Author Topic: Weight Loss Discussion Thread (Read 1300520 times)

mike · « **Reply #1875 on:** 24 August, 2011, 05:27:20 pm »

i just bought some 34" jeans

I've been wearing 36 (and sometimes 38) for nearly 20 years, now 34s fit just fine. Blimey.

itsbruce · « **Reply #1876 on:** 25 August, 2011, 01:50:13 pm »

Great feeling, isn't it?

Going to strike onwards to 32?

mike · « **Reply #1877 on:** 25 August, 2011, 03:56:13 pm »

Quote from: itsbruce on 25 August, 2011, 01:50:13 pm

Great feeling, isn't it? Going to strike onwards to 32?

Oh yes. I'm still 15 kilos over where I want to be...

DrMekon · « **Reply #1878 on:** 25 August, 2011, 11:45:02 pm »

I was in 30" trousers when I got married, and used to have to wear a belt. Was struggling to get in to 36" jeans mid way through my PhD and again when our eldest was 6 months old. Don't need to wear a belt, but being back in 30" trousers feels great. The main things I notice are that I don't get so hot when I am exercising - I barely sweat compared to before, and that going uphill quite a bit easier.

I've been working with a MRC Epidemiology group recently - they are at the cutting edge of investigation of the effects of physical activity and obesity - it's all DEXA scanners and actiheart monitors (gonna borrow one for my next 600). One of their researchers was speculating that we've not seen anything yet in terms of the ill-effects of obesity given the rise in obesity in kids. He sent me this paper that describes the effects of obesity longditudinally (instead of assessing it at a single time point and looking at outcomes related to that).

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/40/4/985.abstract

Quote

[over]48 years... for those who were obese for 1–4.9, 5–14.9, 15–24.9 and ≥25 years of the study follow-up period, adjusted HRs for all-cause mortality were 1.51 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–1.79], 1.94 (95% CI 1.71–2.20), 2.25 (95% CI 1.89–2.67) and 2.52 (95% CI 2.08–3.06), respectively, compared with those who were never obese.

He was wondering what the life expectancy of kids who've always been fat will end up being. I was remembering that when I was a kid, there were 2 fat kids in the whole school. Now there's 2 per class.

DrMekon · « **Reply #1879 on:** 26 August, 2011, 12:55:45 pm »

The Lancet has a special issue on obesity this week. Loads of good stuff, but this fits my interests well.

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2811%2960812-X/fulltext

Loads of interesting stuff on why people lose less weight than predicted, and quantifying the amount of change in energy expenditure required to deal with the obesity epidemic in the US. A cracking read.

There's also a weight change simulator on the main page for the obesity series

http://www.thelancet.com/series/obesity

mike · « **Reply #1880 on:** 26 August, 2011, 01:24:20 pm »

From a position of absolutely no knowledge at all, I think there's a lot more to it than calories & exercise...

I've always done 8-10 hours of sport a week, and up until Feb this year I'd eaten fairly sensible amounts of low fat, conventionally healthy food. And beer, but that's a constant

when I did a calorie tracker thing it normally came out at about 2,000 - 2,500 per day, but I couldnt lose weight without starving myself, which wasnt sustainable.

Since Feb, I've changed the mix of what I eat by cutting out sugar and white carbs and replacing the missing calories with protein and fat and I've lost about 12 kilos in six months, steadily and (hopefully) sustainably and without ever being hungry. The level of exercise has stayed almost exactly the same.

it's not simple, that's for sure...

toontra · « **Reply #1881 on:** 26 August, 2011, 08:52:04 pm »

Well, I got down to 68kg before leaving for PBP, the lightest I've been for 30 years by 2-3kg. As Helly said maybe not a good idea before an endurance event but, as it turned out, I felt great and flew up the hills, even with my rack-pack with 6kg worth of stuff.

However, 1 week later back home on the same scales I'm 74g - I've put ON 6kg during the PBP week! Oh well, easy go, easy come (or some such saying).

BTW, I lost the weight by restricting my diet. For me it really was that simple, and wasn't even particularly hard or problematic - just required a change of habits. Exercise remained at the same level throughout, even lessened in the last couple of weeks of tapering.

simonp · « **Reply #1882 on:** 27 August, 2011, 12:38:17 pm »

I went to France around 68kg and this morning I'm about the same. I've lost a lot of body fat though and probably still need to lose a bit of fluid before I know the true effect.

DrMekon · « **Reply #1883 on:** 30 August, 2011, 03:08:19 pm »

Since giving up alcohol and treats on top of caffeine abstinence in prep for my next 600, I've been faithfully tracking my physical activity and diet again, and estimating my background calorie needs using a basal metabolic rate calculator and the Harris Benedict equation (not scholarship on my part in finding this - just random googling, so it may be shite). Together, this predicts that in the last week, as of today I should have lost 1.135kg. This morning, I stood on the admittedly crappy scales full of hope.

Bah, no weight loss. Here's hoping that I drank more water than usual for the time of day and needed a poo, and that tomorrow, the ~10000kcal deficit I'll be running for the week will start to show on the scales.

I've said it before, but it deserves repeating - weight gives really crap feedback (I know I've lost fat because my trousers are looser and my love handles are disappearing).

hellymedic · « **Reply #1884 on:** 30 August, 2011, 04:01:47 pm »

How about using a low-tech, low cost tape measure at various strategic points on your body and tracking progress that way.
Waist measurement can be confounded somewhat by food/faeces/flatus in your belly but bum and thigh circumference will not be.
You can't really pull a tape too tight round your bum...

Simonb · « **Reply #1885 on:** 30 August, 2011, 04:10:27 pm »

Lost about 3.5kg on PBP.

DrMekon · « **Reply #1886 on:** 30 August, 2011, 05:48:24 pm »

Quote from: hellymedic on 30 August, 2011, 04:01:47 pm

How about using a low-tech, low cost tape measure at various strategic points on your body and tracking progress that way.
Waist measurement can be confounded somewhat by food/faeces/flatus in your belly but bum and thigh circumference will not be.
You can't really pull a tape too tight round your bum...

I suspect that would be good for feeling like I'm progressing, but I'm only really interested in being lighter. If I had a power metre, I'd love to set a goal of increasing my power to weight ratio. I'be been skinny enough to meet any 'not fat' goals I've had for ages.

Feline · « **Reply #1887 on:** 30 August, 2011, 06:22:24 pm »

I got really swollen immediately after PBP, and my weight went up to 60kg. Its back down to 56.7kg now so more like my pre-ride weight. Not sure if I've actually lost any body fat or not though.

clarion · « **Reply #1888 on:** 31 August, 2011, 12:03:11 pm »

Despite nearly two weeks of overeating, touring has been kind to my weight.

Greenbank · « **Reply #1889 on:** 31 August, 2011, 01:11:35 pm »

Quote from: Simonb on 30 August, 2011, 04:10:27 pm

Lost about 3.5kg on PBP.

Same here, down to 81.7kg this morning. Will start tracking it again as I'm aiming for 76kg now that the bonkers cycling stuff is over.

Feline · « **Reply #1890 on:** 31 August, 2011, 07:35:23 pm »

I'm at a record low of 54.4kg today, but that might be artificially low from hangover dehydration and not really eating anything other than scrambled egg for 2 days. I feel very shit.

hellymedic · « **Reply #1891 on:** 31 August, 2011, 08:07:01 pm »

Quote from: Feline on 31 August, 2011, 07:35:23 pm

I'm at a record low of 54.4kg today, but that might be artificially low from hangover dehydration and not really eating anything other than scrambled egg for 2 days. I feel very shit.

Oh dear!
Get Well Soon!
[3rd attempt to post this as forum seems blippy]

DrMekon · « **Reply #1892 on:** 07 September, 2011, 02:00:56 pm »

Well, BMI starts with a 19 again for the first time since my 600 earlier in the summer. Glad today is weigh in day, as yesterday the scale said 71.5kg. Also pleased because it's taken a hell of a calorie deficit to get the weight to start to shift. I've been putting the data into my spread sheet...

Quote from: DrMekon on 30 August, 2011, 03:08:19 pm

Since giving up alcohol and treats on top of caffeine abstinence in prep for my next 600, I've been faithfully tracking my physical activity and diet again, and estimating my background calorie needs using a basal metabolic rate calculator and the Harris Benedict equation (not scholarship on my part in finding this - just random googling, so it may be shite). Together, this predicts that in the last week, as of today I should have lost 1.135kg. This morning, I stood on the admittedly crappy scales full of hope.

According to that, I should have lost 2.75kg, rather than the 1kg I have lost. Frustrated, I've just keyed all my data into the new model app on The Lancet. Expecting that it would confirm that my weight loss is as to be expected, I clicked the "run simulation" button.

It reckons I should have lost 4.5kg in the last 15 days, and bleeps warnings at me that I'll be an unhealthy weight by the end of the month. Bah! Either I am lying to myself about what I eat (unlikely, as I am using the barcode scanner in MyFitnessPal to log my eating), the models of what calorie expenditure results from physical activity (or specifically cycling) are wrong, or the models of weight loss or wrong, or I am an outlier, or my wife is secretly dosing me with sugar.

citoyen · « **Reply #1893 on:** 07 September, 2011, 02:33:49 pm »

Water retention?

L CC · « **Reply #1894 on:** 07 September, 2011, 02:36:51 pm »

Is it your time of the month DrMekon?

Seriously, you're just getting fitter. More efficient at energy in => miles out. One day you'll be as fit as me and be able to ride 1230km without losing a single kg. You lucky thing.

border-rider · « **Reply #1895 on:** 07 September, 2011, 02:45:18 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 31 August, 2011, 01:11:35 pm

Quote from: Simonb on 30 August, 2011, 04:10:27 pm
Lost about 3.5kg on PBP.

Same here, down to 81.7kg this morning. Will start tracking it again as I'm aiming for 76kg now that the bonkers cycling stuff is over.

I haven't weighed myself, but I know I was a lot smaller afterwards. No surprise, as I really struggled to find anything to eat at the controls and the only real meal I had was at Sizun

Some's gone back on, but I've just been to be measured for a wedding suit and I was pleasantly surprised...

DrMekon · « **Reply #1896 on:** 07 September, 2011, 03:27:45 pm »

Quote from: fboab on 07 September, 2011, 02:36:51 pm

Is it your time of the month DrMekon?

Seriously, you're just getting fitter. More efficient at energy in => miles out. One day you'll be as fit as me and be able to ride 1230km without losing a single kg. You lucky thing.

I am feeling a bit moody, as it goes.

The only reason you didn't gain weight is that the french cakes aren't up to your standard. I'm still trying to lose the 3kg (primarily your coffee cake and brownies) that I put on at the Seething 600.

simonp · « **Reply #1897 on:** 07 September, 2011, 05:48:48 pm »

I was 71.9kg as of my most recent update. I lost some weight before PBP due to stress.

As of the week post-PBP I went down to about 66.5kg.

Must regenerate the graphs, not done it for a while.

Butterfly · « **Reply #1898 on:** 07 September, 2011, 10:10:15 pm »

67

. I don't think I have the hang of this

DrMekon · « **Reply #1899 on:** 14 September, 2011, 10:11:24 am »

Weight still not coming off at the expected rate. The best fit for my observed weightloss data I can get (that isn't obviously nonsense) is...

Current weight = starting weight + (calorie intake - ((basal metabolic rate * harris benedict equation¹) + (exercise energy expenditure² * 0.6³)))

What I've found useful about this this that it suggests that I'm running a much smaller calorie deficit that the tools such as livestrong and myfitnesspal suggests. That also fits with my low levels of hunger. I wonder if these tools hugely overestimate the energy expended cycling because they are based on normal cyclists. I suspect that if you've done a few audaxes, you've optimised your technique and equipment. The numbers I have suggest I'm using 60% of the calories that their estimates specify. I'll have actiheart derived energy expenditure data when I can be arsed to give my monitor back (which will replace all the BMR and exercise stuff), but I wish I had a powertap so I could see what that says.

Bottom line for me is that I can't trust the numbers/suggested plans for weightloss suggested by websites. If I did what they said, I'd be be losing around 1/3rd of a kilo a month, rather than the 1/2 kilo a week they suggest.

1. I put in 1.2 (sedentary) because I monitor all my exercise
2. From my gpx files in sporttracks, but the myfitnesspal and livestrong estimates come out there or thereabouts.
3. This is the 60% adjustment.

Author Topic: Weight Loss Discussion Thread (Read 1300520 times)

simonp

Simonb

border-rider

simonp