Running/Cycling/Good diet but not much weight loss....

[kirkster]

Been a serious runner and cyclist in the past. Best 10k was 38 minutes. Natural physique is to be quite a strong and muscular sort and quite lean and can bench 80kg. I am 52, youthful with it. 17st8lb. Waist has gone out to 38" and started to snore last year my GF says. Need to sort this sh$$ out and lose 3 or 4 stone and get down to 32 - 34" again.

I cut out alcohol entirely since New Year's day for dry January. No snacking, no crisps, chocolate, no junk at all. Hard core 100%. Eating sensibly. Drinking lots of water. Diet really is sensible. No eating after 6PM other than some plain popcorn from my machine to snack on.

I have done 5 runs so far amounting to about 20 miles across 5 days. Additionally on Sunday I biked 30 miles. I hope to get back to my previous 60 milers with ease when it gets lighter.

Legs look a bit more muscular and I am sure I have come down a belt notch. Scales hardly moved though.... WTF! Why? No wonder people give up. Wonder if I am putting muscle on so weight is coming off but muscle gain outweighs it (literally!).

Whaddayreckon? Loads of people must have this issue?

 

[kirkster]

Thanks guys for your input.
The reason for my question is that in the last tear or so when I have made half-hearted attempts to "cut down" I have lost quite a few pounds in the first week or so. 10lb at least. And I was still drinking beer and diet not as good as I am on now. At the moment I am 100% on it, diet and exercise in good order, and i was expecting the weight to come off like before. But it hasn't...

 

[kirkster]

Thanks for all the tips guys. Yeah, point taken about water weight loss before etc. I just need to keep at it.

Did a 10k last night in 58min 34s which I was well chuffed at with me being 17st 7lb. It is a bit hard on my joints though at that weight and I'm hobbling a bit this morning. Will just do upper body weights later.

My immediate goal is 14stone 6 lb (200lb) which is a 3st or 42lb weight loss goal and hopefully 34" waist. By end of April.

 

[kirkster]

A few years ago I watched a documentary about Gary Barlow - the Take That dude. He has a history of weight gain and loss. He said that now he is older, he simply has to accept that food portions have be much smaller and he and to eat less if he is to remain slim.

I also read somewhere that the human body (all primates to be exact) is remarkably efficient and that we actually do no need that much food to survive on. Had that not been the case, and we needed thousands of calories every day like we can so easily get now, we would have died out on the plains of Africa millions of years ago. It's actually a GOOD thing from a life science aspect that we don't need that much food. However, for people who have put weight on (c'est moi), it is not so good.......

 

[kirkster]

Don't do too much running too quickly or you'll really regret it!

I started running last year to train for triathlons. I'm very fit anyway, but never ran. After going out and doing numerous 10ks each week, my knees very quickly said nope! It takes time for your joints etc to get used to it, even if you are fit already and can run the distance comfortably.

Yep, agreed - very aware of that. No more running now until Saturday or Sunday and even then it'll be 2 or 3 miles.