Weight Loss Discussion Thread

[simonp]

PS The graphs won't be updated until later as I've been away visiting the Cambridge office for a couple of days. I'll do my weigh-in tomorrow morning as that is more likely to be consistent than if I weigh last thing tonight.

[hellymedic]

My body fat scales were consistent with bf% measured at a sports lab using skin folds. Then they died. The new ones measure way higher and seem really insensitive to visible changes in fat. They measure at hands and feet unlike the first set.

The zonal thing they do claims I have 27% fat in my upper body. They are claiming 22% overall. I am measuring 6mm at the supra iliac point and this equates to around 14%. Maybe I have a lot of visceral fat. But my waist is not large. So that suggests not.

I would like to try a DEXA scan to know for sure.

Body fat scales are close to useless and 27% fat for any part of you must be untrue. A set of skinfold calipers and tape measure will tell you which way fat is moving. It is eventually lost fairly evenly so you can measure hips, neck, waist (many confounders here!) and thighs.

The latest trendy diet/fat story is neck measurement.

[Chris S]

I'll also be asking them if they know where I can get a proper body composition analysis.

£99 for a DEXA scan - http://www.body-composition.co.uk/BodyCompositionPrice.html

Sadly - you can't get them without referral in this country.

[sojournermike]

Back to an earlier thought. It's all an experiment and without trying one approach against the other it's hard to know which is best (for whatever you care about).  Just stay happy and healthy.


Simon, long time since I did a vo2 max test. Maybe I'll do another one day, but the result would surely disappoint at present...

[sojournermike]

My body fat scales were consistent with bf% measured at a sports lab using skin folds. Then they died. The new ones measure way higher and seem really insensitive to visible changes in fat. They measure at hands and feet unlike the first set.

The zonal thing they do claims I have 27% fat in my upper body. They are claiming 22% overall. I am measuring 6mm at the supra iliac point and this equates to around 14%. Maybe I have a lot of visceral fat. But my waist is not large. So that suggests not.

I would like to try a DEXA scan to know for sure.

Body fat scales are close to useless and 27% fat for any part of you must be untrue. A set of skinfold calipers and tape measure will tell you which way fat is moving. It is eventually lost fairly evenly so you can measure hips, neck, waist (many confounders here!) and thighs.

The latest trendy diet/fat story is neck measurement.

[velosam]

Well I am fed up. 

85kg for weeks on end. Nothing I do seems to make a difference not even a 100km ride.

[hellymedic]

Stop weighing yourself for a month.
Continue eating small portions of sensible foods.
Look at what happened to my weight when I stopped weighing myself.
I have been to several big eating occasions in the last month (2 weddings, one Big Passover meal and 7 night in hotels) but ate sensibly in between.
Chin up.
And breathe...

[Lady Cavendish]

Velosam what have you currently been doing? Are you counting everything? Or doing any other specific 'diet' or anything?

FWIW, I need to average 100k every single day to keep my weight down! Plus run. And do gym stuff.

[hellymedic]

Whereas I sit on my substantial (even now) a**e all day, count nothing but am aware of the sugar, Calorie and fat content of most foods I eat and adjust my intake accordingly.

[nightrider]

 :thumbsup:I dipped under the 90kg today.I would like to drop another 2kg before my next 200 which includes a hilly section.

[Chris S]

Well I am fed up. 

85kg for weeks on end. Nothing I do seems to make a difference not even a 100km ride.

Try cutting out, or at least a big reduction in, all bread, potatoes, pasta and sugar for a couple of weeks. It sounds tough, but it's not so bad. As a diet approach, it's been around a while - https://archive.org/details/letteroncorpulen00bant.

[simonp]

76.2kg this morning.

Think the water retention from the Elenydd went away overnight.

[Nick H.]

I've lost my first stone, woohoo! It's taken 3 weeks, not 1 week as I'd hoped - but that was a daft target. I'm doing the 5:2 diet but backwards, i.e. 2 eating days and 5 fasting days. On fasting days I try to limit my calories to 600. On the fastings days I'm fairly paleo. I take lots of fibre supplements on fasting days to suppress my appetite. It's not something I would ever recommend for a cyclist. Or anybody for that matter. But I hope to lose another stone as quickly. I'm now 13st 13 lbs and I reckon I should be 12 st.

[simonp]

If rapidly losing weight what do you plan to do at the end? Have you looked at reverse dieting?

[Nick H.]

I've not given it any thought but I've just googled reverse dieting and it seems I should do some reading, so thank you for the tip.

[Chris S]

I've lost my first stone, woohoo! It's taken 3 weeks, not 1 week as I'd hoped - but that was a daft target.

Lordy! I'm not even sure that terminal cancer patients "achieve" that kind of rate of weight loss!

A stone in three weeks is still a pretty steep descent.

What steps are you taking to not lose lean tissue?

[velosam]

Velosam what have you currently been doing? Are you counting everything? Or doing any other specific 'diet' or anything?

FWIW, I need to average 100k every single day to keep my weight down! Plus run. And do gym stuff.

I have been doing the lean gains thing and recording on fitness +, but I dont do so well on weekends yet my weight doesn't drop during the week either.
On the plus side if I have a binge day it does not go the wrong way either, but I was hoping to drop a bit over the month.

Quote from HM
Stop weighing yourself for a month.
Continue eating small portions of sensible foods.
Look at what happened to my weight when I stopped weighing myself.
I have been to several big eating occasions in the last month (2 weddings, one Big Passover meal and 7 night in hotels) but ate sensibly in between.
Chin up.
And breathe..

I am worried if I stop weighing myself its going to go up. I have binged a bit on odd days though.

[hellymedic]

Weight loss is what happens when your regular daily habits leave you in overall deficit.
It is your habitual eating (and activity) behaviour which affect your long-term body composition.

[velosam]

I think I am probably having the odd snack  and not recording it properly.

[hellymedic]

Odd snacks should be enjoyed but need to be compensated by
Expecting to eat less for longer to lose any weight
Reducing energy input at subsequent meals or
Skipping meals IF NOT HUNGRY when they are around.

I am unconvinced skipping meals is bad when someone is not hungry.

[Nick H.]

What steps are you taking to not lose lean tissue?

I had no idea this was an issue! My excess weight looks to be all in my belly, which has shrunk a bit but is still huge. I'd like to shed at least another stone of belly with this diet but I'm not sure I have the discipline.

[rafletcher]

I've not been an active contributor this year, but have been trying to lose weight by dint of 5/2 dieting plus added exercise.  Thus far I have lost a stone in 8 weeks. Now (from experience) comes the hard part - maintaining that loss. Another 2 stone to go.

[hellymedic]

Well done rafletcher! Yeah, the first stone is comparatively easy; I didn't even enter my 2012 weights into the weight reports until late last year, when I did this retrospectively.
Keeping it off and continuing to lose are a challenge but it can be done!
Welcome!

[lisat]

Another loss even after a week of lounging by a pool in Cyprus and not watching what I eat at all. Very pleased that I didn't put on any. I just need to get my head around the fact that I am into this for the long haul. I didn't put it on overnight so it isn't going to disappear overnight.

[hellymedic]

Up a bit, but so are my cankles.