The Get fit club!

[Mark]

That was one of the biggest disappointments when I started cycling. Everyone is saying oh yeah start cycling and the weight will fall off, you can sit and eat fish & chips followed by an entire chocolate cake and still lose weight as long as you've been out cycling.

When of course it's total nonsense, even when I'm up to 100 miles per week and cutting back on food I'm still putting weight on! The only way I've been able to get it off is just by old fashioned severely restricting what I eat.

[Big Ben]

One thing I wondered is if we are getting exceedingly efficient as we get better at it, I mean we just burn a lot less to run/cycle the same distance. It's surely getting easier. The internet says that's not really true. The difference is too small to be bothered by it. One article I've read says a seasoned runner might burn about 5% less calories than a newbie and as you get fitter you can run more or/and faster and that way keep burning the same amount or even more by increasing intensity or distance. So I guess in my case it's just bad food and bad eating habits.

One thing I've noticed is that I prepare way to seriously () for a long run. I'm always having a huge breakfast. I'm probably compensating for the whole running and then I often I feel the 'weight' of the breakfast. And when I'm done I indulge because I did a long run, forgetting about the giant breakfast.

Then there's the problem of my sweet tooth and love for pastries. Those are killing me.

Another bad habit is having late dinners and eating in front of the tv. I often have my dinner after 8 and they're not always light. Having snacks in front of the tv is a good recipe for over-indulging.

So I guess I know what I need to do, I just need to find some will power

[MrJan]

The whole efficiency idea makes sense, I've definitely noticed (even in the space of two or three weeks) that I'm finding riding up hills easier. If things feel easier then it would make sense that you're putting in less effort and therefore burning fewer calories.


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[Mark]

Up to an extent but the laws of physics apply too in terms of needing a certain amount of energy to do certain work. Your muscles get more efficient but a large part of that is getting better at burning more fuel faster and less about using the fuel more efficiently.

[airshifter]

Yeah maintenance is what worries me on the bike. Even though it's new and a half decent Trek it's still got nearly 250 pounds of me on it, and I'm not the most sympathetic of riders when I'm going downhill! However I'm starting a new job next month (better paid) so won't mind so much about paying people for the hassle of servicing. It's also still better value than joining a gym and, most importantly, it's a form of exercise that I enjoy doing.


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I actually like turning wrenches, so fixing things doesn't really bother me, it's just a time thing. I figure I can usually fix it faster than I could get it to the shop for them to do it. And by being familiar with the bike, I can make good adjustments. In my case it's just that the bike is old.

This is the getting fit thread but one thing I've learnt about myself is that I find it easier to get fit than stay fit. I run a lot. I constantly run over 50km/week yet lately I managed to gain some weight and I have some nice love handles, even though nobody to use them , and a nice muffin top. I thought all this running will allow me to treat my body like a dumpster and just eat everything I want but I guess I have to sort out my eating habits too. No matter how many calories I burn, it seems I can eat more.

That was one of the biggest disappointments when I started cycling. Everyone is saying oh yeah start cycling and the weight will fall off, you can sit and eat fish & chips followed by an entire chocolate cake and still lose weight as long as you've been out cycling.

When of course it's total nonsense, even when I'm up to 100 miles per week and cutting back on food I'm still putting weight on! The only way I've been able to get it off is just by old fashioned severely restricting what I eat.

This is where a nutrition app has helped me a lot in keeping me honest with food intake. In basic form it's simple.... less calories in than out. But the app helped me really see where I was making bad choices, and also helped a lot with balancing the proper ratios of proteins, fats, and carbs. It also ties in with Endo to keep track of exercise and adjusts the intake for days you work out, so that is a big plus. One of my major weak points was not eating properly after a day of burning big calories on the bike. Rather than eat right to recover, I would eat light and then be wanting to eat everything the next day, and on top of that I was eating the wrong things.

The app is fairly easy to use... making the lifestyle choice to use it and keep myself honest was a little harder. But I now view weekly calories and know when I can do well to build up for a "splurge" day and eat that big cake!



From my personal experience I have to be really fit to just "eat what I want". Back in my military days and at one period after where I had a fairly physical job I could do it. But without a lot of muscle mass and activity it's out of the question for most people.

As for avoiding heavy foods before a work out, I turned to using some nutrition/protein bars and such things. Small and don't slow you down, but there are varieties with just about any nutrition combo you want.



As for the efficiency thing, I think we are all on the same train of thought. Adding Endo and then later a bike computer that shows pace/cadence/etc might have helped a few percent. But overall the efficiency comes more from conditioning those certain muscles we need for the activity.



I've been doing good this month. Over 200 miles on the POS BOMB (Beat Old Mountain Bike) and some walking miles. Sunday I was feeling a bit tired from my Saturday ride and not really feeling strong, but managed to get a personal best 20km as well as a personal best 1 hour on the bike. So far I'm burning a little over 1000 calories a day average for the month.

[schmenke]

Sounds like a general theme here

I find that maintaining proper nutrition is harder than exercising.
I seem to do o.k. during weekdays when I avoid alcohol and eat more fruits and vegggies, but then blow it all during the weekends when I grill a ribeye steak or hamburger on the BBQ, along with downing a half-dozen pints of beer .

...

As for avoiding heavy foods before a work out, I turned to using some nutrition/protein bars and such things. Small and don't slow you down, but there are varieties with just about any nutrition combo you want....

Same here. Before a run or bike ride, I try to have a high protein/low-fat meal, typically a couple of boiled eggs and/or fruit. I avoid meat, bread and dairy products.


I don't "count calories" (I have no idea how to do it), so I have no idea how much I'm burning vs. consuming. I should probably try an app, but I'd likely be unmotivated to keep it up to date .

[MrJan]

Yeah the weekend thing is a big issue for me too. I'm mostly avoiding beer during the week, but then on Fridays it's far too easy to just chuck loads down my neck


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[airshifter]

It's easy to blow it during time off, especially when you have some drinks. A couple weekends back I managed to consume almost 6000 calories in a day! BUT.... overall I was at about break even for the week. A couple rides and sensible eating the rest of the week balanced things out some.

I found the app I'm using (My Fitness Pal) by clicking on the Nutrition tab in Endomondo. It's simple to use, and has really helped me keep things in perspective and find better alternatives, as well as look at the overall long term picture.


And let me just say this.... I'm not a "diet" type of person. I can watch what I eat somewhat, but I'm going to have that nice burger or steak. Saturday I had a monster burger from one of our favorite local places, and Sunday I had some of the best local pizza we have found. But just that app and the influence it has made for me has me looking harder at alternatives for when I need something healthy. Last night after my ride I ate a salad (I like light foods after a workout) and then made a peanut butter and banana smoothie that I saw a recipe for on the greek yogurt I picked up. That smoothie was freaking good.... like order it at a burger joint good. But it was mega healthy too.

I'm starting to see that I don't have to deprive myself to eat healthier, I just have to make changes.

[Mekola]

This weekend did many 30 min and 15 min walkings, that helped to kept the same weight. Now my objective is to return to 99 Kg soon, I'm on the verge to do that achievement.

[airshifter]

This weekend did many 30 min and 15 min walkings, that helped to kept the same weight. Now my objective is to return to 99 Kg soon, I'm on the verge to do that achievement.

All it takes to get started is willpower. The help of some method of tracking food intake vs calories burned will help as well.

I've dropped a little over a pound a week for the last few weeks. It's not as hard as it seems, you just have to want to do it.