# Why am i not losing weight?



## Paul_L (8 Jul 2010)

OK, i'm a tad under 6ft with a medium build. I'd like to get down to about 78 to 79 kg. At the turn of the year i weighed 86kg. I then slipped my disc which led to a boat load of pain but then a lot of comfort eating. By the time i got mobile i was just over 88kg. I wasn't able to do any exercise but through dieting i got the weight down to about 82kg.

Over the last 2 months i've been able to return to cycling and initially my weight dropped to about 80.5kg but recently - coinciding with returning to commuting to work twice a week (30mile moderately hilly round trip) - the weight is creeping back up towards 82kg.

I don't feel like i'm putting on, and my waist line doesn't feel like it's widening, but it's very very frustrating to get so close to my target weight only to start putting on.

I'm guessing due to my injury i'll have lost a lot of muscle mass. Could it just be i'm building that muscle back and that's why the weight gain?

Any feedback and advice greatly appreciated.


----------



## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (8 Jul 2010)

your body composition is changing. if you're worried then get some fat % weighing scales.


----------



## speccy1 (8 Jul 2010)

If you have ordinary scales, put them in the bin


----------



## screenman (8 Jul 2010)

I am confused by all this muscle weighing more than fat thing, personally although I know it does I feel it is often an excuse for not losing fat, not the reason. I have lost weight almost every week since January, apart from a couple when on holidays etc. Now certainly my muscles are growing January I could not do 1 press up not 100+ same with sit ups, cycling is coming along nicely from 5 miles in paint to 30+ comfortable. The only reason I see it that I am still losing fat is due the the important part, I am eating less calories than I use. 

I think most people do not have a clue how many calories they put in their mouth each day, I know my previous guesses were a long way out.

I now use the Mydaily plate site, not every persons taste I know but being honest with it will give you a mass of information and you will see straight away where you might be going wrong.

Give it a go, nothing ventured nothing gained.


----------



## TheBoyBilly (10 Jul 2010)

From what I can gather (and I too stopped losing weight for a few weeks) is that your body acclimatises to your workout/diet and tries to protect its energy store by keeping hold of it's fat reserves for as long as possible. A way of overcoming this is by shocking your motabolism by eating MORE calories for say, a week or upping your bodies demand for energy (i.e. work harder on the bike) You can also trick your body by varying workouts and not just stick to cycling. It is quite natural for your weight to fluctuate during a fitness programme - even gaining weight - as there are so many factors that decide how much energy you need etc. Drink plenty of water, get plenty of rest and try not to get too hung up on figures. As many have told me, it's what your body tells you that matters not scales or tape measures.

Bill


----------



## jimboalee (10 Jul 2010)

bromptonfb said:


> your body composition is changing. if you're worried then get some fat % weighing scales.



Fat % scales tell lies if the subject is dehydrated.

Skinfold calipers however, tell the truth, but are 48 hours in delay.

Therefore, you can use skinfold calipers in any state of hydration and they will tell you your body's response to food and exercise two days previous.

The full length bathroom miror tells the truth ALL THE TIME.


----------



## ColinJ (10 Jul 2010)

jimboalee said:


> The full length bathroom miror tells the truth ALL THE TIME.


Especially when combined with a _'Jump up and down naked and only certain obvious*** bits should wobble'_ test!












*** Okay, I'll spell it out for you - Male = genitals; Female = breasts!


----------



## Banjo (10 Jul 2010)

Erm...Thanks for the image I cant get out of my mind now Colin  :-)

The OP doesnt sound seriously overweight so the muscle weight gain will slow down any weight loss but shouldnt stop it.

I think the problem with the muscle/fat weight idea is that people who are carrying seriously too much fast can use that as an excuse when it only really applies to people who are quite close to their ideal weight.

Having gone from Obese to healthy weight in less than a year I have used all the excuses myself. Even photographs of my old fat self didnt convince me I had a problem, I would use the excuse that the camera angle puts weight on you.

It was only after starting to lose weight mainly through cycling that I faced up to reality prior to that it was to hard to think about so you just file it away at the back of your mind and your mental image of yourself is nothing like the flabby reallity.

Good Luck to everyone trying to lose the flab by cycling. If you eat sensibly and ride often it will go.


----------



## Crankarm (10 Jul 2010)

I think the OP already knows the answer to his post. He's still eating too much and not doing enough exercise. It's not rocket science. Your eyes and mouth are still out of control when it comes to judging food quantity. Cut down your intake, stop troffing, and ride your bike. Oh and when you ride don't just plod along. Set yourself some goals such as sprinting at intervals say for 2 mins at 1 minute intervals. Go find your favourite hill and ride it 5, 6 or 7 times in succession. It will teach you that you need to get your weight down which means ditching the excess kilos of fat you are carrying on your body. The more weight you lose the faster you will be as your power to weight ratio will increase dramatically.


----------



## Alun (12 Jul 2010)

Crankarm said:


> I think the OP already knows the answer to his post. He's still eating too much and not doing enough exercise. It's not rocket science. Your eyes and mouth are still out of control when it comes to judging food quantity. Cut down your intake, stop troffing, and ride your bike. Oh and when you ride don't just plod along. Set yourself some goals such as sprinting at intervals say for 2 mins at 1 minute intervals. Go find your favourite hill and ride it 5, 6 or 7 times in succession. It will teach you that you need to get your weight down which means ditching the excess kilos of fat you are carrying on your body. The more weight you lose the faster you will be as your power to weight ratio will increase dramatically.



You might be right Crankarm, but a bit harsh ! Some people don't need to troff to put on weight, just eat the same as others who don't put on any weight. I think it does all come down to calories in/calories out, but we all have different thresholds. I would be surprised if it's an increase in muscle mass that accounts for the weight gain, never seems to work that way in practice.


----------



## Chrisc (12 Jul 2010)

You can only add very small amounts of muscle at a time. It might be noticeable over a long period but not short term. 
Less in more out is the only way it works.


----------



## Crankarm (12 Jul 2010)

Alun said:


> You might be right Crankarm, _*but a bit harsh *_! Some people don't need to troff to put on weight, just eat the same as others who don't put on any weight.* I think it does all come down to calories in/calories out,* but we all have different thresholds. I would be surprised if it's an increase in muscle mass that accounts for the weight gain, never seems to work that way in practice.



Don't think so! And your avatar pic shows you with ......... a huge glass of beer? LoL.


----------



## Paul_L (12 Jul 2010)

cheers for all the replies, especially the ones which suggest what the OP knows or does not know 

Reading the replies i would appear that because of my back injury and slow recovery into bike training, i've probably taken on too much food for the amount of training i'm doing so must keep an eye on that.

I've ordered a pair of body fat scales so will see what that shows when it arrives.

I guess whatever your target weight, the last few pounds or couple of kg are the hardest to shift!

What is nice though is the no. of comments from friends and colleagues who i only see every few weeks or so, remarking on the weight loss so far.

Onwards and upwards!!!


----------



## ColinJ (12 Jul 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Don't think so!  And your avatar pic shows you with  ......... a huge glass of beer? LoL.


He was carbo-loading before one of my hilly forum rides!  




Paul_L said:


> I've ordered a pair of body fat scales so will see what that shows when it arrives.


I wouldn't take too much notice of the body fat readings because they won't be that accurate. The scales will be measuring the impedance of your body between two pads on the scales and something as simple as how hydrated you are or whether you have dry or wet feet will affect that.


----------



## UKCyclist (15 Jul 2010)

Crankarm said:


> I think the OP already knows the answer to his post. *He's still eating too much and not doing enough exercise. *It's not rocket science. Your eyes and mouth are still out of control when it comes to judging food quantity. Cut down your intake, stop troffing, and ride your bike. Oh and when you ride don't just plod along. Set yourself some goals such as sprinting at intervals say for 2 mins at 1 minute intervals. Go find your favourite hill and ride it 5, 6 or 7 times in succession. It will teach you that you need to get your weight down which means ditching the excess kilos of fat you are carrying on your body. The more weight you lose the faster you will be as your power to weight ratio will increase dramatically.



I feel like this is the answer too.


----------



## jimboalee (16 Jul 2010)

ColinJ said:


> He was carbo-loading before one of my hilly forum rides!
> 
> 
> 
> I wouldn't take too much notice of the body fat readings because they won't be that accurate. The scales will be measuring the impedance of your body between two pads on the scales and something as simple as how hydrated you are or whether you have dry or wet feet will affect that.



http://www.lloydspharmacy.com/webap...ogId=1008&storeId=90&productId=4501&langId=-1

Worth a punt at £10.


----------



## amnesia (20 Jul 2010)

I have a similar problem to the OP...

I am currently taking part in a sponsored slimathon at work. I am officially the biggest loser !
So far in 8 weeks I have lost 15.5 lbs, but this week I put on half a pound.

I am confused as I get weighed at the same time every week, after a ride to work, and before breakfast, in the same clothes, on the same digital scales etc.

I worked harder on my bike in the last week than in the previous 7 (getting fitter) and have started to ride my MTB to work rather than my road bike for extra effort.
I have cut out practically all processed food from my diet, stopped drinking alcohol, started consuming gallons of water and smaller meals... I can't work out what's changed this week.

I guess I just need to start upping my ride outs at the weekend and go for a longer 25+ mile ride instead of a quick 12 or 15 mile blatt. My target is to lose another 16 lbs before my hols in September.

I totally understand that weight loss = calories burned > calories consumed, but I have eaten less and exercised more in the last week than in previous weeks, yet put on weight, albeit only a couple of hundred grams. Maybe my hair needs cutting ?







Any ideas ?

Daniel.


----------



## ColinJ (20 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> I have a similar problem to the OP...
> 
> I am currently taking part in a sponsored slimathon at work. I am officially the biggest loser !
> So far in 8 weeks I have lost 15.5 lbs, but this week I put on half a pound.
> ...



Water weighs 1 kg per litre so it doesn't take a huge amount of fluid retention to account for the difference. A couple of pees later and you were probably back on track. 

Don't get hung up on individual weight readings - take a sliding average and most of the daily variations become insignificant. I.e. today's weight is the average of today's plus the previous 6 days' readings.


----------



## screenman (21 Jul 2010)

I feel that too many people on a supposed diet are just guessing what they eat, try getting a complete list and absolutely no cheating of what you eat and drink and put it through one of the sites like Mydailyplate. Most people will be quite shocked at how many calories there are going in, I know I was. 

4 stone lost in the last 6 months and still going down, funny thing is I now enjoy being on a diet, it gives me a feeling of self control that was missing before.


----------



## 007 (22 Jul 2010)

amnesia - post your daily diet - to confuse the issue you may be eating too much of the wrong food - the devil will be in the details.. ;-)


----------



## amnesia (22 Jul 2010)

007 said:


> amnesia - post your daily diet - to confuse the issue you may be eating too much of the wrong food - the devil will be in the details.. ;-)




In May I had a thorough health check with BUPA which showed I had a BMI of 29.9, a waist of 38", and a bodyfat % of 28%. I was also told I had the lung capacity of a 60 year old - I am 36 and have never smoked !!! Blood sugar and pressure was fine though. I also have a stressful office-based job.

Things changed from that day onwards... (apart from the job)... started cycling to work at least 3 times a week, and I go for a ride every Saturday and Sunday morning before my wife gets up.




Today's menu


*Breakfast *- 2 x slices of brown toast with 1 x 10g tub of Flora spread and Marmite
*Lunch* - boxed salad (inc tuna steak, olives, cucumber, sweet pepper, half a boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, vinaigrette dressing) - about the size of a cereal bowl in total
*Dinner* - tagliatelle with napoletana (roasted tomato) sauce, a little grated cheese on top

Breakfast and lunch is the same every workday - weekends I have cereal or porridge for breakfast, wholemeal roll with chicken or ham for lunch and a good dinner (steak & oven chips or roast dinner).

I have cut out all snacks throughout the day. I can't remember the last time I tasted chocolate / crisps / ice cream / processed crap from Iceland etc.
I drink about 3 litres of water a day + orange juice with dinner and occasionally a small 300ml beer in the evening. No hot drinks & I don't like milk.


I don't feel that I eat too much, I don't drink alcohol excessively and I am currently cycling up to 75 miles per week. The longest ride I do is only about 15 miles though, which takes around 50 minutes. I guess I need to do some longer rides at the weekend and concentrate on fat burning rather than cardio.



I've lost 16 pounds in 7 weeks, and want to lose another 18 pounds to hit 12.5 stone and achieve a BMI of 25. My holiday is 6th September, so only 6 weeks away.

Any thoughts ?

Anyone in the Bournemouth area that wants to go on some slow-ish 30mile+ rides at the weekends ?


----------



## 007 (22 Jul 2010)

amnesia. In my opinion you are eating to little, I feel hungry looking at your diet!! The carb timings are a bit off as well. Are you hungry during the day?

IMHO there is way too little protein in there, protein makes you feel sated for longer. How is this:

Meal 1 - Porridge with skimmed milk. 
Meal 2 - Protein shake and/or handful of nuts
Meal 3 - Tagliatelle with Napoletana sauce with tuna. or chieken, or some othe protein source.
Meal 4 - Protein shake / handful of nuts
Meal 5 - Salad - exactly as you describe
Meal 6 - Boiled egg or meats or tuna - no carbs.

The idea here, mate is to strip the carbs as the day goes on. Mix it up to have carbs after excersise if you are riding that day.

once a fortnight have a blow out. If you want curry chips and rice, eat it. If you want mashed potato, have it. If you want icecream, do it! You're metabolism will speed up after the cheat meal and get back into the weight loss zone that we want.

Keep the water intake high as well.

Hope this helps mate. Any other questions give me a shout... as the other guys say as well - don't get hung up on the KGs - get targted on body fat and how your clothes feel on you.


----------



## amnesia (22 Jul 2010)

007 said:


> amnesia. In my opinion you are eating to little, I feel hungry looking at your diet!! The carb timings are a bit off as well. Are you hungry during the day?
> 
> IMHO there is way too little protein in there, protein makes you feel sated for longer. How is this:
> 
> ...





Thanks 007 - I will try and increase protein (we do eat quite a lot of chicken). I quite like beef jerky, which is high in protein and easy to eat during the day.

Maybe I'll treat myself to a Chinese at the weekend - haven't had one for yonks.

I will start a food diary on Monday and post up every few days - weigh in day at work is on Tuesday.

Cheers,
Daniel.


----------



## Bayerd (22 Jul 2010)

amnesia said:


> In May I had a thorough health check with BUPA which showed I had a BMI of 29.9, a waist of 38", and a bodyfat % of 28%. I was also told I had the lung capacity of a 60 year old - I am 36 and have never smoked !!! Blood sugar and pressure was fine though. I also have a stressful office-based job.
> 
> Things changed from that day onwards... (apart from the job)... started cycling to work at least 3 times a week, and I go for a ride every Saturday and Sunday morning before my wife gets up.
> 
> ...



I was in pretty much the same position as you this time last year. I also started cycling and changed diet to one similar to what you've posted.

It took me 6 months to get down from 16.5 stone to 12.5 stone. I cycle a similar amount to you also. I now find that my metabolism has sped up so I can eat and drink what I want, and as long as I keep the cycling up, the weight stays off.

If I were you I'd carry on doing what you're doing.


----------



## Stig-OT-Dump (23 Jul 2010)

Don't forget that as you get fitter, your body will also get more efficient. If you stick to the same rides, you will use less calories and if you're not careful, the weight will go back on. Mix up your exercise, cross train, do some running, change your rides. 

Has anyone else heard the urban myth of a girl asking her dad why she was fat? His answer was "'Cos your mouth's bigger than your ar$ehole".

I belive he had a point.


----------

