masi61

Just thought I would share that I have been exercising 5 to 7 times a week. Like many here, I struggle with diet & a tendency toward sedentary activity levels.
My weight has been as high as 270 5 or 6 years ago but with a low of 179 about 4 years ago. While tending to my girlfriend (not her fault, mine), I regained 50 pounds & was right back to #230. Well, regrettably I broke it off w/ & for the past 14 months have exercised like crazy.
I did bike 3500 miles in 2016 & did many dozens of spin classes. Some adaptations have occurred requiring even more exercise. I'm now adding running to the regime the past 3 weeks. Running 45 treadmill minutes or 55 outdoor minutes about 3 days a week in addition to even more weekly spin classes. Weight is STUCK @ 194 !! Oh well, the adaptations are occurring since my resting pulse is down, & my cruising running miles are below 11 minutes.
Just thought I would share & thanks to all for the moral support & sharing I have encountered here over the years.

IAMAMRA

The only way to lose weight is through diet, not exercise. Re-examine your food intake.

masi61

Thanks for the reply - yes, I'm bad with binge eating. Office food (donuts, pizza for example) have been tough for me to resist ⚠️

GregU

And through increased muscle mass. You need strength training, too, not just hours aerobic work.

kbarj

Congratulations! I would love to be fighting a plateau at 194. I have a son who constantly reminds me that "you can't outwork a bad diet". I struggle with the office goodies as well. I'm in my early 60s and work around a bunch of college hires who still have metabolisms that burn any and everything. They think keeping the Krispy Kreme runs down to twice a week is showing real restraint. Keep up the good work!

IAMAMRA

I know people who have lost hundreds of pounds and never worked out. It helps and might speed things up, but it's all about diet.

masi61

Exercise does more than speed things up I think... to me it provides the tools to be much more productive in planning the trajectory of weight loss. It makes diet MEAN something.
Yes, I'm a bit of a binge eater. Certainly the body will try to stay locked in at some set point.
I will say that with the cycling season right around the corner, entering into these early season miles already moderately well conditioned - this is VERY rewarding. Foreshadowing s good season about to happen.

BTW: several weeks have passed since my original post & I'm still @ ~#195 pounds (?).

masi61

Just thought I would share that the weight is coming down VERY slowly. I was on vacation this week & managed to bike 3 different days for 130 miles. I also did spin & weight lifting classes @ the gym. I'm now at about #192 and yes, getting back to this point has been quite difficult. I'm buying more fresh fruit, fat free Greek yogurt & using vegan protein powder in daily smoothies to give me the protein & energy I need to keep getting better while suppressing my appetite a bit.

jdw777

Oh to be back again below 200#'s.

I firmly believe that plateaus are different weights where my body is comfortable - not necessarily a bad thing. For me (6'1", 31" inseam) it's 225, 205, 190. I'm at 231 now. I also go by the way my clothing fits versus the number as I'm sure I'm gaining muscle mass.

As for diet only, no exercise weight loss, not to start a fire, but c'mon... no exercise? So many ailments to be had losing weight that way. But I agree, a good diet is important!

d

stoplight

perhaps you will one day grow tired of your battle with food and seek another way of coping with life stressors.

ClydeTim

OP, How tall are you? I could not get below 218 at 6'1. 7000 miles per year.

Family said I looked ill.

masi61

I used to be 6' even. Lately I seem to measure 5'11 (I think this is still while wearing running shoes, will have to check while barefoot).

Well when I drop into the #180's I do get some remarks about looking "gaunt". This may have come from going too radical with fasting, exercising 6 & 7 days a week, etc...

I did ride ~3500 miles last year & I know this burns a ton of calories. However: for me being an efficient rider, somebody has to really make me push things into the red zone to break through & get better. Riding on its own doesn't do that for me.

I used to (and still do) think of riding as more of a reward for hard work. It is like you have a Honda Civic with the base package but subjected it to some substantial, robust upgrades. These upgrades are functional as well as aesthetic.

bobwysiwyg

Ran into this as well. I'm overweight for my height. Lost 15 lbs after breaking my leg, subsequent surgery and several weeks on opioids. Either our friends and family are just use to seeing us a certain way, or society as a whole is more accustomed to overweight rather than optimal weight. I should weigh no more than 207 to avoid the dreaded label. I weigh 229. I suspect if I could get down to that, folks would be telling me to go see my doctor.

masi61

With biking it is sometimes beneficial to "think small". What I mean by this is that I like to stay kind of compact on the bike. Standing for short climbs, using the front (or rear) of the saddle to stay poised while maintaining through different hills, rough pavement and so forth. Being willing to ride in the drops of the bars for way longer than you imagined you could. Little things like these I believe become habit through repetition. Eventually there is a payoff. Being an effortless bike rider is one such payoff. Looking trim (and hopefully not too wore out looking) is another reward.

ClydeTim

At 220, I had my body fat measured. Simple hand held device. I was 20% at a health fair that visited our company. Well actually 218 (rounded up). My family members were concerned that I had lost too much weight seeing that I had pumped iron for 10 years and lost some muscle too.

I'm 230 now so I'm probably a bit higher but seems fairly normal for a male.

masi61

Just wanted to share an update: the 194 plateau seems to have budged & now the weight is creeping down toward the sub #190 mark.
Things that seem to be helping include: 1) getting to bed early with no bedtime snack. 2) continuing with every other day vegan plant protein powder smoothies for protein, energy & appetite control & 3) workouts: not doing more but am keeping the "pedal to the metal" so to speak. The weather here has been windy & rainy so I'm not really biking outdoors yet. But my days off I try to be productive @ the gym. 2 days ago for example I did lots of cardio - a 1 hour spin class in the morning, then a 55 minute treadmill run, then more walking and just going up & down stairs. Then, I returned in the late afternoon & did a second spin class - this one quite a bit higher in intensity. It was a tiring day but one where my weigh-in the following day yielded positive weight loss!

snewton

+1 Weight loss is all about the diet, i lost 86 lbs in 6 months with no exercise.
I'm now exercising with cardio + strength to get healthy.

snewton

And by Diet, i mean eating Nutritionally good foods, getting rid of processed foods, sugars(real and artificial), Pastas, Rice and Grains.

IAMAMRA

Meh, I eat all those things and have lost nearly 140# currently.

snewton

Not the only way to lose i'm sure, just the way that has worked best for me.
From my heaviest in 2016 i've lost 120#

* I'm enjoying reading your blog

masi61

I assume you are referring to me (the original poster (OP).

Things are chugging along with dispensing with the #194 plateau. If I have more veggies, some (bean) protein during an early dinner, then weighing in the following day pays dividends.

Workout themes for this phase include: 1) injury prevention through full range of motion stretches & exercise, 2) motivational (mental) work to stay sufficiently active. Kepping the furnace stoked so to speak. I don't know about anybody else but I consider my Fitbit Charge 2 to be the coolest, most motivational device- love it!!