Training & Nutrition - I just don't get it.

So for the past month I have been the same weight. I ride 5 days a week. During a week about 2 hour rides, averaging around 19-20mph (it's flat). Usually just LSD (steady not slow), I also do endurance intervals once a week. On a weekend I usually do a 3h-3h 30m endurance ride or hill intervals on Saturday. On Sunday around 2h fast pace group ride or endurance ride. I track my calories very carefully and try to keep around 600-1k calories deficit each day. On couple occasions I did go to the limit of my intake thought. So for off days my limit is around 2.3k (I still commute 7 mile round trip, and do core exercises), for training days (except Saturday) my intake is around 2.5-2.7k. I figure I burn 3.4-3.7k. Yet I remain around the same weight for the last month. :( I am 5 9.5, 140 pounds. I am not fat or overweight I know that. I just want to get rid of that last bit of love handles and flab around my stomach. Might be my imagination but I think my stomach area did get reduced, but without before and after pictures I can't be sure.

What a heck is going on? Am I waaay over counting my calories burned? I convert 1KJ~1C for my training rides, so around 1.3k-1.4k for around two hour ride. Then add another 150 for my commute. Which is 7 miles round trip on a fixie. For calestetics core exercises I figure around 80 calories burned. Seems reasonable to me.

Thanks.
Average consumed for the last month
Total:__ 2612
_____grams__ cals__ %total
Fat:__ 53__ 480__ 19%
Sat:__ 17__ 152__ 6%
Poly: 2__ 16__ 1%
Mono: 3__ 29__ 1%
Carbs: 395__ 1473__ 57%
Fiber: 27__ 0__ 0%
Protein: 153__ 614__ 24%
Alcohol: 1__ 10__ 0%

Average Calories Burned
_____ cals__ %total
Total: 3265
Basal:__ 1655__ 51%
Lifestyle:__ 440__ 13%
Activities:__ 1170__ 36%

LOL!
Im 5'9" and i haven't seen 140 since the 5th grade.

LOL!
Im 5'9" and i haven't seen 140 since the 5th grade.

Thanks for the constructive post. :rolleyes:

You are just at a plateau, I was stuck at 140lbs for a good six months when I was trying to GAIN. Try switching up your routine because your body may be to used to doing the exercises, as well as doing some resistance training. Hope this helps!

Sorry! I should have kept that to myself! I would agree with Cochise. And possibly try some agressive leg training. Like Squats or Hard resistance cycling (mashing) Your legs are huge muscles and training them hard can do a lot to kick your metabolism into a higher gear. But you will probably end up gaining weight and leg mass... It may also positively affect your cycling...

Hope this is more helpful than my first post...

you posted, so you get my thoughts; you weight is fine, let it go.

however, like the others have said you need to change it up. not eating less, but maybe even...........eating more. i know its crazy, but give it a try.

later.

you posted, so you get my thoughts; you weight is fine, let it go.

however, like the others have said you need to change it up. not eating less, but maybe even...........eating more. i know its crazy, but give it a try.

later.

Thanks for suggestion everyone. Yeah I know it's fine. I am anorexic or anything. It's just I am so close to that six pack (or at least some muscles) showing through :D

Long term caloric restriction leading to mild hypothyroidism and reduction in BMR.

Effect of long-term calorie restriction with adequate protein and micronutrients on thyroid hormones.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16720655?ordinalpos=5&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
CONCLUSIONS: Long-term CR with adequate protein and micronutrient intake in lean and weight-stable healthy humans is associated with a sustained reduction in serum T(3) concentration

Effects of exercise training on resting energy expenditure during caloric restriction.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3687823?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVAbstractPlus
The first 3 wk of caloric restriction decreased REE by 13% (from 1437 +/- 76 to 1254 +/- 66 kcal/24 h, means +/- SEM, p less than 0.05).

Unfortunately, discussion of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is too complicated to be appreciated here. You might want to try Mg and zinc supplementation. I also agree with recommendations to mix up your training and to increase the variety of foods consumed.

it could be that you're losing fat but gaining muscle and the two are cancelling each other out...

What is your testosterone level? any idea?

Make sure it is in the normal range because if it is too low, your body will get thick around the middle and I think it is insulin resistance. Google around, and decide for yourself. Check terms like omentum fat, etc.

Try adding some running to your exercise.

Hit up the gym, or use some free weights you got at your house. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. Also, eat many small meals ~6 a day, instead of 3 larger. Always eat breakfast, and don't have dinner be your biggest meal of the day. Drink lots of water.

Could be what you eat not just the calories in it?try a lower fat diet.

Could be what you eat not just the calories in it?try a lower fat diet.

Umm honestly I am not sure I can accomplish that. Almost everything I cook is low fat, etc. I think this months average was so high because I went out for lunch/dinner couple times with friends.

Thanks for suggestions everyone. Will try to hit the gym for some upper body work. As I mentioned I do hill intervals each week so I think that should take care of resistance training. Plus racing season is starting so it really shake things up. :D
I guess I should also do a full blood work test. Haven't done that in a while, so I think it's over due. Plus I have a history of diabetes in my family so need to keep an eye on that.

If you're not losing weight, it's because you're eating enough to offset whatever your body is burning.

So, assuming you have a good exercise program in place, that means you need to look at your diet, and cut back some (especially on carbs and/or fats).

FWIW, it's really easy to overeat, even if you're riding the bike 200+ miles per week. One or two bad days of eating, can easily offset your weekly weight loss.

And, yes, most people underestimate how many calories they consume...by a LOT.

You don't mention what kind of nutrition you are having around your exercise.

If you can keep your blood sugar constant during the workout with a good hydration drink, and start your recovery with a good recovery drink immediately after a workout, you will very likely be less hungry after a workout. Or, to put it another way, if you aim to replace the carbs, you won't have to replace the fat.

Whereas if you don't replace the carbs, when the exercise-induced hunger suppression wears off, you will eat with a vengeance. Or at least I did.

Focusing on that let me drop the last 10 pounds I wanted to fairly easily, and had the further advantage of me having more energy after long rides.

Thanks for advice. I cook everything myself, and measure and log everything in fitday. So I don't think I am under estimating calories consumed (at least not by much). I think I might be over estimating calories burned thought.


If you're not losing weight, it's because you're eating enough to offset whatever your body is burning.

So, assuming you have a good exercise program in place, that means you need to look at your diet, and cut back some (especially on carbs and/or fats).

FWIW, it's really easy to overeat, even if you're riding the bike 200+ miles per week. One or two bad days of eating, can easily offset your weekly weight loss.

And, yes, most people underestimate how many calories they consume...by a LOT.

Yep post ride nutrition is important. Right after workout I have 16 oz of Reduced Fat Chocolate milk. Couple hours later I have my lunch. I also try to eat frequently through out a day to keep blood sugar constant. I think biggest blood sugar spike I have is from recovery drink (Chocolate milk), and from frozen yogurt (I am freaken addicted).

You don't mention what kind of nutrition you are having around your exercise.

If you can keep your blood sugar constant during the workout with a good hydration drink, and start your recovery with a good recovery drink immediately after a workout, you will very likely be less hungry after a workout. Or, to put it another way, if you aim to replace the carbs, you won't have to replace the fat.

Whereas if you don't replace the carbs, when the exercise-induced hunger suppression wears off, you will eat with a vengeance. Or at least I did.

Focusing on that let me drop the last 10 pounds I wanted to fairly easily, and had the further advantage of me having more energy after long rides.

Thanks for advice. I cook everything myself, and measure and log everything in fitday. So I don't think I am under estimating calories consumed (at least not by much). I think I might be over estimating calories burned thought.

Fitday is somewhat notorious for overestimating calories burned. In particular, the estimate of daily metabolic rate is way too high (at least, that's what I've heard many people say). I've heard that it's best to tell their metabolic rate calculator that you're "sedentary" - that way you'll get a better estimate of your calories burned.

Yep post ride nutrition is important. Right after workout I have 16 oz of Reduced Fat Chocolate milk. Couple hours later I have my lunch. I also try to eat frequently through out a day to keep blood sugar constant. I think biggest blood sugar spike I have is from recovery drink (Chocolate milk), and from frozen yogurt (I am freaken addicted).

You may want to cut that post ride chocolate milk serving in half.

I'm guessing that 16 oz is around 360 calories, and that's a lot (it would represent around 15% of your daily calories).

And it's not really needed unless you rode for more than 2 or 3 hours

Fitday is somewhat notorious for overestimating calories burned. In particular, the estimate of daily metabolic rate is way too high (at least, that's what I've heard many people say). I've heard that it's best to tell their metabolic rate calculator that you're "sedentary" - that way you'll get a better estimate of your calories burned.

Hmm I put seated work. Plus I always put 8 hours of sleep. It shows 1653 as Basal, and + 423 for life style. I'll change it to sedetary (bed bound), I guess. For calories burned I convert 1Kj, reported by my power meter, to 1C. It does over estimate cycling. I average around 19-20mph on my rides, but I use 14-16mph range when entering cycling time in to fitday.

Hmm I put seated work. Plus I always put 8 hours of sleep. It shows 1653 as Basal, and + 423 for life style. I'll change it to sedetary (bed bound), I guess. For calories burned I convert 1Kj, reported by my power meter, to 1C. It does over estimate cycling. I average around 19-20mph on my rides, but I use 14-16mph range when entering cycling time in to fitday.

Hmmmm....well, those numbers don't look too far out of line. But, at your current weight of 140 lbs, they may be a bit high (especially if you're a woman, or an older male).

And the 1170 kcal / day you show above seems quite high...that would represent about 2 hours of cycling per day (every day).

Hmmmm....well, those numbers don't look too far out of line. But, at your current weight of 140 lbs, they may be a bit high (especially if you're a woman, or an older male).

And the 1170 kcal / day you show above seems quite high...that would represent about 2 hours of cycling per day (every day).

Close. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday I do ~2 hour training rides, plus 7 mile commute to work. Saturday I do 3h 30 min of either hill intervals or endurance ride. Sunday I do 2-3 hour group ride or 2h hour solo endurance ride. Wednesday and Friday I only have my 7 mile commute, and some core exercises. In the last month I logged about 970 miles.

Close. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday I do ~2 hour training rides, plus 7 mile commute to work. Saturday I do 3h 30 min of either hill intervals or endurance ride. Sunday I do 2-3 hour group ride or 2h hour solo endurance ride. Wednesday and Friday I only have my 7 mile commute, and some core exercises. In the last month I logged about 970 miles.

Wow! :eek: For this time of year, that's a LOT of miles. Sounds like you have the "calories burned" side of the equation in good shape.

So, that means if you want to lose weight you need to look at the "calories in" side of the equation. Try to find a couple of hundred calories each day to cut out.


However, it should be noted that you're already quite skinny - at 5' 9.5" and 140 lbs, your Body Mass Index is 20.4. That's getting close to "underweight", and is pretty low, even by cycling standards.

You might want to consult with a personal trainer or health care professional - they could help analyze your current body composition and your goals, and also assess you to see if you may have "Body Dysmorphia Disorder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder)". Not saying you do, but your weight loss goals may be unreasonable...and may, in fact, be detrimental to your cycling performance.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually like how I look. I guess I got stuck on the whole "six pack" thing. Probably not a very realistic goal. Since I hear there are some genetics factors involved. My original post made it sound like a complete obsession. It's just a "nice to have" goal. I don't want to sacrifice my cycling to achieve it thought.

I am don't really want to cut more calories out, because as you said it probably will be detrimental to my cycling. I do plan to hit the gym to work on my upper body, and continue to work on the core. If I loose what was left of the love handles great. if not they are already pretty small, and I have flat stomach. That will have to do I guess. :)


Wow! :eek: For this time of year, that's a LOT of miles. Sounds like you have the "calories burned" side of the equation in good shape.

So, that means if you want to lose weight you need to look at the "calories in" side of the equation. Try to find a couple of hundred calories each day to cut out.


However, it should be noted that you're already quite skinny - at 5' 9.5" and 140 lbs, your Body Mass Index is 20.4. That's getting close to "underweight", and is pretty low, even by cycling standards.

You might want to consult with a personal trainer or health care professional - they could help analyze your current body composition and your goals, and also assess you to see if you may have "Body Dysmorphia Disorder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_dysmorphic_disorder)". Not saying you do, but your weight loss goals may be unreasonable...and may, in fact, be detrimental to your cycling performance.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually like how I look. I guess I got stuck on the whole "six pack" thing. Probably not a very realistic goal. Since I hear there are some genetics factors involved. My original post made it sound like a complete obsession. It's just a "nice to have" goal. I don't want to sacrifice my cycling to achieve it thought.

Ah, yes...the lure of the "six pack abs". Here's the formula for that:

1) stop eating carbs, vegetables, fruit and most fats for about 30 days (for dinner - a can of tuna fish).
That will help get your body fat down to the dangerous 3-5% level that most competitive body builders achieve just prior to a competition. Try not to get sick during that time, because you won't have much in reserve if you do. Also, you'll probably smell bad due to ketosis (from eating nothing but protein). :eek:

2) before your photo shoot, stop drinking water for 3 or 4 days.
Dehydration helps thin your skin, allowing those muscles to show better. But be careful - I saw a documentary on body builders a while back, and one of the guys they interviewed admitted that he had passed out at the wheel of his car driving to a competition :eek:.


The dirty little secret is that competitive body builders are not the poster boys for a healthy lifestyle - when they go on stage, they feel like crap from being hungry and thirsty. And they can only maintain those low body fat levels for brief periods of time.


Oh, and best of luck with your cycling - with your training and BMI, I'm guessing you're an animal in the hills!

I used to work out at a gym that had a lot of competitive body builders. I remember one of them walking into the gym and complaining to the owner that he just didn't have any energy. The gym owner asked him what he'd eaten for breakfast:
"shredded wheat"
"with milk and sugar?"
"No, just plain."
"Well go eat something."
The guy comes back 45 minutes later . . .
"Well, what did you eat?"
"A can of tuna and a stalk of raw broccoli."

Yep, that's how it's done.

Yeah... I definitely don't want to do that.

Ah, yes...the lure of the "six pack abs". Here's the formula for that:

1) stop eating carbs, vegetables, fruit and most fats for about 30 days (for dinner - a can of tuna fish).
That will help get your body fat down to the dangerous 3-5% level that most competitive body builders achieve just prior to a competition. Try not to get sick during that time, because you won't have much in reserve if you do. Also, you'll probably smell bad due to ketosis (from eating nothing but protein). :eek:

2) before your photo shoot, stop drinking water for 3 or 4 days.
Dehydration helps thin your skin, allowing those muscles to show better. But be careful - I saw a documentary on body builders a while back, and one of the guys they interviewed admitted that he had passed out at the wheel of his car driving to a competition :eek:.


The dirty little secret is that competitive body builders are not the poster boys for a healthy lifestyle - when they go on stage, they feel like crap from being hungry and thirsty. And they can only maintain those low body fat levels for brief periods of time.



Oh, and best of luck with your cycling - with your training and BMI, I'm guessing you're an animal in the hills!
Probably would be if we had any around here. :p The biggest "climb" is about 8 minutes long. So lots and lots of repeats. :(

Do you know your actual body fat %? If you are about 5'10" 140 that puts you pretty skinny. If you don't have large bones and lots of muscle I doubt you are going to need to lose more fat to show off the abs. At 140 lbs i suspect you don't have any muscles in your abs to show off. If you really want a body to show off you need to live/eat/train like a bodybuilder, not a cyclist.


I used to train for bodybuilding a bit just as a hobby. It worked and my body got better looking but it did not help my cycling. I now only train for cycling. The 2 are somewhat mutually exclusive. You need freakishly low body fat and lucky genetics to get a 6 pack. Also as is mentioned above you need to be dehydrated to thin your skin and pull it tight across your body. Both of those situations WILL decrease your cycling ability.

Do you know your actual body fat %? If you are about 5'10" 140 that puts you pretty skinny. If you don't have large bones and lots of muscle I doubt you are going to need to lose more fat to show off the abs. At 140 lbs i suspect you don't have any muscles in your abs to show off. If you really want a body to show off you need to live/eat/train like a bodybuilder, not a cyclist.


I used to train for bodybuilding a bit just as a hobby. It worked and my body got better looking but it did not help my cycling. I now only train for cycling. The 2 are somewhat mutually exclusive. You need freakishly low body fat and lucky genetics to get a 6 pack. Also as is mentioned above you need to be dehydrated to thin your skin and pull it tight across your body. Both of those situations WILL decrease your cycling ability.

Thanks for the post. Yeah my main goal is to improve cycling. Whole thing about six pack is that i used it as a motivation to loose weight when I was 180 pounds. I didn't actually realized what was involved. Last time I measured my fat % it was around 10%. Using those scales you step on. I realize that they are not all that accurate thought.

I just looked back and Im surprised im the first to ask this.... But, Are you doing any AB exercises? seams like that would be the first place to start...
http://www.ponekeys.com/images/bonus/basedow/basedow_01.jpg

Damn that dude is buffed. Yep I am doing these three times a week:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=486
Started doing them last summer. Helped with the core a lot! Highly recommend them. I can stay in the drops longer, and my bike doesn't hurt anymore.

I just looked back and Im surprised im the first to ask this.... But, Are you doing any AB exercises? seams like that would be the first place to start...
http://www.ponekeys.com/images/bonus/basedow/basedow_01.jpg

Hit up the gym, or use some free weights you got at your house. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. Also, eat many small meals ~6 a day, instead of 3 larger. Always eat breakfast, and don't have dinner be your biggest meal of the day. Drink lots of water.


1+ Could not have said it better

Do you input sleep in you fitday activities?

Do you input sleep in you fitday activities?

Yep, 8 hours.

Well it is all well and good to keep track of calories consumed and calories burned.

For calories consumed, you need to weigh everything, or be very good at being objective. It is easy to fool yourself.

For calories burned, well that is a crap shoot. Those are all estimates and I bet the figures are plus or minus 20% or even more. I would think you are over estimating calories burned.

Also, limiting yourself to weight loss is pretty terrible. When I lose weight, I often lose quite a bit in a very short time and then nothing for 8 weeks and another spike downward. Watching the scale can be frustrating. I have found taking skin folds better reflects how I am doing. A skin fold measures subcutaneous fat. Now it is best to use calipers. But I have done OK just using my fingers but that is pretty crude. I think you would like calipers.

The thing is that more ways to positively reinforce yourself the better. You can use skin folds, atheletic performance (average speed, heart rates, max speed), body measurements, weight, etc. The more you are feeling you are improving the better.

But there is another thing. It is the law of diminishing returns.

If you are a big fat couch potato, cutting back on the second dessert and walking round the block a couple of times a night, can do an impressive amount.

Once one gets a bit fitter, it takes walking a fair bit and cutting back more on calories to lose some more.

To get even better it takes running and keeping close track of consumption.

The thing is the closer you get to 100%, the more rigorous your work outs have to be and the more exacting your diet.

Also the diet can sabotage you. Eat a little too little and your body will consume muscle for energy and eat too much and back comes the fat.

There comes a time when the improvement just is not worth the effort. I don't know about you, but mightn't you be getting close to your physical limits?

I'm 5'11, 140lbs with a six pack. SSPs pretty much got it right for those who don't have the genetic favor like me of low body fat. I just got one of those biomassimpedance/scales for my birthday. It shows about 4.8-5.2% body fat generally, 72lbs muscle. It also tells you water, bone, its pretty neat.

Like many have already said, its easy to overestimate what you eat. I cook just about everything myself, i do eat about 2400 calories a day though. Generally i have about an 600-800 calorie breakfast, than about 300 calories every 2 hours until about 2-4 which is when i have the bigggest meal of the day. Generally i train 2 hours from whenever that meal was, eat a bannana/oats or something, than just drink tea for the remained of the night.

I eat rediculously low fat, but take supplements of Flax Seed Oil, to get all the EFAs i need. Remember, vegis are your friends. I gotta have at least 2 apples and a bannana everyday.

I think your last post has the right direction. I am 47, 5'9.5 and weigh 150. I do a fair amount of yoga and climbing, so I carry a bit of upper body muscle. When I raced Tri's in my 20's and early 30's I weighed a little less and had the same problem - could never get rid of that last little bit in the stomach / love handle area. You'll see that in a lot of triathletes and cyclists. Cycling in particular relies on core strength but does very little to strengthen it.

When I started climbing I realized that I needed to really work on core strength. Two years later - well, a four pack, if not quite a 6-pack. Really working on core doesn't mean hours every week, it means consistent work on progressively harder exercises. My guess is that when you can hang from a set of rings and hold your legs out at 90 degrees or hold side plank with your leg lifted, you'll proly be pretty pleased. And it will help your cycling too!

just eat less........

Well you have probably gleaned the wheat from the chaff in this group of posts. Just in case: a summary of what seems right for you.

You're already a good weight for your height. If you want those abs showing, from where you are you would want to make sure there are abs to show (no offense). In balance with your core routine, ramp up the ab only exercises. For heavens sake, please don't do any type of crunch with your hands behind your neck. Fold your hands mummy-style on your chest, fingertips touching your clavicle. Better muscle activation and less neck strain. Ab work is daily; one day off a week. As you lose fat and gain muscle, if you stay the same weight, you are smaller, and that means your skin is loose. Add upper back and upper pectoralis work to literally pull that extra skin up and away from your abs.

Please don't try the bodybuilder contest prep diet for a lifestyle change. For all the dangerous problems that can occur you won't improve your cycling or your self image. One bodybuilder buddy said (don't you love anonymous quotes?) 'Once the muscle work is done, abs are all about diet'.
Meaning monitor your carbs very carefully. Specifically simple sugars, and 'starchy' vegetables. Try bringing your carb calorie percentage down to 40% (like a Balance bar: 40-30-30). Hungry? Add protein.
For the reasons I posted to rousseau, that chocolate milk is keeping you from your goal. After your ride, if you ate conservatively during the ride, 50 grams carbs, about 12 grams protein, and call it quits. Protein an hour later but only if you are hungry!

You won't want to hear this. You want to see those abs. Lose the frozen yogurt. No excuses: it's one or the other.

As always, these are meant sincerely. I've done everything I've posted here and elswhere. These all work, every time I choose to dial in my physique. I'm 5' 6", 145, 10% average body fat. I'm fit right now; 3 lbs more muscle and 3 lbs less fat and the six pack shows. As long as about 1/2 lb. of that muscle is grown on my abs! :lol:

We just planned a dive trip for 5 weeks from now. If I work at it, I bet I can get halfway to that buff thing!

N.B. I clicked

So quick update since this thread was brought up. I am now around 135-137 depending on hydration level. The "love handles" are almost gone, and abs are poking through. Actually I started to eat more. My goal now is to maintain my weight. Since I think further loss will have serious negative impact on my cycling. Plus I don't want to look like Russmussin(?), that KOM dude. Thats just scary!

For the most part I am pleased with how I look. Just need to hit the gym for some upper body work outs. Thanks for suggestions everyone. The scale I mentioned previously is still showing 10%, but I don't think scale is correct since I visibly have less pudginess around mid section. *shrug
It was mentioned reducing Carb and increasing Protein. Considering Protein is already 23%,150g per day, of my diet and high intensity/race period is starting out is that a really good idea?

Thanks.

My calorie breakdown:
Average Calories for last month
_______grams__cals__%total
Total: 2788
Fat:_____52___472__17%
Carbs: __449__1635__60%
Fiber: __40___0___0%
Protein:__155__622__23%
Alcohol:__0__3__0%

Average Calories Burned for last month
_____________cals___%total
Total:__3319
Basal_______1630___49%
Lifestyle: ____433 ___13%
Activities:___1256___38%

Distance Stats for last month
Total: 1047.5 miles
Average: 38.8 miles
Max: 74.6 miles
Min: 7 miles
Avg Weekly: 261.88 miles

As a fitness rule of thumb, the 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein concept still works well for most non-endurance activities. So adding protein to get you to 30% should not be a problem. Some things to consider: Eating more than about 30 grams of protein at one sitting is not advisable. It's too much to process at once. At six meals a day you would self limit at 180 gram. That would be adding 25 grams protein, or 10% of your listed diet switched from carb to protein. Most likely you will be eating some fat with that protein; whatever that count is, remove that many carb calories from your diet. You'll be under 45% for your carbs. Much closer to that six pack!

Re: carbs and rides. Eat more of your carbs during and immediately after your ride. Along with fewer carbs in the evening, I bet you see a difference!

Dinner last night was an awesome chef salad and cottage cheese. Breakfast was two eggs over easy on a serving of veggie chili. I've eaten my last flour product until our dive trip. Hmm... no clif bars on rides...

You may want to focus your efforts on building power versus trying to get your weight down (or build a 6-pack). Take a look at this calculator.....

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

When I plug in some numbers for you (5'10", 140 lbs, 15 lb bike, hands on the hoods), using a 2.3 mile climb at a grade of 5.5%...

- if you can maintain 280 watts @ 140 lbs, you finish that climb in 11:30
- if you can maintain 280 watts @ 135 lbs, you finish in 11:13
- if you can maintain 290 watts @ 140 lbs, you finish in 11:08

I think we as cyclists are often obsessed w the weight part of the power/weight ratio, when the power part is probably where we should focus.

OK, that said, I'm 5'9", 150, and I'd KILL to be 140!! :D

You may want to focus your efforts on building power versus trying to get your weight down (or build a 6-pack). Take a look at this calculator.....

http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm

When I plug in some numbers for you (5'10", 140 lbs, 15 lb bike, hands on the hoods), using a 2.3 mile climb at a grade of 5.5%...

- if you can maintain 280 watts @ 140 lbs, you finish that climb in 11:30
- if you can maintain 280 watts @ 135 lbs, you finish in 11:13
- if you can maintain 290 watts @ 140 lbs, you finish in 11:08

I think we as cyclists are often obsessed w the weight part of the power/weight ratio, when the power part is probably where we should focus.

OK, that said, I'm 5'9", 150, and I'd KILL to be 140!! :D

You just described my hill intervals. Only thats for 5 minutes. I could go longer, but not sure if I can do 5 repeats. Damn that hurts so good. :D