Building up the miles

[boydj]

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.

 

[snorri]

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!

 

[LemonJuice]

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?

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

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.

 

[screenman]

Remember, you cannot outrun a bad diet.

 

[alicat]

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.

 

[Cycleops]

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.

 

[DCLane]

@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.

 

[tom73]

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

 

[Electric_Andy]

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!

 

[PaulSB]

• 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!!!

 

[wafter]

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

 

[LemonJuice]

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.

 

[LemonJuice]

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.

 

[PaulSB]

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.

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 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.

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.