast food, pizza, what have you.

I was taking in approx. 800 empty calories a day.

What threw me off was the realization that eating 1 meal a day, but 12 Mt. Dews a day helped me gain about 35 lbs. over the last year (the time off from riding etc. from the initial attempt to stop self-destructing - which failed, sorta).


I've added 3-5 servings of veggies; 2-10 servings if fresh fruit; 1-2 servings of chicken, tuna or salmon only a day. Still having issues getting my caloric level up to the 2,500 range without eating sometimes 10 times a day:(

I'm drinking between 64-100 oz. of water a day.
I'm drinking about 32-64 oz. of gatorade a day (probably need to kill this)


How the hell am I losing weight by being more gluttoneous than when I was 'non-healthy'?

Your intake just isn't adding up. For example, I think you're severely underestimating your "before" caloric intake -- 12 Mountain Dews is 1300 calories right there, so your intake was definitely over 800 calories per day! Have you ever tried keeping a food journal and strictly documenting everything that passes your lips? That might help you pinpoint undetected weak points in your current diet, which would help you with your weight loss goal.

A possibly helpful tool for food journaling is the website http://fitday.com. Good luck!