Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

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Crazydave
Posts: 258
Joined: 13 Mar 2007, 11:33am

Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

Post by Crazydave »

I was just wondering here if anyone could help me with this one. I am going to be riding Cape Wrath to Dover in September, and am training hard, at 170 miles/ week. I have lost a significant weight in a short amount of time. I am a 19 year old male, so have a fast metabolism for that reason anyway. I'm 5' 8.5'' and weigh 151 pounds. I know that's well within "normal" limits, but I'm large framed and am already beginning to look skinny. I was slim even at 156. I certainly can't afford for this to continue. I have lost 5lbs in about 4 weeks. I know from experience that I will probably lose about 5lbs on the ride itself, so I really need to minimise weight loss now.
I have consulted with a gym instructor, who recommends about 3700 calories to prevent further weight loss. Arguement runs as follows:
Male of my height, weight and age needs about 2500 calories
Cycling average of 2 hours/ day at 12-13.9 miles/ hour burns 600 calories/ hour*2=1200
2500+1200+=3700.
I was pointed to http://www.nutritiondata.com/tools/calories-burned
3700 seems like a tall order to meet. I don't count calories, but have done a count up of what I'm now getting and it's 3200-3300. It was slightly less 2 weeks ago, and I added about 250 calories in snacks, but weight loss has continued. Can anyone give me tips, to help meet this enormous calorie need. Also, do i need to be training on the level I am now for the ride, or is 170 miles/ week a little obsessive? Could I for instance decrease to 130, or is increasing calories the answer?
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nabre
Posts: 57
Joined: 9 Feb 2007, 7:02pm
Location: Berkshire

Post by nabre »

i am not a nutritionist fitness trainer etc etc, but i was 10 st and 6 foot 2 skinny as a rake, ate loads and loads and just about held station weight wise, and i wasnt even cycling at this time!!!!!

i done lejog last year and thought up many training plans beforhand,and the same as you started to lose weight, but about 3 months before hand after l had done alot of miles in one week i had some advice from a fellow cyclist.

the advice was this, as long as you can do a weekend club run of say 50 to 70 miles and a couple of 10 mile evening rides you will be ok.

i done this and to be honest the lejog was a breeze, after day 3 you are fit to task anyway and the pain dissapears, eat plenty of porridge for breakfast, pasta for lunch and chicken/ fish for dinner coupled with copious amounts of water or energy drinks (sis is good stuff) and trust me you will be fine.

at the end after getting home i had put on a stone and a half!!! 6 months on from that ive put another stone and a half on maintaining the cycling, and change of diet

on speaking to my doctor, she advised that i probably have reconditioned by body with the excerise and high carb / protien diet (pasta chicken fish) and my motabolism has slowed as a result.

trouble now is keeping the weight off!!!! im up to 13 stone!! :shock:

main thing listen to your body if your in pain stop!! rest recover. dont push too hard.

i am sure there are plenty of others with similar or different advice, try different things see what works for you,

just make sure the fun and enjoyment stays and it doesnt all end up too much of a chore.
reohn2

Post by reohn2 »

Dave
If you want to increase your calories eat some nuts (brazils,pumpkins seeds ,cashews,hazelnuts)they are full of protien and calories as are raisins and sultanas, its better if they are organic.Good wholemeal bread won't go a miss and plenty fruit and veg.

170miles per week isn't excessive,I ride around 200mls per week this time of year and I'm 54 I also ride with some people who are in their 70's who ride well over 100miles per week regular!. if you want to you could reduce your mileage a week or two before the tour (it just gives an apetite for riding).

Your a good weight for height,don't worry!most of all enjoy yourself :)
PW
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Joined: 23 Jan 2007, 10:50am
Location: N. Derbys.

Post by PW »

Porridge for breakfast, malt loaf & banananas on the move, washed down with Robinsons lemon barley water, & something with lots of pasta at night. A beer's nice to unwind with but don't overdo it :( - or the coffee either.
If at first you don't succeed - cheat!!
Tommo
Posts: 111
Joined: 27 Feb 2007, 12:01pm

Post by Tommo »

Weight is a facinating thing as it is more than just calorie intake/expenditure that makes the difference.

At the end of the day though your body will sort itself out and tell you what to do, you just have to learn to listen properly.

I started my Land's End to John O'Groats and back 6 weeks ago at 11 stone exactly (5ft 9in, 25 years old) and came back 11 stone exactly (and the same height and age near enough) 4 days ago. I have a little less stomach, but more muscle in the legs.

Didn't want a load of cooking stuff on the bike so it was full english at a cafe if possible in the morning, sarnies from Spar otherwise. Plenty of pasties, more sarnies, 3 or 4 flapjacks throughout the day, some pasta where possible and beer when offered. In the evening always had a big meal, often with a starter and dessert if the price was sensible, and more beer of course.

Always ate when I felt hungry and drunk plenty of water throughout the day - generally about 4 litres I think, although the temperatures were rarely that high so that eased the water burden.

Don't worry too much about calories, just eat what you can when you can. Porridge is not a bad idea in the morning, tins of ravioli with bread or toast are good as well, if you can do so.


As for training forget mileage. Quality is needed not quantity. Build up your leg muscles, don't worry about stamina - that will come on the trip. Main thing is to be able to head up hills confidently because it's not 50 miles of flat that wears you out, it's 5 miles of heading up hills that does that. Did 2766 miles in 5 weeks, didn't do a single training run of more than 40 miles, rarely went over 20. Fitness-wise the trip was a doddle, mentally.....well that's a little different.



PM me if you need to know anything else, might even pop out and join you if you come near Oxfordshire.
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hubgearfreak
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Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 4:14pm

Re: Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

Post by hubgearfreak »

Crazydave wrote: 3700 seems like a tall order to meet. I don't count calories, but have done a count up of what I'm now getting and it's 3200-3300.


3 bottles of newcastle brown will nicely make up that shorfall :wink:
reohn2

Re: Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

Post by reohn2 »

hubgearfreak wrote:
Crazydave wrote: 3700 seems like a tall order to meet. I don't count calories, but have done a count up of what I'm now getting and it's 3200-3300.


3 bottles of newcastle brown will nicely make up that shorfall :wink:


Hubbers
Of course it would be a "short fall"after drinking three bottles of Newkie brown.

PS,Still keeping with a nice number though I see :)
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hubgearfreak
Posts: 8212
Joined: 7 Jan 2007, 4:14pm

Re: Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

Post by hubgearfreak »

7 is a better number R2 :lol:
reohn2

Re: Tips for Keeping bodyweight up wanted

Post by reohn2 »

hubgearfreak wrote:7 is a better number R2 :lol:


Your a hard act to follow Hubbers :? :shock: :wink:
montmorency
Posts: 271
Joined: 31 May 2007, 11:00pm
Location: Oxfordshire

Post by montmorency »

nabre wrote:trouble now is keeping the weight off!!!! im up to 13 stone!! :shock:




Well, yes quite. Those of us of a certain age (or should it be, those of us, of a certain weight), simply don't understand this "problem" at all!

If Crazydave can bottle and market his secret weight-loss formula, he'll make a packet! :-)



Regards,
M. (who hasn't seen 10 stone 11 pounds (or his own toes) for quite a few years now! ).
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Mick F
Spambuster
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Location: Tamar Valley, Cornwall

Post by Mick F »

I suffer from water retention.

.......... or is it beer retention?
Mick F. Cornwall
montmorency
Posts: 271
Joined: 31 May 2007, 11:00pm
Location: Oxfordshire

Post by montmorency »

I suffer from biscuit retention! :-)
Crazydave
Posts: 258
Joined: 13 Mar 2007, 11:33am

Post by Crazydave »

Thanks for all your tips. I'm doing better now and stabilizing weight. I think for me the biggest hurdle was the guilt. When I was doing 70 miles/ week, plus walking to lectures and weight training 3*45 minutes per week I needed 3200 using the same formulae to maitain, and felt guilty eating that much but if I dind't, I invariably lost weight. I have stopped this ridiculous calorie counting nonsense. If I do put ona pound or two now I can always mop up the mess later, not that I'm likely to gain weight while training at the current intensity.
It sounds like the 11 stone, 5'9'', 25 year old poster (sorry I can't remember your name) probably ate more on average than me during the JOG-LE ride, but you would have still run an energy defecit, because pound for pound muscle stores less energy than fat. It also sounds like you got it exactly right. You took enough so your energy levels didn't drop and you trained right too. I'm trying to keep most of my mileage up hills though some hills are a real battle if they come on the back of a 70+ mile ride. I will try to get a cokked breakfast when I can and plenty of energy foods throughout the day. I'm think I'm going to need it. Most days will be over 70 hilly miles on the ride itself. It will still take 2 weeks though, because it's such a wiggly route.
My parents had noticed some weight loss so have been buying some energy dense snacks such as dates for me, and museli as opposed to cornflakes in the morning (adds 150-200 healthy calories), as well as making some fruit cake.
I suppose when I'm a bit older and have less free time so have cut back mileage, I will have to be more careful the opposite way around.
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nabre
Posts: 57
Joined: 9 Feb 2007, 7:02pm
Location: Berkshire

Post by nabre »

just a final tip,

you can buy many energy drinks and snacks from shops, but alot of these are packed with additives colourings etc.

if you search the net there are copious amounts of great energy bar recipes and also energy drink recipes, many have been developed by sports nutritionists from various universities that have broken down the "make up" of the shop bought products and provide you with additive and coulouring free alternatives that are a fraction of the price to make.

i used sis drinks and gels / bars for ages until i started making my own, each sis energy costs on average £1 homemade ones cost me approx 20p!! energy driink cost me £20 for a tub of powder that made 16 litres of drink homemade drink cost me £4 for 16 litres.
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