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wild_wild_wes
05-25-10, 22:22
Totally frustrated by my inability to lose weight (I did lose 100 pounds a few years ago, but since then no matter what I do I cannot lose any more). So, now I'm going at it with both barrels: Atkins, plus bicycling in to work (18 miles each way, takes about an hour and a half). Started on Monday; it was raining today when I left work, but I toughed it out instead of taking the train home.

I plan on doing this for three months.

I'm going to crash, or crash through.

usmcvet
06-01-10, 09:21
He man what's the status. I've got LOTS of weight to loose too. Keep chugging, don't quit. If you're like me it did not appear overnight and it will not go away over night.

Rated21R
06-01-10, 09:37
Best of luck.

Fyrhazzrd
06-01-10, 13:50
Please don't do Atkins. You are cheating yourself by eliminating carbs.

Weight loss is nothing more than simple math. If you eat less calories than you take in you will lose weight. It's been a while but I believe 1 LB of fat is equal to 3600 calories. So you can control how much weight that you lose just by knowing how many calories you burn everyday, there is a calculator on the internet that can tell you that.

Then you adjust your calorie intake according to that. However many days calorie deficit is equal to 3600 calories then that is how many days it will take for you to lose 1 LB.

ForTehNguyen
06-01-10, 14:12
i dunno how youre gonna have the energy to bike if you removed carbs from your diet

Fyrhazzrd
06-01-10, 14:42
i dunno how youre gonna have the energy to bike if you removed carbs from your diet

That is a very good point.

wild_wild_wes
06-01-10, 22:22
i dunno how youre gonna have the energy to bike if you removed carbs from your diet

I just do. I'm into my second week on Atkins and 36 miles of bike each weekday. No problems yet. I'm super-motivated (I rode in the rain three days last week, instead of getting on the train like I could have), and here is something else: I get home at 5pm, wolf down a small meal, chill out, then at 6pm lift weights for 45 minutes. Still, I feel great; no problems with energy at all....maybe a sore butt, but that's it. Oh, and last week Squats were kind of dicey....legs very tired.

About Atkins: I don't think its "magic"; this is simply the best way I know to keep myself from eating all the "bad stuff" I like so much (pizza, doughnuts).

wild_wild_wes
06-01-10, 22:25
He man what's the status. I've got LOTS of weight to loose too. Keep chugging, don't quit. If you're like me it did not appear overnight and it will not go away over night.

lol I am former USMC myself. It took me a while to get where I am; I know it will take a while to get rid of it. Weigh-in this Saturday.

MeanRider
06-01-10, 23:51
Eat a lot of chicken, But I agree with some of the others, Quality carbs are a must and can increase you metabolism. My wife makes a killer granola, whole grains, almonds, sunflower seeds, craisens, and honey. keeps my energy high.

Fyrhazzrd
06-02-10, 07:44
I just do. I'm into my second week on Atkins and 36 miles of bike each weekday. No problems yet. I'm super-motivated (I rode in the rain three days last week, instead of getting on the train like I could have), and here is something else: I get home at 5pm, wolf down a small meal, chill out, then at 6pm lift weights for 45 minutes. Still, I feel great; no problems with energy at all....maybe a sore butt, but that's it. Oh, and last week Squats were kind of dicey....legs very tired.

About Atkins: I don't think its "magic"; this is simply the best way I know to keep myself from eating all the "bad stuff" I like so much (pizza, doughnuts).

I think it's funny how people think that Pizza is this evil food. It really isn't a terrible food to eat on a diet. I at pizza once a week when I was on my diet, and my diet was an extremely low calorie diet. How did I do it? I didn't put any meats on my pizza, only veggies. And I requested light on the cheese. The problem with pizza is it is very difficult to gauge how many calories the particular piece of pizza is that you are eating. But I never ate more than two pieces. So at most, I estimated about 600 calories for that meal.

What I have been told about dieting is that the secret to keeping the weight off is to not cheat yourself out of the foods that you like to eat. If you cheat yourself out of the foods that you like, then you are more likely to cheat on your diet. And then once you do cheat it makes you crave that particular food even more. Then the next thing you know you have completely blown your diet and you are gaining weight instead of losing.

I would even pick a day out of the week to have Ice cream. I made sure that I was not eliminating foods that I like to eat. Now granted I bought an ice cream maker and made it with half/half and splenda to cut the calories down a little, but it was still good.

8200rpm
06-02-10, 18:11
I think it's funny how people think that Pizza is this evil food.

There's nothing funny about pizza being evil...

At a BW of 145#, I ate four slices of Maui Zaui from Round Table Pizza last week...

1116 Calories

128 g Total Carb (512 cal) 46%
44 g Total Fat (396 cal) 35%
52 g Protein (208 cal) 19%
3080 mg Sodium

It's pure f#@*&%g EVIL!!! And, it was oh so tasty.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2798087375_04df171ee6.jpg

TehLlama
06-02-10, 19:06
When you reach your target, don't be afraid to upgrade the quality of food you're eating. Paying a bit more for good lean meats, and making slightly fancier food is a good strategy - that's the only way I'm able to maintain.

sadmin
06-02-10, 19:19
good luck on your plan. I started a regiment last week myself, hurting a little bit.
that pizza looks fantastic.

Fyrhazzrd
06-02-10, 19:41
There's nothing funny about pizza being evil...

At a BW of 145#, I ate four slices of Maui Zaui from Round Table Pizza last week...

1116 Calories

128 g Total Carb (512 cal) 46%
44 g Total Fat (396 cal) 35%
52 g Protein (208 cal) 19%
3080 mg Sodium

It's pure f#@*&%g EVIL!!! And, it was oh so tasty.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2798087375_04df171ee6.jpg

Yeah, that's not a diet friendly pizza. Especially not 4 slices. Take the meat off, and you would have been under 1000 calories. Eat two instead of 4, and you still have a respectable amount of calories for a diet. Now all that sodium isn't good for any diet, but the rest of the figures don't look terrible.

wild_wild_wes
06-03-10, 23:06
I would even pick a day out of the week to have Ice cream. I made sure that I was not eliminating foods that I like to eat. Now granted I bought an ice cream maker and made it with half/half and splenda to cut the calories down a little, but it was still good.

You want to have the most awesome ice cream, ever? Make it using Goat's milk. In-****ing-credible, I shit you not. You will thank me for this, and profusely.

wild_wild_wes
06-05-10, 09:39
UPDATE #1

Two weeks in; weight loss so far= 5 pounds

(I only get on the scale once a month)

I started Atkins the first week, but that Saturday was my birthday party; cake etc. so essentially I had to start over the two-week Induction period. Whatever. Five pounds might no sound like much, but at least it's trajectory. It should also tell you the extreme difficulty I have in losing any weight at all. I mean, I'm eating at Maintenance, doing strict Atkins, and bicycling almost three hours each weekday, and only get a five pound loss.

wild_wild_wes
07-10-10, 18:29
-20 lbs. so far

-1% bodyfat in the last four months.

orionz06
07-12-10, 11:46
I have tried both Atkins and a cyclical ketogenic diet and much preferred the latter.

wild_wild_wes
07-27-10, 22:03
UPDATE #2

Eight weeks in, -25 lbs.

I'm having to bike harder and harder to stay in my training zone, so ride times have gone from 1 hr. 30 mins. to 1 hr. 17 mins.

usmcvet
07-28-10, 18:53
Keep it up Devil Dog!

wild_wild_wes
08-14-10, 09:55
One more week to go, and I think I have Overtraining Syndrome. Too bad, I'm gonna finish this thing.

Oh I forgot to mention:

1st month: -1.1% bodyfat

2nd month: -1.4% bodyfat

Atkins works, at least when accompanied by exercise. Those numbers say I lost little or no muscle mass; must be the six daily meals with high protein and fat in each. Still, I'm running large caloric deficits, and only getting 140 grams of protein per day, way below what the professions say you need.

wild_wild_wes
08-20-10, 19:06
12 weeks cycling/atkins completed. Results:

Total weight lost= -32 lbs

Now comes the hard part: finding a way to lose, without the tremendous expenditure of time....

bsf
08-24-10, 00:05
I commend your efforts. Your numbers do not make sense to me though. What was your change in body fat percentage from beginning to end? How was BF% determined?

WillBrink
08-24-10, 17:29
Totally frustrated by my inability to lose weight (I did lose 100 pounds a few years ago, but since then no matter what I do I cannot lose any more).

Read The Big Picture of Permanent Weight Loss (http://www.brinkzone.com/articles/the-big-picture-of-permanent-weight-loss/)

Good luck. ;)

wild_wild_wes
08-26-10, 12:14
I commend your efforts. Your numbers do not make sense to me though. What was your change in body fat percentage from beginning to end? How was BF% determined?

Here's the deal: I weigh myself and take a bodyfat measurement at the end of each month (BF% using an Omron electronic meter). However, I also donate blood and get weighed in there, in the middle of each month; I used the blood donation numbers for weight, since I started bicycling in the middle of the month, and donated the day before, and because they use a precise medical scale. So, the three donations and weigh-ins coincided exactly with my bicycling, which ended last week. I still have another week before I take another BF%, but for the first full cycling month I lost 1.1% BF, and for the second month I lost 1.4%. The next BF measurement will only cover two weeks of cycling.

wild_wild_wes
08-26-10, 12:16
Read The Big Picture of Permanent Weight Loss (http://www.brinkzone.com/articles/the-big-picture-of-permanent-weight-loss/)

Good luck. ;)

Interesting article, thanks!

I think I have a handle on it now. Atkins works for me because it keeps me away from the stuff I shouldn't be eating, anyway.

wild_wild_wes
08-26-10, 12:19
I would like to take this opportunity to call bullshit on low-fat diets.

40% of the daily calories I ate while on this program came from Fat (the rest was 52% Protein and 8% Carbs); I lost 32 pounds, and still had enough energy to bicycle three hours a day, and lift weights 45 minutes a day. Carbs are simply not needed.

Vic303
08-26-10, 12:43
Curious, what was your blood cholesterol before starting Atkins, and now? What ratio of HDL/LDL?

randolph
08-26-10, 13:29
I would like to take this opportunity to call bullshit on low-fat diets.

40% of the daily calories I ate while on this program came from Fat (the rest was 52% Protein and 8% Carbs); I lost 32 pounds, and still had enough energy to bicycle three hours a day, and lift weights 45 minutes a day. Carbs are simply not needed.


I'll play :D
I call bullshit on low carbs diet. :neo:
several years ago I lost 70 lbs on a 70%carbs, 20% protein and 10% fat diet. I did it in 6 months of eating right, no exercising until I lost 50lbs.
I got down to 8% bodyfat and kept below 10% for many years.

what heartrate are you at while riding your bike at 12mph ? i suspect even for a total of 3 hours, your exertion level isnt taxing your glycogen levels enough to weaken you, plus splitting it up up into two rides, you have time to replenish them.

I commend you on your weightloss and keep doing what works for you, but dont confuse a little weightloss with a lifestyle change.

Ima big fan of a Palio Lifestyle or even better,
Primal Blueprint: www.marksdailyapple.com

I suspect will is biting his tongue over your post :p

wild_wild_wes
08-26-10, 13:33
My average heart rate was 125, where I wanted it....but since I wasn't taking in many carbs, I wasn't burning glycogen, I was burning bodyfat.

bsf
08-26-10, 14:04
Back to the BF%. Wes, if you decreased total body weight 32lbs but BF only decreased 2 or 3% of total body weight, you either lost a bunch of muscle and/or water or are as big a house. That is not an insult. I think your numbers are wrong. I do not trust those impedance-based BF measuring devices.

wild_wild_wes
08-26-10, 16:09
I wet from a tight 40 pants to a loose 38. Anecdotally: all my co-workers noticed my reduction, said it was amazing, especially noticable in my face. Now that I'm back on the commuter train a girl I haven't seen in three months said I was amost un-recognizable.

cujet
09-22-10, 08:51
I lost 50 pounds a few years back. I did it by skipping dinner and eating carefully, avoiding bad carbs and eating fish.

While, I've gained half of it back, I'm still lighter today.

Prior to that, I used to ride my bicycle in to work 3 times a week. 22 miles in, 27 home. That did not help me lose weight. In fact, I gained a bit of weight, my legs got huge, which is unusual for a cyclist.

Every once in a while, I get the thought that cycling will help me lose weight. I put in a good effort and don't seem to make much headway.

Conclusion: I do far better on a low carb starvation diet, skipping dinner than I do on an exercise intensive plan with "normal" eating.

Kilo 1-1
09-22-10, 11:32
I don't really recommend Atkins because of the complications associated with it...but just be careful and don't fall into ketoacidosis since you're doing a rigorous exercise regiment as well.

I'm sure you figured out at this point, but by following this diet plan, it's a long term commitment. Once you get off of Atkin's, you're more than likely to gain the pounds back.

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress.

wild_wild_wes
09-22-10, 21:45
I used to ride my bicycle in to work 3 times a week. 22 miles in, 27 home. That did not help me lose weight. In fact, I gained a bit of weight, my legs got huge, which is unusual for a cyclist.

Every once in a while, I get the thought that cycling will help me lose weight. I put in a good effort and don't seem to make much headway.

Conclusion: I do far better on a low carb starvation diet, skipping dinner than I do on an exercise intensive plan with "normal" eating.

I tried the same bicycle commute last year, but I was eating about 55/35/10 carbs/protein/fat. I did that for two months and lost only 8 pounds, so I quit in disgust instead of finishing the full three months. This is yet another reason why I believe in low-carb.

bsf
09-25-10, 08:27
I tried the same bicycle commute last year, but I was eating about 55/35/10 carbs/protein/fat. I did that for two months and lost only 8 pounds, so I quit in disgust instead of finishing the full three months. This is yet another reason why I believe in low-carb.
I do not believe in the “one size fits all” approach. In those 2 months, what was your actual change in BF%. Losing 4lbs/month of FAT over an extended period of time, say 12 months or more, and keeping it off, would be a very positive, life-changing transformation for many. I guess it depends on how much FAT a person needs to shed.

If you were not losing FAT rapidly enough, was the macronutrient ratio the problem, or was it simply net caloric intake?

dookie1481
09-26-10, 21:34
This is yet another reason why I believe in low-carb.

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/all-diets-work-the-importance-of-calories.html

wild_wild_wes
10-09-10, 15:41
UPDATE

Since 2007 I have been trying to incorporate a good Periodization regime into my workouts; I've tried many variations, but now am on a yearly cycle of four periods, each three months long. The bicycle commute was the "Hard", or Summer cycle, with two daily cardio sessions of 90 minutes duration, plus one weight session; I am now on the "Medium" or Fall period, where there are still two daily cardios, but only 45 min. each, plus the weights. I also cut my daily caloric intake down from 2400 to 1600.

I finished the Summer period six weeks ago; so today's weigh-in was the first full month in the Medium period: on Mon/Wed/Fri before work I swim 45 minutes, then at lunch I do 45 min. on the stairmaster, and weights after work; Tue/Thur/Sat before work it's a 45 min. bicycle ride, with 45 min. on the elliptical at lunch and weights after work. The purpose of the different types of cardio was to introduce greater Variability into my workouts, which until now were all on my bicycle.

Results: 8 more pounds lost this month, and another 1.1% decrease in bodyfat; this is almost as good as the Summer workout cycle.

wild_wild_wes
11-06-10, 17:17
NOVEMBER UPDATE

Monthly weigh-in results: 7 more pounds lost this month, and another 2.0% decrease in bodyfat.

wild_wild_wes
01-01-11, 14:12
END-OF-YEAR UPDATE

As far as Cardio goes, I have been taking it easy over the last month and a half for Recovery purposes, so my weight loss has slowed (-2 pounds in Nov. and -2 in Dec.), but I'm still losing, despite all the Holiday food at home and work!

As of today I'm down to 206 pounds, and 25.1% bodyfat.

Total weight loss this year: -54 pounds.

orionz06
01-04-11, 08:12
END-OF-YEAR UPDATE

As far as Cardio goes, I have been taking it easy over the last month and a half for Recovery purposes, so my weight loss has slowed (-2 pounds in Nov. and -2 in Dec.), but I'm still losing, despite all the Holiday food at home and work!

As of today I'm down to 206 pounds, and 25.1% bodyfat.

Total weight loss this year: -54 pounds.

Awesome news. I lost about the same, -25 and then -25, but there were two brief +20 jumps, so it is almost a draw. Wearing pants that are 4" smaller in the waist, but it doesnt look like it.

Enoc
01-04-11, 21:39
END-OF-YEAR UPDATE

As far as Cardio goes, I have been taking it easy over the last month and a half for Recovery purposes, so my weight loss has slowed (-2 pounds in Nov. and -2 in Dec.), but I'm still losing, despite all the Holiday food at home and work!

As of today I'm down to 206 pounds, and 25.1% bodyfat.

Total weight loss this year: -54 pounds.

Great job man! Thanks for the motivation.

wild_wild_wes
01-04-11, 22:17
And oh yeah, last year I started off in size 42 pants....now I'm in 36's!

orionz06
01-04-11, 23:46
And oh yeah, last year I started off in size 42 pants....now I'm in 36's!

How many new belts have you bought in the past year?

wild_wild_wes
01-05-11, 18:21
How many new belts have you bought in the past year?

= 3

Dammit that's no fun....belts are expensive!

usmcvet
01-05-11, 18:43
The local leather shop in my home town always tells me that extra holes are free!