Originally Posted by
carpediemracing
As stated above, losing weight is about a net loss of calories. How you do that, at some level, is besides the point. Yeah, you can't just starve yourself (although Floyd would skip eating for a day or two if he needed to "lose weight"). You need whatever nutrients. Blah blah blah.
Losing water weight is part of that initial drop in weight, but, no, it's not all water weight. But the numbers can be deceiving because they seem high but maybe really aren't. 5 pounds the first week isn't unheard of, but the actual weight loss may be 2 lbs, maybe 3; the rest is water or waste or whatever.
I've come down perhaps 20# (181 to 161). It's not about any weird diet or anything like that. For me it was about reducing calories however I could, watching what I ate. I figure I have another 10 lbs or so before it gets stupid, but it's interesting to see how the whole thing's been progressing.
If I'm hungry I eat, even if it'll put me over. I figure that starving myself isn't good, else my body will hoard everything I eat. I just try and eat better. My late night snack yesterday was a banana, not a 3rd dinner.
I use a straight-forward calorie counting site, my-calorie-counter. The "activities" section has a lot of stuff, and the cycling is based on (believe it or not) wattage. I usually select 150w avg since most of my rides are 170-190w, but I don't give myself those calories for the day - I don't say, "Hey, I rode 1500 calories worth, I can eat 1500 more". I figure the calories burnt is optimistic so I ignore it. I'm taking more days off, yeah, and usually I end up over my calorie count when I ride, but I focus on calories in, not allegedly expended.
At some point I'll need to figure out what I need to eat so I don't bonk on longer rides, or so I don't lose strength. So far I'm pretty good - same kind of fitness as I had at the end of the summer, just 20 lbs lighter. I can ride 2:40 on the trainer without getting too tired, but I can forsee the need to eat calories if I'm riding longer than that. I have no idea how to approach a race day yet, nor a "long" ride (5-7 hours).
cdr
Just want to say a few things here.
1) I don't think you're at a point where your body is close to entering starvation mode. In addition to just counting calories, make sure you're eating a balanced diet (protein, carb, fat balance) and you'll be good. If you feel the need, take a week or so where you gain a pound or so. That will ensure that your body won't enter starvation mode. Couple that to your monthly recovery week, so your body will repair itself well during that time.
2) Longer ride nutrition. If you're eating during the ride, there's no way you're eating enough to counter the caloric expendititure you get, especially if it's on a 3+ hr ride. So eat during the ride. Baked potato, cliff bar, fig newtons, whatever. Your on the bike nutrition shouldn't change much. Fear of weight gain isn't rational here.
3) Pre raceday nutrition. Have a big bowl of pasta the night before, and a good breakfast before there race. CDR, you race crits and from what I've read of your nutrition stuff before the race it looks like you're gearing up for an 80 mile race not an hour long ordeal.
But at the end of the day, you know better than me what works for you. As you go on here, you're apparently teaching your body to be more efficient with resources. That's a good thing.