A Cycling & bikes forum. CycleBanter.com

Go Back   Home » CycleBanter.com forum » rec.bicycles » Techniques
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Biker's Diet



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old July 11th 06, 02:47 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
ackfugue
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default Biker's Diet

I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!

Ads
  #2  
Old July 11th 06, 03:05 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
RonSonic
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,658
Default Biker's Diet

On 10 Jul 2006 18:47:45 -0700, "ackfugue" wrote:

I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!


First off, if you're feeling stronger and healthier, that's better.

Lots of us ride because we love riding and we love eating. I've reached a
similar equillibrium at 220 pounds.

A lot of the guys who ride competitively will eat low carb and low fat except
for breakfast, during a ride and immediately after.

You should see my mountain bike club. Looks like a bowling league with huge
ripped calf muscles.

Ron
  #3  
Old July 11th 06, 04:44 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
41
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 193
Default Biker's Diet


ackfugue wrote:

weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
earl y teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active


Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I c ouldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain.


And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet f eel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.



1. At 6ft, 190lbs, if you really are encased in layers of fat, then you
must have very little muscle. Some weight training would be in order,
perhaps via incorporating more hill climbing into your rides. I agree
you might be a littl e on the heavy side, but surely you are no Walter
Hudson.

2. Water cycles weight up and down as you get hydrated and dehydrated,
but, except in pathological cases, you don't get actual weight gain
with water as you would with say, too many cheeseburgers.

3. You are doing plenty of riding. Ride more because you enjoy it or to
get to and from destinations, not to lose weight. 200 miles a week is
plenty for weight loss.

4. It seems evident that you eat a terrible diet: cheeseburgers, fries,
steak and cheese subs, commercial American pizza: you are drowning in
calories and in trans fat, the deadliest and most fattening kind. It
should be illegal. A recent article in, was it Nature or Science or
elsewhere, reported research that for identical minimalist diets of
1600 daily calories, except one had, what was it, roughly 8% of the fat
as trans fat (don't remember exactly), resulted in that group gaining
loads of weight, most of it around the belly, the worst site. 1600
calories per day is roughly what a small sedentary person needs; one
Burger King Double Whopper with cheese and a large order of Freedom
Fries and you are already over it- and you haven't even had your Coke
yet. And worse, its loaded with trans fat.

So, the logical thing solution to your problem is to learn how to eat
healthily and to do so. That means no fast "food", as it is
euphemistically called. I don't know what books to recommend, apart
from anything by Jaques Pepin (e.g. "Fast Food My Way"), but you really
should learn about both nutrition and good eating. You may have to
re-educate your palate a little but it will not take long before you
begin to appreciate how crappy and tasteless the food you are eating
now is, and how great and healthy real food is.

Really, the best thing would be to take a cycling-cooking school
vacation in Italy for a few weeks. It can be done.
g

  #4  
Old July 11th 06, 06:09 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Mark
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 359
Default Biker's Diet

ackfugue wrote:
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.


My experience is that with a long ride on a hot day, I can lose a lot of
weight through water. On one recent hot ride I figured I drank ~100
ounces (6 lbs) of liquid, and was still about 3 lbs lighter when I got
home (yes, I really did weigh before and after that day, on a whim). I
should add that I sweat like crazy.

Also, sometimes I find a water "bounce" afterward - particularly if my
legs are sore (swollen??) - my weight after the ride goes up for a day
or so, then settles down a few lbs.

As another poster said, even if you aren't losing weight, you are
getting fit - converting fat to muscle. Adopting long-term exercise
habits will do you good; overdoing and burning out (from despair of the
results) won't help.

Good luck,

Mark

  #5  
Old July 11th 06, 10:02 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 601
Default Biker's Diet


ackfugue wrote:
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!


I had a similar situation. I balooned up to about 270 of flab in my
inactive period, but have no come down to a stable much more muscular
220. Here is my "recipie" for weight loss:

Diet changes, starting out with very minor changes. If your weight has
been going up slowly for many years, your calorie surplus isn't very
big. A few hundred calories at most. This means there are only small
changes needed to make the surplus a deficit. So there are really only
30 seconds per day where you are eating "wrong". Find those 30 seconds.
For me it was fruit-flavored sweetened yogurt, which I used to eat a
fair amount of. I gradually switched to plain yogurt instead, and that
was all it took. Once the weight started coming off it became easier to
incorporate other healthful diet changes as well. I've settled on a
high-protein "zone-like" diet that has served me well.

As for riding, all riding will burn fat. Hard riding will also burn
more carbos too, with the harder you ride, the more carbos. After a
hard ride, your body wants to replenish the carbos and you feel hungry.
So you eat, and it is hard to make sure you only eat enough carbos to
replenish what you just burned, and often you eat more making it hard
to loose weight. So I focus on long steady rides at 70-75% of max heart
rate. This burns less fat than riding hard, but it really burns less
carbos. This means I can go on a 3 hour fat buring ride (water only)
and be no more hungry when I am finished than if I spent those 3 hours
in front of a computer. This allows me to keep a more consistent diet
where there are no big fluctuations of calories each day wether I ride
or not.

So the short version:
High protein diet
modify one high calorie meal per day to be less calories but just as
satisfying
as long as possible steady (not necessarily slow) distance rides

More upper body muscle mass helps consume calories in the long run too.
So some weight training or other whole-body sport may help too. In the
winter I XC ski and this has made for some upper body development which
if nothing else helps round out the package.

Good luck!

Joseph

  #6  
Old July 11th 06, 11:26 AM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
res09c5t
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 56
Default Biker's Diet

Hi,
I feel your pain. I've probably dropped 80 lbs since I started riding (over
probably 5 years) and would like to drop another 30. Loosing the weight is
a battle, even when I ride a lot.. I tend to like junk food, too. My
weakness is the sweet stuff: cookies, doughnuts, etc. I've succeeded when
I am good at changing to a healthier diet and really keeping track of what I
am eating. I shoot for negative calorie consumption of about 1000/day,
which would yield a loss of about 8 lbs/month. When I can do that, I loose
weight. Unfortunately, I don't do that as much as I would like.
The scale is frustrating. In the last month, I have swung as much as 9 lbs
from Friday to Monday. I think hydration/dehydration is a big part. Also,
how full my digestive system is can make a difference, too. I basically
look for my low weights to keep dropping and kind of look at the overall
trend.
One more thing, there are a lot of "calories burned" calculators that aren't
very accurate. A lot treat weight as proportional- a 300 lb rider should
burn twice as much as 150 lb rider and that just isn't accurate. They also
don't do a good job of factoring in speed, which makes a huge difference
because of the changing wind resistance. The best one I've seen is:
http://www.kreuzotter.de/english/espeed.htm
As one other poster mentioned, small changes can make a big difference. I
figured out once that my 150 lbs of weight gain averaged out to about 100
calories/day of overconsumption over the years I gained it , less than a
Coke a day.
Lyle

"ackfugue" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!



  #7  
Old July 11th 06, 01:14 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Earl Bollinger
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 246
Default Biker's Diet

"ackfugue" wrote in message
oups.com...
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!


You are doign OK, but you need to basically stop eating all the junk foods,
and eat healthy.
Stop drinking carbonated soft drinks too.
Skip all the fried fatty foods for sure.


  #8  
Old July 11th 06, 01:55 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
Cam
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 96
Default Biker's Diet


ackfugue wrote:
I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.


You crave food but barely pee. Try drinking more water. And get the
idea out of your head that you are storing water and that's why you
weigh too much.

  #9  
Old July 11th 06, 03:07 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
trino
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 27
Default Biker's Diet


"Mark" wrote in message
. ..
ackfugue wrote:
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Fat weighs less than muscle. Soft fat less dangerous than hard.
Drink water before you are thirsty.
Aerobic activity burns fat better than any other exercise. Stretch before
and after a ride. regular better than sporadic and weekend warriors
program.

Heart rate is best indicator to see if you are impoving and maintaining
aerobic fitness. Any fitness book can teach you the basics about monitoring
your heart rate. (no equipment needed alas)
I think it is 75% max 3-4 times a week. See your Doctor to appove any
program if you are over 55 or have a medical condition.
220- your age is your Max heart Rate. I think, actually, they just changed
that to 200- your age. Am I right?

Take your vitamins. Eat raw fruit and vegables more or only. Fills
you up, 100% nutritious and no fat, transfat content. Prevents Cancer as
well as letting your stomach do what it was made for. Be alert however, too
much a good thing is still bad. Fibre can actually cause intestinal
complications too.

Less is More. Moderation is key. Think Thin. Lock the Fridge haha

Not get movin'

You do not need a fitness coach but it is easier to exercise in groups if
you are unmotivated. The latest thing is a video game by CATEYE attached to
an exercise bike. They had people staying on the thing for 3 hours and had
to be told to get off. hahaha
Might be worth looking into It is on sale somewhere i know.

cheers
Shirley



  #10  
Old July 11th 06, 04:43 PM posted to rec.bicycles.tech
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 244
Default Biker's Diet

ackfugue wrote:
I'm sure this question has been asked a million and one times, but I am
desperate.

Between my childhood, into my teens and into my 20s, I was at an ideal
weight. I'm 6 feet tall. I used to be all of about 145 lbs in my
early teens, then worked up to about 155 and to 160. I was always
active, always outdoors, always playing sports. I won 3 physical
fitness awards from elem. school into middle school. In high school, I
was in track & field. My friends and I played football in the street
practically everyday. I got into biking in my late teens, but not
seriously, just for exercise. In my 20s, my activity was going out to
the nightclubs and dancing 2 or 3 times a week, for 6 hours a night.

Then, I entered my 30s and things went down hill from there. My jobs
pretty much made me sedentary like so many other Americans, and I could
no longer just eat whatever I wanted to and get away with it. I guess
you could say, what people told me finally came true: my matobilism
finally caught up up me and ran on past me.

I saw so many of my friends turn to cycling to lose the weight. Some
of them surpassed me in weight by MANY lbs. As soon as they began
cycling, they became virtual tooth-picks! I couldn't believe me eyes.
I still can't. "What is your secret?" "What diet are you on?" ...
"Nothing, I just started bicycling."

So, then I started doing the same, and as hard as I ride, and as far as
I ride, it has done NOTHING to change my weight, and I am getting,
frankly, quite depressed. No pain, no gain? Well, I have done the
pain and showed little gain, except a fatter ass. I'm going out, riding
at least 200 miles a week with no results. Sure, my legs feel like
wrought iron underneath the layer of fat that encases it all. My
stomach keeps sneaking a little more outwardly pudge everytime I look
in the mirror. I weigh myself everyday looking for results and find
none.

I rode 100 miles this past Saturday, and when I got home, I lost about
4 or 5 lbs. I was just shy over 190. Then, I weigh myself today, and
I am just under 200. What the HECK is going on?? I'm wondering if
most of that is water gain. I mean, I felt like I couldn't get enough
to drink the past few days, and with all the liquid I am drinking,
you'd think I would be ****ing like Niagara Falls. Nope.. Just a
tinkle here and a tinkle there. So, my body must be absorbing it like
a sponge and storing it all up.

And I am finding it hard to believe that my friends (not really CLOSE
friends) are doing NOTHING aside from cycling. They must be dieting,
also. But as much as I tell myself that I will not eat a tall
cheeseburger and fries after a hard ride, it just doesn't happen. The
bad side always wins. It is SOOO hard when my body is hanging on by a
thread after a long ride in the saddle.

The odd thing is, with all the cycling I have been doing lately I can't
sit down and eat a large meal. What I used to pack away before, I can
no longer do. Value meals, etc. Whatever - I eat about half of it and
I throw the rest away because I feel full. But, even though I am
eating half the portion that I used to, I am NOT losing weight.

At this point, I don't know what to do. I'll keep on cycling because I
love doing it. I just want to know: Is water gain a real issue, and
does it affect how my body breaks down solids? Is there a "biker's
diet" that I can follow that will help me lose the weight and yet feel
as full as if I bit into a steak & cheese sub or a slice of pizza? I
need a sensible solution.

I keep reading how complex carbs are important for athleticism, but
where do I draw the line? How many complex carbs are too much? Maybe
I am just eating the wrong kinds of carbs after a day in the saddle. I
pretty much feel like I am gaining back everything I burn off in a
matter of one or two days, and more!

HELP!


Your "friends" did not lose weight by bicycling alone. Unless they
were training for RAAM. Bicycling is too efficient of an activity to
burn many excess calories unless you are watching your calorie intake.
Roughly 700 calories are burned going 18 mph. Roughly. In the US
eating excess calories is very easy since there are so many high
calorie processed foods around. Many people gain weight on RAGBRAI.
Riding 500 miles in 7 days is far more than anyone but professionals
ride in a week. Yet RAGBRAI riders gain weight because they eat more
calories than they consume.

A fast and furious evening ride of two hours (40 miles) consumes about
1500 calories. But if you drink a couple Pepsis before the ride (300
Cal) plus a couple granola bars (220 Cal) to make sure you have enough
energy to get through the ride, and after the ride you re-energize
yourself with an extra Big Mac (500 Cal, you eat supper at McDonalds)
and lo and behold, you merely burned 500 calories net during your two
hour fast and furious ride. Do that every single day and you will lose
1 pound in a week. So you will have to increase your weekly mileage
from 200 to 280 and make sure you are riding racer fast for all of
those miles to take off 1 pound a week.

To lose weight you must reduce the number of calories you consume.
Exercising is great and fun and should be done too. But you have to
reduce the calories you consume to lose weight. You have to run
roughly a 3,500 calorie deficit to lose 1 pound. So to lose 1 pound a
week, you have to eat 500 fewer calories a day than you burn. I think
a Big Mac has a bit over 500 calories. So for lunch you could skip the
Big Mac and just eat the french fries, and diet Coke.

I'm sure what types of food have some impact on weight loss. Maybe
eating all fat or all protein or all carbohydrates matters some. But a
balanced diet of healtyhy foods is probalby best for most people. And
in the end no matter what types of calories you consume, the key aspect
is eating fewer calories than you burn. You also have to stay on your
diet/meal plan forever to keep the weight off. Reducing weight
permanently involves a permanent lifestyle change. A permanent change
in your eating habits.

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Hypocritical Mountain Bikers Preach Coexistence with Hikers & Equestrians, but Not Motorcyclists! Jeff Strickland Mountain Biking 0 April 23rd 06 01:58 AM
Hypocritical Mountain Bikers Preach Coexistence with Hikers & Equestrians, but Not Motorcyclists! Jeff Strickland Social Issues 0 April 23rd 06 01:58 AM
Science Proves Mountain Biking Is More Harmful Than Hiking Stephen Baker Mountain Biking 18 July 16th 04 04:28 AM
Mountain bikers unite to oppose wilderness plan Jerry Bone Jr Mountain Biking 4 June 30th 04 04:30 PM
Funny Capper to the 'Diet Madness' mega-thread - enjoy Badger_South General 0 May 23rd 04 03:43 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 02:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 CycleBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.