# Building up the miles



## LemonJuice (26 May 2020)

Hi everyone,

In a couple of weeks’ time I’ll finally be riding a bike.

I want to lose a couple of stone. I used to drink quite heavily so I have put on a bit of weight, well at least enough that I have noticed it. I’m not proud to say it, but I have what is known as a beer belly, but it is not MASSIVE. I am proud to state that I have cut dow completely drinking to the point I’m almost a teetotaller.

I don’t really eat much junk food. What types of food should I start eating to lose weight? I drink a few cups of coffee every day with no sugar, is this a problem?

I’m planning on going out on the bike at least five times a week. Is this going to be more beneficial?

Is aiming to lose three pounds a week reasonable and easy enough to achieve?

Thanks!


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## stoatsngroats (26 May 2020)

Well done for making the change!
I can’t remember what I ate, but cycling became my life, and I cycled everywhere I could. 10 miles was tough at first, hills too, but within a few months I could do 60-70 miles, and 5 hours of cycling.
My weight dropped 4 stone.
All the best to you.


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## Ridgeway (26 May 2020)

I've managed 7kgs during the lockdown so 8wks so almost 2lbs a week in old money. Avoid bread, pasta and potatoes and generally just reduce food intake and increase energy usage where ever possible. Tea and coffee and generally OK as long as there's no sugar involved.

I've tried where possible to swap biscuits/chocolate to fruit, increase vegetables and get funky with salads (loving a mixed salad with bacon and a boiled sliced egg for lunch).

It will probably take more effort in food prep and also more thinking about so start with your shopping list as you can only eat what's in your fridge/cupboard

For breakfast i'm a total Bircher muesli convert, making it up on a Sunday for 4-5 days worth that sits in the fridge.

Beyond that good luck !!!


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## smokeysmoo (26 May 2020)

I'm not a dietitian or weight loss expert, but the rule of thumb for a healthy and sustainable weight loss is generally quoted as 1-2lbs a week IIRC.

As for how long it will take there are too many variables for anyone to tell IMHO, but the above 1-2lbs a week is definitely achievable.

As far as frequency of exercise, remember that more doesn't always mean better, start low and slow and build up slowly to minimise risk of injury, and don't forget that rest days are just as important and shouldn't be missed.

I don't know if there's a cycling equivalent, but for getting back into running I use C25K, it builds you up gradually and really works if you stick with it and don't over do it, something similar for cycling would be a great idea if it exists.


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## CanucksTraveller (26 May 2020)

Cycling is a actually a pretty energy efficient way to get around, you don't really burn a great deal of fat, or not unless you're doing big miles anyway. If you're limited for time I find brisk walking one hour per day is a better fat burner when I'm trying to lose weight. 

If most of your weight went on through drinking then you should find that being almost teetotal naturally takes a lot of weight off you, are you finding that? You hint that your diet is okay, have you replaced the alcohol calories with something else? If not then you should start to see losses, and exercise will quicken that. 

2 to 3 pounds a week is a good rate and pretty achievable.


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## Ming the Merciless (26 May 2020)

I will be 14 weeks 9 hours 34 mins and 11 seconds from now


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## sleuthey (26 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> In a coupe of weeks’ time I’ll finally be riding a bike.
> 
> ...



You will loose weight by creating a calorie deficit. So you can eat what you want but the higher calorie foods you will have to eat considerably less of. Read the label. 

Coffee won’t make a difference IMO

5 rides per week will be more beneficial than none

IMO 3 is a crash diet. 2 lb per week would be better and for this you would need a defecit of 1000 calories per day


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## LemonJuice (26 May 2020)

Thank you for the replies so far.

I have generally speaking always been on the slim side and then I was made redundant from a job I had been doing for twenty years and for a few years I spent most of my time in pubs drinking heavily every day. About two years I had a wake up call when my wife told me she had seen a change in me and didn’t like what I was becoming so I gradually stopped drinking as much and now I can either take or leave drink. But, as it would happen to anyone, I have put on weight and I want to do something about it, ideally I want to have the physique of a road cyclist, is this achievable? I’m about 14 stone and I want to get back down to 12 stone. Sometimes my wife and I have a little drink on a Friday, is this okay? I can just burn it off the following day, right?

I have done a little bit of research online and many websites state that weight loss starts in the kitchen. So until I get the bike sorted I want to buy the right stuff. What stuff should I buy?


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## Ming the Merciless (26 May 2020)

More seriously.

About 1-2lb a week is sustainable. Hence my 14 weeks comment. But I’d focus more on developing good exercise habits and good eating habits so they become the norm. Having that extra pint shouldn’t lead to guilt. As long as your going the right direction everything is good.

If the weight isn’t shifting after a few weeks. I’d look at the amount I’m eating / drinking before exercise. For me I found just cutting alcohol back is the only change I need to do to lose weight sustainably.

Good luck.


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## LemonJuice (26 May 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> Cycling is a actually a pretty energy efficient way to get around, you don't really burn a great deal of fat, or not unless you're doing big miles anyway. If you're limited for time I find brisk walking one hour per day is a better fat burner when I'm trying to lose weight.
> 
> If most of your weight went on through drinking then you should find that being almost teetotal naturally takes a lot of weight off you, are you finding that? You hint that your diet is okay, have you replaced the alcohol calories with something else? If not then you should start to see losses, and exercise will quicken that.
> 
> 2 to 3 pounds a week is a good rate and pretty achievable.



I normally eat fish, meat, pasta, rice and similar things. Maybe once in a blue moon I’ll order a takeaway on a weekend.

Yes, I did after I stopped drinking, but I still want to lose another couple of stone. I think at my heaviest I was about 16 stone.


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## LemonJuice (26 May 2020)

I’m taking my wife away in September, do you think by then I should be able to get rid of my beer belly?

I was talking to an old friend about losing weight earlier today and he told me that I should be able to notice a different after riding the bike for a month.


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## ColinJ (26 May 2020)

It is possible to lose serious amounts of weight very quickly, but it definitely isn't healthy to. I got very ill and lost several stone in just a few weeks but that was only partly due to fat loss. The rest was due to my body 'eating' my muscles! My formerly strong cyclist legs ended up looking like a weak man's arms. Trust me - you don't want that... 

As suggested by others above, 1 to 2 lbs (or about 0.5 to 1.0 kg) loss a week is a sensible rate to aim for. That rate of loss would enable you to get most or all of your 2 stone off.

Another thing - the first half of the loss is the most important half. You will start to look and feel much better after losing just 7 or 8 lbs. One stone makes a BIG difference. Get that off first and do what you can after that without doing anything stupid to hit the target!

Good luck.

PS I kept most of the weight off post-illness (and got my muscles back). I gave up alcohol, which helped, but you may not fancy doing that...


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## LemonJuice (26 May 2020)

ColinJ said:


> It is possible to lose serious amounts of weight very quickly, but it definitely isn't healthy to. I got very ill and lost several stone in just a few weeks but that was only partly due to fat loss. The rest was due to my body 'eating' my muscles! My formerly strong cyclist legs ended up looking like a weak man's arms. Trust me - you don't want that...
> 
> As suggested by others above, 1 to 2 lbs (or about 0.5 to 1.0 kg) loss a week is a sensible rate to aim for. That rate of loss would enable you to get most or all of your 2 stone off.
> 
> ...



Hey, thanks for your reply.

I don’t want to look ill, but I want to look lean/slim so when I look in the mirror I look straight up and down (skinny). What is annoying me is that my waist size hasn’t increased that much, but my belly sort of hangs over a pair of jeans. Of course I’m exaggerated the size of my beer belly because it’s in my head and I feel fat and I hate the fact my physical appearance has changed.

I have cut down drinking alcohol a lot, I used to drink 15+ pints at a pub and then quite often drink a bottle of whisky every night. These days I’m lucky if I drink four cans of lager.

I’ve never really been a big eater, I don’t eat junk food often.


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## NotAsGoodAsMyBike (26 May 2020)

I found that losing the first stone took a couple of months, not that I was tracking it minutely (don’t own A
any scales so just going by waistband on trousers and occasional weigh-in on a machine at Boots or the GP surgery). Second stone took longer, maybe another 6 months, but it wasn’t an aim of mine so I wasn’t chasing it.

Aside from cutting out most of the obvious junk in your diet (but don’t worry about having the occasional drink or pizza), what worked for me was controlling portion size. I do love an enormous plate of food! Sadly, it leads to weight gain.


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## Mr Whyte (26 May 2020)

I found that doing sit ups and Crunches did a good job of getting rid of my belly, so along with bike riding you should be fine and the weight should start to come down.


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## boydj (26 May 2020)

There are two sides to this, making it a significant lifestyle change.

Diet : loads of diets out there on the internet. Find one that's not too extreme and allows some flexibility. Good home-cooked food, with plenty of fruit and veg. If you're prone to nibbles, unprocessed nuts are good. Watch the portion sizes. Don't get hung up on calorie-counting, just be sensible. Allow yourself a beer or two at the weekends if you've had a good week.

Exercise : build up slowly. If you're not used to exercise, then a few weeks of exercising every other day and not pushing your limits too far should get you started. Walking is good. Cycling is better, but there's a big learning curve. Build up the miles slowly.

This is a long-term project, so don't expect too much too soon. You'll be building muscle as well as losing fat, so weight loss may not happen very quickly initially, but you should start seeing shape changes in your body as you develop good habits. The important thing is to build exercise into your normal life, rather than seeing it as a chore. Walk or cycle short journeys and generally try to be more active.

Best of luck in your new life.


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## snorri (26 May 2020)

Hi LemonJuice, congratulations on reducing the alcohol intake, I think that might have been the biggest factor in the weight gain.
I dont use the imperial measures anymore, but lost all the kg I wanted to lose, 11kg, in six months with the help of the 'Myfitnesspal.com' website. You have to start by measuring your height and weight, also a weighing machine for measuring portion sizes is helpful. It's a bit of a faff keeping a record of everything that goes down your throat, but after a couple of weeks you have recorded all the most common items in your diet and become used to adjusting the portion size to that which will achieve weight loss. 
The website also caters for exercises in that if you walk 5km you "earn" a number of calories which can be subtracted from calories consumed that day to help meet your recommended daily allowance. 
I adjusted my diet a little by cutting some things out, Fruit Juice in the morning went, but generally I just reduced portion size and increased my frequency of walking and cycling exercise.
The myfitnesspal website is free to use.
Good luck!


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Does one actually feel the burning of calories? Is there a difference between feeling hungry/starving and during and after a ride feeling calories burning?

One crucial part in the process of losing weight is to reduce the amount of calories one consumes, so shouldn’t there naturally feel some sort of hungry feeling? Or, does eating regularly but in small amounts stop that feeling?


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## SkipdiverJohn (27 May 2020)

Don't overthink this. Just generally do more activity and consume a bit less food & drink. It sounds like you were getting a very large calorie intake from beer, which by itself should make a difference if you cut down. Note cut down though, not cut out. If you like a beer then have a beer or two - just don't have 10 beers in one session.
What you are in danger of doing is going down the road of taking an extreme diet approach; i.e. to try and cut things out completely and target an unrealistic rate of loss. If you do this you will probably get fed up with it, jack it in, jack in the cycling or other activity, and go back to your old lifestyle. Crash dieting is well known not to work, and a lot of immediate weight loss from restricted intake can be water, which gives a false indicator of progress. I would aim for no more than a pound a week and don't obsess about it. A stone of body fat contains 50,000 calories. It took you a fair bit of time to put that weight on, now it will take you a fair bit of time to lose it if you want it to stay off and not put it back on again.


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## screenman (27 May 2020)

Remember, you cannot outrun a bad diet.


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## alicat (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have cut down drinking alcohol a lot, I used to drink 15+ pints at a pub and then quite often drink a bottle of whisky every night. These days I’m lucky if I drink four cans of lager.



If the four cans of lager is at one sitting/once a day, that's way too much to lose weight. I made a New Year's resolution to get to a healthy weight by my next big birthday in September. I thought alcohol calories were contributing to the problem so since then I have not had a single unit of alcohol. I have lost 3" all round with the same to go. I am already pleased that my shape is less blobby. Making the commitment to lose weight was the most important thing. That and keeping a food diary, eating the portions of a three/four year old and reporting every week to a support buddy on whether I have stuck to the plan.

I am gradually doing more exercise but the amounts are laughable compared to some other cyclists' mileage. Making the commitment to eat less has been much more important.


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## Cycleops (27 May 2020)

Just kicking the alcohol will make a big difference but also try to cut down on the carbs and eat smaller portions. If you still feel hungry fill up with something you like which is non fattening like fruit.
Good luck.


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## DCLane (27 May 2020)

@LemonJuice Been there, done it. I went from 16.5 stone to 14.5 with diet changes and then used exercise to drop to 10.5 in 2011. I've kept around 11 stone since then.

The 1-2lbs a week is the best route, otherwise you'll have excess skin loss issues.

My wife's a registered Dietitian and Nutritionist and her advice would be lifestyle change plus exercise. It's about a behavioural change, not just a quick fix, otherwise you'll be back where you started. Start with a short route (<10 miles) as you'll probably be unfit, build that up and when you can do that route add a bit more on. Keep going.

I'd suggest some sort of diary to track progress; weight and mileage/speed. Weighing yourself once a week on the same day/time is enough though since weight can fluctuate day to day.

One note: you will probably put weight on to start with as muscle develops. Then the weight comes off afterwards, not at first, as you burn fat off with increased distance / speed / time AND dietary changes.


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## tom73 (27 May 2020)

Well done on wanting to make positive changers to you life and admitting that the drinking is affecting you and doing something about it.
Keep it simple i'd stop the drinking altogether it's just empty calories and your body spends so much time trying to get rid of it. Fat burning go's out the window.

Just eat less and cut down on high fat and high sugar stuff once you start on google it becomes a mine field.
I'd start with BBC food at least it's a safe source of information plenty of easy healthy stuff to cook and advice on diet.
As for time on the bike once you start go slow and steady just get use to the bike and what your body can take. 
Rest day's are good and we all need them so don't feel bad about them. Build in other things like walking again start with steady paced round the block and build up to a nice brisk walk. 

Maybe not at the moment given the situation though still plenty that's moved online a local group may help. If you find you want some support see what around your in your area most placers have mens health groups. 
Slimming world may help they do have support for men. They have plenty of free recipes too. 

Try not to over think it too much focus on little goals not the end one and bit by bit stuff will fall into place. 
Good luck


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## Electric_Andy (27 May 2020)

It's far easier to not eat the calories than it is to burn them off. I lost 2 stone on the keto diet but I'll let you read up on that if you're interested. Try substituting carb heavy foods for something else. E.g. i have sandwiches but wrap it up in a lettuce leaf instead of bread. I have long strips of cabbage instead of spaghetti, and finely chopped cauliflower instead of rice. Losing 1 to 2 lbs a week is fairly easy but sustainable if you are mentally ready to make the changes. Alcohol can affect weight loss quite a bit and can't just be burned off the next day, it also inhibits weight loss. But if you want a drink, try spirits and diet mixer instead of pints.

My belly has shrunk right back which is what i wanted, and in now a 30 inch waist. You can do it, all the best!


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## PaulSB (27 May 2020)

My first remark is it is OK, in fact good for you, to have treats within your diet
Diet means what you eat, not "I am on a diet"
Going "on a diet" will not help achieve your longterm goal
Some years ago I weighed 88kg, today I hover between 68-69 depending on my exercise levels and, frankly, alcohol intake. In saying treats are OK I'm clear one should not cut out everything one enjoys but have a sensible, reasonable amount. Taking the joy out of life will not help. If your treat is a drink in the evening have one, make it small, good quality and savour it. You mentioned four tins of lager, this is far too much for a healthy life let alone weight loss.

My diet is decent, some things I have worked out for myself, others have come from good advice from a friend who is qualified in and very interested in the subject of general sports nutrition and is also a cyclist. It is not necessary to go "on a diet" but it is VERY necessary to understand the impact of foods and drinks on your body in relation to your lifestyle. Food is fuel, if you provide the body with the right food for your lifestyle your body will burn the calories on a daily basis and not lay down fat. The body lays down fat for two reasons; it cannot burn all the calories you put in or it is stressed and stores every calorie it can to help fuel the stress periods. It is therefore necessary to provide your body with the correct food for the activity you are going to undertake. If you are going for a cycle ride ensure you provide your body with the correct fuel before and during your ride, it will burn these calories and others which it has stored as fat. If you go out with a calorie deficit your body will burn calories stored as fat - however the next time you eat, drink etc. it will react by storing many calories as fat to help supply the fuel it needs the next time you stress it by not providing enough fuel - that is lay down fat reserves.

I hope this is understandable. Basically give your body the fuel it needs for a day, nothing more or less. Do NOT create a calorie deficit - if you do the body will lay down every spare calorie it can as fat. There are circumstances in which eating more, of the correct food, will aid weight loss. My tips would be:

TOP TIP - take a selfie in your underpants today. Look at it and know what you really look like. Stand in front of a full length mirror and photograph the image
Once you start to lose weight and regain body shape take another selfie, repeat as weight loss progresses
In moments of weakness, when you have a bad week, look at the photos and remind yourself how far you have come
Join a small, informal weight loss group, a few friends. Honestly report your progress weekly. When you increase honestly say why - I drank too much beer on Saturday night!! It's vital support. Do NOT lie to yourself, do it once and you will do it again!!
The best gauge of weight loss is how you feel, an extra notch on the belt, your shirts fit better. It simply feels good
Keep a one week food diary of everything, study it and cut the crap
Understand the diet you need to fuel your daily life and use it. For example I eat porridge for breakfast, when I ride I increase the amount by 50%
Cut the coffee to two cups a day, it's a diuretic
Drink 2-3 litres of water a day, my rule of thumb is if I pee clear I'm taking in enough water
Do NOT use alcohol, coffee or tea as your fluid intake. Enjoy them a little each day. I used to do this until I understood what I was doing
Often when we feel hungry the body is actually wanting fluid. Correct hydration will reduce hunger pangs
Exercise in your fat burning zone, 30-35 miles at 80% of HR will burn more fat than 100 miles at a leisurely pace
Remember you will fall off the wagon from time to time and put on a couple of pounds. So what, we all do. If your body knows to expect enough fuel on a daily basis as soon as you switch back to that those extra couple of pounds will disappear in a few days
Good luck, it isn't too difficult, it will happen. 2 stone? Convert it to 28 pounds - easier target. How long? 6-9 months to maintain it. Once you've shifted that you'll look in the mirror and think "I look great" I wonder if I could shift a bit more? It's called male vanity!!!


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## wafter (27 May 2020)

Good work on binning the alcohol; sounds like (if not already) it had the potential to have become a serious problem.

As others have said weight loss is predominently diet-driven, so while cycling's great you need to concentrate on your food intake.

Personally I've had success with a pretty strict low carb diet (lost me around 0.5-0.6kg per week with little exercise), water fasting (lost me maybe 3kg/wk post-regain, again with little exercise) and more recently have been losing ballpark 0.4-0.5kg/wk with a less-strict low carb diet and ballpark 400 miles per month on the bike.

The weight loss rate of the non-fasting approaches is in-keeping with what's considered sensible / sustainable / realistic by most conventional sources; so if you can achieve similar and stick to it your two stone should take around six months to shift. Bear in mind that the commitment to do this can be difficult as you may fall of the wagon at times; it's taken me 2-3 times as long to lose the weight I have as it would have if I could have kept the loss consistant. 

I'd also suggest keeping decent records; I have a spreadsheet of daily mass / body measurements which is a good record and motivator. Also worth taking some pictures - I didn't as I feared it'd jinx my progress, but 16-17kg later I wish I had as it's easy to forget the progress you've made when it's boiled down to just numbers.

Good luck


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Good morning everyone.

So, to start my day off today I have just had one banana and one small orange, is eating those two things okay? Normally for my breakfast I have two slices of toast with jam. Now, I want to change that to a banana, a small bowl of cereal or something similar.

I realise now that I need to make the portion on my plate to be smaller because if I have a curry then I normally have a full plate and lots of other stuff. I realise now this where my problem lies - too many calories.

I understand that things don’t happen over night, but I have read online that cycling for a couple of hours every day or at least every other day will help significantly in losing weight reasonably.

I have ordered everything so I can start cycling as soon as the bike is fixed.

I probably walk about three miles on a daily basis. I’m going to try and increase the distance.

I understand that muscle weighs more than fat and cyclists gain weight (muscle) on their legs, but I want to be straight up and down. My weight gain was definitely caused by my excessive drinking because it’s all just on my belly, nowhere else apart from on my belly. I have gone from drinking every day to watching a few movies on a Saturday evening and treating myself to four pints of lager. Again, I now understand even those four cans of lager equate to too many calories.

Because of the current situation, I am not able to go to work. Thus, I have all of the time in the world these days.

I know that a lot of my thoughts are just simply in my head because my wife doesn’t think I look fat and my friends have told me that I look healthy. However, I know my own body and I want to get back down to what I was like for years and years.

I think until I get the bike sorted (in a couple of weeks’ time) then I’m going to increase how far I walk and cut down on the portions of food I eat so I’m used to it once I start cycling a few times a week and then to pretty much every day of the week.


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

The alcohol has not caused any long-term problems for me. Before I cut down a lot, I went to the doctors - I got professional help. I was going down a slippery slope and realised I needed to change so I did and I feel a lot better. I realise now that I even need to cut down even more because I’m just drinking empty calories which is stupid considering I want to lose weight. Mind you, I only had two pints of lager last weekend so I know that I don’t NEED to drink four pints of lager. 

I did read online that if I still want to have a drink then perhaps switch from lager to wine or whisky because both of them are much lower in calories.


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## PaulSB (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Good morning everyone.
> 
> So, to start my day off today I have just had one banana and a small orange, is eating those two things okay?Normally for my breakfast I have two slices of toast with jam. Now, I want to change that to a banana, a small bowl of cereal or something similar.
> 
> ...


This is a great post, well done.

My last tip. Weigh yourself once a week at the same time. For me this is when I get up on a Wednesday. Visit the bathroom, then weigh yourself. This is when you are you at your lightest, early morning, before eating and after getting rid of any fluid or solid waste the body has created overnight. This morning I was 69kg, up from 68.4kg last Wednesday. Hope to sort that over the next few days.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 May 2020)

screenman said:


> Remember, you cannot outrun a bad diet.



Depends how fat the bad diet has got


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## BigMeatball (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> In a coupe of weeks’ time I’ll finally be riding a bike.
> 
> ...



Already you'll see massive benefits now that you've managed to drastically cut down the booze, so good job on that front 

Someone said something on the lines of "if man made it, don't eat it", meaning you should try limit processed foods and aim. This of course should be done gradually, 

All changes need to be gradual if you want to stick to them in the long term, so all the people who are suggesting you to cut this/cut that they just don't know what they're talking about. This is why a lot of people who start a diet end up failing: they go too hard too soon. They cut all bread, all pasta, all potatoes, all sugars....they last a couple of weeks and then they crush and go back to the bad old habits.

Also avoiding potatoes, bread, pasta, rice....AWFUL IDEA, probably the worst one I've read on this thread: if you're picking up cycling and you plan on riding 5 times a week, you need energy, which you're going to get from carbs.


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## dodgy (27 May 2020)

You've already cut out alcohol, well done (I need to do this also but then I'm a lifelong cyclist and ride around 8 to 10K miles a year. Like has been said, you can't out exercise a bad diet which is why I want to reduce beer!

Your weight will naturally drop after giving up beer/alcohol. Don't get too obsessive about the exercise and eating in general, if you do you'll eventually run out of motivation as it's not sustainable. Define the sustainable lifestyle you want for the rest of your life and stick to that, it's much more realistic.


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## vickster (27 May 2020)

while you’re waiting for the bike, start exercising with long brisk walks. Get Your body used to working out on a lower calorie intake.
Just make sure you wear well fitting supportive footwear 👍

Also, when you do start cycling, make sure that you include weight bearing exercise and stretching into your regimen, the former is crucial for bone density and working different muscles to cycling. The latter to avoid injury and shortened hamstring and calf muscles for example from riding


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## BigMeatball (27 May 2020)

DCLane said:


> @LemonJuice
> My wife's a registered Dietitian and Nutritionist and her advice would be lifestyle change plus exercise. It's about a behavioural change, not just a quick fix, otherwise you'll be back where you started.



Yes, that's 100% right. It's not a diet; it's a new lifestyle. It's not something you can do for x months until you reach your desired weight and then go back to your previous habits. It's a behavioural change that you need to be happy to keep for the long term.


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## rvw (27 May 2020)

I struggle with my weight - always have, probably always will - but I have managed to lose 2 stone this year. It's not much different from what everyone else has said - eat less, exercise more - but I find keeping a record helps massively, and the app myfitnesspal has worked very well. It can link with exercise apps (so you can 'earn' calories from exercise) and tracks nutrients rather than just calories. But actually the key thing isn't what it tells me I have eaten, but just having to be honest about what I eat. Knowing that I shall have to log something is a genuine brake on the impulse to snack!

Anyway, good luck.


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## BrumJim (27 May 2020)

Health Warning: Consult a doctor before taking advice from a random cyclist on a forum!

I'm worried that your problem may be a bit more than just a little overweight. 14 stone isn't that bad (unless you are really short), and your comments about exaggerating the beer belly, hating your physical appearance and being made redundant so spending too much time in the pub all ring alarm bells for me. Even more so when you seem fixated on diet and reducing calories.

Yes, sensible diet is important. Certainly dropping alcohol consumption is critical, not just for the calories in the drink, but also the associated snacking. However severely limiting calories can put your body into starvation mode, and you are in danger of missing out on vitamins.

My advice, as a non-doctor, is to concentrate on the cycling, whilst maintaining a sensible diet. The problem is that calories burned are not equivalent to effort put in. So when you first get out on your bike you really feel the pain and get desparate for a food reward. Later, as you get fitter, you will do the same sort of distance without even feeling it. This is where you start loosing weight.

Quick equation: Male adult calorie requirement is roughly 2,700 per day. Probably wrong, but not wildly off. Realistically you can reduce this to around 1,500 with very careful eating. Much less and you will have to enjoy spending most of your time feeling hungry and could be damaging your body unless you take supplements. One ride of 100 miles could burn over 3,000 calories, or something like 3 days of careful eating.

So can you ride 100 miles? Yes, but not tomorrow. Will you burn that many calories? Depends on how fast you ride and the terrain. The fitter you get, the more hills you will look for and the faster you will ride. So in order to lose weight, you need to get fit. Concentrate on the fitness first, then weight loss will get easier.

Additional benefit is a greater sense of self-worth from riding these sort of distances. If you think 100 miles is well beyond your capabilities now, think of how you will feel when you do it. Or when you tackle that hill which you thought you could never get up. I've been up some hills I still don't think are possible.

The second benefit is that your muscles will be a lot firmer, including hamstrings and glutes. Your wife will be very happy having a husband with a firmer body. And one that can achieve so much, and has dug himself out of a drinking hole. You can be proud of yourself for starting on this journey, and even prouder when you see the improvements and smash those unatainable targets.

So, in summary:
1) Get on your bike and ride
then
2) Push yourself futher each time
then
3) Take a sensible look at your diet
then
4) Measure your increase in fitness
then
5) Measure your weight
then
6) Take a good look and your mental health

Is this all rubbish? Probably, but up to you to decide.


----------



## RichardB (27 May 2020)

I have lost 3.5 stone since January. I reckon the first two came off in about 2 months, and then it all slowed down a bit. Have a look at the Fast800 diet (Michael Moseley off the telly), both the book explaining the diet and the full-colour recipe book. I’ve been eating exclusively from the recipe book and I have never enjoyed my food more. It’s basically Mediterranean stuff and low carb. I’m loving the food, I am loving cooking it (a total first for me) and I am feeling better than I have for years with loads of energy. I stopped the booze for 3 months, but I have now gone back to the occasional beer and it doesn’t seem to be harming things. I guess I have been on about 1000 to 1300 calories a day. The idea is that you start to eat normally 5 days out of 7 after three months, but I have no desire to go back. If you knew how I used to love my pies and pasties and biscuits, you’d be falling off your chair in disbelief by now. I reckon I am on this for life. 

Plus I am whizzing up hills I used to struggle on before. Essentially, I’m riding a bike with 22kg off the frame. Good luck and never look back.


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## Fab Foodie (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Thank you for the replies so far.
> 
> I have generally speaking always been on the slim side and then I was made redundant from a job I had been doing for twenty years and for a few years I spent most of my time in pubs drinking heavily every day. About two years I had a wake up call when my wife told me she had seen a change in me and didn’t like what I was becoming so I gradually stopped drinking as much and now I can either take or leave drink. But, as it would happen to anyone, I have put on weight and I want to do something about it, ideally I want to have the physique of a road cyclist, is this achievable? I’m about 14 stone and I want to get back down to 12 stone. Sometimes my wife and I have a little drink on a Friday, is this okay? I can just burn it off the following day, right?
> 
> I have done a little bit of research online and many websites state that weight loss starts in the kitchen. So until I get the bike sorted I want to buy the right stuff. What stuff should I buy?


More vegetables/plants*
Less carbs especially refined
More vegetables/plants.
Small amounts of lean meat.
More vegetables/plants
Uncoated fish
More vegetable/plants
Bingo.

*Especially raw


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## HelenD123 (27 May 2020)

myfitnesspal.com is great for learning about portion size but if you log your exercise don't be tempted to eat back every calorie you earn. It's tempting when you exercise to think you've burned more calories than you have and to eat more than the exercise justifies. For weight loss, I'd support the other comments that what you eat is way more important than exercise. 

I used the Noom app last year and have kept off most of the weight loss. There's a huge amount of science and psychology in it which helped me. Include lots of veg in your diet, and some fruit, as they are heavy due to their water content and make you feel fuller. Soup is also proven to make you feel fuller and consume fewer calories over the course of the day. Noom allowed you to eat half the calories you'd burned through exercise and for me that allowed me enough energy to cycle but still get some weight loss benefit from the exercise.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

I have just got the scales out of the cupboard and weighed myself. I am 6’3 and I am 13 stone and 2 pounds. I want to get back down to between 11 1/2 stone and 12 stone. Although some people may say this is a fine weight for my height, until a little while ago I had been at least a stone lighter and that is what I want to be again. The last time I weighed myself was before the lockdown and I did have a beer belly that was noticeable, but I have just looked in a mirror and although I still feel ‘fat’ and want to get rid of the excess belly fat, I do not have a beer belly to the point that it would hang over a pair of jeans.

You are all right - cutting down on my alcohol intake has really helped me lose weight.

I want to make it clear that I do not intend for this to just be a phase, I want to be a road cyclist. I understand that this is going to mean changing my lifestyle, but I am prepared to do it because although I’m a self-proclaimed perfectionist so I do want the image in my head to become reality, realistically the most important point for me is to get rid of the belly fat that is still currently there.

The weather is actually a positive because it means I’ll sweat a lot more than usual. When I go for a walk, I listen to music and take a bottle of water with me. I’m also going to start doing some sit-ups in my house.

I know that I consume too many calories when I have dinner and tea. It’s because of the size of the portions. I always have a full plate of food and I need to stop that.

What food should I take with me when I go for a bike ride? Flapjacks? Energy bars?

When I am cutting down on calories, should I use the vitamins tablets one can buy from a supermarket like Asda?


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have just got the scales out of the cupboard and weighed myself. I am 6’3 and I am 13 stone and 2 pounds. I want to get back down to between 11 1/2 stone and 12 stone. Although some people may say this is a fine weight for my height, until a little while ago I had been at least a stone lighter and that is what I want to be again. The last time I weighed myself was before the lockdown and I did have a beer belly that was noticeable, but I have just looked in a mirror and although I still feel ‘fat’ and want to get rid of the excess belly fat, I do not have a beer belly to the point that it would hang over a pair of jeans.
> 
> You are all right - cutting down on my alcohol intake has really helped me lose weight.
> 
> ...


Cycling for 1-2 hours after a meal, you really shouldn’t need to eat anything, just have plenty of fluid

You don’t need vitamin tablets if eating a balanced diet that includes meat and fish. (other probably than vitamin D during Autumn and winter)


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Although it is going to be my first time riding a road bike (I’m a little nervous about using clipless pedals! ), I used to cycle for hours with my wife in the countryside up until a few years ago. Of course I know it’s going to take me a while before I can cycle 100 miles, but am I being reasonable to think that I’ll notice an improvement with regards to how far I can cycle with relative ease after a few weeks?


----------



## BrumJim (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Although is going to be my first time riding a road bike (I’m a little nervous about using clipless pedals! ), I used to cycle for hours with my wife in the countryside up until a few years ago. Of course I know it’s going to take me a while before I can cycle 100 miles, but am I being reasonable to think that I’ll notice an improvement with regards to how far I can cycle with relative ease after a few weeks?


Yes. You will get some very fast gains.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

What are the best fluids for me to drink? Is it okay for me to drink Robinsons blackcurrant or orange juice? Is flavoured water okay?

I know that I need to drink more water. I rarely ever drink coke or any other drink that contains a lot of sugar.


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## dodgy (27 May 2020)

I do all my riding on plain tap water, but nothing wrong with adding some flavouring if it means it will encourage you to drink more.


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## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> What are the best fluids for me to drink? Is it okay for me to drink Robinsons blackcurrant or orange juice? Is flavoured water okay?
> 
> I know that I need to drink more water. I rarely ever drink coke or any other drink that contains a lot of sugar.


Yes, just don’t make it strong as it’ll make you more thirsty. Add a little salt too if you’re a big sweater


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

I’ve just had my dinner. I had four carrots, some lettuce, a few small tomatoes with a small glass of pure orange juice. Is eating those things and drinking orange juice going to help me?

My wife and I are going shopping later. Should I buy mainly fruit and vegetables? What else should I buy?


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

I wouldn’t bother with orange juice, high sugar. Just eat an orange!

that sounds like a starvation lunch! Have some meat or fish with it, you need around 80g of protein a day ideally especially if you’re wanting to develop muscle
(oh and muscle isn't heavier than fat, it’s denser and leaner, a kilo of muscle weighs exactly the same as a kilo of fat  )

When you shop buy non processed lean meat and fish (if you’re not a vegetarian), brown carbs (basmati rice, pasta, potatoes), tinned tomatoes, milk, get some non processed natural porridge oats for a hearty filling breakfast

Fruit, apples, oranges, bananas, berries. But avoid grapes, mango, pineapple as very high in sugar. Leafy veg and salad
Other protein sources like beans, lentils, chickpeas etc. Natural yogurt good too in moderation
try nuts for snacks (if not allergic!)

get some Kitchen scales to weigh everything if you don’t have any


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## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

Cut down the carbs especially the afternoon/evening, reduce portions slightly, drink water before a meal to trick your stomach into feeling full. drink water between meals to fight off hunger pangs.

Up protein consumption, Look up the guidance, from memory its 1g per kilo of weight per day

Exercise regularly, but consistently. After 2-3 months you will be lighter


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Surprisingly, I feel full.

Do I need to avoid sugar altogether?

What juice should I buy that is low in sugar?


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> Cut down the carbs especially the afternoon/evening, reduce portions slightly, drink water before a meal to trick your stomach into feeling full. drink water between meals to fight off hunger pangs.
> 
> Up protein consumption, Look up the vuidance, from memory its 1g per kilo of weight per day
> 
> Exercise regularly, but consistently. After 2-3 months you will be lighter



Doesn't drinking lots of water cause one to feel bloated?


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Surprisingly, I feel full.
> 
> Do I need to avoid sugar altogether?
> 
> What juice should I buy that is low in sugar?


All juice has sugar, more concentrated and without the fibre etc from the actual fruit. If you need something, you could get sugar free squash, or add a small amount of juice and water it down a lot


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Doesn't drinking lots of water cause one to feel bloated?


As long as your kidneys work properly and you sweat, not an issue. About 60% of your body is water remember.

sugar causes fluid retention and thus bloating


----------



## alicat (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> My wife and I are going shopping later. Should I buy mainly fruit and vegetables? What else should I buy?



Buy what your common sense and all the advice upthread tell you.


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

Indeed, do some menu planning before you go, check out some healthy, low cal recipes online and buy the necessary ingredients


----------



## BrumJim (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’ve just had my dinner. I had four carrots, some lettuce, a few small tomatoes with a small glass of pure orange juice. Is eating those things and drinking orange juice going to help me?
> 
> My wife and I are going shopping later. Should I buy mainly fruit and vegetables? What else should I buy?


Only if you are a rabbit. That is a shocklingly unbalanced meal. Far too low on carbs, lacking the fat for a good chunk of your vitamins and insufficient protein. That would be a mid-morning snack for me, and I'm 1m82 and 74kg.


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## MrGrumpy (27 May 2020)

I`ve been commuting by bike for 10 yrs now and I have still to lose 2 stone .

On a serious side, eat healthy , drink plenty fluids ( not booze ). Treat yourself every now and then and do not get hung up on the weight. You will change shape even if weight doesn't fall off . Calories in less than calories out !


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## DCLane (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have just got the scales out of the cupboard and weighed myself. I am 6’3 and I am 13 stone and 2 pounds. I want to get back down to between 11 1/2 stone and 12 stone. Although some people may say this is a fine weight for my height, until a little while ago I had been at least a stone lighter and that is what I want to be again. The last time I weighed myself was before the lockdown and I did have a beer belly that was noticeable, but I have just looked in a mirror and although I still feel ‘fat’ and want to get rid of the excess belly fat, I do not have a beer belly to the point that it would hang over a pair of jeans.



OK, so you're not overweight. Your BMI is about 22.8 which is in the healthy range between 18.5 and 25 (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/)

If you're 11 1/2 stone it'd be a BMI of 20, again in the healthy range.

What you should be eating is a balanced diet; protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc. with vitamins and minerals. If you're not eating proteins you won't feel full, nor will you build muscle.

On the bike - water, with a tablet in for salt/minerals, plus snacks if you're going longer distances.


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## rvw (27 May 2020)

For hydration, we use Nuun tablets in water - amazingly, they actually taste OK. Since our (hard) tapwater is vile, they are a way of making sure I get enough to drink without adding sugar.

And re myfitnesspal further up the thread - I totally agree that their calorie allocations for exercise are over-generous!


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/foods

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/44-healthy-low-carb-foods

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321545

Apples, strawberries, peaches
Lean meat such as chicken breast and pork, seafood like tuna, 
Eggs, leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds

I’m sure I can adjust my diet to include those things, especially considering I like all of them.

For juice I’m just going to drink water and flavoured water, a little bit of milk in a couple of cups of coffee or tea and every now and then a small glass of pure orange juice with bits.

Will those adjustments in my diet help me get rid of the belly fat I have at the moment?


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

DCLane said:


> OK, so you're not overweight. Your BMI is about 22.8 which is in the healthy range between 18.5 and 25 (https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/)
> 
> If you're 11 1/2 stone it'd be a BMI of 20, again in the healthy range.
> 
> ...



Thank you.

Yes, I want to be on the slimmer side of the BMI for my height.

I’ve looked online and I’ve read the advice given on this thread and when I go shopping later I’ll be buying the right types of food.

Do you mean normal table salt or a specific salt? What are the best types of snacks?


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

How old are you by the way? Belly fat is common in older men (and women) and hard to shift

linked to changes in hormone levels
https://www.army.mil/article/188893/belly_fat_in_men_what_you_can_do_to_reduce_it


----------



## dodgy (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’ve just had my dinner. I had four carrots, some lettuce, a few small tomatoes with a small glass of pure orange juice.



This is a diet. It is not sustainable.


----------



## Ming the Merciless (27 May 2020)

Just cut back the qtys of food and alcohol. No need to change the content.


----------



## DCLane (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Do you mean normal table salt or a specific salt? What are the best types of snacks?



Re. salt tablets, they're titled electrolyte tablets. Have a look here and again it's down to personal preference: https://www.220triathlon.com/gear/nutrition/drinks/best-electrolyte-drink-tablets-reviewed/

Snacks are down to personal preference. I use malt loaf/flapjacks as they're slow-burn carbs, others use bananas or other foods.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

vickster said:


> How old are you by the way? Belly fat is common in older men (and women) and hard to shift
> 
> linked to changes in hormone levels
> https://www.army.mil/article/188893/belly_fat_in_men_what_you_can_do_to_reduce_it



I’m in my late 40s. I have a fast metabolism and I never put on any weight until I was made redundant and just drank and drank and did not even a moderate amount of exercise.


----------



## Mattk50 (27 May 2020)

I've lost 5 kg since Dec (mostly face and belly) just by using the indoor trainer (now outdoors). I use it once every 2-3 days and cycle for 90 mins now at 90 cadence enough to sweat quite a lot, now down to 77kg from 82kg, BMI 25.3. Admittedly, one of those kg I lost was in the week after a Moroccan holiday, say no more. I think I could have lost more but I've not really checked my wine or food intake, definitely too much wine a week but it is decent wine in my defence........


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## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’m in my late 40s. I have a fast metabolism and I never put on any weight until I was made redundant and just drank and drank and did not even a moderate amount of exercise.


On that basis, it might be hard to lose the belly fat due to homonal changes but cutting out sugar, processed food alongside cycling and walking good. Also do some upper body strength training if you can


----------



## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Doesn't drinking lots of water cause one to feel bloated?



No, unless consuming gallons. Drink a pint before a meal, carry a water bottle and sip it between meals. These two steps will help massively to reduce binging on snacks.

Simple Calories consumed must be slightly less than calories burned to lose weight


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

vickster said:


> On that basis, it might be hard to lose the belly fat due to homonal changes but cutting out sugar, processed food alongside cycling and walking good. Also do some upper body strength training if you can



Do you mean that it is nigh on impossible for someone who is middle-aged to get a flat belly?

The website you linked just states that it can be harder for older men to lose weight.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Is it still okay to eat a Sunday dinner? Meat, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mashed potato, gravy, etc.

Am I right in thinking that the saying “calories in, calories out” means eat less and exercise more? Because if someone just eats very little then his or her body will go into starvation mode and actually store that fat, right?


----------



## PaulSB (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Is it still okay to eat a Sunday dinner? Meat, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, mashed potato, gravy, etc.
> 
> Am I right in thinking that the saying “calories in, calories out” means eat less and exercise more? Because if someone just eats very little then his or her body will go into starvation mode and actually store that fat, right?


It's about providing the body with the right fuel for the exercise you are doing. Yes if you stress your body it will try to store all it can to preserve itself.

As an aside I've noted comments that you can "earn calories." This is simply untrue you don't earn the right to eat more than you should. If you've burned more calories than an app expects just enjoy the satisfaction don't believe for one moment you've earned some extra eating.

You also asked if drinking a lot means you will feel bloated. No you won't but you will pee more. I drink 3 litres per day, it's right for me. Today I've been on a 55 mile ride and drunk an additional 1.5 litres.

Other comments have been made about belly fat and it being difficult to shift as we get older. Yes it is more difficult but it is not especially difficult. I'm nearly 66 and my waist is currently 31". I'd like to shift a bit more but I'm not panicking.

Belly fat is dangerous. Shift it.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

Since I was 16 I had been a 28” waist until a few years ago and now I’m between 30-32” depending on the brand. Ideally I want to get back down to a 28” waist so I can feel myself again. Is it too late for me to do that?


----------



## BigMeatball (27 May 2020)

for fark sake, how can you say you're not a troll?


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Since I was 16 I had been a 28” waist until a few years ago and now I’m between 30-32” depending on the brand. Ideally I want to get back down to a 28” waist so I can feel myself again. Is it too late for me to do that?


Unlike _BigMeatball, _I'll assume that you are genuine... 

I'd say that you definitely sound like someone who is at risk of developing risky weight loss issues, so be vigilant! 

If you could stick at no lower than 11.5-12.0 stone then that _would _probably be healthy as long as you eat and exercise healthily to get there but I doubt that you would have a 28" waist at that kind of weight. I am 2 inches shorter than you and I was pretty slim at 12 stone but still had a 33-34" waist...

I think you will probably crash diet down to 12 stone and be disappointed with what your waistline looks like and carry on down to 11 stone and so on!

The best thing you could do would be to eat a full healthy diet of (say) 2,000 calories a day and use a sensible amount of exercise to get off any more weight than the slightly reduced calorie intake achieves. (Where 'sensible amount of exercise' is no more than 10-15 hours a week.)

Oh, and well done on reducing your booze intake - definitely stick to that!


----------



## Globalti (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Hey, thanks for your reply.
> 
> I don’t want to look ill, but I want to look lean/slim so when I look in the mirror I look straight up and down (skinny). What is annoying me is that my waist size hasn’t increased that much, but my belly sort of hangs over a pair of jeans. Of course I’m exaggerated the size of my beer belly because it’s in my head and I feel fat and I hate the fact my physical appearance has changed.
> 
> I have cut down drinking alcohol a lot, I used to drink 15+ pints at a pub and then quite often drink a bottle of whisky every night. These days I’m lucky if I drink four cans of lager.


That's a prodigious amount of booze and even four cans of lager is more calories than you need. Unfortunately alcohol suppresses testosterone, a double whammy as men enter middle age and testosterone levels diminish naturally. This allows our natural oestrogen level to predominate meaning we tend to accumulate body fat including breasts. 

I would give up alcohol for a month, cut portion sizes especially carbs and cycle three times a week to give your muscles time to recover in between efforts. A brisk local walk on the other days is fine.


----------



## PaulSB (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Since I was 16 I had been a 28” waist until a few years ago and now I’m between 30-32” depending on the brand. Ideally I want to get back down to a 28” waist so I can feel myself again. Is it too late for me to do that?


Well I was 28-30" as a young man. At 66 I'm very happy with 31". It's about how you look and feel not the measurement.


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## alicat (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I want to lose a couple of stone. I used to drink quite heavily so I have put on a bit of weight, well at least enough that I have noticed it. I’m not proud to say it, but I have what is known as a beer belly,






LemonJuice said:


> My wife and I are going shopping later. Should I buy mainly fruit and vegetables? What else should I buy?



A non-cyclist of normal weight wants to know how to get rid of a beer belly. My advice for what it's worth is 'anything but beer'. Next.


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## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

You've got a 31" waist.

Forget it, you're wasting our time


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

ColinJ said:


> Unlike _BigMeatball, _I'll assume that you are genuine...
> 
> I'd say that you definitely sound like someone who is at risk of developing risky weight loss issues, so be vigilant!
> 
> ...



Ignore him, he has had it in for me ever since I declared myself to be a self-proclaimed perfectionist.

When I was 11.5-12 stone I was a 28” waist, but quite often I had to buy a 30” waist pair of jeans and wear a belt because I am a 34” leg. I used to be straight up and down (slim) and that is how I want to be again.

Do I always have to eat a meal prior to the exercise or may I go for a walk or bike ride and then have a meal once I get home?


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

PaulSB said:


> Well I was 28-30" as a young man. At 66 I'm very happy with 31". It's about how you look and feel not the measurement.



Granted. But, if you wanted to, do you think you could lose more weight and be a 28” waist again?


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## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Do I always have to eat a meal prior to the exercise or may I go for a walk or bike ride and then have a meal once I get home?


I'm ok for a couple of hours worth of exercise on an empty stomach but anything much beyond that I like to eat first. I prefer to wait at least an hour and preferably 2 hours before going out on my bike but that is because it is very hilly here and heading off uphill immediately after a meal doesn't feel good.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> You've got a 31" waist.
> 
> Forget it, you're wasting our time



What do you mean?


----------



## alicat (27 May 2020)

These are the facts as I see them:

This is a forum for cyclists and people interested in cycling.

The OP is not a cyclist.

The OP tells us that he has a beer belly that he is interested in getting rid of.

The OP has a BMI of 22 and a waist measurement of 31".

The OP claims to be practically a teetotaler but drinks four cans of lager in a sitting.

The OP wants advice on what to eat for breakfast and what to buy when he and his wife go food shopping.

Six pages of questions about how to do basic daily tasks. 

I know a troll when I see one. Go on, report me too if you haven't taken @BigMeatball's advice to chop your arms off.


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I'm ok for a couple of hours worth of exercise on an empty stomach but anything much beyond that I like to eat first. I prefer to wait at least an hour and preferably 2 hours before going out on my bike but that is because it is very hilly here and heading off uphill immediately after a meal doesn't feel good.



I wasn’t sure if eating after a ride would interfere with trying to lose weight.


----------



## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

alicat said:


> The OP claims to be practically a teetotaler but drinks four cans of lager in a sitting.



I used to drink a lot but now I have four pints in the evening on a Saturday. I would say most people could comfortably drink four pints in an evening. The statement about being a teetotaller was a tongue in cheek remark about how much I used to drink to how much I drink now (if I do).

Do you enjoy taking things out of context?Similarly, if you want to think I’m a troll then so be it, but I know that I am not a troll.


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

I think you doubters are missing the obvious signs that I alluded to above, which are that LJ may well be genuine and is potentially at risk of developing an eating disorder, so why not be kind and try to be helpful?



LemonJuice said:


> I wasn’t sure if eating after a meal would interfere with trying to lose weight.


You definitely _ARE _overthinking things! 

It isn't hard to lose a healthy amount of weight a week. If you eat 2,000 calories worth of healthy food a day at _ANY _time of day, exercise regularly, and keep your alcohol intake down then you _will _lose 1-2 lbs a week. It is nicer to eat the food over (say) 2 or 3 meals a day rather than all at (say) 06:00 or 22:15, but just fit the meals in when they suit you.

You won't want to go on a hard 4 hour bike ride on an empty stomach, and you won't want to eat 2,000 calories in one sitting and then race up a huge hill either!


----------



## vickster (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I wasn’t sure if eating after a meal would interfere with trying to lose weight.


There’s no need to eat after a meal...


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

vickster said:


> There’s no need to eat after a meal...


Ha ha - I didn't notice that typo!


----------



## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

Anyway... I'm going to follow my own advice and go out now up some steep hills before my meal, but return for that after only an hour out on the bike!


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## HMS_Dave (27 May 2020)

I've been reluctant to jump in on this thread but anyway i started cycling at 25 stone. My highest weight was 27 stone. By following NHS weight loss guide you will end up limiting pasta, bread, potatoes, grains anyways as you will be simply be consuming less foods. But this is important. Cycling has built up my strength over the past 9 months and my thighs are stronger than they've ever been. Ive been pulling a lot of weight so in essence ive been heavily bulking up. The reason i mention this is this will increase your metabolism and therefore calorie burning. Cycling is a great way to lose weight.

As for the amount of weight you can lose and how quickly. This is all dependant on a number of factors such as Diet, Exercise, Genetics, Sleep... I don't want to sound controversial but aiming for "1-2lbs a week" is a waste of time. Don't lose weight a slave to the body scales... Eat right, i believe most people know this. Contrary to what i said about body scales, weigh your food instead if necessary. If you do this with some exercise, you will lose weight. You may lose 3,4,5 lbs+ (for me it was much more) first week and then it will taper off. Weight loss however, is NOT linear. Some weeks you will experience plateaus then others you will lose more and maybe you will only lose a little. Too many people have a plateau after working hard on their exercise and sticking to it religiously and head for their nearest kebab shop and off licence... Yes it's nice to see that weight fall off, but never nice to see the fruits of your labour seemingly mean nothing... Instead, try using a tape measure and weigh yourself once a month instead.

If you're doing things right then you will feel it as much as anything else...


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

vickster said:


> There’s no need to eat after a meal...



A ride. Sorry.


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## vickster (27 May 2020)

Eat your meals normally and sensibly


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## dodgy (27 May 2020)

Is that you, Bonj?


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## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

Lemon juice,. Work out your basal calorie daily requirements- Google search

Eat said Calories according to this 

Ride bike a bit, that will lose weight

Its not rocket science but sensible obvious steps, with information readily available on the internet. 

Failing that join 'weight watchers'


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## bikingdad90 (27 May 2020)

@LemonJuice, I am in a similar position to yourself at the higher end of the healthy BMI and looking to reduce weight and change my body shape. 

Firstly, are you looking to remove the “flab” so that you can see you abs? No amount of dieting and weight loss will do this; in fact it might even increase the “flab” as your losing the fat underneath the skin. If this is what your trying to aim for I would look at toning and strength exercise to grow your muscles and get them to “fill” the space to tone the skin.

Secondly if possible cut out the beer and deserts from your normal meals and just do some cycling and generally be more active. Over 6 months you will start to notice subtle changes happening to your body such as thinner waist and arms but bigger legs (although not always). Over the course of 12 months you should see your weight drop without too much change to your lifestyle at once. 

I was in your boots (but am now in maintenance stage as I have come to accept the fact I will never be 10st and lose that last 10lbs; my weight at 20 just before marrying) and basically did the above and lost over a stone by riding to and from work (5miles each way) 5 days a week. 

Recently, I have fallen off the band wagon as due to relocation of office I have to drive in now and can’t cycle due to family commitments and rubbish train timetables. I’ve had over the last few weeks biscuits, cakes, beer, custard etc and I’ve put on 4lbs very fast! As of tomorrow morning I am back to been sensible and will start to run/cycle again on an evening after home work finishes.


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## alicat (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Do you enjoy taking things out of context?



It takes one to know one......

Anyway, i'm out of here. I've given advice in good faith without knowing I was giving it to someone with a BMI of 22 and a 31" waist who hasn't demonstrated much in the way of gratitude or common sense. I've got better things to do, even in lockdown and while not working.


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## Ming the Merciless (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I used to drink a lot but now I have four pints in the evening on a Saturday. I would say most people could comfortably drink four pints in an evening. The statement about being a teetotaller was a tongue in cheek remark about how much I used to drink to how much I drink now (if I do).
> 
> Do you enjoy taking things out of context?Similarly, if you want to think I’m a troll then so be it, but I know that I am not a troll.



Four pints in one evening is a lot.


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## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

bikingdad90 said:


> Firstly, are you looking to remove the “flab” so that you can see you abs? No amount of dieting and weight loss will do this



That is not true, 

Achieving a six pack is 90% diet and little bit of weight training. 

Weight training with a strict diet will achieve a ripped body


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## PaulSB (27 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Granted. But, if you wanted to, do you think you could lose more weight and be a 28” waist again?


No I don't think I could reach a 28" waist again. I feel if I did I would look gaunt and shriveled.

Ask a woman of a certain age if she is happy to carry a little excess weight. Many will say yes because they know losing too much weight will impact their overall looks.


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## CXRAndy (27 May 2020)

PaulSB said:


> No I don't think I could reach a 28" waist again. I feel if I did I would look gaunt and shriveled.
> 
> Ask a woman of a certain age if she is happy to carry a little excess weight. Many will say yes because they know losing too much weight will impact their overall looks.



I got down to my teenage weight over a year ago. Someone sent me a photo, I hadn't realised I looked so gaunt. 

I suit being a stone heavier


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## ColinJ (27 May 2020)

PaulSB said:


> No I don't think I could reach a 28" waist again. I feel if I did I would look gaunt and shriveled.
> 
> Ask a woman of a certain age if she is happy to carry a little excess weight. Many will say yes because they know losing too much weight will impact their overall looks.


That definitely applies to _me_. After 2 years of blood clotting health issues, my weight went down from about 18 stone to 12. I ended up with loose skin everywhere and definitely looked gaunt. I decided to put a bit of weight back on and looked better then. I've overdone it though and gone to 14 stone, which is too far the other way. I'd be good at 12.5-13 stone. My waist will never be flat again though unless I have surgery to remove the excess skin, which I am not prepared to do. I'll put up with an imperfect waist of reasonable proportions!


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## LemonJuice (27 May 2020)

ColinJ said:


> That definitely applies to _me_. After 2 years of blood clotting health issues, my weight went down from about 18 stone to 12. I ended up with loose skin everywhere and definitely looked gaunt. I decided to put a bit of weight back on and looked better then. I've overdone it though and gone to 14 stone, which is too far the other way. I'd be good at 12.5-13 stone. My waist will never be flat again though unless I have surgery to remove the excess skin, which I am not prepared to do. I'll put up with an imperfect waist of reasonable proportions!



Congratulations on losing all of that weight!

How heavy does one have to be before losing weight to be left with excess skin after he or she has lost weight? I don’t think I’m going to be left with excess skin because I’m just over 13 stone and I want to ideally lose two stone.


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## vickster (27 May 2020)

Any amount if lost too quickly especially as older skin is much less elastic than young


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## ColinJ (28 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Congratulations on losing all of that weight!


Serious illness gave me a huge headstart! I decided when I was recovering that I needed to start looking after myself better so (a) I gave up my 6 pints a night booze habit and (b) it would be a terrible shame to get fat again so I started eating sensibly too.



LemonJuice said:


> How heavy does one have to be before losing weight to be left with excess skin after he or she has lost weight? I don’t think I’m going to be left with excess skin because I’m just over 13 stone and I want to ideally lose two stone


You will probably be okay with that. I had a massive beer belly so it was inevitable that I wasn't going to get away without loose skin and stretchmarks. I look I've had 3 or 4 sets of twins!


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## Racing roadkill (28 May 2020)

Do squats to develop your abs, and trim yourself up around the midriff. Develop a penchant for bulletproofs ( butter coffee with medium chain triglycerides ) and California rolls, and ride as much as possible. The weight will fall off pretty quickly.


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## MrGrumpy (28 May 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Four pints in one evening is a lot.



Every night absolutely , once a week I don`t think so. Each to their own though.


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## bikingdad90 (28 May 2020)

Bulletproof coffee; planet destroying palm oil and coconut oil (MCT) with 2tbsp of butter (chloresterol) and coffee... no thank you!

And as for California rolls; who ever liked sushi?


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## LemonJuice (28 May 2020)

I have had the following today:

Breakfast - a bowl of Special K and a cup of tea with no sugar and a little bit of milk.

Dinner - a tin of salmon with a little bit of coleslaw and a few small tomatoes

Tea - a few bits of chicken breast, a few eggs and some lettuce with a cup of tea.

Throughout the day I have been drinking more water. Yesterday when I went shopping I bought a few bottles of Evian natural mineral water.

As soon as I woke up I did some sit-ups. After my dinner I went for a walk.

I feel a lot better in myself and realise that cutting down on the calories will make all of the difference. Until I get the bike sorted, should I just continue doing what I am busy doing?


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## boydj (28 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’ve just had my dinner. I had four carrots, some lettuce, a few small tomatoes with a small glass of pure orange juice. Is eating those things and drinking orange juice going to help me?
> 
> My wife and I are going shopping later. Should I buy mainly fruit and vegetables? What else should I buy?



If that's your main meal of the day, then it's in crash diet territory. Cutting out sugars and processed carbs is good, but you need to be eating enough to cover (most) of your energy requirements, for e.g a brisk walk.

I know you are full of enthusiasm now, but you're on a long-term project so you are looking for sustainable lifestyle changes. Make it a sufferfest and you're more likely to fail. While it's great to see the weight fall off, if it comes off too quickly, you'll lose muscle as well as fat and lower your metabolism, meaning weight will go on more quickly again as your diet eases. Somebody else has already said you don't want to be on a diet, you want to be eating better. Your target is where you want to be in six months time at a weight, exercise regime and diet you'll be able to sustain in the years ahead. Be patient and be consistent and you'll get there.


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## boydj (28 May 2020)

I think you are being unrealistic and your target is actually an unhealthy weight for someone your height, especially if you are going to be building muscle by exercising. More muscle is good as it boosts your metabolic rate.

When I was a student, I was the original 8-stone weakling. Then I started playing football regularly and weight and circuit-training and put on almost 2 stone and would lose a few pounds in the summer when football stopped. When I got too old for football, I got into athletics fairly seriously, running several marathons and was seriously fit until I burst a hamstring playing 5-a-side in my mid-40s. I never got back to the same standard, but I've never stopped exercising.

I'm now 70, 5'6" and still fit a 30" waist trouser, as I did when I was 21, and I'm not on any medication. I haven't weighed myself in years, but I'm probably still round about the 10st mark, or just over, as my stomach is still pretty flat. I've cycled just over 1100 miles this year so far, and I'm looking forward to getting back to golf again tomorrow. I eat too many biscuits and have the odd glass of red wine (medicinal) and, maybe a couple of times a week, a pint of stout. 

No special diet, no self-denial, just a sensible diet and *lots of exercise* - 30 hilly miles today.

Long-term health is achieved by eating a healthy diet, in moderate quantities and getting plenty of exercise. Do that and everything else takes care of itself.


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## LemonJuice (28 May 2020)

boydj said:


> I think you are being unrealistic and your target is actually an unhealthy weight for someone your height, especially if you are going to be building muscle by exercising. More muscle is good as it boosts your metabolic rate.



Why am I being unrealistic? Until a few years ago I was the same weight for all of my adulthood, it only changed over the last few years when I started drinking way too much.

I can’t do any cycling until just over a week‘s time so I’m trying to cut down how many calories I have daily and walk further and then when I start cycling my body will hopefully be adapted to consuming few calories and then I can burn off calories and see a change in a couple of months and not a year.

The weight I have put on is all on my belly and I want a flat belly. Do you think I’ll naturally lose more weight if I stop drinking altogether? I normally have four pints of lager on a Saturday night. Will those four pints make such a difference overall?

I’m aiming for a look similar to Bradley Wiggin’s height and weight - he is 6’2 and has been between 11-12 stone.


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## boydj (28 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Why am I being unrealistic? Until a few years ago I was the same weight for all of my adulthood, it only changed over the last few years when I started drinking way too much.
> 
> I can’t do any cycling until just over a week‘s time so I’m trying to cut down how many calories I have daily and walk further and then when I start cycling my body will hopefully be adapted to consuming few calories and then I can burn off calories and see a change in a couple of months and not a year.
> 
> ...



Well, either you exercise and build up some muscle and gain a bit of weight that way while improving your body shape, or you diet and lose weight off an already sparse frame. Cutting out most of the beer will help with the belly in the short term. A sensible diet and plenty of exercise will see your body establish an equilibrium, which might not be the same as you were when you were younger. The only way to make a permanent change is a slow and steady lifestyle change which is sustainable. Your posts suggest an almost crash diet approach, which is not sustainable, especially as you are proposing an exercise regime which will need to be fuelled properly in order to succeed. 

As I said before, it's a long-term project and a dash for quick wins could be counter-productive. If you crash-diet, you lose muscle as well as fat and end up with a slower metabolism and a lower calorie requirement which only makes it harder to keep weight off.


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## BrumJim (28 May 2020)

Ditch the Evian. Literally wasting money. Stuff that comes out of your taps is just as good for you and doesn't waste plastic.

You are missing a 5k run and some cake. Not much point in one without the other.

Some great slow-release carbs will help you through the exercise.


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## vickster (28 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have had the following today:
> 
> Breakfast - a bowl of Special K and a cup of tea with no sugar and a little bit of milk.
> 
> ...


Special K full of sugar. Change for natural porridge oats made with a mix of milk and water. Slow release / low GI unlike processed cereals whatever the ads allege


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## boydj (28 May 2020)

Forgot to add - Wiggins at his best was an elite athlete, with a very carefully regulated diet necessary to fuel his massive workloads. He would lose weight for the big tours to help with the major climbs - in fact he would underfuel carefully in the days leading up to big climbs in order to lose weight. For track racing he would put on weight to improve his power outputs. He may not have had a beer-belly, but he was no 'skelf'.


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## SkipdiverJohn (28 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> The weight I have put on is all on my belly and I want a flat belly. Do you think I’ll naturally lose more weight if I stop drinking altogether? I normally have four pints of lager on a Saturday night. Will those four pints make such a difference overall?



The important thing to realise is the human body stores fat however it thinks fit. You don't get to pick and choose which bits of your body the fat comes off when you lose weight. Your body does. Any diet or exercise regime that suggests you can target specific body areas for fat reduction is talking bollox. When you lose body fat you lose a bit from everywhere, the reverse of how your body decided to store it in the first place. If you have a significant amount of fat around your middle, which is how men generally tend to store fat, you may have to lose a lot from other bits of the body where it isn't so noticeable before it will disappear from the most visible areas.
Four pints of beer is likely to be around 900 calories, which equates to a quarter of a pound of stored fat. You will only lose that quarter pound if you don't substitute the beer you give up with something else. Personally I think you have the wrong attitude to be able to lose weight successfully. You seem to be in a rush to do everything and expect quick visible results. As others have said, weight control is a long term regime and is something done over years, not just for summer.


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## ColinJ (29 May 2020)

boydj said:


> Forgot to add - Wiggins at his best was an elite athlete, with a very carefully regulated diet necessary to fuel his massive workloads. He would lose weight for the big tours to help with the major climbs - in fact he would underfuel carefully in the days leading up to big climbs in order to lose weight. For track racing he would put on weight to improve his power outputs. He may not have had a beer-belly, but he was no 'skelf'.


And of course, we have what Wiggo himself had to say on the subject...



Bradley Wiggins said:


> “I’ve put 10 kilos on because I was severely underweight as a 6ft 3in man. Stop this rubbish!”


LINK

Eating disorders in the pro peloton.


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## ozboz (29 May 2020)

If all fails , get down to M&S !


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## PaulSB (29 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have had the following today:
> 
> Breakfast - a bowl of Special K and a cup of tea with no sugar and a little bit of milk.
> 
> ...


I don't think you are listening to people. What you have posted diet wise isn't sustainable. It's the sort of thing people do in the early, enthusiastic days. For one thing all your measurements are a "few."

The diet above won't fuel any real cycling distance.


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## CXRAndy (29 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I bought a few bottles of Evian natural mineral water


Dont buy bottle water, its the modern age scourge

. You're are paying more for water than petrol per gallon. Just use tap water. If you dont like the hardness taste, put in a jug in the fridge overnight and the hardness smell and taste disappears


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## dodgy (29 May 2020)

It would be nice if the OP at least thanked some posters who are trying pretty hard to help [not me]. There is a like button to show appreciation.


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## Fab Foodie (29 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have had the following today:
> 
> Breakfast - a bowl of Special K and a cup of tea with no sugar and a little bit of milk.
> 
> ...


Sounds pretty fine to me. It’s not so far from my ‘base’ eating regime. But! Use it as a base, it’s OK to have the odd slice of bread, Bag of crisps or pasta meal whatever to keep life interesting, just don’t do that every day. Keep it varied so it becomes a liveable way of eating. Increase veg intake as much as possible that includes beans, pulses, lentils.
Dilute cranberry juice is nice with food. Alcohol free beer is not bad, I may have 1 treat beer and one AF of an evening.
Forget buying Evian, please drink tap water and reuse a bottle - add little cordial again to add variety once in a while. 

Don’t obsess and start building sustainable exercise into your daily routine.
Forget the scales. You’ll know if you’re heading in the right direction.


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## vickster (29 May 2020)

What exercise regime are you following while waiting for the bike?


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## LemonJuice (29 May 2020)

PaulSB said:


> I don't think you are listening to people. What you have posted diet wise isn't sustainable. It's the sort of thing people do in the early, enthusiastic days. For one thing all your measurements are a "few."
> 
> The diet above won't fuel any real cycling distance.



I am listening to people, I just hate the fact that I have noticed such a change in my body and I want to go back to how I was before.



dodgy said:


> It would be nice if the OP at least thanked some posters who are trying pretty hard to help [not me]. There is a like button to show appreciation.



Sorry, I use my iPhone so I just read the posts and reply.

I am very grateful and I have repeatedly included “thanks” in my posts.

I do apologise if I come across as rude.



Fab Foodie said:


> Sounds pretty fine to me. It’s not so far from my ‘base’ eating regime. But! Use it as a base, it’s OK to have the odd slice of bread, Bag of crisps or pasta meal whatever to keep life interesting, just don’t do that every day. Keep it varied so it becomes a liveable way of eating. Increase veg intake as much as possible that includes beans, pulses, lentils.
> Dilute cranberry juice is nice with food. Alcohol free beer is not bad, I may have 1 treat beer and one AF of an evening.
> Forget buying Evian, please drink tap water and reuse a bottle - add little cordial again to add variety once in a while.
> 
> ...



If you don’t mind my asking, how tall and heavy are you?



vickster said:


> What exercise regime are you following while waiting for the bike?



I walk my three dogs in the morning.

I do 25-30 sit-ups in the morning.

I go for a walk which I think is about five miles.

I do more sit-ups.

I take my dogs for a longer walk.

I do some sit-ups.

I’m focusing on reducing the amount of calories I have on a daily basis more than anything else so it won’t come as a shock to me when I start riding the bike.


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## ColinJ (29 May 2020)

Don't forget that the muscle size that you gain through doing all the extra exercise will actually weigh quite a lot so if you aim for your previous very light weight (for your height) then you will have to have even lower body fat than you had before. That is getting very close to unhealthy...

IIRC, there was a rider on BikeRadar who went down this line of thinking. He got more and more obsessed with weight and fitness. He got to the point where he was doing multiple very long rides every week, sometimes getting out of bed in the middle of the night to do them because he couldn't sleep. He ended up being killed when he was hit by a motor vehicle during one of those rides.

Wiggins at his skinniest was _NOT _a good look, and not a healthy weight....


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## CXRAndy (29 May 2020)

Its better to check shape than actual weight. 

If you look online images of people who took up fitness regime, changed their body shape and even put a bit of weight on, but actually look much slimmer.


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## Fab Foodie (29 May 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I am listening to people, I just hate the fact that I have noticed such a change in my body and I want to go back to how I was before.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Currently 5'9" and having lost 5 kgs during the lock-down 90kg. Am currently cycling 10 miles/day weekdays with a 40 miler at the weekends.
So yes, that makes me obese, so why should you listen to my advice?

Well my normal working week would see me in airport lounges and 5* hotels with all the food and drink I can muster and eating at all kinds of strange times. Plus I work in the food-industry, so eating is an occupational hazard. BUT, stop doing that, reduce the alcohol and eat the way I would 'naturally' adopt if left to my own devices (i.e being at home like most people) and I notice my belt being tightened extra notches, people comment am looking slimmer (and I do), am notably fitter and the weight is going down. All in a few weeks of not trying and cycling a bit more than normal.
I could still drink less. I could eat less cheese....

But am not on a diet. Just adopting lifestyle behaviors we all know.


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## vickster (29 May 2020)

CXRAndy said:


> Its better to check shape than actual weight.
> 
> If you look online images of people who took up fitness regime, changed their body shape and even put a bit of weight on, but actually look much slimmer.


Yep. I’ve only lost about half a stone since I got my body fat scales and it’s gone down by over 5% in absolute terms and around 12% in % terms (clearly numbers vary but using the same device for consistency). I’ve certainly lost some fat around waist, chest and back and my legs are more slender and defined (lots of cycling)

I am female so clearly a different body shape to a tall skinny bloke with a pot belly


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## Fab Foodie (29 May 2020)

Fab Foodie said:


> Currently 5'9" and having lost 5 kgs during the lock-down 90kg. Am currently cycling 10 miles/day weekdays with a 40 miler at the weekends.
> So yes, that makes me obese, so why should you listen to my advice?
> 
> Well my normal working week would see me in airport lounges and 5* hotels with all the food and drink I can muster and eating at all kinds of strange times. Plus I work in the food-industry, so eating is an occupational hazard. BUT, stop doing that, reduce the alcohol and eat the way I would 'naturally' adopt if left to my own devices (i.e being at home like most people) and I notice my belt being tightened extra notches, people comment am looking slimmer (and I do), am notably fitter and the weight is going down. All in a few weeks of not trying and cycling a bit more than normal.
> ...










So here we go, the benefit of lockdown, just measured 3 inches difference :-)


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## ColinJ (29 May 2020)

Fab Foodie said:


> View attachment 525882
> 
> 
> 
> So here we go, the benefit of lockdown, just measured 3 inches difference :-)


You've just reminded me that I was using a 'belt test' on my waist a few years ago. It is a really simple way of checking progress. It is easy to fool yourself if you breathe in when doing up the belt, but all becomes clear if you breathe out and relax your belly muscles!

I was bought a pair of black cord trousers for my birthday that year. My waist was about 2 inches too big for me to be comfortable in them and it has gained another 3 or 4 inches since then so they have never been worn.

I'll see if I can find the belt that I was using back then.

MY target is to wear those trousers this year! (I think a 1.5 stone loss would be enough for me.)


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## LemonJuice (1 Jun 2020)

Just a little update.

I did not have any alcohol on the weekend. I have been eating healthy food, especially fish. Also, I have been eating a small bowl of porridge in the morning.

I weighed my yesterday and I was exactly 13 stone. Also, although I still have belly fat that I want to get rid of, my belly appears to be less bloated.

I did not buy any bottled water when I went shopping. I’ve been drinking plenty of water. Is there anything I can add to water to give it a little bit of taste that I can buy from a supermarket? What about the strawberry flavour or lime flavour water? And, oh my goodness, because I’ve been drinking so much water I’ve been going to the toilet a lot more! 

I’ve been going for longer walks and every time I got home I felt knackered and I fell asleep.

I don’t want to come across as someone who is asking for advice and not listening to anyone. I just feel very angry with myself for allowing me to put on 1 1/2 stone and not doing anything about it. I have a few pairs of 28” jeans and I want to wear them again. Hence why I’ve decided to nip this in the bud and do something about it. I recognise that I’m not overweight and still within the healthy range for my height, but I want to get back to what I was before.

When I went shopping I bought prunes, dates and a mixture of nuts and raisins, are all of them okay to eat?

I’ve also been eating bananas, strawberries, peaches and nectarines.


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## HMS_Dave (1 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Just a little update.
> 
> I did not have any alcohol on the weekend. I have been eating healthy food, especially fish. Also, I have been eating a small bowl of porridge in the morning.
> 
> ...



Nuts are fine but go easy on them. Nuts vary in nutrition between them, but most contain a lot of fat, peanuts in particular so you don't want to go mad on them. Prunes contain sorbitol so are an effective laxative but again limit your amounts and they you'll be fine and they are healthy containing antioxidants and good nutrition.
Just bare this in mind, you have lost a lot of weight given your starting point, but a return to old habits will very quickly put it all back on simply because you will have lost a lot of inflammation in your body from a poor diet causing water retention which will be where most of the weight you have lost currently has gone.

It is normal to feel a little tired when moving to another eating regimen that your body is not used to, but it could be a sign that you're not eating enough. As for flavouring your water, i've never really been too fussed with sweeteners like some, so i sometimes reach for a sugar free lemon squash...


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## ColinJ (1 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Also, I have been eating a small bowl of porridge in the morning.


That's good; I was going to suggest that. I used to have porridge every morning, to which I would add a chopped banana and a spoon of mixed seeds. I usually have sugar-free muesli these days, sweetened instead with the natural fruit sugars of raisins, and/or grapes and/or a banana.



HMS_Dave said:


> As for flavouring your water, i've never really been too fussed with sweeteners like some, so i sometimes reach for a sugar free lemon squash...


I sometimes just squeeze half a lemon into a glass of water, over ice. Cheap, refreshing and effectively calorie-free.


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## PaulSB (1 Jun 2020)

On the bike I add a tiny dash of ALDI lemon barley water to disguise plastic taste. At home fresh straight out of the tap.

Water doesn't need flavourings it's probably the sugar you are missing. @ColinJ suggestion for lemon is very good. We do similar with a range of natural flavours. Slice lemons, limes, oranges and freeze and then pop in to water when you wish. A sprig of mint works well.


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## vickster (1 Jun 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> Nuts are fine but go easy on them. Nuts vary in nutrition between them, but most contain a lot of fat, peanuts in particular so you don't want to go mad on them. Prunes contain sorbitol so are an effective laxative but again limit your amounts and they you'll be fine and they are healthy containing antioxidants and good nutrition.
> Just bare this in mind, you have lost a lot of weight given your starting point, but a return to old habits will very quickly put it all back on simply because you will have lost a lot of inflammation in your body from a poor diet causing water retention which will be where most of the weight you have lost currently has gone.
> 
> It is normal to feel a little tired when moving to another eating regimen that your body is not used to, but it could be a sign that you're not eating enough. As for flavouring your water, i've never really been too fussed with sweeteners like some, so i sometimes reach for a sugar free lemon squash...


Tiredness especially if you've cut a lot of (refined) sugar from your diet


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## LemonJuice (1 Jun 2020)

Are ham and coleslaw sandwiches healthy?


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## Ming the Merciless (1 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Are ham and coleslaw sandwiches healthy?



Will make no difference to your health unless they are the only thing you eat.


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## vickster (1 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Are ham and coleslaw sandwiches healthy?


Relatively but coleslaw is calorific due to the mayo so only have a spoonful, make your own so you can limit the mayo or make a yogurt based dressing and don’t put too much butter on the bread if any. Salad lower in calories.
You can also take the fat off the ham, and get the wafer thin stuff


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## Fab Foodie (1 Jun 2020)

@LemonJuice sounds fine to me, keep it all in moderation. Yes fruit is healthy but is also heavy in sugar.
Drinkwise I find A splash of Roses Lime Cordial really hits the spot!


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## LemonJuice (2 Jun 2020)

Thanks for the friendly advice.

I just don’t want to keep eating the same food!


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## DCBassman (2 Jun 2020)

Fab Foodie said:


> Drinkwise I find A splash of Roses Lime Cordial really hits the spot!


I put this in my water bottles, just to give a little zingy flavour. Excellent!


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## LemonJuice (8 Jun 2020)

Hey,

My road bike is getting fixed tomorrow morning. As long as there aren’t any other problems then I should be able to use the bike.

I have a few questions.

1. How many miles should I cycle for the first couple of weeks? I’m expecting quite a shock when I start riding on the roads for the first time, although I’m sure I’ll adapt quite quickly. I’m thinking of cycling for about twenty miles, if I can manage it.

2. Should I aim to be pouring of sweat after every ride? I know that naturally I’m going to sweat when riding the bike, but should I aim to be soaked in sweat? Is that a good sign of my body losing fat and thus going to help me lose weight?

3. How many times a week should I go for a ride since I am just starting out?

Thanks!


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## MntnMan62 (8 Jun 2020)

Well. To be honest, in order to properly answer your question there are several answers to questions that I believe we need from you. 

1) How old are you?
2) What kind of shape/fitness level are you in at the moment?
3) What kind of bike did you buy? Road or mountain? 
4) What is the terrain in the area in which you intend to ride? Approximate elevation gain you expect on your ride?
5) What specific bike did you buy and how much does it weigh? (Full specs please).

Now, with answers to the above questions we can provide you with answers that might actually mean something. One observation however. If you are new to biking and have not been doing much cardio workouts prior to hopping on the bike, I'd say 20 miles is probably a bit much for you to start out with. Also, if you answer that your bike is a mountain bike and you intend to ride on dirt trails, 20 miles is definitely a bit much to start off with. 

More importantly, don't get too worked up about how many miles you put in. Just have some fun. And don't forget to stop and take in the scenery, if there is any scenery to take in where you are. I always make sure my rides go through large parks so I can take view breaks and down some water. If you actually enjoy yourself out there, there is a much greater chance that you will stick with it.


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## ianrauk (8 Jun 2020)

It's really dead simple. Just ride. Ride until you think you've had enough. It's not a thing to obsess about. Your body will tell you when you've ridden enough and when you need to rest. Just get on your bike and ride the thing, then ride it some more the next day.


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## biggs682 (8 Jun 2020)

As others have said just ride nice and gentle don't try and break any landspeed records just enjoy it .
It will get harder but it will also get easier as time goes by


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

As above, no need to overthink. 20 miles maybe in a month or so. Have a rest day between ride days if needed

On sweating, some people just sweat a lot when exercising or even just when it’s hot, some don’t. When you sweat you lose water and electrolytes, not fat. If you're a big sweater, take water with you on the bike

Theory is that fat burning is linked to relatively low HR not full out effort. What’s your current body fat %?

Did you get some padded shorts/padded underwear, otherwise your backside could be the major limiting factor, and that’s if the saddle suits you


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## Ming the Merciless (8 Jun 2020)

Just ride. I’m surprised you think there’s more to it than that.


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## carlosfandangus (8 Jun 2020)

Just go out, leave plenty in reserve for the ride home, if you don't feel that you have you have done enough, go out again in another direction, you will soon find out what is enough, don't go out too far on your initial ride and you will be fine


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

When you do go out, make sure you have a pump, tyre levers and a spare tube or two just in case (and know how to use them). You do NOT want to be doing the walk of shame in your shiny new road shoes 

What's the state of the tyres on the bike, given it's been sat neglected for years? Might want to get new ones if they are worn


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## Jody (8 Jun 2020)

There are so many variables that it isn't easy to answer your question. Start with a couple of miles, see how you feel and add more distance. I would start local with a small loop round where you live. At least if you get tired you won't have far to travel before you're back. Do it a few times and you will have a better idea of what distance you feel comfortable with.



biggs682 said:


> It will get harder but it will also get easier as time goes by



It never gets easier. You just end up going faster.


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## roubaixtuesday (8 Jun 2020)

Do whatever you enjoy the most. 

Some folk like smashing it out time trial every day, some only ever have a gentle pootle. It matters not, and is entirely up to you. 

The main thing is not to force yourself to do things you don't enjoy. Why would you?


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## carlosfandangus (8 Jun 2020)

Recently noticed that even more, my average cadence has increased by 4 over 20 miles, I have not been trying to up it, however my recent rides are all the same, highest cadence has increased too, not trying harder, just the same, just a bit quicker.



Jody said:


> There are so many variables that it isn't easy to answer your question. Start with a couple of miles, see how you feel and add more distance. I would start local with a small loop round where you live. At least if you get tired you won't have far to travel before you're back. Do it a few times and you will have a better idea of what distance you feel comfortable with.
> 
> 
> 
> It never gets easier. You just end up going faster.


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## CanucksTraveller (8 Jun 2020)

1: Ride to a town or village fairly nearby, and see how you feel, you could then go to another village or landmark if you feel good, there's no magic mileage number. Your body will tell you. Start smaller and build up if you're up to it. 

2: Sweat is (of course) just water, it's there because you're warm and you need to be cooled, it's no indication of fat being burned. Just ride your bike at a comfortable pace and you're burning some fat. 

3: Again, no magic number. If you feel good the next day, by all means ride again. If you're a bit sore or are too tired, rest. Or go for a walk instead, more fat will be burned, but you won't be using the exact same sore bits.


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## r04DiE (8 Jun 2020)

I think there are some great answers here, just do what feels enough. Also its usually much better to base your early rides on time, not distance. Do 15 or 30 mins the first day, 30 or 45 the next, etc.


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jun 2020)

ianrauk said:


> It's really dead simple. Just ride. Ride until you think you've had enough. It's not a thing to obsess about. Your body will tell you when you've ridden enough and when you need to rest. Just get on your bike and ride the thing, then ride it some more the next day.


Stop being sensible....


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## LemonJuice (8 Jun 2020)

MntnMan62 said:


> Well. To be honest, in order to properly answer your question there are several answers to questions that I believe we need from you.
> 
> 1) How old are you?
> 2) What kind of shape/fitness level are you in at the moment?
> ...



1. I’m in my late 40s.

2. Well, I wouldn’t describe myself as healthy, but at the same time I wouldn’t consider myself to be unhealthy.

3. My brother gave me a road bike that is a Boardman.

4. There are plenty of hills around here. It’s up and down.


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## LemonJuice (8 Jun 2020)

I thought that someone sweating a lot was a good indication that he or she is burning fat because people at the gym, cyclists, runners, etc, are always pouring of sweat and tend to be in good physical shape.


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## LemonJuice (8 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Theory is that fat burning is linked to relatively low HR not full out effort. What’s your current body fat %?
> 
> Did you get some padded shorts/padded underwear, otherwise your backside could be the major limiting factor, and that’s if the saddle suits you



I’ve got no idea, but since cutting out the alcohol and changing my diet, I have already noticed that my beer belly has gone down.

I bought cycling gear the other day.


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## dodgy (8 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Theory is that fat burning is linked to relatively low HR not full out effort.



We need to stop regurgitating this myth.


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

dodgy said:


> We need to stop regurgitating this myth.


I did say it’s a theory


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I thought that someone sweating a lot was a good indication that he or she is burning fat because people at the gym, cyclists, runners, etc, are always pouring of sweat and tend to be in good physical shape.


There are plenty of overweight sweaty people too


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’ve got no idea, but since cutting out the alcohol and changing my diet, I have already noticed that my beer belly has gone down.
> 
> I bought cycling gear the other day.


Presumably because you’re having far fewer calories and are losing weight


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I thought that someone sweating a lot was a good indication that he or she is burning fat because people at the gym, cyclists, runners, etc, are always pouring of sweat and tend to be in good physical shape.


No. Sweating simply means your body is trying to remove heat (often but not always because it's working harder) and that depends on many factors like the external environment. I can sweat profusely typing at my keyboard if I'm wearing too many layers....

Again, FFS, forget all this mumbo-jumbo pseudo-science stuff and go ride. Start slow and warm-up properly, for at least 10 mins, enjoy the ride, slow-down before you finish. That's all. 
Repeat when you feel like it.


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## dodgy (8 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> I did say it’s a theory



Which has been debunked. To save my from typing something up again, here is what I said on another thread on here.


> magine 1 person on a gym bike, he rides for 30 minutes at max heart rate. Say he burns 400 calories of which 200 is fat - so 50%.
> 
> The next day, after being fully rested, the same guy does 30 minutes at a leisurely pace, say 100bpm. He burns only 150 calories of which 100 is fat - so 66% or thereabouts.
> 
> Some people will look at that and think EUREKA! You burn more fat at lower heart rates. Well, you do, sort of, but only proportionately and not in absolute terms.



tl;dr if you only had a limited amount of time and not infinite, you will ALWAYS burn more calories and / or fat at higher intensities in absolute terms.


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## ColinJ (8 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> There are plenty of overweight sweaty people too


I used to sweat much more when I was very overweight. I sweated out about 6-7 litres on one very hard ride ...


ColinJ said:


> I did a 100 km ride on a hot day once. I drank 2.5 litres from the bottles on my bike, plus 2 x 0.5L of Coca Cola off the bike. I ate a sandwich, a piece of cake and a couple of bars of chocolate ...
> 
> I got home dehydrated (3 kg net weight loss, and I'm sure that most of that was fluid loss in sweat), and my face covered in so much salt that I literally scraped it off with a knife. Oh, and I suffered painful cramps too!


PS That ride included 2,500 m of ascent, much of it quite steep or steep!


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## IanSmithCSE (8 Jun 2020)

Good afternoon,



dodgy said:


> Which has been debunked. To save my from typing something up again, here is what I said on another thread on here.
> 
> 
> tl;dr if you only had a limited amount of time and not infinite, you will ALWAYS burn more calories and / or fat at higher intensities in absolute terms.


Just to be clear I agree with what you have said above.

The Fat Burning Zone, doesn't exist but there is a valid marketing/course viability reason for using the term.

Imagine a Local Gym that offers 2 classes, one at 80% max heart rate for 1/2 an hour and one at 50% max heart rate for a whole hour.

Assuming that both classes burn the same number of calories (tweak the heart rate % to make this true) then the people taking the classes could very easily have different weight loss experiences.

The high heart rate class will by using more glycogen, if the class member weighs themselves every day this will result in more weight gains and losses as it is used and replaced.

This may be demotivating for someone who doesn't really understand the role of glycogen and doesn't really want to learn, they just want to lose weight.

Added to this the casual weight loser "knows" that carbs are "bad" and might avoid them, so are in a greater danger of complete glycogen depletion by accident, an unwitting day 3/4/5 of an Atkins diet/bonk. This may put them off exercise completely.

The low heart rate class is much less likely to see weight changes from glycogen depletion because of their proportionally higher use of fat.

The low heart rate, Fat Burning, class may also be more likely to continue to attend because they enjoy the lower intensity and the phrase gives them a good feeling about their exercise programme. 

Okay it is not the most efficient plan but that's their choice, after all there is evidence starting to come to light than long rides, Iron Man triathlons etc may cause significant heart scarring that may be a problem in later life. I'm not going to stop longer rides,..... or take up Iron Man.

I do agree that over a reasonable period of time the weight loss from either routine would be the same, unless the see-sawing in weight from glycogen loss/replacement causes the high heart rate class member to stop going.

Bye

Ian


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## Fab Foodie (8 Jun 2020)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Good afternoon,
> 
> 
> Just to be clear I agree with what you have said above.
> ...


AFAIK that's more like it. Glycogen depletion/bonk will cause a very strong desire to stuff yourself with sweet goodies, lower intensity longer-time will not. Body is more sensitive to depleted CHO's than Fats.


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## CXRAndy (8 Jun 2020)

Whatever level of effort you will burn calories. Exercise around 60-75% max HR body fat can be metabolised at a rate to sustain steady riding. It has many benefits for long duration riding. Enabling a rider to go for several hours with much less food intake.

However if you want to do high intensity riding and perform well, restricting carbs will spoil performance.

Steady Z2 riding is more pleasant, which riders will happily do again and again. 

It also, if done consistently build mitochondria which improves performance.


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## dodgy (8 Jun 2020)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Good afternoon,
> 
> 
> Just to be clear I agree with what you have said above.
> ...


That’s fair 👍


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## vickster (8 Jun 2020)

I expect the OPs under carriage will be the limiting factor on ride length for at least a month rather than bonking due to over exertion.


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## boydj (8 Jun 2020)

I'd say that you should stay well within yourself effortwise for the first couple of weeks until you get a feel for where your limits are. Build up your mileage slowly, taking rest days when you feel tired from the previous day's effort, but do try to build a consistent pattern of exercise. Your body will have a lot of adapting to do and there will be some backward steps as your exercise levels increase, so be prepared for this. Little and often is better in the early stages as overdoing it can lead to tiredness and disillusion. Enjoy your cycling.


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## LemonJuice (9 Jun 2020)

I picked up the bike at about 11am and then I went for a ride that was about 10 miles altogether. I feel pathetic even typing the following, but I feel absolutely shattered.

At least I should be able to sleep well tonight.


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## Fab Foodie (9 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I picked up the bike at about 11am and then I went for a ride that was about 10 miles altogether. I feel pathetic even typing the following, but I feel absolutely shattered.
> 
> At least I should be able to sleep well tonight.


Well done! Every journey begins with a first step!
Importantly...did you enjoy it?


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## SGG on a bike (9 Jun 2020)

Ten miles is alright and it will get a lot easier as you get used to riding.


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## MntnMan62 (9 Jun 2020)

That's a respectable amount of mileage to put on for your first ride. It definitely does get easier, sort of.


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## Ming the Merciless (9 Jun 2020)

Now just another 10 miles to get home 😆


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## CXRAndy (10 Jun 2020)

10 miles is a fair distance for your first ride. I say when asked, ride in time for the the first couple of weeks. 20 mins, and so on. Ride every other day, rest when tired


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## bikingdad90 (10 Jun 2020)

Great to hear your getting out on the bike. Enjoy it and when this whole Covid19 thing is over I’d go out for a ride with you as I’m local, show you some quiet roads if you haven’t already discovered them by then! 

I think it is wise of everyone to say focus on time rather than distance. A good way of tracking progress is to ride a local loop and time it and then every time you have done it see if your seconds or even minutes faster each time. Don’t be disheartened if your slower either as sometimes it’s not you but a red light or a crossing or traffic levels effecting times which is why I tend to use moving time instead. 

If you want a target to ride to join love2ride and enter the daily, weekly and monthly competitions for riding your bike. It’s currently national bike month.


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## LemonJuice (14 Jun 2020)

Another weekend without any alcohol.

I have been going out for a ride in the morning and the evening. I prefer going out in the morning because there are hardly any cars on the roads where I live.

I have noticed that riding the bike is becoming easier and after a ride I feel like I can push myself a little bit further the next ride.

After I have been cycling, I have a cup of tea with no sugar, is that okay? Also, I have only one or two cups of coffee a day these days.


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## boydj (14 Jun 2020)

You're doing well. Don't be too hard on yourself with the diet - stopping the beer is a huge improvement in the diet and you do need fuel for the cycling. Tea and coffee are fine without sugar. Drink lots of water as well.

Listen to your body on the cycling - don't be afraid to take an occasional day off or have a particularly easy day. This allows your body to recover and helps the building of new nerve and muscle. In particular, don't push hard if you feel tired. 

Having said that, try on one day a week - maybe at the weekend - to do a longer run and build up the length of that run over a period of weeks.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> After I have been cycling, I have a cup of tea with no sugar, is that okay? Also, I have only one or two cups of coffee a day these days.



Why on earth wouldn’t it be ok?


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## LemonJuice (15 Jun 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> Why on earth wouldn’t it be ok?



Well too much caffeine is bad for you. Also, I was wondering whether drinking coffee or tea would affect me trying to lose weight.


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## PaulSB (16 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Well too much caffeine is bad for you. Also, I was wondering whether drinking coffee or tea would affect me trying to lose weight.


Yes, it will. Caffeine is a diuretic. Two cups a day is fine. Drink water.


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## boydj (16 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Well too much caffeine is bad for you. Also, I was wondering whether drinking coffee or tea would affect me trying to lose weight.



Don't overthink things and don't look for things happening quickly. Keep the diet sensible without being too strict. As I said before, your goal is a sustainable lifestyle change, rather than a crash diet and you should be looking at where you want to be in six months time - lighter, fitter and in better shape, so settle in for the long haul. The best thing you can do now is to work on gradually building up your cycling and improve your fitness.


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## Ming the Merciless (16 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Well too much caffeine is bad for you. Also, I was wondering whether drinking coffee or tea would affect me trying to lose weight.



A single cup of tea 🍵 especially if green will not have you overdosing on caffeine.


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## Gibbo9 (17 Jun 2020)

Some fantastic replies on here, makes for great reading.

I'd echo most of the sentiments on here in regards to not worrying too much about how far you are going. I recall when I first started, it wasn't far nor pretty. Now I can comfortably push out 12 hours in the saddle on consecutive days and have done on numerous occasions for charity. 

Take it easy and increase gradually, your body will tell you when it is time to rest. I used to plan my routes in figure of eights with the midway point being back at my house, this allowed me to stop halfway and finish if feeling tired or push onwards if feeling fresh (also allowed me to feed and fill water bottles).

Keep doing what you are doing, as long as you are enjoying it then the rest will come naturally.


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## MntnMan62 (17 Jun 2020)

Gibbo9 said:


> Some fantastic replies on here, makes for great reading.
> 
> I'd echo most of the sentiments on here in regards to not worrying too much about how far you are going. I recall when I first started, it wasn't far nor pretty. Now I can comfortably push out 12 hours in the saddle on consecutive days and have done on numerous occasions for charity.
> 
> ...



This is perfect advice. I do something similar. I do a 10 mile loop that gives me about 650 ft of elevation gain along roads with either a wide shoulder for safety or through a large 2,000 acre park for a scenic ride. I generally follow a long ridge and most of my loop ride follows the ridge. But there is a road halfway along the oval shaped loop that traverses up and over the ridge. So, once I feel strong enough to do that climb I'll do the figure 8 as you describe which will have me traversing the ridge twice. I'll be interested to see how much additional elevation gain I will get from going over the ridge twice. The figure 8 loop will give me about 13 miles per loop. I've been doing just the oval and lately I've been trying to up the mileage so I'll stash an extra water bottle at my house and when I go by my house before the third loop I'll grab it so I'll have enough water. I tend to drink about a bottle per 10 miles on the hotter days. It can get a little boring doing the same loop but I'm trying to work up to a level where I can join some group rides. Right now this loop is my training ride.


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

I have a question about eating in moderation and treating yourself.

if you decide to treat yourself once in a while and eat a big pizza, a big packet of smarties or Maltesers, a Chinese or Indian takeaway, etc, does it mean that you will put on weight straightaway? Or, is it only if you start making those things your diet and eat then pretty much every day?

I haven’t had a drink in a few weeks now and the pubs are more than likely going to be open in the next few weeks, would I be hindering myself if I were to have a few pints with my mate?

As long as I don’t eat much during the day, am I going to be okay eating a takeaway in the evening when watching a film with my wife?

Perhaps I’m overthinking the whole counting the calories, but I just want to make sure that one treat isn’t going to make all of my hard work result in nothing.

Do the pro cyclists still eat technically speaking junk food?

Is it just the case of treating yourself but remember to go for a ride the next day and burn off the calories?


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## Gibbo9 (18 Jun 2020)

I think you are overthinking this a little. Everything in moderation is absolutely fine.

For example: I have been on a bit of a fitness drive since May 1st, this is usually out on the bike every day (20k per day and then around 60k on Saturday morning). This is not always possible due to weather, so on those days I will do some work on the cross trainer in the gym, up to about an hour. Now I've not missed a single day since I began but then I have always been relatively fit being ex military.

I eat healthily during the week for the most part, I do have the odd ice cream or slice of cake for example and certainly would not think twice about ordering in, it's the done thing out here. I have an Iwatch which calculates calories I burn per day and I regularly burn over 1200 comfortably. Our weekly routine sees us visit our local watering hole every Saturday where I will have about 6-7 pints and some hot wings.

Since beginning on 1st May I have lost 1 1/2 stone and am keen to drop another stone taking me down to 11 1/2, a target I have set myself to reach by Christmas.

I don't necessarily deprive myself of anything, I just put the work in on the bike or at the gym.

Just get out there and keep riding, you'll soon be going further and faster each time and you will notice that the weight should take care of itself.

Good luck with it all.


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I have a question about eating in moderation and treating yourself.
> 
> if you decide to treat yourself once in a while and eat a big pizza, a big packet of smarties or Maltesers, a Chinese or Indian takeaway, etc, does it mean that you will put on weight straightaway? Or, is it only if you start making those things your diet and eat then pretty much every day?
> 
> ...


The questions you ask in several threads suggest to me you have already over thought this whole thing to the point of becoming obsessive over both diet and cycling.

All you need to do is be sensible. A takeaway isn't going to hurt but starving yourself through the day to "allow" yourself the treat is daft. It ceases to be a treat because you're making yourself believe you've "earned" it, effectively working for it. This is something which was discussed in relation to calorie counting and additional exercise "earning" extra calories. It's utter nonsense. Just enjoy a treat, that's why it's called a treat!!

Have a night out with your mate and if you're concerned restrict yourself to a couple of pints rather than a "few."

Follow the very good advice you've already received, allow yourself treats as in moderation these will have no impact on your efforts. Enjoy them without guilt, they are treats.

What will effect your efforts is this constant worry or concern about riding, diet, treats etc. Don't let the whole exercise and diet thing rule your life. If you carry on like this you'll eventually fall off the wagon. Making it too hard and being too hard on yourself is the road to failure.


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## Gibbo9 (18 Jun 2020)

PaulSB said:


> The questions you ask in several threads suggest to me you have already over thought this whole thing to the point of becoming obsessive over both diet and cycling.
> 
> All you need to do is be sensible. A takeaway isn't going to hurt but starving yourself through the day to "allow" yourself the treat is daft. It ceases to be a treat because you're making yourself believe you've "earned" it, effectively working for it. This is something which was discussed in relation to calorie counting and additional exercise "earning" extra calories. It's utter nonsense. Just enjoy a treat, that's why it's called a treat!!
> 
> ...



This right here is excellent advice. I couldn't have put it better myself, and indeed didn't with my first attempt :-)

Just have fun and enjoy the riding, honestly the rest will look after itself.


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## screenman (18 Jun 2020)

As long as you understand you cannot outrun a bad diet, it could take up to 3 hours of solid cycling to burn off a pizza.


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

When I first got my road bike fixed I was somewhere between 13-14 stone. I weighed myself earlier today and I am exactly 13 stone.

My diet at the moment is a small bowl of porridge in the morning for my breakfast, 2-4 slices of wholemeal bread with the French paste pate or something similar on them for my dinner and a small tin of salmon or lean meat with a few vegetables for my tea. Sometimes I have a banana and strawberry smoothie with my breakfast or tea. Every couple of days I’ll have a packet of dates over the day as well.

I have no idea how many calories all of that is and what I am therefore consuming on a daily basis.

At the moment, I am going for a ride at about 5am for 30-60 minutes at a fairly quick pace and on the evening I go out for 60+ minutes and change my pace frequently.

I understand that I’m not going to be able to lose 21 pounds in a couple of weeks, but how much more time and many more miles on the bike in order to keep losing the weight?

I’ve heard that one loses weight quickly in the first couple of weeks and then it becomes more difficult to lose weight. Is that true?


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## Blue Hills (18 Jun 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> I eat loads of junk food, drink loads of beer and am 10 stone 7 at 5 foot 11.
> (Don't know what that is in new money)
> 
> I think a lot depends on the individual body and how it sheds fat. I do about 130 miles a week so burn a lot of calories to compensate.
> ...


You're very lucky.
Would consider selling your glands. 
(I'm not a doctor)


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> I eat loads of junk food, drink loads of beer and am 10 stone 7 at 5 foot 11.
> (Don't know what that is in new money)
> 
> I think a lot depends on the individual body and how it sheds fat. I do about 130 miles a week so burn a lot of calories to compensate.
> ...



If you don’t mind my asking, what size are you in jeans?


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When I first got my road bike fixed I was somewhere between 13-14 stone. I weighed myself earlier today and I am exactly 13 stone.
> 
> My diet at the moment is a small bowl of porridge in the morning for my breakfast, 2-4 slices of wholemeal bread with the French paste pate or something similar on them for my dinner and a small tin of salmon or lean meat with a few vegetables for my tea. Sometimes I have a banana and strawberry smoothie with my breakfast or tea. Every couple of days I’ll have a packet of dates over the day as well.
> 
> ...


To be honest if this is the direction you are taking yes you'll lose weight. Will it last? No. I'm sorry to be harsh but this is how I see it.

The exercise is good. I feel 90 minutes 5 days out of 7 is adequate. You must allow your body to rest as well. In my opinion a 90 minute ride would be better but I understand not everyone can fit this in to their daily life.

From what I've gleaned you've had the bike ten days and given up drinking four pints of lager a night. You've lost fluid not fat. Sounds like you've lost 7lbs which is par for the course initially as the first few days are usually fluid loss.

You don't understand the calories you are consuming. Porridge (good breakfast) is +/- 200, salmon 150, 4 slices of bread 280, banana 100, vegetables 200g/day is 130, dates 100g/day is 300 (70% is sugar). Total 1160 calories. The NHS state 2500 is the average for men. You're starving your body of the fuel it needs

To lose weight you MUST understand the correct fuel for your body and put that fuel in to your body. If you provide the wrong fuel and stress your body by doing more exercise than it can handle it will respond by retaining every calorie it can. This is stored as fat!

I can only reiterate what I and several others have already suggested, understand diet and exercise. Enjoy both sensibly and do it slowly.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2020)

Have you calculated your BMR (basal metabolic rate)? If not, Google it


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2020)

I'll add I'm keen on maintaining my body shape and not my weight - for me the two are closely connected. I quickly store fat on my waist. I really do not like this and it feels uncomfortable, I don't need scales to tell me.

I've had a bad week, I've been very bored. This has lead me to the biscuit barrel during the day and a couple of whiskies in the evening. I've gained a kilo and had to admit this to my weight loss group. I'm disappointed but know the cause and will be back on track by the next Wednesday weigh-in.


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## Starchivore (18 Jun 2020)

From what I've seen, and for me, if you don't fill your stomach enough during the day, and you have some tempting food in the house, it's going to get eaten, and probably in significant amounts.

For trying to lose/control weight, but not be hungry and go insane, it's important to fill your stomach up without consuming too many calories- which can be done by eating foods that are lower in "calorie-density" (calories per pound of food). So you get the volume of food, but not too many calories. Of course you do still need enough calories to have good energy. 

A good way to do this is to take a healthy, medium-calorie density starchy food (steamed/baked potatoes, brown rice, things like that) and eat it with low-calorie density vegetables. That way you can have a big plate of tasty food and be satisfied, and you can have pretty much any sauces as long as they don't contain oil.

The dietitian Jeff Novick has a great presentation on Calorie Density on Youtube, very informative. I think diets fail because they rely so much on willpower, whereas filling up with the right foods does not.


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## MartinQ (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When I first got my road bike fixed I was somewhere between 13-14 stone. I weighed myself earlier today and I am exactly 13 stone.
> 
> My diet at the moment is a small bowl of porridge in the morning for my breakfast, 2-4 slices of wholemeal bread with the French paste pate or something similar on them for my dinner and a small tin of salmon or lean meat with a few vegetables for my tea. Sometimes I have a banana and strawberry smoothie with my breakfast or tea. Every couple of days I’ll have a packet of dates over the day as well.
> 
> ...



@PaulSB post 3 above seems to have it nailed. Just enjoy your cycling and eat a sensible diet.


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## Racing roadkill (18 Jun 2020)

It’s complicated. There are a lot of factors that influence these things. The basic ‘burn more than you take on’ advice is true, but that’s just talking raw calories. It matters exactly how you get those calories, it’s also important to understand how you burn them off. Nutritional values are very important, different food groups introduce calories different ways, so require different ways of burning them off. Most people will be fine eating a sensible, balanced diet, with the odd ‘off piste excursion’ as long as they keep their activity levels up.


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Have you calculated your BMR (basal metabolic rate)? If not, Google it



According to the first website that showed up for me on Google, my BMR is just over 1,800 calories.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> According to the first website that showed up for me on Google, my BMR is just over 1,800 calories.


Thus you should in theory lose weight if you stick to that as an absolute minimum (with quality clean food) and exercise


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

PaulSB said:


> To be honest if this is the direction you are taking yes you'll lose weight. Will it last? No. I'm sorry to be harsh but this is how I see it.



May I ask, why will it not last? Once I am at my ideal weight (11/2 stone) then I’ll feel that I can relax a little bit whilst still keeping to a strict diet.



> The exercise is good. I feel 90 minutes 5 days out of 7 is adequate. You must allow your body to rest as well. In my opinion a 90 minute ride would be better but I understand not everyone can fit this in to their daily life.



i am aiming to be able to ride 50+ miles. During every ride I am going a little bit faster and doing a little bit more distance. I can notice the difference from when I first started a few weeks ago.



> From what I've gleaned you've had the bike ten days and given up drinking four pints of lager a night. You've lost fluid not fat. Sounds like you've lost 7lbs which is par for the course initially as the first few days are usually fluid loss.



I weighed myself earlier and I am exactly 13 stone.

My stomach looks a lot less bloated, but I still have a bit of belly and that’s what I’m trying to shift. All of the weight I put on is on my belly which is understandable since it’s mainly from drinking excessively for quite a while. 



> You don't understand the calories you are consuming. Porridge (good breakfast) is +/- 200, salmon 150, 4 slices of bread 280, banana 100, vegetables 200g/day is 130, dates 100g/day is 300 (70% is sugar). Total 1160 calories. The NHS state 2500 is the average for men. You're starving your body of the fuel it needs.



By that logic, if I am restricting my diet to that many calories and I am exercising twice a day, am I going to ke



> To lose weight you MUST understand the correct fuel for your body and put that fuel in to your body. If you provide the wrong fuel and stress your body by doing more exercise than it can handle it will respond by retaining every calorie it can. This is stored as fat!



What are the correct types of fuel to give my body? I’m mainly drinking water and the tea with a little bit of milk.


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## raleighnut (18 Jun 2020)

Starchivore said:


> From what I've seen, and for me, if you don't fill your stomach enough during the day, and you have some tempting food in the house, it's going to get eaten, and probably in significant amounts.
> 
> For trying to lose/control weight, but not be hungry and go insane, it's important to fill your stomach up without consuming too many calories- which can be done by eating foods that are lower in "calorie-density" (calories per pound of food). So you get the volume of food, but not too many calories. Of course you do still need enough calories to have good energy.
> 
> ...


But then of course there is the 'Atkins' ultra low Carbohydrate diet full of lovely tasty meat.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2020)

raleighnut said:


> But then of course there is the 'Atkins' ultra low Carbohydrate diet full of lovely tasty meat.


Potentially not great for liver though I think, which in someone with a history of heavy drinking may also not be in the finest fettle


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## Fab Foodie (18 Jun 2020)

raleighnut said:


> But then of course there is the 'Atkins' ultra low Carbohydrate diet full of lovely tasty meat.


Let's not go down that route!


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## wafter (18 Jun 2020)

Yes - you'll gain a fair bit of immediate weight by eating a large carb-heavy meal such as a big bowl of rice / pasta / chips / pizza etc. If I do this I usually find I've gained ballpark 0.5-1kg the next morning; however the good news is that the bulk of this is water retention due to its requirement to store the metabolised carbs you've eaten, and things will drop back nearer normal over the following days.

That said there's no such thing as a (guilt!) free lunch and binging on unhealthy / high energy food will obvously still mean you gain some weight / your losses slow due to the extra energy consumed; although in terms of fat mass you're probably only talking a few hundred grams per meal; once the water retention has abated.


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## Blue Hills (18 Jun 2020)

PaulSB said:


> I've gained a kilo and had to admit this to my weight loss group.


Visions of a soviet showtrial/chinese re-education camp/hard-line catholic confessional 

I agree that slow gradual weight loss is the way to go - I used a free app called myfitnesspal to lose a fair bit a few years ago.

It's very good and makes calorie counting pretty straightforward if you aren't too fussy.

Also very regular but not overly strenuous cycling.

I lost the weight while still going to my local spoons quite regularly and drinking in moderation.

For me, the big perils of alcohol are drinking at home when it is very likely to be accompanied by snacking, the snacks having way more calories than the drink.

So try not to regularly have alcohol in the house. Ditto biscuits and cakes etc.

My now patented spoons diet was so successful that I was encouraged/told to put a bit more weight back on.


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## vickster (18 Jun 2020)

@LemonJuice why not download the MyFitnessPal to your phone and use to log and monitor without obsessing


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## Fab Foodie (18 Jun 2020)

Have to agree with @PaulSB 
The worst thing is to become focused or obsessed on both the fitness angle or the weight angle - that is the road to failure and disappointment and have seen it many times.

Your fitness regime needs to be one you can maintain, not for weeks but for months and years. I would like to cycle morning and evening, but the reality is that if I get out early morning most days and for a long ride at the weekend, that's my baseline...anything above that is a bonus. That's a level I can maintain come rain or shine.

Foodwise, I do all my own cooking and eat-out rarely, BUT the odd takeaway is fine, the odd pub session is fine. BUT make your daily eating regime again one you can maintain all year and forever. Most people know what 'healthy' eating looks like, be moderate. But if there's one simple thing - eat more plants, make the veg and salad portions bigger, look at veggie recipes as alternatives to meat and 2 veg. 
Mix it up. Have steak but make it a smaller portion of a really good quality steak. But make it enjoyable not a burden!

Finally, put the scales away and just look at your body shape. As you get fitter and eat better you will change shape, the belly is last to go, but you will notice that muscles grow and become more defined, your waist returns, the man-boobs retreat BUT for a while you weight will plateau a while.

But FFS, stop thinking....


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## AndyRM (18 Jun 2020)

Get on the Butterfield Diet Plan.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NjTWvl8x-U


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## alicat (18 Jun 2020)

^^^ is that linked to the seafood diet?


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> May I ask, why will it not last? Once I am at my ideal weight (11/2 stone) then I’ll feel that I can relax a little bit whilst still keeping to a strict diet.


A strict diet is very difficult for the majority to maintain and is why most people fail.



> i am aiming to be able to ride 50+ miles. During every ride I am going a little bit faster and doing a little bit more distance. I can notice the difference from when I first started a few weeks ago.


Carry on riding 90 minutes a day five days a week and you'll soon be able to do that. It's about building strength and stamina i your legs



> I weighed myself earlier and I am exactly 13 stone.
> 
> My stomach looks a lot less bloated, but I still have a bit of belly and that’s what I’m trying to shift. All of the weight I put on is on my belly which is understandable since it’s mainly from drinking excessively for quite a while.


You probably feel less bloated because you've stopped taking in a lot of alcohol.



> By that logic, if I am restricting my diet to that many calories and I am exercising twice a day, am I going to ke


Restricting your calories to less than half that required by the average male will help you lose weight. At the same time your body will be stressed and when you start eating more the body will lay down fat reserves for the next time you stress it through lack of fuel.



> What are the correct types of fuel to give my body? I’m mainly drinking water and the tea with a little bit of milk.


There is a stack of information on the web, find some quality resources and understand how different foods work for you. I'll give you an example which works for me. I have one or two cups of coffee when I get up. Breakfast* is 40g of oats with 260g of water and one dessert spoon of honey, 750ml of water to drink. Lunch will be, for example, a small wedge of cheese or perhaps tuna 60g, a slice of sourdough, couple of gherkins. The evening meal is an everyday normal meal**, no particular care taken, as I've no desire to impose a strict regime on myself or my wife. BUT when I ride I will increase breakfast by 50%, in the cafe I will eat beans, NO toast, sometimes a poached egg - this food fuels +/- 75 miles comfortably. I then eat a normal evening meal.

There is a BIG but to this. I can ride 100-110 miles on the above but if I do it empties my tank completely - I've used all the fuel/food. If I want to go further I have to eat properly again. How do I know this? I am epileptic and my main trigger is blood sugar levels. If I don't eat properly I run the risk of fitting - I get +/- 20-30 minutes warning of this - it doesn't matter whether it's a cycling day or not, it's about what I have eaten and done. I understand my body and it's reactions and so I'm very fortunate to be able to control it. On occasions I've arrived home after 100 miles knowing I'm in a poor way and have to eat immediately - I've exhausted the fuel I gave my body. Obviously I take steps to avoid this while riding but it doesn't always work.

If I get hungry during the day or after a 100 miler I'll have a couple of Weetabix.

I can't tell you what works for you but I can urge you to understand the principles and adapt them to your own body. You don't have to measure everything, that's obsessive, but it costs nothing to put the pan on the scales, chuck in 40g of oats and top the weight up to 300g with water. You'll quickly learn what 100g of cheese looks like etc.

* this fuels my 5/7 30/35 miles rides

** we eat a lot of vegetables, chicken or meat 2-3 times/week, fish probably twice a week, pasta, rice, pulses, none meat or fish meals twice a week.


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## PaulSB (18 Jun 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Visions of a soviet showtrial/chinese re-education camp/hard-line catholic confessional



It is astonishing though how much of a driver being part of a small informal group is. Twelve of us from my cycle club report our weight every Wednesday morning. We state our weight and the plus or minus for the week. Nothing more, we all do our own thing but I really do not like having to 'fess up to a gain!!


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## Blue Hills (18 Jun 2020)

wafter said:


> Yes - you'll gain a fair bit of immediate weight by eating a large carb-heavy meal such as a big bowl of rice / pasta / chips / pizza etc. If I do this I usually find I've gained ballpark 0.5-1kg the next morning; however the good news is that the bulk of this is water retention due to its requirement to store the metabolised carbs you've eaten, and things will drop back nearer normal over the following days.
> 
> That said there's no such thing as a (guilt!) free lunch and binging on unhealthy / high energy food will obvously still mean you gain some weight / your losses slow due to the extra energy consumed; although in terms of fat mass you're probably only talking a few hundred grams per meal; once the water retention has abated.


Mm
Is this a recommendation for a diet of pizzas?
Rather reminds me of an old workmate.
She said the boyfriend or ex boyfriend was a vegetarian.
Rather gave the impression that he had a healthy diet.
Then said, seeming to approve, that his masterstroke idea of maintaining his veg diet was to virtually live on cheese and tomato pizzas.


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## wafter (18 Jun 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> Mm
> Is this a recommendation for a diet of pizzas?
> Rather reminds me of an old workmate.
> She said the boyfriend or ex boyfriend was a vegetarian.
> ...


No, it's most certainly not a recommendation for a diet of pizzas


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## ColinJ (18 Jun 2020)

Starchivore said:


> From what I've seen, and for me, if you don't fill your stomach enough during the day, and you have some tempting food in the house, it's going to get eaten, and probably in significant amounts.
> 
> For trying to lose/control weight, but not be hungry and go insane, it's important to fill your stomach up without consuming too many calories- which can be done by eating foods that are lower in "calorie-density" (calories per pound of food). So you get the volume of food, but not too many calories. Of course you do still need enough calories to have good energy.
> 
> ...


Yes...!

Filling, delicious, healthy and...







... only 28 calories!


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## Ming the Merciless (18 Jun 2020)

You’re overthinking this and looking for others to define your life for you. Any change in weight takes time. Learn patience and not to spend your days obsessing about it.


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## tyred (18 Jun 2020)

ColinJ said:


> Yes...!
> 
> Filling, delicious, healthy and...
> 
> ...



Yes.... But pie and chips tastes nicer...


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## ColinJ (18 Jun 2020)

tyred said:


> Yes.... But pie and chips tastes nicer...


I think they are firmly in the '_occasional treat_' category! 

Whereas... I have a couple of mega-salads a week, all year round. I also like a big plate of steamed veg (some combination of broccoli/cabbage/carrots/parsnips/swede) with a baked potato/sweet potato and/or baked beans/cottage cheese twice a week.

As @Starchivore suggested above, it is much less likely that you will stuff your face with high-calorie junk food when you have taken the precaution of _pre_-stuffing your face with low-calorie nutritious veg!


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

How come pretty much all of the pro cyclists have slim (some have very slim) waists? Many of them are very tall as well.

Is it just a combination of a strict diet which means sting the right foods and drinking the right fluids and training pretty much all of the time?


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## vickster (18 Jun 2020)

Genetics!


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## LemonJuice (18 Jun 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> 31 W 33 L, quite hard to find.



Thank you for telling me.

The reason I asked is because I’m 6’3 and up until a little while ago I was a 28” waist, I am now a 30” waist and I’m trying to get back to a 28” waist. I need to lose around 20 pounds for me to be back to the size I was a little while ago.


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## raleighnut (18 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Thank you for telling me.
> 
> The reason I asked is because I’m 6’3 and up until a little while ago I was a 28” waist, I am now a 30” waist and I’m trying to get back to a 28” waist. I need to lose around 20 pounds for me to be back to the size I was a little while ago.


I'm up to a 32" waist but still got 34" inseam, this fits me nicely.


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## Hudson1984 (18 Jun 2020)

If you’re that keen go to iifym- if it fits your macros.
I mean (I’m being rude here) you sound a bit ocd which is fine if you want to count macros and macros but geez mate that’s no life!
When I got married I wanted to lose some weight, managed nearly 3 stone in two months - to do that I trained HARD and ate absolutely spot on the requirements to do it. 
the nutrition needs to change in line with the changes in your body I.e what you eat week 1 will change by week 10. 
did I stick to it? Hell no! I like pizza too much.
Now, I need to drop some wait, I’ve a little boy who wants daddy to play - but I’m not intending to stress over it, decent protein, less crap and more focused exercise. Job done


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## CanucksTraveller (18 Jun 2020)

AndyRM said:


> Get on the Butterfield Diet plan....



Ah who can rwesist bonbonbonbons on treat day? And Hibernian eggs? 
So long as you're back on room temperature water by Sunday.


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## Mr Whyte (19 Jun 2020)

I must be one of the lucky ones, as I can eat any sort of food and any thing but not put on any weight at all. If and when I drink that is a total different kettle of fish, so when I get a beer belly it`s time for some crunches.


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## SkipdiverJohn (19 Jun 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> I eat loads of junk food, drink loads of beer



So do I and I don't give a shoot. I just eat and drink the stuff I enjoy the taste of and I couldn't care less how much fat, salt or sugar it's got in it. It's the fact that I'm on my feet all day plus going out for rides when I'm not working that allows me to do this without gaining weight. I have lost a few pounds over the last couple of years, but I regard any weight loss as a bonus. I'm about the same size as @Roger Longbottom but the last time I weighed myself I was 14 st 2 lb. My ideal max weight would be about 13 st 7 lb. Technically, this is a bit overweight on BMI, but BMI is cobblers for anyone who does physical work. Body shape is a far better indication of whether you could do with losing a few pounds.


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

When it comes to actually losing weight, is it better to go on just a strict diet without any exercise or go on a strict diet with exercise?

I know that cycling will tone one’s leg muscles, but what about the belly and upper parts of the body?


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> So do I and I don't give a shoot. I just eat and drink the stuff I enjoy the taste of and I couldn't care less how much fat, salt or sugar it's got in it. It's the fact that I'm on my feet all day plus going out for rides when I'm not working that allows me to do this without gaining weight. I have lost a few pounds over the last couple of years, but I regard any weight loss as a bonus. I'm about the same size as @Roger Longbottom but the last time I weighed myself I was 14 st 2 lb. My ideal max weight would be about 13 st 7 lb. Technically, this is a bit overweight on BMI, but BMI is cobblers for anyone who does physical work. Body shape is a far better indication of whether you could do with losing a few pounds.



I don’t mean to offend you here, but how much do you think you would weigh if you did care about what you ate and drank?


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## MntnMan62 (19 Jun 2020)

What if you switch it around and normally treat yourself but every now and then eat in moderation? Is that bad?


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

MntnMan62 said:


> What if you switch it around and normally treat yourself but every now and then eat in moderation? Is that bad?



You will more than likely end up with what I have got at the moment - too much weight around the stomach area.


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

MntnMan62, on a serious note, my stomach has gone down so much and I’m not considered overweight according to my BMI, but I want to go from 13 stone (my current weight) to 11 1/2 stone, the weight I was for about thirty years before I lost my job and I began to drink heavily and eat crap every day.

I understand that it’s going to take time, but I already know that I’m making progress because the jeans I had to buy are now loose and I’m feeling healthier in general. Up until a few weeks ago I used to still drink a few cans of lager on a weekend and I’ve stopped it. I didn’t realise how important it was to cut out all of the empty calories.


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## MntnMan62 (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> MntnMan62, on a serious note, my stomach has gone down so much and I’m not considered overweight according to my BMI, but I want to go from 13 stone (my current weight) to 11 1/2 stone, the weight I was for about thirty years before I lost my job and I began to drink heavily and eat crap every day.
> 
> I understand that it’s going to take time, but I already know that I’m making progress because the jeans I had to buy are now loose and I’m feeling healthier in general. Up until a few weeks ago I used to still drink a few cans of lager on a weekend and I’ve stopped it. I didn’t realise how important it was to cut out all of the empty calories.



I can relate. And that's why I'm trying to watch what I eat. The biggest change I'm trying to make is to reduce my carbohydrates and sugar intake. I don't want to become diabetic. And I too need to lose the tire around my waist. I weighed 225 lbs. at my heaviest and as of yesterday morning I was 209. My goal is to get myself under 200 lbs. by the end of July. I haven't been that weight in ages. But my weight started to balloon when the stress of my high powered job began to take its toll on me. Then I lost that high powered job after 10 years. I really should be down around 175 or 180. Maybe even 170. But I need to take this one step at a time. My first goal is to hit 205. Then I'll know I should be able to see 199.


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## MntnMan62 (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When it comes to actually losing weight, is it better to go on just a strict diet without any exercise or go on a strict diet with exercise?
> 
> I know that cycling will tone one’s leg muscles, but what about the belly and upper parts of the body?



I'm just now seeing this post. Dude. Cycling will allow you to burn calories. You need to burn more calories per day than you take in if you expect to lose weight. So exercise will make your dieting easier. In addition, the "tone" you mention in your legs is actually called building muscle. And muscle burns more calories during normal daily activities than fat. So, the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn during the day. See how it all works together? I said what I'm doing from a diet perspective but I'm trying to ramp up my cycling and exercise as well. I'm trying to get out on the bike 3 times a week and am doing around 50 to 60 miles a week. That's not a lot but it is for me since I've only begun biking again about a month and a half ago. And there are lots of hills near me. Each 20 miles gives me about 1,300 ft of elevation gain. In addition, I'm trying to strengthen my core which I've far too long neglected. So I'm doing push ups, bicycle crunches and planks. I'm trying to do those twice a week. So that gives me about 5 days a week of exercise. In reality I should be doing even more. But ya gotta start somewhere, right?


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## PaulSB (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When it comes to actually losing weight, is it better to go on just a strict diet without any exercise or go on a strict diet with exercise?
> 
> I know that cycling will tone one’s leg muscles, but what about the belly and upper parts of the body?


Good grief. You've chosen to or wilfully ignored absolutely everything that anyone has advised over weeks and pages and pages of good advice.

This is trolling.


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## Blue Hills (19 Jun 2020)

I thought the thread started yesterday paul.
Will go back upthread.


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## PaulSB (19 Jun 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> I thought the thread started yesterday paul.
> Will go back upthread.


It's not the only thread, I think there are at least two in a very similar vein started by the OP.


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

PaulSB said:


> Good grief. You've chosen to or wilfully ignored absolutely everything that anyone has advised over weeks and pages and pages of good advice.
> 
> This is trolling.



No, someone told me that the only way for me to be able to go back to the weight I was before is by dieting and not exercising.


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## Hudson1984 (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> No, someone told me that the only way for me to be able to go back to the weight I was before is by dieting and not exercising.



and yet you listen to them and clearly ignore the hundreds of posts on your thread....

I'll be blunt - the person you spoke to was a moron - or at least didn't have the first idea about what they were talking about.

IT'S VERY SIMPLE

if you run a calorie deficit you will lose weight i.e. take in less calories than you can burn off.

So if you eat 20,000 calories a day, you'll still lose weight if you burn off 20,001....albeit slowly.

1lb of fat is equilvelent to 3500 calories therefore to lose 1lb you need to have a defecit of 3500 calories - this isn't an exact science either as you could say "well I won't eat for a day - will I lose weight?" the best way to lose weight sustainably is SLOWLY. 1-2lb a week is considered a safe long term effort.

But losing WEIGHT is daft, you want to lose FAT - in order to do this you need to ensure you take in enough protein to feed muscle and lower calories to lose the flubber. So what you eat to fulfil your calorie intake is important. You need energy to work, you need to work to lose weight and build lean muscle mass.

Cycling is FANTASTIC for burning fat as you will inevitably cycle for a decent amount of time in a good heart rate zone and burn more calories than doing 5 pressups for example. HOWEVER, you're not getting a 6 pack cycling - well not a defined one anyway. So adding strength and conditioning to your training is of course important. A simple 5x5 strongman routine would be a good start....google it.

alot of this stuff above is VERY basic, a trained professional would be able to advice better (which I am not - I did study gym instruction which covered the basics but I did it for interest rather than a career)

to be honest, if you went to ANY gym, got them to put together a workout plan it would cover everything you need - you'd just need to stick to it.

I'd also highly recommed kettlebells, great for stamina and definition of muscles.

But largely alot of what I said above has been covered in the thread before - if you're going to ignore it and follow the advice of someone who purely wants you to diet then goodluck to you.... you'll lose weight for sure, but you'll more than likely lose muscle mass too and be as weak as anything.

Oh and additionally, ignore BMI completely. Get a cheap set of scales with Body fat on them (£30 on amazon) they will assess your body composition, this is what you should be paying attention to, make the numbers against Bodyfat go down and the muscle mass go up and you're fine


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## PaulSB (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> No, someone told me that the only way for me to be able to go back to the weight I was before is by dieting and not exercising.


Does this someone understand the effect of exercise. Does this someone understand the effect of a sedentary lifestyle?

Dieting alone will not help you maintain your goals.

Read what the NHS says about low calorie dieting. This link is about 800 calorie diet which I guess is less than you eat but the principle remains the same. The NHS has a lot to say about diet.

Also Google "long-term weight loss." I don't know the institutions discussing the topic or the many reports of failure so I won't quote them authorative. There is a lot out there.

NHS

Weight - scroll to the links under "If you or your child are overweight"

If you chose to ignore the NHS give up.


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## vickster (19 Jun 2020)

Blue Hills said:


> I thought the thread started yesterday paul.
> Will go back upthread.


This one on a similar theme ran to 10 pages
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/how-long-will-it-be-before-i-lose-two-stone.262077/


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## Daninplymouth (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When it comes to actually losing weight, is it better to go on just a strict diet without any exercise or go on a strict diet with exercise?
> 
> I know that cycling will tone one’s leg muscles, but what about the belly and upper parts of the body?


Neither, there is no point in running a very strict diet s sure you will lose weight but you won’t be able to maintain it. Your better off making smaller changes that you can maintain long term. Else you are just setting yourself up for failure or being unhappy.


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## vickster (19 Jun 2020)

Daninplymouth said:


> Neither, there is no point in running a very strict diet s sure you will lose weight but you won’t be able to maintain it. Your better off making smaller changes that you can maintain long term. Else you are just setting yourself up for failure or being unhappy.


Or obsession (and a potential eating disorder)


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## alicat (19 Jun 2020)

Or annoying the good folk on here by trolling. The OP isn't overweight, has only just taken up cycling and loves asking questions about feeding himself that any five year old with a modicum of common sense could answer.


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## Fab Foodie (19 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> When it comes to actually losing weight, is it better to go on just a strict diet without any exercise or go on a strict diet with exercise?
> 
> I know that cycling will tone one’s leg muscles, but what about the belly and upper parts of the body?


Yes, no, maybe....
If you are exercising to the point that your muscle mass increases to match your loss in fat then your net weight change will be minimal, but you will be a different shape and clearly fitter. In most cases only body builders do that.
'Dieting' if done properly loses weight - but is generally not sustainable. 
Exercising if no increase in food intake will also lose weight and make you generally healthier - but it takes a lot of cycling to burn-off a pork-pie.

So, as others CONSTANTLY STATE, the best way is to make subtle, maintainable lifestyle changes and chuck the frickin' scales away, ditch Strava, HRMs and 'training manuals'. 
The mirror, improved mental health and improved energy levels will tell you all you need.
Yoga with Adriene is also worth doing to keep you supple.


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## alicat (19 Jun 2020)

@Fab Foodie, please don't feel the troll.

If you're in any doubt, check post no 56.


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## Fab Foodie (19 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Or obsession (and a potential eating disorder)


Indeed. Of which I have close personal experience.


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## Fab Foodie (19 Jun 2020)

alicat said:


> @Fab Foodie, please don't feel the troll.
> 
> If you're in any doubt, check post no 56.


Do you remember @thegreatgatsby ?


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## alicat (19 Jun 2020)

Nope, am I walking into a trap?


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## Fab Foodie (19 Jun 2020)

alicat said:


> Nope, am I walking into a trap?


No. He was a troubled soul obsessed by diet, exercising, body image. Easy to dismiss as a 'troll' without considering whether people are struggling mentally to a greater or lesser extent. Many were quick to dismiss his recurring themes.
One of the nail's in the coffin of my marriage was that Mrs FF couldn't see the early signs of our daughters eating disorder when I saw it writ large.


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## alicat (19 Jun 2020)

^^^ yes, I understand that is a possibility and I am sorry for what happened to your daughter @Fab Foodie. I hope i am wrong; however my patience and goodwill ran out a long time ago.


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## LemonJuice (19 Jun 2020)

@alicat 

I have already stated that I do apologise if I come across as a troll. I have no control what other people who are quite simply idiots do on this forum by posting BS, but I can assure you that I am genuine and I feel very confused and anxious about things.
I must ask you, if your patience ran out with my ages ago, why do you feel the need to personally insult me time and time again? I’ve never once personally attacked you or anyone else on this forum for that matter.

I understand that when it comes to pretty much anything that it’s better to walk before you can run and things take time.

I am not asking for sympathy for what I have gone through, the reasons why I used to drink so much, etc, but I would expect you to be able to understand that I just want to do my best to rectify the mess/problem I have got myself into and what I am not happy with at all. You can call it reassurance or whatever you want, but I just want to know that I am doing the right things and that I’m going to continue to lose weight so I can get back to being myself.

I’ve knocked the drinking on the head and believe me when I tell you that it’s been very difficult to go almost a month without any alcohol, especially with the current situation and how easy it is to just go to the local shop and buy a case of beer. At one point in my life, and I am quite embarrassed to admit it, but I put drink before anything or anyone else (including my wife!) and I used to go to the local pubs every day and then go home and drink until I fell asleep. I’m sure there will be one or two people on this forum who have experienced that sort of ‘stuck in a rut’ feeling. My mindset has totally changed from drinking to being physically fit and as soon as I wake up all I can think about is the day when I can ride 50 miles comfortably and so forth.

Whenever I look in the mirror in my bathroom and I feel ashamed and annoyed with myself because I don’t feel like myself anymore - I don’t recognise the person and I want to get back to being able to seeing the same person I was for thirty years.

Thus, I just want to be told that I am doing the right things to sustain the weight loss and get back to having a 28” waist again.

Believe me, *I AM NOT A TROLL.*


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## Hudson1984 (19 Jun 2020)

the trouble is @LemonJuice if you ask for advice you need to take it. Lots of your recent posts/threads are all quite circular, i.e. if you listened to the advice given you would have your answers and be able to get where you want to go. 

what you're doing is great
and if you feel better for it even better

but 1 month is not a long time, it will take many months perhaps years to get to where you want to, there's always another milestone, always another target to set - if you only aim for the end you'll get there very quickly! you should be aiming for the journey, if you enjoy the journey everything else will fall into place. 

to give a similar theory, Martial artist all aim for a blackbelt right? 
In the west we all strive for that black belt - it's our goal "I want my black belt" "can't wait till I get my blackbelt" etc. etc. 
and what happens when people get it? largely, they quit! there's nothing left to go for - of course some continue
However, in the east - japan etc, their mindset is very different. The aim isn't to HAVE a blackbelt it is to BE a blackbelt, it's to have the skills worthy of the rank, the aim is the discipline. 

What I mean is, if your only aim is to be 2 stone lighter and 2" off your waist then you'll fail long term. You'll get there easily, especially on strict dieting and excercising. But then what? i'm sorry to say but you come across as a bit of a "candle that burns brightest burns shortest" kind of guy. This is your thing and you're going all in! 

Weight/Diet/Body is a lifestyle choice. You can have whatever you want from it depending on the sacrifices you're prepared to make along the way. 

sorry, very philosophical post from me but you really need to step back, think long term and enjoy the ride. 

People on this forum (I do not include myself in this comment) have been cycling YEARS, DECADES even, they really do understand long term goalsetting even if the goal is a weekly club ride at 10mph. They've stuck at it and know how to stick at it. 

just calm down a touch. you're getting great advice, but I agree with @alicat I'm afraid, it seems it's going in one ear and out the other. That's just how it's coming across.


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## Rickshaw Phil (19 Jun 2020)

This is all getting a little bit unnecessary so I'm bringing it to a close.

To the OP: Much as I appreciate what you've said, people are going to get frustrated if you keep going round in circles and not appearing to take on board the advice that is given. Persisting in doing so _does _come across as trolling which is against the site rules.

To the rest of the membership: Would you please take a few moments to reread the rules and guidelines. If you think that someone is wilfully trolling then please bring it to the attention of the moderator team to deal with. Insults and backseat moderating are not only against the site rules but also make us appear unwelcoming to new members or casual browsers.

Thank you.


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

Good morning everyone,

I have just weighed myself and I am 12 stone and 12 pounds. According to my maths, I am losing between 2-3 pounds every week.

I remember someone told me that one always loses a bit of weight rather quickly and then it becomes harder. Is that true? Weight/fat loss is just weight/fat loss, right? I want to lose another 1 1/2 stone so I’m aiming to have achieved that in about two and a half months.

I’ve not had any alcohol in over a month now and I drink a lot more water and the sizes of my meals are much smaller now.

I have a bowl of muesli with fat free yogurt or a bowl of porridge in the morning, a couple of hours later I eat 5-6 dates and for tea I have a salad with some chicken or fish.

With regards to exercise, I am going for a short ride in the morning (between 30-45 minutes), a daily walk that is about four or five miles and on the evening I go for a bike ride for about an hour.

An I going to continue to lose weight at the same pace I am at the moment?

My belly is not flat, but it is not bloated anymore and I can definitely see the difference between what it was like a month ago and now.


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## vickster (23 Jun 2020)

You're not eating enough, doubt that's even a 1000kcal. Your losses so far will be fluid (hence less bloating), even you'll be losing muscle, your body is probably now in starvation mode, you may even start to gain weight again. Go back and read earlier replies, this has been addressed before for you


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> You're not eating enough, doubt that's even a 1000kcal. Your losses so far will be fluid (hence less bloating), even you'll be losing muscle, your body is probably now in starvation mode, you may even start to gain weight again. Go back and read earlier replies, this has been addressed before for you



Do you think I should go and buy a set of scales today and then I can work out how many calories I am consuming on a daily basis?


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## vickster (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Do you think I should go and buy a set of scales today and then I can work out how many calories I am consuming on a daily basis?


If you want to weigh the food, yes - I only ever weigh pasta/rice personally

Myfitnesspal app will keep a record and add it all up for you too (bear in mind any calories burnt numbers are guesstimates)


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> If you want to weigh the food, yes - I only ever weigh pasta/rice personally
> 
> Myfitnesspal app will keep a record and add it all up for you too (bear in mind any calories burnt numbers are guesstimates)



At the moment, I drink a glass of water before any food so I feel quite full after food. I don’t have any belly fat hanging over my jeans and I feel in really good shape compared to just a few weeks ago. I’m pretty chuffed with myself for being able to cut all alcohol out.


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## Archie_tect (23 Jun 2020)

How tall are you LJ, sorry if you've already said earlier [haven't read all 10 pages!]

If you've lost 2/3 pounds a week and now weigh 12st 12 you must've only been 13st 6 or so a month ago when you started?

I say 'only' because I was 14st 10 in February and have been determined to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week since and now weigh 13st 5, with ideally, another stone to go. I don't have a 'diet', I just eat less of what I normally eat and make sure I exercise regularly... cycling has got much easier not carrying 9 bags of sugar everywhere!


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## vickster (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> At the moment, I drink a glass of water before any food so I feel quite full after food. I don’t have any belly fat hanging over my jeans and I feel in really good shape compared to just a few weeks ago. I’m pretty chuffed with myself for being able to cut all alcohol out.


Are you monitoring the actual nutrition in what you eat, for example quality protein, plus vitamins, minerals, all that stuff needed to stay healthy Are you having your five a day (doesn't sound like it), raisins in the muesli don't count, dates don't count (they're mostly sugar, and vile tasting to boot ), you need a mix of fruit and veg, especially green and leafy)? 
If you aren't having enough protein for example, your body will use muscle for fuel which probably isn't what you are seeking (you'll lose weight though)


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## vickster (23 Jun 2020)

Archie_tect said:


> How tall are you LJ, sorry if you've already said earlier [haven't read all 10 pages!]
> 
> If you've lost 2/3 pounds a week and now weigh 12st 12 you must've only been 13st 6 or so a month ago when you started?


Think he's 6'3


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## Archie_tect (23 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Think he's 6'3


In that case LJ, at 12st 12 you are already in the centre of your ideal BMI range at 22.3. Well done!


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

6'3" and 12 stone 12 pounds doesn't sound excessively overweight.
I'm 6'2" and weigh just over 12 stone. BMI is 21.5, bang in the middle of the healthy range.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

Damn, @Archie_tect beat me to it.


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## Archie_tect (23 Jun 2020)

Great minds D_J !

There are big hills where you live, which ever direction you take, and all up !


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

Archie_tect said:


> How tall are you LJ, sorry if you've already said earlier [haven't read all 10 pages!]
> 
> If you've lost 2/3 pounds a week and now weigh 12st 12 you must've only been 13st 6 or so a month ago when you started?
> 
> I say 'only' because I was 14st 10 in February and have been determined to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week since and now weigh 13st 5, with ideally, another stone to go. I don't have a 'diet', I just eat less of what I normally eat and make sure I exercise regularly... cycling has got much easier not carrying 9 bags of sugar everywhere!



I’m 6’3, I was somewhere between 13 1/2 and 14 stone. I want to get back down to 11 1/2 stone which is the weight I was for about thirty years.


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Are you monitoring the actual nutrition in what you eat, for example quality protein, plus vitamins, minerals, all that stuff needed to stay healthy Are you having your five a day (doesn't sound like it), raisins in the muesli don't count, dates don't count (they're mostly sugar, and vile tasting to boot ), you need a mix of fruit and veg, especially green and leafy)?
> If you aren't having enough protein for example, your body will use muscle for fuel which probably isn't what you are seeking (you'll lose weight though)



I eat oranges, plums, green apples and red grapes. Maybe one or two of them a day.

I’ve read that dates are very good for nutrition and for weight loss.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

Archie_tect said:


> Great minds D_J !
> 
> There are big hills where you live, which ever direction you take, and all up !


Nope. Wrong this time @Archie_tect. 
Flat as a pancake round here. Canal bridges are the only climbs within an hour's ride.


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## Archie_tect (23 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Nope. Wrong this time @Archie_tect.
> Flat as a pancake round here. Canal bridges are the only climbs within an hour's ride.


Cheat!
Jedburgh is a good place to be... happy childhood or aspirational?


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## vickster (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I eat oranges, plums, green apples and red grapes. Maybe one or two of them a day.
> 
> I’ve read that dates are very good for nutrition and for weight loss.


They're certainly full of fibre  , but also sugar (hence calories). Grapes are also v high in sugar relative to everything else


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

Ever watch Edge of Darkness?
Bob Peck, Joe Don Baker, Zoe Wannamaker and the lovely Joanne Whalley?
All about nuclear reprocessing and financial greed?
A few years old now, but still gripping. 
Darius_Jedburgh was the yankee trouble shooter/maker sent to sort things out. 

Look it up. It's a good watch during lockdown. Shows how corrupt governments can be when they want to control the population.


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## wafter (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Good morning everyone,
> 
> I have just weighed myself and I am 12 stone and 12 pounds. According to my maths, I am losing between 2-3 pounds every week.
> 
> ...


2-3lb per week is good going 

I think weight loss can be expected to plateau at times; either due to falling off the wagon (as I've done recently, flatlining my pretty consistant half-kilo per week during lockdown). Alternatively I think it can just randomly stall even when not a lot's obviously changed.


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## Sharky (23 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Nope. Wrong this time @Archie_tect.
> Flat as a pancake round here. Canal bridges are the only climbs within an hour's ride.


I'm sure you can get to Billinge or Frodsham within an hours ride.
But I agree the Lancashire plains are quite flat, except at the end of a long day's ride. I used to dread the last couple of miles along Burrows Lane to Lane Ends memorial. Hardly a climb, but I used to suffer!


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

Sharky said:


> I'm sure you can get to Billinge or Frodsham within an hours ride.
> But I agree the Lancashire plains are quite flat, except at the end of a long day's ride. I used to dread the last couple of miles along Burrows Lane to Lane Ends memorial. Hardly a climb, but I used to suffer!


Not sure how to get to Frodsham from here. Been up Ashurst this morning. That and Billinge are about 1hr 15mins from here.
Went up Winter Hill on Saturday. That took approx 2hrs 15 mins. Then return over Anglezarke. A full day.


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## Sharky (23 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> Not sure how to get to Frodsham from here. Been up Ashurst this morning. That and Billinge are about 1hr 15mins from here.
> Went up Winter Hill on Saturday. That took approx 2hrs 15 mins. Then return over Anglezarke. A full day.


The roads may have changed, but before all the motorways, used to ride over the Runcorn Bridge and just keep going to Frodsham, then turn left, climbing towards the Helter Schedule, then carry on and thru Delamere forest then back home. About 30 miles round trip. A long time since I've done it.


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## MrGrumpy (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’m 6’3, I was somewhere between 13 1/2 and 14 stone. I want to get back down to 11 1/2 stone which is the weight I was for about thirty years.



Stop right there, forget dieting, you need to tone up and cycle more or exercise more doing something else. Your weight is fine. I`m 6ft and 15 1/2 stone. I would like to get to 14, no chance unless I cut out all the things I like so stuff that ! I just plan to cycle more and keep things stable. So should you !


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

The old Runcorn bridge is no more. Been replaced by the toll charging Mersey Gateway bridge. 
The old bridge is supposed to be being refurbished and restricted to local traffic and bikes. But I've no idea what the state of play is at the moment. 
The traffic north of the river is not something I'd like to experience on a bike.


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## bikingdad90 (23 Jun 2020)

I’m in the plateau stage now. I’d like to get down to 10 stone or thereabouts to be middle of my BMI range. I’m currently 11 stone dead and 4lbs off dropping into the overweight category. Unfortunately for me, my metabolism is starting to slow down as I leave my twenties and enter my thirties and I have young children to disturb sleep patterns so I’ve gone from flat belly to rounded belly but my waist is still 32inches.

I’ve cut out sugar in tea and coffee, booze and try not to eat after 7pm or snack on crisps, biscuits etc throughout the day. Any ideas apart from more exercise or eating drastically less to reduce my weight? About 6 years ago I did weight nearly 13 stone but slimming world and daily commuting by bike/run got the weight down and an extra 2inches on my chest from Weightlifting.

I’m essentially in the same boat as @LemonJuice.

Is it worth omitting skimmed milk from my tea (I like it tepid so it isn’t a splash of milk but a decent amount- usually the full thimble goes in from coffee shops) and I have maybe 7/8 throughout the day; hidden calories?


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## Sharky (23 Jun 2020)

Darius_Jedburgh said:


> The old Runcorn bridge is no more. Been replaced by the toll charging Mersey Gateway bridge.
> The old bridge is supposed to be being refurbished and restricted to local traffic and bikes. But I've no idea what the state of play is at the moment.
> The traffic north of the river is not something I'd like to experience on a bike.


Never knew that. In my mind the Runcorn bridge is still a "new" bridge. I can still remember the old transporter. Just googled and it looks like the jubilee should be open to bikes and peds. It would be a long ride via Warrington just to get to Runcorn.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (23 Jun 2020)

Back on topic....
I used to race bikes when I was young and fit. No idea what I weighed. 
Injury etc caused me to retire. 
Took me over 10 years for our wonderful NHS to accept that my knee was shot. 
Slumming around my weight went up to 16+ stone with a 38" waist, and SWMBO was watching my diet like a hawk. The nice stuff just never came into the house. 

Just over 3 years ago I got a new knee. 
I decided to get a bike for a bit of exercise so bought a cheap s/h fixie to ride the local cycle paths. I soon decided that I wanted to do more so traded up to a "proper" road bike. Then I found I'd got the bug back. Now I've two nice carbon fibre jobbie - one winter and one summer. 

I do 40 miles a day 4 days a week and a 70 miler or so once a week. 

My waist is now 33" and my weight is 12 stone. I'm eating like a horse. Cakes, ice cream, booze and all the other "wrong" stuff I enjoy. SWMBO still makes sure our meals are healthy without resorting to veganism and other faddy diets. No Macdonalds or other junk food. 

You can loose a lot of weight relatively quickly, if you set your mind to it. Everybody is different so there has to be an element of trial and error. 

It really all boils down to how keen you are to get the weight off. Would you like to lose weight, or do you want to loose weight?


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## Hudson1984 (23 Jun 2020)

seems similar to other threads that are now closed... but anyway. 

go on "if it fits your macros" fill in some info and you'll get the below:

We show that you are a man with a goal weight of 73 kg.
*Your BMR* (and RMR) is 1773
This is the number of calories your body needs just to survive. This doesn't include any energy output whatsoever.
*Your TDEE* is 2747
This is the total number of calories you burn during your daily activity.
*Your Weight Loss Calories* are 2402
This is your TDEE, with a small percentage subtracted to trigger immediate fat loss.

Based on your age, height, weight, energy level & goal weight, these are your ideal macros:
*Your Protein Grams:* 107
*Your Fat Grams:* 54
*Your Carb Grams:* 372 (24-27 of which should be fiber)

I guessed at some of your info, so the above is a guide nothing more. But as @vickster said, you need fuel mate, 1000 calories will not give you the energy to work hard during your exercise. Look at the protein, that's loads more than you're getting. 

but also as @Darius_Jedburgh said, it's down to what you want and how much you want it - I want a six pack, but I want a dominos more! 

I'd recommend adding strength training to your routine, something like a 5x5 strongman would be an easy start, or just head over to Darebee and run some routines off there, muscle burns calories, meaning the more muscle you have the more calories you naturally burn. The aim here is to make your body a calorie burning machine. 

but again, ride, eat sensibly, and you'll see the benefit. If you really want to go to the level of calorie counting and macro counting etc I think you'll get bored pretty quick unless you really want to make it your life - if you do then fair play, I sure as hell couldn't


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

@Darius_Jedburgh

You have mentioned that you still eat all of the “wrong stuff”. How heavy do you think you would be if you only ate healthy food?

I’ve never really been a big eater so cutting down on the calories is not making me feel hungry. I’ve already noticed a big change in one month - I don’t have a bloated belly anymore and I feel physically stronger. Little changes are making differences such as eating an orange rather than biscuits with a cup of coffee, etc. In all fairness, my bad eating habits only really occurred when I used to drink e.g. a big pizza, a kebab, etc. Now that I’ve cut the alcohol out altogether I’m not eating any real junk food.

The only thing I can think of that I have a little bit of that can be high in calories is coleslaw; I have ndwich consisting of wholemeal bread, one slice of ham and a tiny little bit of coleslaw. Nothing to worry about anyway.

I understand that it takes a while for anyone to gain weight so it’s going to be the exact same when anyone wants to lose weight then it’s going to take time. But, losing two pounds a week is over half a stone in a month so one should be able to see a difference in a few weeks’ time.

I’ve found that drinking a small glass of water before any food really helps me.

Some people are comfortable with only losing 1lb a week. However, I am not expecting to lose 15lb in a week, but I want to lose 2lb a week at least, 3lb would be even better. I’m not interested in only getting back to my old physique for a few weeks, I have decided to change my lifestyle for good and I want to consider cycling to be part of my lifestyle. Most importantly, I want to take care of my body and I have made a promise to myself that I shall not drink any alcohol until I have got down to at least 11 1/2 stone (my goal) and even then I shall only have a couple of pints with my old friend when having a few bets on some horses.


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## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

Hudson1984 said:


> seems similar to other threads that are now closed... but anyway.
> 
> go on "if it fits your macros" fill in some info and you'll get the below:
> 
> ...



Thank you for your help.

I hope you don’t find what you are going to read offensive, but when you mentioned that you want a six pack but you also want a pizza. I am the complete opposite to you - I am “like a dog with a bone”, I try my best to overcome any obstacles in the way of stopping me from achieving what I want e.g. cutting out alcohol altogether is very difficult for me because of how bad I was a little while ago.

I’m not sure that I need to go to the extent of counting everything, but I do feel safer to eat less than potentially eating more because I’ve read that one of the reasons some people struggle to lose weight is because they are unaware that they are eating too many calories.


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## Hudson1984 (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Thank you for your help.
> 
> I hope you don’t find wha you are going to read offensive, but when you mentioned that you want a six pack but you also want a pizza. I am the complete opposite to you - I am “like a dog with a bone”, I try my best to overcome any obstacles in the way of stopping me from achieving what I want e.g. cutting out alcohol altogether is very difficult for me because of how bad I was a little while ago.
> 
> I’m not sure that I need to go to the extent of counting everything, but I do feel safer to eat less than potentially eating more because I’ve read that one of the reasons some people struggle to lose weight is because they are unaware that they are eating too many calories.



 of course it's offensive, you've taken a flippant comment made in jest as somehow a slur on my character...the point was, there's a balance to be struck, if you want a six pack (for example) you need to make the changes to do it, I'd like one but the sacrifices don't make it worth while...not sure it was a reflection on my thoughts towards "overcoming obstacles" it's more there is a balance in life and you have to find an equalibrium...

I think I need to stop reading your threads they do something to my brain....


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## Rickshaw Phil (23 Jun 2020)

@LemonJuice Can I just observe that you seem to be massively overthinking this and once again seem to be going round in circles. I appreciate that you want answers but some of your questions are just bizarre:


LemonJuice said:


> How heavy do you think you would be if you only ate healthy food?




For what it's worth, my suggestion would be to eat sensibly and to ride your bike often. Not having read everything you've posted; are you able to cycle commute? If so, this is a good way of burning the calories. When I first started cycling to work I lost about 2 stone in just over six months doing a 7 mile round trip 5 days a week, and as long as I stay active it's stable at around that level still.

All this excessive analysing is coming across as though you are trying to wind people up, which we don't want to see. Will you think about your questions a little more carefully please.


----------



## CXRAndy (23 Jun 2020)

BMI is absolutely bullshit dont even refer to it. It was developed back in the fifties, has no relationship to body type.

Better indicators to correct weight is hip waist ratio. As long as your waist is less than hips you're doing ok. 

Better still go and have professional body fat ratio measure done. 

18-25% is fine for men, less for fit look

Upto 31% for women, less than 24% for fit look


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## bigjim (23 Jun 2020)

I assume we all are aware that BMI is deeply flawed and not a reliable indicator. I'm 6'2" and 14.5 stone. My GP says I'm a healthy weight. Fitness and bellies? Ever seen a Silverback? Eats fruit and veg. Big fit and strong. Would tear you apart in seconds, hosts a great big belly and he gets all the girls.


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## bigjim (23 Jun 2020)

I've never lost weight cycling, stable but not lost any. Especially on the belly. I don't think cycling works the belly area that much. I ride with some really strong club riders. Older guys who have ridden all their lives. Very fit but most sport a good old belly. When running I can feel my belly working, the same as with breast stroke swimming. I've lost a lot of weight when I was running seriously, never cycling.


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## Fab Foodie (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Good morning everyone,
> 
> I have just weighed myself and I am 12 stone and 12 pounds. According to my maths, I am losing between 2-3 pounds every week.
> 
> ...



@LemonJuice sounds to me like you’re doing just fine At the moment, make it sustainable and long term. Well done!


----------



## LemonJuice (23 Jun 2020)

bigjim said:


> I've never lost weight cycling, stable but not lost any. Especially on the belly. I don't think cycling works the belly area that much. I ride with some really strong club riders. Older guys who have ridden all their lives. Very fit but most sport a good old belly. When running I can feel my belly working, the same as with breast stroke swimming. I've lost a lot of weight when I was running seriously, never cycling.



Depends on one’s diet more than anything.

As others have stated, you can’t outrun a bad diet.


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## boydj (23 Jun 2020)

I think it would help if you were doing at least one longer cycle of at least 2 to 3 hours each week, to replace one of your regular cycles. This will help with your endurance fitness and should help with weight loss.


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## bigjim (23 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Depends on one’s diet more than anything.
> 
> As others have stated, you can’t outrun a bad diet.


I think it also depends on the individual. I think it's also about portions, rather than so called bad food.


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## Hudson1984 (24 Jun 2020)

bigjim said:


> I think it also depends on the individual. I think it's also about portions, rather than so called bad food.



Totally correct, you can eat anything you like, it's all about moderation. One bad day doesn't make you obese. 

when I set about loosing a load of weight quickly I was barely able to have a chicken breast as a portion! but of course going forward these portions were upped in line with targets at the time i.e. maintenance and muscle growth over weight/fat loss. 

portion cups are pretty handy if you can't be bothered to weigh stuff. But even then it's a faff - common sense really is a good indicator of what the right choice is....unless you struggle with common sense.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (24 Jun 2020)

Hudson1984 said:


> Totally correct, you can eat anything you like, it's all about moderation. One bad day doesn't make you obese.
> 
> when I set about loosing a load of weight quickly I was barely able to have a chicken breast as a portion! but of course going forward these portions were upped in line with targets at the time i.e. maintenance and muscle growth over weight/fat loss.
> 
> portion cups are pretty handy if you can't be bothered to weigh stuff. But even then it's a faff - common sense really is a good indicator of what the right choice is....unless you struggle with common sense.


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## LemonJuice (24 Jun 2020)

boydj said:


> I think it would help if you were doing at least one longer cycle of at least 2 to 3 hours each week, to replace one of your regular cycles. This will help with your endurance fitness and should help with weight loss.



Thanks for the advice.

I’m busy increasing the distance I ride by going in a loop and either taking the next turn so I do more distance or doing another lap of the loop. Not too far away from where I used to work there are quite a few hills so I’m thinking about aiming to cycle there and do a loop up and down the hills.

What are the best things to eat when going out for a little while? Would a bit of flapjack or a banana be ideal?


----------



## vickster (24 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Thanks for the advice.
> 
> I’m busy increasing the distance I ride by going in a loop and either taking the next turn so I do more distance or doing another lap of the loop. Not too far away from where I used to work there are quite a few hills so I’m thinking about aiming to cycle there and do a loop up and down the hills.
> 
> What are the best things to eat when going out for a little while? Would a bit of flapjack or a banana be ideal?


Yes or eat a proper balanced meal before you go out 👍


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## ColinJ (24 Jun 2020)

Hudson1984 said:


> portion cups are pretty handy if you can't be bothered to weigh stuff. But even then it's a faff - common sense really is a good indicator of what the right choice is....*unless you struggle with common sense*.


I either use cups or kitchen scales to measure how much rice, pasta, muesli (whatever) I am going to eat. It isn't that I don't have common sense, more a case of poor judgement. I tried guessing 100 g portions of rice and when weighed they turned out to be anything up to 150g!



LemonJuice said:


> What are the best things to eat when going out for a little while? Would a bit of flapjack or a banana be ideal?


They would be ok. I don't bother eating anything extra when riding up to about 40 hilly kms (25 miles) though because...



vickster said:


> Yes or eat a proper balanced meal before you go out 👍


... I don't need to, having eaten a good breakfast a few hours earlier! (Usually a fairly big bowl of muesli with semi-skimmed milk, 5 or 6 grapes, a banana and 50 g of Greek yoghurt.


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## Hudson1984 (24 Jun 2020)

ColinJ said:


> I either use cups or kitchen scales to measure how much rice, pasta, muesli (whatever) I am going to eat. It isn't that I don't have common sense, more a case of poor judgement. I tried guessing 100 g portions of rice and when weighed they turned out to be anything up to 150g!
> banana and 50 g of Greek yoghurt.



Oh wasn't directed at you, or the weight thing really (sorry I really should use clear punctuation lol) it was more based around the moderation point i.e. common sense would tell you a pie for breakfast is a bad idea - I think the OP needs a bit of normal common sense approach at this stage before really getting into anything too over the top, I mean 5 a day and not exceeding a suitable calorie intake will do all it needs to, then it can easily be tweeked for future targets.


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## LemonJuice (24 Jun 2020)

Does drinking water cause weight loss or weight gain?

I’ve read a case be made for both.

I drink a glass of water as soon as I wake up. I drink a glass of water after I have been out for a ride (always in the morning and sometimes I go for a longer ride in the evening). Also, I drink a few small glasses of water during the day.

Am I drinking too much water which will cause me to gain weight?


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## vickster (24 Jun 2020)

Yiu should have 2-3 litres a day, more if exercising and sweating. If that’s all you’re drinking probably not enough. Your urine should be very pale (except first wee is probably darker).
Water contains no calories, you won’t gain weight if you sweat, urinate and defecate  (as well as expelling other bodily fluids normally)


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## LemonJuice (24 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Yiu should have 2-3 litres a day, more if exercising and sweating. If that’s all you’re drinking probably not enough. Your urine should be very pale (except first wee is probably darker).
> Water contains no calories, you won’t gain weight if you sweat, urinate and defecate



“However, the body has a limited capacity to handle water. If water taken exceeds this capacity, the body can no longer flush out the extra water and it will cause weight gain. This is known as, ‘water weight”.”

https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/209589


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## vickster (24 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> “However, the body has a limited capacity to handle water. If water taken exceeds this capacity, the body can no longer flush out the extra water and it will cause weight gain. This is known as, ‘water weight”.”
> 
> https://www.newtimes.co.rw/section/read/209589


But it sounds like you are not drinking much at all, there are around 2 pints in a litre, so you should be having 4-6 pints of liquid minimum, more on hot days or if exercising. Are you also doing a physical job? If so, you're probably sweating more.
So are your small glasses, pint pots?

Just stop overthinking (obsessing)...read the advice given especially around looking at NHS resources (not the Rwanda times ffs )


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## Ming the Merciless (24 Jun 2020)

Put the search engine down and step away. Go ride, go walk, go relax.


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## Darius_Jedburgh (24 Jun 2020)

A balanced diet. 
Moderation in everything. 
The very occasional pig out. 
Homo sapiens is an omnivore. We are designed to eat and drink everything. 
Dont do anything to excess and you will win whatever you are trying to win. 

Stop being an obsessive.


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## bikingdad90 (24 Jun 2020)

As Rohan Dennis says in this summer issue of Cyclist been a perfectionist will destroy you, wear you out and drive you insane; it was part of the reason he bailed at the Tour de France and then why he made a gesture when he won at the Tour de Yorkshire later in the year.

I agree with him, @LemonJuice, if I am totally honest and don’t mean to come across as rude, you seem to unsure of everything you are doing wanting reassurance and/or comprehensive advice and appear “needy”. It’s a little bit exhausting for everyone.

Please relax, enjoy your bike now it is back on road and like everyone says eat reasonable portion sizes of reasonably nutritious food and don’t be scared to pig out every now and then as it’s actually good for your body, it stops starvation mode kicking in and fat building up.


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## tommaguzzi (24 Jun 2020)

In the past I have burnt off my body fat to sub 10%. Here I am at 11st
View attachment 532069


CH]
It is only possible to do this at
at 2 pounds per week. So 2 st will take 14 weeks.
Since a pound of body fat contains 3500 cals you need to generate a calorie deficit of 7000 per week that's 3500 by on food (minus 500 per day) and 500 cals of exercise. You also need to do weight training using heavy weights and low reps 3 time per week to stop your body burning muscle instead of fat.
Set goals train hard eat properly and you will succeed. Good luck from me


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## Fab Foodie (24 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Does drinking water cause weight loss or weight gain?
> 
> I’ve read a case be made for both.
> 
> ...


Neither gain nor loss.


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## VeganWheels (25 Jun 2020)

One simple way to lose weight ,increase performance & improve recovery is to go plantbased wholefoods .ie vegan.


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## vickster (25 Jun 2020)

Lord, don’t confuse him further!!!
He’s barely getting any protein as it is


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## CXRAndy (25 Jun 2020)

Some of the questions lemon juice is asking, are politely saying, silly. I read them wondering is this a piss take. The water question is a classic. example. 

Just eat a little less of a balanced diet, drink plenty of water and do exercise most days of the week. Two pounds per week will gradually come off. That is it


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## Darius_Jedburgh (25 Jun 2020)

Eat less. Move more.


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## VeganWheels (25 Jun 2020)

Lack of protein,never an issue with a wholefood plant based diet & plant proteins are far healthier + as Darius_Jedburgh say's eat less move more.


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## Ming the Merciless (25 Jun 2020)

Of course if you drink “heavy” water...


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## VeganWheels (25 Jun 2020)

Drink that & you might just go like a bloody rocker,certainly with a bang


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## tommaguzzi (25 Jun 2020)

Re drinking water.
1 calorie is the amount of energy req to heat 1 litre of water 1 degree C.
Body temp is 38 C
Therefore 1 litre of water drank at 5 C and excreted at 38 C needs 33 cals to heat it up.
Drink 4 ltrs a day thats 132 cals
In a week that's 924 cals towards the 7000 deficit.
A free work out by turning your body into a water heater.
Water also helps flush the poisonous enzyme biproduct created by your body when it converts fat to usable energy.


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## Hudson1984 (25 Jun 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Does drinking water cause weight loss or weight gain?
> 
> I’ve read a case be made for both.
> 
> ...



you are joking right? 

you apparently eat less than a thousand calories a day
you apparently drink what 4 ltrs of water a day 

and yet, you're barely losing 2lb a week? you're starving your body of anything it actually needs, then come on here to ask if you'll gain weight?? 

you might damage yourself but you'll certainly not gain weight. 

there is so much basic information that would help but you seem to have not listened to a single thing you've been told, you ask on here, get 15 pages of good advice and still manage to come back with some junk you found off google. 

reported as a troll


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## vickster (25 Jun 2020)

VeganWheels said:


> One simple way to lose weight ,increase performance & improve recovery is to go plantbased wholefoods .ie vegan.


Have you read some of the OPs questions?


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## Paulus (25 Jun 2020)

tommaguzzi said:


> Re drinking water.
> 1 calorie is the amount of energy req to heat 1 litre of water 1 degree C.
> Body temp is 38 C
> Therefore 1 litre of water drank at 5 C and excreted at 38 C needs 33 cals to heat it up.
> ...


An old saying for school kids was......

"A pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter".

Remember though what goes in, eventually comes out, so the net gain and loss of weight through drinking water is zero.

Every thread @LemonJuice has started he seem to overthink, obsess and not understand or want to take the advice.


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## IanSmithCSE (25 Jun 2020)

tommaguzzi said:


> 1 calorie is the amount of energy req to heat 1 litre of water 1 degree C......



Ohhps, 1 gram not one litre; :-)

Or did you mean 1000 calories / 1 Calorie (big C, dietitians measure).


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## VeganWheels (25 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> Have you read some of the OPs questions?


Yes,some slightly strange


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## vickster (25 Jun 2020)

VeganWheels said:


> Yes,some slightly strange


we will let you handle his upcoming questions on the low water vegan diet 👍


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## VeganWheels (25 Jun 2020)

vickster said:


> we will let you handle his upcoming questions on the low water vegan diet 👍


Ha ha ha bugger off


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## vickster (25 Jun 2020)

VeganWheels said:


> Ha ha ha bugger off


Best of British with it


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## T.M.H.N.E.T (25 Jun 2020)

This has been a windup from the first post


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## Paulus (25 Jun 2020)

T.M.H.N.E.T said:


> This has been a windup from the first post


If you have the time or inclination, you should read his other posts in mechanics and repairs and beginners. One ran to 20 pages.


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## HMS_Dave (25 Jun 2020)

I have lost a significant amount of weight. Too much water consumption is the LEAST of your problems. It is very unlikely you'll drink too much water and even if you did you'd likely vomit. Forget it. Just limit your food, increase your exercise and you will lose weight end of story...


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## slow scot (25 Jun 2020)

Here's a suggestion which is made genuinely, and which I think will help you. Keep posting and telling us how you're doing, but only post in the "Your ride today" thread. After, say, two months of doing this, let us then know how you're doing, both physically and mentally. Telling us about your rides and how you are getting on with your bike will be interesting for us, and, I hope, inspirational for you. It's maybe something to try. Just a thought, so feel free to ignore it.


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## vickster (25 Jun 2020)

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/your-ride-today.173254/page-1738
@LemonJuice in case you’d not seen it

There’s a weight loss thread too
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/weight-watchers-thread.5974/page-179#post-5999761


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## al78 (1 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> In a couple of weeks’ time I’ll finally be riding a bike.
> 
> ...



Losiung weight is mostly to do with diet. Eat wholesome foods e.g. meat and several veg, lose the junk food. Write down what you eat in a week and log the calorie content, then next week, aim to eat 500 calories less. People are very bad at guessing their calorie intake. Aim to lose 1-2 lbs a week, you don't want to try and rush the weight loss by starving yourself as you will end up losing a fair bit of muscle along with the fat, which slows your metabolism and will make it easy for you to gain the weight again.

You might want to consider weight training instead of a couple of bike rides. This will tell your body it needs muscle and will reduce muscle loss.

Finally, note that where you lose the fat first and last is dictated by genetics. you can't spot-reduce (so endless crunches will do nothing for abdominal fat), so if you naturally gain fat around the mid section first, that is the last place you will lose it.


----------



## Fab Foodie (1 Jul 2020)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Ohhps, 1 gram not one litre; :-)
> 
> Or did you mean 1000 calories / 1 Calorie (big C, dietitians measure).


Correct, 1 calorie = 1g/degC of sensible heat! kCals for us Foodie's please :-)


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## Ming the Merciless (1 Jul 2020)

So 1 month on, you should have lost about 8 lbs. How much weight have you lost @LemonJuice and how much has your waist size reduced?


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

YukonBoy said:


> So 1 month on, you should have lost about 8 lbs. How much weight have you lost @LemonJuice and how much has your waist size reduced?



I weighed myself earlier today and I am 12 stone and 4 pounds. I checked my waist size the other day and I am just over 29”.

All of my clothes, especially my jeans, are hanging off me and are way too big.

I have changed my cycling routine. I go out every day for at least an hour, but three or four times a week I go out for a couple of hours. I’ve been changing my route and going up the same tough hills time and time again, etc.

I’m mostly eating muesli or porridge for my breakfast and lean meats with vegetables or fish (salmon and tuna especially) with brown rice for my dinner/tea. Also, I have a couple of oranges throughout the day.

I’m very happy with myself and I’m chuffed that every time I weigh myself I am noticing a difference on the scales.

I’m aiming to get down to 11 1/2 stone by mid August.


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

Hey everyone, 

As the title of the thread asks, are smoothies good for weight loss?

Obviously it depends what you put in your smoothie, but generally speaking, are smoothies healthy? 

I’m not even really sure it is a ‘smoothie’, but after I have been for a bike ride I sometimes use my blender and blend fat free milk and either a banana chopped up or a few strawberries together. Is that smoothie or whatever you want to call it actually good for me?


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

It’s worth noting that I probably lost about six pounds or so from just the pure water weight from the alcohol. I haven’t had any alcohol in ages now and I never even think about it. I’m on a mission and I’m determined to complete the mission.


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## ColinJ (1 Jul 2020)

It is very easy to get carried away with the 'goodness'!

I lost a lot of weight years ago and thought I'd start eating and drinking more healthily. I made some smoothies like the one you described above. All was good. Then I thought they would be nice with a few more strawberries. They were. And half an apple. Yes! Oh, and some natural yoghurt... Before I knew it the damn things were like a liquid fruit meal and the weight was going back on again.

You are better eating the fruit in its natural state.


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## Cycleops (1 Jul 2020)

Smoothies are loaded with sugar if you add yoghurt, unless it’s plain low fat.


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## Drago (1 Jul 2020)

I found I'd put on a load of weight after a diet of smoothies. When theres no more lard and bacon left to blend I'll have to try something else.


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## JtB (1 Jul 2020)

I gave up smoothies and fruit juices years ago and just started eating fruit in its natural state. It’s the most enjoyable way to eat fruit and get the goodness.


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## sleuthey (1 Jul 2020)

If used as an alternative (instead of) to a meal, and fruit is the only ingredients then IMO yes.


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

ColinJ said:


> It is very easy to get carried away with the 'goodness'!
> 
> I lost a lot of weight years ago and thought I'd start eating and drinking more healthily. I made some smoothies like the one you described above. All was good. Then I thought they would be nice with a few more strawberries. They were. And half an apple. Yes! Oh, and some natural yoghurt... Before I knew it the damn things were like a liquid fruit meal and the weight was going back on again.
> 
> You are better eating the fruit in its natural state.



Thanks for the link.

I was ware that the amount of calories in a smoothie can quickly add up to same as tbe calories in a meal.

I only add strawberries or a banana and fat free milk, no yoghurt or anything else. Am I consuming too many calories from one banana and some milk blended together?


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## vickster (1 Jul 2020)

Better to eat the fruit and get all of the nutrition, notably the fibre. More filling too, less fruit needed so less calories, especially sugar


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## vickster (1 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Thanks for the link.
> 
> I was ware that the amount of calories in a smoothie can quickly add up to same as tbe calories in a meal.
> 
> I only add strawberries or a banana and fat free milk, no yoghurt or anything else. Am I consuming too many calories from one banana and some milk blended together?


How big is the banana and how ripe. Riper is more sugar


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

vickster said:


> Better to eat the fruit and get all of the nutrition, notably the fibre. More filling too, less fruit needed so less calories, especially sugar



Yes, only sometimes I decide to blend milk and a banana or a few strawberries. I normally just eat an orange and drink a pint of water.


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

vickster said:


> How big is the banana and how ripe. Riper is more sugar



Not very ripe and I buy the small bananas from Morrisons.


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## vickster (1 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Yes, only sometimes I decide to blend milk and a banana or a few strawberries. I normally just eat an orange and drink a pint of water.


What’s the question?


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## LemonJuice (1 Jul 2020)

vickster said:


> What’s the question?



Two questions:

1) Is it healthy?

2) Will it hinder my weight loss?


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## vickster (1 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Two questions:
> 
> 1) Is it healthy?
> 
> 2) Will it hinder my weight loss?


Eating a mashed up banana? No.
but It’s better nutritionally as a whole banana than all mashed up (assuming you have teeth )

Essentially, you lose weight by burning more calories than you consume, as explained in your other threads. But you need to keep a balance, starving yourself is bad, as is not having the correct balance of nutrition


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## iancity (1 Jul 2020)

I only use smoothies of a way of getting veg down me. Hate most veg in its normal state but can cope with Kale/spinach/Celery/Beetroot etc in a smoothie as the other flavours overpower the veg. As an aside, I find banana in a smoothie overpowers any other food you put in it, can have anything in but if it has banana in then it will always taste of banana (not necessarily a bad thing!).


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## ColinJ (1 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’m aiming to get down to 11 1/2 stone by mid August.


And stay there by mid September, October, November etc.

Most people would probably be heading back in the other direction by then but I suspect that you are in danger of being only 11 stone by September and 10 stone something by October!


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## stoatsngroats (2 Jul 2020)

@LemonJuice that’s great news, we’ll done! We’ve been alcohol free since June 6th 2011, and have never looked back, I wish you well on this, it is a great way to go. Our preferred drink is sparkling water with ice and fresh squeezed lemon.
I’ve maintained around 11st 10, for the whole time since coming down from the 15st mentioned previously, principally due to diet & cycling.
The mission you have is one very similar to mine, and is very achievable for you now that the harder work is done.
Well done to you!


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## Mo1959 (2 Jul 2020)

ColinJ said:


> And stay there by mid September, October, November etc.
> 
> Most people would probably be heading back in the other direction by then but I suspect that you are in danger of being only 11 stone by September and 10 stone something by October!


He might disappear altogether!


----------



## Hudson1984 (2 Jul 2020)

can I start a sweepstake as to how many pages this thread will run to whilst being the same as most of your others? 

I'll help...

read the hundreds of other replies to your other threads, look at the nutritional value of things, use those values in accordance with the ample advice you've already been given. 

stop asking the same question a different way.


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## IanSmithCSE (2 Jul 2020)

Good morning,

I had assumed that these threads and those from a couple of other people were tests of computer generated content.

What better way to test the software than to see if people understand the question and answer it and then see how many "response with a question/answer" pairs can be generated before a human operator need to step in.

Bye

Ian


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## Milzy (2 Jul 2020)

Not mine with ice cream in them


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## vickster (2 Jul 2020)

Milzy said:


> Not mine with ice cream in them


That's probably more a milkshake or a Sundae than a smoothie though


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## vickster (2 Jul 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> He might disappear altogether!


Umm..here's hoping?


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## LemonJuice (2 Jul 2020)

ColinJ said:


> And stay there by mid September, October, November etc.
> 
> Most people would probably be heading back in the other direction by then but I suspect that you are in danger of being only 11 stone by September and 10 stone something by October!



Why do you think I’m going to want to be below 11 stone?


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## SkipdiverJohn (2 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Why do you think I’m going to want to be below 11 stone?



Because your obsessive nature means you won't be satisfied with 11 stone. If you hit your target number you'll run out of things to obsess about, so you'll probably set yourself a new target. I don't think this is going to end well somehow. I'm prepared to be proved wrong but I don't think I will be.


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## LemonJuice (12 Jul 2020)

Do you follow a diet? If not, do you just eat and drink what you want?

What is your height? What is your weight?

I’m merely curious.

Cheers, big ears.


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## Cycleops (12 Jul 2020)

Ask Sooty.


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## vickster (12 Jul 2020)

Surely everyone who and everything which eats and drinks is following some sort of diet 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_(nutrition)


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## FitMum (12 Jul 2020)

I have been following 16/8 intermittent fasting, a great way to control your weight and stay healthy


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## MarkF (12 Jul 2020)

6'1" 80kg ripped and buff at 57. It winds me up when people say stuff like _"Well, you can eat what you want and not put weight on"_. Er no, I evaluate everything before deciding whether or not to put it in my gob.


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## Mo1959 (12 Jul 2020)

Not again. You’ve already received pages of replies the last time you asked!


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## Baldy (12 Jul 2020)

I'm on the see food diet. 180cm, 80kg, 63. Keep active and burn it off.


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## Wookee (12 Jul 2020)

I like exercise and I like eating. I find that if you do a lot of the former you can do enough of the latter to not consider it to be a diet. In general I avoid refined foods where possible, especially sugar, and eat lots of vegetables.


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## Ming the Merciless (12 Jul 2020)

What’s a diet?


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## AndyRM (12 Jul 2020)

Yes, and now I have lost 2 stone.


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## steveindenmark (13 Jul 2020)

Why would this possibly interest anyone? The replies serve no purpose.


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## PaulSB (13 Jul 2020)

I do - religiously.........and now I look like a troll.


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## Mo1959 (13 Jul 2020)

PaulSB said:


> I do - religiously.........and now I look like a troll.


Get back under your bridge.............you can come out when he asks the next daft question!


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## mudsticks (13 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> Do you follow a diet? If not, do you just eat and drink what you want?
> 
> What is your height? What is your weight?
> 
> ...



No 

Yes

But what I _want_ to eat, seems to keep me in pretty good shape. 

Tall enough for my feet to reach the pedals

Heavy enough to keep a bike attached to the road. 


HTH 

Unremarkable ears


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## HMS_Dave (13 Jul 2020)

Im on the none-fossil fuel diet. I no longer eat coal and drink petroleum. I've never felt better! I can't recommend it enough!


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## mudsticks (13 Jul 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> Im on the none-fossil fuel diet. I no longer eat coal and drink petroleum. I've never felt better! I can't recommend it enough!



Yeah, my hair is considerably more lustrous too, since I stopped imbibing diesel


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## Electric_Andy (13 Jul 2020)

5'7" 65.5 Kg. I like everything and don't do much exercise now, so no I can't really eat what I want. I followed a keto diet strictly for months to lose weight, now I follow it for a week or so and then have a cheat day or two, then get back on it. Works for me so far. I tend to favour whole foods now i.e. no processed foods or added sugars. I do crave ice cream and chocolate sometimes but mostly I eat eggs, meat, herbs, spices, cheese, salad and green veg


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## winjim (13 Jul 2020)

Wednesday night is fish & chips. Saturday night is pizza night. Other than that it's just food. Risotto tonight using yesterday's leftover roast chicken I think. Normal BMI and the kids seem healthy enough.

'Eat the rainbow' is the best and easiest advice I ever got from a dietician. If all your food is brown or beige then you're probably doing something wrong. And it's easy advice to explain to a rainbow obsessed 4yo. 🌈


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## mudsticks (13 Jul 2020)

winjim said:


> Wednesday night is fish & chips. Saturday night is pizza night. Other than that it's just food. Risotto tonight using yesterday's leftover roast chicken I think. Normal BMI and the kids seem healthy enough.
> 
> 'Eat the rainbow' is the best and easiest advice I ever got from a dietician. If all your food is brown or beige then you're probably doing something wrong. And it's easy advice to explain to a rainbow obsessed 4yo. 🌈



Even better still eat and_ grow_ a rainbow - for lots of other people too - the exercise keeps you fit and strong as well 

But why stick with green beans?? When you can have purple and red and yellow and stripey ones too


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## winjim (13 Jul 2020)

mudsticks said:


> Even better still eat and_ grow_ a rainbow - for lots of other people too - the exercise keeps you fit and strong as well
> 
> But why stick with green beans?? When you can have purple and red and yellow and stripey ones too


The reason I grow a few bits and pieces is mainly to connect the kids with where their food comes from. We rarely get enough to actually make a decent meal out of it, we get a fancy middle class organic veg box delivered once a week for that. 

My mum did manage to impress the 4yo with some purple carrots once, not home grown though.


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## Kryton521 (13 Jul 2020)

I'd honestly and happily recommend the Noom thing. I have so many issues it's not funny....... One of them is that I "comfort" eat and that turns into "Punishment" eat. Complex? Not half, anyway, Noom addresses issues and gives helpful advice, food tracking, Traffic light on foods. I'm really enjoying it, helping me to make better choices and feel better equipped to make an achievable short term and long term goals.

Bottom line is, as long as you can get out the door and onto your bike. You'll be doing alright.


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## AndyRM (15 Jul 2020)

winjim said:


> Wednesday night is fish & chips. Saturday night is pizza night. Other than that it's just food. Risotto tonight using yesterday's leftover roast chicken I think. Normal BMI and the kids seem healthy enough.
> 
> 'Eat the rainbow' is the best and easiest advice I ever got from a dietician. If all your food is brown or beige then you're probably doing something wrong. And it's easy advice to explain to a rainbow obsessed 4yo. 🌈



My take away from this is 'eat the rainbow' as a gloriously inappropriate euphemism.


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## LemonJuice (29 Jul 2020)

Do you chew gum when cycling?


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## Bonefish Blues (29 Jul 2020)

That's a level of multi-tasking beyond my capabilities


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## rogerzilla (29 Jul 2020)

Have done. Don't inhale.


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## RoubaixCube (29 Jul 2020)

I do indeed - Helps with my pacing.


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## raleighnut (29 Jul 2020)

No but I smoke whilst riding.


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## tyred (29 Jul 2020)

I do on occasion.


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## cyberknight (29 Jul 2020)

sounds like a fast way to choke to death


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## Dayvo (29 Jul 2020)

Yes, mainly to stop my mouth from getting dry.


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## fossyant (29 Jul 2020)

Never, too busy gasping for air.  You obviously aren't riding hard enough if you can waste time chewing gum.


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## mjr (29 Jul 2020)

raleighnut said:


> No but I smoke whilst riding.


Are your brake blocks rubbing the tyres?


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## rogerzilla (29 Jul 2020)

raleighnut said:


> No but I smoke whilst riding.


You are Mario Cipollini and I claim my five pounds.


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## Brandane (29 Jul 2020)

Bubble gum only. The airbag effect is much more likely to prevent injury in the event of an accident than one of those trendy helmet things.


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## Sharky (29 Jul 2020)

Does your chewing gum lose its flavor
on the seat post overnight?


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## vickster (29 Jul 2020)

I don’t chew gum ever now I’m a grown up and can brush my own teeth


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## tyred (29 Jul 2020)

You can use it to patch a tube in an emergency.


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## matticus (29 Jul 2020)

raleighnut said:


> No but I smoke whilst riding.


If I smoke, it shows I'm doing it right.


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## CanucksTraveller (29 Jul 2020)

I've been known to drink beer and smoke while riding, maybe not so much these days because my balance isn't what it was, and fags are extortionate. But anything is possible.


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## glasgowcyclist (29 Jul 2020)

CanucksTraveller said:


> I've been known to drink beer and smoke while riding, maybe not so much these days because my balance isn't what it was




Falling over should be a non-event for you. I mean look at you, you're a one-man airbag.


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## Globalti (29 Jul 2020)

I'd think chewing gum was extremely dangerous. On the two occasions when I or a buddy have crashed, he knocking himself unconscious for a couple of minutes, for the first thirty seconds after the crash we were both immobile on the ground but gasping for air in an uncontrolled way. The last thing you'd want would be to inhale something.


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## ColinJ (29 Jul 2020)

It is probably better not to smoke a pipe while riding...!


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## Chromatic (29 Jul 2020)

I saw this at the top of the forum list and I thought I bet that's one of LemonJuice's, I wasn't disappointed.


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## vickster (29 Jul 2020)

Yep, looks like he’s got bored of looking at the underside of his bridge


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## Ming the Merciless (29 Jul 2020)

Chewing gum helps you lose weight if done whilst drinking 5 pints


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## LemonJuice (30 Jul 2020)

If you go out for a ride for about an hour (a fairly short ride in my opinion), do you bother to have something to eat once you get home?

At the moment, I go out for a ride for about an hour and then once I get home I have my tea e.g. a small tin of salmon with vegetables.

Will doing that affect weight loss?


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## All uphill (30 Jul 2020)

I know you have given weight loss a lot of thought even though you are not overweight.

Don't forget to take care of your health too. Salmon and veg sounds very healthy, maybe with a few new potatoes. Yummy.


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## LemonJuice (30 Jul 2020)

All uphill said:


> I know you have given weight loss a lot of thought even though you are not overweight.
> 
> Don't forget to take care of your health too. Salmon and veg sounds very healthy, maybe with a few new potatoes. Yummy.



I’m on target for my weight loss, but I just want to know whether or not eating after exercise will affect my weight loss.


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## Sharky (30 Jul 2020)

Used to have an hours commute into the office. Had a normal breakfast before leaving, then once at work, it was straight into "work" until lunch time apart from coffee and tea. Used to love it when it was somebodies birthday though and they used to bring in cakes for eleven's.


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## sleuthey (30 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> I’m on target for my weight loss, but I just want to know whether or not eating after exercise will affect my weight loss.



Eating anything containing calories will affect weight loss assuming the only other option is to eat nothing. 

If your asking whether eating tea after a ride rather than before will affect weight loss then I can’t see it making any significant difference.


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## rogerzilla (30 Jul 2020)

Globalti said:


> I'd think chewing gum was extremely dangerous. On the two occasions when I or a buddy have crashed, he knocking himself unconscious for a couple of minutes, for the first thirty seconds after the crash we were both immobile on the ground but gasping for air in an uncontrolled way. The last thing you'd want would be to inhale something.


If cycling was completely safe, who'd want to do it?


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## ColinJ (30 Jul 2020)

Q: _Is it important to eat even after a short ride?_
A: _No._


Next question...


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## lane (31 Jul 2020)

Maybe not important but definitely tempting. Trouble is you won't use many calories cycling for an hour.


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## ColinJ (31 Jul 2020)

lane said:


> Maybe not important but definitely tempting. Trouble is you won't use many calories cycling for an hour.


If you _really _got stuck in, you could probably burn 1,000 or so. Mind you, if you choose the wrong things then it wouldn't be hard to eat 1,000!


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## HMS_Dave (31 Jul 2020)

Why must you eat after a ride? 3 meals a day is a farce. I know many will disagree, but i think it's important to learn to listen to your body. You don't actually need to eat for the sake of eating... I've lost 10 stone. Some days i'll eat breakfast for example and others i don't. That isn't on purpose, i genuinely do not feel hungry when i wake up sometimes. Also, sometimes i won't eat at midday as im not hungry. I only eat when i feel hungry, that includes after a ride. Eat protein based meals it will aid recovery and make sure what you eat is good foods, veg's, lean proteins and minimise rubbish carbs such as bread. It does humour me when you see cyclists do all that peddling on a bicycle only to ram a cream cake in their mouths and a cream coffee at the end of it. It's bizarre to me but then i come from a different perspective what with my weight loss...


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## SkipdiverJohn (31 Jul 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> It does humour me when you see cyclists do all that peddling on a bicycle only to ram a cream cake in their mouths and a cream coffee at the end of it.



For many of them, the cycling will be a weight gain prevention mechanism. It's a way of increasing activity levels to facilitate the consumption of the cream cakes & coffees..
One of the reasons I ride is I can drink plenty of beer and eat kebabs and curries without putting on weight, plus I also have an active job where I'm on my feet all the time.

People who are sedentary and overweight tend to think about it in terms of losing weight. Those of us who are always on the go but like our food and beer look at the activity as something that gives us the headroom to indulge in the stuff we enjoy.


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## MartinQ (31 Jul 2020)

ColinJ said:


> Next question...


Noooooooo ......


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## nickyboy (31 Jul 2020)

SkipdiverJohn said:


> For many of them, the cycling will be a weight gain prevention mechanism. It's a way of increasing activity levels to facilitate the consumption of the cream cakes & coffees..
> One of the reasons I ride is I can drink plenty of beer and eat kebabs and curries without putting on weight, plus I also have an active job where I'm on my feet all the time.
> 
> People who are sedentary and overweight tend to think about it in terms of losing weight. Those of us who are always on the go but like our food and beer look at the activity as something that gives us the headroom to indulge in the stuff we enjoy.


That's me....did two hard sessions midweek so burned a couple of thousand extra calories

Walk this pm with the family and all down the pub afterwards for beers and pizza. Maybe just about calorie neutral....ish


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## furball (31 Jul 2020)

When I was eating breakfast before my
15 mile commute I found I was very hungry mid morning. I was getting up at 6 and not having lunch until one or two o'clock.

Having breakfast at work shortened the gap between meals and solved the problem.


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## matticus (31 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> At the moment, I go out for a ride for about an hour and then once I get home I have my tea e.g. a small tin of salmon with vegetables.


I'm guessing that you would be eating this food at some point in the evening anyway? If so, I think it's best to eat it straight after exercise:
- helps the body recover, and
- helps keep blood-sugar levels (and appetite) on an even keel.


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## whitesix (31 Jul 2020)

Great advice HMS Dave, most people with some good reason are conditioned to eat three times a day as this is a modern day convention (and usually an expectation, when one generally eats in the company of one's family etc). And well done for losing 10 stone; some effort that! I've only been riding for 8 days thus far and ½ hour is all I can currently manage; still a struggle; still not enjoying it; but very very early days yet!


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## Brandane (31 Jul 2020)

When I saw the shortened version of the thread title on the home page, I wasn't sure what to expect.
"Is it important to eat even after a sh..........."
No I wasn't thinking about a shower, or a shave .


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## Mo1959 (31 Jul 2020)

Brandane said:


> When I saw the shortened version of the thread title on the home page, I wasn't sure what to expect.
> "Is it important to eat even after a sh..........."
> No I wasn't thinking about a shower, or a shave .


That may well be his next inane question!


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## lane (31 Jul 2020)

If you don't feel Hungry after a short ride and it is your mealtime then not really. A glass of milk would be adequate.


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## vickster (31 Jul 2020)

Or a mug of tea


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## whitesix (31 Jul 2020)

or a glass (much better than a bottle) of water.


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## LemonJuice (31 Jul 2020)

A relative suggested to eat healthy food but increase my calorie intake once a week to help lose weight.

Has anyone had success using this method?

But, I found this:



> While the reasoning behind refeed days _sounds_ like it makes sense, there's unfortunately not much science to support the idea of doing them. "As far as boosting the metabolism, there are so many factors that impact metabolism that it's hard to tease out the effects of a single refeeding day," says Machowsky. There also aren't many high-quality peer-reviewed studies that look at refeeding for weight loss specifically, so looking there for evidence isn't much help.



https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/what-is-refeeding-day-weight-loss-plateau


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## matticus (31 Jul 2020)

Have you tried one calorie molecule in 50 litres of pure water?


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## CanucksTraveller (31 Jul 2020)

Have you tried the Brian Butterfield diet yet? Most of the week it's largely water, but if you join today, you're just in time for Saturday, which is treat day! Mmm, fluffy ruffs and bonbonbonbons. 


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCLn94xi1LQ


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## DCLane (31 Jul 2020)

Is your relative a qualified Dietitian?

Or someone who reads the latest celebrity stupid fad / idea?

Think, then decide. Oh, and imo your constant focus on weight loss has become an obsession: stop it.


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## All uphill (31 Jul 2020)

DCLane said:


> Is your relative a qualified Dietitian?
> 
> Or someone who reads the latest celebrity stupid fad / idea?
> 
> Think, then decide. Oh, and imo your constant focus on weight loss has become an obsession: stop it.


Eating disorders can be very serious.

@DCLane is right. Move your attention elsewhere.


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## sleuthey (31 Jul 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> A relative suggested to eat healthy food but increase my calorie intake once a week to help lose weight.
> 
> Has anyone had success using this method?
> 
> ...



I think your asking the wrong people, try a weight loss forum. Good luck with the diet.


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## Paulus (2 Aug 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> A relative suggested to eat healthy food but increase my calorie intake once a week to help lose weight.
> 
> Has anyone had success using this method?
> 
> ...


@LemonJuice , every thread you have started is about weight loss. How much time to lose weight, what to eat etc etc
Not being a medical professional, I get the impression you are in need of professional help. Start with your doctor. You seem to be obsessed with calories and losing weight.
Eat sensibly and ride your bike.


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## HMS_Dave (2 Aug 2020)

Refeed day? Are you an arachnid?


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## Paulus (2 Aug 2020)

Mo1959 said:


> That may well be his next inane question!


It's already here.


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## Paulus (2 Aug 2020)

ColinJ said:


> It is probably better not to smoke a pipe while riding...!


Ah, but in the good old days of the CTC, pipes were de rigeure😊


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## alicat (2 Aug 2020)

LemonJuice said:


> If you go out for a ride for about an hour (a fairly short ride in my opinion), do you bother to have something to eat once you get home?



No, because I'm usually not hungry and it's not usually a mealtime.


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## CH99 (2 Aug 2020)

Does typing a short sentence once a day lose weight?


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## wheresthetorch (2 Aug 2020)

HMS_Dave said:


> Refeed day? Are you an arachnid?



I read it as 'a reefer a day'. 🤪


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## classic33 (3 Aug 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> I'm starting to think Lemon juice and Anonymous 1502 are one and the same person.


Hasn't one of them already said "No" to that?


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## classic33 (3 Aug 2020)

Roger Longbottom said:


> Apologies, hadn't seen that.


Not certain myself, I was asking myself.


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## mjr (6 Aug 2020)

Paulus said:


> Ah, but in the good old days of the CTC, pipes were de rigeure😊


That was not a pipe.


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