PATH

Well I had some VO2 testing done and it seems I have been going anaerobic too much. I need to be going aerobic and do some resistance training. I need to slow it down for my body to work more efficiently. I am told now that I must work smarter not harder.

I am starting a training regimen from scratch and have been to see the nutritionist as well as my trainer.
So hopefully this time I get the weight off and keep it off!

I guess the moral of the story is that training smarter is better than training harder!

Halthane

Many People swear by heart monitors. I'm thinking about getting one with my next paycheck. I use cadence alot as well to keep myself in the "right" gear. But yes, longer and slower will definitely burn more fat.

Pugsly

To lose weight, you have to do two things that seem counterintuitive.

1. Ride slower (get the HR in the "fat-burning" zone), and
2. eat more, particularly after a ride (otherwise your body will eat your muscles)

flip18436572

I use a HR monitor for everything but my swimming exercise plans. I do an interval run/walk on Monday, Tuesday I elliptical and swim, Wednesday I lift weights, Thursday I elliptical and swim, Friday is the interval run/walk and Saturday is Weight lifting and then Sunday is usually just an elliptical for 60 minutes. I am trying to do a short 9 miles bike every night after work and if it is not a conflict with my two daughters' events.

The only time I don't do the HR is in the pool, as my HR monitor is not made for the pool, but you can buy that type of monitor.

Polar is the brand I use, but you can also get bike specific models from Garmin that will do all of the tracking for your bike and your HR, as does Polar.

If you are not worried about tracking everything under the sun, go buy the cheapest Polar brand and only pay attention to your HR. If you plan on tracking everything, then get a Polar that you can track what YOU want.

As far as losing weight, you need to burn more calories than you take in, it is that simple. Now, to burn the fat and leave the muscle you need to work on multiple things. I have found that my interval work has made the biggest difference in me, and has also made my heart work a lot better.

If you really want to know where you are with your Max Heart Rate, you need to be tested by a doctor with the proper equipment. Using the general guidelines that you will find everywhere on the internet is a just that a general guideline.

Terrierman

Nothing magic about that and it cannot be refuted. My body is somehow able to recognize a calorie no matter where it comes from. It is especially good at spotting the ones in beer.

That's the whole point about diet and exercise, it's an in vs. out thing. Restrict in and increase out and you cannot help but lose weight. There is no other magic way. DARN IT.

jaxgtr

Keep your HR between 60 and 70% when you ride and you will burn more fat. Don't worry about speed. I had a mental barrier when I was riding that I must keep up with the fast skinny people who were blowing by me at 20 to 25 mph. All I could think about was, faster, must go faster. My weight loss came to scretching halt. Once I have the ok to ride, I have to keep my hr in the 60-70% and I should see the weight come off which will inevitably make me faster.

flip18436572

I have found that if I work intervals I am losing more weight in fat, or at least I am losing inches and still keeping my strength, as I lift weights twice a week and I have to increase my weights about every 6 weeks as I am getting stronger.

lil brown bat

We just recently had a thread about this "fat-burning zone", and I posted some things there pointing out how it is largely a myth. The only situation in which lowering your intensity will cause you to "burn more fat" is if you can only exercise for a very short time at higher intensity, but can exercise for much much longer at lower intensity. Otherwise, a slightly higher percentage (fat cals burned) of a lower number (overall calories burned) nets a lower result.

socalrider

Like said above, the ride slower and burn more fat is now seen as a myth. Most trainers are going for higher intensity for shorter periods of time for max fat burning..

I would also recommend to start counting those calories.. Get a date book and write down everything that you eat or drink that has calories.. Go online and find a BMR calculator.. For men, you should be shooting for 2300 calories or less per day. Once you start having deficit calorie days and add some riding you will see the weight coming off slowly but surely. Another great item to have is a pocket calorie book, 8.00 at any book store, it has many fast food places listed as well.. This will give you a better judge of how many calories you are taking in each day.. The Calorie King book is seen as the best one on the market..

https://www.amazon.com/Calorie-King-C...3493975&sr=8-1

JumboRider

I am secretly transferring my weight to you. evil laugh ensues.

jaxgtr

While I don't discount what you have said and it may be working for you, shorter intense training is not doing it for me. I lost 70 of my 82 lbs on the less intense long rides. Now was I doing something different when I kicked up the intensity to not really get any benefit?? Possible, but not sure what it would have been.

Can you give me some links to the higher Intense ride info. I went looking for the thread mentioned before but I can not find the one you are mentioning.

PATH

I'd be curious to see the thread as well. I have been killing myself going as fast as I can. I am going to give slow and steady a chance as the other method did not work for me!

Pupsocket

I've been slowly increasing my miles/week, and my average speed. I haven't been too restricting about my food intake, though it hasn't increased since I've started riding. I've been steady between 225-230 since last fall, and riding since May.

Haven't seen a bit of weight loss, but I've lost about 1.5 inches of waistline. The best motivator to keep me riding isn't weight loss, but feeling the nice fatigue glow that follows a ride where I didn't push myself too far. My resting heart rate and bp are also showing improvements. I was recently close to 250 lbs and went on BP medication due to being above 150/100. Dropping 20 lbs got me off the medicine and back to a borderline level of 140/90. Since riding it's down to about 130/80 average.

Gotta get the carrier ready for tomorrow's ride: shooting for 30-35 miles on various Mpls/St. Paul urban bike trails.

jaxgtr

I have this same issue. In the last couple of months, I am only down like 12 lbs, but 4" off my waist and 2 inches off my chest. I'm not complaining, but would also like to see the scale move some too.

Shubox

I agree I am getting discouraged also, my weight is fluctuating +/- 5 lbs a day it really sucks.

Terrierman

Losing 6 pounds a month IS moving the scales dude. Good job.

Terrierman

That is water weight, 90 to nothing. Betcha you need to watch your salt intake!

jaxgtr

Well I guess when I said a couple I should have said 5 , anyway, the last couple of months have been more weight training than riding since I had my knee issue, so my aerobic training is suffering. I guess the weight training is working, just not as much as I'd like on the scale anyway.

flip18436572

Remember that you are losing fat and gaining muscle, don't do it all with a scale, the way clothes fit and other things will show you are headed in the right direction.

jaxgtr

True

lil brown bat

As I said, both here and in the other thread, if you can only do "intense training" for a very short period of time, then of course you won't burn significant calories that way, and if you don't burn significant calories, you obviously won't be burning significant fat calories. But the same goes both ways: if you cruise along at a leisurely pace, you'll be burning very few calories per minute, so you would have to do it for a much, much longer time to burn a significant amount of calories. And...what was it...say it with me...if you don't burn significant calories, you can't be burning a significant amount of fat.

Caincando1

I've noticed for me the most significant amount of weight loss occurs when I ride 2 hours plus. Don't get me wrong any ride is better than a no ride, but the short trips just don't burn enough to show a significant amount of weight loss. I try to at least ride for 1 hour minimum, but shoot for 2-3 hours.

flip18436572

I think the reason things are working for me, is the interval work I do. But, I watch my heart rate a lot and pay attention to what I am doing. I am just getting started in bikes, so I really can't say much yet. My problem is that I want to push harder in 6th gear to get my heart rate up, rather than stay in 4th or 5th and pedal more. I am trying to make myself stay in 4th gear, but it is a mental thing for me, so I just have to keep at it.

PATH

It is irritating as all get out to have people whiz by you and just stay in the zone. I knocked out 15 1/2 yesterday and it took me a good while to do it. I find that I coast very little when going so slow though. It is low intensity but it is continuous and the body adopts better to things that don't shock the heck out of it!

I am starting with basic resistance training when off the bike and I am mixing in walking to change things up! ( I hate walking but I change up every few days at the trainers advice.) I hope to jog when some more weight comes off or it will be race walking.

There is a Biathalon in October that I am going to shoot for. It is 4.25 Run - 24 Biking - 4.25 Run. The main goal for me now is just to be able to enter and finish. Even if I have to race walk instead of run I'll be competing!

Cutting out processed food and most junk from the diet starting today! Geez! I hope the weight finally comes off!

skinny

You have hit upon one of the catch-22's of modern training programs. Balancing pain and pleasure. High intensity training involves pain. By our very nature, we recoil from pain. So, if the majority of your training is HIT, eventually you will have a negative response to doing it. On the other hand, long steady distance training is often pleasureable and fun. It's important to keep a steady, consistent effort, at least above 65% of maximum heart rate, and probably below 75% MHR, but that is not to difficult. And the longer you do it, the better the results. A 5 hour ride like this once a week will do wonders for your recovery from hard efforts and help burn off fat. 3 hours is the bare minimum for length.

It is important to consider the psychological factors that encourage us to do or not do something. I think LSD training provides positive reinforcement for riding, at least if you like to ride in the first place.