Weight loss has stalled

[clackers]

Each to their own method of calorie control, IMHO.

There are a lot of myths out there despite official advice.

A gram of fat has the same energy content in olive oil as pig fat, half an avocado has the same calories as a Mars bar, half a cup of almonds the same as six Weetbix and milk.

[Xplora]

The high fat low carb diet kinda works that way - it will be easier for your body to use the fat if there is more dietary fat available;

Pretty shonky stuff, Xplora.

Not to be recommended.

See http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-carbohydrate_diet

It's been shown by studies that endurance athletes benefit a lot from such a diet - however, it's endurance athletes that benefit. Not regular people... you'd want to be training 10+ hours a week to ensure you weren't doing yourself harm I am guessing. Athletic diets are not the same as everyone elses. I'm considering taking a few different supplements at the moment (BCAAs, Glutamine, creatine, plus the protein powders and perhaps some test boosters - all comp legal stuff though LOL) because I'm struggling to recover from the high intensity work I'm doing on the bike right now. If I just sat on my butt, the creatine would be wasted, the protein would muck up my kidneys and I'd have some very expensive urine. Horses for courses... and oats aren't good for everything. Your body isn't designed to achieve what an athletic training program is designed to do. So a high fat diet (we're only talking 20% intake vs 10% btw) could help that process. I like the idea of not needing gels or gatorade during longer rides.

[toolonglegs]

Each to their own method of calorie control, IMHO.

There are a lot of myths out there despite official advice.

A gram of fat has the same energy content in olive oil as pig fat, half an avocado has the same calories as a Mars bar, half a cup of almonds the same as six Weetbix and milk.

I try and get a bit of good fat in daily... Don't always succeed. The only bad fat I get is in olive oil... But in the dishes I make it is minimal. 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dahl that will make 10 portions for example.
The problem is the good fat doesn't make me feel full. 100g of walnuts is easily consumed, equal to 800grams of fruit which fills me up.

[clackers]

It's been shown by studies that endurance athletes benefit a lot from such a diet

After lots of studies, that can't be said, Xplora ...

“Overall, there is evidence to suggest that endurance performance at best can only be maintained after long term adaptation to fat-rich diets when compared with carbohydrate-rich diets, and therefore long-term fat diet usage cannot be recommended as a tool to improve endurance performance”.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/08/high- ... r-cycling/

[clackers]

The problem is the good fat doesn't make me feel full. 100g of walnuts is easily consumed, equal to 800grams of fruit which fills me up.

Yeah, obviously one tactic is to reduce the energy density, so you can have less calories but in a greater volume of food.

Won't work for everyone, but will work for a lot of people.

Adding bran to meals is an example of that, or trading fats for sugars is another (custard instead of ice cream).

The paper at the weekend pointed out the weight loss strategy that has the best proven medical record (because it doesn't rely on self-discipline) and that's gastric banding.

But it's a serious step and it costs $15,000.

[TimW]

The problem is the good fat doesn't make me feel full. 100g of walnuts is easily consumed, equal to 800grams of fruit which fills me up.

Yeah, obviously one tactic is to reduce the energy density, so you can have less calories but in a greater volume of food.

Won't work for everyone, but will work for a lot of people.

Adding bran to meals is an example of that, or trading fats for sugars is another (custard instead of ice cream).

The paper at the weekend pointed out the weight loss strategy that has the best proven medical record (because it doesn't rely on self-discipline) and that's gastric banding.

But it's a serious step and it costs $15,000.

Now just sit back and wait for an in depth analysis, and consumate google search by Xplora, on the benefits of Gastric banding and how it could affect his shop riding power sprints, and the weight saving benefits of cheaper elastic bands.

[toolonglegs]

That is a fix, not one I would take .
Everyone wants a quick fix... Counting calories is a quick fix. But I don't think it is sustainable for many people. Probably took most people 10 years to get fat, but they want to lose all that weight again in a month .

[clackers]

Probably took most people 10 years to get fat, but they want to lose all that weight again in a month .

The way of the world!

[casual_cyclist]

That is a fix, not one I would take .
Everyone wants a quick fix... Counting calories is a quick fix. But I don't think it is sustainable for many people. Probably took most people 10 years to get fat, but they want to lose all that weight again in a month .

Not everyone wants a quick fix but I agree that many do. A few people I know learned from their mistakes and made long term lifestyle changes to reduce body fat and keep it off. Those few people I know who have been successful set 2 to 3 year goals to reduce body fat. Of course it works but that is too slow for many people.

[Xplora]

It's been shown by studies that endurance athletes benefit a lot from such a diet

After lots of studies, that can't be said, Xplora ...

“Overall, there is evidence to suggest that endurance performance at best can only be maintained after long term adaptation to fat-rich diets when compared with carbohydrate-rich diets, and therefore long-term fat diet usage cannot be recommended as a tool to improve endurance performance”.

http://cyclingtips.com.au/2013/08/high- ... r-cycling/

Did you read the rest of the page??? I don't think you read the same article as I did... there are multiple things on the page that refute that study.

Perceived exertion is referred to in another study... can't afford a powermeter and a HRM? LOL I'm not saying that it's the magic cure for anything, but it's worth consideration. Fact is, fat tastes better than carbs. Every time. Seems that people who take the time to adapt really find it helps; but it's a very big change to the body, and perhaps a study of 10-20 people isn't enough to account for some heavy genetic differences across a population - especially if your interest is a population of active cyclists who have an unusual activity profile. I don't know any other group that spends so long "exercising".

[kb]

The paper at the weekend pointed out the weight loss strategy that has the best proven medical record (because it doesn't rely on self-discipline) and that's gastric banding.

But it's a serious step and it costs $15,000.

Hmm... I know personal experience often yields a distorted view but the few people I've known who've had gastric banding haven't had great success. The problem is it's great for portion control of foods that don't compress well but not so good for high calorie liquids, semi-liquids (chocolate, ice cream, soft cheese). It does reduce appetite a lot but if you're not eating because you're hungry but craving... Patterns of weight gain tied to emotionsl issues and/or in combination with sedating drugs (some anti-depressants, anti-psychotics) seem pretty hard to get around. And of course, eating only what gets past the band easily then exacerbates poor nutrition.

[TREKKER_MIKE]

I have a buddy, he was 265 kilo, had the banding surgery.
he needed to go on the shake diet prior to surgery to help the liver. he lost 35 kilo on the shake diet in about 6 weeks. He then had the surgery, lost another 10 kilo to 15 kilo as he was not allowed to eat the solid foods

he was then told he is now allowed to eat solids again, went out and smashed an entire large pizza because "i have been good, this is a treat"

6 months on - he is back to his start weight

you have to want to do it, he thought that this was the fix, and he wouldn't need to do anything. Lazy

If you want to drop 10 kilos - shake diet will help for sure, but you wont learn to eat healthy.

[andione1983]

Im a heavy boned 6ft2 guy last year I was tipping towards 108-109kgs..i felt crappy I was not fat but I was not thin either.. Anyway my ambition is to join the police force hopefully next year.. So i have been very very enthusiastic about loosing weight to get my bmi on track.. So i took up cycling... I have also totally changed my eating habits... I eat more fruit and more veg more fresh meals basically zero take away now,and NO SUGARY SOFT DRINK OR FRUIT JUICES, where being on the road for my present job I was always on the take away food...
I have gone from full cream milk to skinny.. Probably the only BAD thing I drink are my daily skinny cappuccinos.
Anyway my weight over the last few months has steadily dropped, currently in am hovering around the 99kg mark.. I have lost a lot of the extra bits around my middle... For some reason I am stalling on 99 don't know whether i am now building my muscle tone and that's why it's stalling... I also swim and run.. But it's definitely been worth it i dont sweat like I used too with 10kgs extra and i am loving that my my endurance is getting better as I am gradually doing longer rides. I try to get on the bike every day for a minimum 25klm ride.

Sent from my Galaxy far far away....

[casual_cyclist]

Im a heavy boned 6ft2 guy last year I was tipping towards 108-109kgs..i felt crappy I was not fat but I was not thin either.. Anyway my ambition is to join the police force hopefully next year.. So i have been very very enthusiastic about loosing weight to get my bmi on track.. So i took up cycling... I have also totally changed my eating habits... I eat more fruit and more veg more fresh meals basically zero take away now,and NO SUGARY SOFT DRINK OR FRUIT JUICES, where being on the road for my present job I was always on the take away food...
I have gone from full cream milk to skinny.. Probably the only BAD thing I drink are my daily skinny cappuccinos.
Anyway my weight over the last few months has steadily dropped, currently in am hovering around the 99kg mark.. I have lost a lot of the extra bits around my middle... For some reason I am stalling on 99 don't know whether i am now building my muscle tone and that's why it's stalling... I also swim and run.. But it's definitely been worth it i dont sweat like I used too with 10kgs extra and i am loving that my my endurance is getting better as I am gradually doing longer rides. I try to get on the bike every day for a minimum 25klm ride.

Good progress so far! I'm 6'2" too and also "big boned". I started at 113 kg a couple of years ago and I'm down to 90 kg. Same as you, I am eating much more fruit and veg and meals cooked from scratch. The biggest difference is I went to full fat milk. I haven't read too much good stuff about low fat milk. My weight loss stalled around 95 kg when my food intake went too low. I had to eat more to kick start weight loss again. The "more" was veggies and eggs.

[paladin]

Im a heavy boned 6ft2 guy last year I was tipping towards 108-109kgs..i felt crappy I was not fat but I was not thin either.. Anyway my ambition is to join the police force hopefully next year.. So i have been very very enthusiastic about loosing weight to get my bmi on track.. So i took up cycling... I have also totally changed my eating habits... I eat more fruit and more veg more fresh meals basically zero take away now,and NO SUGARY SOFT DRINK OR FRUIT JUICES, where being on the road for my present job I was always on the take away food...
I have gone from full cream milk to skinny.. Probably the only BAD thing I drink are my daily skinny cappuccinos.
Anyway my weight over the last few months has steadily dropped, currently in am hovering around the 99kg mark.. I have lost a lot of the extra bits around my middle... For some reason I am stalling on 99 don't know whether i am now building my muscle tone and that's why it's stalling... I also swim and run.. But it's definitely been worth it i dont sweat like I used too with 10kgs extra and i am loving that my my endurance is getting better as I am gradually doing longer rides. I try to get on the bike every day for a minimum 25klm ride.

Good progress so far! I'm 6'2" too and also "big boned". I started at 113 kg a couple of years ago and I'm down to 90 kg. Same as you, I am eating much more fruit and veg and meals cooked from scratch. The biggest difference is I went to full fat milk. I haven't read too much good stuff about low fat milk. My weight loss stalled around 95 kg when my food intake went too low. I had to eat more to kick start weight loss again. The "more" was veggies and eggs.

I too am about 6" have dropped from 112kg in April to 95kg today. Have stalled on 95/96 for last 6 weeks. I have been riding hard 150-200 km's per week and tracking calories at 1200 calaries per day.

I thought maybe too low, but has worked until recently. The last week I have bumped intake to 2000 cal and dropped riding off.

Am interested in peoples thoughts into how I can restart my weight loss from here?

[winstonw]

I too am about 6" have dropped from 112kg in April to 95kg today. Have stalled on 95/96 for last 6 weeks. I have been riding hard 150-200 km's per week and tracking calories at 1200 calaries per day.

I thought maybe too low, but has worked until recently. The last week I have bumped intake to 2000 cal and dropped riding off.

Am interested in peoples thoughts into how I can restart my weight loss from here?

I work in the field and I'll put money on it that you have not consumed 1200 Cals/day on average for the last 6 weeks.
I'd actually be very interested in seeing the food diary you determined that 1200 Cals/day.

If you PM me your ht, wt, neck waist and hip circumferences, activity at work, home, and exercise load, I'll give you a more accurate estimate of your energy expenditure, from which can be determined a more reliable energy intake for safe and sure weight loss. Can also give you a portion plan.

[Wakatuki]

I too am about 6" have dropped from 112kg in April to 95kg today. Have stalled on 95/96 for last 6 weeks. I have been riding hard 150-200 km's per week and tracking calories at 1200 calaries per day.

I thought maybe too low, but has worked until recently. The last week I have bumped intake to 2000 cal and dropped riding off.

Am interested in peoples thoughts into how I can restart my weight loss from here?

I work in the field and I'll put money on it that you have not consumed 1200 Cals/day on average for the last 6 weeks.
I'd actually be very interested in seeing the food diary you determined that 1200 Cals/day.

If you PM me your ht, wt, neck waist and hip circumferences, activity at work, home, and exercise load, I'll give you a more accurate estimate of your energy expenditure, from which can be determined a more reliable energy intake for safe and sure weight loss. Can also give you a portion plan.

winstonw, would you do the same for me?
Short version: M 40½, 188cm (6'2") big frame. Started weight loss June 2012. Was 120kg, no measurements taken. Now 99-100kg. Resting HR down from 71to 56 max seen (171). Lowest ever weight 97.5kg feb this year, starved myself for BMI on medical. Current info according to weight watchers scales is bone density of 8.4% BF 26.4%. in training for the QLD police. current beep 6:10 need 7:7. My lungs always fail the legs both running and riding. Have favoured atkins style diet, during weight loss, the only carb cheat I do is oats and honey before 40k group rides 2-3 times per week, Sundays usually slower ride with Pam. Was thinking of trying 5:2 diet.. doing the 2 on my none excercise days, Thurs and Sat. Thats the short version

[sogood]

I used to see almost a daily change/trend downwards, but over the past week my weight loss has stopped. If anything, I've put a little bit back on...

Then some tries liposuction!

[TonyMax]

Do some walking.

I walk our dogs every morning for at least half an hour and I think this is contributing more to my weight loss than my 5 x 20km lunch time bike rides per week.

Find half an hour a day to go for a walk as quickly as you can and see if that helps.

I get up at 5am during the week and go for an early morning walk, it's a great start to my day.

[Xplora]

Tony, your riding would be contributing more (simply by using more energy) but you're 100% right that anything to break the plateau and increase your training workload is going to help. I'm not trying to lose weight at all, but I've been adding some step walking just to introduce some varied training for the legs to improve fast twitch strength. It seems to be helping, because it's better than nothing

[im_no_pro]

I am on the same path as you, so far dropped from 133kg to 126kg and working on it. For me the key has been changing the way I look at food. Where I used to eat for comfort and enjoyment, I now am trying to change my mindset to eat for nutrition. Counting calories through apps like My Fitness Pal helps to see how much excess energy is in a can of coke, hot chips, etc. It is a pain at first but really helps recalibrate your eye for serving size and makes you think twice before you eat. Also look at doing some weight bearing exercise and HIIT stuff on a bike or rower to mix things up.

Stick with it and you'll get where you want to be. Good luck.

+1, myfitnesspal is exactly what I was going to suggest. Even if you only do it for a few weeks, its a massive eye opener. GLW is still doing it daily, I have gone off it in the last week or so, but my goal isnt weight loss. I have dropped 4 kilos in a few weeks, there is still a little more fat to lose (maybe 1-2kg) but overall I will probably gain weight from this point.

FWIW, Im glad I didnt put yesterdays intake into myfitnesspal. Bathurst is one of two days per year I will have a beer (or 3) before midday. Massive Egg, Bacon and Cheese sanga for Breakfast and my daily intake was probably blown before lunch! Then there was the 2yo birthday party in the afternoon

[Wakatuki]

FWIW, Im glad I didnt put yesterdays intake into myfitnesspal. Bathurst is one of two days per year I will have a beer (or 3) before midday. Massive Egg, Bacon and Cheese sanga for Breakfast and my daily intake was probably blown before lunch! Then there was the 2yo birthday party in the afternoon

This is part of the reward, for the rest of the being good days

[im_no_pro]

FWIW, Im glad I didnt put yesterdays intake into myfitnesspal. Bathurst is one of two days per year I will have a beer (or 3) before midday. Massive Egg, Bacon and Cheese sanga for Breakfast and my daily intake was probably blown before lunch! Then there was the 2yo birthday party in the afternoon

This is part of the reward, for the rest of the being good days

Thats what I keep telling myself lol....

Problem is I know I have eaten crap yesterday, as I cant stop eating today. Have noticed that the couple of times I have had a 'day off' since kicking into eating better the following day I just couldnt seem to feel full.

[Gordonhooker]

My wife was telling me what she heard the other day on the idiot box.... That if you are on a diet and craving a particular thing you have have it as it stops the famine response in the body. I am a great believe in the eating fresh foods and in moderate amounts along with exercise is the way to get rid of excess body fat and keep it off. It takes time to get fat and it takes time to lose it.

[nescius]

I have been dropping weight for the last couple of weeks in preparation for Tour of Bright later this year, started at about 80.5kg (I'm 189cm) and weighed in at 77.6kg this morning. That's after a bit under 3 weeks of cutting back on what I eat. My target is 74kg, I haven't been that light for quite a while now, maybe 10 years.

I cut out all sweets - so no chocolate, no cakes, no desserts, no biscuits, no banana bread (it's just cake!), no lollies etc.
I cut out all alcohol, soft drink, and most fruit juice (didn't drink much of this anyway)
No more coco pops for breakfast (not even on race day!)
I cut all my meal portions pretty much in half and don't have seconds anymore
I have not changed my pre-race or pre-training eating patterns, and I still eat the same amount during training or racing.
My training volume is about the same, 8-12 hrs a week.
I was really hungry for the first 10 days or so, but now it's not so bad, my performance during training and racing hasn't suffered, if anything I'm getting faster.

I used MyFitnessPal to get an idea of how many calories I was taking in and to figure out how much I could eat and still lose weight.

This is probably not a sustainable long term diet, so once I am down to my goal weight I might chat to a nutritionist or someone to sort out a plan to maintain that weight.