AJW2W11E

I weigh about 190 and am short of 6 foot. I remember twenty years back watching people at my present age eating salad and crackers for lunch.
I'm thinking I should weigh maybe twenty pounds less, but I'm not fat. That's where biking plays a big role, I guess. Just like most of us, i take my riding seriously. I'm just not a skinny guy.
I'm not eating salad and crackers for lunch either, I'm downing a big lunch, albeit a healthy one, after my daily ride. I avoid red meat ,eggs , ice cream, pastries and fast food.
Am I doing something wrong here? I worry about this a lot lately. I'm thinking I should trim down?

10 Wheels

How far is the Daily ride?

PoorInRichfield

You may want to do some research on eating meat and eggs. My wife went on the carnivore diet recently to resolve some digestive issues and lost a ton of weight in the process. Carbs and processed foods cause weight gain, eating meat and healthy fats does not (unless you overeat, of course). Note that it's our preference to eat high quality meat and eggs, meaning meat from grass fed animals and eggs from free range chickens... Avoid meats full of chemicals and hormones, which is unfortunately most meat you can buy at the store.

bikemig 

From what I've read (and based on my personal experience), your metabolism starts to slow down north of 60. I also wouldn't be surprised if there is quite a bit of variation here. I know I need to eat less (and eat smarter) to stay on top of my weight even though I am fit and active.

Classtime 

A Whole Foods Plant Based Diet will get you there. It will take time to adjust. The Science is here https://nutritionfacts.org

Jtmav

I know it’s a bit controversial but I lost 25 lbs over 10 years ago by intermittent fasting. I eat during an 8 hour window which basically is 2 meals a day. I was a classic yo-yo dieter having tried everything from low fat, Atkins and a bunch of other strategies. I’m 5’9 1/2” (was close to 5’11”)at this point and 160 lbs as I said for over 10 years, at one point in my life well over 200 lbs. I continue to eat this way and consistently ride in the early morning before anything except water and coffee. Works for me but YMMV.

skidder

I figured when I reached 65 I'd jolly well have whatever I wanted for dinner (big bowl of ice cream last night!).

More seriously, just keep tabs on what you put in your mouth and cut out the snacking in between meals. Its worked for me. Yes, I did have a bowl of butter pecan ice cream last night, but that type of dinner is the exception.

rumrunn6

you sound fine. what does your doc say? what do the charts say?

at 64 I’m 5’11.5” & a trainer once told me about 10 yrs ago my target weight based on several other factors is 196. right now I’m 230lbs. doubt I’ll ever see 196 until I’m in my 80s. my HS weight was 175 if that even matters

PeteHski

Losing 20 lbs will be a benefit and merely requires slightly smaller portions of what you currently eat. You don’t need to make drastic changes to lose a little weight.

I’m 6’1” and currently weigh 190 lb. I can train down to 165 lb in under 6 months by simple calorie counting, eating the same healthy food in controlled portions. I don’t do that all the time because I feel a little underweight for my height and build at 165 lb, But I will do it for Alpine cycling events, where I find the weight loss is a significant advantage.

cyclezen

Not quite sure what the Question is... since you're coming at this from many different foci - which all come into the mix, but are components of what you'd like to achieve/be. 'Weight' is not the most important parameter, and really is a minor reflection of 'state'.
As we age, we're trying to retain positive characteristics and minimize the negative. Keep strong cognitive and thinking/brain function. Retain strength and structural integrity, flexibility and bodily functions and keep illness/disease at bay.
So what and how we eat is , of course, important.
Also important is how we manage our body thru physical and mental functions and processes.
I think it's well accepted that neither muscle/structural integrity nor mental function remain in some constant state. They need to be used, in a fashion which helps maintain or improve.
so, my observations...
Diet/nutrition depends. We've learned a lot, but not everything. Formulating 'the best' diet is very much debatable, and contingent upon personal things.
If we're talkin purely the physical; Weight is not the primary factor.
190 lbs at 6 feet depends, if with a 36 inch or + waist, maybe not as much muscle as other stuff.
Carrying unnecessary weight is not desired as we age. But retaining, building muscle is. Muscle is not just about strength. It's also the primary shock absorber for our skeletal structure and integrity. Really key as bone and connective tissue lose their youthful characteristics.
Diet alone won't achieve that (but is critical important). Cycling alone is clearly not the answer either.
Personally, I know I'm under-muscled, and need to step up the overall muscle building. It's not a one-time thing. Like laundry,eating, vacuuming - it's a constant, steady required job.
The hard part is getting it done without too much 'indoors' - a hard thing.
I'm convinced that some 'objective', knowledgeable outside evaluation of ourselves, is important to properly recognize what needs the most attention.
I'm very lucky t have friends who are Pros in that regard - and have no problems mincing words to let me know what I might need.
Look at others older than you, and honestly evaluate what they show, which you might like for yourself and what you wish to avoid - that will point to what you might need to focus on.
Ride On
Yuri

Carbonfiberboy 

Agree with PeteHski - smaller portions is the way to go. No need to change anything, just put a little less on your plate. Your stomach will adjust to this quite quickly and soon won't know the difference. Only the scale will know.

John E

There is no substitute for cutting out the refined sugar, white flour, and excess sodium. Cutting back on alcohol (or abstaining completely, as I have done my entire life) helps you avoid empty calories, as well.

For exercise, cycling has always been my aerobic conditioner of choice, but I supplement it with weight training for muscle mass maintenance and lots of fast walking for load bearing / skeletal maintenance.

I don't watch my weight, but I do watch my gut and my overall percentage body fat. Staying lean also helps me with my inherited (courtesy of my maternal grandmother) tendency toward hypertension, which I can control through sodium restriction, weight gain avoidance, and diaphragmatic breathing. I monitor my BP periodically at home, and the relaxation response from proper breathing rapidly drops it by about 10 points and keeps me in a normal/healthy range.

MoAlpha

Lean body mass is strongly associated with reduced all-cause mortality late in life. This effect is independent of body fat, which ,has a U-shaped association with mortality. The take home is, once you are old, it’s better to be a little fat and muscular than thin and under-muscled, and fat only seems to be dangerous in old age when you’re very overweight or too skinny. Salads are great and animal protein sources have their drawbacks, but frail is a very dangerous and unpleasant way to end up.

OldTryGuy

Fasting is no longer controversial and actually many are doing it not only to improve health but also Athletic Performance.

Carbonfiberboy 

So what's the low point of that U in terms of bodyfat percentage? I don't know how accurate my electronic scale is, but it says 12% and i think I'm a little fat. I'd rather be at 9%-10%. I should have my wife check me with my skinfold calipers.

rsbob 

Besides portion control and staying away from refined products, my wife and I have always been big proponents of the Mediterranean Diet. Longevity studies has borne out how good it is.

79pmooney

70 years old here. HS weight was 150. Had my "Ah ha" freshman year of college that I was to built to handle more than 160 pounds; that I should never get past 165. Raced in my 20s at 145. Spent most of my adult life pushing the Ah ha but never exceeding it. In my 60s started seeing that my life would be better if I weighed less and simply started eating less. I'm now down under 150. And I expect that weight will continue down and continue to feel "right" as it happens.

My crude "take" - my organ weight is probably not going to change much. My bones are getting lighter (sadly). My muscles are getting lighter (also sadly -I can make efforts to slow that process but without heavy weight lifting (steroids and injuries?) I cannot stop it. So maintaining my previous weight is simply adding fat to my declining body. Do I really want to burden my weakening body carrying around increasing load of little worth?

Edit: I've been eating close to the Mediterranean diet for years. Whole grains forever. Little sucrose. Almost no meat save occasional pork or chicken eating out and regular consumption of high Omega 3 fish at home. No dairy except a little cheese eating out. Biggest fat source - the fish and olive oil are battling that one out.

AJW2W11E

I'm the OP. Whenever I study older people , it seems the one's getting around best are those wiry lean types. Nothing happens instantly. Let me get to 185 first.

Carbonfiberboy 

No steroids and I don't worry about injuries in the gym because I do full range of motion work and use good form. It's really not an issue. One does have to learn the sport, like any sport. There are ways to do it and ways not to do it and the difference is not always obvious to the onlooker. One starts light with high reps - I started with 30 reps - and gradually, like over the years, changed to heavier weights and fewer reps. But 30 reps works just fine. That's the preferred dose for climbers for instance. My supplements are whey protein and HMB. Once my bod is healed up after the pacemaker implant . ..I'll be back. (I hope!)

fat biker

https://www.booksfree.org/the-obesit...free-download/

Cliffs Notes version.
According to Dr. Fung it is not about exercise, fat, calories or some superfood.
It is about one thing.
Insulin.

I found the book to be an interesting read.
Intermittent fasting helped me lose the ten pounds I was beginning to think were mine for life.

One more thing.
Belly fat, especially for guys is bad news.

fat biker

Trakhak

For another perspective, here's

It’s Not Calories… It’s Hormones: A Response to Dr. Jason Fung

joesch

NO
Salads are fine but I recommend a balanced diet.
I enjoy keto and carbs and have a lean strong body.
Be active and try to insure consume <= burn !

Classtime 

“Fat burns in a carbohydrate flame.”

Bald Paul

Well, there you have it. Just don't eat meat, eggs, or anything plant based. Or, just don't eat at all. Watch the weight come right off!

PoorInRichfield

That is also correct. I've done a water-only fast for 7 days and it is indeed a fast way to lose weight.