Gah. Need help. X2...
Discussion
OK, I am having the same problem as Parrot of Doom. My gruelling exercise regimen:
1-2 hours' of biking every day.
300 stomach crunches (150 in the morning and 150 at night).
Running between 1 and 2 miles per day as well.
Sometimes an additional 1 mile walk in the evenings.
And *still* my weight isn't going down!
I am careful to exercise at the "fat-burning" light to moderate levels, too. I have also halved my meal portions and try to eat only veggies, lean meat and fruit. Occasionally I will have a piece of toast or half a bowl of cereal in the mornings as well.
I have been biking for about a month and doing the running and stomach crunches for only a week. But I was hoping to have shed at least half a kg in the last week. Grrrrr.
Am I being too impatient? Any advice?
1-2 hours' of biking every day.
300 stomach crunches (150 in the morning and 150 at night).
Running between 1 and 2 miles per day as well.
Sometimes an additional 1 mile walk in the evenings.
And *still* my weight isn't going down!
I am careful to exercise at the "fat-burning" light to moderate levels, too. I have also halved my meal portions and try to eat only veggies, lean meat and fruit. Occasionally I will have a piece of toast or half a bowl of cereal in the mornings as well.
I have been biking for about a month and doing the running and stomach crunches for only a week. But I was hoping to have shed at least half a kg in the last week. Grrrrr.
Am I being too impatient? Any advice?
Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Monday 4th September 16:54
You are probably either 1) gaining muscle and loosing fat at the same time, or 2) you are using the same amount of calories as you consume.
My guess is (1), the phrase 'gruelling' is the give away - if the exercise is intensive enough, and your body has time to recover - it will get stronger by growing your muscles. Larger muscles use more calories = less fat.
I wouldn't get hung up on measuring your weight in isolation. If you want comfort on this get one of the scales that analyses your weight by muscle and fat - this way if your weight stays the same but your % fat falls - you are laughing. If you don't have a fancy scale you can judge if you are gaining muscle mass: you will see your performance increasing (particularily in outright speed in sprinting and short steep climbs) and you will be looking more athletic with your waist measurement falling over time.
My guess is (1), the phrase 'gruelling' is the give away - if the exercise is intensive enough, and your body has time to recover - it will get stronger by growing your muscles. Larger muscles use more calories = less fat.
I wouldn't get hung up on measuring your weight in isolation. If you want comfort on this get one of the scales that analyses your weight by muscle and fat - this way if your weight stays the same but your % fat falls - you are laughing. If you don't have a fancy scale you can judge if you are gaining muscle mass: you will see your performance increasing (particularily in outright speed in sprinting and short steep climbs) and you will be looking more athletic with your waist measurement falling over time.
Edited by MTY4000 on Monday 4th September 17:54
OK, many thanks. I will look for a % fat scale. Didn't know such a thing existed. I am not too hung up on the weight loss, but I just wanted to know what was going on, as it didn't make sense. I am definitely feeling better and getting stronger...I can't believe some of the hills I climb, and there are a couple that, just a month ago, I could only go up 1/5 of the way to the top--now I can climb them 4 times in a row (probably more, even).
I got a heart-rate monitor and according to the charts I was supposed to have a heart rate of 160+ when exercising, but mine never seemed to go up beyond 95. After a week of struggling with it, I realised the monitor was set to show percentage of max heart rate, not beats per minute! Phew, I was really worried that I was horribly out of shape.
I had a slipped disc a year ago and nothing seemed to work to alleviate the back pain. That's gone now. And I seem to sleep a lot better. I just wish it would "show" a little in a leaner-looking body.
I will be even more cautious about what I put in my body, calorie wise. Cutting out the breakfast cereal entirely and just going with healthy fruits for now. Problem is all the summer barbecues and dining out with friends--I seem to fall off the wagon repeatedly.
I got a heart-rate monitor and according to the charts I was supposed to have a heart rate of 160+ when exercising, but mine never seemed to go up beyond 95. After a week of struggling with it, I realised the monitor was set to show percentage of max heart rate, not beats per minute! Phew, I was really worried that I was horribly out of shape.
I had a slipped disc a year ago and nothing seemed to work to alleviate the back pain. That's gone now. And I seem to sleep a lot better. I just wish it would "show" a little in a leaner-looking body.
I will be even more cautious about what I put in my body, calorie wise. Cutting out the breakfast cereal entirely and just going with healthy fruits for now. Problem is all the summer barbecues and dining out with friends--I seem to fall off the wagon repeatedly.
Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Monday 4th September 18:09
I wouldn't look to keep your heart rate at 160 all the time. Thats is a good aerobic rate, keeping it up for an hour or two is a real beasting. Mix it up with periods at a lower heart rate too if you want to burn fat & take time to cool down after the workout.
Also, I'd suggest don't have a gruelling work out every day. Your body gets stronger (faster etc..) through rest after the workout. I'd keep it low intensity every other day e.g. a gentle ride or go have some fun on the bike (e.g. skills / jumps.. whatever) - or take the day off.
This way you will maximise your gains and reduce the chance of injury / overtraining. Just a suggestion.
Also, I'd suggest don't have a gruelling work out every day. Your body gets stronger (faster etc..) through rest after the workout. I'd keep it low intensity every other day e.g. a gentle ride or go have some fun on the bike (e.g. skills / jumps.. whatever) - or take the day off.
This way you will maximise your gains and reduce the chance of injury / overtraining. Just a suggestion.
Edited by MTY4000 on Monday 4th September 18:29
Edited by MTY4000 on Monday 4th September 18:29
You might find some of the articles here of use: www.sports-fitness.com
I've found some of them useful
I've found some of them useful
Try eating breakfast as well, I wasnt exactly overweight at 5'10 / 13.5st but a couple of years ago I lost best part of a stone over a ~9 month period when I started getting up 10 mins earlier and eating a reasonable breakfast every day (cereal etc), rather than going without like I always used to. Ever since then my weight has settled at that lower level despite not changing anything else in my diet, even through periods when I wasnt doing much exercise. Without knowning the medical facts, I assume its to do with the fact that eating breakfast gets your metabolism going first thing in the morning so you burn off more calories than breakfast contains, and a net gain in calories burned over not eating at all.
Edited by Locoblade on Monday 4th September 21:21
Locoblade, thanks for the tip. I intend to cut down the calorie count, not the whole breakfast. Instead of cereal (270 calories) I am going to just eat a banana (110 or so). Should get the metabolism going, but with less additional calories to burn off, it will hopefully eat into some of the fat stores.
ewenm said:
You might find some of the articles here of use: www.sports-fitness.com
I've found some of them useful
Thanks. I skimmed over some of the articles...but I haven't found it of much use yet. Can you link me to the articles you liked?I've found some of them useful
Excercise for fat loss is best done long and slow at 65-75% of HRMax - the 'fat burning zone'. Work at a higher intensity than this and you'll still lose fat, but any resultant weight loss will be more than offset by greater muscle mass.
Cycling, like swimming, is weight-supported and it's actually quite hard to get into this zone without spending a lot - 3 or 4 hours plus at a stretch - of time on the bike. Running at 8-10 minute mile pace is better.
If you're excercising for the sake of the general health benefits then your weight is irrelevant: % bodyfat, satifaction with your appearance and your ability to perform against ojective targets are the best measures.
Set yourself a 10-mile bike and 4-mile run time trial once a month and use these to measure your progress: you need to be realistic, though, no sandbagging and a full-on hurtbox effort every time or you'll just be kidding yourself.
Cycling, like swimming, is weight-supported and it's actually quite hard to get into this zone without spending a lot - 3 or 4 hours plus at a stretch - of time on the bike. Running at 8-10 minute mile pace is better.
If you're excercising for the sake of the general health benefits then your weight is irrelevant: % bodyfat, satifaction with your appearance and your ability to perform against ojective targets are the best measures.
Set yourself a 10-mile bike and 4-mile run time trial once a month and use these to measure your progress: you need to be realistic, though, no sandbagging and a full-on hurtbox effort every time or you'll just be kidding yourself.
I don’t know if this is for you, but….get on the Atkins.
I have found a happy medium with my diet. Monday morning until Friday evening I partake in the Atkins ritual and then when the weekend comes I get back onto carbs, caffeine and alcohol.
It works for me and to be honest it makes you appreciate (carbs) food a great deal more.
I have found a happy medium with my diet. Monday morning until Friday evening I partake in the Atkins ritual and then when the weekend comes I get back onto carbs, caffeine and alcohol.
It works for me and to be honest it makes you appreciate (carbs) food a great deal more.
Your heart rate monitor will also inform your progress. My take on things (happy to be corrected): if you are progressing in aerobic fitness, you will find that:
1) you are maintaing the same speed, climbing the same hills - but at a lower heart rate.
2) your heart rate will fall to resting rate, from the eleveted hard exercise rate quicker
Monitor (2) during your cool down period. (2) is supposedly very telling on your overall fitness level. I monitor my fitness like this in the gym on the cross country ski machine. Not as much fun as being outside biking, but good to monitor your heart rate and control your effort level based on what you want to achieve.
1) you are maintaing the same speed, climbing the same hills - but at a lower heart rate.
2) your heart rate will fall to resting rate, from the eleveted hard exercise rate quicker
Monitor (2) during your cool down period. (2) is supposedly very telling on your overall fitness level. I monitor my fitness like this in the gym on the cross country ski machine. Not as much fun as being outside biking, but good to monitor your heart rate and control your effort level based on what you want to achieve.
Thanks for all the tips. The weight's coming off slowly but steadily and I am feeling much lighter and stronger. The best thing is looking at my profile in the mirror and watching the paunch recede. Woohoo!
- I eat light snacks constantly to keep my metabolism going and consume the calories stored as fat.
- I started exercising a little less intensely to keep the heart rate in the fat-burning range, rather than the muscle-building range (still do try to build muscles twice a week, as more muscle mass means more calorie-burning ability).
I got the percent body fat scale and it told me I was overfat, not obese, and my basal metabolic rate was that of someone much older...yikes! Any tips on how to increase the metabolic rate? Anything else besides build muscle and maintain an active lifestyle?
Thinking of joining an indoor football league now.
- I eat light snacks constantly to keep my metabolism going and consume the calories stored as fat.
- I started exercising a little less intensely to keep the heart rate in the fat-burning range, rather than the muscle-building range (still do try to build muscles twice a week, as more muscle mass means more calorie-burning ability).
I got the percent body fat scale and it told me I was overfat, not obese, and my basal metabolic rate was that of someone much older...yikes! Any tips on how to increase the metabolic rate? Anything else besides build muscle and maintain an active lifestyle?
Thinking of joining an indoor football league now.
Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Friday 8th September 15:32
Good to hear you are making progress.
How to increase the metabolic rate - the ways you mention are the methods I'm aware of.
Swimming might be an idea, it will work your upper body so you will add a little bit more muscle in areas that biking does not work so well - so your metobolic rate will be increasing as time goes on. Or, do some push-ups after each ride.
I think swimming is quite a good complimentary sport for biking, and you could always do a triathalon at some point in the future. Something to aim for longer term.
Good luck with the training.
How to increase the metabolic rate - the ways you mention are the methods I'm aware of.
Swimming might be an idea, it will work your upper body so you will add a little bit more muscle in areas that biking does not work so well - so your metobolic rate will be increasing as time goes on. Or, do some push-ups after each ride.
I think swimming is quite a good complimentary sport for biking, and you could always do a triathalon at some point in the future. Something to aim for longer term.
Good luck with the training.
Yeah, I was wondering about the lack of upper body strengthening. Swimming's a bit out of the question for me, although I might be able to squeeze it in on weekends (but it ends up being more of a splashing/drinking exercise then, and summer is going to fade soon). I just don't have the time. I think I will cut down to situps once a day (instead of twice) and do pushups the other time.
Triathlon? Hmmm, I never even considered that as a remote possibility. Maybe in the very distant future...I want to do soccer/football with some other people--all the stuff I am doing is pretty solitary except for the Wednesday night bike riding group.
Thanks for all the great advice.
Triathlon? Hmmm, I never even considered that as a remote possibility. Maybe in the very distant future...I want to do soccer/football with some other people--all the stuff I am doing is pretty solitary except for the Wednesday night bike riding group.
Thanks for all the great advice.
Edited by orgasmicliving!! on Friday 8th September 16:37
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