Weight / Fat loss

Hey man,

I'm about 177cm.
175 with a hangover.

This year for the first time in my life this year I started to think more about my weight.
I'm 28 about to turn 29 and 6ft2. I've basically always been tall and skinny. Until I was 26 I'd always been around 75kg but earlier in the year I was 91kg. I realised that I had developed a bit of a belly and I've been wanting rid of it. This summer I put in way more road miles than I have in previous years and tried to eat better. Ive found changing my diet difficult as I really do love food and cooking. However in the summer just past even though I was doing at least two 40-50 miles a week and shorter evening rides my weight stayed around 89-91kg. When I was younger my weight could fluctuate by 5kg quite quickly but now it seems difficult.
Whats strange is I haven't been on my road bike for about 5 weeks now due to work and family etc. I don't think I've changed my eating habits much yet in the time I've been of the bike I seem to have lost weight. I'm currently 83kg right now. First time I've been under 85 in a long time.
I'm confused by this as I tried hard in summer to shift weight and it simply didn't happen yet in the past 5 weeks I haven't done any real exercise but mysteriously lost weight. Could there be a reason for this?

Can anyone suggest any good books on weight loss and nutrition for cycling?
I've got no idea about sports nutrition i.e. best times to eat and what to eat before, during and after a long ride.

I'd really like to be back down to about 75-77kg for riding next year and looking to improve my average speed on longer rides.

Can anyone suggest any good books on weight loss and nutrition for cycling?

I've seen this book recommended in this very thread:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Weight-Lean-Peak-Performance-ebook/dp/B00C3MFR2O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1416003346&sr=8-1&keywords=racing+weight

I haven't done any real exercise but mysteriously lost weight. Could there be a reason for this?

Muscle loss is the most likely explanation (plus additional fluctuations)

I hadn't thought about muscle loss or gain. Thats interesting, as I said my weight stayed pretty much the same, maybe going down to 87kg at one point. Its possible then that perhaps I was losing weight/fat during my intensive summer rides but also developing and gaining more muscle in areas.
Thanks Kirkov for the link, only a fiver for the kindle version.

OK, I'm putting this here as there tends to be plenty of general fitness chat in this thread, if there is a more appropriate one, do say so.

Weight / resistance training for 'older' adults: has anyone had much experience of this? I spent this weekend with my parents and was struck by the fact that both are beginning to lose muscle mass as they age (mid sixties now). Both are active - regular cycling, walking groups, gardening etc. However, I am increasingly aware of the fact that maintaining muscle mass as you age is extremely helpful for recovery from falls, general functional mobility etc. I do not think that either of them would be interested in joining a gym, so I am considering buying some resistance bands and maybe a TRX type set for them that they could use at home and I could demo for them. Has anyone thought about this at all for their parents / grandparents? Had any success? Been told to piss off as patronising?

not that i know much but resistance bands are great, i do all my strength training now with them rather than weights as they fold up and go in a drawer and dont dent the floow when i drop them!

Talking of which i spent 8 weeks post ironman doing bits and pieces of exercise but there there was a massive drop off in activity levels from 20+ hours a week down to 3-4 and combined with eating everything, and drinking like a fish put on about 4kg and lost a decent amount of muscle mass so probably more like 5kg of fat put on.

I've been training properly again for 3 weeks, and despite still drinking too much and eating too much i've started to drop weight, feel strong and can see some muscle again! i've added a lot of core work, and my sessions are focussed on quality rather than volume, so lots of technique work, increased swimming up to 3 sessions per week and reduced cycling, which makes for a happier home life and a happier me!

still about 3kg to get back to a weight i think should be maintainable, but ideally id like to lose 5kg before the start of next season...

Interesting article on fat loss/body image: http://precisionnutrition.com/cost-of-getting-lean

.

Monday: 45 min run (1h by Christmas)
Tuesday: 1h20 cycling (commute and gentle to/from 5-a-side), 40m 5-a-side, 1 hour pub
Wednesday: 45 min run (1h by Christmas)
Thursday: 45 min run (1h by Christmas), 1h 5-a-side, 4 hours pub
Friday: 1h swim (1h30 by Christmas), 2h cycling, 30m run (sometimes)
Saturday: 30 min run (parkrun every other week)
Sunday: 50 min swim (drills)

Hmm.

Is it? Consume less, weigh less.

@Greenbank

Rest up. Don't overdo it.

Is it? Consume less, weigh less.

It is the "consume less" bit that I have existential problems with, personally

I just weigh myself less. Problem gone...

Same. I just ate a whole advent calendar. Not even December!

Eating it all now doesn't magically make tomorrow the 25th you know. I've tried that before.

Same. I just ate a whole advent calendar. Not even December!

You're only meant to eat the chocolatey bits!

I wouldn't describe them as 'chocolate' anyway :/

Oh man, was it one of the ones where it's just a bit of cardboard with cardboard pictures behind the windows? Those are the worst.

Those are the worst.

Pictures of chocolate.

Nativitrololol.

Just found this thread. Interesting, everyone has different approaches.

I've been overweight since I was about 17 (when i stopped XC racing and starting smoking weed/drinking). 16 years in London, and I went from 78kg to 95kg by Christmas 2012. Early in 2013 I started riding a lot around here (Devon, very hilly), my milage has gone up and up, as has my fitness. I've now shed 20kg in the past 22 months. My diet has improved, I eat less crap at lunchtime (as I work from home) but the amounts of food I consume haven't change a lot. I also drink a lot less beer.

Having now got into off-road ultras, I've been trying various things with nutrition, flapjacks have proven to be best, homemade, lots of oats, sesame, tahini, nuts etc, reduced sugar, increased honey. on a 24 hour ride, 1 an hour seems to keep me going. Gels/Energy products generally just make me puke, I really can't handle them.

I've read a fair bit about Ketonic diets, and how some ultra runners/ironman athletes are trying it now, basically, high fat, low carb, adequate protein diet. It started as treatment for epilepsy, but also has major advantages to diabetics. Basically, your liver, when your body is starved of carbs (esp sugar) starts to produce Ketones, which deliver energy to your muscles and brain extremely efficiently. It's really interesting, and will probably be the next fad after Paleo (Faileo).

I've not tried a Ketonic diet, but I have reduced carb intake a fair bit, especially sugars, and it's made a big difference. I eat quite a lot of fat, butter, animal fats, etc, cos they is yummy.

Here's a few interesting talks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3oI104STzs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP6DtqmZ3Mw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMOjVYgYaG8

I’m not posting here as I’m looking to lose weight (the opposite, if anything), but does anyone else find Fridays lead to a desire to eat all the things?

I tend to have a rest day on Fridays from all exercise (I run and ride quite a bit, and do some core work in the gym), and, despite needing less calories for fuel, I almost seem to eat more on these rest days. I don’t know if it’s a ‘fuck it, it’s Friday’ mental thing, or my body wanting to catch up on fuel as it’s resting?

I've read a fair bit about Ketonic diets, ...
It's really interesting, and will probably be the next fad after Paleo (Faileo).

Like all diet stuff the various ideas keep coming around and around, just with slight tweaks and name changes.

The Atkins diet has been around since 1958 and is based heavily on ketosis. I remember loads of my colleagues using it about 10 years ago (some with great success), the local pubs even started doing lunches specifically designed for it (steaks, sausages, eggs, mmm).

Everyone is different (and free to do what they want) but I prefer a balanced diet (albeit too much booze), increased exercise and eating such that I run a calorie deficit.

Recovery also needs fuel, particularly if you are trying to build some body strength. Finding the most appropriate may help. Do you do anything in the way of recovery fuel shortly after exercise?

#rep