Anyone else here built like me? What are you doing about it?

[cantdrv55]

5'8" - 195 lbs. Was 206 lbs before I took up cycling. I can't give full credit to exercise for my weight loss. I did a lot of walking and eating right while on vacation so I know that had a lot to do with it. However, I'm not happy with my current shape (round). I'm getting a little discouraged because I'm still cycling, and eating more greens but I seem to have hit a plateau. I've always hated vegetables and am now depriving myself of my favorite foods but I can't seem to get to my target weight of 175. Looking for ideas and encouragement. What do you do to get and stay in shape?

[mikester]

ME!

Almost exactly except I'm an inch and a half taller.

Everything else is the same. I did get down to 175 and kept it for about a year. I moved though and the Gym near my house was not as accessible as the one I had. So...crap - I inched up and now I've moved again and the gym is even worse. Not sure what to make of it.

I have an 8 month old, wife, work and school at night. Time at the gym is hard to come by but I've commited to work on it.

[IROC]

The "key to it all" is body fat %. You've got to lower your body fat %. The best way to do this is by reducing caloric intake (and eating lower-fat, healthy foods) and exercising. Increasing the amount of lean muscle mass will keep your metabolism from dropping which is what happens when you simply "diet" and why most people yo-yo and gain the weight right back.

My advice - don't deprive yourself. Simply reduce the portion sizes and maybe cut out a couple of things that are really bad (if you have any). For instance, if you're in the habit of drinking 6 Cokes a day or eating a big ol' bowl of ice cream right before you go to bed - cut that out, but don't take all of the "good things" out of your diet. Portion sizes.

Slow, steady weight loss is the way to go. Crash diets that drop the pounds quickly also cause you to lose muscle (slows your metabolism) and then when you reach your target, you slip back into your old eating habits and gain the weight back because your body now needs less calories than it did before just to maintain your weight.

[Victor]

IROC obviously knows his stuff. For me it's about consistancy. Forget diet / excersise fads - find something physical you enjoy and it will be a breeze - not a punishment.

Also, I think most people give up a new routine because they almost always bight off more than they can chew and then feel guilty about "giving up". Start small, work you way up - if you fall off the bandwagon a couple of times just don't worry about it.

I have been addicted to the weight room since about age 19.

[widebody911]

Originally posted by Victor
Forget diet / excersise fads - find something physical you enjoy and it will be a breeze - not a punishment.

I don't think that 5 minutes once a week is an adequate excercise regimen.

[Victor]

Good one. YOU NEED A WHOLE 5 MINUTES !?!

[juanbenae]

i give her the best 2 minutes i have once a week. like the famous showman that name escapes me once said, " leave the stage early and have them wanting more". or something like that.

chris, i don't think its a shape thing, at least with me it a getting older thing.

[Dave L]

The problem with cycling is that after awhile you get in a groove, higher cadence means less effort and you learn to read the terrain, use your gearing more effectivly and as a result expend less energy. Start running, there is no coasting in running.

I weight about 195 and am 5,9. I whitewater kayak and generally eat well. My problem is that i am always on the road and ussually end up at fast food joints for lunch.

[techweenie]

5' 9" 180 and fighting genetics. I do a 50-minute cardio workout on a cross-trainer every other day and eat smaller and mostly healthy meals, but the only thing that causes me to lose weight is going to Europe and walking 5 hours a day. Best I can do here is maintain...

[turbo6bar]

Originally posted by Dave L
The problem with cycling is that after awhile you get in a groove, higher cadence means less effort and you learn to read the terrain, use your gearing more effectivly and as a result expend less energy.

I wish it were that easy...

[Dave L]

I used to cycle 4 or 5 hours at a time and not really tire. Cardio has a lot to do with it. I had excellent cardio at that point.

[tcar]

Cntdrv, how old are you? Things change after 40... more difficult.

One thing that helps quite a bit; don't eat a big meal in the evening and keep away from fat/carbs at that meal. Don't eat anything after 7:30 or so. You can really put in on while you sleep.

[turbo6bar]

Originally posted by Dave L
I used to cycle 4 or 5 hours at a time and not really tire. Cardio has a lot to do with it. I had excellent cardio at that point.

True, but I bet you took in a lot of calories, and I imagine, with an increased pace, you burned more calories than a casual rider.

cantdrv22mph, it takes time. You probably didn't put on those pounds in a couple months, and you won't get rid of the pounds in a few months. Gotta find a way to have fun. I'm having trouble shedding the last pounds, as well. I'm 15 lbs over my target of 150 lbs, but I am losing about 1 pound per week. I started at 173. Give it one more month. If you don't lose another 2-3 pounds, make changes.

[Moses]

6'2" 215 pounds. My doctor says I should start exercising and change my diet. I think I'll just change doctors.

[IROC]

"Making changes" is a good point, too. Your body is amazingly capable of adapting to whatever type of diet or exercise routine you employ. That's why people "plateau" alot of times and can't get those extra pounds off or move up that last little bit in bench press.

The funny thing is that after all these years of fad diets, pills, magical exercise devices, etc., it really all boils down to eating right and getting the right amount of exercise. There is no "easy" way to do this.

Shoot for taking in about 500 calories a day less than you need to "maintain" your weight, keep yourself hydrated, do some *strength* training exercises (since cardio doesn't really build lean muscle) and you should lose about a pound a week. Guaranteed.

Mike

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Am I a mutant? I'm 5'9" and 185. 37 years old, 33 inch waist, 32 inseam, 42 chest.

Pic of me lat Feb.

[Rikao4]

Lucky me,same size as in High School, 30X34 jeans..eat like a pig at all hours,late night munchies (last night woke up around 2 , had some chocolate cake and soda...went back to bed) I cannot gain weight.Cholestrol just fine as is BP..good genes from mom's side. I swim daily for fun.
Rika

[EdT82SC]

Originally posted by Rikao4
Lucky me,same size as in High School, 30X34 jeans..eat like a pig at all hours,late night munchies (last night woke up around 2 , had some chocolate cake and soda...went back to bed) I cannot gain weight.Cholestrol just fine as is BP..good genes from mom's side. I swim daily for fun.
Rika

We all hate you!!!

I started doing Weight Watchers a few months ago. I'm 5'10", and I've dropped from 190 to 173 so far. I want to get to 165. Weight Watchers really works if you follow the diet. It's not a fad diet like so many of the ones out there. It empasizes smaller portion sizes, lower fat, and encourages eating lots of vegetables, but allows you to eat anything you want in moderation. I also work out at the gym a couple times a week.

[LeeH]

Portion control is difficult. Our society has gotten used to big servings and we tend to eat what we're given. Today's "regular" servings are the same as a large from 20 years ago.

We did something that may sound silly, but helped with that... we bought smaller plates and bowls! Now less food looks like more.

[Joeaksa]

Originally posted by tcar
Cntdrv, how old are you? Things change after 40... more difficult.

One thing that helps quite a bit; don't eat a big meal in the evening and keep away from fat/carbs at that meal. Don't eat anything after 7:30 or so. You can really put in on while you sleep.

Bingo! As we get older we burn at a lower rate. I am not that heavy (6'1", 220 lbs) but need to lose at least 15 pounds.

BP is fine, blood sugar is a bit high at 120 but for a 52 year old guy am in a lot better shape than many of my friends.

We still need to exercise more. When I lived overseas I walked 10 times what I do these days.

JoeA