 Poster: A snowHead
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The second lockdown took a toll on my physical and mental shape - I stopped exercising, started eating uncontrollably and took up smoking again.
Result: +15kg (from around 82kg, which is borderline overweight for me, to 97kg) and one step from depression.
It took a massive effort to pull myself together, but I managed to give up smoking about a 2 month ago.
Then 2 weeks ago I activated my tried and tested 4:3 intermittent fasting routine:
1. Large balanced breakfast
2. Lunch gym HIIT session or a park run
3. On non-fast days: late (around 1-2 hours after gym) high fiber and protein lunch
4. On fast days: no lunch at all
5. A lot of water during the day
6. No food of any kind after lunch
7. Occasional evening run or 2nd gym session
8. In bed by 22:00 to hush the cravings
I am now down to 93kg, feel fresh and renewed and fully expect to be my old self by the time we go skiing for Christmas/NY - minimum target is to fit into my skiing pants again 
Anyone else working on getting into shape, or wants to start? No judgements and no dietary advice please, different things work for different people
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Wed 24-11-21 15:02; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Oleski, I am not as fit as I usually am - we've had a busy summer renovating property and the weather has been unusually cool and damp, which is no incentive to go running.
But back to the gym and it looks like we'll be maybe skinning after the coming weekend which I find helps totally shed the kgs, not least that cold air helps burn stuff off.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Need to get back to it, and am very annoyed at myself...
A year ago I had gotten down from >100kg to ~82 kg (over the course of something like 1.5-2 years). Now back up to 92 kg via slow, gradual weight gain...
Fortunately my waistline is still down 3-4 cm so should still get into ski gear, though the original goal was to be ending up needing to spend a small fortune because nothing fit anymore (in advance of (failing) to chase instructors/guides up the mountain on ski touring intros...)
I am sure I am still fitter than I was (though last ~2 months have been evil. Mild illness, then several on calls in a row resulted in almost no exercise; now the weather has turned so trying to motivate myself to freeze on bicycle/running shoes/exercise classes and get back into the habit/pattern is extraordinarily difficult 
I find the main key is controlling what I eat (Low(ish) carb works well for me if only because bread + cake + biscuits etc can rapidly make up a huge chunk of calories but not be particularly filling while being very moreish)
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Yes, Feb 2020 I was 101Kg, could still ski all day, think rugby fit! During the "stay at home" periods I got fitter & got down to 89Kg. I was so looking forward to the 2020/2021 season to see the difference. That never happened & the motivation went, now annoyed at myself as back up to 101 but have heart that at least I know I can do it, now just have to get myself moving.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Indeed. I found myself at 87.5 kg at the end of lockdown 2. I'm now down to 79 with the target being 75.
Combination of no booze, max 1500 calories a day and a mix of kettlebells and coached swimming have done partly sorted things out. The main thing I've learned is that it isn't the exact details of what you do, it's more finding something that you can stick with over the long term.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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i have started with the first Lock down (März 2020), with one of the famous apps, HIIT session...always at home.
Around 05.10 till 06.00 training, then the kids for the school etc prepare and then to work etc
Except that i have started with another app my Kcal to controlieren.
From 92 kg i managed to be around 78 kg
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Fortunately, I managed to keep my weight to about the same. However, as a result of shielding 2 80+ parents, I got a lot less exercise. Result is loss of muscle mass, particularly legs.
Only got Mum to look after now, but her needs mean it's very difficult to keep up any sort of Gym routine. Got to try for a session every day for the next 10 days, or legs will not last the Psb.
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I had 18 months out from the gym. I cycled about 100m per week in lockdown one, then nothing. Weight stayed the same, lost a lot of muscle mass and thickened around the middle. I'm 56 and have trained almost solidly for the last 30yrs. Been back in the gym for 8 weeks, I'm probably now 70/80% behind pre covid levels of strength and cardio. I'm hoping to be 100% by Christmas. I'm shocked and delighted with how fast the rebuild has been. I dreaded going back after 18 months away. It's been hard and tiring, but so worth it.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I hit 120 kg after a gradual weight gain in lockdown compounded later by catching covid just before the vaccinations were rolled out. The covid really affected my ability to do cardio, even long after it passed. I've since hit the gym hard and have got my strength back up to pre pandemic levels. Recently I feel my cardio is returning so i'm now running 3 times a week, complimented by a park run on Saturday when I can. I'm now 115 kg but that belies how much better i'm feeling. Hoping to lose another 5kg in the next couple of months. I've always been 100+kg in adult life from memory. I'm a 6' 5" male, quite broad.
I've actually always had a phobia about hitting someone else on the slopes given my mass, at least that has lead me to always (try to) practice very controlled skiing. Good luck reaching your own personal goals and lets hope this ski season is not too adversely affected by the tail end of this pandemic!
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@Oleski, no food after lunch seems miserable at best, and insufficient at worst. Is it really a long term sustainable approach? (I know for some they manage it ok, but the fact you are going to bed early to avoid cravings suggests maybe not). If you are training in the evening you really want some food to restore glycogen levels and promote muscle synthesis/recovery.
Fasting does work for many trying to lose weight. However it's just because the limited eating window decreases total kcal. You do tend to lose more muscle mass using a fasted protocol than eating the same amount of kcal spread over more meals, and it's probably not ideal if you are trying to maximise training.
Not trying to criticise, just pointing out there are other options.
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The main thing I've learned is that it isn't the exact details of what you do, it's more finding something that you can stick with over the long term.
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A lot of truth in this. It's pretty easy to lose weight in the short term, especially if your starting point isn't particularly high (overweight, poor diet, no regular exercise etc.). Too many people pick unsustainable diets or go from zero to 100 on exercise and get injured or burned out. They get great weight loss to start off with but then end up in that classic yo-yo pattern. Small changes can make a big difference over the long term and are much more sustainable.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I do fasting-keto to quickly burn the timber I put on during winter. zero carbs, low sugar.
I basically have lunch & dinner. Nothing else except liquid between 7pm-12pm. I have no problem skipping breakfast, as I find eating breakfast makes me more hungry & I then tend to snack a lot!
Can also drink things neat like vodka & whisky in moderation, as well as the odd glass of wine. Tons of guides out there on alcohol, though no alcohol is best.
Really depends on what your macros are & if you have any spare sugar for the day.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I have no problem skipping breakfast, as I find eating breakfast makes me more hungry & I then tend to snack a lot!
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What are you eating? There is no reason why a healthy meal at breakfast shouldn't keep you any more satiated than a similar meal at lunch or dinner. It's usually not eating breakfast that increases rates of snacking in most studies.
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I do fasting-keto to quickly burn the timber I put on during winter. zero carbs, low sugar.
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Works for weight loss, but no carbs is really not ideal if you have sporting/exercise goals. Also long term keto will spike your shgb which is going to lower your free testosterone, which is not great for health. Also after initial drop in fasted blood glucose stay on keto long enough and you get increased fasted blood glucose often into the prediabetic range - potentially due to increased insulin resistance although that's only been shown in animal studies so far and the exact pathway is not understood.
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@boarder2020, its the same for me. If I don't eat breakfast ...and I rarely do...then I can wait till 12 for lunch. If I have breakfast...say muesli or a bacon buttie treat...I'll still be ready for lunch at 12 and eat the same
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You know it makes sense.
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| brianatab wrote: |
Fortunately, I managed to keep my weight to about the same. However, as a result of shielding 2 80+ parents, I got a lot less exercise. Result is loss of muscle mass, particularly legs.
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I am similar - through the entire lockdown etc I did a bit of walking and cycling but nothing particularly "leggy", at most 100k.
I am 185 cm and my fighting weight is 87k. I am currently 88.5k which is not tragic for a 53 yo chap. Resting heart rate is still excellent, my wife says I look as slim as I did before but I definitely feel "flabby" - almost like my muscle has detoned into fat if thats possible !!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
@Oleski, no food after lunch seems miserable at best, and insufficient at worst. Is it really a long term sustainable approach?
(I know for some they manage it ok, but the fact you are going to bed early to avoid cravings suggests maybe not)
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No, as I said in my post - I don't plan to stick to this aggressive routine for long. Once my weight is back to where it was, I will switch to a normal 5:2 or even 5:1 diet.
I don't feel miserable at all, quite the opposite. My problem was late night binge eating and watching netflix series - hence the cravings, because my body is used to that.
| boarder2020 wrote: |
. If you are training in the evening you really want some food to restore glycogen levels and promote muscle synthesis/recovery.
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I consume plenty of protein to sustain my muscles. I should say this isn't the first time I am doing this. I dropped from 105 to 82 kg several years go.
| boarder2020 wrote: |
Fasting does work for many trying to lose weight. However it's just because the limited eating window decreases total kcal.
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No, decreased cals are not a point of intermittent fasting. I stopped counting calories a long time ago.
THE main reason intermittent fasting works is because during long period without food your body burns reserves, including via ketosis.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@Oleski, turbo trainer + cheap bike, grind out an hour each day. Use Zwift if you invest in speed & heart monitors, or just GCN workouts on youtube.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I would agree with boarder2020 that it sounds a bit OTT. With a month to go before skiing, I would try to moderate your calorie intake whilst keeping a balanced diet and increase your exercise to include core and upper body strength as well as cardio stuff. I think you run the risk of losing muscle strength in the pursuit of weight loss. Cutting booze for a bit also helps a lot.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| holidayloverxx wrote: |
| @boarder2020, its the same for me. If I don't eat breakfast ...and I rarely do...then I can wait till 12 for lunch. If I have breakfast...say muesli or a bacon buttie treat...I'll still be ready for lunch at 12 and eat the same |
I think the theory is that eating breakfast kickstarts the metabolism, so will you'll be burning more calories AND getting hungrier.
Personally I started 'intermittent fasting' by skipping breakfast when I was about 15 and well before I'd ever heard of intermittent fasting. No breakfast meant 20 mins longer sleeping before school 
But even now I generally don't get hungry until lunch, eat around 1pm, evening meal around 7-8pm, repeat. Eating breakfast now is something I have to force as I'm just not hungry before midday (sometimes forcing is essential though if going skitouring or similar; running or biking I can do no problem without eating beforehand).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Quote: |
No, as I said in my post - I don't plan to stick to this aggressive routine for long. Once my weight is back to where it was, I will switch to a normal 5:2 or even 5:1 diet... I should say this isn't the first time I am doing this. I dropped from 105 to 82 kg several years go.
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There lies the problem. You are just going to continue to yo-yo. It would be a lot healthier and easier to just find a realistic diet you enjoy and can stick to long term rather than short term extreme fixes.
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THE main reason intermittent fasting works is because during long period without food your body burns reserves, including via ketosis.
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I'm not sure how you are defining "works". If you mean weight loss it is absolutely about reducing kcal. You can't break the laws of thermodynamics. You can fast 23 hours per day but if you eat enough kcal during that 1 hour eating window you will put on weight. Pretty much all the health benefits of fasting have been proven to be due to calorie restriction and weight loss rather than fasting itself. I.e. put a person on an isocaloric diet with and without fasting and they will see pretty much the exact same outcomes - except muscle loss tends to be higher with fasting (increased gluconeogenesis, and protein breakdown). If you mean achieving ketosis, I think it's going to be pretty limited if you are consuming carbs in your other meals but the negatives from above apply - increased shbg decreasing free testosterone and potentially higher fasting blood glucose levels.
Fwiw I don't think skipping breakfast is awful, particularly if you just dont feel hungry in the mornings and are not exercising around that time. Plenty of studies have shown skipping breakfast leads to increased snacking, increased portion sizes, and poorer nutrition choices throughout the rest of the day in people left to their own devices. Classic correlation does not necessarily equal causation arguments apply though. I would say there is a big difference between a sugary cereal and a breakfast with complex carbs and a decent amount of protein - one is going to be much more satiating than the other. But it's not a magic bullet, it just works by restricting total kcal intake.
Which is really what it comes down to. If your only goal is to lose weight you just need a kcal deficit. Many ways to achieve this. Fasting and cutting out macronutrient groups do work in that regard.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
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No, as I said in my post - I don't plan to stick to this aggressive routine for long. Once my weight is back to where it was, I will switch to a normal 5:2 or even 5:1 diet... I should say this isn't the first time I am doing this. I dropped from 105 to 82 kg several years go.
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There lies the problem. You are just going to continue to yo-yo. It would be a lot healthier and easier to just find a realistic diet you enjoy and can stick to long term rather than short term extreme fixes.
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I sustained my normal weight for 4 years without doing anything extreme, so it's not yo-yo. I accumulated those 15 kg since the second lock down, because of overeating, lack of movement (let alone exercising) and smoking. 5:2/6:1 is perfectly reasonable diet to stick to long term. At least for me - other people experiences may vary.
| boarder2020 wrote: |
I'm not sure how you are defining "works". If you mean weight loss it is absolutely about reducing kcal. You can't break the laws of thermodynamics. You can fast 23 hours per day but if you eat enough kcal during that 1 hour eating window you will put on weight. Pretty much all the health benefits of fasting have been proven to be due to calorie restriction and weight loss rather than fasting itself. I.e. put a person on an isocaloric diet with and without fasting and they will see pretty much the exact same outcomes - except muscle loss tends to be higher with fasting (increased gluconeogenesis, and protein breakdown). If you mean achieving ketosis, I think it's going to be pretty limited if you are consuming carbs in your other meals but the negatives from above apply - increased shbg decreasing free testosterone and potentially higher fasting blood glucose levels.
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There have been multiple studies that demonstrated that intermittent fasting not only triggers ketosis to burn off fat, but also very effectively regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
e.g https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1905136
Anyway thank you for your advice, but I didn't ask for any.
Let's keep this topic purely to share the experiences, not to pass judgements and give dietary advice.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Wed 24-11-21 15:14; edited 2 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Persistent back (sciatica) issues over the last couple of years have taken it's toll and I hit 100kg a couple of months ago - which is the heaviest I've ever been  . A combination of better eating and being a bit more active as my sciatica has gotten a little better and I've managed to shed about 5kg (long way to go yet) but I'm not getting any fitter.
I'm hoping if my back issues continue to stay mild I can get back into things and shed some more before the BB in Feb.
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For me what worked in the long term was giving up sugar.
So about 6 years ago I gave up all 'sugary' foods, cakes, chocolate, virtually every breakfast cereal etc. Basically anything a sugar content over 5%. By doing that without changing anything else about my diet and exercise (I did very little exercise back then) I lost 20 odd Kg over 9 months. I also lost a fitness as well as I wasn't carrying around a large suitcase all the time. So about a year later I started going to the gym regularly which improved my fitness but I didn't lose any more weight (or very little) as my appetite went up to compensate for example a typical breakfast would of been 6 pieces of peanut butter on toast...
After some comments by my wife (she compared cuddling me to cuddling an ironing board...) about 3 years ago I incorporated weights and particularly kettlebell training into my gym routine and cut down my cardio (I was rowing around 60 km a week at my peak) which has resulted in around a 6 kg gain in muscle mass and makes me less like an ironing board and a lot stronger.
After sampling one sugary thing (my mom's lemon meringue pie) about 4 months into giving up sugar and finding out the catastrophic effect it had on my digestive system I haven't been tempted since or to be honest now missed it at all. I can't have sweeteners as they have the same effect on my digestion as sugary things do.
During lockdown I only did around 3 hours training a week (online kettlebell classes) but interestingly my appetite dropped accordingly so my weight (78 kg at 175 cm at 54 years old) remained static, although I did lose some fitness.
Now I'm back to pre covid levels of training and I'm very happy with my body shape and condition. I'm spending 11 weeks skiing which is going to be great but I do wonder how to keep my top half in shape during it. If anyone has any tips for that I'd love to hear them.
Giving up sugar will not suit most people but for me it's been painless and the decreased stress and strains on my joints has been very welcome.
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| Quote: |
Let's keep this topic purely to share the experiences, not to pass judgements and give dietary advice
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Worth having a discussion imo. Diet is a complex subject with many misconceptions and many false ideas banded about on the internet. For someone reading this thread looking at options they have for losing weight no reason to not present them with multiple opinions. Unless this is just a thread for some humble bragging about individual weight loss?! 
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There have been multiple studies that demonstrated that intermittent fasting not only triggers ketosis to burn off fat, but also very effectively regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
e.g https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1905136
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Yes it absolutely can. The question is does it do these things better than a non-fasting diet? There are a few deceent RCTs comparing isocaloric intermittent fasting diets with continuous calorie restriction diets and they find no differences. A nice short overview that is written in a very accessible way avoiding any complex jargon here https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/intermittent-fasting/
Despite what some intermet diet gurus might say ketosis can't break the laws of thermodynamics. Eat a calorie surplus and you will gain weight. Eat a calorie deficit and you will lose weight. As for burning fat, you do it all the time regardless of if you are fasting or not, look at any substrate utilisation exercise study glucose utilisation only becomes significant once intensity goes up and the process becomes somewhat anaerobic.
If fasting helps someone once achieve a kcal deficit, and they find it sustainable why not use it as a method to lose weight. But it's not a magic process, the science shows it is no better than eating the same diet without fasting. There is no credible explainable pathway based on science as to why it could result in more weight loss even.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Both kids now have Covid and I am homeschooling again. I am reminded of why I drank my way through lockdown one and ate my bodyweight in chili paneer.
Regarding me and weight loss, it is very much about calorie restriction and exercise and how to keep that sustainable. I've swum seriously, including the odd competition, from a young age on and off. The kettlebells, though, have been a revelation. It's surprisingly addictive, possibly because the swimming as conditioned a liking of repetitive and strenuous movement patterns. I wish I had found them earlier.
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@gorilla, I agree about kettlebells they are a fantastic tool. I have 5 from 12-28 Kg. It's too close to my 11 weeks skiing but once I'm back I'll try to pick up a 32 and start graduating to swinging that. I was very lucky in the first lockdown having access to a couple of kettlebells it would of been a very different story if I hadn't.
I must admit to wondering if I could take a kettlebell out with me when I go skiing. However I don't think security would look kindly on a kettlebell in my cabin bag 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pieman666 wrote: |
| For me what worked in the long term was giving up sugar. |
That's by far the most effective thing for me as well (from a diet perspective - I largely use excessive exercise to control weight!). I've gone cold turkey on refined sugar 3x now for a few weeks at a time, and lose c. 1kg/week when I do it, with no other dietary changes.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@snowdave, exactly my experience. I lost between 0.5 - 1 kg a week for 9 months. I used to eat the little bags of haribo , ice cream, biscuits etc. Not huge amounts but a few 'portions' every day. Over 20 years it built up and by the time I changed I was 95 kg +
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Unable to get to the Gym last Winter - I dug out my 90s Reebok Step and did the Gin Miller workout, along with weights I have at the house.
Unfortunately, my back (have had a spinal fusion) didn't like the Step workout, which only became apparent after about 3 months (as I raised the height). I gave it rest over the Summer to allow the disc to heal - except 3 hours grass cutting every 5 days. I have put on about 5 lbs and 1.5" around my waist.
I've always been light, but now early 60s, so weight goes on more easily (always around the waist).
Been back to the Gym from start of Nov - lost a couple of pounds and about an inch around the waist. Hope to be back to normal by end Jan (10.5st /31" waist).
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You know it makes sense.
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
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Let's keep this topic purely to share the experiences, not to pass judgements and give dietary advice
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Worth having a discussion imo. Diet is a complex subject with many misconceptions and many false ideas banded about on the internet. For someone reading this thread looking at options they have for losing weight no reason to not present them with multiple opinions. Unless this is just a thread for some thumble bragging about individual weight loss?!
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I'm not sure the "science" of diet is where I would trust. The "advice" I've been hearing is literally all over the place! To me, that's an indication the "scientist" don't have a decent understanding of the whole picture.
My body is the opposite of many of you. I lost all appetite when my weight goes above a certain number. When I was younger and was trying body building, I had trouble getting enough food in. I looked into the "science" of nutrient then (and occasionally now). I'm not convinced I should listen to any of those!
What works for an individual, keep it going. That's all I can say. So anyone "reading this thread looking at options" need to keep that in mind, what works for others may not work for you!
Last but not least, this is clearly a thread of "humble bragging about individual weight loss". It's highly motivating to see example of someone succeeding!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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@pieman666, I eat sugar only one day a week. Absolutely no sugar on the other 6 days, which pretty much means anything processed.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@gryphea, I'm impressed I'm an all or nothing type of guy.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@Weathercam, sorry what! As a 10 stone, 31” chap……. Can’t speak for Old Fartbag….but plenty of athletic middle-aged peeps out there.
Anyway, to the OP….. less in (and really track everything going in!), and more out (walk, run, cycle, weights). Its not complex….. it ‘just’ takes dedication…. Stick with it, and you’ll feel like a million f’ing dollars
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Weathercam, sorry what! As a 10 stone, 31” chap……. Can’t speak for Old Fartbag….but plenty of athletic middle-aged peeps out there.
Anyway, to the OP….. less in (and really track everything going in!), and more out (walk, run, cycle, weights). Its not complex….. it ‘just’ takes dedication…. Stick with it, and you’ll feel like a million f’ing dollars
!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| abc wrote: |
| boarder2020 wrote: |
| Quote: |
Let's keep this topic purely to share the experiences, not to pass judgements and give dietary advice
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Worth having a discussion imo. Diet is a complex subject with many misconceptions and many false ideas banded about on the internet. For someone reading this thread looking at options they have for losing weight no reason to not present them with multiple opinions. Unless this is just a thread for some thumble bragging about individual weight loss?!
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I'm not sure the "science" of diet is where I would trust. The "advice" I've been hearing is literally all over the place! To me, that's an indication the "scientist" don't have a decent understanding of the whole picture.
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The science still has some way to go in fully understanding all aspects of diet. There are certain things that are accepted as facts though due to overwhelming evidence e.g. isocaloric diets produce the same weight loss regardless of other factors, carbohydrates improve sporting performance etc. The problem with any advice is the source, which usually is not a scientist or a qualified dietician. It's a "nutritionist" (anyone can claim this without any sort of qualification) falsely representing science e.g. using animal studies that may not relate to humans or poorly designed studies with massive limitations. Usually pretty easy to spot as they are trying to sell something or get more YouTube ad revenue!
Not to pick on vegans but there is a classic example of this of a study they like to reference as showing non meat diets are healthier. while it's true the non meat group had much better health markers, the group's weren't matched for weight and the meat eating group was on average much heavier than the non meat group. The differences in the negative health markers could pretty much all be explained just on one group being more overweight.
Considering the difficulties in cost and effort of proper fully controlled RCTs it's actually quite impressive just how many excellent nutrition studies there are!
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| hamilton wrote: |
@Weathercam, sorry what! As a 10 stone, 31” chap……. Can’t speak for Old Fartbag….but plenty of athletic middle-aged peeps out there.
Anyway, to the OP….. less in (and really track everything going in!), and more out (walk, run, cycle, weights). Its not complex….. it ‘just’ takes dedication…. Stick with it, and you’ll feel like a million f’ing dollars
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Not even athletic! Average male in UK is 5ft9 so 10.5 stone would put them bang in the middle of BMI healthy weight (yes I realise BMI has its flaws but as a general guideline for average person is ok). It shows just how skewed our image of what is healthy and overweight has became.
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Why is "bang in the middle of BMI healthy weight" contradictory with athletic?
Plenty of people are healthy and strong (and powerful), not skinny marathoners.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I do endurance cycling events in summer and got used to dropping my winter weight by June. I am 50+ and my racing weight is around 78kgs but got to 93kgs when returning from holidays on October on the back of a blow-out summer after lockdown - I am now at around 89kgs and trying hard to get to around 87kgs before heading to France for 2 weeks skiing over Christmas where I have no doubts I will gain a kg or two.
I have signed up for Haute Route Alps cycling event in August 2022 which is a 7 day stage “race” from Nice to Megeve that goes over around 20 cols - being in too shape is critical to make the daily cutoffs. I will then have 8 months to lose 12 kgs.
I keep things simple and no fancy diets. I work on burning more calories that I take in and aim to consume around 1700 cals intake, as the base, and add to that half of the cals used in my training session on that day.
I use MyFitnessPal to easily track it all and focus on daily cals coming from 50pct carbs, 30pct protein and 20pct fats. I’ve learned that being careless with fats really add to the cals as 1 gram of fat carries twice the cals of carbs or protein. Luckily there are loads of low fat alternatives available as well as low fat protein such as ham. Focus is on carbs as i need it to train well. I cut all alcohol during the week but will drink if I go out and also on weekends. I am not adverse to the odd blow-out day to keep me sane.
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| boarder2020 wrote: |
| It shows just how skewed our image of what is healthy and overweight has became. |
This. Burton snowboard jacket sizing has "inflated" over the years to help skew fat people's self image.
My answer to the OP's "what works for you" question is avoiding sugar, salt, and ultra processed food/ drink.
That tricks my biology into thinking I'm living in the time before people ate those things,
before the UK was around two-thirds above a healthy weight or obese.
That way I'm free to eat and drink absolutely anything I want, just not the stuff they advertise.
Risk stratification for health care relies heavily on BMI. That is: it's a very good statistical predictor of some health care outcomes.
For example QRISK2 is easy to google down and commonly used in GP practices to predict risk of cardiovascular disease.
=> we can be "non-judgemental", but our biology isn't.
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