Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Help Keep Boards Alive. Support us by going ad free today. See here: https://subscriptions.boards.ie/

Weight loss for experienced cyclist

  • 31-07-2013 10:41PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭


    Hi all, I have been cycling for a number of years and really enjoy it. I do about 7-8k km' per year. Generally i do @75km on Tues and thurs nites and about 100 or more every second w'end. I am quite strong at everything, really quick on quick steep climbs and have several club Strava Kom's going up and down! My problem is I weigh 14 and 1/2 stone which is way too heavy for longer climbs. I need to loose a stone but find it impossible. I am 6.1' btw. I have a fairly healthy appetite and can't see how I could make any drastic changes apart from cut my portions. I find I am really cycling to keep weight off and am one of these people that would be 18 stone if I gave it up. So I am cycling to keep it off rather than get it of at the minute which I want to reverse. I would like to lose a stone and keep the leg strength I have. So what's the best way to do it? I have tried going straight to bed after the Tues and Thurs nite spins but I am dead 4 the next few rides and is a big no no. So I want to get home and just eat enough to recover and not to loose strength but loose weight at the same time. So what would anyone suggest please? I find it really difficult to loose it and burning off up to 6K calories on the bike every week I would of thought would lead to a calorific deficiency and hence loose weight! The only thing is that I have a big appetite especially if i let myself get too hungry. i would do anything to suppress that appetite!  I don't eat sweet things and eat lots of fruit and veg and hav a few beers at the weekend.
    So suggestions please! What has worked for anyone else?
    Many thanks in advance 
    D


«1

Comments

  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 78,483 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Cut out the beer and eat less - it really is as simple as that

    BTW you're probably not "burning off" 6,000 calories a week through cycling - unless your spins are really intense it's probably nearer 4k per week

    BTW, did you intend posting this as a Training Log? You will get more feedback in the main forum


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    Ok cheers, yeah i was thinking of cutting out beer for vodka diet coke instead!

    Can I transfer this to the main cycling tread then or will I repost with out getting in trouble for posting in 2 places?

    Cheers,
    D


  • Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 78,483 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    dexty wrote: »
    Can I transfer this to the main cycling tread then or will I repost with out getting in trouble for posting in 2 places?
    Moved;)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 198 ✭✭Cyclewizard


    dexty wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been cycling for a number of years and really enjoy it. I do about 7-8k km' per year. Generally i do @75km on Tues and thurs nites and about 100 or more every second w'end. I am quite strong at everything, really quick on quick steep climbs and have several club Strava Kom's going up and down! My problem is I weigh 14 and 1/2 stone which is way too heavy for longer climbs. I need to loose a stone but find it impossible. I am 6.1' btw. I have a fairly healthy appetite and can't see how I could make any drastic changes apart from cut my portions. I find I am really cycling to keep weight off and am one of these people that would be 18 stone if I gave it up. So I am cycling to keep it off rather than get it of at the minute which I want to reverse. I would like to lose a stone and keep the leg strength I have. So what's the best way to do it? I have tried going straight to bed after the Tues and Thurs nite spins but I am dead 4 the next few rides and is a big no no. So I want to get home and just eat enough to recover and not to loose strength but loose weight at the same time. So what would anyone suggest please? I find it really difficult to loose it and burning off up to 6K calories on the bike every week I would of thought would lead to a calorific deficiency and hence loose weight! The only thing is that I have a big appetite especially if i let myself get too hungry. i would do anything to suppress that appetite!  I don't eat sweet things and eat lots of fruit and veg and hav a few beers at the weekend.
    So suggestions please! What has worked for anyone else?
    Many thanks in advance 
    D

    I find that if I don't get out as much as I should for a week or two that my weight starts to creep up aswel. I find that adding some resistance training and some running / soccer / swimming helps, might not be the best thing for directly improving cycling performance but good mixture of cardio and weights helps me shred some the weight when necessary and improves my posture and general 'shape'.

    The biggest thing (and hardest for someone like me who likes their food and a beer) is certainly your diet. That really is key and I'm sure if I looked at this closer I'd be at a more hill friendly weight! But it depends what your goals are, I ride because I enjoy it and the day I start counting every calorie and stop allowing myself a few beers at the weekend it will become a chore and it won't work for me.

    Good luck anyway, you seem to be getting out a fair bit and that's what it's all about!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,123 ✭✭✭fat bloke


    Cut the beer if you can. I did so a year ago and lost half a stone without making any other changes diet/exercise wise. It's stayed off too.

    Myfitnesspal is a good free app for tracking your daily calorie intake too. You don't have to be too accurate with it, even just to make a note of what you're actually eating and snacking on, it makes you more aware of your eating habits.

    Best of luck!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    1. Read this
    2. Give up carbs
    3. Give up sugar
    4. Enjoy watching the weight fall off


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,981 ✭✭✭Diarmuid


    Track everything you eat for two weeks and then analyse it. (Myfitnesspal) You'll find you are eating more than you think, make the adjustments accordingly. Already active people trying to lose weight without changing their diet is very difficult.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 382 ✭✭12 sprocket


    dexty wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been cycling for a number of years and really enjoy it. I do about 7-8k km' per year. Generally i do @75km on Tues and thurs nites and about 100 or more every second w'end. I am quite strong at everything, really quick on quick steep climbs and have several club Strava Kom's going up and down! My problem is I weigh 14 and 1/2 stone which is way too heavy for longer climbs. I need to loose a stone but find it impossible. I am 6.1' btw. I have a fairly healthy appetite and can't see how I could make any drastic changes apart from cut my portions. I find I am really cycling to keep weight off and am one of these people that would be 18 stone if I gave it up. So I am cycling to keep it off rather than get it of at the minute which I want to reverse. I would like to lose a stone and keep the leg strength I have. So what's the best way to do it? I have tried going straight to bed after the Tues and Thurs nite spins but I am dead 4 the next few rides and is a big no no. So I want to get home and just eat enough to recover and not to loose strength but loose weight at the same time. So what would anyone suggest please? I find it really difficult to loose it and burning off up to 6K calories on the bike every week I would of thought would lead to a calorific deficiency and hence loose weight! The only thing is that I have a big appetite especially if i let myself get too hungry. i would do anything to suppress that appetite! I don't eat sweet things and eat lots of fruit and veg and hav a few beers at the weekend.
    So suggestions please! What has worked for anyone else?
    Many thanks in advance
    D

    Beware of taking nutrition advice from cyclists, some of it is silly and dangerous. Get yourself professional advice or buy a good book on sports nutrition by an accredited nutritionist.


  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 22,976 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    Beware of taking nutrition advice from cyclists, some of it is silly and dangerous. Get yourself professional advice or buy a good book on sports nutrition by an accredited nutritionist.

    In Ireland an "accredited nutritionist" is an oxymoron. It's not a protected term.

    they/them/theirs


    The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people.

    Noam Chomsky



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    ok, many thanks all for the replies.

    I do like for breakfast to have a big bowl of fruit with honey and fat free natural yogurt over it. What's that like? I know sugars are bad for you but the fruit and honey are natural sugars and its probably about 4 or 5 of my 5 a day! I found it better than having a bowl of sugar free Alpen and blueberries or porridge.

    I tired carb free before and it really wrecked my rides, my legs were totally empty. If I could do carb free and then just ate the right amount of carbs before a ride at just the right time before the ride and just the right amount afterwards to refuel so that I don't suffer on rides i'd be happy. But it's getting that 'just right' timing and portion size that I have no idea of.

    So far I am getting up early am and doing an hours walk b4 fasting for an hour b4 breakfast, walk or cycle in the evenings, no eating after 6pm, probably a glass of milk after a ride so as to provide the minimal amount of refuelling so I am not dead on the next ride and at weekend I am cutting out beer for vodka sugar free red bull instead. Also no sugar (not that I had that much b4 anyway)

    Regards,

    D


  • Advertisement
  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 22,976 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    dexty wrote: »
    Hi all, I have been cycling for a number of years and really enjoy it. I do about 7-8k km' per year. Generally i do @75km on Tues and thurs nites and about 100 or more every second w'end. I am quite strong at everything, really quick on quick steep climbs and have several club Strava Kom's going up and down! My problem is I weigh 14 and 1/2 stone which is way too heavy for longer climbs. I need to loose a stone but find it impossible. I am 6.1' btw. I have a fairly healthy appetite and can't see how I could make any drastic changes apart from cut my portions. I find I am really cycling to keep weight off and am one of these people that would be 18 stone if I gave it up. So I am cycling to keep it off rather than get it of at the minute which I want to reverse. I would like to lose a stone and keep the leg strength I have. So what's the best way to do it? I have tried going straight to bed after the Tues and Thurs nite spins but I am dead 4 the next few rides and is a big no no. So I want to get home and just eat enough to recover and not to loose strength but loose weight at the same time. So what would anyone suggest please? I find it really difficult to loose it and burning off up to 6K calories on the bike every week I would of thought would lead to a calorific deficiency and hence loose weight! The only thing is that I have a big appetite especially if i let myself get too hungry. i would do anything to suppress that appetite!  I don't eat sweet things and eat lots of fruit and veg and hav a few beers at the weekend.
    So suggestions please! What has worked for anyone else?
    Many thanks in advance 
    D

    First you need to know what your BMR is, have a look at this:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=50956807&postcount=12

    Once you know that eat a max of 500 kcals a day below said BMR. Stick to whole foods as much as you can.; meat, veg, fruit and carbs from rice/potatoes etc.. Obviously on long spins that's not going to be practical, stick to an 80/20 rule, i.e. make 80% of your diet whole foods.

    There is no 100% accurate way of calculating the calories burned during execise, but using a HR monitor is your best guess.

    they/them/theirs


    The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people.

    Noam Chomsky



  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 22,976 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    dexty wrote: »
    no eating after 6pm,
    D


    Don't worry about eating after 6pm, it's a myth.

    Have a good gander here:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055963342

    they/them/theirs


    The more you can increase fear of drugs and crime, welfare mothers, immigrants and aliens, the more you control all of the people.

    Noam Chomsky



  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,457 ✭✭✭ford2600


    dexty wrote: »
    ok, many thanks all for the replies.

    I do like for breakfast to have a big bowl of fruit with honey and fat free natural yogurt over it. What's that like? I know sugars are bad for you but the fruit and honey are natural sugars and its probably about 4 or 5 of my 5 a day! I found it better than having a bowl of sugar free Alpen and blueberries or porridge.

    Not an expert, but I ignore fat free products.

    Have proper yoghurt, some great one out there now.

    Eat plenty protein and good fats. Great for appetite suppression. Eggs beef etc are your friend!
    In training logs cycling sub forum have a read of I've joined a cult thread for a few ideas.

    Keep eating fruit and most importantly enjoy your food and bike. If your not the ideal weight according to some nonsense bmi calculation, so what.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,614 ✭✭✭BadCharlie


    Was going to say make sure you dont eat to much after your cycle. I always take a protein drink after a cycle or workout. And of course cut out the dink.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    BadCharlie wrote: »
    Was going to say make sure you dont eat to much after your cycle. I always take a protein drink after a cycle or workout. And of course cut out the dink.

    Yeah that was a big mistake I was making before. I'd do a good hard 3 hr stint on the bike, get home at 10pm and pig out thinking I had just burned off 1500 calories and had a free run to eat what I like and to help recover too.
    I tried protein shakes and don't find any advantage with them. I think Milk is much better!

    It's just a question of after that twice weekly tough 3 hr ride arriving home at 10pm (showering and going to bed then) how much is enough to recover (so my legs wont be dead next time) and loose weight at the same time?

    D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,234 ✭✭✭✭Cee-Jay-Cee


    I was 14st 2lbs for a long time and I'm 6ft in height. I decided in May 2012 to do something about it and bought a bike and changed my diet. I cut out bread completely and I started eating cereal and a yoghurt for breakfast, an apple or banana at lunch time and a proper dinner in the evening. I didn't eat anything after 8pm. I lost 2stone in 9 months. I cycled 2/3 times a week (30-50km spins) but it was my diet that helped with weight loss. I have stuck to the diet even though its not an actual diet, its simply the way I eat now. I have actually gained about 4lbs in recent months but I reckon it must be through muscle increase as I don't see it on myself anywhere but I'm cycling much more this year (50kms several times a week and 80+ at weekends) and my times on training loops have dropped.

    You need to exercise portion control especially at dinner time. Eat less but more often throughout the day and cut out bread completely (which I think contributed most to my weight loss)

    My cycling contributes nothing to my weight control and I do it purely because I love it and its healthy and more importantly it gets me out of the house for a few hours a few times a week.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,457 ✭✭✭ford2600


    Try a boiled egg with a little butter on top after next cycle. A few butter beans, chickpeas, nuts or whatever.
    No need to pig out and youll feel better.
    Btw everyone is different see what works for you, a liitle tweak here and there.

    Spent 10 hrs on bike yesterday. HUGE breakfast, a slice of banana cake after 4hrs, sandwich 4 hrs later a bag of nuts and a snickers bar. No gels or any sports drink I

    Had two eggs with a beautiful piece of chorizo sausage. Ravenous hunger gone


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,024 ✭✭✭Soarer


    1. Read this
    2. Give up carbs
    3. Give up sugar
    4. Enjoy watching the weight fall off

    You should have that as your sig!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 249 ✭✭longshank


    what is your goal? improved performance? just loose weight? there are 2 sides to the balance sheet calories in calories out. the balance between the two determines your weight control. if you want to improve performance drastic weight loss will prob mean not having the energy to improve performance. Or you can make a very slow adjustment and the gradual weight loss without adversely affecting performance performance. If you want to adjust slowly without adversely affecting performance too much you should look at increasing your BMR by splitting your sessions and training twice a day and hence increasing your metabolic rate throughout the day.
    Some would say it is impossible to loose weight and increase performance at same time due the calorie deficit.
    It's very much depends on your own goals/situation.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,778 ✭✭✭✭Inquitus


    Reading Charley Wegelus book it seems the Italian approach in the 90's was to eat nothing and fill yourself up with water, ymmv :p


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 15,704 ✭✭✭✭RayCun


    dexty wrote: »
    ok, many thanks all for the replies.

    I do like for breakfast to have a big bowl of fruit with honey and fat free natural yogurt over it. What's that like? I know sugars are bad for you but the fruit and honey are natural sugars and its probably about 4 or 5 of my 5 a day! I found it better than having a bowl of sugar free Alpen and blueberries or porridge.

    That's a massive amount of sugar in the morning, and no protein (or carbs)
    When do you next eat? I bet you're either snacking through the morning or have a big lunch, possibly both.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 68,173 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Calories, calories, calories. For the moment forget about what you eat and when you eat it. If you eat less than you burn, you'll lose weight. It's that simple.

    If you ask for advice on managing your diet, everyone will have their pet favourite regime - paleo, no-carb, little-and-often, no-fat, blah, blah, blah - ultimately they're all as good as eachother because they achieve the same goal of reducing your total caloric intake whether by directly reducing your intake or doing by modifying your habits.

    Do as said above, sign up for an online food diary, eat normally for a week and log your food habits. Look at your typical caloric intake for a day and compare it to how much you should be eating to lose some weight. Then look at the places that you can start cutting back. If you usually eat a large meal at one sitting because you're starving, then that's an indicator that your previous meal(s) are too small or too high in sugars. If you find yourself snacking between meals, then similarly it's because your last meal wasn't enough. Although often snacking develops into a habit which just needs to be broken.

    Eating is important for training, but the mistake a lot of us make is to assume that we can eat whatever we want cos we just did 100km. Rough rule of thumb - if you eat while on the bike, you only need a normal meal when you finish, no matter how famished you are.

    Also hydration. Don't underestimate the power of water. If you don't have a drink of water close to hand at all times, you're doing it wrong.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,909 ✭✭✭pprendeville


    I got a great book called Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald. Really good advice on weightloss. Just a few of the main things he mentions are not to go into calorie deficiency as this will wreck your training. Learn the difference between belly hunger and head hunger. Carbs are an absolute necessity for glycogen which fuels your training (more so at high intensity).

    From reading elsewhere Long slow distance training which should be done in the off season (or if you're not racing it can be done anytime) is a good way to burn calories. Training at Zone 2 (to understand training zones see here: http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/posts/2012/5/4/joe-friels-quick-guide-to-setting-zones.html) is ideal as the effort required is low enough so as not to use up carbs in the form of glycogen but instead to rely on fat as a fuel to burn. Can be boring but you could throw in some intervals like 3x3 min hard efforts and 10x15sec sprints, both with rest between each set and everything else in Z2.

    I recently did a fitness test in Trinity college and my body fat is 19% even though I've dropped my weight from 73kg in April to 66.5kg as of today. What I need to do to get rid of the spare tire is change the excess body fat into muscle so that means core workouts and also some LSD training during the winter and monitoring the diet carefully (less carbs in evening also unless I've done a hard training session).

    Two tips I learned are to use chocolate milk mixed with soya milk as a recovery drink after a ride. Google it. Also, instead of eating sanwiches (if you're a sandwich man) switch to whole grain tortillas. Throw in plenty of veg. Much better for weightloss and you can pack in more nutrition.

    Finally, a good article on the principles of weight loss: http://home.trainingpeaks.com/articles/nutrition/7-principles-of-healthy-weight-loss.aspx


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,300 ✭✭✭✭Seaneh


    Brian? wrote: »
    In Ireland an "accredited nutritionist" is an oxymoron. It's not a protected term.

    As Mr O'Brien would say, its like someone calling themselves a "toothieologist" and claiming to be qualified to look after your dental health.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    Carbs are an absolute necessity for glycogen which fuels your training (more so at high intensity).

    That's not always the case though, depending on your own body type/metabolism, you may see no great increase in glycogen from carb intake. This Article is specifically about 'carb loading', but there's other info out there that show some people (particularly diabetic and pre-diabetic -that is with a family history) will not process carbs in the same way.

    For the OP, I'd say that the 'dead legs' feeling from eating less carbs was possibly down to what they were replaced with rather than the actual 'lack' of carbs themselves, but then I'm no expert so take all advice here with a pinch of salt (or not, depending on your views on sodium...)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,860 ✭✭✭TinyExplosions


    Two tips I learned are to use chocolate milk mixed with soya milk as a recovery drink after a ride.

    Fuck soya milk, full fat proper milk all the way!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    longshank wrote: »
    what is your goal? improved performance? just loose weight? there are 2 sides to the balance sheet calories in calories out. the balance between the two determines your weight control. if you want to improve performance drastic weight loss will prob mean not having the energy to improve performance. Or you can make a very slow adjustment and the gradual weight loss without adversely affecting performance performance. If you want to adjust slowly without adversely affecting performance too much you should look at increasing your BMR by splitting your sessions and training twice a day and hence increasing your metabolic rate throughout the day.
    Some would say it is impossible to loose weight and increase performance at same time due the calorie deficit.
    It's very much depends on your own goals/situation.

    My goal is to improve performance in the longer climbs by loosing weight! I am climbing with fellas 2+ stone lighter than me and i can match them for speed apart from the long climbs or when we do get to the top of a steep section I am more puffed out than them and i think it has to be down to weight


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    RayCun wrote: »
    That's a massive amount of sugar in the morning, and no protein (or carbs)
    When do you next eat? I bet you're either snacking through the morning or have a big lunch, possibly both.

    Yeah you have a point there that I am conscious of. I don't intake any protein until well past midday. Sometimes evening. I did start taking a protein shake every morning but I didn't see any added benefit really. I should start with an omelette or scrambled eggs or the odd fry for a change to address that balance.

    Is having fruit the same as having sugar? Is this whole natural sugar v's refined sugar a misconception and that sugar is sugar regardless? Is it a case of 'well if u have to eat the sugar make it natural sugar'?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,495 ✭✭✭Zorba


    Tyler Hamilton used to drink lots and lots of sparkling water after a bike ride to keep the hunger away and fool his body into thinking he was full.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 180 ✭✭dexty


    That's not always the case though, depending on your own body type/metabolism, you may see no great increase in glycogen from carb intake. This Article is specifically about 'carb loading', but there's other info out there that show some people (particularly diabetic and pre-diabetic -that is with a family history) will not process carbs in the same way.

    For the OP, I'd say that the 'dead legs' feeling from eating less carbs was possibly down to what they were replaced with rather than the actual 'lack' of carbs themselves, but then I'm no expert so take all advice here with a pinch of salt (or not, depending on your views on sodium...)

    My dead legs was definetly down to lack of or no carbs, no doubt. I need to get the balance right. I generally like to come back from a ride spent knowing I put the effort in. Legs are empty so I need to replace the glycogen straight away in that 20-30 min window but need to know what is sufficient to do that and not have dead legs the next ride but at the same time is not too much to prevent weight loss!


Advertisement