How low should one go?

[oncemore]

Mine IS too low - at c. 19. I've read the recommnded diet(s) to up it but 1. I couldn't eat that much and 2. I couldn't afford the foodstuffs listed!

But then it probably has been these last 45 years (my build/weight has hardly changed since I was 15). I was maybe almost a stone heavier, athough I never reached 10st, for a while in my early 20s (a lot of heavy manual work and vast amounts of beer!).

On balance I guess I'd rather be skinny than fat!

[mattc]

Granted us belly fellas could do with losing a few, but extremes of lightness and of leanness that make for elite athletic performance come with all sorts of bad things. 

Having said that, I'm going to try to starve off a few kilos before I get to the Alps next month...

(I suspect I don't have the discipline to do that, but anyway ...)

How does one do this without losing performance?

[simonp]

Well, what I'm doing is avoiding:

 - beer
 - cheese

& similar things.

I'm not on a diet by any means.  I've just had some sushi and I'm wondering what else I can get my hands on before lunch.

[Greenbank]

- beer

This is the thing that is stopping me being 11.5st instead of the current 12.5st.

[mattc]

Well, what I'm doing is avoiding:
 - beer
 - cheese
& similar things.

I'm not on a diet by any means. 

Stop! I didn't mean:
"how do I lose weight healthily"

I meant:
How to get down from healthy-thin to scary-thin(but light hence fast) for a short period e.g. when peaking for a particular event, without harming training/speed.

Or is there no training hit? Do you just keep the same calorie deficit up until target weight achieved?

(I wouldn't want to be scary-thin all year round - for reasons discussed. Even if I DID have the discipline!)

[MSeries]

It's not about 'thin' or at least shouldn't be. It's about weight. As Simon said earlier. He got thinner but his weight remained stable. Same for me. I am still getting thinner but keeping my weight constant. Not modified my diet, doing lots of mile, though not as much as before, doing weight lifting in the gym. Power must be increasing as I am cycling better though the increased amount of rest and the drugs probably help too. I don't take any measurements to quantify any of this.

[simonp]

I will have the powertap on LEL - should have every-15-second power output for the entire ride.

[tiermat]

I have just done mine, and I close t obese - 26.6, maybe that is why they didn't bother with BMI when I did my gym induction 4 weeks ago?  The important measurements (weight, height, subcutinous fat and body fat etc) were taken...

[simonp]

26.6 is closer to normal than it is to obese.

[simonp]

At the last skin fold test I had (years ago) I was told I had a body fat distribution somewhat like a female, and that it should be healthier.  For instance, I have virtually no fat over my biceps, and much, much more on my triceps.  Similarly, I have a much thinner layer on my upper back than my lower back.

Perhaps this is why I don't like putting on fat: I also seem to be a little bit moob-prone if I put on weight.

[simonp]

Turns out I think I look better at 69kg than 72.

Now to try to avoid putting back on those fat lbs I lost during LEL.