Cycling and food for weight loss (fat loss)

SubLuminal

Hey folks. So I'm trying to get a bit fitter, a bit trimmer, and seeing as I already really like bikes, i've started doing regular (daily) spins around phoenix park, around 20k or so (although today I felt good so I did nearer to 40 according to mapmyride.com). Now this is all well and good, but I want to make sure I'm not wasting my work by eating the wrong things, so I was hoping some people could give me advice on what to eat, and when?

Example,

Day before yesterday, for breakfast I had an omelette with some green and red peppers and a few thin slices of cheese melted on top and a strong coffee. Then went and did 21k around the park. Came back and had a 0% fat yogurt, oxtail soup with 2 slices bread (brown, high fibre) and then for dinner had chicken breast with brown rice and roast vegtables. Through the day I had a bunch of coffees and a couple of apples but didn't really keep track of them. No sugar in the coffee. Canderel. 0% fat milk.

Today, I had a few (3?) slices of brown high fibre bread and a strong coffee, did about 40k, came back and had a 0 fat yogurt, oxtail soup (no bread) and some fish sticks (cue south park jokes, I know) and some apples.

So basically, to lose weight, am I eating sensibly? I've tried to cut out processed food, and bought healthy things like lean meat, brown rice, flora 'light' instead of butter, etc. What would you guys reccomend as with regards to brekfast, lunch and dinner?

I just don't want to waste my excercise by eating more/eating the wrong things because I'm hungry. Today after that 40k a few hours ago I still feel hungry despite the oxtail soup, 2 coffees and a cup of tea, a pint of water, an apple, 5 or 6 fish sticks, etc.. I know that to lose weight/burn fat I have to use more calories than I consume, but how do I cope with being hungry all the time, and arent I supposed to load up with carbs after a big long cycle? How do I balance this against trying to run a calorie deficit?

Also trying to cut out beer which is the real bastard.

Sugar I don't miss so much.

mloc123

Are you counting cals? Thats the only way to do it imo, eating well is important but make sure you are not over eating on good food... not saying you are.

cals in < cals out = weight loss

jwshooter

your doing 40km on the bike ,the thing is you might burn 300cals or 600 + depending on how hard you go .

SubLuminal

Not really. No idea how i'd start doing this.. I see those kCal things on food but don't really know what it means. Whats a kCal vs. a normal calorie? And how would I measure what I'm burning, calorie wise, on the bike?

SubLuminal

jwshooter wrote: »

your doing 40km on the bike ,the thing is you might burn 300cals or 600 + depending on how hard you go .

Going pretty hard. Certainley faster than anyone else I see on a bike around phoenix park, but maybe they're out for longer.

mloc123

kCal is a calorie, avg male burns 2200-2500 a day + cycling. You can find calculators online to work out your daily rate based on height, weight etc..

Once you have your daily rate, working out how much you burn cycling.. have you a HRM? Rough estimate.. 1hr moderate cycling = 500 cals.

A pound of fat is 3500cals, so if you daily rate is 2500 and you cycle 500 a day thats 3000. Eat 2500 a day and you'll lose a pound a week. The most you should aim for is 2 pounds a week, anything more will be muscle and water.

daragh_

For what it's worth - I've lost a Stone since March/April by increasing the length of my Sunday spins. Started on flat 20ks - up to 100k in the hills. Didn't change my diet to any great degree (as weight loss wasn't my goal) apart from eating a good deal more porridge and bananas for fuel and laying off wine/beer a little.

So for me it's been distance with hills. Lots of Hills. Not very scientific - sorry.

ROK ON

SubLuminal wrote: »

Going pretty hard. Certainley faster than anyone else I see on a bike around phoenix park, but maybe they're out for longer.

You aint seen me then :-)

Count your cals. Start a food diary.
For my weight most website calorie burn calculators suggest about 700cals burned per hour of hard effort.
I would eat some good carbs post exercise as its filling.
The one thing I would say is that 20k daily should take maybe 45mins. But your body needs to warm up to actually burn calories. So you are not doing 45mins fatburning .

Maybe go on 2 3hour rides as opposed to 20k daily?

kennyb3

Unless you are starting from a base where you ve very little to lose once you make certain changes such as those below you should see the weight fall off.

- reduce snacks, take aways and beer
- eating wholemeal bread pasta etc
- eat protein with every meal
- dont eat sugary breakfast cereals.

Your diet of the last 2 days sounds good, the only reason id guess you re hungry is that you d usually eat a good bit more and have made a big overall diet change, or do you think its the cycling alone?

Also make sure the 0% fat youghurt is low in calories also - some of the 0% ones are 150cals or so. Not huge but they add up over a week, and are actually worse than a small chocolate bar

Banana's are a godsend for filling you up while being healthy, an apple doesnt fill me at all. mix up your fruits. Id eat a banana, an apple and an orange everyday during the week - im lazy at the weekend

And if you feel you ve eaten enough but are still hungry i generally munch on slices/pieces of lean meat - low cals and good protein to help the legs are cycles.

switch to super milk too, lower fat and more vitamins.

You should be fine, just keep up the cycling and make a few small changes but you can still eat plenty and not starve and lose weight quickly.

SubLuminal

Cool. Thanks for the info guys. I'm not sure how long my runs are taking me but I think its longer than 45 mins. I was out for a few hours today doing 40k for sure. I'll time them in future and report back!

What I'm getting so far is that I need to start learning about calories and working out what i'm intaking/using. I've not a clue what a HRM is, at a guess heart rate monitor? I know from going to a gym years ago that when I'm excercising my heart rate goes up very high, over 180, and that's normal for me, about a decade and a half ago I was quite fit as a teenager and ran for my county back in England so hopefully i've still got some ability left waiting to be unearthed again!

Glad to hear from someone else who took the unscientific approach I have until now and that it worked (cycle lots, stop eating crap, cut back on booze and sugar) - I have already noticed a bit of a difference over the last week or so comparing the belly before and after using a pair of shorts I wear a lot as a reference point - either they're stretching or I'm slimming, either way there's defo less of an 'overhang'

Thanks for the replies folks!

SubLuminal

ROK ON wrote: »

You aint seen me then :-)

What do you look like? Would be cool to make some cycling friends. Maybe I can get a tow off your back wheel

ROK ON

SubLuminal wrote: »

What do you look like? Would be cool to make some cycling friends. Maybe I can get a tow off your back wheel

I'm feckin gorgeous, but I don't go to the park to meet people. Some do and no shame in that either.
;-)

Blowfish

You already seem to have the basics, but this is worth a read if you haven't already.

SubLuminal wrote: »

Day before yesterday, for breakfast I had an omelette with some green and red peppers and a few thin slices of cheese melted on top and a strong coffee. Then went and did 21k around the park. Came back and had a 0% fat yogurt,

I'd be careful about that. Lot's of stuff that's listed as 0% fat is stuffed with sugar instead, making it pretty useless in the long run. Your best bet is to go for natural (unflavoured) yogurt and stick Strawberries/rasberries/blackberries/blueberries etc. in it for flavour.

Today, I had a few (3?) slices of brown high fibre bread and a strong coffee, did about 40k, came back and had a 0 fat yogurt, oxtail soup (no bread) and some fish sticks (cue south park jokes, I know) and some apples.

Brown bread is quite often 'simple' carbs so wont fill you up for long. Wholemeal bread is far better, personally I like the McCambridges stuff.

but how do I cope with being hungry all the time, and arent I supposed to load up with carbs after a big long cycle? How do I balance this against trying to run a calorie deficit?

Usually it's before a long cycle that you'd load up on carbs, but in your case you might want to avoid that as If your body has less energy from carbs hanging around, it'll tend to burn more fat instead.

The one thing I'd say overall though about your diet is that you are actually missing out on 'good' fat. Avoiding the crap processed fat is a good thing, but 'good' fats are pretty much a necessity. You should add in stuff like fish, nuts, seeds, olive oil etc.

DualFrontDiscs

Knocking alcohol on the head is one of the easiest ways of losing weight.

Loads of empty calories and a tendency to snack.

I think porridge is the best breakfast. I make it up with soya milk, some seeds, nuts and frozen fruit. Keeps me going to lunch time (no snacking) and is definitely good for you. I use a small ramekin as a measure and that works well for me.

As has already been posted, eating good food is only going to help you lose weight if you're watching your overall intake.

DFD.

Lumen

Don't drink, cycle lots, embrace the hunger.

Mosiki

To lose weight you need to burn off more calories than you take in, you dont have to have it as an exact science but keeping track is the best way to manage it.

For every pound you weigh, multiply by 10. This is the amount of calories you need each day for internal organs, breathing, sitting on your ass, etc. If you move around a little walking here and there, mental arithmetic, etc add on half this again. For a person who doesnt exercise this is the amount they would burn in a day.

For exercising you estimate that:
1 hr bike = 600 cals
1 hr running = 800 cals
1 hr walking = 400 cals
1 hr weights = 450 cals

above are medium intensity, and vary a little depending on your weight but are good estimates.

Eg. A 12 stone (168lb) person, who cycles one hour every day will burn the following calories:

168 x 10 = 1680
1680 x 0.5 = 840
1 hr bike = 600

Total = 3120 cals

To lose weight they need to take in less than 3120 cals, i would estimate about 80 - 90% as a starting point and see how you feel.

To maintain energy for the exercising you need to eat energy foods early in the day, and at lunch such as grains (high fibre bread, brown rice, cereals, oats, etc). These give slow release fuel to keep you going longer and stop hunger pangs from causing snacks on junk food. Eat as much veg as you like, the darker the colour the more nutritious, top 3 are spinach, red pepper and rommaine lettuce.

Its fine to have a bar of chocolate once a day if exercising and eating healthy everywhere else, just count its calories and add it to your daily intake.

For how many calories each thing you eat is go to mypyramid.com, it will give you a good idea. You enter in the food and it tells you the calorific content. Simply plan your meals and plan your exercise, hey presto.

Another good estimate is:
1g Fat = 9 cal
1g Carbs = 4 cals
1g Protein = 4 Cals
1g Alcohol = 7 cals

You still need some fats though, good ones like olive oil, avocado, dairy products are good in moderation as they also have lots of calcium. Beware of soups as they can have a high salt content.

neris

I started cycling to loose weight. But hardly dropped any weight but have become leaner and trimmer. You,ll build muscle as you cycle but you will burn off fat on your waist, hips, thighs etc. Your better off loosing inches then pounds if your cycling or working out because its developing muscle. try www.fitday,com to get an idea of your calorie intake vs energy use

Ant

Last year, I got back into cycling partly to lose weight. I'd put on 10 kilos over 5 years and that had to stop. My sweet tooth was my downfall so I cut out all the pastries, chocolate biscuits, bars, Haagen Dazs, etc. and replaced them with fresh fruit, nuts, and dried fruit. After cycling 2000km over last summer I was disappointed to only have lost 1kg. However, I did go back down to a 30" waist from a 32".

I had an injury which stopped me cycling from mid-October until the start of April this year but I kept up the diet as I'd since lost the lust for sugary foods. I recently weighed myself and discovered that I'd lost a further 4kg so my BMI is back down to a reasonable amount.:D

While trying to lose weight, I used to get caught out by the bonk where on long cycles I'd literally run out of energy because I hadn't eaten enough carbohydrates beforehand and while cycling. I'm personally not committed enough to count calories as I like to enjoy my food but experience (trial and error) will teach how much fuel you need to be taking in on a cycle. To be on the safe side, I always bring more bananas and nutri-grain bars than I think I'll need. (On a ride, I might go faster or for longer than I originally planned). However, I did get caught out the first time I cycled in Wicklow this year: climbing hills uses up a lot more energy than flat cycling.

nak

The daily plate in the livestrong website is great for working out how many calories you intake each day. Can take a bit of time, but worth doing for a couple of days to get an idea of how much you actually need to be eating.

manwithaplan

My very unscientific approach.

I am 5' 11" and I have lost about a stone (from 13 st to 12 st) in the last 6 weeks and a good bit has come off my waist. In an odd way, thinking of myself as a "cyclist" has contributed as much as the actual cycling. I have really only added a long sunday morning spin (usually with hills) to my commuter cycling but I have deluded myself into believing I am an "athlete" (!) and that has helped with controlling my diet.

I do not count calories and I have not given up the few pints. Porridge for breakfast with a slice of brown toast. Nothing with the coffee at 11. Some class of a sandwich or salad at lunchtime (not particularly avoiding anything but keeping the portion size down). Dinner in the evening - again not going overboard on the portion size and staying away from processed stuff. A piece of fruit here and there also. Bottle of beer/glass of wine in front of the telly about 3 nights a week and 4-5 pints on a weekend night (maybe a couple of pints another night too if I have something on). I don't succumb to the urge to head to the chipper or hit the fridge afterwards.

I am hungry when I wake up, famished at lunchtime and pretty hungry at dinner time. It's fine though and (I think) sustainable. It's not that big a deal to be hungry for an hour or two and I don't notice it when I am busy. I just can't be arsed devising an eating plan, keeping a food diary, counting calories etc. (no criticism intended of those that do).

Another tip. This is the first time I have said anything to anyone about it (although my wife has obviously noticed and mentioned it). Don't become a fitness/diet bore!

mc2000

First of all, good luck with the weight loss, it's a good goal to have, and it can help lots of areas - for me, I managed to drop 1.5 - 2 stone about 3 years ago - I'd been back racing about 3 years at that stage, but it was only when I changed what I ate that I was able to shift the weight. I didn't really change the amount of food I ate, but I did change what I ate. It took me 6 months to get rid of it, and the first month is the hardest 'cos your trying to change habits. A low fat diet will also help with getting cholestrol down, and for me it helped back pain I had as well (your back is levering a lighter gut - this is usually where you'll see the weight come)

For me, I didn't go calorie counting, but I did listen to / try out a few simple techniques when I was changing my diet:

- 5% rule - check the labels on the sides of the food, if they've more than 5% fat (esp sat. fat) try to cut these down/out

- in work, avoid the canteen, this is usually full of gunk/impulse junk food. Bring in a packed lunch, every day, with good stuff in it

- in your weekly shop, stop buying the junkie sweet foods, or heavy sugary foods - just stop the stuff getting into the shelves in your house, so you don't go bingeing on it when you come in after a spin or you're hungry. For me, the biggest impulse eat I had was eating a pack of hob-nob biscuits, or 4 muffins, after I came in from a spin. If other folks in the house insist on having rubbish in the presses, try to stuff all the crap into a different press on its own, and try not to go near that press

- a lot of this is habit-forming, you're trying to change you're old habit for a new one, this takes time, it'll take 3-4weeks ("21 days to form a habit") to try to get rid of your "taste" for sugar / butter

- if you've a sweet tooth, replace sweet snacks with: raisins, cherry tomatoes, bananas, fresh fruits - these are all complex sugars, slow release, and better than simple sugars which give a fast release, with a sugar high, but then soon after a sugar low, the sugar low being where you go and impulse eat again

- sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually thirsty - drink lots of water.

- try to eat your main meal in the middle of the day if you can

- I've read here and there that longer spins, at a moderate heart rate, are better at burning fat deposits than say short, sharp high HR spins. If I remember correctly, as you cycle, your body burns thru 2 types of stores - your carbohydrates [e.g. the energy drink you brought with you on your spin, the banana you ate just before your spin] and your fat deposits [the stuff that makes your belly stick out]. As your HR goes high, your body goes more for the carbs and less for the fats, but as your HR is more moderate [but not a low/resting hr, you're still pushing it and noticing your making an effort] your body goes for the fat stores, especially on a longer spin, and as others have note, esp on hills

- definite no-nos to cut out are - pastries, muffins and so on - all these have margarine/butter in them, with loads of stodgey fat; biscuits [e.g. hob nobs, digestives], cheese, butter, margarine, sugar in tea/coffee, anything with loads-a-fat in the side lablel of the box

- diferentiate between bad fats [high saturated and so on] and "good fats", or plant fats; a generalism I've heard is stuff from plants isn't as bad [and helps with lower cholestorol] than animal fats

- protein fills you up, and gives you more of a sense of being full

- in the initial stages of trying to form this new habit, don't be too hard on yourself, try not to feel that you're on a "crash" diet, you're probably trying to change habits that you've built up for years [for me I'd been eating this crap since I was 17 until 35, and then I noticed I'd gone 2 stone over what I'd been for most of my adult life, and had to try to change that]. Your goal is 6 months down the line, you've to make sustainable changes that are ingrained in your behaviour and get rid or "overlearn" your old behaviour.

- tell others in your house [but not everyone you know] that you have these goals (of changing diet habits, losing weight, increasing exercise), get their support, or at least make them aware what you're trying to do, so that they might make an effort to put all the crap stuff into a different press

- as you loose the weight, you need also to keep your exercise up, and even increase it if you can, and you're going to notice big difference to how you feel in training. For me, losing 2 stone helped loads in getting up hills [not that I'm an Andy Schleck now by any means], and it also helped with back pain I'd had for a while. You're going to feel lighter, stronger, and faster.

DualFrontDiscs

More tips:

1. Don't eat anything your grandmother wouldn't recognise (assume your grandmother was well travelled)

2. Don't eat cereals that change the colour of the milk.

3. Eat mainly plants.

4. Think of meat as a side dish, not a main course.

5. Eat food that you have to prepare, not just heat.

6. Get smaller plates.

7. Don't eat foods whose ingredients list looks like a chemist wrote it up.

http://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/unhappy-meals/

cantalach

I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, or cycling coach. I have, however, read an awful lot of stuff written by people who are, and the following is very much in line with my own experience and that of my wife. So for what it's worth...

A key consideration when talking about weight loss from cycling is the intensity at which you're exercising. Longer spins at low intensity will shift more fat than shorter spins at high intensity - even when the total calorie expenditure for both sessions is roughly the same.

The body uses a radically different balance of metabolic processes at different intensities. During high intensity exercise, a much higher % of the energy requirement is obtained from glycogen (stored carbohydrate) than from fat.

The upshot is that the way you eat post-exercise and your body's response to what you eat is quite different after a two hour cruise at 450kcal/h than after a one hour 'balls out' turbo session at 900kcal/h.

Bottom line: if you want to lose weight, ride long rather than hard!

El.duderino

Joe average. I have lost nearly 10kg in past year. Now in good bmi and few odd kg,s I,d love to lose. Man-boobs! mini ones all thats left

Breakfast
Muesli (Tastes better than porridge) Aldi have a new one thats full of berrys/nuts/seeds etc very good value.
Shredded wheat
Glass of water .
Very important on training days and as part of all the other meals listed

Lunch
Sambo,bap,bagal,Muffin,
ALL brown breads no white.
Try for wholegrain then wholemeal multigrain whole wheat etc
Sliced chicken/turkey/salad mixed/rocket
Relish non processed without artificial flavouring etc (Aldi do specially selected range tomato and some other types very nice)
Jalpenos! and odd sun dried tomatos(Watch out very oily in someplaces prob cheap hyrdo oil)
Seem skip the deli cheese as its mostly rubbish. Maybe some Edam/swiss/moz ocassionaly. Cheddar is very fatty.

Inbetweens
Snacks have tubs of
Handfull of walnuts mixed with almonds
Hazelnuts
Roasted pine nuts and pumkin seeds (All can be both in ...Aldi)
Cereal bars(High in sugar but good for out on bike as some fuel)
Fruit.. Bananas mostly should eat more. But tends to just be binned and not eaten.

Dinner
MMMMM
Protein part
1 medium meat portion
1 chic fillet/fillet on bone.Remove skin before cooking
1 piece fillet beef,small sirloin no fat
1 piece of fish salmon,cod etc not bread coated processed crap.
1 home-made burger, prem Mince onion,egg,chilli,garlic
Carb
2-4 small potatoes boiled
Butternut squash cut into wegdes and roasted
half cup to full cup of boiled or steamed rice. No fried rice
Thai fragrant rice from Asian markets its lovely,Basmati not as nice
Maybe sure that bag has "New crop" on it. Very cheap to buy in bulk bag.
Emm all my cooking tips.;)
Sure other stuff
Once its not fryed chips,wedges unless homemade. Mc,d etc

Veg, Try make this the largest section of your plate!

Asparagus,carrots, Sweet peppers roasted on bbq or chopped fresh
Onion,broccoli,Mange taut, scalions, Salad rocket and red chard is gorgeous, Chillis and garlic are in nearly everything I cook. More the better.. Also fresh herbs
Try Whatever you can eat I know its a stuggle to force boiled veg down your throat. Use a spice shaker oregano,basil small bit salt(Low sodium and pepper to flavour it up.
Make a low cal dressing for veg. White wine vinager/apple juice/olive oil* as base 2 table spoons, with any of the following half teaspoon Seeded mustard ,half teaspoon relish, salt+pepper, some lemon/lime juice. for 1 serving

Premake the dressing and keep in fridge for 2-3 days for convenience Makes veg intake easier when it tastes bit better.

Only extra virgin olive oil* nothing else! Dont belive the weight watchers hype of million points. Use and use sparsely*.

I cant lie I drink most nights 2-3 beers and eat jellys,sweets,cereal bars(Mostly as spin food not much during the week),Pizza,s after long spins. I,m consistently losing weight as weeks roll by. I cycle 2-3 times a week for around 3 hours MTB. About 1500-2500Cal a session
As her granny said A little of what you fancy.

Oh yeah and I dont work for aldi! Its the recession and they actually have some very fine IRISH produce.
Hope my spiel helps someone. Or maybe I should be posting in cookery section?


Apology's for layout and diction. All this food talk has made me hungry!

cython

Only started cycling back in January, but since then I have lost at least 1.5 stone, going from about 16.5 down to 15, or perhaps a bit lower again since I last checked. I wasn't inactive before, playing anywhere between 3-5 games of 5 aside football a week, but I found the cycling a great way to lose weight, possibly because of the prolonged effort that goes into it. The first stone was gone by the end of March, and it has slowed since then, but that's at least in part because I'm not cycling as regularly as I was. Only reason for that is really that I was building up to being able to cycle to Galway from Maynooth, so I needed all the training I could get, whereas maintaining that level now doesn't seem as tough, and in fact I still feel I've made further, smaller gains since.

I still kept up most of the exercise I was doing already, supplementing it with time on the bike, and only made minor enough revisions to what I was eating (I know myself well enough that trying to cut down to a rigid diet is frequently a temporary thing with me, so one step at a time and all that!), including trying to cut down on the late night carbs, and eating more fresh veg/fruit, and fish/chicken/lean meat that I had prepared myself, rather than shortcuts and processed food.

I would agree with what has been said before though, watch the overall calorie intake, compared with what you need, and maintain a moderate deficit for weight loss. Also, weight is not the be all and end all, because in addition to the weight that I have shifted, I'm pretty sure my BF% has dropped more than just losing that amount of fat would account for, having developed more muscle mass - climbing hills without as low gearing as the rest of the people you're training with will do that in the legs - and that added muscle will help to raise your metabolism rate overall, meaning that even while you're idle, you're burning more calories than before.

tunney

SubLuminal wrote: »

Hey folks. So I'm trying to get a bit fitter, a bit trimmer, and seeing as I already really like bikes, i've started doing regular (daily) spins around phoenix park, around 20k or so (although today I felt good so I did nearer to 40 according to mapmyride.com). Now this is all well and good, but I want to make sure I'm not wasting my work by eating the wrong things, so I was hoping some people could give me advice on what to eat, and when?

Example,

Day before yesterday, for breakfast I had an omelette with some green and red peppers and a few thin slices of cheese melted on top and a strong coffee. Then went and did 21k around the park. Came back and had a 0% fat yogurt, oxtail soup with 2 slices bread (brown, high fibre) and then for dinner had chicken breast with brown rice and roast vegtables. Through the day I had a bunch of coffees and a couple of apples but didn't really keep track of them. No sugar in the coffee. Canderel. 0% fat milk.

Today, I had a few (3?) slices of brown high fibre bread and a strong coffee, did about 40k, came back and had a 0 fat yogurt, oxtail soup (no bread) and some fish sticks (cue south park jokes, I know) and some apples.

So basically, to lose weight, am I eating sensibly? I've tried to cut out processed food, and bought healthy things like lean meat, brown rice, flora 'light' instead of butter, etc. What would you guys reccomend as with regards to brekfast, lunch and dinner?

I just don't want to waste my excercise by eating more/eating the wrong things because I'm hungry. Today after that 40k a few hours ago I still feel hungry despite the oxtail soup, 2 coffees and a cup of tea, a pint of water, an apple, 5 or 6 fish sticks, etc.. I know that to lose weight/burn fat I have to use more calories than I consume, but how do I cope with being hungry all the time, and arent I supposed to load up with carbs after a big long cycle? How do I balance this against trying to run a calorie deficit?

Also trying to cut out beer which is the real bastard.

Sugar I don't miss so much.

You can ride like a fvcker, run like a mentaller and swim like a fish, but if you overeat you'll just get fatter.

You need much much much less calories that you think that you do.

False hungry comes from not enough water and to be honest, you have to suck it up, get used to eating less and your appetite will reduce down.

Dave - the former fattie

DualFrontDiscs

tunney wrote: »

False hungry comes from not enough water

+1 I've read somewhere that most people can't distinguish between thirst and hunger and therefore eat when they just need a tall glass of water!

DFD.

mcgratheoin

Get a heart rate monitor as well - for about 80 squids you'll get a polar cs100 for the bike - wireless bike computer and it'll also calculate calories burned etc...

the main reason for a HRM if you're trying to lose weight is that the body sources its energy differently depending on how hard you're exercising.
At low intensities (walking, slow cycling), about 80% of the energy you burn is from fat rather than carbohydrates, whereas at high intensities (sprinting) it's all coming from carbs.
This may lead you to think that low intensity effort is best for losing weight, but you also have to think of total energy expended. At low intensity, 80% of energy is fat derived, whereas at medium intensity it's more like 60%. But if you are overall using more energy at a medium level, then 60% of that is actually more energy than 80% of the low intensity exercise.

When the figures are calculated you get a nice little plot that I've included below. Basically what it's showing is the amount of fat burned per hour of exercise depending on how hard you're pushing it. The difficult thing is knowing what 60% exercise intensity is, and it's here where a HRM comes in. You can plug in your resting rate, your max rate and it'll calculate the target heart rate for maximum fat loss.
source
On the food issue. Look for complex carbs - as was mentioned wholemeal bread, brown rice is good as well. Maybe try making soup yourself if you're still using packaged stuff (v. high in salt) and in general watch cooking methods (grill rather than fry the chicken breasts for example). If you find stuff bland cooked like this, then get some dry spice rubs that you can shake onto meat before cooking. As a cyclist, your best friends will be porridge and bananas - great start to a cycle and really fill you up, and as mentioned, keep hydrated.

Finally - keep at it. Starting to change your lifestyle is something that lots of people never get around to so you're already ahead of the curve. Don't get too fixated on weight loss - concentrate more on healthy living and how you feel. Embrace the smug feeling you get when you're on your bike passing people in traffic - it's a reward for getting out there. Also embrace the smug feeling you get in the supermarket watching others load junk into their trolleys - again, it's a reward for eating properly. And keep posting on boards - if you feel that you can't go on with it at any stage, then post up here and someone will kick you back in gear.

rp

mcgratheoin wrote: »

source

This chart is a bit misleading: you might think that if you go at it 100% you won't loose weight, and that is not true: you will loose the most weight for the exercise time.
What this chart is saying, is that when you get up to higher rates, your body can't metabolise fat fast enough to fuel you, so it switches over to sugars (google the Krebs cycle, for details).
When you stop, your body has to replace those sugars and it does that by burning fat (the reason why you sweat long after you stop). Part of the effect of getting fit, is that the fat->sugar conversion process gets faster, so you start metabolising fat earlier in the exercise.

cantalach

rp wrote: »

When you stop, your body has to replace those sugars and it does that by burning fat

Those stored sugars (glycogen) are also replaced if you eat carbs straight after the session, and this is something that most training plans suggest you do within 20-30 minutes of intense exercise. After a low intensity endurance session on the other hand, it isn't as imperative to replenish the depleted glycogen stores because they haven't been depleted all that much. That, at least, is my understanding as to why long+slow is preferable to short+fast for weight loss.

mcgratheoin

rp wrote: »

This chart is a bit misleading: you might think that if you go at it 100% you won't loose weight, and that is not true: you will loose the most weight for the exercise time.

That's also a bit misleading as you can't exercise at 100% for any length of time . You are correct that I've ignored the after exercise effect though, for somebody seeking to lose weight I'm nor sure it's that important a component. Just beaten to Cantalach's point as well in terms of eating directly after exercise.

Have a look at this paper if you're interested in a scientific study of fat burning through exercise.

El Tarangu

I lost a little bit of weight when I started cycling. But when I started doing hill work, I really started to notice the effects.

When you're cycling on level ground, there is always the danger that you will take it easy and not a get a real workout. It's hard to lollygag when you're halfway up a hill.

And cycling up steep hills (steep enough for you to down in the drops) will make your stomach really muscley. I could probably still lose about 3-4 pounds, but I now have big eff off stomach muscles from the hills, so I still look good without a shirt:D

I recommend the hill of howth. Probably close enough to you if cycle round the Phoenix Park. If you haven't done many hills, cycle up the easier ways a couple of times (going up past the cemetary and down through the village). After that, try going up through the village, taking the left fork at the church

For the proper-steep way that will shred your stomach, go up through the village, but take the right at the church.

Best of luck and keep it up

Harrybelafonte

I'm something like 6ft and just under 98kg and have come down from a good bit above that (I'd have to check my Wii but it was at least 110kg). This is mostly from diet change and cycling to work everyday. With longer cycles I noticed an much greater difference as the guys said. I have a sweet tooth too, and am vegetarian, but don't really drink so I had to keep a really close eye on food and learn a few new recipes. I didn't calorie count and I did have a small sweet after one meal a day (read somewhere it helps tell the stomach food time is over, well it suits me anyway). I also let my guard down once a week so I don't freak out and gorge at some point.

The guys are right in saying hill climbing just burns and burns the fat, but if you're heavy like me it can be pretty hard on you and after doing a few hills I couldn't even get up I've kept to some I know I can get up and just try and get up them faster for awhile before moving back to the bigger hills.

Good thing is you can descend like a rock

SubLuminal

Thanks guys. I'm still at it every day, maybe its just optimistic thinking but I can see a difference myself in the mirror after only a couple of weeks now. Really enjoying getting out on my bike so I don't think it'll be a problem to keep this up, and the extra hunger from all the excercise makes even the blandest meal taste great!

Thanks for the tips and advice and keep em coming! No such thing as too much information..

Thanks

SL

worded

Barley is an excellent super food but usually only eaten rarely in soups.
Try this. Boil some barley in water. In another pot boil brown rice.
When cooked mix both. (add whatever sauce) Love the unusual texture and taste of the mix.

new shoes

New to the forum and looking to lose a stone in a month? Possible..

P.S

It's there to be lost!

Blowfish

new shoes wrote: »

New to the forum and looking to lose a stone in a month? Possible..

P.S

It's there to be lost!

Probably possible, but I wouldn't say it's particularly healthy or even likely to stay off. You are much better just adjusting your eating/lifestyle bit by bit than going on a crash diet.

SubLuminal

What do you reckon on this then? Guy reckons that in one outing, "a massive 5875 calories were burnt."

Que?

"http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/fitness-lifestyle-guru/2010/06/burn-1000s-of-calories-cycling.html

(Yeah I know, daily mirror, not exactly the most reliable source of journalism but still..)

ludermor

looking for some guidance myself!
I started cycling a few months ago and have lost some weight ( over a stone) through cycling and changing eating habits. I got a Garmin 705 and started mapping my routes and my heartrate etc. After a spin at the weekend i looked at my readings and am a bit bamboozled by the results and would like to know if they are correct!
I cycled 54km with some climbing around the head of howth. the rest would be pretty flat ( from town to howth onto malahide and back to inchicore ) but the reading from the heart monitor showed up as 5857 calories over 3 hr 40mins moving. My max reading is showed at 180bpm ( which is listed at 97% of max). Does the above look accurate? I am over 19st and 5'9 and done the journey on a full suspension mtb ( i know i know!! )

Sorry for the hijack Sub but hope some of the info will be of use

Lumen

ludermor wrote: »

I cycled 54km...5857 calories over 3 hr 40mins moving...Does the above look accurate?

No. More likely to be under 2000 calories.

DualFrontDiscs

Lumen wrote: »

No. More likely to be under 2000 calories.

Would it be even that?

DFD.

Lumen

DualFrontDiscs wrote: »

Would it be even that?

DFD.

19st on a full susser for 3hr40? Even at 100W that's about 1300 calories.

new shoes

Ha I know im such a fluctuator! I lost 16 lbs in 6 weeks fromn Jan 1st - mid feb!

Stopped eating ****e, drinking, gym 5 times a week..

Than as soon as I was down to 14' 7 I was back on the jar and on the ruby!

So determined to get to 14 and stay! GRR

2lbs down since last mon!

neris

anyone done atkins/lowcarb while cycling a good bit? I lost a load of weight years ago on atkins and general excercise. Want to drop a stone but just worry about energy on long cycles and also food to eat while cycling. Cant exactly stick a few slices of cheese ro chicken in teh back of your jersey

new shoes

Now, I tend to eat one meal at 1pm..

It tends to be whatever the hell I like if im honest ( apart from big macs etc )

Than eat bowl cereal in morn and bowl after the gym..

What one meal would ye recommend?

SubLuminal

neris wrote: »

anyone done atkins/lowcarb while cycling a good bit? I lost a load of weight years ago on atkins and general excercise. Want to drop a stone but just worry about energy on long cycles and also food to eat while cycling. Cant exactly stick a few slices of cheese ro chicken in teh back of your jersey

I thought about trying this but everything I read talked about carb intake, how to make sure you're fuelled for cycling etc, so decided to just go with what everyone above this post has been saying. So far its working pretty quickly actually, in the last few weeks I've defo lost a lot of gut that I can see, my other half doesn't seem too impressed yet but then maybe she's just keeping schtum in fear that as soon as she says well done I'll give up!

But definitely I now need a belt for things that I didn't before.

Just did about 45k round the park in about 80 minutes, does this make my average speed about 33kph? Pretty pleased if so.

Lumen

neris wrote: »

anyone done atkins/lowcarb while cycling a good bit? I lost a load of weight years ago on atkins and general excercise. Want to drop a stone but just worry about energy on long cycles and also food to eat while cycling. Cant exactly stick a few slices of cheese ro chicken in teh back of your jersey

From what I understand Atkins is just a trick to reduce your calorie intake (I'm not saying it doesn't work).

Doing that whilst cycling is pointless - you're eating for calories, not to avoid them.

Eat less, move more.

mloc123

Lumen wrote: »

Eat less, move more.

It really is as simple as that... to a point anyway. When you get down to 10% region it will get a little more complicated IMO

SubLuminal

Hey mods it seems this thread has a lot of good advice for people looking for info on cycling for health and fitness -

Don't want to get ideas above my station here but.. Sticky?

Lumen

SubLuminal wrote: »

Hey mods it seems this thread has a lot of good advice for people looking for info on cycling for health and fitness -

Don't want to get ideas above my station here but.. Sticky?

No, but you're welcome (as is anyone else) to contribute information via the wiki.

Harrybelafonte

There's a whole section in Runner's World this month about which weight loss myths are true or not. Might be worth a read