Fat vs Muscle Weight - scary numbers

[Mr. Bloom]

Good advice...tomorrow is another day and a return to really sensible eating!

[lph]

Besides, I wouldn't worry that much if you like the way you're feeling, looking and functioning. You need less muscle to power a lighter body.

[RoadRaven]

Hi there Mr Silver
My partner has been on a dramtic weight loss regimen too... going from a lean cyclist to a skinny one. Before cycling he was a marathon runner.

Just my observations about the changes in his muscle (though we have not used anything to measure his muscle mass).

As a runner he had solid thighs, no fat really, well shaped calves and his arms were muscly also from the work he does outdoors.

When he started cycling, no running and less walking, his legs lost muscle mass... but not power.

With his weight loss goals his muscles have changed again, even leaner, his upper arms look less muscly, his calves and thighs less too - but he is stronger than ever in his cycling (he has just started racing again - conclusively won and interclub time trial by a minute, and is getting placed in hilly road races - hills have not been his forte as he is so tall - "big" for a cyclist).

So - what is the point of this post when yours and his weight loss reasons are different at the moment? When your cycling goals are different at the moment?

To try and help you see that loss of muscle does not necessarily mean loss of power or fitness. If you spend more time cycling, and less walking or whatever, your body will recognise that and respond to it. It adapts and focuses on the work you are asking on it and refines its muscles for that.

Rejoice as you achieve your overall goals, and if you want to build back muscle, then you need to think where, and most importantly why and then perhaps do specific exercise alongside cycling.

I think LPH said this FAAAAR more succintly!!!

[lph]

In rockclimbing it's very obvious - over a certain body weight and they have to bulk up a lot more muscle to carry their own weight. The lightweighters get by with very little muscle by comparison.
My dh is very skinny and very light, but he has me beat hands down on power-to-weight ratio. Which also means he needs a LOT less training to be in good climbing shape. I'm built heavier, and have to keep up regular workouts to schlep myself up the rock.

[Mr. Bloom]

RR & lph: These are good points. Thanks for challenging me to clarity in my goal. That is, at the end of the day, I want folks to describe me as "lean" and not "muscly". Otherwise, folks might not see me as the intelligent person that I am

Hmmm "muscly"...that may belong on the "favorite words" post.

[Mr. Bloom]

I'm going to start posting to my blog again for record and accountability.

[Kimmyt]

lph, we call that 'strength to weight ratio' and i hate those folks that are tall and bean-sprouty but they sure are naturally good at climbing, aren't they? It also means that little kids can climb about three times as hard as me without half the effort. It makes for frustrating days, at times, but then I'm always making things a competition.

I've noticed changes in my body with different sport emphases. Climbing just got me bulky, but did not do anything to slim me down. I blame that on the fact that, even with long hikes carrying heavy packs, the cardio during climbing is not all that great compared to other sports, and i wasn't climbing hard enough grades to make it more cardio-like.

When I got into cycling, my body changed almost immediately. My bum and legs seem to be shrinking, but there was always a lot of jiggle there to begin with. My upper body is becoming more lean, which means less cushion throughout, which I won't complain about. My breastbones may show a bit here or there, but it's nice to see some definition. When I started running a bit I saw an additional boost to this 'leaning and meaning', the muscles I had started to actually show, which was nice. There is less jiggle in the underside of my arms and my stomach is overall flatter. Swimming has started to give me lovely shoulder and upper arm definition.

Now combine that with the strength gains from climbing and i'm pretty happy with my body. My abs are starting to show nicely and my arms have definition and my legs don't rub in the middle quite so much. All this, and I seem to be able to eat whatever I want, which, granted, probably means if I actually watched what I ate I'd be even leaner and meaner. Ah well, it's not worth yet giving up my weekly pint of ben and jerry's!!

K.