Weight Gain

[suecsi]

I've been steadily commuting 5 miles a day broken up into bike-train-bike commute both ways, on a Brompton, for the past 3 months.

I wouldn't say I go particularly fast but hubby reckons I am when I am coming towards him on the cycle path at the top of our road, and I do sometimes get a little puffed but nothing major. Stamina has improved vastly since January.

I have, however, put on approximately 5-8lbs and I was previously doing really well at getting a bit of excess weight down. I am back to where I was (weight wise). But unlike before, I don't seem to see any effect in my clothes, they fit just as well as they did before. The only place I have definitely put on inches is on the thighs, which were pretty muscly already, and now have much more definition at the front.

I do try to avoid temptation to eat bad things, and the improving weather has helped with this - I get peckish on the way home, and my 10 minute wait at Twickenham station can involve Puccino's Cafe, a warm retreat when it was really cold.

I don't seem to be eating any more than before - sometimes I feel I am just getting old.

 

[ColinJ]

Or are you just gaining muscle where you were once scrawny? You say that you are not getting flabby - rejoice - you are getting fit!

 

[stephec]

Muscle weighs about three times as much as fat, so maybe you've lost some fat but added muscle mass.

The real indicator is that you say your clothes don't feel any different, so at least you don't look any lardier!

 

[deaksie]

I agree with Stephec - stick with it - it's doing you good. As women I think we're conditioned to stress massively about weight but actually, it's your body shape and how your clothes fit which really counts. I'm sure you look great

 

[coffeejo]

Since I started cycling, I've stopped weighing myself for that very reason. My clothes fit well, and I'm so much fitter than before. That's good enough for me! Oh, and I can justify cake etc by cycling faster or for longer. Win-win, as far as I'm concerned

 

[buggi]

same here. when i worked in Warwick i weight 11st 3lb. a move to Hinckley saw 7 miles added to my commute and more hills. now i'm 11st 6lb but no fatter. i put it down to muscle gain.

stop weighing yourself and just go on how your clothes fit and what you look like in the mirror.

 

[screenman]

C&P Summary: Muscle density is 1.06 g/ml and fat density is (about) 0.9
g/ml. Thus, one liter of muscle would weight 1.06 kg and one liter of
fat would weight 0.9 kg. In other words, muscle is about 18% denses
than fat. This should not be confused with the "energy density" of
muscle and fat, which may be where you got the 3x figure that you
mention in your question.

Do you want to lose any weight that is the question. If so eat less or cycle more. If you are happy then that is the way to stay with a great big smile.

 

[Moodyman]

When I first joined the gym about 12 years ago, I lost loads of weight in the first 3-6 months. This was just fat loss.

Then muscle mass started piling on and after a year, I weighed more than when I joined the gym.

I've been heavier ever since, despite being fitter and stronger. According to BMI measurements, I'm entering obese territory.

Yet, I ride over 100 miles a week and run about 10

 

[MacB]

If you're happy with your shape and how your clothes fit then don't worry about it. If you're not then have a good look at what you're eating, it's very easy to just expand to feed your increased appetite. but we're all different, I eat more the less I do and vice versa or, more accurately, I probably eat normally and choose healthier options when I'm exercising. When I'm doing bugger all I crave chips, pizzas, kebabs, sweets, etc. I'm trying to up my mileage at present though I've been hampered by some unrelated health issues, my previous success came when I had a lengthy commute, dropping 4.5 stone in total, for that I was:-

morning pre-ride - just water
20 miles to work
breakfast - cereal or porridge
lunch - normally a tupperware tub of leftovers, I found I craved 'proper' food rather than sandwiches/crisps/cakes
snacks during day - tried to stick to fruit, occasional lapses but the fitter/lighter I got the less I was tempted by other stuff
afternoon pre-ride - one or two bananas - I did try energy bars and the like but the fruit seemed to work best for me
20 miles home
drink of milk when I got home and a normal evening meal once cleaned up

Friday/Saturday/Sunday relaxed a bit more and didn't really try to eat/not eat anything specific, my eating habits again improved as the weight went and fitness came back. Possibly more important than the food were my sleeping patterns, they improved vastly.

If I ever actually reach the weight I want to be then I'll see what I need/want to eat to maintain. But I sdo think it's very easy to overeat just becasue you're doing a bit of cycling.

 

[suecsi]

I went to the nurse on Monday for a 6 month check up, during which time I was weighed and had my blood pressure taken.

The nurse said my blood pressure was even better than last time (and it wasn't bad then) and that my weight gain is easily from the muscle gain, particularly since the clothes were fitting the same.

The jacket I wear at work, that lives on my chair, is actually much looser now around the single waist button, so I think that has toned up. I just need to get some new jeans, as that is where the inches of muscle have kicked in on the thighs and I can't wear most of them anymore.

It felt good to have a professional say I was doing really well ....

 

[coffeejo]

That's great news

I just need to get some new jeans, as that is where the inches of muscle have kicked in on the thighs and I can't wear most of them anymore.

I've worn men's jeans for years (proper pockets), but I've never been more grateful since taking up cycling