Training & Nutrition - I gained 10 lbs in two weeks. I want it gone. Fast.

Here's the situation:

I wasn't able to ride for the past two weeks due to a series of unanticipated family obligations. I additionally had few healthy eating options, and stressful circumstances led to anxious overeating and increased alcohol consumption. There were plenty of 5,000 calorie days. There was no time or opportunity for alternative exercise.

During this time my weight increased from 152 to 162 (I'm 6'0). I was working hard to get to 145, my traditional healthy weight and a good one for climbing (~2lbs per inch). I'm feeling the weight on my rides and otherwise - it's not psychosomatic.

I have two things coming up that I'd like to get fit for:

A century in five days, which I'm sure I could complete, but I'd like to do it at my usual speed without holding back my ride partners.

More importantly, a young lady I'd like to introduce myself to and date. The weight I gained all seems to have gone to the start of a spare tire around my midsection. My window of opportunity with her is three weeks.

All the lit I read suggests that 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy rate of weight loss. I'd like to drop this garbage faster. I used to ride 15-20 hours per week, and am prepared to return to that or increase to more.

I've been entertaining the idea of fasting for rapid loss, but don't want to sabotage myself on the upcoming century. I understand that 1 lb of fat is roughly equivalent to 3500 calories, but I think I could swing a major daily deficit like that for a few days - the problem is the upcoming century next Sunday. It's been difficult to make a plan of action because I want available glycogen, lower weight for performance, and visible slimness for the girl.

What can I do?

10# in two weeks, I would guess that 2-5# is water weight and should come off quickly once you sweat it out. The rest has to come off the hard way and at 162ish it will take a few weeks, probably a month to burn it off safely.

It's too late to do anything that won't hurt your ride. Enough training to burn even one pound of fat will have you totally beat for the ride, if you could do it at all.

At this point it's better to rest up, eat healthy and ride as well as you can. It's just a century ride. There'll be more.

As for the girl, most are more interested in a guy's personality and character than in their body fat, and not all like the skinny prison camp survivor look. There's a reason why everyone says to just be yourself.

It's too late to do anything that won't hurt your ride. Enough training to burn even one pound of fat will have you totally beat for the ride, if you could do it at all.

At this point it's better to rest up, eat healthy and ride as well as you can. It's just a century ride. There'll be more.

As for the girl, most are more interested in a guy's personality and character than in their body fat, and not all like the skinny prison camp survivor look. There's a reason why everyone says to just be yourself.

^^This, though it's perfectly reasonable to want to be not just yourself, but a smaller version of yourself...

If you've put on the weight that fast, some of it will come off fast. Lay off the booze, eat no crap, get most of your carbs from fruit and vegetables rather than bread, potatoes and pasta, drink plenty of water, and I'll bet you'll lose a minimum of 2lbs in a week - maybe twice that - without serious damage to your ability to ride. Don't make the mistake of trying to eat less on the ride itself, of course...

As for the young lady, relax. At 6' and 162lbs you're in far better shape than most of the men she'll meet. You may think you're fat, but by the standards of the general population you're stick-thin.