fietsbob

( I chose not to )... Die Young..

john m flores 

Today's typical servings are big; there's no way to eat three meals a day and NOT gain weight. That's why I typically eat just two meals a day. Some days I cheat and have three, other days just one big one. I also weigh myself every morning.

Gerryattrick

I am lucky in that I have no trouble staying trim. I am 72, 5'8" and weigh 150lbs and just vary above or below by a couple of pounds no matter how much I eat or how little I exercise.

Staying fit is a different matter. I have hardly ridden the past year due first to an operation on my spine then family health issues.

My slight depression causes me to eat more, and not always healthily, but my weight hasn't risen and I almost wish it had because then I might be more motivated to get fit again.

Trim and fit don't always go hand in hand.

Alloyboy

SylvainG

It's genetic for me. Until I started riding daily again (was quite sedentary), I probably only gained 15 pounds since I was in my twenties. Now I've lost 10 pounds in 2 years and I stay at around 150 (I'm 5'8"), even during my non riding months (I exercise and do cross country skiing then).

Kabuki12

I am 64 and soon to be 65 . Six feet tall and 155 lbs never had a huge appetite , and have been vegetarian for almost 30 years. Five plus years ago I went vegan and feel better without the dairy. I ride my bike frequently and go for a 2-3 mile walk every morning for mental well being. This life style is good for me but not for everybody. I don't really have any health issues , Hypothyroid for about 7-8 years , but that's it. Heart rate and blood pressure is fine and my Dr. (doesn't agree with my diet) tells me my blood work is like a kid! Genetics plays a part in what "fit" is for the individual. We are all different as far as what works. I guess the key is to be aware of your intake and exercise. That's it! Joe joesvintageroadbikes.wordpress

Pilot321

I was never a milk drinker when I reached adulthood, but pretty much gave up all other dairy about a year ago. I love cheese, but it is very high in fat, and calories, so I don't keep it in the house any longer. Yes I will occasionally indulge when out. I also gave up peanut butter which I also love, but was using it as a snack too often. The one other thing I no longer keep around is breakfast cereal. Too high in sugar and carbs. I also try to limit carb intake overall. Less bread, pasta, etc. Getting more time on the bike, and hiking trails helps also.

Clyde1820

Everyone's different, of course.

What has traditionally worked for me:

• Consistent, daily exercise of moderate intensity and duration.
• Cardio activities involving high amount of calorie burn. (Takes time, if intensity cannot be brought to workouts.)
• A mostly vegetable-based diet with modest amounts of proteins and fats, no processed foods, no added sugars, salt, squirt-bottle fats (ie, "dressings") and sauces, etc.
• Portion control. I find that meals in the range of ~300-400cals are about right for me, with snacks being half that. My calorie needs are about half what they were 20yrs ago, give or take, so I size portions accordingly.
• Next week ... do it all over again.

Basically, that works okay. Without the consistent, fairly high calorie-burn cardio each day, without building sufficient muscle over the long term, and without regard to portions/sizes of the meals I do have, it gets tough. I need to keep the "fires" stoked, so to speak. If I do that, and if I then keep to small portions with a cap on max calories/day, it works.

Best route might be to speak with a qualified and effective nutritionist.

If you want to DIY through experiment, here's something you might try. For a month or two ... Get 60-90mins of workout daily, with moderate-intensity cardio for half that and a fairly vigorous muscle/strength regimen for the remainder. Make up a handful of your go-to dishes that you would regularly consume. Figure out, in detail, what the calorie load is in the whole dish. Divide into reasonably small portions, then calculate the calorie load for portions of that size. Add up several different food groups' worth of small-portion consumption across the seven days of a week, and try to keep under 1000cals or so, for at least a few weeks until you see whether that's working. Tweak the content and variety of your meals, snacks and portions, so you get reasonable nutrients. Adjust your intake so that you maintain a sufficient calorie deficit to continue losing. At 1000cals, you'll almost certainly be losing weight easily. At some point above that you'll find your "sweet spot" for sufficient loss but maintenance of solid nutrition. My guess is, you'll learn a lot from that month as to how your own body processes that much exercise and intake. Adjust accordingly.

To "clean" up your nutrition intake, you might also try this. First, get rid of most of your labelled, processed foods. Then, each week, pick one other dish, food item, or ingredient ... and evaluate it for reasonableness. Find a better alternative. The next week, hunt down a different food/ingredient you use, then find a better alternative for that. (ie, Instead of pasta, try lentils; instead of beef, try fish; instead of a squirt bottle of salad dressing, try olive oil and balsamic vinegar with mild spices and herbs in addition.) Within a few months, you should have all of your "worst" food items gone, and you'll be reliant on portion control and exercise for the bulk of your challenge.

wphamilton

The main thing, that works for me, is moderating the "extra" stuff. Junk food, pastries, sodas and so on. I don't actually deny myself anything, let alone diet, but I may choose differently on a given day and when I indulge I try to keep some discipline. I haven't needed to take measures beyond that so far.

Also, it helps but doesn't do the trick by itself, that I've increased my physical activity the last couple of years. After the daily bike commute I have the running habit, 25-30 miles per week which is 3-4 hours. IMO, the activity and discipline are both needed to maintain a healthy equilibrium with our weight.

Nachoman

I don't know how I stay fit. No matter how much, or how little I eat, my weight does not fluctuate more than plus or minus ten pounds.
I prefer healthy foods, in fact I'm a vegetarian, but binging on cheez-its and red wine is good too.

andrewclaus

Read "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. The book can be summarized by the titles of its chapters: "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."

I agree strongly with the comment about limiting your car trips, if not eliminating them, and doing as much as possible under human power.

I married a vegetarian 37 years ago and I have not eaten fast food or drunk a soda since. She's an avid cyclist, too, and that helps. That's mainly how I've stayed trim and fit. Thanks to Mom, too.

Hondo Gravel

Trying to burn off the middle age pooch is frustrating. I’m otherwise fit everywhere else . I ride a lot and do beast of burden labor but that makes me hungry so I eat. Then my vice being cold beer doesn’t help. I realize I will never look like I did at age 27 but I’m going to try. People say I’m being paranoid but they don’t ride bikes and when you are in an endurance style activity you feel the extra weight and everything that is bad for you. So I’m limiting beer and going to give portion control a go so I can get this last pesky weight off. I find when I’m busy I don’t eat because I forget that I am hungry.

gear64

The most significant things for me are logging, and then trying to do everything in moderation. Logging really helps me and it's fun and informing looking back at historical graphs. I only log two things, my daily weight and hours of exercise (chores count). Regarding weight I don't focus on the daily fluctuations. It was pretty surprising to me to see how much variance there is every few days, sometimes overnight. The important factors are monthly and yearly trends. Eating everything in moderation helps prevent binging, exercising in moderation helps avoid burnout and injury. Those are key to CONSISTENCY. Over nine years or so; I'm losing track as I lost some early data, but further back than 2010, I've lost 35 lbs. I know that doesn't sound impressive, but that's all I needed to get to normal. Now I'm chipping at away at ideal, which to me doesn't mean looking like a fantasy character from the big screen, just a little less around the belly. What I'm most proud about over that time is never gaining back as year to year average. I have been doing more strength training, so curious to see where fat loss/muscle gain converge; may have to rethink the weight tracking in the near future.

Hondo Gravel

I’m going to start logging food intake so I can see where the weaknesses are and substitute cold beer with straight brewed iced tea. I tend to run myself into the ground by laboring myself to death since I have a small ranch to care for. That is when I reach for that cold beer but like every vice one beer leads to two then you start BSing with friends then it’s a party. Then the beer munchies hit and that always some type of junk food. Moderation is key like you say but moderation has never been my thing lol. Anyway I started a notebook so I can start behaving.

frogbiscuit

Hookers and blow.

But seriously,

I find that health apps on my phone that log food and exercise work for me. About 5 years ago I had foot surgery that prevented me from doing much of anything, and after a few years ballooned up 50 lbs. last year, through watching my diet and exercising, I lost 20 lbs, and was able to get through the winter without gaining any significant weight.I am an educator, so I am looking forward to putting a ton of miles on the bike and dropping the last 30 this summer. Thats my goal.

BUT I am starting to think my 40 year obsession with beer has caused my liver to swell and I'll never lose it.

Hondo Gravel

:Had my left foot butchered at the area butcher shop was off the bike from Sept to Feb. I’m back starting week 14 of returning to cycling. 5 months of no exercise activity drove me nuts but I was surprise how fast it all came back. So I’m confident that you can lose 30 this summer you are determined.

canklecat

Glad you posted that. I'm a former amateur boxer and longtime boxing fan. When I see photos of "overweight" former athletes, especially boxers and cyclists, my first thought isn't "Gee, he got fat." Nope. I think "My gosh, he must have starved himself and sacrificed so much in his youth to maintain that unnaturally low weight."

When you've starved yourself to make weight to pursue competitive sports, it gives you a different perspective on things. It doesn't bother me at all to see former athletes with a comfortable belly pudge. They earned it. And I know several men and women in my area who are technically overweight but still stronger and faster than I am.

caloso

It's always worth remembering that bike racer fat is normal person skinny.

Myosmith

Lite beer doesn't work Drank a six pack last Saturday and never lost an ounce

Climb14er

I learned one important lesson many year's ago... EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT and so is their metabolic makeup!

What works for one might not work for another. What sheds pounds for one might not be the same for another. What one person swears tastes good and is excellent for the body, might not taste the same for another.

I've been active my whole life and have eaten mostly organic and natural foods since high school. I do indulge in moderation from time to time but being active, running, walking, mountaineering, cycling... have all kept me in good condition

Began a spin class last December, wanted to get more intense workouts into my regime especially in the winter months. Went from 1X a week to start to now 3X a week and absolutely love the experience! The workouts are kicking my butt but I'm hanging in there fully! I'm sixty six, been road cycling since my teens and am usually the oldest in the spin class, mostly women, and a few other young guys.

I gotta say, especially with the free Silver Sneakers program, I found an instructor who he himself is in his mid fifties, former road racer and his leadership during the workouts is excellent. I go M-W, late afternoons, and Friday mornings. 45 minutes of pushing hard and Friday, 60 minutes of busting my you know what. Low impact, recovery in between, my system enjoys being pushed hard. Actually, dropping a few pounds, not that I needed it and can feel the intensity of the workouts improving my road riding.

If you have the chance, give it a try. All I needed were some SPD cleats on a new pair of comfortable mtn bike shoes

Enjoy!

zarbog

Took me 6 months to lose 10 pounds last year, gained 8 poinds back from November until the beginning of April, when I got the bike back out. Gained another 2 pounds this week. I do 30 km rides 3 times a week, but will be doing more once the weather improves. Sitting at 199 pounds today, 5 foot 10 and almost 69 years old. I follow this guy on youtube for inspiration.

noglider 

Wow, Merckx looks better than Lemond (to me), and Merckx is 16 years older.

OldTryGuy

EATING MORE INTELLIGENTLY, not starving oneself, FOR THE INTENDED SPORT that is being focused on requires the inclusion of food items that will maximize one's energy output and eliminates or minimizes food items that provide empty calories. Occasional deviation MIGHT BE OK and not sacrifice performance but the opposite might also be true. The portly gentlemen pictured and also in the video can have whatever eating habits they desire but by eating proven non-healthy items to excess can very easily have negative health ramifications in the future.

freeranger

Guess I'm one of the lucky(?) ones. No matter what or how much I eat, I stay around the same weight. I've always been on the thin side, as was my father. Now, I do get up every morning to give our one horse his hoof supplement, feed-thru fly control, some hay, and make sure the water buckets are clean and full. His buckets(2) hold 5 gallons (maybe 6) each, and the bucket I fill with water and lift over the fence to fill them is 5 gallons-usually with around 4 gallons in it (water weighs 8 lbs/gal. Doesn't sound like much unless you're raising it shoulder height. Of course, manure has to be raked up and disposed of, so there's that too. I also ride a bike and kayak when weather, time, and other chores around the home allows. Oh, we also have 2 dogs that must be walked, which is not big deal. Between owning a home and pets, keeps me busy. Now I've got to go get a big bowl of ice cream (don't hate me!).

canklecat

Merckx has never nearly died from a gunshot injury. I've known folks who were shot (in a previous life I was in nursing and, later, a newspaper reporter covering the police and fire beat). It changes them, permanently. The physical and mental shock ages them prematurely.

The worst assault Merckx experienced in his prime was a halfhearted, partially deflected punch from a lunatic. That was enough to take Merckx out of his game toward the end of his peak career. Having been a boxer (and knocked down only twice, both times from body shots in sparring, never knocked down in any competition bout), I can attest to how painful a punch to the body can be when you're unprepared for it. Doesn't take a full power blow to knock the wind out of your sails.

While I'm a longtime fan of Merckx and still am, I disagreed with him when he criticized LeMond for not pursuing the same rigorous schedule of all three grand tours and day races, including the monuments, that elite European cyclists usually pursued every season. But after the gunshot injury LeMond was lucky to recover enough just to race the TdF, let alone the other races he did compete in to little fanfare or recognition.

LeMond has said the residual lead in his body (surgeons didn't remove all the lead shot) is an ongoing concern and he limits his physical activity based on the theory that excessive exercise may hasten the toxic effects.

Frankly, I don't know or care whether that's a valid concern. If Greg wants to eat donuts every morning and drink beer all day, he's earned that privilege the hard way. He's not my role model for dietary or exercise advice. I just admire the guy's moxie.

Ditto Merckx, who often jokes around about heading for the food and wine as soon as possible after any event. He earned it. I hope I look that good at that age.

At 61 I'm down nearly to my optimal fitness weight of my early 20s, 150 lbs. At 5'11" with small bones that's pretty thin, and I could actually stand to lose another 5 lbs of pudge off the midsection if I really wanted to get into top condition. But it hasn't made me any fitter or faster on the bike. I can't say that I'm any healthier or feel any better than I was at 160 or 175.

And I'd bet there are a lot of folks who've had that experience. Doesn't really give us much incentive to sacrifice our favorite comestible vices. When I'm in the grocery store late at night picking up cat food, and see the morning's donuts have been discounted to $2 for a dozen, it's hard to pass up that bargain when you've already experienced the biggest lie in the weight loss industry: "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." Oh, really? Me and Dunkin Donuts and my favorite brew pub dark ales beg to differ. The only difference between me and my 300+ lb cousins is I actually enjoy bicycling and moderate exercise, and need it for stress reduction. They get all the comfort they crave from food and TV. And eventually from insulin injections.