Bob Nichols

I started going to the gym 3 days a week a little over a year ago. My arm started hurting a little and my hand was going to sleep when I ride my bike. I went to the doctor and he did a complete physical. Found out my cholesterol was a little high and didn't find anything about my arm. Went back this week and found my blood pressure is high. It was 140/82 in September and is now about 165/88. I think I'll just stick to biking and walking as my exercise. I have not lost any weight since going to the gym. I am 6' and still weight 210. I probably eat more. I would like to get down to about 180.

jmccain

My experience is that weight loss is best achieved by focusing on nutrition. Exercise is for fitness/strength/energy...

BadBurrito

I'm in the same situation. 6', 215 lbs most of the time. I was working out a lot. I ran 3-4 mornings a week, swam 2-3 lunch hours a week, and biked 4 -5 evenings a week. In 6 months I managed to trim 9 lbs - not bad, but not so great either.

well with the holidays, plus we had a couple of big trips to see the kids, and we got a new puppy. it was really hard to consistently get in my workouts. I gain back in just a few short weeks what I had lost in the prior 6 months - it was very discouraging.

I'd read it many times, but I guess I wasn't wanting to believe it. weight loss starts in the kitchen. you can exercise alot, but with today's calorie dense snacks it's too easy to eat more calories than your burning exercising. if you want to lose weight, you have to look at what and how much you eat.

So, I decide to eat more fruits/veggies (a lot more) - which was really not a big problem anyway, reduce the amount of bread I ate (huge Huge issue for me, I love bread, particularly french bread, I'd bake it myself 2-3 times a week), and reduce the amount of cheese I ate (again huge issue, I love cheese, I even make my own cheese occassionaly). I wasn't biking because of the cold/ice/snow, I quit running because the puppy is too young still to start that (maybe in a month or two I'll start up again). and I well frankly, I hate going to the pool (even though it's heated and all) when it's a sub-zero outside. So the only exercise I'm currently doing is walking the dog a couple times a day - not much of a calorie burn there.

Results - I've lost 7 lbs in 3 weeks. I know it's not a big deal, but in a way it's a big deal to me - it has finally proved to me, in real life experience that - weight loss starts in the kitchen.

just thought I'd share

T.

velonomad

I struggled with weight issues for several years after I turned 50, it was like a switch was flipped on my birthday! I went from 185 to 240 in 3 years and then yo-yo'ed between 200 and 225 for a couple of more years. I finally got it under control by first realizing I couldn't "work it off" and began paying attention to what I was eating and specifically portions. These days when possible I only eat fresh prepared foods and treat breads, cheese and "walking meats" as treats. I substitute almond milk for dairy when practical.
This morning I had tofu sausage ("gimme lean" brand) with a gravy made with 1/2 cup almond milk, 1/2 teaspoon red miso and 2 drops of Tabasco, thickened with 1 tbsp flour. All told slightly less than a cup of food for breakfast.

Dudelsack 

Just a thought before I go on vacation...

I think jmmcain is spot on. When I exercise, I get hungry. That's how we're hard-wired. If I spend all day tracking down a wooly mammoth, when I finally bring it down I'm not going to say "Awesome, now somebody get me a Diet Coke". I'm going to eat the damn thing.

I used to scoff at the low carb advocates on this forum, and now I have to eat their words. I think they're right. I went low carb for three weeks, doing absolutely no calorie counting, and dropped 7 pounds. Then I get stressed and turned to carbs for solace, and put the weight back.

Articles are surfacing about the dangers of exercise. Certainly if you overdo it, it can do some unpleasant things to your heart. My mentor John Mandrola just announced at Grand Rounds that he developed a. fib on a bike ride and had to be dragged back to his car. He's also a cat 2 roadie and placed 15th at the recent Masters CX. But he hasn't stopped cycling. We're all banking on exercise forming good collateralization of out coronary arteries.

FMB42

Ya, I agree 100%.

Part of the problem seems to be that my metabolism changed during my late '40s. Another weight problem for me is that I no longer work on my feet for 8-10 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. The result is that I've gone from an "ideal" weight of 185 to about 200 (down from a peak of ~ 215 a yr ago!).

My experience seems to indicate that it takes a lot of weight lifting/gym exorcise in order for me to lose just a few pounds. And, as such, I've cut my lifting down to once or twice a week (I did a fair amount of lifting in high school and during my '20s and '30s). However, I continue to bike and walk at about the same frequency as before (I consider these forms of exorcise to be more cardiovascular than strength building in nature).

I was finally able to achieve "appreciable" weight loss by changing my eating habits to an "eat better and eat less" guideline. Eating more vegetables and less meat, cheese, and bread has, for me, proven to be easier than lifting weights 3 times a week.

Anyway, good luck with your weight loss program!

ericm979

Weight lifting is important for older people. It maintains muscle bulk and strength as well as bone density. So I would not give it up entirely. But it doesn't burn many calories. You need to do something else for that.

RCS1300

I'm 53. In my time I have learned that losing weight is all about diet. What you eat and how much you eat. It is amazing how little food a 215lb person needs each day - like only 2,200 calories without rigorous exercise. On a diet I can shed 4lbs in the first week and 2lbs/week thereafter. With the right diet you could be 15 weeks away from your ideal weight.

stapfam

Correct diet will help. Eat the right foods and a bit less of them and you are on the right track.

My diet is pretty good although not perfect and I was still putting on the lbs. Start of the year and I rejoined the gym to get extra exercise over the winter and 3 sessions a week where I sweated and got a Cardio workout. 155 in early January and I have cut a bit more sugar and a few of the snacks I was having and I lost nothing for a month but last few weeks and I am down to 145. Will soon be able to up the sessions at the gym and am cutting a few of the Snacks again and hope to lose a few more lbs.

On the BP- mine is a bit elevated like you and over the same period. 140/80 in September and 163/69 last week. Further checks to be done on BP but I also finished up with Vitamin "D" deficiency. Muscular and bone pain is one of the symptoms of that and is prevalent amongst the older generation.

MinnMan

Very good advice here.

Some additional tips regarding diet-based weight loss:


1. Try to greatly reduce/eliminate calories in your drinks. Nix all sugared sodas and eliminate or greatly reduce fruit juices. Fruit is good, fruit juices aren't (just think now many oranges it takes to make 1 glass of OJ). Forget about those Starbucks confections, etc. Alcohol, of course, in moderation.

2. Labels are your friend. Processed foods have shocking amounts of calories. And when you see that the calories/serving on those chips or similar are merely 150, notice that a "serving" is maybe 5 chips.

3. Keep in mind that it's 3500 calories/lb. Shaving 500 calories/day from your diet is a pound/week. So is 500 calories exercise/day IF (a) you can do that without eating more and (b) you exercise every day.

4. Eat out carefully. Of course you know that a sausage pizza isn't such a great idea, but you might be amazed at how many calories are in, for example, chinese food.

Frankfast

I was 212lbs. and for my height, less than 5'10" was officially obese. I found bicycling a couple of years ago (retiring from motorcycling) and it encouraged me to get healthy. I've now lost 35lbs. through exercise and strict diet. I've learned what a correct portion is. If you purchase a frozen Lean Cuisine you will be looking at it. I used to eat at least triple that amount. I now exercise daily on an elliptical for 45 minutes and 15 minutes on weights for muscle tone. I still bike on weekends. Eggs in the morning, fruits, vegetables and nuts during the day keep my appetite controlled. Occasionally, once a month, we go out to dinner and I spoil myself. I'm also addicted to chocolate so try not keep any around although some travel mix will satisfy my habit. If you ever think that you can go back to eating as before after you've lost the weight, you are mistaken. At our age our metabolism has slowed and that is why exercise and diet go hand in hand....forever.

mapeiboy

Ding , ding , ding . jmccain is right on the spot . weight loss and exercise are mutually exclusive .

Looigi

Agree: To lose weight, eat less. Exercise for fitness and strength. 50 and older we start losing muscle mass and strength. The less muscle mass, the fewer calories you burn. It takes regular strength training to mitigate this. Don't need to do all sorts of little exercises, but work on the main large muscles, core, and on range of motion.

BlazingPedals

That's not surprising. Going low-carb decreases the amount of carbs stored in the muscle tissue; and that's your 'gas tank.' Carbs in the muscles also pull in water, so when you're carb-loaded, you're pre-hydrated too. That's the extra 7-10 pounds, and unless your doc has you on diuretics it's 'good' weight. IIRC, every molecule of carbohydrate attracts two molecules of water. Personally, I would not want to start a ride already 7 pounds dehydrated.

MinnMan

I strongly disagree. Whereas it's true that exercise alone, with no attention to diet, has little effect, this forum is full of people who have dropped large amounts of weight owing in large part to their cycling. I've lost 40 lbs since 2009, and much of this is owing to cycling. I lost more than half of this in the first year of riding, during which time I did nothing to change my diet from earlier. The more recent weight loss has definitely been enabled by closer attention to my diet.

I know many of you eat more because of exercising, but I don't. Yes, I am "hungrier" and I eat larger meals, but when I'm not cycling I look for stimulation and comfort from the snacks in the kitchen. A good ride in the late afternoon or evening means I am going to feel good and snack LESS that night. It's the food I eat when I'm not hungry, but merely bored, that's a danger to me.

Shp4man

I'm 59, 5' 7", 200 lbs. Low carb diets do work- I can do 30 miles on the bike (not fast ) and not consume any carbs that day.
I've been on Atkins for a month and lost 13 lbs, I ride on weekends only. The advantage with Atkins is you don't have to be hungry. It also helps if you like the food. Sadly, I love bacon, pork roast, beef, chicken, eggs...well you get the idea.

ericm979

Incorrect, in both my experience and in the experience of many others.
Many people post that they have lost 50 or 100 lbs due to taking up cycling. Many after years of trying and failing to lose weight by dieting.

That's not to say that you can ride small amounts and eat lots of crap. You do need to watch what and how much you eat.

And of course people are different and are motivated by different things. Some people find restricting their diet easier than riding the amount needed for serious weight loss.

Gerryattrick

I'm certainly no expert but I would have thought that the best way to lose weight and gain fitness in the long term is a balance of exercise and diet, although I have read that heavy muscle building exercise can actually help put on weight due to muscle being heavier than fat.

Like the OP I have decided to give up exercising - in my case unless that exercise is part of an activity that I enjoy doing. There's plenty of opportunity to cycle or walk in my part of the world and I prefer to to do that and exercise at the same time. I reluctantly have to do gardening and you can even make that into exercise e.g. Use a hand-push mower rather than a powered one.

I may be a bit jaded after having to exercise a lot last year to recover from a couple of leg and shoulder injuries, but now I find that the gym is a soulless way to exercise and haven't been since Christmas.

If you're one of those people who actually enjoy the gym then that's great, especially if you ride competitively, but there are plenty of other ways to get exercise without having to "exercise"

Doug64

I think there is some merit to the concept of taking in less calories than you use to lose weight. Exercising burns calories, and coordinating exercise with diet would seem like a good formula for weight loss.

+1 I still go to the gym 3-5 days a week, even though it is not one of my favorite things. I just think the benefits are worth the cost. I've maintained this regime for most of my adult life, unless work or some other event took precedence. However weight training was combined with cycling, running, and other sports for balance. I do have to admit that after all that work I never did build much muscle mass (which I consider to be good), and guys would still kick sand on me at the beach

There was a time in my life when I had to "make weight". I would eat less, and workout with a little more intensity which would whittle away those 2 or 3 extra pounds. Some forms of weight training can also build bulk and denser muscles. This can add or maintain weight, even though the amount of fat is reduced.

I just read that weight training, and a moderate workout using more repetitions with lighter weights can increase strength and muscle endurance with less bulk. It also stated that an easy or moderate workout on a bike is better than an intense workout for loosing weight. It was included in the book Bicycling Science by David Wilson. http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Scie.../dp/0262731541

"High intensity workouts tend inhibit fat utilization, so exercise at the level may not even touch fat stores. To reduce fat stores, it is more productive to bicycle at low to moderate intensities for longer periods than to exercise vigorously for shorter periods and then become ravenous to replace depleted glycogen."

It is actually a complex process which determines what, when and which of the several different types of fuels are used by the muscles to produce energy. It also depends on the predominate types of muscles a person has which determines fuel utilization. Point: Until your muscles are burning fat for energy, exercise is not going to do much for loosing weight.

Good Luck!

Terex

The more I exercise, at least aerobically, the less I want to eat. When I'm not exercising, I'm starved all the time. Oh, and Doug64's comment on high intensity exercise not touching fat stores is just sooooooooooooooooooo wrong that it boogles the mind.

GeorgeBMac

I take the opposite approach:

"Better to burn it off than starve it off"

Starving it off is not only not fun -- but does nothing for the fitness that we need to be healthy.

sreten

Hi,

Exercise is about fitness, diet is about weight, mildy interrelated.

Its far easier to lose weight by restricting calorie intake than
trying to burn off calories by exercise for an average person.

Exercise tends to make you modify your diet, and fitness makes
you feel better, but fundamentally given the choice of eating a
chocolate bar and running 10 miles to burn off the calories, or
not eating the bar, for most people diet not exercise works.

Also losing weight is not the issue regarding fitness, if you
add muscle bulk, especially as you get older that is good.

Waist size is you best adjudicator of your fitness and weight.

rgds, sreten.

Doug64

I'm just passing along what I read. It was published in a well regarded book on the science of cycling. There are other fuels besides fat that have to be depleted before the muscles start using fat. If you can not maintain a high intensity workout long enough to deplete these other fuels the fat is not used. At least that is the message I got from a more complex discussion of the topic in Wilson's book.

I have not found anything anywhere else that would lead me to think that this information is not reliable. Do you have any thing, other than anecdotal accounts that does not agree with his premise?

ericm979

High intensity effort uses mostly glycogen. But it still uses some fat directly. And later the glycogen used needs to be replenished. Those calories come from somewhere.

Dudelsack 

My recommendation would be to keep your powder dry. Most of us don't have a bit of trouble with your comment.