Cycling UK Forum

Well fat's a bit of an exageration! I've been lucky enough to hold my mass around 85KG (190cm tall) for the past five years or so without any serious exersize, but I know for the majority of this time I've been no where near fit. Last year I tried to train up for a long distance cross country ride at my own pace and arrange it with a few of my friends when I considered myself fit enought for the final training drive before the ride. Needless to say 'work commitments' and other stuff pushed it back too far and the ride never happened.

This year I've taken a wiser aproach, book my place on the Liverpool-Chester-Liverpool ride and along with a friend train to reach a target of 16-18mph average over the whole ride (in saddle time). So far our training has been on the somewhat daunting A580 (East Lancs) From near Garswood and into Liverpool, replacing the daily sardine style commute in the manky local stopper trains.

We started (myself on a hard tail, my friend on a ridgid MTB, both on slicks) off with one way trips four times a week and have built up to three return journeys a week over the last two weeks just managing to notch up 100 miles and burning around 5500 - 6000 kcal. Since the start of training way back at the begining of March I've been recording my weight in the evening, and heart rate in the morning. While my heart rate seems to be recovering before each ride I've noticed my weight droping. While according to BMI that leaves me well within the heathly weight range, I expect I'd be around 75KG by the time of the ride on the 15th of July. Trouble is I know BMI isn't a particually good guide and I struggle to see where I could lose that weight from.

While in a few weeks I'll be needing some help in on ride nutrition I would really appreciate some advice on how to handle my weight at the moment. Is it likely to platau, or continue to drop? Should I just worry about it if it drops bellow a certain level? It's not as if I don't eat a lot; large bowl of muslie with 250ml OJ for breakfast; short bread, muffin or flapjack mid morning with a mug of tea; two large ham salad buns for lunch; and a large evening meal such as pasta and bacon or chillie and rice. Often with snacks and fruit in the evening.

All this aside any one else here regually ride the East Lancs east to west around 07:30 and back again around 17:00? I could contribute a fair bit to the shouting cyclist thread, owning the road, and perhaps start a new one on drivers which are dim whitted enough to muddle up the accelerator and brake at t-junctions!

Just found this forum, look forward to spending more time on here when I should be working!

Everything sounds fine to me.
Can you see the difference in the mirror!
I shed the excess weight in around the first 6 months and not too much after.
If you are pedalling in a high gear you may put on more leg muscle and gain weight there. If you want to lose weight to see the numbers go down on your records then keep in lower gears spinning fast.
Back in the Eighties the Army introduced a height to mass band which was acceptable. A lot of very fit men who were already in would not have passed that medical because they were underweight.
Some of the following replies may suggest specialist diets for maximum cycling efficiency. That is a choice to make personally I put allround health first.
Look in the mirror

It's true that BMI becomes a bit flakey for fit people as the balance betwen fat & muscle goes outside the normal range of the population.

At 85kg for 1.9m (BMI=23.5) you should have been in the OK range for a not particularly active person.

As you train the fat you burn off often gets replaced but denser muscle tissue so often a reduction in weight can seem quite small for the effort put in. However, yur body shape will have changed & your muscle tone changed - perhaps your waist becomes slimmer while your legs a little plumper. Your circulatory & nervous system will also adapt to its new workload. As Meic says pedal in heigher gears (a pedal cadence of 80 to 100rpm usually works well) otherwise you may build big muscles (like weight lifters) rather than faster muscles with endurance.

Most of us get by on a 3 meals a day conventional diet - just keep it varied. No need for supplements or magic potions unless the Dr advises.

Your target when fit of 75kg (BMI=20.7) would worry me unless you are of very slim build. For me (BMI=21.9) that would be a loss of 3kg - my ribs already show & my cheeks are concave. Being underweight has a range of problems all of its own. Maybe having a session with a State Registered Dietician can help advise on what your target weight should be - your GP shoud be able to refer you or perhaps go private.

Thanks very much for the replys.

I didn't mean to say that I have a target of 75kg. What I ment was at the moment I'm loosing weight at a rate of around 1.5kg - 2kg per month. Currently I'm roughly 82kg. I hope to up the training to four returns a week in three weeks or so. I was worried that if all things continued as they currently are I could drop into the 70s and perhaps as low as 75, although more likely around 79. I didn't particually want to loose weight!

Thanks for mentioning about the supliments too, I ment to ask about the protien shakes.

I currently ride around with a cadence of around 90rpms.

The weight will plateau eventually when your body gets used to its new exercise regime. Don't panic just yet.

Some of the things i do are as follows :

- Take a 25 pound in each arm and do sit bends, also I try to do at least 300 sit ups a day I know this isn't much advise but it worked for me