|   Racing weight | DY
Feb 18, 2002 12:14 PM | | After reading this forum for the past couple of months, I decided to embark on a plan to lose 15 pounds for the upcoming racing season.
I wasn't fat (a muscular 5-5, 148), but I was a little soft around the middle. I started racing last year and in my two efforts, I placed eighth both times out of 24 and 27 riders. Not bad, but I want to contend this season and figured the lighter I could get (without losing strength) the better.
Well, I'm down to my desired weight (133 pounds), and I just want to say, for me anyway, a diet rich in veggies, fruit and grilled (and tuna) fish has worked wonders. I also cut way back on sugar fruit juices, beer (a tough one) and heapings of pasta, which I was eating too much of. It's just amazing how much more defined my abs are. I'm almost ready for the cover of Men's Fitness. Well, not really.
Combined with running eight miles a week, an indoor training routine and pullups, situps and dips have me in probably the best shape of my life.
Anyone trying to lose a few pounds, keep at it. It can be done. I'm proof.
Now the tough part: finishing on the podium. |
| re: Racing weight | still fat
Feb 18, 2002 6:39 PM | | I tried the same thing. I was 5'10 and about 175. I figured it wouldnt hurt to loose 10 lbs.
I switched to just water. Started eating fruits and vegtables and cut down on everything else.
I have started riding(mild winter in New England), running and some light weight lifting.
In two months I almost lost 5 lbs. It sucks. I used be able to do that in a week. Must be getting old. |
| Don't give up... | Metroid
Feb 19, 2002 9:27 AM | | Loosing weight is hard, gaining it is easy. Just to loose one pound a week, you have to either consume 500 less calories or burn 500 extra calories (about an hour of moderate exercise) EVERY day. While it's easy to pick up 500 calories (a cookie here, a soda there), to consistently take them out. Planning your meals, controling your portions and being very careful when eating out will help a lot. Be sure not to completely deny yourself or it will never last. |
| yup and... | mtbmon
Feb 21, 2002 10:49 AM | | make sure the diet you embark on is moderate. the body is a very efficient machine. deprive it of something essential (i.e. fat) and it will simply become better at storing what it needs. also, make sure you eat constantly. by doing this, you essentially send the brain a message that there is an abundant food supply and it will therefore increase your matabolic rate. starve it and the opposite occurs. its basic survival and no matter how smart we think we are, the body can't be tricked readily. weight loss takes patience. lose 10 lbs in a month and i'll tell you that the body is making adjustments to comensate for something its lacking. shoot for 4-5 lbs/mth through lifestyle changes and you'll not only find that the weight is off, but you'll keep it that way.
guess this is all just general comments but i think they go well with what MZ was saying. one last thing is to strength train, aerobics are limited to the amount of lean muscle mass you have. without strngth training, you are only gonna get so far. this may result in less "weight loss" but a much more efficient and stronger racing physiology.
peace. scott |
| Yeah, but check back with us in November | Cory
Feb 25, 2002 9:15 AM | | No, sorry--I'm just p!ssed because I got on the scale for the first time since January....
I lost 45 pounds last summer doing just about what you did. Felt great, went fast, looked good in my college clothes. I'd gained just a pound or two a year, but I'd been doing it since 1975. It was great to get it off.
You do have to be careful, though, when you slack off a little. Even a small increase in calories and decrease in exercise puts the weight back on. I eased up around Christmas, was sort of hit-or-miss in Jan and Feb, and I gained back 16 pounds. Back on the plan today. |
| |
