# Started cycling, gained weight...



## alasdairgf (31 May 2010)

Started cycling to lose weight - am just on the wrong side of the "obese" category according to BMI. Irritated to notice that in the first couple of weeks I've actually put on 1.5kg. Wife & friends have said, "Oh, it's just that muscle weights more than fat," but it sounds like an urban myth. Is this true, and is it common when starting cycling, or is there something I need to be doing that I'm not, currently? 

(I've not changed my diet, but I'm not going for rapid weight-loss, and changing diet right now would be awkward for the whole family...! Diet's not bad - not good, I guess, but little junk.)


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## Martok (31 May 2010)

Your wife and friends are right, this is likely to be muscle mass that you have put on.

It might be worth you picking up some scales that show you body fat, body mass etc as well as weight. I've got some Salter Stainless Steel Body Analyser Scales, £29.99 from Argos. They show body fat, body water, muscle mass, BMR and BMI.

I like you am classed as obese going by BMI (though that is just a guide, BMI is not the definitive definition as some athletes would be classed as overweight or obese by BMI when they are not, just muscled) and I have found that recently I've not lost much weight but instead have put on muscle mass.

Do look at how much cycling you are doing and what you eat though. A good bit of exercise and sensible eating will increase the muscle mass and then you'll see weight loss if you get this right.


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## montage (31 May 2010)

can you post up what rides and your diet?


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## Matthames (31 May 2010)

I am overweight and my weight hasn't changed that much, however the one thing I have noticed though is that I have started loosing fat around my belly and my thighs have increased in diameter.


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## Nick_B (31 May 2010)

Matthames said:


> I am overweight and my weight hasn't changed that much, however the one thing I have noticed though is that I have started loosing fat around my belly and my thighs have increased in diameter.



Much the same experience for me after a couple of years back on the bike. My typical week's riding would be around 3 x 16 mile round trip commutes + 30-40 miles on a Sunday.


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## Guvnor (31 May 2010)

It is actually your fat turning to muscle and as muscle weighs more than fat, i'm pretty sure that this is whats happening. I would not read to much into your BMI as it cannot distinguish the difference between the two. i read an article that says the Chris Hoy is overweight according to his BMI but theres not an ounce of fat on him.


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## Banjo (31 May 2010)

alasdairgf said:


> Started cycling to lose weight - am just on the wrong side of the "obese" category according to BMI. Irritated to notice that in the first couple of weeks I've actually put on 1.5kg. Wife & friends have said, "Oh, it's just that muscle weights more than fat," but it sounds like an urban myth. Is this true, and is it common when starting cycling, or is there something I need to be doing that I'm not, currently?
> 
> (I've not changed my diet, but I'm not going for rapid weight-loss, and changing diet right now would be awkward for the whole family...! Diet's not bad - not good, I guess, but little junk.)



Sorry to burst your bubble but if you are in the obese category you should lose weight by cycling and avoiding high calorie food I think that the muscle weight only becomes an issue as you get close to ideal weight.


One reason you may not lose as much as you would like is that exercise makes you hungry, if you get post exercise hunger try filling up on water instead of food.

Have an honest look at what your eating, try keeping a notebook with a daily list of everything you eat,its very easy to be conning yourself(been there got the T shirt)

Changing your diet maybe awkward for the family but not nearly as awkward as you getting diabetes or heart disease.

I think you are wise aiming for gradual weight loss .

Good Luck


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## efreeti (1 Jun 2010)

I agree with Banjo. People tend to lose weight easily in the first few weeks of a healthy eating andor exercise routine if they are doing it right. It tends to get difficult when you are much nearer your ideal weight. It seems unlikely that you are building muscle quick enough to offset fat loss at this stage.

I slowly gained weight from about the age of 25 to 30 (was already heavyish before that) but got to twenty stone at the start of last year. When I first started taking weight loss seriously I was disappointed that I wasn't getting the results that I wanted. For a few months I didn't lose any weight. But, I didn't gain any either. I had to cut my intake quite a bit just to stop gaining weight. By the time I started losing weight I had had to make significant changes to my diet. 

Presumably you have been eating too much to become obese. The cycling you have been doing has probably stopped or slowed down your weight gain but you will either need to increase activity further or decrease calorie intake to achieve weight loss. 

To get rid of 500 calories per day you can either spend an hour doing high intensity exercise or NOT eat a mars bar and a packet of crisps!

Weight watchers points system or an accurate honest food diary will really help.


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## alasdairgf (1 Jun 2010)

Thanks, y'all. Why the sudden urge to sound American? No idea. Anyway, thanks, puts it in perspective (esp. Banjo's penultimate comment re heard disease etc!).

Reading over a couple of other threads here gives me a target food to avoid - bread. Realise I eat a _lot_ of bread. Not sure what I'm make sarnies out of now! Do wraps count as bread?

Oh, and portion size. I suspect a dietician would look over her glasses at the size of my portions, even when it's relatively healthy food - chicken/veg stir-fry & rice type dinners which are typical at GF Towers.

Grrr. I love eating! I'll miss it :-)


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## Banjo (1 Jun 2010)

Yeah ,sorry it was a bit of a grim comment but it was those kind of worries that prompted me to lose a bit of lard. 

Like you i ate mostly good food at home but then tended to eat total garbage at work so that was an easy change to make.I didnt ban anything so still have beer chips curries etc just not nearly as often .

Breakfasts now I usually go with fruit and cereal but still the odd fry up on a weekend.I use One cal frying spray ionstead of oil or fat in the frying pan or use a GeorgeForeman grill and poach the eggs is an even better option. 

Once you start doing regular mileage on the bike just look at making little changes to your diet to trim down the calorie intake until the weight starts coming off.Then weigh yourself once a week and keep a record so your not fooling yourself.

Some of us keep weight records on Health and Fitness Forum here on CC which is a bit of extra motivation.

Good Luck hope it goes well for you.


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## screenman (2 Jun 2010)

I have lost over 20 kilo since January I did this by putting less calories in than I was using. I stick to the daily plate system and it works well for me and the other people I have manged to encourage onto it. I also feel the BMI is a bit of guess work however it does help some people know they are fat, which is where I was. This next piece was copied from the Livestrong pages.


WHR 
The WHtR is calculated by dividing waist size by height, and takes gender into account. As an example, a male with a 32 inch waist who is 5'10" (70 inches) would divide 32 by 70, to get a WHtR of 45.7 percent. The WHtR is thought to give a more accurate assessment of health since the most dangerous place to carry weight is in the abdomen. Fat in the abdomen, which is associated with a larger waist, is metabolically active and produces various hormones that can cause harmful effects, such as diabetes, elevated blood pressure, and altered lipid (blood fat) levels. 

Many athletes, both male and female, who often have a higher percentage of muscle and a lower percentage of body fat, have relatively high BMIs but their WHtRs are within a healthy range. This also holds true for women who have a "pear" rather than an "apple" shape. 

The following chart helps you determine if your WHtR falls in a healthy range (these ratios are percentages): 

WOMEN 
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight 
• Ratio 35 to 42: Extremely Slim 
• Ratio 42 to 46: Healthy 
• Ratio 46 to 49: Healthy
• Ratio 49 to 54: Overweight 
• Ratio 54 to 58: Seriously Overweight 
• Ratio over 58: Highly Obese

MEN 
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight 
• Ratio 35 to 43: Extremely slim 
• Ratio 43 to 46: Healthy 
• Ratio 46 to 53: Healthy, Normal Weight 
• Ratio 53 to 58: Overweight 
• Ratio 58 to 63: Extremely Overweight/Obese 
• Ratio over 63: Highly Obese 

Alyse's Advice 
New research shows that the WHtR, not BMI, is the most accurate assessment tool for health risk. People with the most weight around their waists are at greatest risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, since you can't change your height, you should take special care to keep your weight and in particular, abdominal girth in a healthy range by eating nutritiously and exercising regularly. 
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/93638-whtr-the-new-determinant-health-risk/#ixzz0pfpUQcXd
​


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## tyred (2 Jun 2010)

I assume this is the actual waist size measured about 1/2" below your belly button rather than your trouser size?

If so at about 5'10" and 37", I'm ~52% which is just about healthy normal weight. I'm surprised as I thought I was way too heavy at 14st 9lb. My doctor told me I should be 10 1/2 stone which I think is impossible for someone of my large build. The lightest I've ever been in my adult life is 13st 10lb last summer.


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## alasdairgf (2 Jun 2010)

Thanks for that about the WHtR, interesting... still gives me a lot of work to do, though! 

I calculate that at 6'1"(ish) I need to come down from a 44" to a 38" waist, which puts things more in perspective for me. According to BMI calcs, I'd need to drop from 108kg to about 85kg, which seems huge and just not do-able (haven't been 85kg in 15 years!)


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## tyred (2 Jun 2010)

alasdairgf said:


> Thanks for that about the WHtR, interesting... still gives me a lot of work to do, though!
> 
> I calculate that at 6'1"(ish) I need to come down from a *44" to a 38" waist*, which puts things more in perspective for me. According to BMI calcs, I'd need to drop from 108kg to about 85kg, which seems huge and just not do-able (haven't been 85kg in 15 years!)



Look carefully at what you eat and take regular exercise and you will be surprised at how quickly that 44" will drop. I was 43" when I started and was surprised at how quickly my waist-line got smaller up to point. It's getting the final touches to drop the final stone or so which is what I've struggled with.


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## screenman (2 Jun 2010)

I have dropped from a 42 stretchy to a 34 and maybe a bit less since January, so it is certainly doable (is that a word?).


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## Fiona N (3 Jun 2010)

Personally I much prefer WHR to BMI, as despite weight gain since I used to race, I've only gone up one category from extremely slim to slim whereas by BMI I've gone from normal to bordering on obese  

It's not just vanity either - I often raced at <10% body fat towards the end of the season, which isn't healthy for a young woman but was still apparently well into the normal category by BMI - an indication of how daft it is for people doing sports.


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## Vega (3 Jun 2010)

If you want to lose weight and you're not changing your diet or at least monitoring it, you might not lose much weight or any at all. It is true that muscle weighs more than fat but if you are obese, you should be burning a lot more fat in the beginning compared to how much muscle you are building up. If you don't want to change your diet to lose weight, I would at least advise that you monitor what you eat because I have a feeling that you are eating more carbs and calories for energy to cycle. I would recommend that you at least cut your portions down and see if that helps.


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## alasdairgf (3 Jun 2010)

Vega said:


> I would recommend that you at least cut your portions down and see if that helps.


Aye, seems that's the thing I _must_ do... will recruit my wife to help on this, sure she'll be happy to help. Sigh... I hate being hungry, even when I rationally know that I've had enough food but the 'full' feeling just hasn't kicked in. (I've heard it said that one should also eat slower to help let that feeling kick in, any truth in that?)


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## tyred (4 Jun 2010)

Definitely try to eat slower. This was one of my problems. I do tend to eat less if I take the time to chew every mouthful. Also, I don't know if it applies to you but another problem I struggle to conquer is my habit of reading the newspaper or a magazine while I eat. I believe it's the same for people who watch TV while they eat. You don't concentrate on what you are eating and eat considerably more than you need.


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## normgow (4 Jun 2010)

Reading over a couple of other threads here gives me a target food to avoid - bread. Realise I eat a _lot_ of bread. Not sure what I'm make sarnies out of now! Do wraps count as bread?


[/QUOTE]

Try eating wholemeal bread (if you aren't already) and if you can get it so-called black bread. Here in Germany you can buy it everywhere. On a slice of this you can supposedly march 20kms but I'm not sure if that means eating it or nailing to your sole.
Also wholemeal pasta and rice, minimal animal fat and salt.

Anyway good luck with the weight.


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## Sheffield_Tiger (5 Jun 2010)

Matthames said:


> I am overweight and my weight hasn't changed that much, however the one thing I have noticed though is that I have started loosing fat around my belly and my thighs have increased in diameter.




Lol....yeah have the same trouble.

From being sedentary up until last autumn, I've taken up walking, cycling and running - all leg-work.

As a result I have dropped 4" in waist size - but end up struggling wearing trousers 2" too large around the waist that want to fall down from the waist because if I bought by waistband, they are then too tight for my legs for freedom of movement!

If I were to kick you, you'd bloody well know it though!


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## screenman (5 Jun 2010)

*Black Bread* (Classic)
1 Slice =

140 calories

1g fat

28g carbs

5g protein

2g fibre

*Butter*





1 tbsp
100 calories

11g FAT

0g Carbs

0g Protein

0g Fibre

Seeing as an average diet should only have about 65 grams of fat per day net it is extremely easy to go over the top.


Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/#ixzz0pxUChG4Z
​


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## Norry1 (5 Jun 2010)

I've been cycling about 6 weeks now and although I wasn't trying, I've lost over 1/2 a stone. I have tried eating a bit healthier - such as porridge every now and then instead of a hotel breakfast!

I agree BMI is a very clumsy measure. A combination of using scales which tell you your fat content and looking at your WTHR seem more sensible. I'm overweight using BMI, but have 22.5% fat which is okay, and a 48.9 WTHR which is alos okay.

Just try and quit the rubbish foods - you should never need to feel hungry.

Martin


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## jeltz (5 Jun 2010)

alasdairgf said:


> Aye, seems that's the thing I _must_ do... will recruit my wife to help on this, sure she'll be happy to help. Sigh... *I hate being hungry*, even when I rationally know that I've had enough food but the 'full' feeling just hasn't kicked in. (I've heard it said that one should also eat slower to help let that feeling kick in, any truth in that?)



Drink water when you feel hungry, often thirst is mistaken for hunger. Don't look on it as dieting go for a lifestyle change, phase it in gradually and in 12 months time you will be a healthier, happier person!


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## Augustine (11 Jun 2010)

i'm in a very similar situation to you - overweight, trying to slim, etc. as has been mentioned above, i found that keeping a track of what i actually ate was a real eye-opener. i've started to use this site - http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/ - and found it v helpful. it has helped me understand the calorific content of different foods and to get a grip on portion size. it also allows me to enter the amount of exercise i've done so i can see how that affects overall calorie intake. it might help you?


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## screenman (11 Jun 2010)

The message is getting across, Livestrong does work, but only if you are honest with it. Have fun and get slim it is a whole new world.

I am now down nearly 4 stone and have just spent a week training a guy in PDR ( which is my business ) this guy is a year younger than me but he is the size I used to be, it felt like I was teaching somebody 15 years older than myself, that is what the weight loss has done for me.


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