Weight Loss Discussion Thread

[LindaG]

Back almost to square one, thanks to sitting on my arse drinking wine and whisky and chocolate that people keep giving me.

And my birthday, which involved much cheese.

Flowers would have been better as I would not have eaten them.

Ah, well.  Back to the regime today.

[Wendy]

Extremely happy to find myself 3kg less than I thought I was.  This bodes well for my weight this year, assuming I can stop myself buying quite so many Waitrose NY cheesecakes.

[itsbruce]

It does help if you take of your helmet-cam (and helmet) when getting on the scales.  I can understand that you don't notice you have it on, most of the time

[SteveC]

This week we are going for consistency...

...as last week, the week before, the week before that...

At least I'm not putting anything on.

However, be positive!  Today I did not ride ('cos it's Wednesday and I have to go to Tesco's) and I remembered to only take one roll for lunchtime instead of two (usual cycling at lunchtime ration), and I didn't buy any of the nice cakes in the wholefoods shop.  Little steps!

S

[itsbruce]

Have lost 14 pounds in 32 days.   Time to slow down and stabilise. At this point, I really am only carrying a few extra pounds, so why have they all formed a defensive huddle on my stomach?

[hellymedic]

Tummy fat is different from other fat.
It is 'unhealhy'.
I have usually found it shifted faster than other fat but obviously, you are different.
Boring aerobic activity may help. (Walking type pace)

[itsbruce]

I have usually found it shifted faster than other fat but obviously, you are different.
Boring aerobic activity may help. (Walking type pace)

At my slimmest, before I started strength training, I was 10 stone 10, which is really as light as I ever should be, with my build.  Still had a small pot, despite all kinds of aerobic exercise (walking, step exercises, treadmill, cross-trainer, Wii dancing games and more). 

[Doosh]

Good thread this. I wish I could find the motivation to lose weight, I just don't seem to have the desire or able to find it, whilst it makes me a right misery arse being a fatty it obviously doesn't upset me enough to make a serious effort to lose it other wise I would have done it by now.

Fair play to those that can do it, it's no mean feat, I seem to be one of those that puts weight on just by looking at a cake, I have clothes in about 5 different sizes 

[itsbruce]

Good thread this. I wish I could find the motivation to lose weight, I just don't seem to have the desire or able to find it, whilst it makes me a right misery arse being a fatty it obviously doesn't upset me enough to make a serious effort to lose it other wise I would have done it by now.

It sounds as if it does upset you, though.

Fair play to those that can do it, it's no mean feat, I seem to be one of those that puts weight on just by looking at a cake, I have clothes in about 5 different sizes 

Oh, I know how that goes.  I remember trying to put off buying the next size up of jeans by going commando, that kind of thing.

I love food, always have.  I just learned to love it a different way

[Doosh]

Oh yeah, it does upset me, but my point was it obviously doesn't upset me enough, otherwise I'd do something about it.

I think the main problem is that all the easy obvious things that you can cut down on or remove from your diet, I already don't eat. Don't eat cakes, chocolate, biscuits, crisps, chips, beer, fried food, takeaways etc etc...

I just like really good, proper, freshly prepared food and lots of it. Love lots of bread, pasta, rice, legumes etc which are all bad. I've tried eating smaller portions but more often to speed my metabolism up as I generally only eat one decent meal a day, but I couldn't hack it.

Basically, I can't be arsed.

[Chris S]

Woo Hoo! I bought a jumper earlier. I got a Large - as usual. IT'S TOO BIG  .

[simonp]

Have you not heard?  All sizes officially moved up one last week. 

Seriously though, good work.  All those miles are burning some calories after all!

[LEE]

Oh yeah, it does upset me, but my point was it obviously doesn't upset me enough, otherwise I'd do something about it.

I think the main problem is that all the easy obvious things that you can cut down on or remove from your diet, I already don't eat. Don't eat cakes, chocolate, biscuits, crisps, chips, beer, fried food, takeaways etc etc...

I just like really good, proper, freshly prepared food and lots of it. Love lots of bread, pasta, rice, legumes etc which are all bad. I've tried eating smaller portions but more often to speed my metabolism up as I generally only eat one decent meal a day, but I couldn't hack it.

Basically, I can't be arsed.

You sound like me.  You say you obviously aren't upset enough, but weight-loss isn't as clear cut as that.  Many people get so upset about over-eating that they over-eat, it's clearly quite complex (skinny folk don't understand, we should "pull ourselves together").

I enjoy eating and I know I eat too much but I actually enjoy being slim more than I enjoy eating too much food.

The problem is that feeling good about being slim is a conscious, higher-brain function, whilst enjoying food is an unconcious activity, you're fighting all manner of natural "highs" you get from eating.  Food is pretty addictive stuff, try going without.

Right now I'm in weight-loss mode.  I have PBP as a focus and I'm going to get from around 15 stone to under 13 stone by August (12-7 is my target but maybe that's too much, we'll see), my conscious brain is winning right now but my unconcious brain is waiting for me to finish PBP and spend the next 30 years rewarding me for my valiant effort.  I could go from 12st7 to 15st from August to Jan 1st, no problem whatsoever.

What I really want to do is stay <13st after PBP.  I want to make this a "for life" thing, make it a natural way of eating rather than a challenging diet for big Audax rides followed by months of "reward".

Being slim is just better.  

I'm just targetting 1 pound per week with a 4 pounds per calendar month backup policy (just so I don't get disheartened when I inevitably plateau for a week or two).  Once I start the 300/400/600km rides it will be no problem.

Even 0.5 pounds a week is 2 stone a year and all I need to get a perfect BMI.  0.5 pounds a week is 1750Kcals a week defecit, or 250Kcals a day.  That's just 2 slices of buttered bread a day to sacrifice or about 30 minutes cycling.  It's easy but it all depends how much you want it.

You say you aren't upset enough.  what would you prefer, (a) a nice big meal every day or (b) being slim and a nice big meal at the weekend?  I'm opting for (b) right now, whereas usually it's (a) several times a day.

[Feline]

Good god, having done pretty well so far and lost 2.5kg I have now gone up 0.4kg this week, I blame fluid retention ... again grrr.

[Wowbagger]

Good god, having done pretty well so far and lost 2.5kg I have now gone up 0.4kg this week, I blame fluid retention ... again grrr.

Fluid retention is not fat. I'd not worry about that if I were you.

I lost a fair bit last Saturday on the WARTY, but that was mostly fluid. The gradual trend is downwards (about 4kg so far this year).

[Doosh]

I enjoy eating and I know I eat too much but I actually enjoy being slim more than I enjoy eating too much food.

Hmmm I don't recall enjoying being slim, that is I didn't notice any positive change that I would consciously put down to being slimmer at the time, if anything I didn't really notice it apart from when people would ask me if I'd lost a bit of weight. I haven't weighed myself in months but I feel about the same so that will be a gnats knacker shy of 18 stone.

My trouble is I don't feel like it's a massive burden, I bound up stairs, battle up hills and into the wind without too much bother (it's not much fun granted but I can manage it) it's not like I'm constantly moaning that my weight is holding me back. Of course there's no doubt I could be a much better cyclist and gain long term benefits from getting back down to my previous 13stone, but even those things aren't a big enough motivator to get me shedding weight.

My attitude is a bit "so what if don't become and uber audaxer doing 400k every weekend, I can still jump on the bike and do 50 miles without too much bother which is about 40 miles more than the average person".

If my weight was a serious burden and I huffed and puffed everywhere and struggled to get round 10 miles on the bike I might be tempted to make a start. It's a strange place to be and I'm not sure what it will take for me to do it.

Another factor like you mention is that I could quite easily put 5 stone on in 5 months, so a slight slip would cancel out all the effort, I suppose this is always in the back of my mind.

[vorsprung]

Humph I seem to be stuck at just over 83Kg

[LindaG]

Being off work, sore, unable to go out on my bike, is not helping.  Drinking too much doesn't help.

Well, not with the weight loss anyway.   

This has to get better.  Right?

[jogler]

I have decided not to fret at all about being stuck between 91 & 94kg.I've been there for about a year now after being a steady 86kg for a long time.
I know that with some effort;more than I currently feel able to give;I could lose some by omitting cake,bread,crisps & Grolsch:but I've given up fags which is enough giving up.I'm not giving up the food I like which is my cigarette substitute.
Besides if you don't eat you die
So I'll just get a sports bra for my moobs,come to terms with my 6 months pregnant waistline & avoid side-profiles when looking in the mirror.

[SlowCoach]

Being off work, sore, unable to go out on my bike, is not helping.

If you can't get out on your bike and are still off work, can you manage a three or four mile walk each day? Take an hour off and just try to walk somewhere.

The best training regime I ever had was when I spent nine months taking my father in law out in his wheel chair five times a week. It was his sole pleasure to get out, and I seemed to be one of the few people who could handle the hills and the cobbles. We had a two mile route and a four mile route. I didn't realise at the time how much good this did me (I discovered when I put a stone on in the month after he died).

These days, if I can't get out on my bike, I deliberately take a brisk walk somewhere. It makes me feel a lot better.

[LindaG]

I went for a five mile walk today, funnily enough, and it was really nice.

Slept for three hours afterwards 

[DrMekon]

recent off, and subsequent gammy leg, has resulted in a big drop in energy expenditure but no reduction in appetite and thirst. I am not expecting good news on wednesday, and think continued mankiness of leg means that trying to undo the overconsumption through riding would be a bit silly.

[DrMekon]

Got rid of the mystery extra kg, so back where I started at new year. Now to clear 4kg before my first 200km of the year on 20/3. Going to stop buying beer, cut out the extra rounds of toast and sarnies. My commute makes it quite easy to run a 1000cal deficit whilst still feeling full, so it's just going to be a case of dialing back the piggishness a bit.

[vorsprung]

Currently exactly 83kg.  Started the year at 84.7kg
At the current rate of weight loss I will hit my target of 78kg on June the 19th

[Simonb]

No change here. Over-indulged on beer and pies at the w/e.

Not riding enough. Mad Jack Fuller this Saturday and the Kennet Valley run next week should get things moving again.