Two weeks progress - LC dieters only

For those that follow the 'can you bike with moderate intensity' on a
low carb diet, here's my results.

After two weeks of 20+ fast miles (for me) at 17-18mph avg speed on
the flats, training daily, additional slow spin/technique ride in the
pm: definite loss of 'inches', dropped a size in bike jersey and down
to size 'medium' bike shorts (they're tight). In the last three days,
had two 'woosh' experiences, dropping 8lbs from Thurs to Sat, regained
4, then lost 7 more as of this afternoon. Total wt drop over two weeks
224lbs to 213.5lbs, with overall gain in quad and calf size.

Time trial on the flat to a highway marker (set at 12-13 min)

Last week: 12:12
Mid point 12:03
Yesterday: 11:31

Prior to long rides (over 90 min), I ate three small pieces of dark
chocolate. Otherwise standard Atkins 30 gms complex carbs per day.

Energy has been extremely high, up early, riding by 06:15 on 2 out of
3 days. (to make it back to OLN by 8! ;-p)

FWIW,
-B

Badger_South wrote:
For those that follow the 'can you bike with moderate intensity' on a
low carb diet, here's my results.

Is this in the nature of an experiment? Were you having trouble losing
weight even though you're cycling like 150+ mi/wk? Why Atkins if you're
exercising vigorously?

After two weeks of 20+ fast miles (for me) at 17-18mph avg speed on
the flats, training daily, additional slow spin/technique ride in the
pm: definite loss of 'inches', dropped a size in bike jersey and down
to size 'medium' bike shorts (they're tight). In the last three days,
had two 'woosh' experiences, dropping 8lbs from Thurs to Sat, regained
4, then lost 7 more as of this afternoon. Total wt drop over two weeks
224lbs to 213.5lbs, with overall gain in quad and calf size.

If I'm doing the math right, you had a net loss of 11 pounds over 4
days? That's gotta be mostly water. I've read elsewhere that the quick
weight loss on Atkins is due in large part to water.

Time trial on the flat to a highway marker (set at 12-13 min)

Last week: 12:12
Mid point 12:03
Yesterday: 11:31

Prior to long rides (over 90 min), I ate three small pieces of dark
chocolate. Otherwise standard Atkins 30 gms complex carbs per day.

Jiminy. My post-workout snack has 22 carbs. =:-O Which I seem to
really need. I don't notice right away if I skip the snack, but after
several days of skipping it, my legs start feeling rundown.

Energy has been extremely high, up early, riding by 06:15 on 2 out of
3 days. (to make it back to OLN by 8! ;-p)

I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael has
said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive --
they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know. Or let
me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

Badger_South wrote:
For those that follow the 'can you bike with moderate intensity' on a
low carb diet, here's my results.

Is this in the nature of an experiment? Were you having trouble losing
weight even though you're cycling like 150+ mi/wk? Why Atkins if you're
exercising vigorously?

I can't speak for him, but I have always been super active and yet only lost
6 pounds cycling! Atkins is a break through that starts one on a downward
weight progress.


If I'm doing the math right, you had a net loss of 11 pounds over 4
days? That's gotta be mostly water. I've read elsewhere that the quick
weight loss on Atkins is due in large part to water.

Of course. ALL diets have an initial weight loss due in large part to water.



I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael has
said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive --
they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know. Or let
me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

--
the black rose

What you are missing is that the Atkins diet throws the body into using fats
for energy instead of carbs. Fats are converted to starch, to sugar , and
used as energy. I did Atkins last year and lost 40 pounds in about 5
months. I never had low energy, either. When everyone else was snacking on
GU and sludge bars, I would pull out some of those string cheese single
serving containers and eat those. Besides, the "low carb" phase is only the
first two weeks. After that, you add 5 gms of carbs the next week and then 5
more the next week, etc. (this means the 3rd week you eat 25 carbs a day,
the 4th week you eat 30 carbs a day, and so on) The trick is to find the
amount of carbs you can eat and still lose weight. For some people, this can
be 60-80 grams a day--or more depending upon how active you are. I went on
the "lifetime maintenance" part of the diet last November and have not
gained any weight back since then. Basically, what the diet does is wean
you of dependence on sugar and teach you to eat high fiber vegetables.

Pat in TX

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 00:24:23 GMT, the black rose
wrote:

Badger_South wrote:
For those that follow the 'can you bike with moderate intensity' on a
low carb diet, here's my results.

Is this in the nature of an experiment? Were you having trouble losing
weight even though you're cycling like 150+ mi/wk? Why Atkins if you're
exercising vigorously?

Some ppl do pretty well on Atkins, even though they are exercizing.
Were I doing -vigorous- exercise, such as an adventure race (over 5-10
days), or the Ironman, I would be forced to switch to GU and liquid
carbs and soforth. But at this level, apparently, even with modest
speed for a recreational cyclist, my body can burn alternate fuel, or
produce enough glucose through gluconeogenesis. I've been doing this
on 100 mile weeks, daily cycling since about April.

After two weeks of 20+ fast miles (for me) at 17-18mph avg speed on
the flats, training daily, additional slow spin/technique ride in the
pm: definite loss of 'inches', dropped a size in bike jersey and down
to size 'medium' bike shorts (they're tight). In the last three days,
had two 'woosh' experiences, dropping 8lbs from Thurs to Sat, regained
4, then lost 7 more as of this afternoon. Total wt drop over two weeks
224lbs to 213.5lbs, with overall gain in quad and calf size.

If I'm doing the math right, you had a net loss of 11 pounds over 4
days? That's gotta be mostly water. I've read elsewhere that the quick
weight loss on Atkins is due in large part to water.

With this diet one sometimes has a phenomena called a 'whoosh' where
you lose a lot of weight over only a few days. This is in addition to
the initial water weight lost at the beginning of the LC diet, but may
also be mostly water. However, if the loss stabilizes at the lower
weight, even after rehydrating post-ride, then what's not to like? The
inches and %BF decrease, I drop pants size and shirt size. The
important part is that because of the biking, IMO, I'm keeping the
metabolism up, and because of the increase in quad and calf size, I'm
not losing important muscle protein. If you are sedentary, and do the
LC diet, you may lose more muscle than someone working out.

Time trial on the flat to a highway marker (set at 12-13 min)

Last week: 12:12
Mid point 12:03
Yesterday: 11:31

Prior to long rides (over 90 min), I ate three small pieces of dark
chocolate. Otherwise standard Atkins 30 gms complex carbs per day.

Jiminy. My post-workout snack has 22 carbs. =:-O Which I seem to
really need. I don't notice right away if I skip the snack, but after
several days of skipping it, my legs start feeling rundown.

If you need it, do it. I will also do some protein powder and some
complex carbs after workouts. My legs are doing fine. If you're at
your own target weight and nothing bulges, then why are you worried
about diet. OTOH, if you're biking and eating carbs and are still
'fat', then you're not dieting correctly, and you are taking in more
calories than you need, or at the wrong times. Do you have fat and
weight you want to lose? Why?

Energy has been extremely high, up early, riding by 06:15 on 2 out of
3 days. (to make it back to OLN by 8! ;-p)

I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.

Well, it's been like this for over 4 months.

I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael has
said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive --
they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know. Or let
me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

Your body, your science experiment. ;-)

-B

the black rose wrote:
|| Badger_South wrote:
||| For those that follow the 'can you bike with moderate intensity' on
||| a low carb diet, here's my results.
||
|| Is this in the nature of an experiment? Were you having trouble
|| losing weight even though you're cycling like 150+ mi/wk? Why
|| Atkins if you're exercising vigorously?
||
||| After two weeks of 20+ fast miles (for me) at 17-18mph avg speed on
||| the flats, training daily, additional slow spin/technique ride in
||| the pm: definite loss of 'inches', dropped a size in bike jersey
||| and down to size 'medium' bike shorts (they're tight). In the last
||| three days, had two 'woosh' experiences, dropping 8lbs from Thurs
||| to Sat, regained 4, then lost 7 more as of this afternoon. Total wt
||| drop over two weeks 224lbs to 213.5lbs, with overall gain in quad
||| and calf size.
||
|| If I'm doing the math right, you had a net loss of 11 pounds over 4
|| days? That's gotta be mostly water. I've read elsewhere that the
|| quick weight loss on Atkins is due in large part to water.
||
||| Time trial on the flat to a highway marker (set at 12-13 min)
|||
||| Last week: 12:12
||| Mid point 12:03
||| Yesterday: 11:31
|||
||| Prior to long rides (over 90 min), I ate three small pieces of dark
||| chocolate. Otherwise standard Atkins 30 gms complex carbs per day.
||
|| Jiminy. My post-workout snack has 22 carbs. =:-O Which I seem to
|| really need. I don't notice right away if I skip the snack, but
|| after several days of skipping it, my legs start feeling rundown.
||
||| Energy has been extremely high, up early, riding by 06:15 on 2 out
||| of 3 days. (to make it back to OLN by 8! ;-p)
||
|| I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
|| I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
|| replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael
|| has said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive
|| -- they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know.
|| Or let me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

By active he meant people like pro bicycle racers..

Roger Zoul wrote:
|| I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
|| I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
|| replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael
|| has said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive
|| -- they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know.
|| Or let me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

By active he meant people like pro bicycle racers..

I honestly don't think he did. He mentioned people who are working out
at least a few times a week.

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

Badger_South wrote:
Jiminy. My post-workout snack has 22 carbs. =:-O Which I seem to
really need. I don't notice right away if I skip the snack, but after
several days of skipping it, my legs start feeling rundown.


If you need it, do it. I will also do some protein powder and some
complex carbs after workouts. My legs are doing fine. If you're at
your own target weight and nothing bulges, then why are you worried
about diet. OTOH, if you're biking and eating carbs and are still
'fat', then you're not dieting correctly, and you are taking in more
calories than you need, or at the wrong times. Do you have fat and
weight you want to lose? Why?

Oh, I'm not at my target weight, hehe. I had about 20 pounds to lose
when I started cycling again two months ago -- my target weight is what
charts peg me at a BMI of 20, but if cycling gives me some extra muscle
mass, I'll have to figure that in as I approach it, but my doctor
doesn't have any problem at all with my goal (she took a careful look at
my diet and exercise program and told me to keep at it). I've got my
caloric intake a touch below the "if all I did was watch TV" maintenance
level, and exercise 6 days a week (varying intensities, and according to
a schedule). It's the heart-healthy, low-fat, low sodium diet promoted
by the American Heart Association. I lost 3 pounds right away, then
stalled for 7 weeks while putting on lean muscle mass (I do weight
training 3 days a week on top of cycling); I was definitely losing fat,
it just wasn't showing on the scale. Now the muscle growth seems to
have slowed and the scale's going down again, a pound or so a week. I
spent 13 years largely inactive, and they say if you do that you can
lose 6-7 pounds of muscle mass per decade. *sigh*

A lot of my bias against Atkins is probably due to this woman I knew
until recently -- I suppose I need to do my own research on that diet,
but I'm not motivated because I don't intend to follow it. It might be
a matter of pride, I guess, but it made me determined to get into shape
with a nice healthy low-fat, low sodium diet.

She claimed to be an Atkins devotee. She wouldn't eat anything I
consider healthy except the odd green leafy salad here or there,
slathered with HUGE amounts of sour cream and guacamole -- as long as it
didn't have carrots. She wouldn't eat carrots, or broccoli, or
cauliflower, or any colorful vitamin-rich vegetables because "they have
too many carbs." She wouldn't touch a piece of fruit, period, but would
splurge on dark chocolate. All she'd eat was food that was heavy in fat
and cholesterol and salt, claiming she didn't need to limit calories if
she limited carbs, but then she'd lose control and pig out on Sour Cream
'n' Onion Pringles, cheese puffs, Ritz crackers, dark chocolate, or all
four at once. *shudder* I watched all this in horror for over a year,
as she only grew fatter, and I vowed I'd never subscribe to such
quackery. Personally, I think she's killing herself, and I know her
refusal to eat any fruits and most vegetables is probably a mockery of
what Atkins really recommends, but it's left me with the cold shudders.

Well anyway. The recommendations from the American Heart Association
work for me and my husband, whose father has high blood pressure, so we
need to be aware of that risk (on my side of the family, there's just
lots of alcoholism and cancer, oh joy). I just limit my portions. The
nice thing about AHA cookbooks is that they give approximate caloric
values per serving, so I get a good idea of how much I can safely eat
and stay under my self-imposed limit.

Probably more than you wanted to know. ;-)

-km

--
the black rose
proud to be owned by a yorkie
http://community.webshots.com/user/blackrosequilts

"the black rose" wrote in message


[...]

A lot of my bias against Atkins is probably due to this woman I knew
until recently -- I suppose I need to do my own research on that diet,
but I'm not motivated because I don't intend to follow it. It might
be a matter of pride, I guess, but it made me determined to get into
shape with a nice healthy low-fat, low sodium diet.

Low fat isn't healthy and you only need low sodium if you're one of the salt
sensitive minority (it's a small minority too; I once got a severe
bollocking from my doctor for cutting my salt intake unnecessarily). You
diet by cutting calories, not fats. Dietary fats are not the enemy,
contrary to what the retards at the USDA think. You need them and you need
enough of them to be healthy. You can always tell people on low fat diets,
they look like **** because you need fats for healthy skin and hair, apart
from anything else.

[...]

vowed I'd never subscribe to such quackery. Personally, I think
she's killing herself, and I know her refusal to eat any fruits and
most vegetables is probably a mockery of what Atkins really
recommends, but it's left me with the cold shudders.

She's a moron. For all his faults Atkins encouraged people to get the bulk
of their carbs from vegetables and fruits once out of the initial highly
restrictive stages. He advised against highly starchy vegetables like
pototoes but never against vegetables per se.

Well anyway. The recommendations from the American Heart Association

The AHA should be shot. They're actually doing the public a disservice.
Medical opinion has changed (*especially* on the matter of salt) but they
haven't kept up.

--

A: Top-posters.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on Usenet?

On 7/26/2004 12:56 PM, the black rose wrote:
Roger Zoul wrote:

|| I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
|| I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
|| replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael
|| has said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive
|| -- they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know.
|| Or let me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

By active he meant people like pro bicycle racers..


I honestly don't think he did. He mentioned people who are working out
at least a few times a week.

-km


I'm with km on that one. He seemed to mean anyone who exercises
regularly. He mentions people who are non-sedentary and women who work
out even a few times a week..

--
jmk in NC

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 14:59:40 -0400, jmk wrote:

On 7/26/2004 12:56 PM, the black rose wrote:
Roger Zoul wrote:

|| I'm really interested in finding out if your energy levels stay high.
|| I'm no medical person, but I can't understand how you'll be able to
|| replenish your glycogen stores on 30 carbs a day. Chris Carmichael
|| has said that low carb diets are really for people who are inactive
|| -- they're not for people who work out much. Please let us know.
|| Or let me know (email addy isn't munged). I'm honestly curious.

By active he meant people like pro bicycle racers..


I honestly don't think he did. He mentioned people who are working out
at least a few times a week.

-km


I'm with km on that one. He seemed to mean anyone who exercises
regularly. He mentions people who are non-sedentary and women who work
out even a few times a week..

LC dieting may not be for everyone. It's better not to get over-fat to
begin with, and had I not taken on a big computing project for over a
year and gained 65lbs, I probably wouldn't have gone on one. But it
taught me a lot about certain aspects of nutrition, or at least how
foods affected me. Now I have an interest in losing the excess fat, a
method that works for me, and a reason - biking faster and being able
to climb a little.

-B