Weight loss for the cyclist

By Brian C. Grenier

Before I get into the details of loosing weight I want to reinforce something, I am a firm believer in balance, total unequivocal balance. This is extreme diets, supplements and even stress. We can make our bodies respond in a certain way, but eventually the status-quo will return. That is just the way it is, balance is the key. By working with the bodies natural systems we can produce the same results that are lasting.

When it comes to weight there are three ways to loose it; water, fat and muscle. How you go about dieting will determine which way you loose the weight. A well planned and balanced weight loss plan that promotes the loss of excess fat and the retention of lean muscle mass is the way to go. Unbalanced diets will result in weight loss through water loss, dehydration and or the loss of hard earned muscle mass and power. None of these are acceptable to the cyclist, nor should it be for any person just seeking to loose a few pounds.

The body requires balance! The more lean muscle mass you have verses fat the more energy you will burn in a given day resulting in a steady weight. Fat on the other hand does not burn energy, it is stored energy! So excess fat in relation to lean muscle mass is carried around like an albatross and causes what little muscle there is underneath to work harder, stressing lower back and joints as well as a host of diseases that creates a downward spiral into the realm of the over weight.

I understand that I have given a simple, one dimensional example of what fat vs. lean muscle tissue is but "IT IS IN SIMPLICITY THAT BALANCE IS FOUND." Now on the measurement side what is ideal? Countless studies show that if you are 30+ years old then you should have between 15 to 24 % body fat for men and 24.4 to 29.8 for women to be healthy any thing more that that is bordering on becoming overweight, anything less would be too lean. No matter where you go within this range you should be fine.

The balanced diet gets clobbered every time someone needs to right a book and make some money. The reality is, that the balanced diet and RDA's set forth are just fine. If you were to follow a balanced diet as outlined by the food pyramid and ensure you met all RDA's for your nutrients you would live a long healthy life, no fan fair no bells and whistles just something so simple that it is out there free for anyone to follow!

The thing of this is choice, what you choose to eat from each group. In the real world it breaks down like this; Breads and Grains: 6-11 pastries- Fruits: 4 slushies from the gas station-Vegetables: 3-5 cups of coffee, it comes from beans man- Dairy and Proteins 2-3 slices of pizza to cover each food group for a grand total of 4-6 slices, Fats oils and sweets: see preceding groups, I have it covered!

To get an idea of what type of calories you can look at burning when you are cycling as exercise and put some effort into it, look at the following I based this on a 180lb male that is working 8-9 hours a day in a moderately physical job:

Dist: 33 Miles Time: 1:26 Adv Speed: 23 Mph Max Speed 29.6

Calories 2427 (this was a very hard ride)

Now let's look at adding calories to sustain daily living based on Basal Metabolic Rate: There needs to be an additional 2329.3 calories or 12.93 Calories per pound of body weight. By just adding about an hour and a half of sustained training into your daily schedule you would need to eat 4756.3 calories just to maintain weight!!!!!!!

So to loose weight and have a reasonable weekly weight loss of 2 lbs, multiply the amount of weekly weight loss in pounds, by 3500, the amount of calories in one pound of fat

2 X 3500 = 7000

This is the amount of calories that you would have to cut in a week in order to loose 2 lbs of weight, nothing more than 1000 calories daily from the above mentioned example!

I like to adhere to a limited 3 day low carb diet to kick start my weight loss plan. Care has to be taken when using this low carb plan and should only be attempted during a low intensity phase of training. You should Immediately return to the athlete’s diet after 3 days

PROBLEM:

o Sustainable weight loss is clouded in mystery due to commercialism

o Fad diets, supplements and drugs are only quick fixes

o There is a myth that balance has to be upset in order to loose weight

o As an athlete one must balance the loss of weight with the need for power and strength

o The only weight one wants to loose is EXCESS FAT!

SOLUTION:

o By eating an adjusted balanced diet one can safely loose weight

o By kicking off your weight loss plan with a zero carb 3 day cycle you can jump start your metabolism

o The body only cares about total calories, that is what MUST be adjusted

o By adding only 1 hr of sustained cycling a day one can easily loose weight

o Weight loss is simple math, unless you have some special medical condition

o By adjusting your calories within the 60-25-15 athletes diet and training on a REGULAR basis weight loss will come naturally

For now consider the following example: This calorie expenditure is taken from my personal training diary from last season. I based it on the fact that I was a whooping 180 pound male rider, 67 inches tall and 46 years old: Ride duration 1:30, intensity average/low.

Using the below calculations as an example, the athlete would need to consume 2800 cals a day to loose 2 pounds of fat a week. The trick is consistency doing the simple things every day!

BMR+Work=

              2329.3 Cal.

Training =

              1470.7Cal.about 900 Calories per hr.

Total Calories

                  = 3800 (weight maintenance)

               =2800 ( weight loss diet )

If you would like to see more of this series of articles on nutrition let us know and we will set it up! E-mail info@procyclenews.com here.