Help losing 20 lbs

[Tom Officer]

I went the wrong way today

187.44 @ 30%

No soup for you! Try working out in the pm and skip dinner

[adriano]

thats got to be an industrial scale to give you readings near 200 pounds to the hundredth. if its not, i wouldnt stress any changes it tells you less than a third of a pound. really, unless your routine before weighing is identical, i wouldnt worry about changes from any scale less than as much as three pounds.

[AntLockyer]

Tom I actually wonder if the weight training this week made me heavier :)

I weigh myself in kilos and x by 2.2 hence the 2dp. My routine is the same each day as I weigh myself at the same time after my morning activity.

[Tom Officer]

Get on the rollers or trainer for 15 minutes after doing weights and get a good sweat going, I've noticed the same thing when doing weights, not sure why, water retention maybe

[christian]

168.0

[962]

Speaking of water weight, within only last week my weight fluctuated to both extremes of +/- 3% (after a lot of sweating; and trying to drink several L of water a day on the other end and before peeing). The body fat measurement seems to fluctuate in a range of 2 to 3% in nominal terms with things like whether the inner skin of my thighs on either side is touching. So I don't put much stock in daily measurements... I might if my diet were very regular as well as my activity throughout each day. Heck in the last six months I've seen everything in a range of +/- 4% or more and I don't look physically different really.

[christian]

I have found that a willingness to eat exactly the same food at breakfast and lunch every day, as well as an identical snack, has helped me more easily track my calorie consumption. It wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure the denizens ofthe foodie sub-forum consider it abhorrent, but I'm happy with oatmeal and an egg for breakfast and chicken breast with rice or potato for lunch every (work) day. Simplify, simplify, simplify. (Should note I can only keep this up for two-three weeks before I mix it up and introduce new foods.)

[Tom Officer]

Speaking of water weight, within only last week my weight fluctuated to both extremes of +/- 3% (after a lot of sweating; and trying to drink several L of water a day on the other end and before peeing). The body fat measurement seems to fluctuate in a range of 2 to 3% in nominal terms with things like whether the inner skin of my thighs on either side is touching. So I don't put much stock in daily measurements... I might if my diet were very regular as well as my activity throughout each day. Heck in the last six months I've seen everything in a range of +/- 4% or more and I don't look physically different really.

I hear you, but remember we don't have any other way of tracking things on a daily basis. Fitness always varies depending on the amount and type of training so it's tough to get a handle on it. But weight is so integral to your performance on a bike that you really can't ignore it. Compared to measuring your calorie intake every day, it's a heck of a lot easier to step on the scale at the start of the day and track it. Sure you're going to have big fluctuations if you look at weight at different times of the day when you're riding, but I think most everyone here is taking their weight in the morning and tracking just that measurement. If I see a variation of more than 1 or 2%, I know it has to do with me and what I ate or didn't.

[Tom Officer]

I have found that a willingness to eat exactly the same food at breakfast and lunch every day, as well as an identical snack, has helped me more easily track my calorie consumption. It wouldn't work for everyone, and I'm sure the denizens ofthe foodie sub-forum consider it abhorrent, but I'm happy with oatmeal and an egg for breakfast and chicken breast with rice or potato for lunch every (work) day. Simplify, simplify, simplify. (Should note I can only keep this up for two-three weeks before I mix it up and introduce new foods.)

When I'm on my best behavior this is exactly what I do as well.

[962]

I hear you, but remember we don't have any other way of tracking things on a daily basis. Fitness always varies depending on the amount and type of training so it's tough to get a handle on it. But weight is so integral to your performance on a bike that you really can't ignore it. Compared to measuring your calorie intake every day, it's a heck of a lot easier to step on the scale at the start of the day and track it. Sure you're going to have big fluctuations if you look at weight at different times of the day when you're riding, but I think most everyone here is taking their weight in the morning and tracking just that measurement. If I see a variation of more than 1 or 2%, I know it has to do with me and what I ate or didn't.

Maybe I shouldn't have said I didn't take stock in daily measurements, because I know pretty well what meals and activity and time of day will do to my weight since I weigh myself all the time out of curiosity more than anything and have an idea of my representative weight that way. Rather, I just don't consider the day-to-day trend... I'll certainly notice trends in that representative weight from week to week or month to month, though.

[Tom Officer]

I'm enjoying this thread, Tom. You guys are brave to post your numbers.

But what about the risk of osteoporosis for older athletes who diet? I participated in a bone density study at UConn Med Center in the 90’s and here are two facts: men do get it, and elite-level cyclists are prone to it.

Keith McCormick, a chiropractor in Amherst, has written books on osteoporosis as well as a guide for training and competition for older athletes. He was an Olympic Pentathlete, medaled at the worlds, and is now an Ironman triathlete. He suffers from osteoporosis (and is a damn good chiropractor).

You can be a very strong cyclist with 5-10 extra pounds around your middle. But you can’t ride very well with broken bones.

Checked out his stuff and some other info, definitely something to be aware of. Glad I do core and weight stuff once a week during the season and 2 or 3 times in the fall and winter. Seemed like the weight bearing exercise had a heck of a lot more to do with prevention than diet does. Thanks for the tip.

[AntLockyer]

186.67 and 29.7%

I was not a good boy yesterday I ate a big fried breakfast. Back to oatmeal for me today.

[962]

But weight is so integral to your performance on a bike that you really can't ignore it.

So what do you think it is? I feel like I know my optimal weight, but is it a proper sign of glycogen stores, or muscle mass, or something else? Thanks.

[Tom Officer]

So what do you think it is? I feel like I know my optimal weight, but is it a proper sign of glycogen stores, or muscle mass, or something else? Thanks.

Good question! I don't know the answer, other that in the context of cycling it's the weight that you go the fastest at.

[Tom Officer]

149.4 / 10.3 ……I was ready to give up a few days ago. Stick with it the rest of you.

[christian]

Nice job, Tom.

[AntLockyer]

149.4 / 10.3 ……i was ready to give up a few days ago. Stick with it the rest of you.

nice!

[wbarocsi]

Hi Folks,
I'm new to the thread, but have been following the thread since it started. My weight has been gradually inching up since I stopped racing in the late '90s.
Multiple factors finally hit home, including a heart attack in a close relative about my age, who is thinner and more active than I was. Plus hills were no fun and it is harder to be taken seriously as a bicycle industry professional at 210 lbs and 5'9
I've increased my riding from about 100 /wk to about 175-210, which burns enough calories to eat a reasonable meal. The riding, and small changes like changing from an egg sandwich and coffee to oatmeal in the AM was enough for the first 15 lbs. Then it got harder, so I dropped almost all meat,eggs, cheese, pasta, everything fried, limited alcohol and coffee. The next 15 came off. I'm eating mostly vegetables at breakfast and lunch now. There are still about 15 lbs to go before I'm back to racing weight, but the goal is getting closer.
The vegetarian diet helped a bunch. I'm determined continue, and maintain weight for through the winter for the next riding season.

Don't give up, but do re-evaluate your diet if continued loss is getting harder.

Good Luck
Wade Barocsi
CycleDesignUSA.com

[Tom Officer]

Great story Wade! Must be tough being in the bike biz and getting the look from the skinny ones. When I was big I never told anyone I used to race, except for one occasion. An architect came to my biz with a couple of bikes on his roof rack, I casually mentioned that I used to race, he looked at me like I was from Mars! Same look e-richie gave when I hadn't seen him in a few years. Now that you're skinny, don't forget what it used to be like!

[AntLockyer]

186.67 and 29.7%

186.34 and 29.7%