What scales do you have? Are you not concerned that your weight changes by 5lbs in 24 hours? (Assuming your weighing at the same time every day?) Doesn't look right to me?
*** Big Fat Weight Loss Thread ***
- Thread starter AndyCr15
- Start date
I'd be tempted in looking to get some new ones maybe? (You can get ones that give a rough idea of body fat % too, for around £25 I think.) Weight does fluctuate, but if you're weighing after getting out of bed each morning, I'd be really surprised to see more than 1lb movement in 24 hours. If I did a really big ride one day, it might move 2lbs the next morning, but 5lbs would worry me. (if I weight right after a ride, I can see maybe 4lbs at most, but then as I hydrate and eat, some of that weight comes back) What does anyone else think? What does anyone else that weighs day to day see?
Do you have access to any other scales to get an idea of accuracy? Tbf, there's also an argument that the actual figure isn't important if you can see things trending the right way...
Do you have access to any other scales to get an idea of accuracy? Tbf, there's also an argument that the actual figure isn't important if you can see things trending the right way...
That's really well done, as it looks like you lost fat and also gained bulk, which seems quite tricky to do... well, maybe only because I've been too quick at it I guess. I dropped calories quite significantly when I lost weight and I lost a lot of 'bulk' (muscle) at the same time. I guess if you do it at a steadier pace, it's easier to 'convert' the mass?
Mind you, I have wondered about intentionally dropping some muscle off as it makes cycling so much easier. I've wondered about cancelling my gym membership, but I don't know I actually want to 'look' like a cycling
Mind you, I have wondered about intentionally dropping some muscle off as it makes cycling so much easier. I've wondered about cancelling my gym membership, but I don't know I actually want to 'look' like a cycling
Ooof, that's gonna be tough. I'm almost the same age as you (47 now) and my experience is it really slows down around the 20% point. I came down from 36% to 19% I think was the lowest. I put a bit back on, up to 24% and I'm finding it quite hard to come back down. I've lost 12 lbs since new year, but it's telling me I'm still around 22% right now
Do you know what you were when you started? (The pic on the left?)
I assume you're not really trying to lose more weight if you're actively eating back exercise calories though? On a non 'big' exercise day (so, maybe less than 1,000 burnt) I tend to try and stay on calorie target, maybe an extra 200 or 300, even when I feel hungry. On a big day (2,000+ cals burnt) I tend to let my stomach have more say in when I eat. Even then, it's usually only about 1,000 cals over target, so a nice deficit still (and target is a small deficit already).
This week has been odd for me. I've stayed at 215lbs for most of the week having binged quite badly at a party on Saturday, had a real tough indoor cycle session last night and this morning I've finally dropped 3lbs! I'm sure a little of that will come back tomorrow as I hydrate more, mind you, I was... err... at my lightest when I weighed this morning, when I couldn't make myself my lightest other mornings. That makes it just over a stone lost since New Year.
Mallorca cycling in 3 weeks now, well on track for under 210 lbs by then. Then targeting the Alps in late June. I don't know when it will plateau though...? I think I probably wouldn't want to go any lower than 202lbs (14½ stone) but I don't know I can get that low anyway!
This week has been odd for me. I've stayed at 215lbs for most of the week having binged quite badly at a party on Saturday, had a real tough indoor cycle session last night and this morning I've finally dropped 3lbs! I'm sure a little of that will come back tomorrow as I hydrate more, mind you, I was... err... at my lightest when I weighed this morning, when I couldn't make myself my lightest other mornings.
That makes it just over a stone lost since New Year.Mallorca cycling in 3 weeks now, well on track for under 210 lbs by then. Then targeting the Alps in late June. I don't know when it will plateau though...? I think I probably wouldn't want to go any lower than 202lbs (14½ stone) but I don't know I can get that low anyway!
Ahh, I see. Yeah, kind of the plan I have for my cycling weekend coming up in 3 weeks. I don't think it's as extreme as your run, but I'm conscious I might have to go at a higher pace than I'm used to and it's also 5 straight days (3 big days and 2 small) of possibly higher intensity, so with a week to go I was planning to up my calories (and probably lessen the riding) to try and be ready for the trip.
It's interesting. I was always large, not necessarily 'fat'. I played American Football from 13 to 36ish, where having strength and some weight behind you was often of benefit, so I was lifting weights since 13. It's only recently when I had started to get, let's call it 'too big' so I started cycling and watching what I ate. When the weight started coming off so easily, I was overjoyed. Then I realised how different my body looked. For example, my shoulders in the bathroom mirror, looked like they'd just vanished! It wasn't just fat I was losing, it was muscle mass. I was a little uncomfortable with this at first. Like part of my identity was being that 'big guy'. Well, now my identity has changed I guess. I still don't see myself as a 'cyclist' but I'm at piece with dropping weight, even to the point I wondered about closing my gym membership as I don't 'need' upper body strength as much these days. In fact, it just slows me down up the hills
I do struggle to let go though and I'm kind of in this limbo, not a 'big guy' but also not a 'cyclist'...
Yeah, definitely feel better for it. Just walking up a flight of stairs could be quite hard at my previous size, now slimmed down and much fitter, it's a better way to be for sure. I have a bad back and bad knees, both of which give me less problems at the lighter weight.
When you say you can't maintain it, you mean you keep eating over? To me that seems really low? Especially if you're still gaining weight?! Are you sure it's accurate? Are you weighing portions? Counting everything (you know, milk in tea etc). When I was down at that amount I was losing a stone a month.... (I cycled most days too, but only about 40 minutes)
Yeah... I don't think I could last eating just that I would be super hungry later on in the day... I'm sure a lot of the hunger thing is psychological, but it's still not nice and makes it hard for me to sleep too...
I would be super hungry later on in the day... I'm sure a lot of the hunger thing is psychological, but it's still not nice and makes it hard for me to sleep too...
Yeah, good point. I'm currently down at 96kg. (Started at 138)
I do understand this argument, I guess I feel it's an odd angle to come at it if your main purpose is to lose weight. It's almost like trying to improve your cars mileage by removing the spare tyre from the boot. It's a very small lever when there are much bigger levers to pull. I do totally understand there are many other benefits to lifting though (I went myself this morning, for example).
Some really good and interesting discussion though, nice
Agreed. My current target is 2,200 on days with no/low exercise.
I'm guessing, losing weight isn't your only objective though or you would be doing cardio instead of lifting? So, I personally would probably stick at what you're doing. I would be worried about losing muscle mass if you go for a bigger deficit. As asked above, do you have the occasional day where you go a few more cals? I like to, maybe once a week, have a day where I see myself as filling up the tank again. I'm no expert though, just my thoughts
I think it's an interesting discussion, I would love to see a study on it if it's taken place. I think (as stated recently in this thread) the logic is bigger muscles take more calories to maintain, so you burn more day to day. Personally, it seems a rather roundabout way to do it. For purely losing weight, I can't believe an hour lifting is as beneficial as an hour on the indoor cycle trainer on an intense workout. Throw in the added fitness gains from cycling (or running) and it just seems to make sense to me. It's also great that, again personally, I can cycle for 4 or 5 hours and really enjoy it at the same time as burning up to 3,000 calories in a morning.
For the record, I lift too, once or twice a week, but for losing weight I think cardio is the faster way to go.
They can be, because you can put as much effort into either. I would be surprised to see someone maintain a heart rate average of 160 bpm for an hour lifting though, but it happens often cycling. I think I watched a video saying effectively you breath out the the weight loss?! Is it the CO2 that is a by product of the muscle that gets breather out? They talked about generally the faster you're breathing, the better it is for weight loss. Does that make sense? Does anyone know the science of it to confirm or deny it? I would say I definitely don't see people breathing as hard lifting weights as I do cycling.
That's interesting. I assume though, that a high intensity cardio session will do it equally as well, if not more so?
(Again, I'm not against lifting, I've been lifting for 30+ years, but I didn't lose weight until I started cycling 3 years ago)
I get this and agree with this. I just wonder it's not so simple. For example, I used to weigh over 21 stone. I didn't move much because it was so tiring! So how does a sedentary big guy compare to an active smaller guy? I would guess the smaller guy would burn more? When I started cycling, even as I came down through the 19 and 18 stone mark, I just couldn't cycle as far as I can now as I was not fit enough to move that much weight up and down hills. So, yes, I would burn more for the same exercise, but that exercise was quite limited.
I think your average heart rate is probably a better indicator than a snapshot at the end of your workout when the given goal is to purely lose weight, surely? (Which is the goal I was discussing)
Yes, exactly, which is why I said I assumed you weren't just looking to lose weight
One thing I've heard a few times is if you cycle a lot, you should try and have a run now and then as it helps with muscle and bone density. I hate running, but with this in mind, I do try and run now and then...
As with some of the reasoning above around lifting weights and varying your input and output to your body, I think exercising in different ways is the best way to go for overall health. I just think if someone said 'you need to lose 3kg in 2 weeks' I would not go the gym and be cycling every day
Agreed! It just feels so uncomfortable to me I do find it gives me a higher average HR than cycling, I guess because it generally is harder, but I can't maintain it for very long, so never burn as many cals running. It's good for rainy or freezing days though...
I do find it gives me a higher average HR than cycling, I guess because it generally is harder, but I can't maintain it for very long, so never burn as many cals running. It's good for rainy or freezing days though...
Maybe I should have put the 'just' in bold and italics?
I think you guys that lose weight and maintain muscle do a great job. It wasn't something I thought much about when I started and by the time I realised what was happening, it was too late really. In the end, I just accepted that losing weight in a dramatic way like I was, I was changing body type and it was a new me
I think you guys that lose weight and maintain muscle do a great job. It wasn't something I thought much about when I started and by the time I realised what was happening, it was too late really. In the end, I just accepted that losing weight in a dramatic way like I was, I was changing body type and it was a new me
Wow, that seems a lot?! What does this do exactly, or more importantly, when is this for? For me it would be around 900g of carbs! Are you saying this is over a two day period? My average at the moment is about 350g a day. Also, is this on the theoretical instance that your entire body needs a refill?
I've definitely had days where I've felt I just don't have fuel in the tank. With a big cycle trip coming, I want to make sure I start fully fuelled