[BKnight]

this is kind of off topic for biking, but I figured some one on here may be able to help me. I'm trying to drop about 10-15 pounds to make weight for a sailing race. I'm currently about 140ish and want to get down bellow 130 if possible. I am in pretty good shape, ride 2-3 times a week and sail almost every day. i would really like to loose some weight while still retaining/increasing strength, but i'm not really sure how to go about it.

 

[DJ Lieb]

I'm sure you will get a lot of advice, but I will through my 2 cents in.

Coming from a wrestling background- here is what you will need.
1. A plastic workout suit
2. a suana.
Just kidding.

Without knowing a lot about your diet, body type, etc.. here are somethings that might help/ think about.
- watch your calories (sugar) from drinks- example- juice, soda, etc..
- try to make dinner a smaller meal if you are not planning to exercise after dinner
- try to do some form of exercise 4-5 times a week to help with your metabolism
-smaller meals with snacks throughout the day will help for gorging yourself
- of course: lay off the candy, junk food, fast food, unfortunately - beer

good luck

 

[theMeat]

Aside from the obvious things like more calories burned than taken in, it's much easier and faster to control calories since it only takes a few minuter of sitting down and eating, as compared to burning it off.
Do cardio 5 times a week. Do your cardio in morning before eating to tap in to stored fat.
Weight training will increase metab even while resting. Body weight exercise being the best. Eat 1/2 hour to an hour before and right after to get best gains.
Eat 5-6 small meals with some protien through out the day. Our bodies are designed to store fat and eating more frequent meals will keep you out of the fat storage mode. After about 3 hours of not eating, some of your next meal will be stored as fat so try to eat about every 2 1/2 hours. If you want to get technical you want to shoot for atleast 1 gram of protien for every pound of body weight per day to have happily recovering, and or growing muscles.
Cycle carbs by either, a couple of days of no or low carbs and then 1 day carbs, or no or low carbs am carbs pm. Avoid simple carbs at all times but make sure to have some with protien after any work out.
Fast for 1 day (24 hours) a week or atleast once before starting this regemend to reset your metab and get your body to guess what's coming next. My most do-able fast is after diner 1 night till dinner the next because I cant sleep hungry.
Get atleast 7 hours of sleep
Good luck with your goals

 

[Overdriven]

Replace your soda and high-fructose/high sugar laden fruit drinks with water. You'll feel a lot better and will find any gut you have will recede a lot faster once you start working out.

 

[BKnight]

thanks for the input guys. I actually eat relatively healthy (for where i'm at) almost never drink soda or candy, and will be cutting beer out of my diet I keep hearing the key to loosing weight is always eating, but in small portions, so we'll see what happens

 

[stumonky]

BK - keep a journal of your diet and training to track progress. This way it will be easy to diagnose and twist things as you move along.

I can usually drop 10lbs in 2 weeks and keep it off. But, I know how my body works, it's like a science, and once you figure it out you can really sail through progress.

I've been running, cycling, and weight conditioning for many years. If you need to bounce some ideas off someone, shoot me a PM I'd be happy to help.

 

[MrOldLude]

Meth. Take it long enough to lose those 10 to 15, and then quit. Easy solution.

 

[scrubbingbubbles]

Meth. Take it long enough to lose those 10 to 15, and then quit. Easy solution.

Quality idea right there

 

[Whason]

My observation has always been that people that obsess over multiple small meals a day tend to be heavier and have normal size meals just many of them in a day. All of my skinny friends are meal skippers. They skip breakfast sometimes lunch and eat just one meal. Overall calories are way less than 1800 when they do that. I wonder if others have noticed the same thing.

I'm not one of those super light people, and would like to drop 20 or so pounds myself.

 

[BKnight]

I can't really afford to skip meals, as i still need the calories for energy for cycling/sailing/school work and such, but i have noticed it does work for some people. its the basic burn more carbs then you take in strategy

 

[Overdriven]

Beer really packs on the pounds if you drink regularly. I noticed after my 21st I gained a few i a month or two... I would just have one beer a night about 3-4 days a week before winding down and going to bed. Body didn't like that.

 

[theMeat]

My observation has always been that people that obsess over multiple small meals a day tend to be heavier and have normal size meals just many of them in a day. All of my skinny friends are meal skippers. They skip breakfast sometimes lunch and eat just one meal. Overall calories are way less than 1800 when they do that. I wonder if others have noticed the same thing.

I'm not one of those super light people, and would like to drop 20 or so pounds myself.

It's not really a matter of observation or opinion. It's just a matter of fact. This method is more effective for some but works for everyone.
It will take your body a few weeks to realize that it's got a steady stream of food and that it doesn't have to store fat.
Sure, if you eat more times but eat normal sized hi carb meals and dont compansate with exercise you will gain. Back to too many calories in and not out.
Skipping meals or eating once a day will cause you to lose weight but most of that weight will be muscle. The further into fasting mode, the more muscle gets burned as energy. That is why many marathoners althou thin, not muscular, and have that little belly pouch.
When you don't eat for 3-4 or more hours you go into fasting mode. When in fasting mode you are running on fat and muscle stores. When in fasting mode your body WILL store fat from your next meal. Some more than others. Everyone goes into fasting mode because we sleep. That is why anyone looking to loose should wake up and eat to get the metab going, or cardio to further tap into stores. So when you wake and cardio is not possible, eat. The only other best time for cardio is after a work out when all food has been used as energy. Cardio is good at any time for building endurence, or burning calories, but only when your running on empty do you tap into fat stores instead of food.
As someone wisely said in an obove post, "they have learned what works for them". That is so true. Genes have so much to do with it. For some a little execise a few times a week will boost their metab enough and that's all they need, while for others with hi metab that won't have much effect but carb cycling might be their ticket. Some have to do everything discussed to loose, and some do none. But no matter what works for you, eating more frequent will stop your muscles from being consumed as a source of energy and help build. So if your looking to keep or build muscle AND loose weight, this is the most effective way to go for anyone.

 

[Leopold Porkstacker]

Methamphetamines can get your weight down, however, there are serious physical/mental/financial/family problems that can surface. Instead, how about working on a strength conditioning workout???

 

[HSMITH]

A few years ago I could think about dropping 10 pounds and lose 10 in two weeks, now it just doesn't work. Mid 30's seem to have stopped that, now I have to bust my ass on the calorie burning, limit caloric intake, and watch the timing of caloric intake to have to see the pounds come off. Alcohol is a weight loss KILLER, a late evening beer and some nuts negates much of the good done during the day.....

Get serious or get bigger sails. Losing weight after the age where you have to ask for advice on how to do it just sucks.

 

[Shayne]

I've heard 1g per kg

If you want to get technical you want to shoot for atleast 1 gram of protien for every pound of body weight per day to have happily recovering, and or growing muscles.

And have a hard time with that.
1 g per pound sounds near impossible. And definitely not possible while watching calorie intake.

I'd have to eat 9 pork chops a day everyday

 

[theMeat]

You might want to lay off the pork chops and eat lean meat, turkey, chicken, and fish. Whey protien (which comes from milk) is a great source of protien for in between meals. Most body builder eat 1 1/2 grams. But you don't have to take my word for it. Do some research,
My posts were answers geared towards BKnights question, and with that being said would like to add that, the same size muscle weights more than the same size fat so if your looking to lower weight and not just your body fat you would be better served to change diet and up your cardio and just some light wieght training, to boost metab, mantain muscle mass, and not try to gain muscle.
If you're looking to gain muscle than yes. At least 1 gram protien per pound or more to help with recovery and growth, and intense 45-60 minute wieght training 3-5 times a week. Our muscles have different fibers and your genes and training will determine which fibers grow stonger. A foot ball player who is looking to bulk up, quick bursts of energy, will build short fibers and work on more weight moved quickly, explosively, where as an endorence type athlete like a soccer, or basket ball player will work on long fiber, lighter wieght, more reps, more controlled movement. Either way, your legs are the largest muscle group, followed by back, ect, and will naturally boost your testosterone more, allowing your whole body to be pushed harder and grow faster. So even if you want to build your upper body any routine should start with legs.
No matter what your goals, you can work your body towards them all you want but without the proper diet and rest to support your efferts, your progress will be slowed.

 

[BadBoyNY]

And have a hard time with that.
1 g per pound sounds near impossible. And definitely not possible while watching calorie intake.

I'd have to eat 9 pork chops a day everyday

1g per pound is easily manageable. as an example if you weigh 150 pounds ,, thats 150 grams ,which is approximately six ounces - or a medium skinless chicken breast, small well trimmed steak etc.

 

[One Pivot]

you want to get down to 125-130? how tall are you?

 

[Natedogz]

Replace your soda and high-fructose/high sugar laden fruit drinks with water. You'll feel a lot better and will find any gut you have will recede a lot faster once you start working out.

X2..............and eat less late night snack and with less sweets/carbs in that snack.

Are you sure you really need to lose weight? Too many people obsess with having zero body fat and that's not healthy....but neither is being way over weight. Seems lots of people these days just sit around all day "dieting" but if you really watch what, when and how much they eat.....OMG junk food and too much of the wrong types of food while swilling soda all day.

You might want to lay off the pork chops and eat lean meat, turkey, chicken, and fish. Whey protien (which comes from milk) is a great source of protien for in between meals. Most body builder eat 1 1/2 grams. But you don't have to take my word for it. Do some research,
My posts were answers geared towards BKnights question, and with that being said would like to add that, the same size muscle weights more than the same size fat so if your looking to lower weight and not just your body fat you would be better served to change diet and do cardio and just some light wieght training, to boost metab, mantain muscle mass, and not try to gain muscle.
If you're looking to gain muscle than yes. At least 1 gram protien per pound or more to help with recovery and growth, and intense 45-60 minute wieght training 3-5 times a week. Our muscles have different fibers and your genes and training will determine which fibers grow stonger. A foot ball player who is looking to bulk up, quick bursts of energy, will build short fibers and work on more weight moved quickly, explosively, where as an endorence type athlete like a soccer, or basket ball player will work on long fiber, lighter wieght, more reps, more controlled movement. Either way, your legs are the largest muscle group, followed by back, ect, and will naturally boost your testosterone more, allowing your whole body to be pushed harder and grow faster. So even if you want to build your upper body any routine should start with legs.
No matter what your goals, you can work your body towards them all you want but without the proper diet and rest to support your efferts, your progress will be slow.

Great info too!

People mention beer, well ANY alcoholic drink packs on the pounds....some more than others....ie beer.

 

[DoubleIPA]

I'd just go nuts on the cardio, cut out most of the beer, and not worry too much about what you eat.

I dropped from 155 to 142 in about 8 weeks by reducing beer consumption from every day to weekends only and upping the cardio from riding 60-80 miles per week to riding 120 per week ( 10000 feet or so climbing per week ) and adding on running about 40 miles per week.

But I love food, and I find it easier to trade sleep for cardio than eat less.