Re: Weight Loss & Cycling - Help!!

[The Oracle]

I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number one
priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after six in
the evening. MUST. You might say this is low in calories so why bother?
The problem is that they are VERY high in carbohydrates. So, you might
think, I thought that was a good thing. Well, it is, during the day.
However, what are carbs used for? Energy right? So why do you need energy
when you are asleep in the pit for eight hours? You don't. So what does
the millions of years old metabolsim think? I'll store that as fat. Trust
me, I know from experience. Just by doing this one simple thiung alone you
can lose three pounds a week at least. That's on top of you rgeneral
dieting and exercise. Read this:

http://www.lamuscle.com/warp/navigate.php3?d=archive&o=

It really works, believe me.


As for the cycling part of your question, there are greater experts thatn me
here. However, try to aim in getting a good "burn" in the muscles just
above your knee - the quadriceps - and a good sweat on. IF you can do this
three times a week, for an hour each ride then you are on the right track.
You need to do a lot more cycling in order to achieve this. I do twenty
miles, three times a week. I am getting into road biking and I am
struggling for suggestions for a bike.

Hope this helps somewhat.

Steve


"Anno Mundi" > wrote in message
...
> OK here goes. Last week I weighed myself, and almost had a heart attack.
> Well, at the weight the scales showed I figured it was kind of inevitable
> anyway so why delay?
>
> I want to lose weight and not too long ago bought myself a very nice new
> flat bar road bike, upon which I have become no more than an occasional
> rider. I want to do more but, as yet, my brain will not allow me to do
so.
> The trouble is that I am a tad confused about diet, exercise etc etc, as
> well as inherently lazy due to years of inactivity and a serious knee
> injury.
>
> In the hope that someone is able to help me I thought I'd ask specific
> questions rather than be generalist in approach:
>
> 1. I currently ride around 20 miles per week at a moderate pace, on
roughly
> 3 outings. Is this enough?
>
> 2. I weigh 16st at 5 feet 11 tall. Common opinion states I need to eat
> around 2500 cals a day but does this allow for the above exercise?
>
> 3. When I return from a ride I am starving. No I mean starving and the
> urge to gorge on anything I lay eyes upon is almost overwhelming, except
my
> dog and my girlfriend. What should I eat and how soon afterwards so as
not
> to counteract the purpose of my ride?
>
> 4. After a long day at work, incorporating a 100 mile commute, how the
hell
> can I motivate myself to stick to a riding/exercise routine? I love
riding,
> I want to ride, but my body will not always allow me to go outside the
> house!
>
> I'm sure the above is a parody of what many beginners have felt. The
> request for help is serious, if with a humourous slant.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> A
>
>

[A Lee]

The Oracle > wrote:

> I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number one
> priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after six in
> the evening. MUST.

I'm not sure you are completely right about that.
There was an article in the Independent a couple of weeks ago that
disputed the saying that 'everything you eat just before going to bed
turns to fat'.
A dietician said it didnt matter what you ate before bed - if you have
eaten too much that day, you will be putting on weight,no matter when it
was eaten.Your body will burn off the calories you require at any time
of the day, so long as you dont 'binge', and overload your system.
It boils down to only eat the amount of calories that you will likely
burn through the day.Eat more and you put on weight.

There was another article last week about fast food and the general
packaged food industry.It was quite alarming reading.Instead of using a
'natural' fat in food, they use a 'man made' fat (cant remeber the name
- corn syrup?), which costs them half as much, but has twice as many
calories as a natural fat.And because it costs them half as much, they
add in a bit more to make a little more profit, and make the calorie
count even higher.The worst calorie count foods are also the cheapest.
No wonder people are getting fatter.
Alan.
--
Change the 'minus' to 'plus' to reply by e-mail.
http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road Cycling in the North Midlands.

[Peter B]

"Anno Mundi" > wrote in message
...
> In the hope that someone is able to help me I thought I'd ask specific
> questions rather than be generalist in approach:
>
> 1. I currently ride around 20 miles per week at a moderate pace, on
roughly
> 3 outings. Is this enough?

You should be looking at 20 miles per ride 3 times a week as an attainable
useful target.
Six miles on a bike is neither here nor there and you'd be better off going
for a brisk 30 minute walk.
Sorry if that's a bit brutal but you did ask ;-)


> 2. I weigh 16st at 5 feet 11 tall. Common opinion states I need to eat
> around 2500 cals a day but does this allow for the above exercise?

See above.

>
> 3. When I return from a ride I am starving. No I mean starving and the
> urge to gorge on anything I lay eyes upon is almost overwhelming, except
my
> dog and my girlfriend. What should I eat and how soon afterwards so as
not
> to counteract the purpose of my ride?

After a good ride, say 20 miles plus in your case, you should eat
carbohydrate rich food within 40 minutes of your return for best effect.
The more you ride the more you can scoff and you don't even have to be
particular, in my case pizza and cold beer followed by ice-cream is heaven

> 4. After a long day at work, incorporating a 100 mile commute, how the
hell
> can I motivate myself to stick to a riding/exercise routine? I love
riding,
> I want to ride, but my body will not always allow me to go outside the
> house!

I love riding but sometimes the arm chair beckons wheras other times I can't
wait to get on the bike.
If the arm chair beckons I don't give in and get on the bike, often the
first part of the ride on familiar urban roads is a chore but once in the
countryside and warmed up only time and energy dictate the length of ride.
If I don't feel I'm enjoying the ride (rare) I head back to the arm chair.
The thing is to only do it if you enjoy it but in my case the enjoyment
doesn't always kick in immediately.

You could also set yourself attainable targets, increase mileage, increase
average speed, enter a charity ride that's just beyond your current
capability and train for it etc.

Pete

[Paul Rudin]

"Anno Mundi" > writes:

> OK here goes. Last week I weighed myself, and almost had a heart attack.
> Well, at the weight the scales showed I figured it was kind of inevitable
> anyway so why delay?
>
> I want to lose weight and not too long ago bought myself a very nice new
> flat bar road bike, upon which I have become no more than an occasional
> rider. I want to do more but, as yet, my brain will not allow me to do so.
> The trouble is that I am a tad confused about diet, exercise etc etc, as
> well as inherently lazy due to years of inactivity and a serious knee
> injury.
>
> In the hope that someone is able to help me I thought I'd ask specific
> questions rather than be generalist in approach:
>

I'm not expert - but to summarise things I've read various places
(probably not all reliable so take with a pinch of salt):

> 1. I currently ride around 20 miles per week at a moderate pace, on roughly
> 3 outings. Is this enough?

Probably not... of course you don't need to exercise at all to lose
weight, just eat less. But the recieved wisdom seems to be that for
losing weight it helps to take regular exercise sessions of 40 or so
minutes or more.


3 seven mile rides? How long does each ride take you?

If you find longer rides difficult to start with then gradually build it
up. Once you get used to it you should find that you can manage longer
rides. The intensity of the exercise is not so important if weight loss
is your primary goal.. of course the harder you work the more calories
you burn; but don't sacrifice duration for intensity. Better a longer,
relatively low-intensity session that a short very intense session.


>
> 2. I weigh 16st at 5 feet 11 tall. Common opinion states I need to eat
> around 2500 cals a day but does this allow for the above exercise?

20 miles at a moderate pace should be what - maybe a thousand calories
in the week? So it should not really make a big difference to the
total food you require over the week. If you want to lose weight you
specifically don't want to replace all the calories you burn during
exercise.

>
> 3. When I return from a ride I am starving. No I mean starving and the
> urge to gorge on anything I lay eyes upon is almost overwhelming, except my
> dog and my girlfriend. What should I eat and how soon afterwards so as not
> to counteract the purpose of my ride?
>


Hmm... that seems little odd for a seven mile moderated paced ride,
perhaps you should check with your doctor that you don't have some
kind of medical condition? In a way the fact that you're hungry might
be a good sign... it shows that the ride is having some effect on your
body :-)

Maybe try slowing it down a little (not less distance - just a bit
slower).


Apart from that, make sure you're getting a good percentage of complex
carbohydrates in your food - in particular have a meal involving
something like rice, pasta or potatoes a few hours prior to exercise.
Restrict the amount of fat in your diet. Shoot anyone who mentions the
word "Atkins" in your presence :-) - although alcohol is bad for your
weight too, although good in other ways :-) Maybe try to plan your
rides so that you have one of your regular meals immediately
afterwards to deal with the hunger.

General opinion seems to be that it's better to take the bulk of your
calories at breakfast and (particularly) lunch rather than
dinner. This can be tricky if you're used to having you evening meal
as the big meal of the day. Think quality rather than quantity for the
evening meal.


> 4. After a long day at work, incorporating a 100 mile commute, how
> the hell can I motivate myself to stick to a riding/exercise
> routine? I love riding, I want to ride, but my body will not always
> allow me to go outside the house!


Move house? Move jobs? :-) Go for a run at lunch time? Do you commute
by car or train - if the latter maybe you can cycle to the station at
each end. Or if by car maybe do 90 miles in the car and cycle the last
bit? Converting wasted time like comuting time to exercise time is
good if you can do it because you don't end up using up extra free
time for your exercise.

Do you mean you can't face going out specifically; or that you can't
face doing any excersice? If the former You could get a turbo trainer?
Personally I've just bought a rowing machine because I often like to
do a bit of exercise when the kids are asleep in bed - so I'm unable
to leave the house for that reason; also because the rest of my
exercise - cycling and running - only really involves the legs so it's
make a change to work the arms too.

[Paul Kelly]

"A Lee" > wrote in message
...
> The Oracle > wrote:
>
> > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number
one
> > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after
six in
> > the evening. MUST.
>
> I'm not sure you are completely right about that.
> There was an article in the Independent a couple of weeks ago that
> disputed the saying that 'everything you eat just before going to bed
> turns to fat'.
> A dietician said it didnt matter what you ate before bed - if you have
> eaten too much that day, you will be putting on weight,no matter when it
> was eaten.

The "no carbs before bedtime" works because it forces you to eat less! An
evening meal before 6pm is lilely to be a smaller meal than say 8pm simply
because it is a shorter gap since lunch. Plus not late evening snacks

pk

[Tim Woodall]

On 26 Jul 2003 09:32:55 +0100,
Paul Rudin > wrote:
> "Anno Mundi" > writes:
>
>>
>> 3. When I return from a ride I am starving. No I mean starving and the
>> urge to gorge on anything I lay eyes upon is almost overwhelming, except my
>> dog and my girlfriend. What should I eat and how soon afterwards so as not
>> to counteract the purpose of my ride?
>>
>
>
> Hmm... that seems little odd for a seven mile moderated paced ride,
> perhaps you should check with your doctor that you don't have some
> kind of medical condition? In a way the fact that you're hungry might
> be a good sign... it shows that the ride is having some effect on your
> body :-)
>
I'm no expert and this is merely a theory I've just invented so it is
probably bollox :-)

Maybe the OP is using calories but because he is only burning maybe
300 calories in a ride he is merely depleting his blood sugar and not
burning any fat. Perhaps the solution to weight loss (in the short term)
is to NOT eat after the exercise and force his body to start metabolizing
some of the fat reserves it has built up.

Tim.

--
God said, "div D = rho, div B = 0, curl E = - @B/@t, curl H = J + @D/@t,"
and there was light.

http://tjw.hn.org/ http://www.locofungus.btinternet.co.uk/

[Paul Kelly]

In ,
Peter B > typed:
> "Peter B" > wrote in message
> ...
>> After a good ride, say 20 miles plus in your case, you should eat
>> carbohydrate rich food within 40 minutes of your return for best
>> effect. The more you ride the more you can scoff and you don't even
>> have to be particular, in my case pizza and cold beer followed by
>> ice-cream is heaven
>
> And I meant to add that you should drink plenty, before, during and
> after cycling and despite my previous posts comment beer isn't the
> best re-hydrator.
> Received wisdom is that by the time you feel thirsty you are already
> dehydrated. In wamer weather with lighter clothing you may not notice
> how much you are perspiring as it quickly evaporates whilst on the
> move.


Me and 5 mates did the South Downs in two days (Petersfield to Lewis) a few
weekends ago - the very hot one! - we were all carrying around 2/3 litres
and filling up on route. So we were drinking over a gallon of water each
day. I don't think any of us went for a pee all day.

[Simon Mason]

(A Lee) wrote in message >...
> The Oracle > wrote:
>
> > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number one
> > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after six in
> > the evening. MUST.

Nearly everthing I eat is after 1800. I have an evening sauna along
with a meal of rye bread, pork chops and salad as well as 3-4 pints of
beer. I am 44, 6ft 1 in and weigh 12.5 st. I burn it off by cycling 24
miles to work and back, as well as every day on my day off -5000 miles
a year. I find I can eat any carbs and alcohol whenever I like, as I'm
simply getting enough miles in to burn off the calories. My wife eats
and drinks much less than me, but takes no exercise at all and is
,ahem, very fat.
Simon

[Anno Mundi]

"Simon Mason" > wrote in message
om...
> (A Lee) wrote in message
>...
> > The Oracle > wrote:
> >
> > > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number
one
> > > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after
six in
> > > the evening. MUST.
>
> Nearly everthing I eat is after 1800. I have an evening sauna along
> with a meal of rye bread, pork chops and salad as well as 3-4 pints of
> beer. I am 44, 6ft 1 in and weigh 12.5 st. I burn it off by cycling 24
> miles to work and back, as well as every day on my day off -5000 miles
> a year. I find I can eat any carbs and alcohol whenever I like, as I'm
> simply getting enough miles in to burn off the calories. My wife eats
> and drinks much less than me, but takes no exercise at all and is
> ,ahem, very fat.
> Simon

Thanks to all who replied so far. I summarise that I need to cycle more or
at very least longer durations. Last week I did a 30 miler which nearly saw
me off and I guess that's counter productive as you associate cycling with
pain. I will try and build up my rides slowly in distance/duration.

I guess a short ride is better that no ride at all?

The other thing I am beginning to notice is that cycling is addictive, as is
the urge to constantly upgrade your gear. I recently (6 mths ago) traded in
my Specialized Crossroads for a Sirrus Sport - flat bar road bike. The
difference is amazing in terms of both speed, comfort and 'buzz factor'.
The bike cost me £499 but am already looking at what I can get next ;-) I
like the look of some of the Giant road bikes but welcome any other
suggestions. I'm not, as you gather from my original thread, gonna be
racing, but rather using it to help me shed pounds and keep fit.

Thanks again.

A

[The Oracle]

I have noticed that fact whenb I ride too. I drink gallons yet never want
to pee. SO it's going somewhere right? Sweat - and that requires energy.
And that burns fat. Therefore cycling is good for weight loss.
Steve
"Paul Kelly" > wrote in message
...
> In ,
> Peter B > typed:
> > "Peter B" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> After a good ride, say 20 miles plus in your case, you should eat
> >> carbohydrate rich food within 40 minutes of your return for best
> >> effect. The more you ride the more you can scoff and you don't even
> >> have to be particular, in my case pizza and cold beer followed by
> >> ice-cream is heaven
> >
> > And I meant to add that you should drink plenty, before, during and
> > after cycling and despite my previous posts comment beer isn't the
> > best re-hydrator.
> > Received wisdom is that by the time you feel thirsty you are already
> > dehydrated. In wamer weather with lighter clothing you may not notice
> > how much you are perspiring as it quickly evaporates whilst on the
> > move.
>
>
> Me and 5 mates did the South Downs in two days (Petersfield to Lewis) a
few
> weekends ago - the very hot one! - we were all carrying around 2/3 litres
> and filling up on route. So we were drinking over a gallon of water each
> day. I don't think any of us went for a pee all day.
>
>

[The Oracle]

A Lee,
I didn't say you can't eat at all after tea time - only that you must stop
eating carbs after that time. I did this myself and the weight just dropped
off, when combined with cycling and running. I ate plenty of tuna and
salads in the evening, just no complex carbs. Your article may be correct
though, I am no expert. I am just refering to a method that seems to work
well. I eat carbs all day long, except after six in the evening.
Steve

"A Lee" > wrote in message
...
> The Oracle > wrote:
>
> > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number
one
> > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after
six in
> > the evening. MUST.
>
> I'm not sure you are completely right about that.
> There was an article in the Independent a couple of weeks ago that
> disputed the saying that 'everything you eat just before going to bed
> turns to fat'.
> A dietician said it didnt matter what you ate before bed - if you have
> eaten too much that day, you will be putting on weight,no matter when it
> was eaten.Your body will burn off the calories you require at any time
> of the day, so long as you dont 'binge', and overload your system.
> It boils down to only eat the amount of calories that you will likely
> burn through the day.Eat more and you put on weight.
>
> There was another article last week about fast food and the general
> packaged food industry.It was quite alarming reading.Instead of using a
> 'natural' fat in food, they use a 'man made' fat (cant remeber the name
> - corn syrup?), which costs them half as much, but has twice as many
> calories as a natural fat.And because it costs them half as much, they
> add in a bit more to make a little more profit, and make the calorie
> count even higher.The worst calorie count foods are also the cheapest.
> No wonder people are getting fatter.
> Alan.
> --
> Change the 'minus' to 'plus' to reply by e-mail.
> http://www.dvatc.co.uk - Off-road Cycling in the North Midlands.

[James Hodson]

On 26 Jul 2003 09:32:55 +0100, Paul Rudin >
wrote:

Hi Paul

>> 2. I weigh 16st at 5 feet 11 tall. Common opinion states I need to eat
>> around 2500 cals a day but does this allow for the above exercise?
>
>20 miles at a moderate pace should be what - maybe a thousand calories
>in the week? So it should not really make a big difference to the
>total food you require over the week. If you want to lose weight you
>specifically don't want to replace all the calories you burn during
>exercise.
>

I'm currently 12.75 stones and 6'00" and consider myself to be far too
much, if not grossly, overweight.

I do not like the idea of the Atkin's style diet so I'll stick to
eating less, if that's OK with everyone. For me, an eat less diet had
worked in the past.

The simplest way to lose weight, IMO, is to cut out alcohol. I used
to, and still do, drink far too muck booze - red wine in my own case.

Riding a few miles - seven, for example - is relatively easy and
should not put an undue strain on your system as long as the other
things are OK.

Looking back to my really bulky days - 18 stones and 6'00" - I lost
loads of weight by having my main meal of the day earlier on. However,
this weight loss was also gained (lost?) by doing as I've mentioned
above.

Quite simply: Ride more, eat sensibly and at the right time and drink
less alcohol. If, like me, you enjoy the more than occasional glass of
vino, just don't overdo it and when you do do it, do it a a decent
time of the day.

Regards
James

--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Larrau.jpg

[Arthur Clune]

The Oracle > wrote:

: I am going to get a racing bike now. I reckon with my fitness and leg
: strength that I can blow everyone away on speed when I get going. I don't
: mean this in a arrogant way and I might be humbled!!! But I am ambitious
: and eager to get going !!

I encourage you to go for it, but just be aware that leg strength doesn't
necessarily translate into cycling speed - you need to work on spinning
the gears round as well.

"Spin a big gear fast" - E. Merckx.

If you want to get really fast then find a local race club and go out
with them - you'll find it a bit of an eye-opener.

Do go for it though - it's great fun.

Arthur

[davep]

Simon Mason wrote:
>
> (A Lee) wrote in message >...
> > The Oracle > wrote:
> >
> > > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number one
> > > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after six in
> > > the evening. MUST.
>

> I am 44, 6ft 1 in and weigh 12.5 st.

show off

[kev]

Hi
I started cycling again properly in January, for the last 3 years had just
done the ocasional ride to work, as i had got a desk job. I went from 11
1/2 stone to 13st.
I started to comute to work 6.5 miles each way. & started to use the Weight
watchers system, never went to the meetings or anything but just used the
method.
Have built up muy distances and now extend my rides home from work to
between 10 and 20 miles.
Have a Sunday morning ride.(started with a 20 and have increased it each
week), was :) when i did my first 30 miler. since then i have done the
Liverpool to Chester ride (50miles) plus cycled to the event and home, total
70 miles.
My next goal is the Manchester 100 in september.

I now weight 11st 7 again and feel great.

When i was using the Weight watchers system I seemed to eat a lot more but
lost about 2 pounds a week. So I would reconend this.
If you have

[W K]

"A Lee" > wrote in message
...
> The Oracle > wrote:
>
> > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number
one
> > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after
six in
> > the evening. MUST.
>
> I'm not sure you are completely right about that.

Its part of the new diet fad. It'll pass!

> There was an article in the Independent a couple of weeks ago that
> disputed the saying that 'everything you eat just before going to bed
> turns to fat'.

Of course it doesn't. It may well be that excess blood sugar at night isn't
going anywhere else, but thats "don't stuff yourself at night".
Cyclists are likely to have muscles that could do with that excess blood
sugar to make glycogen anyway.

<...>

> There was another article last week about fast food and the general
> packaged food industry.It was quite alarming reading.Instead of using a
> 'natural' fat in food, they use a 'man made' fat (cant remeber the name
> - corn syrup?), which costs them half as much, but has twice as many
> calories as a natural fat.

You're mixing things up there, corn syrup is a sugar.
There's elements of atkins and sugar that might be true- but taken to such
an extreme that it's out the window. Quite why this should be blamed on
potatoes and bread when people still have a diet with tons of processed
sugars in them - is beyond me (well, no it actually isn't - its a good
psychological trick to sell a book).

Perhaps palm oil or hydrogenated oils- same calories, but worse for health.

> And because it costs them half as much, they
> add in a bit more to make a little more profit, and make the calorie
> count even higher.The worst calorie count foods are also the cheapest.

I think you'll find a bag of tesco value oats is about the cheapest edible
thing in there, and not too bad for you.

[Temp3st]

"James Hodson" > wrote in message
...
> On 26 Jul 2003 09:32:55 +0100, Paul Rudin >
> wrote:
>
> Hi Paul
>
> >> 2. I weigh 16st at 5 feet 11 tall. Common opinion states I need to
eat
> >> around 2500 cals a day but does this allow for the above exercise?
> >
> >20 miles at a moderate pace should be what - maybe a thousand calories
> >in the week? So it should not really make a big difference to the
> >total food you require over the week. If you want to lose weight you
> >specifically don't want to replace all the calories you burn during
> >exercise.
> >
>
> I'm currently 12.75 stones and 6'00" and consider myself to be far too
> much, if not grossly, overweight.
>
> I do not like the idea of the Atkin's style diet so I'll stick to
> eating less, if that's OK with everyone. For me, an eat less diet had
> worked in the past.
>
> The simplest way to lose weight, IMO, is to cut out alcohol. I used
> to, and still do, drink far too muck booze - red wine in my own case.
>
> Riding a few miles - seven, for example - is relatively easy and
> should not put an undue strain on your system as long as the other
> things are OK.
>
> Looking back to my really bulky days - 18 stones and 6'00" - I lost
> loads of weight by having my main meal of the day earlier on. However,
> this weight loss was also gained (lost?) by doing as I've mentioned
> above.
>
> Quite simply: Ride more, eat sensibly and at the right time and drink
> less alcohol. If, like me, you enjoy the more than occasional glass of
> vino, just don't overdo it and when you do do it, do it a a decent
> time of the day.
>
> Regards
> James
>
> --
> http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Larrau.jpg

No offence but if your 6'00" and 12.75 stones then I would say you don't
want to be losing much more weight (remember muscle weighs more than fat)
Atkins diet will reduce your weight - but will also reduce your muscle and
water levels - you will become a physically smaller person and will find
your fitness suffers immensely.

[Temp3st]

"Anno Mundi" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Simon Mason" > wrote in message
> om...
> > (A Lee) wrote in message
> >...
> > > The Oracle > wrote:
> > >
> > > > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first.
Number
> one
> > > > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice
after
> six in
> > > > the evening. MUST.
> >
> > Nearly everthing I eat is after 1800. I have an evening sauna along
> > with a meal of rye bread, pork chops and salad as well as 3-4 pints of
> > beer. I am 44, 6ft 1 in and weigh 12.5 st. I burn it off by cycling 24
> > miles to work and back, as well as every day on my day off -5000 miles
> > a year. I find I can eat any carbs and alcohol whenever I like, as I'm
> > simply getting enough miles in to burn off the calories. My wife eats
> > and drinks much less than me, but takes no exercise at all and is
> > ,ahem, very fat.
> > Simon
>
> Thanks to all who replied so far. I summarise that I need to cycle more
or
> at very least longer durations. Last week I did a 30 miler which nearly
saw
> me off and I guess that's counter productive as you associate cycling with
> pain. I will try and build up my rides slowly in distance/duration.
>
> I guess a short ride is better that no ride at all?
>
> The other thing I am beginning to notice is that cycling is addictive, as
is
> the urge to constantly upgrade your gear. I recently (6 mths ago) traded
in
> my Specialized Crossroads for a Sirrus Sport - flat bar road bike. The
> difference is amazing in terms of both speed, comfort and 'buzz factor'.
> The bike cost me £499 but am already looking at what I can get next ;-) I
> like the look of some of the Giant road bikes but welcome any other
> suggestions. I'm not, as you gather from my original thread, gonna be
> racing, but rather using it to help me shed pounds and keep fit.
>
> Thanks again.
>
> A
>
>

I've just bought a GIANT FCR 2 - love it - its a thing of beauty :)

[Saint]

OK OK so let me get this straight guys - I am VERY confused. Do I or do I
not need to cut down on carbs if I wanna lose weight? I have no argument
with having to cycle for longer durations at slightly increased intensity
but all this diet babble is doing my head in.

Saint

[Peter B]

"Arthur Clune" > wrote in message
...
> The Oracle > wrote:
>
> : I am going to get a racing bike now. I reckon with my fitness and leg
> : strength that I can blow everyone away on speed when I get going. I
don't
> : mean this in a arrogant way and I might be humbled!!! But I am
ambitious
> : and eager to get going !!
>
> I encourage you to go for it, but just be aware that leg strength doesn't
> necessarily translate into cycling speed - you need to work on spinning
> the gears round as well.

Also, I have met some very fit people who when taking up cycling are very
fast off the mark but as the miles add up they start lagging.
But maybe you will be the exception and you seem keen, so yeah, go for it.

Pete

[Paul Rudin]

"Saint" > writes:

> OK OK so let me get this straight guys - I am VERY confused. Do I or do I
> not need to cut down on carbs if I wanna lose weight? I have no argument
> with having to cycle for longer durations at slightly increased intensity
> but all this diet babble is doing my head in.


You don't "need" any particular mix of calorie sources to lose weight
- if you burn more calories than you eat you'll lose weight - whatever
the source.

However - the received wisdom is that people who are engaged in
significant amounts of exercise should take a greater percentage of
their total calories in carbohydrates (mostly complex carbohydrates)
than sedentary individuals.

[Paul Rudin]

"Peter B" > writes:


> My pet peeve is the amount of salt added some foods, why?

It sells.

[Peter Rollason]

Well I have just read this thread - and it has made me very hungry !!!

I usually do a 50 on a sunday and in the summer a couple of commutes 20
miles round trip. I haven't lost weight and still look like a slightly
flabby 40 year old - I don't really give a toss - when I am blasting down a
quiet country lane, at 25mph - that is living !!!

I would love to firm up a bit - and thats the reason I took up cycling - it
didn't work - but riding a bike fast is good enough compensation.

Pete.










"Peter B" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Arthur Clune" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The Oracle > wrote:
> >
> > : I am going to get a racing bike now. I reckon with my fitness and leg
> > : strength that I can blow everyone away on speed when I get going. I
> don't
> > : mean this in a arrogant way and I might be humbled!!! But I am
> ambitious
> > : and eager to get going !!
> >
> > I encourage you to go for it, but just be aware that leg strength
doesn't
> > necessarily translate into cycling speed - you need to work on spinning
> > the gears round as well.
>
> Also, I have met some very fit people who when taking up cycling are very
> fast off the mark but as the miles add up they start lagging.
> But maybe you will be the exception and you seem keen, so yeah, go for it.
>
> Pete
>
>

[James Hodson]

On 26 Jul 2003 05:39:25 -0700, (Simon Mason) wrote:

(A Lee) wrote in message >...
>> The Oracle > wrote:
>>
>> > I used to have a similar problem to you. First things first. Number one
>> > priority - you MUST stop eating bread, pasta, potatoes and rice after six in
>> > the evening. MUST.
>
> Nearly everthing I eat is after 1800. I have an evening sauna along
>with a meal of rye bread, pork chops and salad as well as 3-4 pints of
>beer. I am 44, 6ft 1 in and weigh 12.5 st. I burn it off by cycling 24
>miles to work and back, as well as every day on my day off -5000 miles
>a year. I find I can eat any carbs and alcohol whenever I like, as I'm
>simply getting enough miles in to burn off the calories. My wife eats
>and drinks much less than me, but takes no exercise at all and is
>,ahem, very fat.

Hi Simon

I'm not too sure who wrote what or when in the carbs post 18:00
section this thread ... so I'll bore you.

In the BIG WEIGHT LOSS or BWL© of mine many years ago, as well as
eating less overall, I did my best to try not to eat after six PM. I'm
unsure how much the timing of my dinner affected my weight - not a
lot, I'd guess - but I found sleeping far easier with less in my gut.

This earlier to bed, earlier to rise regimen made me feel far more
energetic in the mornings and so more able to go for a walk, cycle
ride etc.

#declare polite_mode = on
BTW, how dare you call Mrs Mason "very fat" (the <ahem> doesn't excuse
your behaviour). "Beautifully rounded in the manner of a classical
painting" is the correct phrase to use.
#declare polite_mode = off

Cheers
James

--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Larrau.jpg

[James Hodson]

On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 17:14:28 +0100, "Temp3st"
> wrote:

>No offence but if you're 6'00" and 12.75 stones then I would say you don't
>want to be losing much more weight (remember muscle weighs more than fat)
>Atkins diet will reduce your weight - but will also reduce your muscle and
>water levels - you will become a physically smaller person and will find
>your fitness suffers immensely.
>

No offence taken, Temp3st.

About 18 months or perhaps two years ago I weighed in at between 11.5
and 11.75 stones. I'd be the first to say that 11.5 was a little too
light and was quite hard to maintain. OTOH, I felt fine at 11.75
stones.

This thread is meandering all over the place, as do most threads in
which I become involved :-( Nevertheless, I do recall writing
recently somewhere or other that I am not too keen on the Atkin's dies
or other similar fads. (Spotted it. I made my comment in the post that
you replied to.) I like my pasta, rice, potatoes and other non-Atkins
foods too much.

To be honest, Temp3est, I'm never overly fussed about my weight. Some
fifteen or more years ago when I used to play a lot of cricket and
rugby, and did a lot of circuit training in the winter months, (YUK!)
I happily weighed about 13.5 stones. I no longer use my upper body as
much as I used to. The weight comes, goes and shifts around the
place.

I'll settle for 12.5, as long as it's residing in a different bodily
area. :-)

Regards
James

--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Larrau.jpg

[Peter B]

"Alex Veitch" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 17:13:18 +0000 (UTC), "Peter B"
> > wrote:
>
> >
> >My pet peeve is the amount of salt added some foods, why?
>
>
> It separates the men from the slugs.

Sea slugs seem able to tolerate salt so I get your drift.

Pete

[Peter B]

"Paul Rudin" > wrote in message
...
> "Peter B" > writes:
>
>
> > My pet peeve is the amount of salt added some foods, why?
>
> It sells.

Yes I know that you silly boy, but why is it my pet peeve?

[Dave]

"James Hodson" > wrote in message
...
> On 26 Jul 2003 05:39:25 -0700, (Simon Mason) wrote:
>
> (A Lee) wrote in message
>...
> >> The Oracle > wrote:
> >>
<snip>
>
> #declare polite_mode = on
> BTW, how dare you call Mrs Mason "very fat" (the <ahem> doesn't excuse
> your behaviour). "Beautifully rounded in the manner of a classical
> painting" is the correct phrase to use.
> #declare polite_mode = off
>
> Cheers
> James
>
That'll be Rubenesque then James ?...
We like Rubenesque......There used to be 2 large young ladies at work who
became so much more attractive when I started describing them as
Rubenesque....don't know why..One could almost imagine a Sid James type
response rippling around the males in a room whenever they entered ;-)
Dave.

[James Hodson]

On Wed, 30 Jul 2003 05:39:26 +0100, "Dave" > wrote:

>That'll be Rubenesque then James ?...
>We like Rubenesque......There used to be 2 large young ladies at work who
>became so much more attractive when I started describing them as
>Rubenesque....don't know why..One could almost imagine a Sid James type
>response rippling around the males in a room whenever they entered ;-)
>

LOL Rubenesque, indeed, Dave. I had a very quick Google but couldn't
find a gallery of Ruben's paintings. I wasn't too sure whether or not
I was thinking of the correct artist, hence "Beautifully rounded in
the manner of a classical painting."

James

--
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/c.butty/Larrau.jpg

[Peter Taylor]

I am another cyclist with high blood pressure - certainly I find cycling
helps a lot to keep it under control, and when I don't exercise I feel awful
again, and then don't feel like exercise - a viscious circle. Interested in
the comments about feeling zonked on the tablets - I was on beta blockers
and it was like living life through bubble wrap - nothing was quite real.
And resting pulse rate fell from 60 to about 35, and I couldn't get it over
110. Which made for very odd feelings when cycling. Now on ace inhibitors
and they work well.

And agree re salt and caffeine - much better sinc I cut down.

Regards


Peter Taylor

"David Marsh" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Peter B wrote in uk.rec.cycling:
> about: Re: Weight Loss & Cycling - Help!!
>[i]
> > Part true. My blood pressure is "under investigation" <1> so yes, less
salt
>
> Good luck..
>
> > may be better but in fact for a long time I've felt my enjoyment of some
> > foods was impaired by its' overdosing with salt.
>
> This is true enough in any case. And when you consider that salt really is
a
> Bad Thing, that the manufacturers add so much is crazy: would they rather
kill
> us or have us live longer and therefore eat/buy more food? Duh.
>
>
> > But I still eat pretty much what I want
>
> Largely so do I, as my diet is generally pretty healthy, although I have
> a soft spot for crisps and occasionally chips. *Must* cut down, nnggghhh..
>
>
> > and had cut down from several gallons (1 gallon = 4.55 litres
> > approx) to a couple of mugs of coffee per day before the hypertension
thing
> > had reared its head.
>
> If you really were drinking bucketloads of coffee before, it might have
> been contributory. Still, a little of what you fancy is what makes life
> worthwhile.. I'd rather have a shorter, happier life, than a long
> miserable one, thanks (the first pills they put me on completely zonked
> me for weeks).
>
>
> > Despite eating anything my cholesterol level is low and thanks to my
active
> > lifestyle, of which cycling constitutes a fair bit, (back on topic,
phew) my
> > risk factors are low, more chance of getting motored than a heart attack
:-)
>
> Well, sort of likewise. If it wasn't for the cycling, I just wonder when
> I would suddenly have fallen over otherwise..
> Of course, if there were regular 'Well Man' clinics to balance 'Well
> Woman' clinics, the bloody docs would have spotted this sooner. It's
> only because I changed docs that I got spotted, what would have happened
> otherwise?
>
>
> > Because of this my GP, bless him, has referred me to a "Hypertension
Clinic"
> > at the local hospital which I'm attending in August. They will fit me up
> > with a 24 hour monitor as well as the usual taking of blood and ****.
>
> Hooh, what fun (not really). Been there, done that. Well, apart from the
> 24 hour monitor bit. They reckoned I was more than high enough for there
> to be no doubt :-( :-(
>
> The Borg implant into your arm for blood samples on tap is an, umm,
> experience..
>
>
> > Anyway, that's the story of my life. For anyone who's read this far I'm
> > sorry to be a boring ******* and haven't you anything better to do? :-)
>
> Not right now. :-( They're still farting about to find pills and thrills
> that don't kill me, so still not well enough to work (and too skint to
> do much else, including bike riding, as I can't afford any repairs).
> Current pills have pretty heart logos on them, I guess I could make a
> fortune flogging them off as e's to the gullible... ;-)
>
>
> Hope it all works out ok for you,
>
>
> David.
>
> --
> David Marsh, <reply-to-email is valid at time of writing> |
> Edinburgh, Scotland. [en, fr, (de)] | http://web.viewport.co.uk/ |
> Learn usenet and netiquette: read news:news.announce.newusers |
> >Please interleave & trim quotes otherwise your posts will be ignored.<
>

[Tony W]

"Peter Taylor" > wrote in message
...
> I am another cyclist with high blood pressure - certainly I find cycling
> helps a lot to keep it under control, and when I don't exercise I feel
awful
> again, and then don't feel like exercise - a viscious circle. Interested
in
> the comments about feeling zonked on the tablets - I was on beta blockers
> and it was like living life through bubble wrap - nothing was quite real.
> And resting pulse rate fell from 60 to about 35, and I couldn't get it
over
> 110. Which made for very odd feelings when cycling. Now on ace
inhibitors
> and they work well.


And another. I am on beta-blockers and they work well for me. But, it is
like having a rev limiter that cuts in on the hills :( -- that's my excuse
& I'm sticking with it.

In my case not cycling makes me feel bad. Even so it does take an effort of
will sometimes to get out on the bike -- rationally I know I will feel much
better but the subconscious doesn't seem to hear.

God knows what state I would be in if I didn't cycle -- dead, possibly.

T

[toots]

Beta Blockers...wonderful stuff..I'm similiar, my heart rate at full pelt
measured in the gym doesn't get above 130, but sometimes when I forget to
take them in the morning , I can get up to 190, but boy do I feel sick. Just
as a matter of interest I'm back cycling after an absence of 20 odd years.
Re-started again two years ago and am back to reasonable fitness. As well as
cycling I do weights and spin. I'm now 42 and male, what kind of fitness
level can I expect to get to if I trained reasonably hard. The reason I ask
is that kids half my age who train less than I do can keep up with me on
treks when I thought I would blow them away...Is father time a knocking????

[Richard Bates]

On Tue, 05 Aug 2003 19:10:02 +0100, Richard Bates
> in
> wrote:

>[1] Can't think what the physiological term is for "buggered".

Remembered: Cardiac Insufficiency.

--
If ingnorance is bliss then I am the erm er
luckiest thingy in the whatchamacallit.
To mail me, change the obvious bit to richard

[Jim Price]

Michael Klontzas wrote:
> Yes, and a little perspective: a single Mars bar supplies enough energy
> to undo 30 mins of high intensity cycling.

Not far off my experience, if you also wash it down with a can of coke
(this experience was before all the energy bar/drink mullarky).

> The exact figure may be
> slightly wrong but the point remains. Exercise alone does practically
> nothing for weight loss (and that is confirmed by my personal experience)
> unless of course you spend ridiculously long hours cycling every day.

Unless you are 25 or under, when I found an hour cycling five days a
week got me incredibly fit (but a little stiff due to lack of education)
and I lost loads of weight (5 stone in 5 months was the most impressive
due to a major accident and the following recovery). At 35, this seemed
to go up to around 3 hours 3 times a week, still with terrific weight
loss, but nowhere near as impressive as 10 years before (only 20 Kg in 4
months). Now I just seem to get injuries. I have never consciously
changed my diet, only my exercise levels. YMMV.

--
Jim Price

http://www.jimprice.dsl.pipex.com

Conscientious objection is hard work in an economic war.

[tby]

> > [1] Can't think what the physiological term is for "buggered".
>


It's "buggered"
No need for big technical words <G>

Clive

[James Hodson]

On Mon, 25 Aug 2003 14:04:08 +0100, "tby" >
wrote:

>>>Can't think what the physiological term is for "buggered".
>>>
>>
>>It's "buggered"
>No need for big technical words <G>
>

Come now, Clive. It's the standard reply given by NTL's technical
support team!

James

--
"Sorry mate, I didn't see you" is not a satisfactory excuse.