So Close, yet so far
 

Hey everyone... Ive been on this quest to unclyde myself since last May. I started riding back then @ 280 and im at 207 right now.

Been stuck at this weight for a lil while now, havent been able to ride with the cold. So in January i started a weight training program at my local gym to regain some of my upper body size that got washed away from cycling all year.

Ive lost around 10lbs in the gym and have gained some substantial muscle mass.

We had some good weather in NYC this weekend so i got 22miles in yesterday and today.

I wanna see 199 on the scale!!!

Ok im done with my rant ;)

And advice would be greatly appreciated

Great job, just make sure you mix up your routine from time to time, it might help get that last few pounds off..

I'm in the same boat and posted nearly the exact same thread a couple weeks ago. :D

The general response I got was mix things up if you've been in the same routine for a while and be patient.

Congrats on the progress so far!

maybe your body type just isnt made for sub 200lbs? every pound in muscle you gain, adds to your weight. you may lose 3lbs of fat, and gain 2 of muscle or something like that, keeping your weight almost the same.

At my current height and weight, my body fat% puts me at the low end of the "average" category, almost into the "fit" category. From using the calculations they provide, i would be ~210lbs at 7.5% body fat, if i didnt gain any more muscle mass. I personally, am not made to be below 200lbs. Nor am I made to be above 6ft tall. i'm 5'10".

Im 5'8 and have a pretty large frame, there is still plenty of fat to go ;)
My real goal is 180lbs, i honestly think that at that weight i would be pretty lean considering the muscle mass i carry.

As for switching it up, the weight training has helped alot since ive lost a few stubborn pounds over the last few weeks thanks to it. Ive also been running on the treadmill before my workouts. Currently im doing 30 mins @ 6mph with a 1.0 incline.

Hopefully cycling will get my under 200lbs quick

Try lifting and then doing your treadmill workout and see if that does'nt Jolt your metabolism.

Here's something weird.. try eating MORE.

Seriously, I know it seems counter-productive, but there are times when I'm going all-out for a week, my calories are spot on, water intake is perfect but I lose next to nothing. I get completely frustrated, obviously, but then I switch up the diet. And it works - suddenly a massive loss. Obviously vary your technique based upon results, as it may not be that easy for you.

The reasoning is simple, the body needs fuel. When you are expending a great amount, you also need to be putting some in or it goes into "starvation mode". Hell, I remember one week when on my 800 calorie/day liquid diet that I didn't lose a thing. I was probably in the high 400's at that point, and working out every other day until I collapsed - but no dice. I added in some calories and get this - lost a ton the next couple weeks.

That's my suggestion, at least. Add in some calories of good stuff (proteins, grains and "good" fats) then see what happens!

+1. Heck, +500 from Big Ben. Excellent advice, as always.

Ben, ever read Heft on Wheels? The author starves himself from 250 to 175 in three months, and when he eventually bonks, he starts feeding himself excessively to fuel his weight loss. I don't suggest this is a wise or healthy method to lose weight, but it does seem to be an extreme variation of your suggestion.

If you're putting on muscle, maybe you wanna stay a muscular 210? 200 is just a number after all.

Maybe you need to up your endotherminc temperature. Try eating more spicy food. Take ginger. Add some supplements. Maybe some CLA Tonalin would help.

If you do not have one find someone to work out with for a while. Maybe a couple of sessions with a personal trainer would give you some new ideas.

Keep up the good work!

I have not, but that sounds like a rather interesting read, to say the least! :)

And yes, it's sometimes really kind of counter-intuitive to eat MORE to lose weight. I know when someone told me to do so, I was absolutely terrified. But sure enough, it would "shock" my system into getting the numbers I wanted.

Oh, and I really want to make clear that you should eat GOOD calories. Obviously a donut binge every day is not the same as adding 600 calories of chicken and pasta... :D

One needs to really watch what they eat, when they eat out. Here in Canada, there is a TV program called Marketplace, it's a CBC program, and has been on for years and years this past week, they looked at so called "healthy food" at chain restaurants, you would be shocked how easy it is to use up your entire allotment of calories in a single meal, not to mention getting well over your daily allotment of fat and sodium. If you click the link, it will be the top story, unril Wednesday, then it will be one of the also ran stories along the side.

If you like to eat out, read the story, Canadian or American, while the restaurant names may be different, the menus in US restaurants are very similar, and may be just as bad, if not worse.

Thanks for all the great advise, I've actually started taking 100% whey protein before and after my workouts. At first I was avoiding any protein shakes because I didn't want the extra calories.
I did some research and it seams that Whey protein can actually help with weight loss. So that coupled with the fact that the protein should help my muscles grow.

Lets see what happens, as for my food intake. Im eating about the same as I have been the entire time I've been on a diet. With some days a lil more food and other days a little less. I am by no stretch of the imagination eating to few calories.

My diet consists
Breakfast - Whole Wheat Bagel w/ egg whites Or 1/2 of a Dunkin Donuts blueberry muffin or some oatmeal.

Lunch - 1/2 of a Grilled chicken or Roast Beef roll

Diner - I eat a normal portion of pretty much anything my wife is making.

That is the diet that has gotten me to loss 75lb's so far, but the key to it all is my exercise regime.
Till the winter started I was out cycling bout 20 miles a night and now all winter ive been lifting at the gym.

Will see what happens, I wanna be under 200 before May

Thanks Everyone

Looks like a great plan, and I didn't want to say it, but in my experience as well a "protein jolt" seems to help shock that weight loss into full gear. Some have varying results with this method, and your body can get "used" to it pretty quickly. For me, I've found great luck in adding protein to the point where I'll actually CRAVE it.

Anyway, looks like a great balanced diet aside from the blueberry muffin - those things are killer! :D

I love this thread...guys discussing all the stuff we women have been discussing for ages! So good to know I am not obsessed with my water, speed, endurance, cals, etc...just because I am a girl.

I am gaining a ton of useful information in this thread! Thanks xlacrosse for posting!!

~Andrea

You're doing great! :)

Have you recalculated the caloric intake for your new weight of 207 pounds? I'm sure you know that as you lose weight, your body needs ever fewer calories to maintain the current weight.

Does it really surprise you? After all, it's the peacock, not the peahen, that draws attention to itself. :D

The protein is def doing its part in helping with my weight loss and with my weight training. A few of my buddy's recommened taking a fat burner like hydroxycut to help but I'm not really a big fan of any of those supplements.

Lucky for me my body seems to support good muscle growth without any crazy gnc products, so for now I'm going to just use the whey protein and continue with my diet.

I really should look over my diet since I'm sure there are foods I'm eatting that are not helping me at all with my diet.

The blueberry muffin got replaced this morning with a 100 cal. Granolla bar ;)


Thanks everyone

I'd be thrilled to be "stuck" at 207...

Considering that 207lb's is still about 40lbs over weight for me... Im not thrill'ed
Its better than 280, but I wanna be 180lb's eventually. For now it would be nice to see any # that starts with a 1** since I havent been under 200lb's since I was 17...and im 27 now

Just keep at it! I've been bouncing between 198-202 for a couple weeks, so I know your fusterations. I'm hoping in another month I will consistantly be under 200.