Losing weight...help!

I've been out of competitive cycling for about 12 years....started to ride again (just to get back into some sort of shape) and now I have the bug again (dusted off the old CIOCC). My probem is that I expected to lose at least a few pounds by now.

OK, it's only been about 10 weeks...riding approx 4 days a week about 45 to 55 min per ride at a pretty high effort level (yea, I'm REALLY out of shape). I'm seeing progress in my cardio and legs, but the pounds aren't going AT ALL. Problem of course is I'm not really ready for any 2 or 3 hr "fat burners".

Any thoughts or tips are appreciated.....am I just being impatient?

It's good to be riding again!

Trail

 

The point is what are you eating?


Reduce your calorie intake. Eat lean protein, cut back on the carbs and eat NO junk or fried foods. Eat salads with good greens NO iceberg lettuces. Drink plenty of water. Increase the length of your work out staying in the 65% of your heart rate.

 

If you are looking to lose weight, the first place to look is at what you are eating. You don't have to get carried away with it; but take an objective look and figure out if maybe you can't cut out some crap. My advice to anyone who isn't seriously training for a particular sport or competition and just wants a healthy/fit body is to eat however much you want, whenever you want; but to eat healthy food.

Aside from dieting, cardio + resistence training is the best way to go. People tend to either do one, the other, or neither But both is where most people (IE - non profession/semi-pro types) should be.

Your cardio sounds good. You might want to look into HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) as an alternative, but I think the riding you are doing is probably just fine.

If you toss in weight training, you'd really help with fat loss and you'd gain some strength too.

 

I agree with the interval idea. That will get results. Also, be careful what you eat right after your ride. Try to get a big dose of protein within an hour after you get home. Resist the urge to eat that huge plate of pasta your body is asking for.

 

I've been trying 5 years to lose weight by mostly cycling and have had almost no luck. Have gained muscle and lost fat but still have a gut that gets in the way when I'm riding fast (or slowly).

I need to take a different approach to get the last pounds off....so far it's just been a bit of a tug of war, (few pounds off + a quick rebound).

I think I've narrowed down the main cause to not drinking enough water. I just never feel thirsty, even on hot days, on long rides.... I have to force myself to take a drink... therefore I think my body just needs a constant suply of fresh water and all the excess fat will flush out. I eat sensibly, I train harder than any 'normal' non cyclist...

My job is stressful as well and I get few breaks therefore I don't drink during the day... think I'll set my watch's alarm to go off every hour and that means I must have a glass of water.

 

Remeber cals in vs. cals out....Start watching your intake...Log on to Fitday.com to keep track....Its free and easy to do....

 

Drinking enough water is essential. I remember reading that most people do not take in enough fluids. Add in exercise, especially one as demanding as cycling can be, and you need to take in even more fluids. Drink water though when not training or competing, as too many carbs from something like gatorade just sit there when not execising.

What you consume after execising is very important. Take in protein, limit carbs. Train your body to burn fat and use the carbs as fuel, not to be stored.