Question about exercise and weight loss

Arwen's Mom

Arwen's Mom

Mother of Dragons, Breaker of Chains
I have been battling this weight loss thing for a while. Following healthy eating plans, tried the gym, lifting weights, aerobics, blah blah blah. Nothing seemed to work. Nothing. Had "routines" and diet plans written for me by experts. Still no. My Dr. says I do have an underactive thyroid, but I dont want to do the medication thing.

So I figured I would be fluffy and live with it. But now I am biking again. And in 2 months I have lost 5 inches (!) off my waist. Why? Why does that work when doing spin classes or weights at the gym for 6 months did nothing? Is it a stress thing? I hated going to the gym, but went faithfully since it was costing me. Not only do I LOVE mountain biking, but it relieves the stress I feel in my everyday life. My coworkers can even tell when I have ridden the day before (WAY less homicidal LOL). Does endorphin and adrenaline production affect weight loss?

Was just looking for insight, perhaps some encouragement, and a "way to go"
😀
 
Arwen's Mom said:
My coworkers can even tell when I have ridden the day before (WAY less homicidal LOL).
Click to expand...

😀 well - less homicidal is a win-win right off the bat lol
exercise and weight loss are a funny thing though
i've found that sometimes controlling diet when i work out alot can be hard because my appetite is so stimulated and i dont count cals as strictly
there in lies the biggest problem for me

it truly is a cal in - out game - all things being equal of course (i know you mentioned some dr. feedback to consider too)
but what i would do is start counting cals religiously and tweek up / down as needed - start off with one of those online cal calcs for a baseline cal target and go from there

but hey - you're biking - feeling less homicidal:getsome: - so its all good - enjoy

gee - i hope i dont get in trouble for coming into the ladies forum 😱
 
FWIW... we eat 5x a day. 3 meals and 2 healthy snacks between. Try not to eat after dinner. Portion control is the thing. It really is a calories eaten vs calories burned type of thing. We also eat a lot of organic fruits and vegs and free range, no hormone chicken, turkey and beef. We ride a fair amount. You need to find what works for you. Sounds like you are on the right track!
Ed and Pat Gifford
the Snot Rocket tandem
 
Keep it up.

When it gets warm and you are riding like you used to you will really see some big changes.
 
Hey way to go! I lost 10 pounds without even trying when I first started mountain biking. I think that I push way harder on the trails than I ever do at the gym. Also, 3 hours on a spin bike? Torture. On a trail? Heaven! Can't underestimate endorphins either, they are goooood for the soul. Glad you found your "thing"!
 
Thanks! That article was very interesting and pretty much answered my question! And yes, an exercise you LIKE as opposed you do not like will be more effective for losing weight. WOO HOO!

Arwen...she is pictured in my avatar. She's a sugar glider. Wanna see her in action? visit http://www.youtube.com/user/BosomBuddyCreations
 
2Julianas said:
Hey way to go! I lost 10 pounds without even trying when I first started mountain biking. I think that I push way harder on the trails than I ever do at the gym. Also, 3 hours on a spin bike? Torture. On a trail? Heaven! Can't underestimate endorphins either, they are goooood for the soul. Glad you found your "thing"!
Click to expand...

I agree! and thanks, and way to go for you too!
 
I've never seemed to get a lot out of spin classes--I think that I don't work as hard on a spin bike as I do a real one, though it seems like I do (actually seems like I work harder on the spin bike). A few years ago I was hitting spin classes 4-5 times a week during the winter. I still gained some (chubbo) weight over the winter anyway (even tried tempering myself w/a HR monitor). And when I hit the real bike, it didn't seem to hurt a whole lot less than the winters I sat on my ass...certainly wasn't worth the effort/benefit that I observed.

And no I didn't wimp on the spin bikes...I broke 5 or 6 of them at the club that winter 😀

It'd be interesting to see what the average wattage is of somebody on a spin bike vs. what they're typical average wattage is on a real bike. 'Bet it is huge.
 
Crossfit will forever change your life physically and mentally! 3 times a week with 20 minutes each workout. Your body will naturally take over when the hard work and effort get put in. good luck
 
Its simple math. If you can't do arithmatic you can't loose weight. I can dump 10lbs on stress alone so don't consider it as an inhibitor either. You don't need to spell either, altough it helps.

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk
 
FFT said:
Its simple math. If you can't do arithmatic you can't loose weight. I can dump 10lbs on stress alone so don't consider it as an inhibitor either. You don't need to spell either, altough it helps.

Sent from my Ally using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

:hmmm:
 
as much as losing weight is cal in cal out - hey we all know this - it doesnt mean its easy - eating right with consistency is about lifestyle and committment - so weight loss - any amount - can be hard work - i wouldnt poo poo it
 
I can sure gain 10lbs a lot easier than I can lose 10lbs. And gainings a whole lot more fun!🙂
 
I think there are a couple of reasons you lose more weight outside than in a spin class. First, you burn more calories when it's cold out and when it's hot out. It's rarely the ideal temp out, so this will be in effect most of the time. Second, they're called spin classes because that's what you do; it's a limited number of muscles, unlike when you're mountain biking and you're using upper body and core muscles to balance and perform different maneuvers such as pull ups and roll downs. If you're riding technical or challenging stuff, you'll use more butt muscles! I think the adrenaline also helps burn more calories.

I used a simple diet to lose 30lbs (I counted calories at first.) I call it the "put less stuff in your pie-hole" diet. I lost 17+% of my body weight. It's important to couple this diet with 3 challenging mountain bike rides a week.

A few more bits of advice: Be hungry; go to bed hungry, wake up hungry. Eat a little bit, then wait before you eat more. Eat meat (proteins - eggs, fishes, chicken) and vegetables, not bread, sugars, and starches. Also eat to your target weight; if you want to weigh 150lbs, set you target caloric intake at 1500 calories. This is helpful in the beginning; you will feel like you're starving, but it worked for me. Also, reward yourself; have chocolate, sparingly at first.
 
We use 1 cheat day per week. Cheat day is misleading because it sounds like a binge day, which it isn't. For us its generally Sunday breakfast which is generally waffles made with coconut flour. We tend to keep the rest of the day "on track" and its generally the day to have a beer or glass of wine with dinner. It helps reward for staying on track the rest of the week and gives us something to look foward to. We don't count calories per say but use a system for portion control. Again , find what works for you.
Ed and Pat Gifford
the Snot Rocket tandem
 
Arwen's Mom said:
:hmmm:
Click to expand...

Sorry, didnt realize this was the girls page, my phone dosnt display that. Anyways, do the math. Calories in vs. calories out, theres nothing beyond that.

My friend is 300lbs(not that thats bad) but he claims to have a slow metabolism. Yea, ok. He eats more than he burns, no excuses or BS, he's overweight because his caloric intake is greater than his expendature. He orders salads and crap at dinner but I know whats going on at home. He just wont admit it.

I eat candy bars and ice cream like a friggin 9 year old and dont put much weight on. Last week I had no less than 4 ben and jerrys and fifty five snack size candy bars. But I dont stop moving for one second. Im high strung and wirey and burn calories just itching myself sitting at my desk, and dont sleep much. Do I have a higher metabolism than my friend? Yes, but its still the same math equasion.

Sorry to barge in on the ladies forum, im outta here!
 
FFT said:
Sorry, didnt realize this was the girls page, my phone dosnt display that. Anyways, do the math. Calories in vs. calories out, theres nothing beyond that.

My friend is 300lbs(not that thats bad) but he claims to have a slow metabolism. Yea, ok. He eats more than he burns, no excuses or BS, he's overweight because his caloric intake is greater than his expendature. He orders salads and crap at dinner but I know whats going on at home. He just wont admit it.
Click to expand...

Norm posted a link the other day which may debunk the calorie in vs calorie out theory. It was a very interesting read:


http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/01/m...agewanted=1&_r=3&sq=the fat trap&st=cse&scp=1

I'm also sorry ladies but thought it was worth adding to the discussion.
 
Kirt said:
Norm posted a link the other day...
Click to expand...

I could also share the data I collect but it's kinda boring. And since I've seen this go round & round again, I can tell you that it will turn into this:

FFT said:
Yea, ok. He eats more than he burns, no excuses or BS, he's overweight because his caloric intake is greater than his expendature. He orders salads and crap at dinner but I know whats going on at home. He just wont admit it.
Click to expand...

So it's not worth it. I avoided commenting on this because I don't know if this really pertains to everyone who is losing weight. I do believe, to a point, that those of us who have been enormous don't actually get to play by the same rules. But I don't know the OP's history so I'm not going to assume anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom