Cycling UK Forum

I can confirm that reducing calorie intake (dieting) definitely retards your metabolism. The way I lose weight nowadays is to boost it by speed work on the way to and from my job and 3x a day at weekends. This really turns on all those 'weight loss motors'

JerseyJoe wrote: ↑22 May 2024, 12:32am I can confirm that reducing calorie intake (dieting) definitely retardsv your metabolism. The way I lose weight nowadays is to boost it by speed work on the way to and from my job and 3x a day at weekends. This really turns on all those 'weight loss motors'

What do you mean by "retards your metabolism"? And how is that connected to losing weight?

What you seem to be describing here is the effect of exercise, not of "reducing calorie intake (dieting)".

Thanks

Jonathan

It's my experience that when you diet to 'lose weight' and don't directly increase your physical exercise regime then the body slows down to conserve energy. And it can slow down a lot. So the metabolism stalls. This isn't a great regime! That's why people yo-yo diet, because their metabolism is all over the place, and they find it harder and harder to lose weight. Keeping a high level of physical work over an extended period does the opposite, and it builds muscle mass, both of which increase metabolism, which eventually leads to a better, healthier stabilised eating and weight control regime.

That's my experience! Dieting on it's own, imho is practically useless. It can't work, not over the long term. I often wonder what the long term health effects will be of these 'miracle ' fat busting jabs will be, as we know that metabolism and metabolic rate are linked to a large range of health issues, especially a slow metabolism which is linked to various cancers and degenerative diseases.

My experience is similar to JerseyJoe's. I cannot lose weight by counting calories.

The slowing metabolism is backed by science. Here is a Healthline article with linked references.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6- ... ITLE_HDR_8

A slow metabolism is actually a bad state of affairs. It's directly linked to Diabetes, Obesity, depression and various bowel and digestive cancers. I've always felt at my worst when separated from my bike for any length of time. I was in the RAF in my late teens and posted abroad for 8 months where it was difficult to cycle (for safety, ie not getting shot at reasons!). I felt absolutely terrible about halfway through, so much so I went on a course of anti depressants, the first and last time in my life. I put this down to a much more sedentary lifestyle and lower metabolism.

The drugs made little or no difference, and the moment I set foot again in blighty and started cycling everything went back to normal within a matter of a month. There's definitely a link between an active lifestyle and good mental health. Dieting for me has never been effective. I'm living testament to it! I was 92kg about 6 years ago. Very much overweight and in fact obese for my frame.
Through a fair bit of self reflection and hard work (lots of reading up on the science, lots of hours on the bike, a good diet and much less alcohol) I was able to shift 10kg in about 18 months. I felt like a teenager again!

My weight has not varied much between 78-81kg ever since, 81 being a peak mid winter. There are lots of things, foodstuffs and exercise you can do to raise your metabolism and indeed burn more calories even when sitting around or sleeping. Sleep is very important also. When I was overweight I rarely slept more than 5hrs a night, now I have good quality sleep 8-9hrs a night and really feel the benefit of it. Ditch the diet, get a pulse monitor is my advice to anyone looking to shape up and get healthier.

Vorpal wrote: ↑22 May 2024, 10:38amI cannot lose weight by counting calories.

The issue is how many calories you're eating, not whether you're counting them.

Twenty years of monitoring my energy intake has shown me that most people have very little idea how many calories there are in different foodstuffs, and even less how many calories they're eating. There's an interesting experiment I've seen done a few times in which various quantities of several different foodstuffs are placed on dishes, and people are invited to arrange them in order of calorie content: they're usually surprised to hear that they're all the same. I doubt that many would realise that if you roast a pound of vegetables in a tablespoon of oil there's more calories in the oil than there is in the veg.

Many who think they're eating less probably won't be at all.

axel_knutt wrote: ↑22 May 2024, 12:40pm

Vorpal wrote: ↑22 May 2024, 10:38amI cannot lose weight by counting calories.

The issue is how many calories you're eating, not whether you're counting them.

Twenty years of monitoring my energy intake has shown me that most people have very little idea how many calories there are in different foodstuffs, and even less how many calories they're eating. There's an interesting experiment I've seen done a few times in which various quantities of several different foodstuffs are placed on dishes, and people are invited to arrange them in order of calorie content: they're usually surprised to hear that they're all the same. I doubt that many would realise that if you roast a pound of vegetables in a tablespoon of oil there's more calories in the oil than there is in the veg.

Many who think they're eating less probably won't be at all.

I gained quite a bit of weight with my first pregnancy, & had some difficulty shedding it afterwards. I followed a calorie restricted diet. It's the only time in my life that I have done so. Apologies that I wasn't clear, but that was what I meant by counting calories. I was unable to lose weight that way, and found it very frustrating, both the accounting for every little input / output, and it not helping in the least. I tried several different amounts of calorie deficit, talked to my doctor & midwife (who didn't really have any good advice, except to persist), and read a fair amount of research trying to figure it out.

I was playing women's football at the time, so I didn't lack for exercise. But I didn't lose weight until I added several hours per week of exercise. That included, running outside of football training, strength training, and riding my bike to & from football training & matches.

Weirdly, even when I reduced the amount of activity, I kept the weight off. I didn't gain as much weight with my second pregnancy, even though I completely quit football.