GaryG wrote:
"Preston Crawford" wrote in message
...

I know this is a possible flamewar post, but I have to ask this. And first
off, please refrain from flaming each other's diets. I'm coming into this
eyes wide open, honestly asking questions about what people eat, what
works for them, etc. I don't want this to turn into another "Sheldon Brown
is a party doll" post. Just please, try to resist the urge.

Okay, as to my question. Many of you know my story. I went vegetarian and
started cycling 5 years ago and lost 160+ lbs. I went from over 400lbs. to
238lbs. at my lowest. I've, unfortunately, slowly climbed back up to
around 270lbs. I'd like to get back on track, but it seems like nothing
I've tried has worked. I eat some meat again. Eggs, fish and turkey. I'm
on a pretty decent diet. But basically I've hit a major 3 year long
plateau. My wife is on a plan that, while not Atkins, cuts out a lot of
carbs and emphasizes carbs like rice. i.e. You can't eat bread, but you
can eat rice, cous cous, stuff like that.

It's working well for her so far, but I just can't imagine not having
bread. I know from my own personal experience that refined sugars and
grains are a big problem. Cutting them out was a big part of why I was
successful. However, how far can someone who cycles quite a bit take that?

And a bigger question is this. Have any of you experienced a dramatic
weight loss, then a plateau? And if you have, what did you do to get
yourself kick-started off the plateau? I feel like, maybe in part because
of my dramatic weight loss, my metabolism or something has shifted to the
point where weight loss is more difficult than it was before. I don't know
if that's just bunk, but I can't explain otherwise why I've been stuck for
so long in spite of the fact that I'm still eating right.

Any experiences are welcome. Please no flaming. I'd just love to hear a
sampling of what's worked for those of you out there. Especially those of
you who have struggled with, and moved off of plateaus.

Preston


As for a weight loss plan that works for the average cyclist, here's mine:

Eat a little less, and/or ride a little more.

I know this sounds simplistic, but weight loss really is pretty simple
(though, clearly, not easy). You just need to achieve a modest daily
calorie deficit by eating less, or by exercising more, or (ideally) by doing
a bit of both.

Unfortunately, a lot of cyclists have stories similar to yours. There are
many cyclists who ride their bikes 150-200 miles per week, and are still
overweight due to over eating. It's easy to subvert a good exercise program
with a few extra slices of bread each day. You need to cut back slightly on
food intake, and not succumb to the temptation to pig out just because your
rode your bike 20 miles today.

If you are going to eat a large meal, do it before a long ride, not
after. Same for breakfast and dinner, eat a large breakfast if you must
but never eat a large dinner. This is one of the
American traditions that probably should be done away with. A big
breakfast can be worked off during the day, but you still need to be
careful and not overdo it. Lunch should be sized according to what your
afternoon is going to be like. Dinner should be as modest as you can
tolerate since you will be going to bed sometime not too long after
dinner. A large dinner gives your body nothing to do except convert it
to stored energy AKA fat.
FWIW I have gained a few pounds during the holidays due to the customary
big dinners and an addiction to chocolate. All of us deal with it but if
you can modify just a few habits the results should be worth the effort.

Plateaus are pretty common in any weight loss program, but yours sounds more
like a back-slide than a plateau (you've gained 22 lbs since your low
point). You need to seriously think about how you can cut out a few hundred
calories each day. If you drink sodas with sugar, stop right now. If you
have any "problem foods", cut way back on them.

3 less slices of bread each day is around 300 calories.

Read the labels before buying any bread and you will find that some are
nearly twice the calories of others. On a side note I was eating low fat
Turkey hot dogs and started reading the labels when I found out that the
bun had twice as many calories as the hot dog itself. Bummed out that
day. Try to find a way to bike at least a little bit every day, even if
it is at lunch and at work. Every little bit helps.
Read those labels before eating anything.
Bill Baka

If you overeat by
this much, you'll gain about 0.6 lbs per week, or 31.3 lbs per year.
Likewise, if you undereat by this much, you'll lose a significant amount of
weight.

Best of luck.