Paceline 2023 Weight Lost Challenge

[Waldo62]

Sadly, I'm in. Need to lose 10% gained due to injuries, illness, and WFHing. Oh yeah, and eating. Also resuming ice hockey for bonding with my 9-year old and cross training after 30 years away from the rink.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by smontanaro

A few things have occurred to me over the past couple weeks as I've been logging accusations from my scale about my fitness.

• Salt intake matters. A lot. I can generally tell when I've consumed more than my fair share of NaCl. As my wife is a vegetarian and I generally consume a "meat light" diet, excess salt usually comes in the form of highly processed or restaurant food. When that happens, I suck down water light I'm anticipating a drought, generally without letting much go (sort of like I'm a reservoir – my apologies for making light of the folks on the West Coast suffering with atmospheric rivers). My weight spikes and takes a couple days to regress to the mean.
  
• Beware the slimmed down clothes. My wife is an expert with a sewing machine and recently resized a number of t-shirts which fit like tents. Now they fit like they are supposed to, which means I have no room to grow. This is good, right?
  
• Weight training messes with simple single-axis fitness measures. Clearly, considering just weight as a measure of progress isn't ideal anyway, but still, it's convenient. I started stretching routinely about two years ago, and over time have added weight exercises I can easily do in the house, the usual: planks, push-ups, curls, etc. I've always had a twig-like upper body. I still do, but the twigs are now a bit bigger, and I just know there's a six pack hiding under the excess fat I'm carrying around my middle. I don't know how much muscle weight I've added, but it interferes with simple attempts to measure rprogress by weight on the scale. I have no convenient way to measure my body fat percentage, so I guess I'll just have to go by what the mirror and the fit of my clothing say, and not worry too much about my stated end goal.
  

Great approach.

[ryanisinallofus]

Originally Posted by monkeybanana86

Gained weight during lockdown year when I was mastering the sourdough and Mexican rice. I have only been doing commute riding. Time to get back on the saddle.

I will never again think of Mexican rice as some kind of side dish it's basically risotto! So much time to make.

[ryanisinallofus]

Originally Posted by bigbill

I used NOOM

What actually is Noom? Is it just fasting?

[jlwdm]

Just because this is titled a weight loss challenge does mean that this is just a weight loss challenge. It is much more, but weight is an easy metric.

I am sure people have signed up for the challenge for many different reasons. Some of us know we need to lose weight and know where our best weight is. At 75 I have a good idea where I should be as for the last 25 years I have fairly regularly logged weight and certain body measurements at the first of the month. I know that the best program at all times is eating better food (no specific diet) eating less food, riding (and other aerobic exercise) stretching and resistance training. Unfortunately, I am not doing all of these right now, but they are just habits that I need to start doing. So even though I am logging weight here these habits are also getting me in better health and shape in many ways. I also am into clothes and have a lot of great clothes I cannot fit into. So I have an incentive to lose inches.

Others may be losing weight for serious medical issues.

Others may be training for racing and are more focused on getting stronger on the bike.

Others might be using the challenge as an incentive to ride more. And hopefully the riding is enjoying riding. I remember when I got my first ten speed in 1970 the first day I rode 100 miles and the next day 91 miles. Just on my own exploring. Long rides are so easy when you are young.

So use this challenge to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve and don't worry about what others are doing and why they are doing it. Everyone is different. Hopefully, you can make it an enjoyable journey to wherever you want to go.

Jeff

[GoJavs]

I - for one - am enjoying this a great deal.

Thank you all for doing this. I spent 15 years trying to get below 170 lbs. Now, I'm hoping to exit the 160's soon.

[bigbill]

Originally Posted by ryanisinallofus

What actually is Noom? Is it just fasting?

Behavior modification, no fasting. It addresses why and what you eat, but promotes three solid meals a day based on food you buy at the grocery. Food are classified according calorie density such as grapes versus raisins. Earlier, my breakfast was greek yogurt with blueberries, raspberries, and some low sugar cereal.

I used to be able to ride a lot of miles to manage weight, but once I was in my mid 50s, it became harder. Noom is more about establishing a lifestyle and way of thinking about food.

[BobbyJones]

Weighing yourself everyday can help for psychological reinforcement while developing new habits.

If the daily fluctuations are discouraging and the headspace isn’t there to understand that it’s not really about “today”, chances of success over the long run are slim.

Not saying it’s for everybody, but that’s why programs like Noom are successful.

Originally Posted by fourflys

I won't be recording daily I don't think.. that's actually not a great think to do if you are trying to lose weight.. there is always an initial loss and then a plateau as you replace that fat with muscle.. at least for most people and chasing a number every day or two is bound to get some folks down and disappointed.. I'll probably try and do weekly and just watch how my clothes fit.. (gotta get that new to me Rapha jersey a little looser! )

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by fourflys

I won't be recording daily I don't think.. that's actually not a great think to do if you are trying to lose weight.. there is always an initial loss and then a plateau as you replace that fat with muscle.. at least for most people and chasing a number every day or two is bound to get some folks down and disappointed.. I'll probably try and do weekly and just watch how my clothes fit.. (gotta get that new to me Rapha jersey a little looser! )

As alluded to above, I think this is a great approach. 👍

[kiwisimon]

people have asked me what my goal is.

to feel better. numbers are too hard for me.
A hard fail :even if you are just a little off, which can lead to big downers that trigger emotional unhealthy responses. Usually pigging on on crap in my case.

If you miss a number but feel good cause you are making positive changes that is a win. use that positive energy to motivate another change. Focus on the good. Daily fluctuations would bum me out.

Easier said than done but so far for me small changes are seeing me lose weight and my belly is a bit less stickyouty. Been really cold and had some deadlines to meet so no exercise done this last week but dropped nearly a pound.

on we go.

[pinoymamba]

I could lose 30lbs. I currently look like a beached whale.

[XXtwindad]

Originally Posted by kiwisimon

people have asked me what my goal is.

to feel better. numbers are too hard for me.
A hard fail :even if you are just a little off, which can lead to big downers that trigger emotional unhealthy responses. Usually pigging on on crap in my case.

If you miss a number but feel good cause you are making positive changes that is a win. use that positive energy to motivate another change. Focus on the good. Daily fluctuations would bum me out.

Easier said than done but so far for me small changes are seeing me lose weight and my belly is a bit less stickyouty. Been really cold and had some deadlines to meet so no exercise done this last week but dropped nearly a pound.

on we go.

Another great response. As a personal trainer, I've seen far too many people get emotionally wrecked by calibrating the daily losses and gains.

[oldguy00]

Figured I'd post a follow up from my posts in the 2022 thread....
I've now been trying to diet / eat healthy for almost 4 months.
Positives:
1. Strength has continued to go up
2. Still wearing a size smaller pants so waist size is still down a good amount from where I started

Negatives:
1. My body WILL NOT let go of hardly any net weight!!! I started at 192 I think, and today I was 188.5.

I'm beyond frustrated. I refuse to believe my body needs to weigh 15 pounds more than it did 5 years ago... Grrr.....

Still eating around 1700 - 1800 cals per day, 100 grams+ of protein a day...

[smontanaro]

Originally Posted by oldguy00

Positives:

1. Strength has continued to go up
2. Still wearing a size smaller pants so waist size is still down a good amount from where I started

Negatives:
1. My body WILL NOT let go of hardly any net weight!!! I started at 192 I think, and today I was 188.5.

(This response got a bit longer than intended...)

If your strength is going up and you knocked off a measurable amount of girth, I'd say you're moving in the right direction, weight be damned. Don't forget that lean mass is denser than fat. The last bit to go is that chunk around your middle. I continue to see those bits in the mirror myself. Finally, if you've been working your abs, console yourself with the fact that you have a six-pack hiding in there, it's bigger than it used to be, so it's pushing out the fat that remains, making it more prominent.

I've been stuck in the low 190s since just before Christmas. Still, I have stayed at a 34-inch waist (ave a stack of 36-inch jeans reminding me of where I was). I explain to myself that a reduction in mileage during the winter months and increase in body weight exercises (upper body for the most part) contributes to the failure to measure any consistent weight loss. It will happen when Spring gets here.

As normal folk just trying to keep/get fit, most of us lack the proper tools to accurately measure changes in body composition. I have a scale, but nothing to accurately measure fat (no skinfold calipers, underwater weighing gizmos, or even a fancy scale that measures electrical resistance(?) and estimates body composition – are those still a thing?), so guessing at change in fat composition is limited to what we see on the scale, in our waistlines, and in the mirror.

I live in the Chicago area. A harbinger of Spring in these here parts is when the weather forecast includes the phrase, "cooler by the lake." I heard those magic words for the first time yesterday. I don't care what Punxatawney Phil said, Spring is right around the corner. I've got several bikes itching to go for a ride.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by smontanaro

(This response got a bit longer than intended...)

If your strength is going up and you knocked off a measurable amount of girth, I'd say you're moving in the right direction, weight be damned. Don't forget that lean mass is denser than fat. The last bit to go is that chunk around your middle. I continue to see those bits in the mirror myself. Finally, if you've been working your abs, console yourself with the fact that you have a six-pack hiding in there, it's bigger than it used to be, so it's pushing out the fat that remains, making it more prominent.

I've been stuck in the low 190s since just before Christmas. Still, I have stayed at a 34-inch waist (ave a stack of 36-inch jeans reminding me of where I was). I explain to myself that a reduction in mileage during the winter months and increase in body weight exercises (upper body for the most part) contributes to the failure to measure any consistent weight loss. It will happen when Spring gets here.

As normal folk just trying to keep/get fit, most of us lack the proper tools to accurately measure changes in body composition. I have a scale, but nothing to accurately measure fat (no skinfold calipers, underwater weighing gizmos, or even a fancy scale that measures electrical resistance(?) and estimates body composition – are those still a thing?), so guessing at change in fat composition is limited to what we see on the scale, in our waistlines, and in the mirror.

I live in the Chicago area. A harbinger of Spring in these here parts is when the weather forecast includes the phrase, "cooler by the lake." I heard those magic words for the first time yesterday. I don't care what Punxatawney Phil said, Spring is right around the corner. I've got several bikes itching to go for a ride.

Thanks for the reply. I'm hoping as I pick up more indoor bike mileage with Spring approaching, a little more weight will come off. I just have a normal digital scale as well, no fancy fat measuring devices. My understanding is that unless you can get a Dexa Scan, or have someone who is actually trained in how to use a proper set of calipers, fat measurement will likely be wildly inaccurate...
I have a meeting with my coach later this week to brainstorm. I've never looked at my sodium intake, and I could prob be drinking more water... And of course up the cardio.
Currently I do weights 3 times per week, running at least twice a week, usually a 10km and a 25-30km run, swimming once per week just for 30 mins, and roughly 3-5 hours per week on the indoor bike trainer...