dkyser

Search does not seem to be working so going to ask this here.

I am starting to rack up the miles but weight loss is going slower than I had hoped. I am at 360 and work a lot of hours so riding is about all the exercise I can squeeze in.
I am not a fan of veggies, although I can eat romain lettuce, cucumbers and green beens. I also cater a lot of BBQ so am always smoking / grilling meats.

I just wonder if the Low Carb / Atkins is more of a fad diet or something that can be maintained.
I do log everything in My Fitness Pal.

Hoping to get some feedback from Clydes.

clarkbre

Keep up with myfitnesspal. That alone will help you track and achieve your goals.

One thing to keep in mind, with any diet, is do it all in moderation. Cutting out one thing ________ (fill in the blank: carbs) doesn't automatically make you lose weight. Often times, what you may think is healthier than what you're cutting out can actually be just as bad. I'm not picking on you; however using BBQ as an example, if you cut out the roll or cornbread with your meal, you're cutting out carbs. But, if you double down on the BBQ sauce, you may be doubling your sugar intake that will hinder weight loss.

Recently, I have started to change the way I eat. Moderation is key. I keep within my caloric allotment for the day and try to substitute in healthier options. Instead of a sandwich made with white bread, mayo, and pre packaged lunchmeat, I will eat whole grain bread, make an avocado spread and use deli cut lunch meat with less preservatives. While the calories may be the same, the ingredients are better quality fuel for me....thus making me less hungry throughout the day.

Just my $.02.

TrojanHorse

I did atkins one year for about 6 months and it definitely works in terms of knocking your weight down, but I found that I had a certain lack of energy the whole time. We went on vacation, abandoned atkins for the duration and my weight rebounded BIG time. I just don't see it as a sustainable, long-term solution for *me* although I'm sure there are people out there doing it.

BBQ is a dieter's nightmare, so that will be a challenge. Is it the sugars? The portion sizes? I don't know. I love BBQ too.

Romaine lettuce is basically green water, you probably need to make an effort to find vegetables you can enjoy or it will be difficult to "diet" without significantly reducing the quantity of food you're eating and I think I speak for all of us when I say we didn't get where we are by not enjoying food.

FBOATSB

Hey all. I used to love barbeque then I realized that the whole purpose of barbeque was to hide the low quality fatty cuts of meat under a pile of sugary, salty sauce but it is yummy. I now only use this sparingly on lean meats Rufus Teague.... To dkyser; try this site - https://dietheartnews.com/ - lots to read about. Fad diets are usually just a fad because you can't survive long eating strictly one way (unbalanced). It's all about the three "Q"s- quality, quantity, Ok, the two "Q"s

Clyde1820

Can't speak to the Atkins format, over time. For myself, it's a bit too much fat and protein overall. Have done weeks of it (DIY), now and then, but not for months at a time.

Have gone through my own transformation over the past couple of years, by following these basic guidelines:

• Fitness activity -- 45-60mins of something, every day. Gotta make the time. No way around the benefits that fitness can provide. Diet alone won't cover it. Got to get those muscles into gear, if for no other reason than avoiding injuries by being stronger, but also to kick your metabolism into gear again. Can park further away, then walk; can take a lunch on the run (or walk), taking that 60mins to hike around the neighborhood instead of heading out to a sit-down lunch; and can do a surprising amount with a couple of hand weights, a towel and a floor mat in 30mins+ at home. Make the time, as there are no good replacements.
• Near-elimination of manufactured sugars as toppings, ingredients.
• Near-elimination of packaged processed grains.
• Avoidance of products with packaged labels, particularly those with ingredients you cannot pronounce and/or don't know.
• Going raw, lean and simple -- focus on fresh vegetables, some fresh fruits, lean meats, some seeds and nuts, and the avoidance of additives (chemicals, antibiotics, false foods different than the animal's normal and natural diet).
• Some fat, protein, fiber in every meal and in every snack. This balance can help moderate production of blood glucose (lower glycemic response), help bump your metabolism by making it tougher to extract energy from what you eat (fats, proteins), and providing you with longer-lasting energy stores.
• Avoidance of all sauces, spreads, squirt-bottle dressings and the like. Instead, go for simple herbs (fresh and freshly-ground), mustard, spicy and flavorful veggies (ie, peppers, chilies). Can do, say, a good quality olive oil, but in small amounts.
• Avoidance of liquid calories -- alcoholic beverages, sodas, juices, milk. Small amounts can be fine, but unrestricted amounts can result in a great number of calories (and sugars) you might not even know you're consuming.
• Having a small snack that's relatively high in fats and proteins (ie, a quality 'energy' bar, or a cup of yogurt with some almonds, for example) can curb hunger until the next meal comes along.
• Making your own meals and snacks -- make your own soup, freezing the extra for later; make your own salad; make your own fruit/veggie/yogurt blends; find one new, simple dish each month that you can make in under 30mins, one that's balanced and healthy.
• For liquids, focus on water. And monitor the color of the output. If it's colorful or aromatic, boost the amount of fluids you're drinking.
• Moderation in everything.
• All meals balanced.
• No more than ~350 calories per meal, or ~100 calories per snack. Uncertain what your overall caloric intake is right now. But 3x meals and 3x snacks amounts to under 1500 calories per day.
• Portion size -- Close your two fists. The amount of volume taken up by those can be a maximum on the volume of food to consume at any one sitting. Focusing on the above food changes and then placing this max-size limit on consumption can help to dramatically curb your intake of belt-busting foods.
• If after 3mos you don't notice a solid reduction in overall weight, cut another quarter (or even a third) off the overall portions you're consuming. Don't be afraid of using the "doggie bag" or boxing up leftovers for later.
• If any medical issues or serious concerns, run the ideas by the doctor or a qualified dietician who can take into account your particular situation.

Will take a couple months to start noticing all the changes, but I think you will find you'll have greater energy, fewer spikes and sags, fewer hunger pangs, along with weight loss. Your attention and focus should improve, as your vitamins and minerals get back in balance.


Here is a link that might help: World's Healthiest Foods.

beakersbike

A good book to read is The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Performance by Finney and Volek. It gets pretty technical at times as they go into a lot of details about the science and the studies behind a lower carb approach. Another good resource is to look up Metabolic Efficiency and Bob Seebohar. I would look at these options as opposed to the off the counter stuff like the Atkins book just because they're addressed more around combining activity with diet. Essentially it's about training your body to burn fat as the primary energy source rather than carbs. There is some benefit to the approach for endurance based exercise (long distance bike rides) because when you can stabilize your blood sugar you don't go through the highs, lows, and crashes that go with trying to spike your energy with gu and sugary drinks. I think there's a lot of validity to it. However, going that route is a pretty complete and lifelong commitment.

RR3

I have done Atkins and also Low Carb High Fat. I have also read Finney and Volek's book and have applied it to long distance endurance rides. I had started riding again last January after 20 years off the bike. I was obese. To lose fat, you have to burn it. Both the Atkins and LCHF diets put you into some level of ketosis and fat will come off. I was losing 3-4 pounds per week. Clyde 1820's list pretty much mirrors mine. I prefer LCHF over Atkins because after the initial 3-5 days, it is easier to maintain and I feel more satisfied and therefore, portion control is easier for me. I prefer both over just cutting down portion sizes because I always feel hungry with the calories in/calories out approach. With Atkins or LCHF approaches, I am never hungry after the first 3-5 days.

I started at 255# and am at 185# now with 6 pounds more to go. I guess you can call me a former Clyde

Control of insulin is key. Once my body starts to burn fat, a single naughty session eating sugary stuff will shut down the fat burning (insulin response) and it will take me 1-2 days to get it going again (I measure ketone level of my blood). I just make mindful decisions and realize the consequences.

A typical day if I am trying to lose weight as I am now

Breakfast

2-4 eggs and 2-4 slices of bacon. Grass fed heavy whipping cream in my coffee (no sugar).

Lunch

Spinach salad with olive oil and balsamic (today I skipped lunch and breakfast to kick the fat burning into high gear)

Snack (after a ride ususually)

Macadamia nuts and maybe BCCA smoothie using coconut milk, 1/3 banana, one strawberry, a small chunk of 90% Lindt dark chocolate, stevia, cinnomen, and some Whey Powder.

Dinner

Fatty fish (Tuna, Salmon, etc)
Arugula Salad....usually with some goat's cheese on it
Cauliflower or maybe Broccoli with butter or olive oil on it.

If I am doing a long distance event like a longer Brevet, I use Maltodextrin for fuel but only after riding for about 1 hours because I produce more power with some carbs although after one is fat adapted, it is amazing that one is essentially bonk proof although the power will be lower. I ran out of glycogen on today's ride with no mental symptoms, just lower power. The brain seems happy on Ketones.

dkyser

Thanks everyone, and believe it or not BBq can be healthy.
I flavor the meat with Smoke, not BBQ sauce or sugars.
I do use seasoning but not sugar. Briskett, Roast Beef etc is healthier than even deli meats.
Lots to read up on.

Willbird

yes I agree BBQ is not unhealthy, I have never went low carb all day, I did mess with carb fasted cardio and it probably did no harm, but did not work any special magic either. I eat more fat than some folks consider healthy, but the current research is showing some long held "truths" are not sound advice.

fat is not unhealthy, many saturated fats are not unhealthy, dietary cholesterol from eggs is not unhealthy, sodium is not unhealthy for a lot of people....

plumberroy

I lose weight easier on Atkins style diet than anyway I have tried . But if you are prone to gout it is an attack waiting to happen . I did not go full Atkins though I switched to multi grain bread for toast for breakfast and reduced it to one slice . Breakfast for me is eggs over medium bacon and toast period . I cut the sugar in sweet tea to 1/4 cup per 1/2 gallon then followed Adkins from there. Gout put me off this style diet .
My major food vice is pepsi I quit pot cold turkey at 19 no problem Same with speed at 21, I quit Copenhagen snuff in 2000 after 26 years of using it looked at an empty can told myself I was spitting $3 a day on the ground and never bought another can Pepsi Kicks my ass. Guess the internal switch in my inner self hasn't turned off for pepsi

winston63 

I agree completely with this - rather than trying a "diet", track everything and you'll have a much better chance of not only losing weight, but keeping it off. I, too, stalled out with my weight loss when I was getting a ton of exercise but wasn't paying much attention to my diet. I decided to try my myfitnesspal and it really opened my eyes to what I was actually eating & drinking. Knowledge is power - since I've been tracking, I've been successful in making small but steady progress in dropping my weight, and honestly, it's been easier than I thought. And I really haven't had to give up much of anything, just change the amount I eat, reduce my beer consumption (that was a tough one!) and stop snacking. If I really need a snack I grab an apple or some dried apricots, occasionally a small quantity (1 oz) of roasted mixed nuts.

I'm getting pretty close to my weight goal - I still have the odd splurge (went out for a beer and a burger tonight, though I had a salad instead of fries!) but on the whole I'm very much aware of what I'm consuming, how much I'm exercising and for me at least, it's working.

bassjones

If going low carb, I'd recommend Paleo instead of Atkins. Learn to like some veggies too They're good for you.

Flatbroke

I have been eating this way for the past 4 weeks. Lost 43 pounds and do not have any hunger pangs, desire for sweets and no longer feel the need for meat every meal. It is truly amazing.

Short Cut

Atkins works well for me, is sustainable, allows me not to feel like I am starving myself and still lose weight. I also like that it is easy to follow when eating out usually it's as easy as substituting extra vegetables in place of potatoes. And low carb diets are common enough that restaurants are accustomed to such requests.

One thing i highly recommend if you go that route is to get the Atkins book and read it. People 'think' they are doing Atkins because they're skipping bread or sugar, but there is more to it. One other thing that works for me is to pre-prepare low carb snacks like bbq chicken and hard boiled eggs because so many of the quick and easy snacks are loaded with carbs.

Willbird

I love hard boiled eggs and was prisoner to "I suck at hard boiled eggs" for 50 years, but no more :-).

I use white eggs, they for sure peel easier than brown eggs IMHO, the brown egg shell seems thicker. Let eggs sit out on counter overnight to warm to room temp. Boil water, slip eggs in with slotted spoon. Bring water back to boil (no need for egg busting violent boil). Shut off heat, put lid on pan, set timer for 13 minutes. Add ice to a bowl of water, when timer goes move eggs to ice water with slotted spoon. Tap eggs on counter to crack shell, peel underwater. Adding eggs to hot water seems to make them peel easier, 1-2 may crack when you slip them in but they are still fine.

howeeee

Reduce some that red meat, cause it is very high in condensed calories. Try to eat more fruits and veges
COUNT CALORIES
I only weigh 150 I lost 25 pounds, I count calories , dont eat red meat, thats it

Clyde1820

I'd recommending adding in a good 15-20mins per day of weight-oriented resistance training. Can be as simple as using a couple of kettle bells or dumbbells. Pushups, situps, squats, triceps, chest, back. Done right, with a solid amount of weight, done in a sequence of high-intensity bursts (intervals) in addition to whatever cardio-oriented training of other sorts you're doing (cycling, swimming, rowing, running), it can make a big difference.

Helps keep you strong, for avoiding injuries. Helps build lean muscle, for boosting your calorie burn. Helps improve your ability to withstand stronger and longer workouts on the bike, boat, road, in the pool.

Be sure to have enough protein in your normal diet, for ensuring you can effectively build the muscles and recover from workout "damage" you do to your muscles by training.

JerrySTL

A riding buddy of mine went on Adkins and was losing weight. However it really messed up his riding. He usually was a much stronger rider than I, but while doing Adkins, he was slower. On one ride he basically bonked at the 30 mile mark. We all but forced him to drink a quart of Gatorade and within minutes he was close to his old self. You might want to 'cheat' a little when out on long rides or other activities.

Ursa Minor

Salt is an important component of a low carb diet because when you are keto-adapted your kidneys excrete salt very efficiently. This has the effect of causing dramatic weight loss in the first few weeks of a low carb diet since the loss of salt leads to less water retention. A secondary effect is if you cheat by eating salty junk food you can see a dramatic weight gain due to water retention.
Aside from this if you don't
get enough salt then on rides you may feel fatigue.
I've been on a LCHF diet for 4 years but I was unaware of this salt effect. Since I have been adding more salt to my diet my riding performance has improved considerably.

Charlie

GravelMN

I've done the very low carb plans, Atkins induction, South Beach, and other variations, but found that very low carb was unsustainable. It worked great in the short term to power off weight and improve my triglycerides, A1C and cholesterol but my anaerobic performance suffered horribly. I could sustain a recreational pace all day (HR Zone 2 and low 3) but within minutes of sprinting or hammering a big hill (Zone 4/5) I bonked horribly and it took quite some time to recover.

Then I stumbled upon the "Right Fuel for the Job" concept and saw good improvements in performance while maintaining 90% of the benefits from the very low carb plans. Basically, you follow a moderately low carb nutrition plan (lots of low GI vegetables and fruits, very limited grains and almost no added sugars or processed starches) but you are allowed additional carbs when your activity level warrants them. You still stay away from the very high GI and junk carbs but when you anticipate high anaerobic demands you can add higher GI fruits and vegetables and increase the portion of grains. For example: Spending the day at the office = low glycemic index and low glycemic load; clean proteins, leafy greens, low GI veggies, and the more healthful fats like nuts and olive oil, maybe some berries for dessert. Going on a spirited 30-mile group ride with plenty of climbs and sprints = moderate glycemic and increased glycemic load in proportion to the anticipated effort; have a bowl of oatmeal with a sliced banana an hour before and carry a granola bar and some dried fruit with on the ride. Time Trial = relatively high glycemic index and moderate glycemic load; sipping on lemonade made with honey and downing a few Fig Newtons leading up to the event. Recovery drinks are allowed but with controlled amount and types of carbs. Greek yogurt, berries, and skim/almond/etc milk would be preferred over sugars, maltodextrin, and high GI fruit juices. Of course, calories count and the daily caloric balance is approximately the same regardless of carb source.

Works for me

indyfabz

You say you "squeeze in" riding. How much riding do you "squeeze in" and what is the intensity? I have encountered more than a few people who wonder why they are aren't losing weight from riding a couple of hours/week at relatively low intensity.

Masque

First, decide what your metric will be. Is it going to be pounds? Is it going to be waist size? Endurance?

Pick a goal.

Then, pick a method tailored to that goal. For me, it was body fat percentage and paleo + cycling. Pounds are a TERRIBLE metric as a new cyclist. I lost 8.1% of my body weight, but reduced by body fat percentage by thirteen points. From 35% down to 22% body fat. If I had been focused on pounds I would have been VERY frustrated....

I should add that Paleo diets are wonderfully easy once you get going, but all bets are off when on a ride or refueling after. Cavemen didn't have carbon fiber, so I will eat anything (okay, let's be honest, EVERYTHING) during (and in the 30 minutes after) a ride. There's a time and place for simple sugars and, while I could do all that with fruit, there's definitely a psychological reward to pounding down a couple of scoops of ice cream and knowing that it's actually a reasonably good idea at that time....

Best of luck. We'll be cheering for you.

Judi

If you want the eggs to be super easy to peel, steam them instead. Put a steamer rack in a pan and add water up to the level of the rack. Bring the water to a boil, add the eggs to the steamer rack, and put the lid on. Steam the eggs for 12-15 minutes. (the longer time if you're cooking a lot of eggs at once) The shells slip off really easily and the yolk never has that green color on the outside.

Judi

I tried riding for weight loss without changing my diet. I went from 360 to 340 but my butt got noticeably smaller. When I quit riding (bike broke and I couldn't afford another for a while), the weight came back pretty quickly, and I gained even more.

A year and four months ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and I started eating lower carb, not as low as Atkins, more like 120g of carbs a day, and eating between 1200 and 1500 calories a day (since you're male, you would be able to eat more calories than that and still lose weight). I weighed 408 in Dec 2013 and 228 in Dec 2014. Then I got tired of eating lower carb and went back to eating sweets and pasta and bread but still counting calories. I was hungry all the time and my weight was creeping up. I quit counting calories for a couple of months and I'm back to 260 right now. I'm going back to eating 120g of carbs a day because that's the only thing that's ever really worked for me to lose weight.

About veggies, they help fill in the empty spaces in your belly without adding a ton of calories, and they help keep your digestive system moving. There's a lot you can do with different veggies. Since you like to grill, try grilling a few veggies...get some zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant. Cut the eggplant into slices about 3/4" thick, brine for about half an hour, using a plate to weigh the eggplant down into the salty water. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into long thin slices. Marinate all the veggies in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, with a little basil, garlic and onion powder added for flavor. Then grill until tender, turning once so you get the grill marks on both sides. The zucchini and yellow squash will be done faster than the eggplant. Roasted cabbage is good too...cut a head of cabbage into wedges, drizzle with olive oil, then roast at 375 or 400 until tender, about 20 or 30 minutes. The cabbage is done when the edges start to brown. Romaine lettuce is not that bad for you, iceberg has no nutritional value but romaine does. So do the leaf lettuces. Baby spring mix is pretty nice too. You have to watch the salad dressings though, some of them are mostly sugar and some of them have more than 100 calories in two tablespoons. Cauliflower is pretty versatile, you can chop it and replace half the pasta in a recipe with it (works well with pasta salad or mac and cheese) or you can chop it really small with a food processor and use it instead of rice...look for recipes for cauliflower rice. It's good with a piece of fish...I like to coat the fish in a mix of almond meal, coconut flour and parmesan cheese for a low carb coating, then bake it.

Willbird

buddy is one of those gourmet types :-), he told me moving them right into ice water keeps the yolks yellow, and it does, I fact checked him online and the innernets told me the green is actually from over cooking, the ice water prevents that :-). Might try steaming some sometime :-), maybe next February if the average temp is 1F all month again :-)