minimalistDave

Oh... I thought that was what those spandex pants were all about...

mccook

I totally ottsville as I cut and bulk. However, I intentionally skipped that point because 1) it gives people that are big an excuse to "bulk" before they diet 2) it concusses noobs.

kuan

So THAT'S what she meant. She was just being polite.

obersts001

Three months is not a sufficient enough period to affect a major life change. Just keep riding, keep reducing the bad food, and it will happen.

Last April I weighed somewhere around 30 lbs more than I do now -- I say "somewhere around" because I was too afraid to weigh myself. I started riding 15, then 30, then 50-70 miles per week, thinking that the bike alone would cut my waistline. I became faster and better-able to ride long distances, but my clothes were still the same fat clothes. Then I started cutting back on "bad" foods of all kinds, and again, thought that I would see instant results. It didn't seem to help. Then some time in August, I put on my 8.5 wide shoes to go to work and found that the shoes slipped right off my feet. I was confounded. My wife (who knows a thing or two about weight loss) said, "oh, that's the fat from your feet going away." I didn't even know I had fat stored in my feet, but whatever was there was no longer there.

I finally had the courage to get on the scale in early August, and between then and late September I lost 20 lbs doing exactly what I was doing in April and May. Every piece of clothing I owned last spring is too big now. It took six months before anyone noticed, but then everyone noticed - family, friends, co-workers, etc.

Sometimes weight loss just happens quickly, and other times it doesn't. Provided that you're being honest about your diet (which is why everyone here is promoting calorie counting -- not because what you say you're eating is bad, just because we so often don't eat just what we say we eat), just keep doing what you're doing. Don't get discouraged.

sharptailhunter

First off, good on ya for trying to lose weight!

I do agree that crosstraining is a good idea, at the very least it keeps exercise interesting and lets some muscles rest while you work different muscles. I was first a runner so I do have some experience with weight loss using both running and cycling. True, my HR is usually higher while running. HOWEVER, I can ride for much longer (measured in time not distance) than I can run. So, for me, biking burns more calories per workout just because I can work out longer. Also, I think some people equate higher HRs with more fat loss. I just don't know if that's true or not, perhaps some studies would clarify that for me.

One thought I had for you was, how active are you when you're not working out? I have to think that there are many out there who are struggling to lose weight even though they exercise but then they come home and sit on their duffs the rest of the day. NOTE, I'm not implying that that's your problem, I was just giving a general thought.

Most important thing: enjoy your workouts but don't go easy on yourself. The human body is an amazing machine with an incredible capacity for work.

benajah

This is actually pretty common, gaining a little weight when we start working out. When someone overweight starts an exercise program, especially a cardio one, the calorie defecit from the working out can send the body into a "starvation mode" where the body really starts trying to conserve calories so maybe your metabolism slows down more when you are sedentary that it would slow down before, things like that. It takes time for your body to find its new equilibrium, to be used to the working out. It may take longer since you are older. Its just an evolutionary safeguard. Back in the day, if we started getting alot more activity, and not more calories to account for it, more than likely something unsettling was happening like the cave bears were harrassing us or we were having to go farther to hunt mastadons, etc. The body wants to conserve whenever it kind of "sees something bad coming". There is a popular thought among anthropologists that people who are predisposed towards gaining weight are, genetically, the ones who were at the biggest advantage back in the old hunter gatherer days.
So don't worry, keep up what you are doing and the weight will start coming off, as long as you are not eating more than you were before, once your body gets used to it.
Or I could just be an idiot.

Just Williams

A very interesting piece of advice. I am not an expert in diet, exercise, training etc, just an ordinary cyclist. So, in the context of cycling, what sort of cycling builds muscle and, in contrast, what sort of cycling gets rid of fat (assuming in both cases that calories are being monitored carefully)?

kuan

All of it burns fat except for super high intensity. The longer you ride, the more fat you burn, and your goal is to stay at a low intensity for hours and days on end.

As for building muscle, I'd say forget it. Use the weight room.

benajah

Yeah most elite cyclists spend a day a week just doing squats and quad extentions. You won't get a big chest just doing pushups, and likewise, wont get big thighs just from cycling. To really build that fat burning muscle, resistance training is the way to go.

ottsville

Most of the training books I've read lean towards off the bike strength work in the off season...NOT during the season.

For most of us, that's true but it really depends on the gear you are pushing, incline, wind, what type of workouts you are doing and how/what you eat.

Yes. Building an all-around base of strength with multi-joint lifts or quality body weight exercises will definitely jump start your metabolism and help you to become fit.

ottsville

Here's some generalizations...

Lower intensity rides with low resistance(ie spinning at >60% max HR) will burn fat. However, rides of higher intensity will burn more total calories for the same duration(obviously) and may burn more cals from fat even though the percentage of cals burnt that come from fat is less than at lower intensity. Search around, there's some recent threads about this.

For building strength, you want to feel resistance in your pedals. Higher gears, hills, and headwind are some examples. Stomps and low cadence intervals and hill repeats will build strength. IMO, for the "ordinary cyclist" the problems that high resistance on-bike workouts can create(knee pain, etc) really lessen the value of them.

A key factor for both weight loss and building strength is not only what you eat, but when you eat it. There's tons of advice out there on nutrition. Get yourself a decent book with info related to your goals and study it.

Just Williams

Thanks to all of you for your advice. It confirms what I have learnt previously. Now I need to learn more about diet etc.

Ronniewo

Dave,
Get your body fat percentage calculated, any trainer can do this for you and they might not even charge. Once you kow where you start, you can see the improvement vs just the numbers on the scale. Also, break out a tape measure once a week, you'll see the results with these numbers.

mccook

No reason to get a trainer to do it. Do it yourself using the Navy Method. https://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html It's fairly accurate and a good base line. Most trainers don't have a clue how to measure bodyfat.

veloGeezer

this is complete and utter poppycock.

I don't want to just haul of an be insulting, so hear me out....

There is a very common misconception that high intensity riding, like sprinting or certain types of intervals does not burn fat. Then in the same breath, you will hear that it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

There is a disconnect there. Higher intensity burns more calories.

It is true that the percentage of your energy produced from burning fat is less in higher intenstity work, but the overall amount of energy produced is so much greater that you are still burning more fat.

Argue all you want, but riding hard will get the fat off you. I go through this every spring getting ready to race. I'm sure alot of people would like to hear that we can get more fat off by tooling around at 12 or 14 mph, but that just isn't the case.

Also remember that your body will get efficient at certain energy outputs. That is exactly why interval training will shake the fat off your your carcass. you will be using all of your energy systems.

As for building muscle, the bicycle is a fantastic fitness machine. you just need to find steep hills. I have 27" thighs and 18" calves from cycling. I also live in the mountains. All I do for my legs is ride mountains. That's all there is to ride around here anyway. But you can build your legs by using the terrain and your cadence and gearing. But not all people are genetically predisposed to building muscle mass. I have a friend who is a wirey country boy and he can't gain weight to save God or Country. But if you have the genes, you can build your legs with a bike

nivekdodge

Dave
I was searching for something else and started reading the posts regarding your story and I'm wondering if form is better one way than another. I have just gotten back into cycling after 30 yrs. the muscle tone in my legs has come back very quickly. and Since I'm a little guy, people will say what are you worried about but all my middle age weight hangs at my belt. I literally look like a "bump on a log". Is there a certain technique we should be focusing on? I'm path riding on a Hybrid (upright bars). would road bars be better to focus the training on my stomach? I know that gear chioce for weight loss should be lower and muscle tone should be higher but I've been seaching the posts and haven't found anything on this.
I do somewhat agree though, if you can ride 20 plus a day, that is deserved of some recognition, so Congratulations!!! All is not bad!

Kevin

What is a handbasket and how do you go anywhere in one? Can I get to work in one?

gfc781

I have not seen this mentioned and if it has been I apogize for the repeat

the really cool thing about interval training is that the benefits do not come so much while you are doing the intervals the benefits come after the intervals....(heres the cool part) and into the next day because it boost your metabolism and you continue to burn more calories while doing nothing. A person that does a long not so aggressive workout at the end of the day will not have burned as many calories as the person that does a shorter interval workout.