A weight loss plan that works for average cyclists? - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

12-27-2004, 06:17 PM

I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets. I'm coming into this
eyes wide open, honestly asking questions about what people eat, what
works for them, etc. I don't want this to turn into another "Sheldon Brown
is a party doll" post. Just please, try to resist the urge.

Okay, as to my question. Many of you know my story. I went vegetarian and
started cycling 5 years ago and lost 160+ lbs. I went from over 400lbs. to
238lbs. at my lowest. I've, unfortunately, slowly climbed back up to
around 270lbs. I'd like to get back on track, but it seems like nothing
I've tried has worked. I eat some meat again. Eggs, fish and turkey. I'm
on a pretty decent diet. But basically I've hit a major 3 year long
plateau. My wife is on a plan that, while not Atkins, cuts out a lot of
carbs and emphasizes carbs like rice. i.e. You can't eat bread, but you
can eat rice, cous cous, stuff like that.

It's working well for her so far, but I just can't imagine not having
bread. I know from my own personal experience that refined sugars and
grains are a big problem. Cutting them out was a big part of why I was
successful. However, how far can someone who cycles quite a bit take that?

And a bigger question is this. Have any of you experienced a dramatic
weight loss, then a plateau? And if you have, what did you do to get
yourself kick-started off the plateau? I feel like, maybe in part because
of my dramatic weight loss, my metabolism or something has shifted to the
point where weight loss is more difficult than it was before. I don't know
if that's just bunk, but I can't explain otherwise why I've been stuck for
so long in spite of the fact that I'm still eating right.

Any experiences are welcome. Please no flaming. I'd just love to hear a
sampling of what's worked for those of you out there. Especially those of
you who have struggled with, and moved off of plateaus.

Preston

12-27-2004, 06:31 PM

In article <slrnct1gk6.ad1.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
>off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets.

Too many diets focus on what you eat. Yes, eating healthy does help,
but you can still get fat by eating too much healthy food. In order to
lose weight, you need to limit the total amount of food (total calories)
that you eat. Reducing your intake of high calorie foods (like sugar)
helps the most, but you don't need to completely eliminate carbs from
your diet as long as your total calorie intake goes down.

12-27-2004, 06:31 PM

In article <slrnct1gk6.ad1.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
>off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets.

Too many diets focus on what you eat. Yes, eating healthy does help,
but you can still get fat by eating too much healthy food. In order to
lose weight, you need to limit the total amount of food (total calories)
that you eat. Reducing your intake of high calorie foods (like sugar)
helps the most, but you don't need to completely eliminate carbs from
your diet as long as your total calorie intake goes down.

12-27-2004, 06:31 PM

In article <slrnct1gk6.ad1.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
>off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets.

Too many diets focus on what you eat. Yes, eating healthy does help,
but you can still get fat by eating too much healthy food. In order to
lose weight, you need to limit the total amount of food (total calories)
that you eat. Reducing your intake of high calorie foods (like sugar)
helps the most, but you don't need to completely eliminate carbs from
your diet as long as your total calorie intake goes down.

12-27-2004, 06:31 PM

In article <slrnct1gk6.ad1.me@serpentor.cobrala>,
Preston Crawford <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
>off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets.

Too many diets focus on what you eat. Yes, eating healthy does help,
but you can still get fat by eating too much healthy food. In order to
lose weight, you need to limit the total amount of food (total calories)
that you eat. Reducing your intake of high calorie foods (like sugar)
helps the most, but you don't need to completely eliminate carbs from
your diet as long as your total calorie intake goes down.

12-27-2004, 07:06 PM

I too, plateau'd at about 225-230 for a couple of YEARS...

so...how did I start losing again?

I caught one WICKED case of the flu (couldn't eat)...and I stopped snacking
between meals...

And I started drinking a LOT of water every time I got munchy-like rumblings
from the stomach area.

12-27-2004, 07:06 PM

I too, plateau'd at about 225-230 for a couple of YEARS...

so...how did I start losing again?

I caught one WICKED case of the flu (couldn't eat)...and I stopped snacking
between meals...

And I started drinking a LOT of water every time I got munchy-like rumblings
from the stomach area.

12-27-2004, 07:06 PM

I too, plateau'd at about 225-230 for a couple of YEARS...

so...how did I start losing again?

I caught one WICKED case of the flu (couldn't eat)...and I stopped snacking
between meals...

And I started drinking a LOT of water every time I got munchy-like rumblings
from the stomach area.

12-27-2004, 07:06 PM

I too, plateau'd at about 225-230 for a couple of YEARS...

so...how did I start losing again?

I caught one WICKED case of the flu (couldn't eat)...and I stopped snacking
between meals...

And I started drinking a LOT of water every time I got munchy-like rumblings
from the stomach area.

12-27-2004, 08:28 PM

"Preston Crawford" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:slrnct1gk6.ad1.me@serpentor.cobrala...
> I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
> off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets. I'm coming into this
> eyes wide open, honestly asking questions about what people eat, what
> works for them, etc. I don't want this to turn into another "Sheldon Brown
> is a party doll" post. Just please, try to resist the urge.
>
> Okay, as to my question. Many of you know my story. I went vegetarian and
> started cycling 5 years ago and lost 160+ lbs. I went from over 400lbs. to
> 238lbs. at my lowest. I've, unfortunately, slowly climbed back up to
> around 270lbs. I'd like to get back on track, but it seems like nothing
> I've tried has worked. I eat some meat again. Eggs, fish and turkey. I'm
> on a pretty decent diet. But basically I've hit a major 3 year long
> plateau. My wife is on a plan that, while not Atkins, cuts out a lot of
> carbs and emphasizes carbs like rice. i.e. You can't eat bread, but you
> can eat rice, cous cous, stuff like that.
>
> It's working well for her so far, but I just can't imagine not having
> bread. I know from my own personal experience that refined sugars and
> grains are a big problem. Cutting them out was a big part of why I was
> successful. However, how far can someone who cycles quite a bit take that?
>
> And a bigger question is this. Have any of you experienced a dramatic
> weight loss, then a plateau? And if you have, what did you do to get
> yourself kick-started off the plateau? I feel like, maybe in part because
> of my dramatic weight loss, my metabolism or something has shifted to the
> point where weight loss is more difficult than it was before. I don't know
> if that's just bunk, but I can't explain otherwise why I've been stuck for
> so long in spite of the fact that I'm still eating right.
>
> Any experiences are welcome. Please no flaming. I'd just love to hear a
> sampling of what's worked for those of you out there. Especially those of
> you who have struggled with, and moved off of plateaus.
>
> Preston

As for a weight loss plan that works for the average cyclist, here's mine:

Eat a little less, and/or ride a little more.

I know this sounds simplistic, but weight loss really is pretty simple
(though, clearly, not easy). You just need to achieve a modest daily
calorie deficit by eating less, or by exercising more, or (ideally) by doing
a bit of both.

Unfortunately, a lot of cyclists have stories similar to yours. There are
many cyclists who ride their bikes 150-200 miles per week, and are still
overweight due to over eating. It's easy to subvert a good exercise program
with a few extra slices of bread each day. You need to cut back slightly on
food intake, and not succumb to the temptation to pig out just because your
rode your bike 20 miles today.

Plateaus are pretty common in any weight loss program, but yours sounds more
like a back-slide than a plateau (you've gained 22 lbs since your low
point). You need to seriously think about how you can cut out a few hundred
calories each day. If you drink sodas with sugar, stop right now. If you
have any "problem foods", cut way back on them.

3 less slices of bread each day is around 300 calories. If you overeat by
this much, you'll gain about 0.6 lbs per week, or 31.3 lbs per year.
Likewise, if you undereat by this much, you'll lose a significant amount of
weight.

Best of luck.

--
GG
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