Keep training but weight not coming off! Help!

[alexmorozov]

Hi! I've decided to lose the tire and have been cycling (stationary) the whole summer. I would cycle for about 35 minutes a day at heartrate of 145. I'm 23 so I thought that was appropriate heartrate for me. I've monitored the progress by checking the scale every day and it seems that I've been losing ~1 pound each week.

Lately I've been checking the scale and noticed that my weight is fluctuating at same point. My diet hasn't changed. I did notice that cycling has become relatively easier, but I didn't think I should've set it at higher resistance since my heartrate didn't change. This is very discouraging as it seems like I'm doing all this work but not getting anything for it. Does anyone know where I went wrong or what I should do to get back to losing weight?

Thanks in advance!

[txitalian]

I feel that fat loss starts and end with your diet. Can you post a sample?


Jason


An explanation of Vince Gironda's 8x8 training

Training and Nutrition Blog

[alexmorozov]

My diet was very simple, I suppose. It consisted of avoiding junkfood, and eating 2 meals a day, with snacks in between. Cereal was usually Honeynut Cheerios. For snacks, I'd usually have fruit. For dinner, I figured that since I was avoiding so many calories during the day, I could eat whatever I wanted, so anything went for dinner. Dinner usually was a big meal-- usually potatoes or macaroni with a salad and some meat like chicken. I chewed A LOT of orbit gum most of the time.

I should also mention that my activities ended after walking from parking lot to building and sitting on the bike for 35 minutes a day. Rest of the day is usually spent sitting at the computer.

[Vinter]

You definately need to fix your diet man

[Vinter]

"You will lose some weight simply by cutting out the junk and eating less each day... but overall, this is not a healthy weight loss diet that you have listed. There are some basics everyone should follow:

- Eat 5-6 meals a day (yes start now!)
- Eat roughly the same amount for every meal
- Eat lean protein with every meal
- Eat a veggie/fruit with every meal
- Eat a EFA source with every meal (essential fatty acid)
- Drink only non-calorie containing beverages (i.e. water and green tea)
- One meal a week, ignore everything above"

Figure your calorie needs with this equation:
66 + (6.3 x body weight in lbs.) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

This gives you your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Multiply it by 1.2. This is now the minimum amount of calories to eat. Estimate the amount of calories burned through exercise and that is your calorie deficit. (Don't depend on the cardio machine readouts.) If that is more than 500 - 750 calories, eat the difference. For instance, if you burned 1,000 calories in exercise, you will want to eat 250 - 500 calories more.

IF you are not losing 1 - 2 pounds per week and that is your goal then decrease your minimum number of calories by 250 - 500 per day. (Your goal shouldn't be higher but if you are trying to build muscle it could be lower.) Never go below 1,500 calories.

If you record your diet in www.fitday.com, it will figure your macros for you. A good place to start is 40% protien/40% carbs/20% fat. Personally, I have found that I can't go that low on carbs but its okay as long as they are only slightly higher than protien.

Websites to help in figuring calories needed:
Calories needed: http://michaelandkendra.com/BMRCALC/bmrcalc.htm
Health (including calories burned, bmi, bf%, etc.): http://www.healthstatus.com/
Food/Workout Diary: www.fitday.com
Calorie Counting to Lose Weight: http://www.dietandfitnessresources....oloseweight.htm
Figure macros based on calories: http://www.alamofitness.com/macrocalc.html

Best Foods
Starchy carbs
Yams, Sweet potatoes, Barley, Oatmeal (Old fashioned unsweetened), Beans, all types, Black eye peas, Slow cooked brown rice (long grain/basmati), Lentils, White potatoes Red potatoes, Carrots
Other carbs
Other fibrous carbs, green vegetables or salad vegetables
All fresh fruits (not including canned, sweetened, or juice)
Fats
Flaxseed oil, Udo’s Choice essential oil blend, Fish Oil, Fatty fish (salmon, trout, herring, sardines)
Proteins
Chicken breast, Turkey breast, Extra lean ground turkey, Ostrich, Buffalo/Bison/lean, Game meats, Fish, all types, Shellfish,Egg whites, Non fat cottage cheese, Top round steak (leanest cut of red meat), Protein powder supplements (whey, casein, or combination)

Good Foods

Carbs
100% whole grain, unsweetened boxed cereals 100% whole grain cooked cereals 100% whole grain pastas (amaranth, quinoa, wheat, etc) 100% whole grain breads (100% whole wheat, rye, spelt, etc) 100% Whole wheat pitas, 100% Whole grain, unsweetened muffins, Quick brown rice, Quick oatmeal (unsweetened)

Proteins & dairy products
Flank steak, Extra Lean top sirloin, Extra lean ground beef , Extra lean red meats, other, Lowfat ground turkey, Non fat or 1% low fat sour cream, Non fat or 1% low fat cheese, Non fat or 1% low fat cream cheese, Nonfat or 1% low fat, sugar free yogurt, 1% low fat cottage cheese, Whole eggs (1 whole egg per 5-6 whites is a good ratio)

Fats
Extra virgin olive oil & olive oil salad dressings, Natural peanut butter, Olives, Avocado, Nuts & seeds, Reduced fat, reduced calorie salad dressings

Okay Foods

Carbs
Grits, Cream of rice, Cream of wheat, White rice Pasta made from enriched flour (durum semolina), Whole grain, low fat snack foods (pretzels, crackers, etc), Bagels, Cheerios, Sweetened and /or flavored oatmeal, Raisin Bran cereal (wheat flakes, sweetened), Enriched wheat bread, Unsweetened fruit juice

Proteins
Turkey thighs or dark meat, Chicken thighs, Ground turkey, Lean Sirloin steak, Lean ground beef, Lean red meats, other, Very low fat sliced chicken breast (lunch meat), Very low fat sliced turkey breast (lunch meat), Very low fat sliced ham (lunch meat), Low fat ham or pork, Low fat (2%) cheeses, Low fat (2%) cream cheese, Low fat (2%) cottage cheese, Low fat (2%) sour cream, Low fat (2%) unsweetened yogurt

Bad Foods

Carbs
Sweetened boxed breakfast cereals with no whole grains, Snack foods made from white flour (pretzels, crackers, etc.), Bleached, enriched white bread (i.e., “wonder bread”) or white bread products, Muffins and baked goods made with white flour, sugar and or hydrogenated oils

Proteins & dairy products
Low fat sliced chicken breast (lunch meat)
Low fat sliced turkey breast (lunch meat)
Low fat sausage, Low fat ground beef, Cream cheese, full fat, Cottage cheese, full fat, Sour cream, full fat, Butter, Cream, half and half, High fat cuts of red meat, Roast Beef, Ham, pork, Reduced fat beef jerky, Reduced fat Hot dogs, Reduced fat Sausage, Reduced fat Bacon

Just Don’t Eat This Stuff
Food in the following categories: 1) foods containing trans fats, 2) foods high in saturated fats, 3) Highly processed or refined foods, 4) highly sweetened foods or foods that are pure sugar, 5) foods that are high in refined sugars and fats, 6) processed, high fat meats.
Foods very high in saturated fats and or trans fats
Hydrogenated tropical oils (Palm oil, Palm kernel oil, Coconut oil), Hydrogenated vegetable oils, Anything deep-fried, Margarine
Very high calorie and high fat cuts of pork
Very high calorie and high fat cuts of red meat such as porterhouse and prime rib
Foods made mostly of white sugar or other refined carbohydrates (corn syrup, etc)
Candy, Sweets, Chocolate, Cookies, Soda (Coke, Pepsi, etc), Sugar Sweetened beverages

Pastries and Baked goods high in both fats and sugars
Pies, Doughnuts, Croissants, Éclairs, Cinnabons, Cakes
Foods high in both refined carbohydrates and saturated fat
Fettuccine Alfredo, Potato chips, Hot Dogs on white bun, Fast food hamburgers on white buns (even worse with cheese, bacon), Sweetened peanut butter, Chocolate milk (full fat, whole milk)
Meats that are processed and high in fat
Sliced full fat ham (lunch meat), Sliced full fat turkey breast (lunch meat), Sliced full fat chicken breast (lunch meat), All other full fat luncheon meats and cold cuts, Bologna, Hot dogs, Salami, Beef jerky, Beef sticks (“Slim Jim”), Sausage, Bacon

[alexmorozov]

Thanks for the info!