# Wanting to get rid of the beer belly



## Flacka1987 (4 May 2015)

So, I'm looking to try lose some weight (1-2 stone). 

I'm 27 years old, 5"11, 14 stone and just got sick of it. 

I have asthma and feel sometimes this holds me back RE exercise. 

I'm riding a Scott Aspect 620. Changed the pedals to lighter metal ones and also the tyres to smoother / faster ones. The rest of the bike is untouched. 

Just really want to know anyone's opinions on frequency of rides in say a week? Distance of rides / pace in order to lose this weight. 

I understand diet is a big part so any tips on that will always be welcome. 

Greg


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## Drago (5 May 2015)

A solid 8 hours shut eye is also important.


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## welsh dragon (5 May 2015)

Hello. Welcome to the forum . Just ride your bike when you want, for as long as you want. Just get used to the bike, and enjoy yourself, thats the most important thing. Diet and exercise go hand in hand so cut down on the food, and ride your bike. You will soon start to lose the weight. Gradually go for longer rides, but don't become obsessed about times and distance. Just enjoy.


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## uclown2002 (5 May 2015)

Your diet is critical, although exercise will help.
Ride as often as you can but build up your mileage and time in the saddle slowly. No need to hammer it either; speed will naturally increase with fitness.


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## Travs (5 May 2015)

I wrote some things that I've found recently on another post about similar:

_"I used to be all about max calorie burning. The more you work, the harder you work, the more calories you burn, the more fat you'll get through, end of story.
I read more recently about the key to burning fat is that you need oxygen to metabolise it - and therefore this stuff that I personally never use to believe about "fat-burning zone" sounds more logical: I've read that you burn 1/3 each of carb, fat and protein as energy sources until you reach around 80-85% of MHR when your oxygen supply starts to drop off and you stop burning fat.
For 1g of each energy source, you have (as an approximate starting point) 4calories each for protein and carbs, and 9calories for fat.
Therefore, going on rides where you can keep your HR down out of the red, and breathe well (not hyperventilate, just don't shallow breathe) means you give yourself the highest chance of burning fat. Take carbs and protein with you (to stop the muscles being broken down to be used as an energy source) for energy and you give your body the best chance of being able to utilise fat stores in your body. As said, if you work hard and under-eat you'll bonk and eat everything in site. And lastly, I've been reading more and more about sleep too, Dave Brailsford amongst them so it must be fairly relevant to cycling."_

I do caveat that I'm not a scientist, sports professional or claim to be giving any sort of advice, its just what I've read and what I'm doing. 

The basics are this: Keep the rides steady and long as you like, make sure you stay fuelled for them, but clean up your eating a bit off the bike and get a good night's sleep.

Also, if its coming down to stomach particularly, get some core-strengthening exercises and make sure your abs and obliques are trained. Sitting on a bike does nothing for your stomach muscles if its just hanging there so make sure they get some work too.


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## BRounsley (5 May 2015)

I too have zero qualifications but here's my tuppence worth!


Don’t weight yourself, use a tape measure. Putting on muscle will make you heavier. Being dehydrated will make you lights. Weighing yourself is a rubbish metric. I assume you want to change shape/makeup than get lighter.


As you said diet is the key but muscle mass is your friend. The more muscle you have more energy you burn, even when sitting still, so mixing in some simple bodyweight exercises. Any of these flash in the pan exercise plans (e.g. Insanity) or your classic boxing training always having jumping in common. Jumping works, google “Burpee” and look to do a bit of circuit training with plenty of jumping stuff.


As @Travs said if you massively under fuel you’ll just get into a vicious circle of burning muscle, and muscle mass is your friend. Any dramatic changes mean you’ve probably got the balance wrong and there’s a good chance you’re goosing you metabolism. Be patient, don’t get faddy.


I love cycling but being active is being active. A 20 minute walk post lunch is very beneficial (for many reasons) and you don’t even need to break a sweat.


I’ve also read taking a before and after pictures can really help with seeing progress and with motivation.


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## howard2107 (16 May 2015)

Swimming once or twice a week helps. I do at least 1 45 to 60 minute session per week, covering up to mile. Its hard on the shoulders to start with, but things get easier after about 6 weeks. 64 lengths in a 25m pool is a mile. When you first start you will struggle to do more than about 4 lengths at a time without stopping, i could only manage 2, but now i just get in, get them done and get out, the downside is the boredom, but a waterproof MP3 player helps. If you do take it up, then i suggest breast stroke till your arms and shoulder get strong, front crawl will kill you until then.

Cheers...............Howard


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## ayceejay (17 May 2015)

I hope I am making sense here but the problem is a 'beer belly' right? and you are 27? Stop drinking beer.


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## screenman (17 May 2015)

Not many cyclist build up enough muscle mass to increase weight. Many do increase weight by eating more cakes.

Swimming is good I do 5 sessions a week, it is not a great calorie burner though, it does change shoulder shape though and helps a bit on the belly.


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## Kilbourne (17 May 2015)

ayceejay said:


> I hope I am making sense here but the problem is a 'beer belly' right? and you are 27? Stop drinking beer.


 
Or just exercise enough, and eat better to accommodate the beer. Never leave the beer!


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## gavroche (17 May 2015)

I don't think 14 stones for your height is overweight.


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## uclown2002 (17 May 2015)

gavroche said:


> I don't think 14 stones for your height is overweight.


 wtf!


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## Amanda P (17 May 2015)

Go on a two-week cycling tour with Mrs Uncle Phil. Go loaded for camping, and camp almost every night. Go somewhere where there are few pubs, cafes and cake shops, or where you can't afford them (rural Scandinavia is good in both respects).

You'll find that Mrs Uncle Phil always wants to go a bit further, and a bit faster, than you do. She's paranoid about missing planes and ferries, so always wants to be over the horizon sooner rather than later. 

This works because you'll be getting loads of exercise, and you just don't quite have time to eat enough to balance the energy intake (she nibbles a handful of nuts or raisins and just keeps going like the Duracell bunny). Even if you did have time, it's too cold/there are too many midges or mosquitoes to sit around eating for long.

Well it works for me anyway.


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## screenman (17 May 2015)

gavroche said:


> I don't think 14 stones for your height is overweight.



Maybe not if it is solid muscle.


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## mickle (17 May 2015)

It's really simple. Eat less.


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## Mrs M (17 May 2015)

Weights and gym ball will help with toning up.
Good luck, but do things that you enjoy and are more likely to stick with.


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## uclown2002 (17 May 2015)

screenman said:


> Maybe not if it is solid muscle.


 OP wants rid of a beer belly so unlikely!


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## ColinJ (17 May 2015)

ayceejay said:


> I hope I am making sense here but the problem is a 'beer belly' right? and you are 27? Stop drinking beer.


Ha ha - too true!

I gave up alcohol about 3 years ago and have lost nearly 5 stone of beer belly! (66 lbs/30 kgs, corresponding to about 21 ins/53 cms off my waist.)

Cutting out the booze was the biggest factor but I also follow a 5:2 fasting plan, see this thread, cycle about 3,500 miles over Yorks/Lancs hills a year, and walk about 1,500 miles.


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## MacB (17 May 2015)

howard2107 said:


> Swimming once or twice a week helps. I do at least 1 45 to 60 minute session per week, covering up to mile. Its hard on the shoulders to start with, but things get easier after about 6 weeks. 64 lengths in a 25m pool is a mile. When you first start you will struggle to do more than about 4 lengths at a time without stopping, i could only manage 2, but now i just get in, get them done and get out, the downside is the boredom, but a waterproof MP3 player helps. If you do take it up, then i suggest breast stroke till your arms and shoulder get strong, front crawl will kill you until then.
> 
> Cheers...............Howard



Good advice here, cycling does little for the upper body and, the way most people swim, swimming does little for the legs. So they should be a match made in heaven, I'm just about to start back into swimming. The above is exactly what I'll expect, I doubt I'll manage 2 lengths at a time without a breather. Once up to speed I expect to be able to swim non stop, at a decent clip, for 45 minutes at a time. The 45 minutes is just my own personal boredom threshold based on past experience. Get to that level 3 times a week and you should see a pleasing difference in physique within 3 months.


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## Tin Pot (17 May 2015)

Fitbit, MapMyRide and MyFitnessPal.

Record everything religiously and you'll lose weight.


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## midlife (17 May 2015)

Eat less so you use more energy than whats going in and you will lose weight. Cheaper than tech lol. 

Shaun


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## Flacka1987 (18 May 2015)

thank you everyone for your help and tips.

My last ride was 10.5 miles and done in 58 minutes so was quite happy with that. 

I'm a broad lad, big chest but skinny legs. 

To put it in perspective I bench between 80kg - 110kg depending on if free weights or on smith machine. 

Lift 250kg on incline leg press. 

So I'm not obese I just have I think 1 / 2 stone of fat I could shift.


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## Travs (19 May 2015)

Ok - I'm vastly overshadowed by the majority on here but that does show a few things - bear with me:

I'm the same height but 78Kg and I've done my fair share of gymwork, before I started cycling. Your bench is def better than me and at the moment, you're not built for cycling. All that muscle on the top half is generally just dead weight you have to carry. If your legs are skinny (although 250kg isn't light) then they have to work hard to carry it around. Which is why, unless there was a massive headwind or a fair amount of climbing in that, 10.5mph for an hour is a fairly relaxed pace - so it would appear your legs get tired or can't output high for long. Again, bear with me...

I don't mean as a criticism - its an indication of where you are currently. Cycling for any sort of endurance is not about power but about sustainable power. If you're flagging after an hour, this is something that you need to develop. In doing so, you will burn more energy. Your asthma is obviously something that will impact this as your breathing will be important to supply oxygen but set yourself a reasonable goal to increase length of ride. Change the pace up and down, to work different parts - but keep in mind the slower recovery pace as it really benefits in the longer term and you can keep going for longer.

You will get there but it'll just take a bit of time and changing the way you workout. Aim for longer rides I think to get your metabolism up and burning for longer. There is a mass of knowledge and advice on here so take what you can from that too. And update on the progress too!


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## Dogtrousers (19 May 2015)

_*Enjoyment is critical.*_

With an appropriate exercise and diet routine you will lose weight.

We can argue for ever over what that routine should be and the relative importance of diet/exercise but if you don't enjoy it you are unlikely to stick to it (unless you enjoy it in a masochistic kind of way) and hence you won't keep it up.

So in both diet and exercise try to find things that you like eating/doing. We're all different but my suggestion for cycling is to explore your local area. Seek out something odd/interesting on the map and ride to it. Or if you're more sporty than that then maybe delve into the world of PRs on Strava or something. If you like doing hill reps, do them. If you like long slow country rides, do them. Do what you like first and foremost, because you are most likely to stick to it.

There are loads of different approaches to improving your diet, which often cry out their great scientific credentials (often cobblers), the trick is to find a way of modifying your diet in a way you like. A long time ago I found myself needing to lose weight and unable to exercise due to serious injury. I went for the "F-plan" diet and found that it included lots of stuff I like eating, so therefore it worked for me. Whether its scientific credentials are sound or not is neither here nor there if you like it and it works.

By the way I'm not "built for cycling". I'm a great lumbering idiot. It doesn't stop me doing it and enjoying it.


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## 4F (19 May 2015)

Eat clean and portion control is the only real answer. You can do as much exercise as you like but unless you address those 2 issues then exercise on its own will not make any difference.


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## Ticktockmy (20 May 2015)

The point is that some people naturally have a beer belly look, I am one of them, all my life my body shape has given me a beer belly look, even during my youth and in the forces, all the gym work did nothing to alter my shape, I had a wonderful;ll six pack just it hid itself under a fine covering of Body fat. Just keep yourself fit, cycle two or three times a week 30-50Kms will keep you ticking over just fine.


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## MrGrumpy (20 May 2015)

Cut out the carbs such as bread etc and eat more veg . The wife's following slimming world just now and what I've noticed with the recipes for meals is use of veg instead of rice or pasta etc I've dropped 2 kg just after following this. Still 93kg and 6ft but not what you would say overweight to look at but 90kg is my target!


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## J1888 (20 May 2015)

Ach, I dunno.

I know a fair bit about nutrition from work but I've found the below to be good:

Fruit muesli, no added sugar
Black coffee
Brown roll with Turkey 
Mixed nuts
Apple
Banana
Stir fry with raw pepper and red onion on the side 

That's a typical days diet for me and I've lost excess weight

Oh and cutting down on booze...booo


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## vickster (20 May 2015)

J1888 said:


> Ach, I dunno.
> 
> I know a fair bit about nutrition from work but I've found the below to be good:
> 
> ...


But aren't you bored rigid by the lack of variety?


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## J1888 (20 May 2015)

vickster said:


> But aren't you bored rigid by the lack of variety?



Not at all - that's just a regular day say 4 out of 5 weekdays, with some great healthy dinners. On Fridays and weekends, I eat whatever the hell I want.

Fad diets are just that, fads - including 'no carb' diets etc - a healthy, balanced diet, similar to that seen in the eatwell plate is absolutely fine for most of the population to have a healthy diet.


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## MrGrumpy (21 May 2015)

http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=275946617 I have this every day for brekkie with low fat natural yogurt, not so sure its very healthy, alot of sugar in it :/ Manufacturers put sugar in everything!


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## screenman (21 May 2015)

MrGrumpy said:


> http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/details/?id=275946617 I have this every day for brekkie with low fat natural yogurt, not so sure its very healthy, alot of sugar in it :/ Manufacturers put sugar in everything!



Better off going full fat and dumping the sugar.


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## screenman (21 May 2015)

*If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.*


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## MrGrumpy (21 May 2015)

hmmm might look for another cereal :/ i enjoy it but scary amount of sugar in it


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## moo (21 May 2015)

Go GAS free : Gluten - Alcohol - Sugar (refined)


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## iamRayRay (22 May 2015)

I have an allergy to all Dairy Products... No cheese, Milk, Cream, Chocolate, Ice Cream etc etc
Had it since birth. Helps me loads lol, otherwise I'd be a right lump.

Allergy means I carry an epipen and I will die if I have the above. Not some rubbish intolerance :P


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## TheJDog (22 May 2015)

BRounsley said:


> I’ve also read taking a before and after pictures can really help with seeing progress and with motivation.



I've been doing this but have somehow ended up with 5 years' worth of "before" pictures


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