Ok what am I doing wrong?

[nuthatch]

Beta, sure it could be water. Water weighs alot and the sodium in the Gatorade could have made you retain water. Sounds like increased muscle and a tendency to hold onto water to me.

[Technotart]

Exactly - your body needs different kinds of fuel for endurance than it needs for average intensity and occasional exercise. LA weight loss is a good weight loss program - I have friends who have lost a LOT of weight on it, but it is NOT a diet for endurance training, and they will tell you that. I had to put LA weight loss on hold when I started riding to train for the MS 150.

If you cannot get ahold of the materials the young lady suggested above, you might look at the body for life or Clif Sheats lean bodies. Both focus on fueling your body to meet it's individual needs, rather than on a diet per se. I took Clif Sheats course here in Dallas and learned a lot of things they didnt teach us in nutrition or nursing!

And I second the cut out all white and processed flours and grains. If it doesn't say "Unbromated" or "Stone Ground" I don't eat it. These are niether good fuel nor are they nutritious.

Also - you can ride a lot of miles, but if you arent riding miles with your heart rate in your own personal fat burning zone, you also are not going to drop weight (hence the reason why I have only dropped 2 lbs!) The best way to determine your most efficient training zones is VO2 max testing, or to spend a session with a personal trainer who knows zone training well but that isn't available to everyone depending on where you live. There are generalized guidelines based on age and weight you can apply and see how they feel.

In any case, make sure your doctor is aware of what you are doing and oks a more intense level of exercise. Some of us need things like stress tests to make sure things will be ok.

[Dianyla]

I have noticed that after I do a lot of riding, my legs swell. The past 2 years after RAGBRAI my legs swelled pretty bad to the point I couldn't see my ankle bones. It goes away after about a week. Have you ever had that happen?

FWIW, I get edema like this when I am salt-deficient. I'm describing mild hyponatremia - not the about-to-fall-into-a-coma degree of hyponatremia that happens to Ironman participants. I typically don't eat a lot of salty foods in my diet and I have a slight tendency to overhydrate. In normal daily life this is fine, but when I start to exercise a lot (especially in the heat, and especially if I exercise every single day) my ankles and feet puff up something awful. If I continue eating and drinking normally, it will go away after a few days as you describe.

Some people are not as prone to salt deficiency as others, I've done a little googling around on this and the most I've been able to identify is that a) some people are naturally saltier sweaters and b) some people prefer sweet vs. salty tasting foods. I'm guilty of both of these traits, and combined with a tendency to drink a lot of water I'm prone to it.

Now I make it a point to eat tons of salty things when I am doing long rides or multi-day hikes. Electrolyte drinks help, but they are still rather low in sodium. So far trashy foodstuffs like pretzels and potato chips have been doing a great job of keeping the dreaded "puffy sock line" at bay.

[BIKEAWAY]

Okay I checked out the lifestyle webpage and wow what a eye opener. Basically it is the same basis but I think that I will need to substitute whole grain breads instead of lite products and maybe some pasta? I really cannot eat anymore fruit or veggies as 4 servings are plenty unless I can ride futher then another banana would be good. I will still do no sugars or white anything. Does anyone have any ideas on dairy? I am doing a lite yogert with fresh berries -on ride days I add some flaxplus granola and a glass of soy milk per day. I really dont think I should add more but I will be getting into that website more this weekend and bringing the results to LA Weightloss. I invested $800.00 in this diet and really dont want to lose all that for nothing.
Thanks for the recommendations..
I have been road biking all this time, but a friend's sister wants me to try mountain biking this weekend for this first time so I will need my strength-just hope no trees jump out at me.....

[Technotart]

Just make sure you eat 5 to 8 servings a day of fresh fruit and veggies - frozen counts, canned doesn't, fresh is best.

The lite or low fat stuff sometimes has more sugar in it than the plain ol' whole wheat product - odd but true, they have to add something in the way of flavor back to make up for what they take out and it's usually salt or sugar. We even eat whole wheat pasta - it has a little more tooth than the white variety pasta, but I think it tastes much better. Your body burns whole grains slower and more thoroughly than processed grains.

White potatotes are fine btw as long as you dont load them up with the traditional toppings. I usually top one with turkey chili or steamed veggies, some Mrs dash and little lite dressing.

As an aside - regarding bananas - you ever see a skinny gorilla?

[BIKEAWAY]

Thanks for all the info. I always wanted to go to whole grains but told not to with this diet. That will be on my list for shoping this weekend. I want to do this right so I really appreciate all the experience. June 21 will be my first organized ride and that will be 48 miles so I really want to do well with the new bike club I joined. I am hoping to ride with some peple to get use to that too.
3 years ago I traded in my Harley for my hybrid and my jeep and my life has been changing ever since. Instead of making big noice with loud pipes I can go through the woods without a sound. Now with my new street bike I feel like I did in my twenties if I could just firm up and look the part.
Thanks again for your knowledge.

[LBTC]

sorry
I can't help but rant a bit

what kind of quack comes up with a diet that forbids WHOLE grains and requires only 4 or 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day??? that's craziness!!

the whole point is to find food that nourishes you: whole grains have way more nutrients. and you need up to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables a day!! Not as daunting as it first sounds, when you consider that the palm of your hand is about a serving, so one banana, unless it is very small is actually 2 servings.

I would get your money back from these guys if you can. If not, see if anyone has started a class-action suit against them. It's criminal the way they want you to treat your body!!!

Remember, you are your own warranty. Be smart. Be healthy.

Namaste,
~T~

[RoadRaven]

Just make sure you eat 5 to 8 servings a day of fresh fruit and veggies - frozen counts, canned doesn't, fresh is best.

Why doesn't canned fruit count?

[Technotart]

Canned doesnt count because it is boiled - which removes a large part of the nutrients and leaves behind mostly sugar...

[RoadRaven]

Ah, ok.
Thanks.
I thought the fruit here at the local cannery was processed so quickly the nutrients were mostly still there --- research on the way methinks

[Technotart]

That and they add things like fructose and other things - even when packed in juice, along with various preservatives.

[newrider]

The book that helped me change my metabolism was The New Fit or Fat, by Covert Bailey. I was surprised at how gently I needed to exercise to keep it aerobic, rather than exercising beyond 60-85% of my maximum heart rate and having it become anaerobic exercise. Exercising in the 60-85% range is what burns fat, and above that builds muscle (but doesn't do much to burn fat). It's surprisingly easy to overexercise, and build muscle but not change metabolism and lose fat.

He's all about decreasing fat consumption, which can only be stored as fat; and aerobic exercise that changes metabolism, so we burn fat (and everything else) more efficiently. I dropped 30 pounds over the course of a year walking ala Covert Bailey. Am taking up cycling to alternate with walking, and looking forward to long adventures on a new road bike soon. The good thing is, it's a lifestyle change: reducing fat consumption, increasing aerobic exercise, something I can keep doing and feel good at, rather than a diet I suck at sometimes, and gain weight back again when I go off.

Just what is working for me!

[Technotart]

Sounds like one I need to read - I think thats the biggest part of my issue - I eat just fine for the most part - occasional dives into the bit of junk food, and I ride or workout a lot, but I think I am doing exactly what you desscribe - building muscle instead of burning fat - I have lots of new muscle to show, but I am not thinner!!!

[newrider]

If you don't already have a heart rate monitor, it's a very useful tool/toy for keeping tabs on your heart rate during exercise.

And great therapy, too. When a lot of life is out of control , I can go out and control my HEART RATE for an hour or so. Tell me that's not powerful!!!!

[BIKEAWAY]

My heart monitor is my best friend. I tried Gatoraide for a 2o mile trail ride yesterday and that really helped.
Never give up !!!!
Thanks for all advise and I am looking into everything