Road Bike Racing - 5-10lb weight loss in 3 weeks while training hard?

I'm going against the grain of common sense here with my attempt to lose 5-10lbs over the next 3 weeks before my first "A" race. At the same time I will be digging a little harder with my training in an attempt to peak...... Ill update this thread as to my power numbers (up and down) along with how I feel.

Increasing intensity (and 2 hours more volume per week) + cutting calories = one grumpy racer.... Diet pills here I come!

I'm going against the grain of common sense here with my attempt to lose 5-10lbs over the next 3 weeks before my first "A" race. At the same time I will be digging a little harder with my training in an attempt to peak...... Ill update this thread as to my power numbers (up and down) along with how I feel.

Increasing intensity (and 2 hours more volume per week) + cutting calories = one grumpy racer.... Diet pills here I come!


DIET PILLS!?!
Bring on the storm of replies.

DIET PILLS!?!
Bring on the storm of replies.

Yeah...don't take the pills.

Just drink tea/coffee and eat more protein with less high GI carbs. So much healthier, and ultimately much more effective.

Another thing: Losing too much weight, regardless of how you do it, during racing season can play a detrimental effect on strength. Take it slow if you plan on doing it.

I think most of the guys here will attest that a normal diet and hard training is key. Don't go crazy.

5lbs is probably fine. 10 lbs in 3 weeks, you likely won't be able to fuel your workouts between now and then. The decreased effectiveness of your training will more than offset the weight loss.

I'd target 1-2lbs a week.

5lbs is probably fine. 10 lbs in 3 weeks, you likely won't be able to fuel your workouts between now and then. The decreased effectiveness of your training will more than offset the weight loss.

I'd target 1-2lbs a week.


Naa im a fat arse..... I bet I can drop 10 easy..



*in the front there is me ..... *

http://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/123.jpg


Heres another image at the start.. I'm curvy!


http://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/3.jpg




Hers a side shot.......... Check out all the flab


http://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/61.jpg

Curvy or no. I understand the fact that you want to drop the weight. OK. But take your time and do it right. You don't want to loose your strength as well.

Plus, your not fat. Just cuddly. ;)

I can only speak for myself, but for me, the time to restrict calories in order to achieve a weight loss ended about 1.5 months ago. If I restrict calories during this time of year, I dont recover, subsequent workouts are compromised, and I go backwards fitness wise. Although, I seem to naturally drop weight right now, when I'm racing, doing lots of intense workouts, then recovering ... and eating lots. Try just eating smart to support your training, good energy foods for fuel and good recovery foods for the next day, eliminate liquid calories aside from a post workout recovery tonic of your choice, and dont eat after like 7:30/8:00 p.m. and get adequate sleep - cant stress that one enough. Do that and I'll bet you drop some LBs AND build form instead of losing weight AND form.

Not only that im so white im near transparent........... Damn Irish gene

Not only that im so white im near transparent........... Damn Irish gene

Why do you hate whites?

Why do you hate whites?

Cause the white man keeps holding me down.

Naa im a fat arse..... I bet I can drop 10 easy..

*in the front there is me ..... *

htt p://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/123.jpg

Heres another image at the start.. I'm curvy!


ht tp://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/3.jpg

Hers a side shot.......... Check out all the flab

h ttp://photos.roadcx.net/2008/0420_msgp/cr_cat4/20080420_MSGP_cat4-Images/61.jpg

i prefer how one of your former teammates, who's now one of the boys in red/white/blue, described you: "he's got big legs."


btw - you're leaner now than you were in the last pic.

Stop eating carbs. You'll drop 7 lbs in water alone. Don't think you'll be able to pedal real well but whatev.

Random thoughts:

1. 5lbs? or 10lbs? There's a 100% difference between the two. You need to make up your mind.

2. What conventional training program enables you to "peak" while at the same time running such a substantial calorie deficit?

Haphazard training plans and haphazard training goals are likely to lead to haphazard results.

Bob

Random thoughts:

1. 5lbs? or 10lbs? There's a 100% difference between the two. You need to make up your mind.


Alrighty...... 10lbs it is



2. What conventional training program enables you to "peak" while at the same time running such a substantial calorie deficit?



Its the HTFU training program along with taking lots of vitamin supplements and using meal replacement shakes and or protein drinks. I bet 3-5lbs is water weight so that part will come off easy.



Haphazard training plans and haphazard training goals are likely to lead to haphazard results.
Bob

I'm a big boy thats been around for awhile... If I see a decline in performance adjustments will be made with my diet. Everybody is different but I figure that if my "plan" works others can read for advice.... Update coming later today after I figure out what meal replacement drink to use.

For what it's worth...

I've gone from a fluxuating 143-145.5 down to 139.5-141 in the last three weeks.*

What happened? I started riding outside. And racing. And my favorite coffee shop no longer sells oatmeal raisin cookies.

*It's simply because the average wattage of my rides has gone up significantly, AND more time each ride. More calories burned per hour, more hours.

I'm getting pretty skinny, but recent pictures suggest I have 5lbs I can still cut.

Funny that I never said how I was going to cut the weight (other than appetite suppressant pills *that work for me*) but folks assume im cutting back.... I eat like crap and just need to adjust where the calories are coming from thats all.



1. I eat a lot of bread so im cutting nearly all of it out.... This will hurt the most

2. My wife gets to fancy when she cooks meals with the additives like butter, wine, etc.... Will try again to get her to stop or will bypass her meals for my own.

3. No cheat days........... cheat days where you can eat whatever you want is for wussy!

4. Only fresh fruit from now on..... Been doing single serving fruit cups for lunch but its packed in sugar water.... enough!

5. Meal replacement shakes..... Trying to find a good tasting shake thats not thick like Myloplex is. On the search for one right now.

6. Diet pills.... They work in stopping cravings for me and I have a brand thats not that high in caffeine.

i prefer how one of your former teammates... described you: "he's got big legs."

The year I was over 190 lbs (at 5'7"!) at Bethel, a guy riding behind me simply couldn't help but blurt out, "Dude, you have the fattest a** I've ever seen!"

Then he promptly clamped his hand over his mouth, his buddy laid into him for saying that, and he started backpedaling furiously... "I meant that in a good way..." Poor guy, he's a really nice guy, he just said what was on his mind.

I'm a little lighter than that now but I'm still nowhere near skinsuit material.

On losing weight, if you train hard for 3 weeks and finish that training just before your target race, you'll probably be pretty tired.

Rule of thumb is it's possible and safe to lose 2 lbs/week. That would be a 7000 calories deficit - so you can ride ~1 hour a day and eat 500-600 less calories that day, or ride 2+ hours a day and not alter your intake too much. This doesn't take into account the long term weight loss where muscles burn more calories than fat just to maintain themselves.

A friend/teammate that likes to simplify things said he figures it's 5 hours of riding for each pound of fat (about 700 cal/hour) - when someone said they gained 40 pounds over a year my friend said "Oh, you just need to do 200 hours on the bike". If life was so simple. He just got second at Battenkill in the 2s and he only started training for this year in Feb. If you can train a lot you can probably ride a good 10-20 hours a week.

Give yourself a few days to recover and stuff before your target race. Being exhausted from riding/life is no way to enter a race.

hope this helps,
cdr

Funny that I never said how I was going to cut the weight (other than appetite suppressant pills *that work for me*) but folks assume im cutting back.... I eat like crap and just need to adjust where the calories are coming from thats all.



1. I eat a lot of bread so im cutting nearly all of it out.... This will hurt the most

2. My wife gets to fancy when she cooks meals with the additives like butter, wine, etc.... Will try again to get her to stop or will bypass her meals for my own.

3. No cheat days........... cheat days where you can eat whatever you want is for wussy!

4. Only fresh fruit from now on..... Been doing single serving fruit cups for lunch but its packed in sugar water.... enough!

5. Meal replacement shakes..... Trying to find a good tasting shake thats not thick like Myloplex is. On the search for one right now.

6. Diet pills.... They work in stopping cravings for me and I have a brand thats not that high in caffeine.

1. Why no bread?
2. Don't worry about the wine part in cooking - almost all the calories are alchohol and that all cooks off before you eat it.
6. Ain't nothing wrong with a bit of caffiene.

I am looking forward to seeing how this works out for you power wise. Good luck.

You can do it mang!

I dropped 3 lbs in the last week. All i did was keep my calories to an average 2200 per day and up my riding. It comes in spurts for me. The week before i only managed a 1/2 lb loss. I hate rest weeks. The reduced volume means i really have to watch what i eat.

If you dont already. Keep a daily jornal and write down everything that goes in your mouth in the log. You can see where your going bad and where its going good that way.

I've still got 35lbs to go to my ultimate goal. 20 more to get to a weight I can race at and not be pack fill.

Good luck, I'm pulling for ya! Remember were all in this together. (My Red Green speech)

FGR: Is that the Stig's American cousin in your avatar? Awesome.

Funny that I never said how I was going to cut the weight (other than appetite suppressant pills *that work for me*) but folks assume im cutting back.... I eat like crap and just need to adjust where the calories are coming from thats all.

You probably want to focus on how many rather than where the calories come from.

FGR: Is that the Stig's American cousin in your avatar? Awesome.

Yup.

Fat Stig!

One of the best Top Gear episodes EVER.

Not very scientific, but what I've found works best for me is to make every calorie count. That is, eliminate crap calories: anything with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, and other unpronounceable stuff. If your great grandmother wouldn't recognize it, don't eat it.

ephedrine/caffeine stack

I am leaning toward no. Too much, too soon. You might lose the weight, but you are pretty much guaranteed to not do well in your race.

Train for your 'A' race like you normally would. Tempo, intervals, and recovery. Then, after your race, just ride every day but don't increase your eating, and you'll see the lbs melt away over the last part of the season and the off season. I lost 20 lbs between last August and November doing this. It won't do much for your strength, because you are never on a recovery day, but it'll make you lose weight. Then Dec through Feb, you focus on strength and simply maintain weight.

Why not employ a nutritionist?

Why not employ a nutirionist?

By the time I found one and they collected enough data to work out a diet it will be too late.

http://www.bestwebbuys.com/Diet_Analysis_Plus_8_0_Windows/Macintosh-ISBN_9780534639822.html?isrc=b-search

Update.........


So heres the plan as it stands today. Every morning I will drink a small Muscle Milk pre made shake as a meal replacement. This gives me a little fat to get going until 11 AM. For lunch I will have "1 serving" of grilled chicken or fish along with a steamed veggie. Around 3 PM I will have a Labrada lean body shake as a meal replacement. My afternoon training rides start around 5:30 and last to sunset (7:30ish right now) and I will carry a gel and mixed sports drink during the ride. Around 8 I will eat another meal but be more liberal with the selection and include pasta some days, soup, and a fresh fruit serving.

Top this off with a multi vitamin and thats about it. I am not cutting out the sugar free drinks but will cut out the beer. Compare this to my current diet of fast food breakfast, fast food lunch or two sandwiches, and snacking whenever I damn well please this is an improvement.

you will lose alot of power initially with that weight lose timeframe - guaranteed.

Update.........

I am not cutting out the sugar free drinks but will cut out the beer.


You lost me there fella. :p

I have not given up beer. Just account for it in a meal log. But it may be easy for me. I can drink one beer and not need to have anymore. One the other hand what i pay for one beer, most people pay for a sixer.

It has been said and written that one glass of beer or wine a day is good for you. It could have been said by someone in the liquor sales industry, but just in case...

Update.........


So heres the plan as it stands today. Every morning I will drink a small Muscle Milk pre made shake as a meal replacement. This gives me a little fat to get going until 11 AM. For lunch I will have "1 serving" of grilled chicken or fish along with a steamed veggie. Around 3 PM I will have a Labrada lean body shake as a meal replacement. My afternoon training rides start around 5:30 and last to sunset (7:30ish right now) and I will carry a gel and mixed sports drink during the ride. Around 8 I will eat another meal but be more liberal with the selection and include pasta some days, soup, and a fresh fruit serving.

Top this off with a multi vitamin and thats about it. I am not cutting out the sugar free drinks but will cut out the beer. Compare this to my current diet of fast food breakfast, fast food lunch or two sandwiches, and snacking whenever I damn well please this is an improvement.

question:

fast food breakfast? you talking about 1 egg mcmuffin? while not ideal, it's not horrible. oatmeal is indeed better.

fast food lunch? if you go that route, do you go to subway, or lennie's for lunch?

another option (if you have a fridge at work) is to bring a salad, with a can of tuna.

Yup.

Fat Stig!

One of the best Top Gear episodes EVER.

Missed that one. And for the trip in Africa is my personal favorite.

To the OP: I am curious to hear how this goes. I have dropped 30 pounds in the last year, five since the end of January and am hoping to lose at least 5 more (preferably 10), but over 2 months or so. Most of my drop of late has come through cutting the mid day chocolate snacks, desert, and all soft drinks. I also just eat less at meals (though this is sometimes hard -- food is just so tasty!).

Missed that one. And for the trip in Africa is my personal favorite.

I also just eat less at meals (though this is sometimes hard -- food is just so tasty!).

This is what i have been doing. Im trying to limit my meals to no more than 600-800 calories at a time. It seems to be working. I eat 4-5 times a day. The more you do this the eaiser it becomes. I doesnt hurt to have a truely awful photo taken of you while racing either (see Suffering Pics thread) to motivate.


I saw the Africa episode. It was awesome. The Top Gear Comes to America episode was from season 9. It was truely epic. You can find it in pieces on Youtube.

Another great one that I watched via torrents was the one where Clarkson and May drove to the North Pole vs Hampster in a dog sled. It wasnt a regular season episode, but a mid summer special from last year.

You can find Top Gear torrents for the last 4-5 seasons at Finalgear.com

Thank you for the advice.

And to keep it bike related -- did you see the episode with the race across London? Bicycles FTW.

I dropped a lot of weight last year by eliminating bread/pasta from my diet (processed carbs?).

I'd eat meat(nothing fried), veggies (preferably raw - baby carrots were a life savor. Really take the edge off hunger), fruit - usually frozen then blended with orange juice for a smoothie. Oh, and sometimes nuts - almonds and walnuts usually. No pasta, bread, fried foods, or white rice. The weight came off so fast people were asking me if I had something wrong with me. My strength was better than ever - I was riding very well at the end of last season.

Update.........


So heres the plan as it stands today. Every morning I will drink a small Muscle Milk pre made shake as a meal replacement. This gives me a little fat to get going until 11 AM. For lunch I will have "1 serving" of grilled chicken or fish along with a steamed veggie. Around 3 PM I will have a Labrada lean body shake as a meal replacement. My afternoon training rides start around 5:30 and last to sunset (7:30ish right now) and I will carry a gel and mixed sports drink during the ride. Around 8 I will eat another meal but be more liberal with the selection and include pasta some days, soup, and a fresh fruit serving.

Top this off with a multi vitamin and thats about it. I am not cutting out the sugar free drinks but will cut out the beer. Compare this to my current diet of fast food breakfast, fast food lunch or two sandwiches, and snacking whenever I damn well please this is an improvement.

I would suggest a multi-vitamin every other day at the most. If you're eating well, you really shouldn't need them much, and it's possible to do yourself more harm than good with too much of the fat soluble vitamins. Studies show an increase risk of prostate cancer for those foolish enough to take them more than once per day. "More" is not always "better".

Not a big fan of the meal replacement drinks either. There can be a lot of crap in those you don't need/want.

This is from someone who was a gym rat for 10+ years.

I've been an athlete on some level since I was 13 years old. I've never had as consistent energy levels as when I was on the diet I described above. No multivitamin needed either. I also was able to continue my favorite libation - red wine- on occasion.

A bit more detail on my diet if any one cares ;) :

-morning 6am: Fruit smoothie. Pretty darn big too. Frozen fruit consisting of blue berries (high antioxidants - also high in fiber which stops hunger cravings), grapes, pinapple, acai berries (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%A7a%C3%AD_Palm) (hard to find - higher in antioxidants than even blue berries and also has omega 3 fatty acids), strawberries, black berries, ect. Was really fond of the berries in general. :) Mix it with NOT from concentrate calcium fortified orange juice. Gotta experiment to get a satisfactory consistency but I've made these for other folks and they all loved 'em.

10:30 am - snack. This would vary. We have grocery stores that sold pre shelled frozen edamame. This mixed with a bit of olive oil and garlic salt rocked. Throw it in the microwave for a few minutes and then chow down. Pretty decent sized portion. Would also do nuts of some kind or baby carrots.

Noonish - lunch. Meat of some kind - usually grilled chicken breast and some kind of veggie. Frozen raw green beans with the edamame treatment listed above were good. Baby spinach leaves - esp. with lemon juice, basalmic vinegar, and a little powdered garlic or even garlic salt...ect... Basically some kind of close to raw non overly dressed up veggie.

3pm - snack (see 10:30 snack)

Dinner - lean meat/veggie thing again. Sometimes did fish also - rarely did beef or pork.

Again, no bread/pasta at any time. You're getting plenty of good carbs in the veggies and fruit.

I'd also "cheat" occasionally. I'd go to my folks on Sunday afternoons now and again and they'd be barbecuing - I'd let myself enjoy that. :) No harm if its just one day.

My energy level was so consistent throughout the day...also, I wasn't ever so hungry I couldn't stand it. I'd get a bit hungry at times, esp. in the beginning, but the more I got into eating this way I didn't have as much a problem with it anymore.

Update.........


So heres the plan as it stands today. Every morning I will drink a small Muscle Milk pre made shake as a meal replacement (300kcal). This gives me a little fat to get going until 11 AM. For lunch I will have "1 serving" of grilled chicken or fish along with a steamed veggie (250kcal). Around 3 PM I will have a Labrada lean body shake as a meal replacement (250kcal). My afternoon training rides start around 5:30 and last to sunset (7:30ish right now) and I will carry a gel and mixed sports drink during the ride(300kcal). Around 8 I will eat another meal but be more liberal with the selection and include pasta some days, soup, and a fresh fruit serving (350kcal) .

Top this off with a multi vitamin and thats about it. I am not cutting out the sugar free drinks but will cut out the beer. Compare this to my current diet of fast food breakfast, fast food lunch or two sandwiches, and snacking whenever I damn well please this is an improvement.

So, uh, you're only looking at 1500kcal per day. Thats fine for pure weight loss, but I can promise you your racing will suffer unless you're looking at a purely uphill time trial. I've lost weight at a similar calorie number, but I wasn't trying to race at the time.

So, uh, you're only looking at 1500kcal per day. Thats fine for pure weight loss, but I can promise you your racing will suffer unless you're looking at a purely uphill time trial. I've lost weight at a similar calorie number, but I wasn't trying to race at the time.

Correct


2.5 mile hill climb at 8% grade...... Its a stage race but all will be decided with the TT.

Correct


2.5 mile hill climb at 8% grade...... Its a stage race but all will be decided with the TT.

not what you want to hear, but: i vote forget about the hill climb, and focus on the stages.

Correct


2.5 mile hill climb at 8% grade...... Its a stage race but all will be decided with the TT.

What race is this, pray tell?

I'm going against the grain of common sense here with my attempt to lose 5-10lbs over the next 3 weeks before my first "A" race. At the same time I will be digging a little harder with my training in an attempt to peak...... Ill update this thread as to my power numbers (up and down) along with how I feel.

Increasing intensity (and 2 hours more volume per week) + cutting calories = one grumpy racer.... Diet pills here I come!

I lost 8 lbs in a week, last week, just by stopping all snacking, cutting out the chips, mountain dew, pork roll and cheese sandwiches (painting a pretty picture, aren't I?), drinking only water, and eating an organic vegetarian diet. Of course, it was probably only about 2 lbs of fat loss, but its still that much less weight I have to carry up the hills at the Tour de Lake Hopatcong this weekend.

What race is this, pray tell?

Highland Rim Classic

I would suggest a multi-vitamin every other day at the most. If you're eating well, you really shouldn't need them much, and it's possible to do yourself more harm than good with too much of the fat soluble vitamins. Studies show an increase risk of prostate cancer for those foolish enough to take them more than once per day. "More" is not always "better".

also, too much of one vitamin can hinder the absorbtion of another.

that program i linked to earlier not only tracks your macro-nutrient intake but micro-nutrient as well. it would let you know if you even need to take a multi-vitamin at all.

This is what i have been doing. Im trying to limit my meals to no more than 600-800 calories at a time. It seems to be working. I eat 4-5 times a day. The more you do this the eaiser it becomes. I doesnt hurt to have a truely awful photo taken of you while racing either (see Suffering Pics thread) to motivate.


I saw the Africa episode. It was awesome. The Top Gear Comes to America episode was from season 9. It was truely epic. You can find it in pieces on Youtube.

Another great one that I watched via torrents was the one where Clarkson and May drove to the North Pole vs Hampster in a dog sled. It wasnt a regular season episode, but a mid summer special from last year.

You can find Top Gear torrents for the last 4-5 seasons at Finalgear.com

i have seen every single episode of topgear ever made. i freaking love that show!

also, too much of one vitamin can hinder the absorbtion of another.

that program i linked to earlier not only tracks your macro-nutrient intake but micro-nutrient as well. it would let you know if you even need to take a multi-vitamin at all.

I notice a HUGE difference in recovery time after a hard ride when I take a multi vitamin. Legs dont hurt as much.....

heh - placebo effect is great sometimes isn't it. :D