How to lose those last few kgs?

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zill
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How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby zill » Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:12 pm

I have been dieting and exercising for 8 months and have lost 33kg already so very happy. My BMI is 23.0 at the moment which is not bad but still heavy for road cycling. My body type is such that I won't achieve sub 20.0 BMI but want to drop the last 5 kg or so. I have cycled a lot so my legs are toned and arms and shoulders are thin enough. The only part where I can lose more kg is in the stomach region which seem to be still fatty and sometimes bloated (compared to pro cyclists).

Any advice on how to lose those last few kgs?

Farmer Elvis
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby Farmer Elvis » Mon Jun 16, 2014 10:25 pm

Do something different, ie go for a run after a long ride. I was similar I'm 6'2" and got to 84kg wanted to get to sub 82 just couldn't do it with cycling and pretty good diet, no alcohol etc. started working on a rowing machine for 10 to 20mins after riding and it fell off

zill
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby zill » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:35 am

Farmer Elvis wrote:Do something different, ie go for a run after a long ride. I was similar I'm 6'2" and got to 84kg wanted to get to sub 82 just couldn't do it with cycling and pretty good diet, no alcohol etc. started working on a rowing machine for 10 to 20mins after riding and it fell off
That is interesting but wouldn't rowing build upper body mass (e.g. muscles) hence make you gain more weight?

nailsaslegs
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby nailsaslegs » Tue Jun 17, 2014 9:57 am

Sounds ridiculous, but eat less. I have been on a diet since January when I want plateau I eat less for a couple of days instead of consuming 9000kjs I consume 5000 instead. I also use a tracker app on my phone which keeps me accountable.

Nobody
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby Nobody » Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:05 am

zill wrote:Any advice on how to lose those last few kgs?
Try ditch meat and dairy for a month. Keep the rest of the stuff you eat as whole-food as possible and keep the fat intake low.

If you have a look at this link under BMI, you'll see you should be able to get to 22.5 as that's about the average for a person on a plant-based (plant only) diet. I'm about 22.5 after starting from 27.4 last year.

More info:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/education/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Last edited by Nobody on Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

lobstermash
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby lobstermash » Tue Jun 17, 2014 11:13 am

You could also slap on another 100km to your usual weekly activity.
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wombatK
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby wombatK » Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:11 pm

nailsaslegs wrote:Sounds ridiculous, but eat less
+1. You've done extremely well to shed 33 kg. The catch is that the more
weight you lose, the less calories you'll burn on any exercise, including all
the incidental stuff. So you have to back off on the food side of the equation.

The biggest pitfall is that you've got to do it in a way you can sustain
for the rest of your life. This is where crash diets typically fail, especially
the meal-substitution shakes and the like.

While changing the types of food you eat can help, you don't need to go
vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten fee, low carbohydrate, high carbohydrate,
low fat, high fat, or whatever other fad comes up tomorrow.

Exercise doesn't have to be extreme - even long walks can help a lot
on cycling recovery days (keeps you from TV and snacking opportunities).
I haven't tried a rowing machine, but that ought to work wonders with
firming up your abdomen and improving your core strength - something
the bike riding doesn't build much on.

FWIW, I lost 23 kg to get to a BMI of 21 without following any particular diet,
not even calorie counting except to gradually substitute better choices
for poor choices and smaller portions for large portions.

Better choices meant reading nutrition labels and choosing lower calorie,
lower fat and lower sugar options - or ditching somethings for unprocessed
whole foods using nutrition data from online sites like calorieking or nutritiondata.

I understand where you are coming from - my abs, core strength and
central adiposity can best be described as needing attention. So, it is
hardwork and what you need to do isn't always obvious. Good luck with it.
WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

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casual_cyclist
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby casual_cyclist » Tue Jun 17, 2014 5:24 pm

If you have time, walking is the best exercise for weight loss... but it takes ages! (as in a lot of hours per day).

Another option is HIIT if you have less time. http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/ultimat ... ogram.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you want something a bit more "out there", maybe consider 5:2. It's supposed to work. http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-to-do-the-diet/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Farmer Elvis
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby Farmer Elvis » Tue Jun 17, 2014 10:01 pm

zill wrote:
Farmer Elvis wrote:Do something different, ie go for a run after a long ride. I was similar I'm 6'2" and got to 84kg wanted to get to sub 82 just couldn't do it with cycling and pretty good diet, no alcohol etc. started working on a rowing machine for 10 to 20mins after riding and it fell off
That is interesting but wouldn't rowing build upper body mass (e.g. muscles) hence make you gain more weight?
Didn't for me, but I only do it after riding, rarely on its own. I think it just gives my body that bit of extra fatigue. Everyone is different. It is very good for your core.

zill
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby zill » Wed Jun 18, 2014 8:59 pm

nailsaslegs wrote:Sounds ridiculous, but eat less. I have been on a diet since January when I want plateau I eat less for a couple of days instead of consuming 9000kjs I consume 5000 instead. I also use a tracker app on my phone which keeps me accountable.
Yes but what happens if I can't sleep and wake up early due to hunger?

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wombatK
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby wombatK » Wed Jun 18, 2014 10:54 pm

zill wrote: Yes but what happens if I can't sleep and wake up early due to hunger?
Good grief, don't let fear hold you back :)

Seriously, if you do it gradually, you won't even notice. Each day or two, change one thing for the better, like making your serving size 10% smaller for one ingredient in your diet. Or change one ingredient for something better every other day.

Experiments show that when you gradually increase what's put on people's plates without telling them, they'll eat it and not feel the slightest bit over-full. Over a couple of weeks, you can even double what they're eating (and what they need) without them realising or leaving anything on their plate.

The converse works too - cut back slowly, and you won't even notice it. If you're worried your mind will play tricks on you, get your missus to do this secretly so you are blind to it happening (or pay me to come round your place and sneak stuff off your plate while you're not looking :) )
WombatK

Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic that it has to be us -Jerry Garcia

chriscole
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby chriscole » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:05 am

Eat less.

Do something other than cycling, specifically something using more core/torso/axial muscles more enthusiastically if you want to address your mid-section.

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casual_cyclist
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby casual_cyclist » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:44 am

zill wrote:
nailsaslegs wrote:Sounds ridiculous, but eat less. I have been on a diet since January when I want plateau I eat less for a couple of days instead of consuming 9000kjs I consume 5000 instead. I also use a tracker app on my phone which keeps me accountable.
Yes but what happens if I can't sleep and wake up early due to hunger?
A couple of months ago I did a 24 hour fast for no particular reason. I didn't find it difficult and wasn't particularly hungry. I have actually felt hungrier by 6 after having a smallish lunch at 12. Just have dinner the night before around 5 and you can easily fast until 5 the next day... you are not going to be hungry or waking up from hunger.
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nailsaslegs
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby nailsaslegs » Thu Jun 19, 2014 8:56 am

casual_cyclist wrote:A couple of months ago I did a 24 hour fast for no particular reason. I didn't find it difficult and wasn't particularly hungry. I have actually felt hungrier by 6 after having a smallish lunch at 12. Just have dinner the night before around 5 and you can easily fast until 5 the next day... you are not going to be hungry or waking up from hunger.
+1 for fasting! I do this usually before a big race a week out, last tiem was before Southern Valleys Tour in Feb, on the Friday, good way to lose the last bit, but expect to be rubbish on the bike. I have fasted on Friday then raced on the Sunday and bonked hard but that's to be expected and I wasn't concerned.

zill
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby zill » Thu Jun 19, 2014 9:25 am

nailsaslegs wrote:
casual_cyclist wrote:A couple of months ago I did a 24 hour fast for no particular reason. I didn't find it difficult and wasn't particularly hungry. I have actually felt hungrier by 6 after having a smallish lunch at 12. Just have dinner the night before around 5 and you can easily fast until 5 the next day... you are not going to be hungry or waking up from hunger.
+1 for fasting! I do this usually before a big race a week out, last tiem was before Southern Valleys Tour in Feb, on the Friday, good way to lose the last bit, but expect to be rubbish on the bike. I have fasted on Friday then raced on the Sunday and bonked hard but that's to be expected and I wasn't concerned.
What's the point if you do badly in a race?

small dog
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Re: How to lose those last few kgs?

Postby small dog » Sat Jun 21, 2014 8:57 pm

In spite of fashionable theories, by and large weight loss/gain is determined by calories in/calories out. OPbviously, you want to lose mostly fat, not muscle, and for they nutrient composition of the diet and the timing of intake is quite important. General approach used by bodybuilders - the experts in the field of getting ripped - pre-contest is more or less like this.

1. Determine your caloric requirements. Equations can be found on the Net, and they are quite adequate.
2. Depending on the level of physical activity, multiply this number by something between 1.2 (for sedentary) to 1.6-1.8 (physically active)
3. Count calories you consume. For that you will have, at least for the first week or so, weigh your food and estimate its caloric value (there are plenty of references on the Net and plenty of apps for that)
4. Nutrient timing:
- do not exercise fasted, it leads to muscle loss
- before workout consume 30-40 g of protein (whey is the cheapest and easiest)
- within 20-30 minutes after workout consume another 30-40 g of protein with added sugar. Glucose is preferable, and is available from health shops. The amount of glucose varies from 20 to 100 g depending on the duration and the intensity of the workout. You will have to play with it until you find the right amount. protein and sugar post-workout prevent muscle loss.
- consider BCAAs. They have direct anabolic effect and further prevent muscle loss.

Another trick that is helpful is carbohydrate cycling. So you abstain from carbs for couple of days, then consume a lot of them, obviously, within caloric limits of the day. Usually carbs are consumed on the day of the workout.

You can also reduce caloric intake by +/-20% on non-workout days and increase it by the same amount on workout days.

From the top of my head I can recommend two books on the subject:
1. Better than Steroids by Dr.Warren Willey (natural bodybuilder)
2. Fat Loss Bible by Anthony Colpo (an Aussie cyclist himself)

Both books are very thorough, especially the second one.

Good luck.

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