6-Months In But Getting Fatter

[Cycleops]

Don't eat closer than two hours before going to bed.

I would say don't eat after six o clock.

 

[sittingbull]

500 miles in just about 6 months, or 20 miles per week is not going to do anything to get you fitter, particularly if you're working on a (food) rewards basis. Your body will be adapting to cycling but is recovering each week to more or less where it was beforehand.

If you're happy with your current lifestyle balance and simply enjoy the riding you do then that's fine However your post suggests you're frustrated with a lack of results. If you have a 2 week gap you are effectively starting again from scratch. Sorry if this sounds harsh

If you can get out more (and your post suggests you may have limitations), you will see results. Build up gradually from the start you have made. I wouldn't worry too much about weight or diet (within reason, just try to eat "sensibly") and keep building the miles week after week. It will take 4-6 weeks for improvements to come through in response to training/conditioning, but they will. There's no quick fix.

Enjoy your cycling

 

[compo]

At present i am clocking up 200plus miles a week and my weight is increasing. I eat too much!

 

[LimeBurn]

I agree with Sittingbull - I too am an overweight cyclist who enjoys his cycling, but I dont cycle enough to actually make a huge difference to my weight, 20 miles a week on average for you whereas I do probably about 75 - 150 depending on how active a week Ive had and I still dont lose much weight if any if I dont watch my diet at the same time. More cycling, and more sensible eating is the way forward.

 

[sittingbull]

At present i am clocking up 200plus miles a week and my weight is increasing. I eat too much!

Anyone knocking out 200+ mpw over a sustained period MUST be fit. You've earned those treats

 

[boydj]

Cycling needs to be built in to your lifestyle, which is why commuting by bike can be very effective. I'd aim for a minimum of 3 sessions a week - short and hard if time is a problem. If you can get into a good routine, then fitness will improve quickly and the other health benefits will soon be felt.

 

[Jebb]

You need to sit down and work out the numbers, then you will understand what is going on with your body.

You seem to want to generalise by saying to yourself, "I'm working out so why am I not loosing weight" when the truth of the matter is probably you are not working out much at all and when you do work out you either do not cut back on your food intake or increase it thinking you can have a treat because you have just worked out.

8-14mps is great but it's not race pace, it's about normal speed for a cyclist, cycle for an hour you may burn 600-800 depending on your size etc get back home and have a little extra pasta for your dinner and that 600 calories maybe down to 300, have a break the next day (or 2 weeks) you loose 0 calories.

You want to concentrate on time on the bike not speed, it's the hours you put in that will lose you the weight, not the 2 minutes you knock off your best time.
It's very simple, use more calories than you take in and you will lose weight, it's a slow process, slow and steady is the way to go, no treats for working out as do you really want to eat or drink that hour on the bike away.

If I were you I would not cut back on your food intake, eat the required amount for your age/size, eat good food, a good rule is if it comes in a packet it's probably not something you want to eat, so no processed foods but meat, fish, veg, nuts and some fruit,loads of water, then let your cycling take care of the weight loss, you will then know when you go out cycling 100% of the effort/time you are on the bike is stripping you of the excess weight.

And whilst it's true some of your weight will turn to muscle so may not show as a weight loss, this is only a very marginal effect, don't fool yourself, yep you will be toning up but you should still be showing a weight loss, Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't build his muscle on a bike.

 

[moo]

Porridge once a day and you'll lose weight in no time.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Cycle more, eat less and eat healthier. Oh yes, and cut right back on the booze.

Then watch the weight drop off.

Exactly. Several years ago, I did just those things (although I completely stopped the booze, not just cut back), and lost about 20% of my weight in under 6 months.

 

[Smurfy]

You are describing exactly what is happening to me. I started cycling at the end of December and I have gone from doing 2 miles to 40 miles at a time. My average speed has improved from around 10 mph to around 15 mph (if I'm pushing it). I can also get up hills that I wasn't able to get up previously.

However I have also put on half a stone. I don't seem noticeably fatter around the middle as my clothes still fit and some friends have said that it looks like I'm losing weight. I can only conclude that I am gaining muscle. I hope so anyway. Perhaps you are doing the same.

Muscle is a lot more dense than fat, so it's possible to get heavier and fitter at the same time!

 

[Smurfy]

A few interesting examples of why there's more to worry about than weight, height, and Body Mass Index!
http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/obese-olympians/3

Had they been mere mortals, three out of these four British Olympic cyclists – from left to right, Shanaze Reade (BMI 26.2), Chris Hoy (27.2) and Liam Phillips (26.2) – would've been told by their doctors to watch their calories and take a little bit of exercise. Only Geraint Thomas's (far left) BMI of 21.2 would let him off the hook.

 

[Crankarm]

Eat less and a healthy diet, cut out all the crap food especially fast food, sweets, cakes, pies and crisps, don't drink alcohol, drink more water, exercise more, harder and for longer. It ain't rocket science. You can't say you don't know what to eat when there is SO much information around unless you've been living under a rock all your life. Btw it's hard for everyone to remain healthy and fit not just fat people to become so.

 

[Saluki]

Wow, Shanaze is only half a stone lighter than me at the same height. She looks fab and I don't. Must cycle more.

When I first started cycling in anger, so to speak. I watched what I ate and rode quite a lot. I put on a good 4lbs but lost inches over the first month, then the weight started coming off. I went from just over 14 stone (horrific I know but I'd been comfort eating) down to 11 stone 11lbs during the next 3 and a bit months. I wasn't worried about the numbers on the scale as the numbers on the measuring tape were so much more encouraging. I also built the riding in to my routine. I often go out, for instance, to meet Hubster from dialysis. Lovely 'me time' when I leave anything between an hour and half an hour before he comes off the machine. 3 times a week and its a minimum of 25 miles right there. Getting the riding time into your life really helps IMO.

Have you tried measuring yourself? I mean neck, upper arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs and calves should do it. Keep a record of your measurements and watch them change as you get fitter.

Recently I have been following the 5:2 way of eating. The first fast day was hard work, the second easier and now they are a breeze and I am seeing a shift downwards on the scales. Could something similar be worth a look to you.

 

[compo]

At present i am clocking up 200plus miles a week and my weight is increasing. I eat too much!

Anyone knocking out 200+ mpw over a sustained period MUST be fit. You've earned those treats

Only until after the Dunwich Dynamo then I revert to my normal level which is far, far less than 200 mpw.

 

[Ganymede]

I say, @Doc333, are you getting any help from these suggestions? We've begun to pretty much talk among ourselves here... does anything we've said hit any nails on the head? or seem useful...? It's your thread after all!