Well put Al, too many people class everyone as exactly the same and that isn't true at all. Many other factors come into play, such as medications and the side effects some may experience, existing unrelated health conditions where the weight gain happens and plain old genetics. Maybe a nutritionist here can explain what can go wrong in the body to make the metabolism or other mechanism go haywire, I only know what happened to me from so many drugs, surgeries and finally kidney failure/disease.

Just reinforcing what the doctors and researchers have told us, no one answer fits all, that would certainly be nice if it were so. I have a few friends that could eat tremendous amounts of food when they were younger and not gain any weight. Now as middle aged men or women the weight has caught up with them from simple metabolism changes, health issues or other medical problems. They all made fun of anyone that gained weight and was fat, even by small amounts, they said it was simple and anyone can lose weight easily. Now to a person in that group they are all in the obese category and exasperated about trying to lose weight. I am lucky now in that I changed my entire life style when I got kidney disease and adopted a strict, medical necessary diet and exercise that the doctor monitors.

Your changes and success is one more reason that I want to keep doing the correct thing for my weight and overall health. Cycling is a big part of that change, thankfully.

Bill

Rather an extreme argument, but calories in, calories out is a simplification as well, but, generally, more calories spent than calories taken in will start weight loss and continue loss but not necessarily at the same rate. Weight loss is complex of course. Many factors come in play with losing weight, metabolism, exercise, caloric intake, mental state, etc.

Good point. For me when I started cycling I started losing weight. I was at 265 and within the first two years I got down to 215. But something happened and I hit a plateau and stayed there. I tried more riding, more gym time, more swimming and some more or less fad diets and becoming a vegetarian. I wasn't meant to be a vegetarian I guess because I couldn't ride more than 40 miles without bonking, and having a medicine cabinet full of vitamin supplements, mostly B. My problem was too many carbs it seems and my body simply didn't metabolize carbs as fast as the younger guys. Soon I was back at 235 while not eating more than 4 ounces of meat twice a day with vegetables, rice or a small baked potato. But I thought bread and cheese was a good snack. It wasn't. By working with my doctor and a health coach I can deal with most of the factors you mentioned. Attitude? I expect to make goal before October. I expect to no longer be a Clydesdale by the end of next week. :)

Way to go 155, well done Sir, well done. It is a pleasure to read a thread with positive outcomes and progress for a rider. You are helping me stay motivated in maintaining my weight loss, 212 right now, and feeling better overall than I have in many years.

Bill

Just remember when a person burns off a good percentage of extra fat, you get to a cross over point where the extra muscle that you develop pretty much brings weight loss to a halt. Im not sure a person should diet beyond that point.

I have found that weight control is calories in versus calories burned. For me, the wild card is time. My weight is a function of eating habits. For example, if I add something to my diet and do it over a long period of time, I gain weight. For example, I would buy a candy bar when I would go into the drug store or the grocery store and eat it right away. Well, if I do that three times a week at 300 calories a pop for 52 weeks a year, that equates to 900 times 52 or 46,800 calories or 13.37 pounds. So that is a really bad habit. Eating chips, drinking soft drinks with sugar, drinking beer, eating whole grain bread, crackers and etc, etc, etc, can have a similar effect. So I do not allow any carb consumption outside meals to become habits. For me, habits overwhelm my metabolism even with a lot of exercise. And I have learned from my power meter that I do not burn as many calories as many "calculators" based on heart rate indicate.

On the exercise side of the equation, we were in London for a few days last month. Everyone walks a lot and the underground has few escalators so we climbed a lot of stairs. Let's assume one walks and climbs stairs every day and burns 150 calories each day. That equates to 54,600 calories each year or 15.6 pounds of fat. Couple that with food being extremely expensive in London and it is really easy to eat less and exercise more. Walking a lot every day is a good habit and it occurs throughout the day versus cycling which typically occurs once and after it is over, I tend to get hungry.

Weight control is a never ending attention to detail and discipline not to eat very much and pick high quality protein and fats and limit the carbs while keeping ones exercise up. Eat less exercise more. It is not complicated but it is extremely hard to execute.

Stands to reason, But that being said it seems we have different things that effect different people in different ways. Before I started this program there were a few blood test and such things done and some foods are off my list till I get to goal and some my never come back. But I do walk two to three miles a day in addition to cycling. But right now most of my meals are pre packaged and measured for me. Reach in the cupboard and in five minutes I am eating. I have also been moved to eating six times a day. And I intend to continue that practice for the rest of my life.

Today I broke under 200 pounds for the first time in ten or fifteen years. Today my energy level started to come back for the first time since I started this program, the coach and doctor avoid the word diet. But the calories verses exercise thing has a bigger impact on my riding now because I have to be far more concerned with fueling my body during a long or fast ride than I did two years ago. However my enjoyment on those same rides has increased. 31 pounds since June 21st and still losing.

Just to keep you posted, I have almost reached my first goal, I am down 37 pounds since June 21st, my Blood Pressure is steady at 130/78 and my energy is finally coming back. The coach is starting to add back fruit for breakfast and starting to prepare my maintenance program for when I reach goal.

Way to go Mobile 155, that is very good weight loss for that short period of time and your blood pressure numbers are getting much better. I am sure you are feeling the difference in your entire health and well being.

Bill