aham23

disagree. i used all those tools with the understanding that the numbers were just "estimates" and nothing more. the numbers provided motivation and the extra push to keep going. i dropped a lot of weight counting calories, both in and out, using HR monitors, online calculators, food diaries, ect.. later.

waterrockets 

Yeah, kJ came out just fine vs. my spreadsheets when I was calorie counting and comparing weight loss rate. Relatively painless to lose 12 lbs in 5.5 weeks.

I'd say that anyone who has a torque-based power meter has a great and reliable tool for calorie counting.

Menel

Knowledge is power.

I've got nothing good to say for ignorance, it's not in my genes.

For example, your last line, how do I know what level to reduce my calories to if I don't have some at least vague understanding of how much I'm burning. Huge swing between my estimate of 841 and the estimates of 1200-2200 from the various calculators.

Kurt Erlenbach

The whole weight loss industry boils down to four simple rules:

1. Eat less junk
2. Eat more good stuff
3. Eat less overall
4. Add exercise

All the books, websites, and magazines on weight loss boil down to that. There might be some arguing on the margins about what's "junk," what's "good stuff," and what exercise to do, but we all know the basics. Weight loss at the end is calories in < calories out.

Counting the calories that go in is far easier (but still fairly imprecise) than counting the calories that come out. Exercise rarely accounts for more than about 25% of calories expended, the remainder being basal metabolism and ordinary daily activity. Increasing basal metabolism by increasing lean body mass (more muscle) results in the longest-lasting and healthiest weight loss, and no cycle computer can account for those calories. A pound of fat on the belly = about 3600 calories. For most folks on this forum, limiting calorie intake to about 2500 per day will result in a slow, steady weight loss, regardless of whether your Garmin shows 500 or 1500 calories expended during a ride. Cycle computers are usuful for many things, but calorie counting isn't one of them.

nadimk

That is an excellent and fair question. Look, I am an endocrinologist and weight loss physician, and I still do not know what the answer to your questions are. If the previous post that disagreed with my assertion is right, the numbers you get from these devices can motivate you, but motivation is one thing, accuracy is another. Sounds to me like the numbers from devices are frustration than motivation!

841 calories EVERY day would be inappropriate. 1200 is possible, but I would guess that starting with a basal of 1500 is usually okay for most people, but if you are bigger, maybe 1800. The CDC has good information on weight management and how to eat without feeling hungry: https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/hea...y_density.html

So, start with 1800, ride and follow your weight every 2 to 4 weeks. Also, have someone measure your waist circumference to see if you are losing centrally located fat. A great tip for night time munchies: Popcorn!

If you don't lose weight on 1800 kcals and riding 1-2 hours at a time at a moderate to high intensity for at least 3 days a week plus running, I'll be very surprised.

nadimk

Spot on...again. This advice should be widely disseminated on this site for those seeking to control weight. Sort of like Michael Pollan's advice: "Eat real food, mostly plants, not that much."

Menel

Thanks for the input =)

I've got the calorie counting down, I've done the cutting before, just without the cycling aspect.

My BMR is ~1730 using online calculators. During a period like this that I've entered where I'm going to spend a couple months "cutting", I wont' eat less than 1800 on a sedentary rest day, gotta fuel basic bodily functions without risk of starvation mode and hurting metabolism. Running/cycling days I'd like to target a 'net' of about 1400-1500. E.G. I often run 6.25 miles on my lunch break (that's 625 calories) so on these days I target a total daily intake of around 2000-2100cal.

Then day before my maintenance long run, I try to help my body recover by hitting a net of 2200-2400 to sort of "carb load".

But to setup a strategy like this, I know my running calories, I've used a similar system in the past successfully. The cycling is the complex one.

Sounds like the 500cal/hr is a decent, maybe conservative, but hopefully not by a lot estimate. I've definitely been over eating on cycling days.

chadwick

I tried that level... I started bonking constantly. It sucked! But then again I never could drop the lbs while exercising a lot, only in periods of low activity.

Although that sounds just like a huge excuse when you type it out...

Menel

You do have to eat to lose weight. I know it sounds weird, but if you don't eat enough to keep your body fueled enough and out of starvation mode, performance significantly suffers as your body restricts your energy output, and tries to hold onto it's stores.

Or something, the theory I've heard and has seemed to play out in reality for me.

Dr. Banzai

Starvation mode is a myth. Eating too much mode is not a myth.

deacon mark

I am 49 been a runner for over 30 years and biking the the past few years. I know running I burn 140 per mile or close I am 6"2 177 and run about 8:20 pace for 6-10 miles. On a bike it is harder to figure but I use the effort level and a hard 10 mile run is like maybe 50 riding 16-18 mph easy. The whole thing breaks down because I can recover from a bike ride much quicker than running. I could easily ride a century once a week if all I did was ride and not run. I could not even think about doing a marathon for a long time after running one in less than 4 hours.

The point is I seem to eat about like I did when I was running 60 miles a week and no bike. Now I ride about 80 miles a week during season and run 40. I actually think I use more calories doing both. I know I never eat during any marathons and I eat something during a century. See my post on my century I rode this week. I can tell you I easily put away 6500 calories for the total day but only eat about 700 during the ride. I would guess a good steady pace on bike is about 30-40 calories a mile. The thing that is hard to figure is I can trash myself on a bike and it is different than running. If I trash myself on a really fast 10 mile run that takes longer to get over and any run of 2 hours is considered a hard effort no matter what the pace.

kleinboogie

That's what I use, straight Kj to Kcal. It's close enough. The Garmin calorie numbers are ridiculous, they should let us put our own efficiency in or just don't even show it.

So your professional opinion is don't use any technology. What profession is that exactly? I take it you've never used a power meter or if you did, you didn't know how to use it. I lost 55lbs after I got mine so I would disagree with your professional opinion.