I just don't get it.
 

So for the past month I have been the same weight. I ride 5 days a week. During a week about 2 hour rides, averaging around 19-20mph (it's flat). Usually just LSD (steady not slow), I also do endurance intervals once a week. On a weekend I usually do a 3h-3h 30m endurance ride or hill intervals on Saturday. On Sunday around 2h fast pace group ride or endurance ride. I track my calories very carefully and try to keep around 600-1k calories deficit each day. On couple occasions I did go to the limit of my intake thought. So for off days my limit is around 2.3k (I still commute 7 mile round trip, and do core exercises), for training days (except Saturday) my intake is around 2.5-2.7k. I figure I burn 3.4-3.7k. Yet I remain around the same weight for the last month. :( I am 5 9.5, 140 pounds. I am not fat or overweight I know that. I just want to get rid of that last bit of love handles and flab around my stomach. Might be my imagination but I think my stomach area did get reduced, but without before and after pictures I can't be sure.

What a heck is going on? Am I waaay over counting my calories burned? I convert 1KJ~1C for my training rides, so around 1.3k-1.4k for around two hour ride. Then add another 150 for my commute. Which is 7 miles round trip on a fixie. For calestetics core exercises I figure around 80 calories burned. Seems reasonable to me.

Thanks.
Average consumed for the last month
Total:__ 2612
_____grams__ cals__ %total
Fat:__ 53__ 480__ 19%
Sat:__ 17__ 152__ 6%
Poly: 2__ 16__ 1%
Mono: 3__ 29__ 1%
Carbs: 395__ 1473__ 57%
Fiber: 27__ 0__ 0%
Protein: 153__ 614__ 24%
Alcohol: 1__ 10__ 0%

Average Calories Burned
_____ cals__ %total
Total: 3265
Basal:__ 1655__ 51%
Lifestyle:__ 440__ 13%
Activities:__ 1170__ 36%

LOL!
Im 5'9" and i haven't seen 140 since the 5th grade.

Thanks for the constructive post. :rolleyes:

You are just at a plateau, I was stuck at 140lbs for a good six months when I was trying to GAIN. Try switching up your routine because your body may be to used to doing the exercises, as well as doing some resistance training. Hope this helps!

Sorry! I should have kept that to myself! I would agree with Cochise. And possibly try some agressive leg training. Like Squats or Hard resistance cycling (mashing) Your legs are huge muscles and training them hard can do a lot to kick your metabolism into a higher gear. But you will probably end up gaining weight and leg mass... It may also positively affect your cycling...

Hope this is more helpful than my first post...

you posted, so you get my thoughts; you weight is fine, let it go.

however, like the others have said you need to change it up. not eating less, but maybe even...........eating more. i know its crazy, but give it a try.

later.

Thanks for suggestion everyone. Yeah I know it's fine. I am anorexic or anything. It's just I am so close to that six pack (or at least some muscles) showing through :D

Long term caloric restriction leading to mild hypothyroidism and reduction in BMR.

Effect of long-term calorie restriction with adequate protein and micronutrients on thyroid hormones.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
CONCLUSIONS: Long-term CR with adequate protein and micronutrient intake in lean and weight-stable healthy humans is associated with a sustained reduction in serum T(3) concentration

Effects of exercise training on resting energy expenditure during caloric restriction.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3...RVAbstractPlus
The first 3 wk of caloric restriction decreased REE by 13% (from 1437 +/- 76 to 1254 +/- 66 kcal/24 h, means +/- SEM, p less than 0.05).

Unfortunately, discussion of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis is too complicated to be appreciated here. You might want to try Mg and zinc supplementation. I also agree with recommendations to mix up your training and to increase the variety of foods consumed.

it could be that you're losing fat but gaining muscle and the two are cancelling each other out...

What is your testosterone level? any idea?

Make sure it is in the normal range because if it is too low, your body will get thick around the middle and I think it is insulin resistance. Google around, and decide for yourself. Check terms like omentum fat, etc.

Try adding some running to your exercise.

Hit up the gym, or use some free weights you got at your house. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be. Also, eat many small meals ~6 a day, instead of 3 larger. Always eat breakfast, and don't have dinner be your biggest meal of the day. Drink lots of water.

Could be what you eat not just the calories in it?try a lower fat diet.

Umm honestly I am not sure I can accomplish that. Almost everything I cook is low fat, etc. I think this months average was so high because I went out for lunch/dinner couple times with friends.

Thanks for suggestions everyone. Will try to hit the gym for some upper body work. As I mentioned I do hill intervals each week so I think that should take care of resistance training. Plus racing season is starting so it really shake things up. :D
I guess I should also do a full blood work test. Haven't done that in a while, so I think it's over due. Plus I have a history of diabetes in my family so need to keep an eye on that.

If you're not losing weight, it's because you're eating enough to offset whatever your body is burning.

So, assuming you have a good exercise program in place, that means you need to look at your diet, and cut back some (especially on carbs and/or fats).

FWIW, it's really easy to overeat, even if you're riding the bike 200+ miles per week. One or two bad days of eating, can easily offset your weekly weight loss.

And, yes, most people underestimate how many calories they consume...by a LOT.

You don't mention what kind of nutrition you are having around your exercise.

If you can keep your blood sugar constant during the workout with a good hydration drink, and start your recovery with a good recovery drink immediately after a workout, you will very likely be less hungry after a workout. Or, to put it another way, if you aim to replace the carbs, you won't have to replace the fat.

Whereas if you don't replace the carbs, when the exercise-induced hunger suppression wears off, you will eat with a vengeance. Or at least I did.

Focusing on that let me drop the last 10 pounds I wanted to fairly easily, and had the further advantage of me having more energy after long rides.

Thanks for advice. I cook everything myself, and measure and log everything in fitday. So I don't think I am under estimating calories consumed (at least not by much). I think I might be over estimating calories burned thought.

Yep post ride nutrition is important. Right after workout I have 16 oz of Reduced Fat Chocolate milk. Couple hours later I have my lunch. I also try to eat frequently through out a day to keep blood sugar constant. I think biggest blood sugar spike I have is from recovery drink (Chocolate milk), and from frozen yogurt (I am freaken addicted).

Fitday is somewhat notorious for overestimating calories burned. In particular, the estimate of daily metabolic rate is way too high (at least, that's what I've heard many people say). I've heard that it's best to tell their metabolic rate calculator that you're "sedentary" - that way you'll get a better estimate of your calories burned.

You may want to cut that post ride chocolate milk serving in half.

I'm guessing that 16 oz is around 360 calories, and that's a lot (it would represent around 15% of your daily calories).

And it's not really needed unless you rode for more than 2 or 3 hours

Hmm I put seated work. Plus I always put 8 hours of sleep. It shows 1653 as Basal, and + 423 for life style. I'll change it to sedetary (bed bound), I guess. For calories burned I convert 1Kj, reported by my power meter, to 1C. It does over estimate cycling. I average around 19-20mph on my rides, but I use 14-16mph range when entering cycling time in to fitday.

Hmmmm....well, those numbers don't look too far out of line. But, at your current weight of 140 lbs, they may be a bit high (especially if you're a woman, or an older male).

And the 1170 kcal / day you show above seems quite high...that would represent about 2 hours of cycling per day (every day).

Close. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday I do ~2 hour training rides, plus 7 mile commute to work. Saturday I do 3h 30 min of either hill intervals or endurance ride. Sunday I do 2-3 hour group ride or 2h hour solo endurance ride. Wednesday and Friday I only have my 7 mile commute, and some core exercises. In the last month I logged about 970 miles.

Wow! :eek: For this time of year, that's a LOT of miles. Sounds like you have the "calories burned" side of the equation in good shape.

So, that means if you want to lose weight you need to look at the "calories in" side of the equation. Try to find a couple of hundred calories each day to cut out.


However, it should be noted that you're already quite skinny - at 5' 9.5" and 140 lbs, your Body Mass Index is 20.4. That's getting close to "underweight", and is pretty low, even by cycling standards.

You might want to consult with a personal trainer or health care professional - they could help analyze your current body composition and your goals, and also assess you to see if you may have "Body Dysmorphia Disorder". Not saying you do, but your weight loss goals may be unreasonable...and may, in fact, be detrimental to your cycling performance.

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually like how I look. I guess I got stuck on the whole "six pack" thing. Probably not a very realistic goal. Since I hear there are some genetics factors involved. My original post made it sound like a complete obsession. It's just a "nice to have" goal. I don't want to sacrifice my cycling to achieve it thought.

I am don't really want to cut more calories out, because as you said it probably will be detrimental to my cycling. I do plan to hit the gym to work on my upper body, and continue to work on the core. If I loose what was left of the love handles great. if not they are already pretty small, and I have flat stomach. That will have to do I guess. :)