Calorie deprivation - how bad is it really?

Okay, so DH bought me an iPhone for my birthday and I've set it up with their Lose It! app (free, if anyone's got an iPhone and is interested). It's a weight loss program that allows you to record your food intake and exercise. You input your age, current weight, goal weight, and it tells you how many calories you can budget for each day and how long it should take you to reach your goal. My calorie budget is 1553. (ETA to goal weight: July 2010.)

You record everything you eat as you eat it and it tells you how many calories you have left for the day. I've heard of a similar concept with someone doing this by hand using a checkbook register to calculate. When you add in your exercise, it adds back more calories.

I only started a few days ago, on the 25th, and it's an easy program to use, and I already see that I really need to watch my sodium intake and up my protein intake vs. carbs.

On Saturday, when I rode 50 miles, I had a calorie deficit of 1,500. DH said I should eat more that day (this was after we'd already gone to Islands for lunch), so we stopped for frozen yogurt on the way home from driving his century route (he's riding the Tour of Poway this Sunday). I still had a 1,000 calorie deficit for the day.

Now, for you nutrition experts, is that really that bad? Won't my body pull on my fat stores to make up the difference? I didn't work out today and I'm only down 200 calories for the day, so I'm guessing cumulatively, it will even out, but still. Two or three 2,000-calorie deficit days on top of the already-budgeted-to-lose-2lbs-per-week, that would make me lose even more, wouldn't it? Or will it backfire and make my body think it's starving and I'll never drop below 240? Argh. It's just all so doggone complicated.

Roxy

When you try to lose weight too fast, it backfires because your body goes into a hypometabolic state. It thinks it's starving and becomes very efficient at saving calories. Your energy drops. You have to keep your energy level high.

I lost over 60 lbs several years ago and I've kept 40 lbs of it off. My personal experience has been that it's good to alternate days that you have a big calorie deficit with days where you get enough calories or even a few extra calories. You have to shake things up a bit. I also found that my weight loss would show up the morning after a day that I ate a lot. For example, I ran about 5 days a week and watched my calorie intake closely. Friday (the 5th day of being "good") the scale wouldn't have budged. Saturday, I'd skip working out and go out drinking and consume a lot of extra calories. Sunday morning, the scale would show I'd dropped 2 lbs. It worked that way pretty consistently.

The Lose It app sounds very similiar to the Biggest Loser Club's system. Basically recording calories in vs calories out.

From memory, BLC recommend a daily deficit of between 300-500 calories from exercise. They also recommend that you get within 200 calories of your daily intake allocation, and never below 1200 calories. Their recommended intakes are based on your current weight and current activity levels. For reference, I started out at 1800 cal per day when I was 95Kg. Now I'm at around 67Kg, and my daily allocation is 1500 per day.

If you under-eat, your body will go into starvation mode (though the deficit required to produce that result is not known to me). When I started doing longer rides, burning up to 3000 cal, I asked the BLC nutritionists for advice on whether I should eat more, and if so, what. Their response was that if I felt hungry, that I should feel free to eat more, even if meant going over my normal daily intake allocation (which is based on the assumption that the exercise you do is between 300-500 cal per day - not 3000!). They recommended high protein foods so that I would feel full for longer. Their emphasis was on making sure I ate good food - not processed snacks or calorie-dense rubbish or whatnot. For me, a couple of bananas really hit the spot after a long ride. Boiled eggs are good too.

You need to ensure you don't overdo it. Regular small lots of exercise will produce weight loss. Regular huge lots of exercise will leave you feeling tired, hungry and unmotivated. The key is balance (which you already know, since you're monitoring cals in vs cals out). I can tell you from experience that if you stick to your calorie allocation, and exercise moderately 2-3 times a week, you will lose the weight (28 kilos, gone)! The weight loss I achieved on weeks where I did one or more very long rides (on top of the regular 2-3 moderate sessions) was not substantially different from the weight loss achieved from weeks where I did 2-3 moderate exercise sessions.

Hope this helps :)

Max

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Originally Posted by channlluv

Argh. It's just all so doggone complicated.

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Yeah... this is why I don't count calories anymore nor do I work out incessantly. Both require vigilance which is not sustainable for a lifestyle change, which is really what most people are going for when they want to lose weight for the long-term.

And by work-out vigiliance, it wasn't the tiresome working out that was getting to me. It was constantly watching and monitoring what I ate and when I ate it, so that I wouldn't bonk out and/or overeat to compensate for a long workout. Then it was the injuries and recovering from injuries from working out...

And counting calories ... as much as Lose It was helpful in the beginning, mostly for portion control and understanding of current ways, it just got tedious in the long term. Which I suppose is a good thing -- that you can feel like you've graduated from it since you now have a better informed guesstimate of how what you're eating will impact your diet.

Not that I recommend this as a great piece of writing nor health advice, but the general concept of the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" is aim for long-term temperance and portion control. Bryan Kest, Power Yoga guy, said it in a more succinct way. He said you do yoga for fitness, for balance, for calmness. But not for weight loss: "If you want to lose weight, eat less."

Of course, making an informed decision of what to eat less of is useful... but generally I feel like all the math weighs us down.

To each their own, btw.

If you want to lose and keep it off, your going to need some weight training.
Its the only way to decrease body fat, increase muscle which will need more calories per pound.( its 17 kj per fat kilo,as opposed to 310 or so for muscle, at rest).
Too much calorie lack and your body will not function as well( immune system, ect).
Cardio will only take you so far.

It depends. I can easily handle a deficit of 500-1000 calories. Get me up to 1500 or beyond and I'm biting off heads. I've heard that it's a hormonal reaction.

Have you talked to a doctor or a nutritionist?

Veronica

I'm following this discussion with some interest.... trying to maintain a weight loss program (weightwatchers) as my cycling has increased from a few miles a week up to 80 -90 right now. I've increased how much I'm eating but possibly not enough, and I'm still losing but it's been averaging about 1/2 lb a week.

Sharon

How long are you exercising per day?

Personally, I don't increase my calorie intake for a normal day's workout and I workout on average 2 hours per day 4 days a week on 1500 calories. I weigh 146 and have 20% body fat. I don't measure my food or count calories - I just tend to eat the same thing every day. I use to weigh 180 and had 30+% body fat so I'm only relating what has worked for me. Losing weight is hard. There is no easy formula and it takes discipline. I know the OP has been struggling with her weight for a while from her posts here and I really think talking to a doctor or a nutritionist would be a good thing.

Just because you've increased your output, you can't increase your intake if you want to lose weight.

The only time I increase my intake is if I have raced. Even if I do a seriously long ride the only increase in my intake is what I ate while riding.

I second the poster who said something about doing weights. Even just a routine of doing push ups and crunches on your own will build muscle mass and that will burn more calories.

Veronica

Channelluv, just view cycling..as a way of seeing more golden eagles..figurativey speaking so that you cycle several times / wk.

Having a vague idea about overall calories is helpful but on a daily basis ...I dunno how some people do it.

Instead relook at the type of food one eats and how it's flavoured, prepared. Subtract nearly all the deep fried foods and reserve it for occasional times annually.

Does your food have much in hidden sugars?..I was amazed when visiting a friend who told me she was trying to lose weight. I believe her since she keeps up faithfully her 45 min. daily solo walk rain, snow or shine. But some of her savoury cooking...I could really taste the ...sugar. If I have sugar, then I stick to something I expect to have sugar..which is dessert.

Just fall in love with cycling but don't feel it obligates you to eat more..unless you are cycling across California. (You never know! :D)

I didn't know what Islands Restaurant was, so I Googled it and discovered it was a hamburger joint. Now don't get me wrong, I love my burgers. But think about what you had there. Their nutritional information is online. http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/me...nal/facts.aspx

Was it healthy? Did you really need more calories from a frozen yogurt?

If you keep doing the same thing in the same way, you are going to keep getting the same results. If you are not happy with those results, you need to change something up.

But that is something only you can decide. Most of the posters on TE are going to be positive and say you're doing great. That's what women do. :) But I say if you are seriously unhappy and really want to change, you need to seriously look at every aspect of your nutrition and exercise program. Take out the sugars, increase the protein, start doing weights...talk to a professional. Most of the chicks here on TE, myself included, only know what has worked for them. We're all different

Be the change you want to see.


Veronica

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Their nutritional information is online. http://www.islandsrestaurants.com/me...nal/facts.aspx

Veronica

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Yikes -- their salads are at least 1,000 calories - sandwiches too. Wow.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

Personally, I don't increase my calorie intake for a normal day's workout and I workout on average 2 hours per day 4 days a week on 1500 calories. I weigh 146 and have 20% body fat. I don't measure my food or count calories - I just tend to eat the same thing every day. I use to weigh 180 and had 30+% body fat so I'm only relating what has worked for me. Losing weight is hard. There is no easy formula and it takes discipline. I know the OP has been struggling with her weight for a while from her posts here and I really think talking to a doctor or a nutritionist would be a good thing.

Just because you've increased your output, you can't increase your intake if you want to lose weight.

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I too tend to eat the same thing everyday when I am sticking to my plan. It's so much easier than counting calories everyday.

It is my understanding, according to my nutritionist, that I should maintain a 1500-1600 calorie a day diet regardless of my activity. But that if I am to be working out for 90 minutes or more, that I should add some nutrition (like a gu packet) during that session--not another meal.

Now if I could only stick to her recommendation :D

I am not an expert on anything and have struggled with weight my entire life, that being said my heart rate monitor and my garmin both give me some wild estimate about how many calories burned during a work out. I don't believe either of them. My garmin would read I had burned more than 700 calories on a 10 mile 1 hour mountain bike ride. There was no way. "The Daily Plate" seems to give high estimates of calories burned too.
The Iphone tool sounds great but I think I would take Veronica's advice and go see a nutritionist or a doctor or both.

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Originally Posted by limewave

It is my understanding, according to my nutritionist, that I should maintain a 1500-1600 calorie a day diet regardless of my activity. But that if I am to be working out for 90 minutes or more, that I should add some nutrition (like a gu packet) during that session--not another meal.

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:mad: This is what drives me crazy about so many "experts". If you ride hard for 90 minutes, you can easily burn well over 1,000 kcal. There's no reason that doesn't justify another reasonable-sized meal. And then we blame ourselves for straying because we "lack willpower". ::mad: :mad: :mad:

(Note for anyone following my blog: I know that's not what's going on for my current insanity; that's just a personal issue...)

Golly, you guys are just too brilliant for words.

Thank you for the encouragement and, Veronica, for the tough love. You're absolutely right. I did ask for their nutrition sheet before we ordered and I tried to get the sanest thing on the menu (a teriyaki grilled chicken sandwich with a side salad), but yeah, the frozen yogurt was not the smartest choice. It was just the most convenient.

Okay, so I'll start varying the level of workouts from day to day, which shouldn't be hard. I only have the chance to do really long rides on the weekends, but I try to get to the Y for other cardio at least four days during the week. I have an appointment tomorrow with one of their personal trainers to get set up on the weight machines, so I'll start doing that part, too, tomorrow. They have a nutritionist, too. I'll see about setting up an appointment with her.

I swear, this hundred pounds extra WILL come off.

I've gotten hooked on Universal Sports network, watching the cycling world championships and last night, the Kona Ironman from 2008. It's all just so inspiring. I want to get out and do that stuff, too, and I've never felt like that before in my life. I got a D in gym in 8th grade, for crying out loud.

What do your daily diets look like as far as nutrients go - percentages of carbs and protein, for instance. I remember somewhere reading 30-30-40 was good, but I'm not sure what that means.

Roxy

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Originally Posted by Pedal Wench

Yikes -- their salads are at least 1,000 calories - sandwiches too. Wow.

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Yeah, I found that pretty shocking. I ended up ordering the 200-calorie side salad (instead of fries) which turned out to be a small cup of iceberg lettuce with some shaved purple cabbage and carrots on top, with a quarter cup of ranch dressing on the side. Nixed the dressing, and I'm back to a 50-calorie cup of veggies. Sort of. Does iceberg lettuce count for anything?

Roxy

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Originally Posted by Syndirelah

If you want to lose weight, you don't get a reward just because you knocked out a long ride. Eat a good breakfast, and bring a gel or two, and an apple or banana for afterwards.

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Right, you don't "earn" a hot fudge sundae... but a decent, well-balanced 300-500 calorie meal (preferably with some protein, methinks) is certainly not out of the question.

Hmmm.... sometimes, the high-fat reward works; at least, it has for me. The day AFTER I have ice cream is the day I'll see a drop on the scale. Or did, anyway, when I had a scale. That doesn't mean I'll eat the whole container of Ben and Jerry's, mind you, but I'd have a half-cup and bam! Two or three pounds down the next day. (That's after a week of fairly clean and calorie-counted eating, mind you, not just after the ice cream.)

Roxy, aim for fats (good fats) about 20% of your calories, proteins 20-30% of your calories, and carbs the rest (50-60%), unless your doctor has specifically put you on a low-fat diet.

I'd second Veronica's suggestion about a nutritionist if you have 100 lbs to lose. You'll be at it for awhile so you need a sensible plan that you will stick with. She/he can give you a good macro nutrient breakdown depending on your activity level. Make sure your YMCA nutritionist has some type of certification.

Your personal trainer should set you up with a full body, compound exercise routine. That means squats, push ups, pull ups (assisted as needed) and not bicep & triceps curls. You want to engage as many muscle groups as possible during a movement. For example, push ups engage pectorals, deltoids, triceps and abs. Leave the single body part movements for the bodybuilders.

That is a great tip. Thank you.

They're all great tips. I know there is no magic bullet here, and I want to be smart about it because I don't want to be yo-yoing back and forth. And I want the weight loss to stick. I am really enjoying being active. I never felt like this before, where I'm looking forward to getting a good workout in. It's always been a chore before. Something's different.

I really think it was cycling that made the change possible. I've never been able to keep up with my more-fit friends in anything and always ended up feeling worse about myself at the end of the day, but with cycling, I can feel like a real athlete and ride fifty miles and be ready for more the next day.

It's really very liberating for me. Those of you who are and always have been active and fit may not be able to relate-- I've actually been told i can't participate because I'm too heavy. I can't do the tris because I can't find a wetsuit in my size and it takes me too long to swim the distance. I can do it, but in the cold water, hypothermia is a real concern.

I may be able to do the cycling leg of a relay team. I'm waiting for two friends to get back to me about whether they can do the running and swimming legs.

Anyway, thank you all for the advice and tips on what to ask the nutritionst and trainer, and on what to expect of myself. I'm navigating new waters here.

Roxy

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Originally Posted by channlluv

I got a D in gym in 8th grade, for crying out loud.

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Hee hee, you're not alone, love. :D

Best of luck on your journey. We'll be rooting for you.

If you can make it up to the Bay Area for a weekend, we have a tri for fun series that runs June, July and August. The swim is in an old quarry and you don't need a wetsuit.

A goal for next summer! :D

Veronica

channlluv--I'm so happy for you! I'm glad you've found cycling. I've been told I'm too "big" to do stuff before too and it completely sucked. I hope you get to do the triathlon with your friends!

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Originally Posted by channlluv

I can't do the tris because I can't find a wetsuit in my size and it takes me too long to swim the distance. I can do it, but in the cold water, hypothermia is a real concern.

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No need to stop short of fulfilling your dream at your current size. For a reasonable price, you can get a custom wetsuit made at Liquidfit. I had Carolyn make one for me for scuba diving when I was a size 20+, and it was great.

Go for it!:D:D

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Originally Posted by Syndirelah

If you want to lose weight, you don't get a reward just because you knocked out a long ride. Eat a good breakfast, and bring a gel or two, and an apple or banana for afterwards.

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If I'm doing a 50-mile ride,a gel or two won't even get me through the ride itself. I would need at least 500 calories during that ride, probably more to avoid bonking. And a piece of fruit afterwards is not enough for recovery.

Roxy, you're probably overwhelmed with information here, but if you can stand one more recommendation, I highly recommend Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guide Book. http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp

Depends. Overweight people who just begin exercising bonk easier because they are unable to access fat stores. Fat needs carbs to burn in the Krebs cycle. It's a balance, though, and that's where a nutritionist & a personal trainer can really help. You don't want to scarf down a dozen donuts & ride for ten minutes. ;)

LSD rides (long slow duration) use more fat because the Krebs cycle (where fat is burned) takes awhile. Faster rides at a higher heart rate use more carbs, generally. So, should overweight people do only LSD rides? No. It's the calories in vs calories out equation, for the most part.

Until recently, we thought that intervals burned more fat due to the afterburn effect (the time it takes for your body to return to stasis.) Turns out, the afterburn effect is minimal and intervals often lead to injuries. Intervals do provide variety, though, so they aren't all bad.

There you are. More information than you wanted, probably. I love to talk about personal training. :)

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Originally Posted by Veronica

...If you keep doing the same thing in the same way, you are going to keep getting the same results. If you are not happy with those results, you need to change something up...

But that is something only you can decide. ...

Be the change you want to see.

Veronica

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Amen, Sister!

My brain is going to explode.

I'm going to order the sports nutrition book as soon as I get home. I hope it will explain this Krebs cycle. :)

Okay, so the "trainer" at the Y took in my appearance and read the info sheet I'd filled out and started talking about watching my diet, avoid potatoes and pasta...same old stuff I hear from well-meaning friends who don't know me well. She recommended Weight Watchers. She also recommended I change doctors, or at least try hers because my doctor is missing something if I'm not losing weight, probably a low-performing thyroid, even though I told her I always test normal. Basically, she made a lot of assumptions based on her personal experiences.

I already know how to work the cardio machines, so she skipped that and took me to the Strive machines and explained how they worked, but I didn't get to work out at all. What a wasted afternoon.

Later, I stopped by a special swim store and bought a swim cap and new goggles. I'll work out tomorrow.

Roxy

I challenged a good friend of mine who weighs the same as you to do a tri with me two years ago, she got to choose the tri, where and when...bought a bike, joined the y, swam, etc. DID the tri and then a few more, which was hard carrying the weight. Decided to get pregnant this year (39, last chance-ish) and did all the testing with her doctor, still weighs 220. She is in PERFECT health, in every way, good cholesterol, thyroid, sugars, everything they test, plus all the hormonal, endicronal etc. tests for getting pregnant. She has finally decided that ok, yes she would like to "look" thinner so that she could be "more attractive" in the eyes of society and therefore "feel" better about herself, but she is strong, healthy and athletic so, she is gonna "live" with that, as in be happy with that, and if, along the way, she loses more weight since she generally changed her eating and training habits, well great, but no more anxiety and no more calorie counting. And the dissipation of the anxiety and stress over her weight might have helped her! she got pregnant on the first try (artificial insemination)!

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Originally Posted by channlluv

My brain is going to explode.

I'm going to order the sports nutrition book as soon as I get home. I hope it will explain this Krebs cycle. :)

Okay, so the "trainer" at the Y took in my appearance and read the info sheet I'd filled out and started talking about watching my diet, avoid potatoes and pasta...same old stuff I hear from well-meaning friends who don't know me well. She recommended Weight Watchers. She also recommended I change doctors, or at least try hers because my doctor is missing something if I'm not losing weight, probably a low-performing thyroid, even though I told her I always test normal. Basically, she made a lot of assumptions based on her personal experiences.

I already know how to work the cardio machines, so she skipped that and took me to the Strive machines and explained how they worked, but I didn't get to work out at all. What a wasted afternoon.

Later, I stopped by a special swim store and bought a swim cap and new goggles. I'll work out tomorrow.

Roxy

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I'm so sorry you had that experience. Gives all personal trainers a bad name.

Weight watchers is a good program if you can follow it. Having a group mentality, peer support, etc., can be inspiring.

Evil pasta and potatoes :eek: - they get blamed for so many things. Everything is fine in moderation. I think a baked potato is probably better than a deep fried zucchini slice, depending on how you doctor up your baked spud.

The Krebs cycle basically uses fat for fuel. But it is a slower process, hence it is used in endurance exercise. You must have some carbohydrate to turn the fat into fuel. And, you must have time to do endurance exercise because you need to pay attention to the calorie in vs. calorie out equation. Slower, endurance training burns less calories in 30 minutes than faster training.

That being said - I think the mind-body connection is equally important. Here's the deal: Say you do 30 minutes of pretty fast exercise - you're at 75 - 80% of your maximum heart rate - you can get out maybe 3 words before you get really winded. You get done and you're tired, maybe a little sore, and probably hungry. You've burned calories, but the trade off is fatigue - and perhaps a tendency to overeat because, after all, you burned those calories and now you're tired. Willpower is lessened.

OK, now you do the same 30 minutes at a more reasonable heart rate - say 70%. You should be able to carry on short conversations - 5 words maximum. You get done, you aren't as sore, you haven't burned as many calories, perhaps the rhythmic exercise has soothed your mind. So, the twinkies don't look as good because you're in a better space. You're more likely to exercise again tomorrow.

Beginning exercisers tend to hit it so hard that they get sore, fatigued and discouraged. They need to establish a habit of working out - but it's impossible when they suffer each time. OTOH, starting out slowly and enjoying moving your body can help cement that habit into your life. You are not as fatigued, you can work out again.

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Originally Posted by tribogota

I challenged a good friend of mine who weighs the same as you to do a tri with me two years ago, she got to choose the tri, where and when...bought a bike, joined the y, swam, etc. DID the tri and then a few more, which was hard carrying the weight. Decided to get pregnant this year (39, last chance-ish) and did all the testing with her doctor, still weighs 220. She is in PERFECT health, in every way, good cholesterol, thyroid, sugars, everything they test, plus all the hormonal, endicronal etc. tests for getting pregnant. She has finally decided that ok, yes she would like to "look" thinner so that she could be "more attractive" in the eyes of society and therefore "feel" better about herself, but she is strong, healthy and athletic so, she is gonna "live" with that, as in be happy with that, and if, along the way, she loses more weight since she generally changed her eating and training habits, well great, but no more anxiety and no more calorie counting. And the dissipation of the anxiety and stress over her weight might have helped her! she got pregnant on the first try (artificial insemination)!

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Tri, congratulations to your friend. I hope her pregnancy goes really smoothly. And what a healthy outlook on her body. I think I'm getting there. Slowly but surely, anyway. Not every day, but most days I feel pretty good about myself. (And then, like today, I catch a glimpse of myself sideways in a mirror - ack!)

It's good incentive to get back on my bike, though.

I'm really going to work on achieving this Krebs cycle fat burning state. Dogmama, how long does it take to get into the Krebs cycle?

Thanks!
Roxy

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Originally Posted by Dogmama

LSD rides (long slow duration) use more fat because the Krebs cycle (where fat is burned) takes awhile. Faster rides at a higher heart rate use more carbs, generally. So, should overweight people do only LSD rides? No. It's the calories in vs calories out equation, for the most part.

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Um...what Krebs cycle are we referring to here? The only one I'm familiar with is the one that burns everything (fats, carbs, amino acids) and is running all the time. Yes, going faster will preferentially burn sugars, because that's what is rapidly absorbed and doesn't need to go through extra enzymatic steps to be usable fuel.
[Biochemist slinks out of the room and goes back to her corner]

The Krebs cycle does go continuously. You're burning fat reading this post. When you exercise, you burn more fat via the Krebs cycle. Fat is burned preferentially to amino acids because fat is easier to convert to energy. Obviously, I'm keeping this simple. Detailed info can be had via an internet search, I'm sure.

When does it kick in - it starts running fast & burning more fat after the easily burned sugars are gone (again, I'm keeping this simple.) A lot depends on your body, how much sugar is stored & how quickly your body starts using fat for energy.

Rather than getting entangled in biochemical stuff, the most important things I tell people are: It's calories in vs calories out and most people overestimate the calories out part & underestimate the calories in part. :p This is a lifestyle change, not a quick diet. Exercise moderately and do it often - keeps your metabolism running higher. When you're done exercising, you should feel like you still have a little more in the tank. Diet is the most important part. One doughnut can wipe out half an hour on the treadmill.

Having lost and kept off 125 pounds over the past 4 years I would like to make a few observations.

1. As has been mentioned, trying for a calorie deficit of in excess of 500 calories a day is unrealistic in the long term. Your body will very quickly go into starvation mode wherein in saves fat and starts burning muscle leading to not only feeling hungry but feeling lousy as well. It is far better to focus increasing your variety and level of activity, adding weights and resistance training to increase your lean muscle mass-remembering that muscle burns fat- and dropping your total fat intake to less than 25 %. No you will probably not lose 2 pounds a week every week but what you lose is more likely to stay lost, you will retrain your eating choices and your mind food set, and your general health should increase with the increased activity and decrease of in your diet and on your body.

2. I would not trust the computer programs that a mass produced data bases for calorie burn for activities. Especially in a semi passive non impact exercise like biking there are so many variables. Are you fit or not, how much weight are you moving, are you riding on the flat or hills, are you riding with a tailwind or a headwind, how much are you sweating, how hot is it, what is your metabolic rate, and how fast are you going?

For example, today I did a 70 miles charity ride at an average speed of 14.9 mph. In occasional glances at the speedometer I noted speeeds as low as 8 mph on the14% hills and 40 mph on the down hills The terrain was rolling with some pretty long steeper climbs. 25 miles of the ride was against the wind. The total in saddle time was 4 hours 45 minutes and I burned 1475 calories- I weigh 145 pounds now. At this point because I have trained in at distances above 55 miles, my average calorie burn is about 300 calories an hour. A year ago the same ride would have burne somewhere between 400-450 calories an hour when I weighed 160.

It's all relative.

3. I wear a monitoring device (bodybugg.com) recommended by a sports trainer/dietician that measures my skin temperature, pulse, and sweat % and works it against a logarithmic formula that includes ambient temperature to give me a calorie burn. It has a dieticians food data base that is extremely accurate for calorie content, as well as micronutrient breakdown of fat, protein, carbs etc. Between that and caliper measurements of body fat once a month as well as monthly body measurements, I think I am getting a pretty good breakdown of how much I burn, how much I eat, and where my weak spots are and what my trigger points are. There are several different types and brands out there. I just happen to have started with this one and like it.

4. It is a given point among most dieticians that people unintetionally underestimate their calorie input by 15-25%

5. It is also a sad fact that the machines at the gym are not accurate as far as cardio burn unless you are wearing a chest band, so if you are using a cardio workout as part of your resistance training, a good investment is a polar chest band. the one I use has a watch type monitor which can be preset for cardio rates and to beep or not when you drop below and various other features. (polar.com)

6. At my age, 61, my metabolism is probably slower and lower than that of a younger person. This means that I have to pretty much monitor everything I eat. It's all a matter of lifestyles I guess.

Anyway, yay for you for doing the ride, and good luck with your continued exploration of riding and weight loss. Take it day by day and if you ride, give yourself a small treat but keep it within your daily calorie limit or ride a few extra miles You're out there, you're hot and sweaty anyway, have your treat then ride another mile to keep the post ride burn going.

smooth roads and good tailwinds.

marni

I strongly recommend the long duration leisurely rides for weight loss that others have mentioned before. They're amazing! Even rides at a higher intensity that are long have a powerful effect in my opinion. The night after a long ride-- like clockwork, I'm always burning up in bed because my body is still gobbling down calories like crazy. Still, I think if you can stay in the saddle and fuel throughout once per week sometime, it will be a good thing for your weight loss goals.

I'm thankful that the other coaches on the high school team I coach has agreed to do 40-60 mile rides each weekend through the winter for that reason :) I think I'll really see some solid losses over time and even over the last three weeks of 50 mile weekend rides I've had some amazing losses. (I've also been swimming for 30-45 minutes in the morning 4 days a week too)

Good luck, Roxy!!!

Dont forget that if you do LOTS of cardio, you will burn muscle if you lack too many calories and are not incorporating weight training.This will cause your metabolism to drop, in time . You will peak after a while, as you can only do so much cardio. This is where you either have serous calorie lack( to keep losing ) or add weights.
This is what I have got from my Fitness instructor training.:D

Lots of great advice and information. As someone who is looking to drop about 50lbs I am going really taking all this info in. :) There sure are some smart women on this board. :)

I"ll jump in with my 2 cents also. I lost 70 pounds and have kept it off for 2+ years through a weight loss study that was comparing a low-carb (Atkins style) diet to a low fat diet (called DASH).

One of the researchers on the study has been doing weight related research for 20 years, and he had a really interesting perspective. In his experience, there were 2 key things to taking off weight and keeping it off for most people: food journalling and social support. That's it. The rest is personal preference.

Working out (whether it's walking 3x a week or cycling 6x a week) doesn't predict long term success, although it does seem to help. There is no one diet that has been proven to be better than another. The best diet and workout plan is the one that you can stick with. Find something that works for you and stick with it.

In my experience, food journalling and social support are the key. When my study went from weekly meetings to monthly meetings, I stopped writing down my food and had trouble keeping my weight stable - I would go up by 5 pounds and down by 4. I just joined Weight Watchers for the meetings, and started writing down my food again, and the 10+ pounds I had gained back have come back off.

Good luck finding the plan that works for you. There is no magic bullet, but with attention to what you eat, you can lose the weight you want.