not losing weight?

[Crankarm]

IF (and it is a big if) you can know with any degree of accuracy how many calories you are consuming AND how you are burning them! As I've said plenty of times before, 'burn more than you consume to lose weight' is true (imho)... but it's an overly simplistic statement. Sure, by knocking yourself out on the treadmill and eating lettuce leaves, you will lose weight. But it doesn't have to be that hard. It's your choice and I'm not going to insist on any method.

Pro cyclists and athletes who run, cycle or swim frequently and hard struggle to eat enough. They cannot shovel it in fast enough.

I agree with GF that cycling, once one is reasonably proficient, may even be a plodder, there is little incentive to concentrate on technqiue and push oneself to raise your average speed from 12 through 14, 15 mph to 18,19,20 mph. This distinguishes the better and harder cyclists from the plodders who will stop for 90 minutes at the cafe downing all sorts of sugary delights after only 26 miles riding. This seems to be their raison d'etre for riding. For me it certainly is not. I used to cycle about 40 miles a day sometimes 60, 5 days a week then 80 on a weekend on the club ride, also running 6-7 miles each day 5 days a week with all the stretching exercises as well. No time for eating crap not because it wasn't enjoyable once in a while but because it impaired one's performance. I have never ever eaten an energy gel or drunk an energy drink they sound vile. Also the risk to your teeth of dental caries with all that sugar in your mouth is frightening.

 

[yello]

Indeed, couldn't agree more, the sugary delights are something to be wary of.

 

[nhoj]

This is a cycling forum, ferchrissakes. I want to read stories about the struggle to put on weight!

 

[yello]

This is a cycling forum, ferchrissakes. I want to read stories about the struggle to put on weight!

It's simple. No struggle involved. Just eat more.

 

[nhoj]

Sure, the opposite of losing weight, where you just eat less.

 

[yello]

I think we might be going around in circles ... or saying the same thing... or misreading each other's (attempt at) humour... or a million other possibilities. Ah the joys of internet forums

 

[nhoj]

I don't mind going round in circles, as long as we can have a cake stop.

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Pro cyclists and athletes who run, cycle or swim frequently and hard struggle to eat enough. They cannot shovel it in fast enough.

I agree with GF that cycling, once one is reasonably proficient, may even be a plodder, there is little incentive to concentrate on technqiue and push oneself to raise your average speed from 12 through 14, 15 mph to 18,19,20 mph. This distinguishes the better and harder cyclists from the plodders who will stop for 90 minutes at the cafe downing all sorts of sugary delights after only 26 miles riding. This seems to be their raison d'etre for riding. For me it certainly is not. I used to cycle about 40 miles a day sometimes 60, 5 days a week then 80 on a weekend on the club ride, also running 6-7 miles each day 5 days a week with all the stretching exercises as well. No time for eating crap not because it wasn't enjoyable once in a while but because it impaired one's performance. I have never ever eaten an energy gel or drunk an energy drink they sound vile. Also the risk to your teeth of dental caries with all that sugar in your mouth is frightening.

We're in complete agreement then

.

Your take on eating is my target. I use an energy drink for the latter parts of long training rides with a couple of gels stowed away in the event of bonking. Never needed them. The run I try and add immediately onto the end of a long bike ride plays a part in this.

 

[Crankarm]

We're in complete agreement then

.

Your take on eating is my target. I use an energy drink for the latter parts of long training rides with a couple of gels stowed away in the event of bonking. Never needed them. The run I try and add immediately onto the end of a long bike ride plays a part in this.

Similar POV. However I tend to end with the bike as I find tired legs pounding the ground give me injuries so I make sure I have a reasonable break and massage before starting running after cycling. It is easier being tired on a bike than running imho unless you bonk. My eating regime is a good breakfast, which doesn't include porridge as I can't stand the stuff, but on a long ride water before and during, dried fruit, couple of bananas and maybe a boiled egg and some nuts just like Stan Laurel. Since I was knocked down for the second time at the start of the year I don't ride on roads anymore so only off road which unfortunately isn't that often. My turbo trainer gave up the ghost some time ago so pretty much my only hard core exercise these days is running about 7-8 miles a day in the evening. Although a break has just been imposed as I was unexpectedly injured a few days ago.

 

[bicyclos]

The problem today is we are bombarded with food from all angles good and bad. 24 hr supermarkets to takeaways on street corners. We don't know the meaning of the word feeling "starved" or "hungry". Like America, we are over fed to the point of gluttony. Even our lifestles have changed a great deal. We walk less than people decades ago and travel more on comfy seated vehicles and are generaly more lazy. Hard manual labour, something I have been associated with for the past 30yrs in one way or another has changed for machanical devices in some areas but still hard work which has kept my weight down. I eat what I like and good portions, mostly veg and fruit plus a balanced percentage of red and white meats. If I worked in an office I would have to cut my portions down drastically..............

 

[Ghost Donkey]

Similar POV. However I tend to end with the bike as I find tired legs pounding the ground give me injuries so I make sure I have a reasonable break and massage before starting running after cycling. It is easier being tired on a bike than running imho unless you bonk. My eating regime is a good breakfast, which doesn't include porridge as I can't stand the stuff, but on a long ride water before and during, dried fruit, couple of bananas and maybe a boiled egg and some nuts just like Stan Laurel. Since I was knocked down for the second time at the start of the year I don't ride on roads anymore so only off road which unfortunately isn't that often. My turbo trainer gave up the ghost some time ago so pretty much my only hard core exercise these days is running about 7-8 miles a day in the evening. Although a break has just been imposed as I was unexpectedly injured a few days ago.

I tend to do a twenty to thirty minute run on the end of the bike for that reason. The run follows the bike as I'm trying to improve my triathlon performance and get used to the transition from bike to run but I take your point regarding pounding the floor. I changed to lightweight racing flats last year and I've turned into a much more gentle runner compared to my impressively bad previous technique. That is a separate discussion for another day. I used to run three days a week until recently for the intensity and usually get a turbo session in for the same reason. Swimming with a club is very high intensity. The number of swim sessions is down to one or two ar the moment too. Swimming with a club never gets easier, just faster. Porridge is my Sunday morning pre-bike food of choice, with full fat jersey milk. A bit of milled flaxseed tends to give it a more agreeable taste and it's better for you than golden syrup.

 

[yello]

If I worked in an office I would have to cut my portions down drastically.

Indeed. The evolutionary perspective would have a lot to say on that very point.

 

[The Jogger]

This is a cycling forum, ferchrissakes. I want to read stories about the struggle to put on weight!

I've cracked that one........

 

[Fiona N]

Pro cyclists and athletes who run, cycle or swim frequently and hard struggle to eat enough. They cannot shovel it in fast enough.

Well that's not true for everyone.

Sure during the Tour de France, say, eating enough might become a problem but you only have to watch Lance Armstrong's videos where he's talking about pre-race training and making weight goals and saying there are days where you have to go to bed hungry to make those goals despite the hours of training... and I hardly think Bradley Wiggins would have been indulging in any face stuffing to get his weight down as he has the last two or three summers. Moreover, from my own experience on Mallorca cycling camps and talking to some of the guys there about their goals for the season, it's clear that the serious endurance guys don't eat hugely, certainly not platefuls of pasta. it's the weekend warriors who hit the carbs of an evening.

And through my teens I used to swim competitively and train several days a week in the pool and the gym (with orienteering on Sunday) but I only ever ate the same at home as my brothers and sisters and took sandwiches to school for lunch. This was the days before snacks - I can't ever remember buying chocolate or packets of crisps as a kid and even at university where I had money to buy my own food, chocolate was mostly from the Army 10man-day packs we used at weekends on TA exercises. And I wonder if this is a key thing - having trained continuously from age 11 or so until my 40's for one endurance sport or another - I would say that I've never actually been unfit - maybe my body has changed what it needs compared to people who've been mostly unfit, eaten snacks and junk food their whole lives and then recently seen the light in their thirties or later.

 

[yello]

you only have to watch Lance Armstrong's videos where he's talking about pre-race training and making weight goals and saying there are days where you have to go to bed hungry to make those goals despite the hours of training.

Ah-ha! There we have it! Damned from his own mouth! It's well known that one of the effects of 'chemical enhancement' is the munchies!!