Why am I not losing weight?

Morgan Williams4 said:Up until now, my diet has mostly consisted of tons of milk and fruit yogurts along with, say, half a loaf of bread turned into a sandwich spread out over the whole day. And naturally, plenty of water—depending on whether it’s sunny or cloudy outside. Oh, and the occasional Gatorade too!

First off—milk spikes your insulin levels, and when your insulin is elevated, lipolysis (fat burning) essentially grinds to a halt.
So, bottom line: stop drinking milk!

Furthermore, those fruit yogurts you're grabbing? They are absolute sugar bombs. If you absolutely insist on having yogurt, stick to acidophilus, kefir, or Greek yogurt (and maybe toss in some fresh berries)

And as for that "half a loaf of bread" sandwich (with what, exactly???) serving as your sustenance for an entire day—that is hardly a balanced way to eat.
You'd be much better off grabbing some rye toast with chicken and a side salad, but more importantly, you need to be eating multiple properly timed meals throughout the day.

Morgan Williams4 said:I have a question regarding weight loss. I noticed that I rode about 559 miles miles on my bike last month, yet the scale hasn't budged. Not to mention, the extra fat on my stomach and lower back isn't shrinking at all. It was the same thing last year when I did a 932 miles mile tour over two weeks; I'd get home, step on the scale, and instead of losing weight, I'd actually gained some, and the body fat remained. Does anyone know why this happens?
By the way, my average cruising speed is between 22 and 16 miles mph, and I rarely ride for less than an hour!!

I'm not entirely sure (though I don't quite understand 😕 ) why you aren't seeing a change in your waistline, but the reason your weight is staying stagnant despite all that cycling is simple: muscle is much denser than fat. Essentially, you've strengthened your muscles through all that riding, making them larger and heavier, which is why the number on the scale stays the same.

You might just be fueling wrong...
Think of cycling nutrition as your main source of carbs. Energy gels or bars can be absolute lifesavers out there... but you definitely don't want to be slamming protein right before or during your ride.
Check out this link to get the basics down:
http://www.adventure-sport.net/index...ionid=53&rid=9

I mean, look at how much he’s eating—it’s probably fine. He’s not some pro athlete who needs to obsess over every single calorie. But I guess the real reason he isn't losing weight is likely because his heart rate is running way too high. If you're carrying extra weight and haven't really built up your aerobic capacity or stamina—assuming you're just a regular guy with normal genetics and not some freak of nature destined for an Olympic podium—then yeah, your heart rate is definitely going to spike when you push it. And once that pulse gets too high, your body stops burning fat for fuel and starts burning through glycogen, and eventually, it starts tapping into muscle. You run out of oxygen, carbon dioxide takes over, and your muscles just get flooded with lactic acid.

If you’re cruising along at 22-16 miles mph, I’m guessing your heart rate is hitting 170, maybe even pushing 180, which is honestly way too much. Staying somewhere around 160, or maybe 165 if you're feeling it, is okay, but ideally, you want to stay in that 120-150 range. That’s where the actual weight loss happens—just steady, low-intensity effort over a long period. It'd be a good idea to grab a heart rate monitor; they aren't exactly expensive, maybe a couple hundred bucks tops. Even better, though, would be to go get a metabolic stress test done at a clinic so some pros can map out your specific zones and tell you exactly where your thresholds are for different levels of effort.

And seriously, stop trying to hit 22-16 miles mph. Just ride at 15-20 mph on flat ground for an hour, or maybe two. Who cares what people think? You aren't training to win a Tour de France stage; you're just trying to drop some pounds. Building up that aerobic base will give you a killer foundation if you ever decide to jump into a local charity race or a triathlon later on.

Laura Mendoza said:I’m honestly not quite sure (though I don't fully grasp the 😕 ) why your weight isn't dropping, but if you're cycling a lot and the scale isn't budging, isn't it possible that your muscles are simply heavier than fat? It seems to me that you've strengthened them through all that riding, so they've grown and added mass, which explains why your total weight remains steady.

Actually, that's not quite right...
Muscle is actually denser than fat because it holds less water and takes up less space...
While it's true he might have gained a tiny bit of muscle mass, hasn't it just been that the fat loss hasn't been significant enough yet to show up on the scale?

quietrider98 said:that’s not quite how it works...
muscle tissue is actually lighter than fat because it has a lower density and less water content...
he might have added a tiny bit of muscle mass, but he didn't lose enough fat for it to actually show up on the scale

Actually, that's backwards—muscle is denser than fat, so for the exact same volume, muscle will weigh more.

If you just do a quick Google search, you'll see:

http://outside.away.com/bodywork/mrf.../19991006.html

From what I can tell, I'm on the same page as jadetiger962—it seems like the muscles are definitely the tougher part here...

Go ahead and roast me if you want, but I’m not actually overweight. I'm about 180 lbs at 5'11". I used to sit right around 175, but those extra 5 pounds decided to settle permanently on my waistline. That speed I mentioned? That’s just my cruising pace; once I hit an open stretch of road, I can push 20 mph before my heart rate even climbs to 170. Based on some of these threads and what I've been reading, people seem to think I can't burn fat because I'm riding too fast and just burning through carbs instead.

That’s right—if you're looking to actually burn through those calories, you really need to keep your heart rate sitting somewhere around 60-65% of your max. In most cases, that means aiming for roughly 120 to 130 beats per minute.

Morgan Williams4 said:Look, you guys might want to tear me apart for this, but I don't really consider myself overweight. I'm about 180 lbs at 5'11". I used to be closer to 165. Somehow, those extra 15 pounds ended up settling right on my midsection and lower back. Just to clarify, the speed I mentioned is my average pace; when I'm out on flat, open roads, I can hit 20 mph before my heart rate even climbs to 170 bpm. But based on some of the threads I've been reading, apparently, I'm not burning fat because I'm riding too fast and just burning through carbs instead of tapping into fat stores.

That "extra weight" on your stomach and back isn't going anywhere unless you pick up some weight training or start bodybuilding...
Basically, cardio alone won't cut it... especially for guys...
As for what you eat, try adding protein to every single meal (think Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, egg whites, chicken breast, or fish!!!). Also, swap out the bread and potatoes for more fruits and veggies.

Anonymous said:The only way you’re actually going to burn off that extra layer on your stomach and back is through serious fitness work or bodybuilding...
which means just doing cardio isn't really enough, especially for guys...
As far as food goes, try to pack protein into every single meal—think Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, egg whites, chicken breast, or fish—and maybe swap out the bread and potatoes for more fruits and veggies..

I have to disagree there, honestly. It’s actually quite the opposite; you shed fat through aerobic training, not anaerobic stuff like bodybuilding.