Training on Empty

[Bayerd]

Wow Bayerd. That's fantastic. That's answered all my questions in one go.

At least I know it can be done with some application. I love to hear success stories like this.

Paul

In order to stick to it, I told myself that as a 13 year old I used to cycle first thing in all weathers on my paper round and if I can do it as a kid, I can do it as a 30 something adult. If I'm not going any further than about 20 miles I don't even bother taking water with me half of the time.

 

[marzjennings]

Nothing wrong with 'bonk' training every now and then (you can google it). It's a good way to loose some weight fast if done carefully. I'll wake early on a Saturday have a large sugar free coffee and head out for an hour and no more. Once home I'll have a normal breakfast and carry on with the day.

6 miles shouldn't be a problem at all.


Just found this on the web...

BONK TRAINING
It's morning. Give your fat a kiss good-bye and get to work.


If you're normal, well adjusted and sentient, you have to ask why any cyclist would submit himself to "bonk training." It's the ultimate in hair-shirt riding. You wake up in the morning, drink two cups of coffee without putting anything else in your stomach, then go for a 60-90 minute ride. The answer: To lose weight. FAST.

Andy Pruitt, clinical director of the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine, has seen plenty of cyclists shed their guts with bonk training. "If I have a patient who's trying to lose weight- cyclist or not- I have him ride 20-30 minutes before breakfast on a stationary bike at about 60 percent of max heart rate," says Pruitt. "This ignites your fat-burning metabolism, and it stays lit during the day." If you have an extra 5-10 pounds to lose, empty-stomach exercise first thing in the morning is ideal, he says.

Bonk training works, according to Pruitt, because there's no readily available fuel source for your muscles (there's very little glycogen in the bloodstream when you wake up), so your body has to seek out fuel...stored fat. To get the full effect, you have to maintain an endurance pace; you should be able to converse without panting.

The name of this weight-loss comes from the idea that the training mimics the conditions that lead to the scourge of cyclists- bonking. In fact, true bonking is a danger.​

​

"If you ride like this longer than 90 minutes, your body starts breaking down muscle and protein in organs," says Liz Applegate, sports nutritionist at the University of California-Davis, cyclist and author of Eat Smart, Play Hard. "Then you're not just losing fat, you're weakening your body."
Laura Gabrels Metcalf

HOW TO BONK TRAIN


1. Upon waking, drink 2-3 cups of coffee, up to 45 minutes before cycling. Don't eat.
2. Ride at endurance pace- 60-70% of your max heart rate, or a casual pace that doesn't make you pant when you talk.
3. Keep it up for 20-90 minutes.
4. You can do this on consecutive days, but mix in at least one normal breakfast per week.
5. Eat your typical breakfast as soon as the ride ends.
6 . Watch the blubber ignite!!

 

[JustT]

quote.....................If you're normal, well adjusted and sentient, you have to ask why any cyclist would submit himself to "bonk training."

lavoisierby his own submission has ...quote "only just taken up cycling and only doing 3x6mile runs per week".

and is quote "overweight by what I consider to be a couple of stone, maybe more"

I need to drop half a stone in weight for my big end of season Triathlon.....its fell based and hilly and requires me to be more like my fell runing state......thin and light......................but I am fit, have cycled for over a year....fell runned for 3.....my body is not overweight and not seen substantial amounts of fat for some time....and it has not been anyware near starvation mode for some time..

If you have a weight problem.....opposed to "just needing to loose some poundage for racing, and you are new to sport, etc you should not train on empty. I am not saying you will not loose weight, but it wont be healthy....or teach you anything that will help your long term goal.

 

[Alien8]

It is with much trepidation that I post this question having only just taken up cycling and only doing 3x6mile runs per week.

You're just starting out on the glorious road of cycling addiction.

Give yourself a chance to workout what works best for you.

If you want to loose significant weight you'll need to be determined and disciplined.

Basically you need to expend more calories than you consume.

If you're happy missing breakfast then miss breakfast but for large and sustained losses you'll probably need to think about and restructure your whole diet.

Don't get too caught up in all these different schemes and ideas (unless that's your thing) - if you're exercising you're using (more) calories. The longer and more vigorous the more you'll use.

Take your time and enjoy yourself.


Good luck!

 

[Glover Fan]

If there is one meal that people should under no circumstances miss, it would have to be breakfast, but for some reason so many people skip it.

Unless of course you are bonk training, but as that article said you still eat a good breakfast afterwards.

 

[Alien8]

If there is one meal that people should under no circumstances miss, it would have to be breakfast, but for some reason so many people skip it.

I don't exercise/eat for weight control. I only have breakfast at weekends (cos the wife the makes it). During the working week I typically don't eat anything until the evening. My normal daily round-trip commute is 34miles. With other rides I do about 8K a year at a reasonable intensity. I feel fine. Horses for courses.

 

[apollo179]

I don't exercise/eat for weight control. I only have breakfast at weekends (cos the wife the makes it). During the working week I typically don't eat anything until the evening. My normal daily round-trip commute is 34miles. With other rides I do about 8K a year at a reasonable intensity. I feel fine. Horses for courses.

Presumably you have a cup of tea for breakfast - i used to do the same as you , not eating till ythe evening but i now try to eat half at midday and the other half evening. You dont get the same sense of having properly eaten but presumably its healthier.
As you say as long as the horse is healthy - horses for courses.

 

[zexel]

Quote from JustT
"you eat to little, or skip a meal or eat your first meal to late, and keep this up whilst you try to loose weight, and your body yells...DROUGHT......... and switches to starvation mode..."

My word, where on earth do people get this rubbish from, or do they just make it up!

You shouting about it is not going to make it more true, the body will not go into starvation mode after skipping a meal or eating your first meal late. That's nearly as bad as saying eating after a certain time is worse for you.

Deep down everybody knows the truth about weight-loss, eat healthy, eat less and move more...end of.

Keep up the good work lavoisier... Let us know how you get on.

 

[Andrew_P]

I don't skip breakfast, I just have it after my morning commute. If I have breakfast before the ride I tend to have an insatiable appetite all day.

 

[cloggsy]

I was/am in your situation...

I've lost 3 and a half stones since getting my bike on the C2W scheme in April...

I would suggest having a look at the MyFitnessPal website (& app if you have a Blackberry, iPhone or Android phone.)

Calorie counting is the way to go...

For breakfast I normally have a Whey Protein Shake with skimmed milk, a multivitamin and a glass of water.

On the bike I have a 750ml bottle of water with a Zero High5 Isotonic Tablet in it (look at the Wiggle website for these.)

That's it 'til lunch...

If you need any more info, please feel free to PM me

 

[lulubel]

My word, where on earth do people get this rubbish from, or do they just make it up!

You shouting about it is not going to make it more true, the body will not go into starvation mode after skipping a meal or eating your first meal late. That's nearly as bad as saying eating after a certain time is worse for you.

As bad, I think. Our bodies go into starvation mode when we eat significantly less than we need over a long period of time - think months here. However, the less fat you have on your body to start with, the easier it is to go into starvation mode. Conversely, the more fat you are carrying, the more you can "get away with" before your body gets upset with you!

Just try to eat a healthy diet, and that includes protein, carbohydrates and fat (preferably unsaturated fat as much as possible). Keep alcohol to a minimum - there are lots of calories in most alcoholic drinks and mixers. Exercise regularly - if you're more interested in the weight loss than the exercise itself, short sessions of high intensity exercise are more effective, but you'll still lose weight if you do longer, lower intensity rides AS LONG AS YOU CONSUME LESS CALORIES THAN YOU BURN OVERALL.

It's pretty simple really.

 

[Fnaar]

I couldn't do without my hefty bowl of porridge for breakfast. How yer Europeans cope with just croissants or cakes, I'll never know. Any time I 'diet', this simply means eating fewer biscuits or jaffa cakes.

 

[Seigi]

Normally for breakfast I try and aim for 500kcal and that keeps me going for about 4/5 hours before I start to feel hungry. It's typically a bowl of porridge and toast, or cereal and toast, or something along those lines...oh and not to forget my morning green tea :3

I've found with changing my diet, and not skipping breakfast, along with exercising regularly I've lost a considerable amount of weight (25kg since March, although I didn't start cycling proper until late May =/). I honestly believe it's what works best for you, some people find it easier to do one thing where others find it very difficult, like I've said, I've simply cut down my caloric intake to ~2500 per day (Down from a hefty +1000 onto that roughly) and it's been plain sailing for me, every time I check the scales I'm lighter, and what a brilliant feeling that is.

 

[brockers]

The only useful bit of info I've picked up from here is from following Dayvo's links, and the latest thinking on carb-loading. Seems you can now chug a few packs of high GI wine gums in the 24 hours post tapering, and after a 30 second 130% VO2 max interval. Happy days!

And please! It's lose not loose. Loose is what your clothes become when you've lost weight.

 

[PK99]

HOW TO BONK TRAIN


1. Upon waking, drink 2-3 cups of coffee, up to 45 minutes before cycling. Don't eat.
2. Ride at endurance pace- 60-70% of your max heart rate, or a casual pace that doesn't make you pant when you talk.
3. Keep it up for 20-90 minutes.
4. You can do this on consecutive days, but mix in at least one normal breakfast per week.
5. Eat your typical breakfast as soon as the ride ends.
6 . Watch the blubber ignite!!

All good stuf, but i would add

7. Take emergency rations, you do not want a real bonk!