Southern California - Why am I not losing any weight?

I don't get it. I ride all weekend like 80 miles, eat semi-healthy, but i just don't feel any lighter? What gives?
I noticed a slight drop before Xmas, but I feel it's all back... ugh.:(

Maybe it's the "semi" part you mentioned. I tend to eat the same semi food myself.

Calories in v. calories out.

either your body has adapted to the amount of riding you are doing so you either have to ride more and/or switch up your work out to trick your body into burning more amounts of calories n fat.

I've been stuck at my weight +-4lbs for the past yr. For the life of me, I can't get below 190 and usually stay around 195, no matter how much or little I ride. So I'm in the same boat as you.......
I don't see any weight difference but I can FEEL the power/speed differences though. I just try not to get caught up in the number cuz it will just leave me more frustrated then when I started.

I don't get it. I ride all weekend like 80 miles, eat semi-healthy, but i just don't feel any lighter? What gives?
I noticed a slight drop before Xmas, but I feel it's all back... ugh.:(
Don't feel bad. I work out at the gym 3 - 4 times a week (legs/upper body/cardio/spin classes) and ride 3-4 times a week as well, including back to back centuries as of late, and I put on a solid six pounds over December (no, it is NOT muscle). Some bodies acclimate to "stess loads" bettter than others, and sometimes, like in my case, I'm not always forthcoming with myself about the combinations of foods and amounts I'm consuming - and don't get me started on my little wine habit. Many on here may hiss at me, especially the lean-lean boys, but Weight Watchers is fabulous for teaching proper proportions one should be consuming - even athletes. No, you shouldn't use it in advance of a large ride (2 days out), but using the "point system" + "activity points" really works the rest of the time. I dropped 30 pounds last year doing WW while training for my first double. It does work.

Of course, there is also the calories in versus calories out theory that I believe is fail proof unless you've got a thyroid issue.

That depends, how tall are you? What do you weigh? How is your diet? What else are you doing besides cycling?

You want to lose weight, you need to make some lifestyle changes. I did and have so far lost 20 lbs. Its tough. You might ride 80 miles on weekends but what do you do the other 5 days of the week?

See you doctor, join a gym, learn how to use the machines correctly (so many people think they know but they really don't and don't see the results they'd like because they are doing it wrong), change your diet. A certified trainer should also be able to help get you started (but I don't think its necessary).

Good luck!

I don't get it. I ride all weekend like 80 miles, eat semi-healthy, but i just don't feel any lighter? What gives?
I noticed a slight drop before Xmas, but I feel it's all back... ugh.:(

Hi,

Heck, I ride more than that and I eat healthy and I still can't lose any weight. So when you figure it out let me know. :)

Oh, and all of the comments above look good to me and I've tried some of them but still no weight loss. :(

If I could lose 10 pounds I might be able to keep Exort in sight on the climbs. ;)

Maybe it's the "semi" part you mentioned. I tend to eat the same semi food myself.

My thoughts exactly!!!

What I have learned about losing weight... it's hard. Dang hard. Takes like not eating anything good and exercising all the time. When I was hospitalized I had no food (period) and only IV saline for 7 days... I still only lost 15 pounds and all of that is back (plus a few that wander on without me looking).

Best weight to lose is limited portions. use a salad plate or tea saucer, one serving only, and eat lean protein and green vegetables, 4 times a day - 1200 calories for a women and about 1600 - 1800 for a man (provided the person is exercising) No sugar, no starches, no sodas. Not fun!!! Here it is day 10 in January and I still haven't followed that plan!

T A certified trainer should also be able to help get you started

No such thing. Certified by who?

When I met with my surgeon after my cancer surgery, he told me I should try and lose weight. I stared at him. He said, its not hard, it just takes "discipline" Blank stare again. I finally exclaimed "Wow Doctor - You are going to be rich!" He said, "How's that???" "Well you just found the secret to losing weight - discipline - that's all it takes!" His response to me was "wiseacker"

Spin just alittle discipline, that's all it takes... :rolleyes:

in a world of temptation, a lil discipline is hard to achieve:D






But can be done......

in a world of temptation, a lil discipline is hard to achieve:D


You nailed that one. It is amazing to me how food-centric we have become. Not surprising, I guess, given the relative affluence of our country -- a lot of expendable income, and an increasing trend toward instant gratification. I LOVE food... and eating out... but everything is either gigantic portions, or loaded with motor oil, and often both.

The obesity epidemic is going to get much worse before it gets better. And I'm not passing judgement on anyone -- I know very few people who can consistently navigate the minefield that is the innundation of "consume, consume, consume" messages.

Cut the booze.

When I try to lose weight, I find if I eat lots of fruits, veggies, minimal meat products, and cycle some, I'll lose weight.

Cut the booze.

It's really easy to underestimate your caloric intake, even with the amount of cycling you are doing.

It is also very common, as mentioned earlier, for your body to adapt to a certain level of exercise.
When you reach a weight plateau, it's often best to "shock" your body with other forms of exercise. I kept a stable weight for many years, but it wasn't until I started multi-sports/interval training did the additional fat/weight come off. Admittedly, I am not on the bike as much as I'd like to be, but I still can get in 50-75 miles a week. I just throw in two running (one long, one windsprints) and one swim session a week.

And yeah, I stopped eating out, too, unless it's with other like-minded people. In which case, we all would go to the healthier eating establishments. Water for beverages, no appetizers, skip the bread, don't even think about dessert. After a while, it becomes as much a habit as the fatty stuff.

My opinion on this is to lift more weights.. Having more muscle burns more fat.. Last year I dropped 40lbs with no significant change in my diet however I did have a large amount of muscle.. I started cycling 50+miles a week and the fat just started coming off. Do compound exercises such as squats, bench press, shoulder press, and pull ups. Visit a bodybuilding site such as bodybuilding.com for free weight workout plans.

Cut the booze.
:eek: Blasphemy! Witchery! Serpent Speak!

Simply put, your fat's turning into some lean muscle....:D

:eek: Blasphemy! Witchery! Serpent Speak!

I know, it's painfully unfair, but gads it works. I lose weight at 2x the pace when I stop the booze. Of course, I'm going drinking tonight.

Serious training begins this weekend. I'm considering going off booze til Solvang (hahahahahaha, yeah right). If I did, I'd probably drop 15-20 pounds by then which would make that wall just a little easier.

:) Wow! thanks for all the quick replies... this place is like a support group, I can tell.
Yes, I need to mix up my physical activities... too bad I don't play soccer anymore @&*%$!!

:) Wow! thanks for all the quick replies... this place is like a support group, I can tell.
Yes, I need to mix up my physical activities... too bad I don't play soccer anymore @&*%$!!

You can also check the training & nutrition forum. You have to avoid the people shilling their whey protein, and other sorts of things, but there's good stuff over there also.

Don't overdo the pre-ride carbo loading or the post-ride recovery meals (or the in-ride munching). Eat what you need to keep going but unless you're racing, you may not need as much as you're eating. Your body will tap into the fat during a long ride, but eat too much and you'll just be burning the carbs you keep filling yourself with.

The calories you burn can be overcome and you can convince yourself you "deserve" the extra food because of the ride. I used to treat myself to a couple pints of Ben & Jerry's because of how many calories I burnt and felt justified. But that's why I'm still 10 pounds over where I want to be.

Now, I just have to get everyone at work to stop bringing in M & M's. Handiwork of the devil. Damn those little bits of chocolaty goodness!

Although I'm not exactly svelt, I have lost about 15 pounds in the last few years, and I'm much leaner. Here's what's worked for me (some of these things are much easier for me to do than others). YMMV.

1. Don't let yourself get too hungry. I think of "grazing" throughout the day, rather than thinking about large meals. If I get too hungry, my will power goes, and I bury myself in pasta. Have healthy food nearby at all times, and snack on it before you get hungry. Keeping your blood sugar levels stable is the key.

2. Eat slow. Or at least slower. Take a break while eating and really try to determine if you're still hungry. Of course, you shouldn't be too hungry, even at the start of the meal (see tip #1). If you've had enough, stop. I know you COULD eat the whole sandwich, but do you really NEED to? Right now? Probably not. Box up the rest. You can eat more in a few hours if you're hungry again (see tip #1).

3. Sometimes, I just gotta eat big. Give me a lot of something. When this happens, I let the quantity vary directly with the healthiness of the food. That means if I want to eat a lot, it better be healthy. If I want something rich and heavy, I'll have a much smaller quantity. So, I eat real chocolate and ice cream, but when I do, I have just a little bit. I know people that eat 1000 calories worth of fat free ice cream each night and wonder why they don't lose weight. And, sadly, they didn't even really enjoy the fake stuff they just ate.

4. Lift some weights. I lose weight much quicker when I combine weight lifting with cardio. Calories are burned in muscles, so the more you have the more calories you burn.

5. Drink water. I'm terrible at this, but I hear it's important.

6. Splurge sometimes. If I deprive myself all the time, I throw in the towel and go wrist deep in pasta. Let yourself live, but in moderation. If you do over do it, which you will, don't give up. Get back to grazing and working out. It's the long term average that matters, not small fluctuations. Think about losing weight slowly, this takes the pressure off. But for god's sake, enjoy something you love once in a while. I'll often try to "earn" some pizza or whatever by having a hard workout before.

My $0.02.

Here's what I did/do:

Measure everything you eat. Whatever diet/lifestyle change you pick, it doesn't help if you don't measure out the portions like you're supposed to.

Don't eat anything that you cannot control yourself with. If Oreos are your weakness, never have one, even as a treat, you will end up eating all of them. :D

Eat at home. Prepare your own food. Eat simply.

Weigh yourself daily. Be prepared for fluctuations, but pay attention to the trends, as well.

:eek: Blasphemy! Witchery! Serpent Speak!

yes we all need our booze to get us through the week:D

Don't overdo the pre-ride carbo loading or the post-ride recovery meals (or the in-ride munching). Eat what you need to keep going but unless you're racing, you may not need as much as you're eating. Your body will tap into the fat during a long ride, but eat too much and you'll just be burning the carbs you keep filling yourself with.

The calories you burn can be overcome and you can convince yourself you "deserve" the extra food because of the ride. I used to treat myself to a couple pints of Ben & Jerry's because of how many calories I burnt and felt justified. But that's why I'm still 10 pounds over where I want to be.

Now, I just have to get everyone at work to stop bringing in M & M's. Handiwork of the devil. Damn those little bits of chocolaty goodness!

Oh, and sugar free doesn't mean no calories or low calories. There's a whole bunch of cookies advertised as sugarfree, but they loaded them up with fat and have the same amount, if not more, calories than regular cookies.

Read all labels.

I used to treat myself to a couple pints of Ben & Jerry's because of how many calories I burnt and felt justified.
:eek: I'm gaining weight just reading this. Damn you, Joel! ;) :D

I'm having the opposite problem, can't keep the weight on. After much research I finally asked around on some health and fitness sites, I was pointed to this: www.fitday.com - it is a online tracking tool where you enter in the food you eat and it breaks down the calorie, fat, carb... info for you.

It looks a bit tedious at first, but you quickly get used to it. I can now enter in a full day's eating in just a few minutes.

I find this really useful to really understand just how much I'm eating. I'd highly recommend you give this a try.

because god is mean.

Calories in v. calories out.

By understading this LAW of human physiology, you can lose the weight you want. It is not a mystery at all, as some might suggest. BFFM (burn the fat feed the muscle) was a great source for me.

combo of caloric intake and how you are riding. If you go out too hard, you don't burn fat for fuel, you burn the sugars you ate and the sugars stored in your muscles in the form of glycogen.

Wanna lose weight, slow down. Keep your HR below 130. Go long, slow and steady. And eat less.

4 months to the mulholland challenge. 10,500 ft of climbing over 100+ miles. I'm dropping at least ten for that. Just lost five, and I'm amazed how much faster I climb. I can *almost* hang with my riding partner up Tuna Canyon, west ridge, etc. Two months ago, he smoked me.

Don't know if anyone else has had this problem but...I can definately see that I am slimming down in the waistline area, pants fight a little loser etc. However, I am gaining weight. In the last two months I've gone from 195 to 200 lbs while increasing my bike time from 2-3 hrs per week to 6 to 10. Is this the whole muscle weighs more than fat thing or am I missing something.


RL

It's really easy to underestimate your caloric intake, even with the amount of cycling you are doing.

It is also very common, as mentioned earlier, for your body to adapt to a certain level of exercise.
When you reach a weight plateau, it's often best to "shock" your body with other forms of exercise. I kept a stable weight for many years, but it wasn't until I started multi-sports/interval training did the additional fat/weight come off. Admittedly, I am not on the bike as much as I'd like to be, but I still can get in 50-75 miles a week. I just throw in two running (one long, one windsprints) and one swim session a week.

I'll second that. I started running two or three times per week, for only about 30 min. as cross-training, and dropped 5lbs in a little over a month, and kept it off for the better part of a year. Think I gained most of it back over the holidays though. :(

I don't really have a "goal weight" but I'd like to get to < 10% bodyfat. I'm not there yet, and I'm not sure I'm prepared to be as regimented with my diet as I would have to be to do so. I can't seem to get below 11% or 12%. According to my bathroom scale anyway, and who knows how accurate those are.

+ a gazillion to the Calories In V. Calories Out.

November 2005 - I weigh 222. I remember because I made a wish upon a unicorn.
November 2006 - I weigh 182.

40 lbs lost and here's what I did: I created a spreadsheet.

The spreadsheet began with my weight that morning. Then I calculated my Resting Metabolic Rate (which is about what your body needs in calories per day to stay alive and do nothing but ordinary daily activities). I calc'd RMR (using the Sedentary number as my baseline) HERE (http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html).

Then I kept track of all the food/drink/whatever that I took in each day. This takes discipline. I measured, counted calories, and at the end of the day had a really good idea of the amount of calories I was ingesting. I went HERE (http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_food.html) to find that information.

Then, if I worked out that day, I kept track of time/mileage/whatever, HERE (http://www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.html). Determining my Activity Calories Burned.

Then, I added my RMR to my Activity Calories Burned to find out what my body USED in a day. Then I subtracted what my body ingested. If I took in 500 less calories than I burned, I would lose 1/7th of a pound...a pound is roughly 3,500 calories. At the end of the week, if I took in just 500 calories less than I burned per day, I'd lose a pound.

At 200 lbs, my RMR was roughly 2500 calories. I was working out on average 700 calories. With a 2000 calorie diet, I was burning 1200 calories more than I was taking in, and losing about 2.5 lbs per week. That's without feeling hungry.






I found that the cold hard facts of calorie intake and calorie burn were vital to my weight loss, kept me from cheating, and were proof-positive that what I was doing was showing results.

[QUOTE=The Fixer]Simply put, your fat's turning into some lean muscle/QUOTE]

That's what I was going to suggest. I got tired of watching the fluctuations on the scale and just stopped checking but kept riding everyday and eating reasonably. After a month or so I checked the scale and my weight had hardly changed but I could tell my pants fit different and could see there was less fat on me. Then a little while longer and the weight started coming down as well. Nothing drastic, all told about 10 lbs. But there seems to be a tipping point (for me at least) where once I have enough muscle mass I can eat as I normally do and the fat doesn't come back on.

All the suggestions I've seen here look good though. Whatever you do, don't give up. If nothing else you'll be much healthier.

I know, it's painfully unfair, but gads it works. I lose weight at 2x the pace when I stop the booze. Of course, I'm going drinking tonight.

Augh, remind me not to drink so much....:o

To the point. Mo'Phat, would you be willing to post your spreadsheet or maybe just a screenshot from it? I'm interested to see how much work would be involved with keeping up with something like that.

To the point. Mo'Phat, would you be willing to post your spreadsheet or maybe just a screenshot from it? I'm interested to see how much work would be involved with keeping up with something like that.

I got used to making the same lunch over and over so I could just copy/past columns in the spreadsheet! I got really proficient at looking at the back of the bags or boxes of food to see what the serving size was, weighing it, and figuring out that I was eating like three horses as opposed to a normal person.

Here's the screenshot .pdf...obviously there's simple calculations that add up columns, subtract others, etc...but pretty basic for Excel.

ps. There's bound to be some things that I either miscalculated or purposely over-calculated (Tommy's burger, for example)...but I think that helped me to not ruin everything later in the day.

ps. There's bound to be some things that I either miscalculated or purposely over-calculated (Tommy's burger, for example)...but I think that helped me to not ruin everything later in the day.


ps. There's bound to be some things that I either miscalculated or purposely over-calculated (Tommy's burger, for example)...but I think that helped me to not ruin everything later in the day.

That's pretty sweet. Good for you for keeping that up, I think that would be quite the challenge for me. Maybe I'll just start with a daily food log and incorporate the calorie lookups if I can get used to keeping the log. I'm a database guy, so I love stats and data. But, I really don't like data entry.

Thanks for posting that! And sorry (not) about the dook game last night :-)

Duke is truly sucking so far this year. Sadly, it's looking like a building year. Oh well.

ps. Yes, indeed data entry sucks and I hate it, too. It was just something I had to do. Anyone can say, 'Eat less and Exercise', but when I put numbers to it, and saw the numbers corresponding exactly to my bathroom scale, it became so simple for me.

pps. I freely admit that I left the spreadsheet at home over the holidays, and am paying for it now. But the good things is that I know what works for me, and I know what to do to drop those last 20 lbs.

I lost 110 pound over the last year by following a diabetic exchange diet. Basically, every 15 grams of carbs are considered one carb serving. I did:

Breakfast
4 carb servings( usually 1/2 bagel and a serving of fruit and a glass of skim milk).
1 protein serving (ounce of lean meat, and egg, 1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese, etc)
1 fat serving (usually cream cheese)

Lunch
3 carb servings (two slices rye bread, 1 serving fruit)
2 ounces protein (some ham or turkey and a slice of lite cheese).
A nice bowl of salad (lettuce, cabbage, spinach and low fat, relatively low cal dressing)
Veggies

Dinner
3 carb servings (usually 2/3's cup rice and a fruit serving)
3 ounces lean meat or fish
A nice bowl of salad (lettuce, cabbage, spinach and low fat, relatively low cal dressing)
Veggies

Snack:
2 carb servings (3/4 cup cheerios and 1 cup skim milk) - although a lot of times I skipped the snack and just had some veggies.

Veggies are all you can eat as long as you don't go overboard on stuff like butter (Smart balance kicks butt, though)

The majority of the weight I lost prior to re-starting cycling. The cycling has made it more difficult since I burn so many more calories than I used to.

Also, I have a nice digital scale and have created a spreadsheet of serving sizes for many of the fruits I eat so that I don't go over the amounts I should eat.

It took a bit getting used to it, but I was sort of forced into it (medically) and now I am pretty happy eating that way.

I got used to making the same lunch over and over so I could just copy/past columns in the spreadsheet! I got really proficient at looking at the back of the bags or boxes of food to see what the serving size was, weighing it, and figuring out that I was eating like three horses as opposed to a normal person.

Here's the screenshot .pdf...obviously there's simple calculations that add up columns, subtract others, etc...but pretty basic for Excel.

That's really useful, Mo. Thanks. I think the bad news, which I just cant come to grips with, is that I consume too many calories.

I guess to do your plan right, you really need two scales: one to weigh the food, and the other to weigh the food bag (me).

I got a small (really small) scale it the supermarket for weighing the food. I think it goes up to 16 ounces...For the food bag (me), you know the scales along the freeway that weigh the semi trucks?

Bed Bath and Beyond and Linens & Things have pretty decent digital scales for cheap, it's easier to tare it with a bowl, too.

I lost 110 pound over the last year by following a diabetic exchange diet. Basically, every 15 grams of carbs are considered one carb serving. I did:

Breakfast
4 carb servings( usually 1/2 bagel and a serving of fruit and a glass of skim milk).
1 protein serving (ounce of lean meat, and egg, 1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese, etc)
1 fat serving (usually cream cheese)

Lunch
3 carb servings (two slices rye bread, 1 serving fruit)
2 ounces protein (some ham or turkey and a slice of lite cheese).
A nice bowl of salad (lettuce, cabbage, spinach and low fat, relatively low cal dressing)
Veggies

Dinner
3 carb servings (usually 2/3's cup rice and a fruit serving)
3 ounces lean meat or fish
A nice bowl of salad (lettuce, cabbage, spinach and low fat, relatively low cal dressing)
Veggies

Snack:
2 carb servings (3/4 cup cheerios and 1 cup skim milk) - although a lot of times I skipped the snack and just had some veggies.

Veggies are all you can eat as long as you don't go overboard on stuff like butter (Smart balance kicks butt, though)

The majority of the weight I lost prior to re-starting cycling. The cycling has made it more difficult since I burn so many more calories than I used to.

Also, I have a nice digital scale and have created a spreadsheet of serving sizes for many of the fruits I eat so that I don't go over the amounts I should eat.

It took a bit getting used to it, but I was sort of forced into it (medically) and now I am pretty happy eating that way.


Wow, good for you Conrad. That is quite impressive!!!

Thanks for sharing the personal info Mo & JP. I've got an aggressive, but healthy, weight loss target for this year (about 50 pounds). I may tinker with the food methods, but the answer is clearly, moderate and monitor the intake. Then I plan on burning serious amounts of calories on the bike this year mixed in with a little weightlifting.

how was your vacation Mo?

I need to start doing the number crunching myself, I didn't do any of the off season goals I had set. But can feel the speed difference from the SS when I put the gears back on.

Glad to be back...and I'll say that the pounds I put back on (maybe 2 or 3...from all that beer...lots of beer) are great motivation to get my ass in gear again.

Really, guys, after a month or so of really counting the calories and seeing how it affects your body, you don't have to think about it anymore. You will train yourself as to what the proper proportions are.

Thanks for sharing the personal info Mo & JP. I've got an aggressive, but healthy, weight loss target for this year (about 50 pounds). I may tinker with the food methods, but the answer is clearly, moderate and monitor the intake. Then I plan on burning serious amounts of calories on the bike this year mixed in with a little weightlifting.

Ronjon,
Are you planning on dieting to get your weight down this one time, or are you planning a lifelong dietary change to healthier eating?
If you are doing the latter, I recommend not making immediate, drastic steps and going more for a gradual reduction of unhealthy food. If your body is conditioned to a high fat/high calorie diet, you will start feeling deprived and resentful when faced with sudden food restrictions. You'll binge andthen start feeling guilty about it...

The good news is, your body has learned to accept junk foods... and your body can unlearn them as well. Start by removing a couple of things from your diet. Cheese and butter, for instance. When ordering or making food, just skip it. After a while, food will start to taste "normal" without these added fats. Then start skipping the bread that is served before meals. It'll suck at first when you see other people chowing down, but soon you won't even notice it.
Then start removing the dessert... don't worry, pecan pie will go extinct you don't partake ;)
then the cookies... then replace the ranch dressing on your salads with a vinegarette... the list goes on. When you starts changing your diet gradually, in baby steps, you are less likely to feel the effects of fat/sugar withdrawal.

It will be amazing that after a couple of months, your body will slowly cease having these cravings it has been accustomed to. Of course, it helps tremendously to have the people around you support you, but even if they don't need to lose weight, everyone can stand to eat a little healthier.

Good luck!

Wow, so many great stories here. I'm doing the weight loss thing myself. I started in September when I got my bike at 285 and I'm down to 260 already (on my way down to 210). I've done it by watching what I eat, though nowhere near as closely as some of you here, cutting out going out to eat for the most part, and riding as much as possible. Thanks for all the tips though!