i'd say its absolutely possible. almost 2 years ago i tried dropping weight to get ready for tri's. dropped 30 pounds in a little over 2 months.

just make sure you do it the right way. eat right. train right. get your rest.

6 months--50 pounds But I don;t know how you could train--you can run a lot, but I don't know how you could actually train without bonking. But you can do a lot of long slow distance.

I once dropped 30 pounds in 2.5 months. That was NOT a good idea. But 50 in 6 sounds pretty good, less than 8.5 per month. Whole grain carbs, lean meat, fat-free dairy, not much sugar. I don't think Atkins would be a good idea for someone building to IM. Carbs are, afterall, our main source of fuel, which is a fact that I think most atkins supporters like to forget.

-C

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

I've gone from 155 to 145 in the last 2 weeks by cutting out the grog during the week, doubling 5 days a week, and cutting the portion sizes a bit. Another 10lbs and I'll be down to racing weight.

Getting back down to a weight your body has been at before is easier and probably safer than going into uncharted territory.

50lbs in 6 months shouldn't be at all problematic if you're a healthy guy and used to exercise.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

I'm 5'7" and I weigh 158 lbs. Last January (2004) I weighed 200 lbs. I lost 40 lbs in about 5-6 months. I started by reducing my caloric intake, cutting almost all sugar (not carbs) from my diet, and walking 1 hr per day. My body fat % was about 33% (can anyone say fat*ss). My body fat % is now at 19% (still higher than it should be). You can definately lose the weight you want to lose but I think you need to rethink your goal. Ultimately, what we all want lean body mass (lbm). I don't think any of us really care about what we "weigh". Not to mention, weight, as it relates to lbm is relative to the individual. Example: I am 5'7"; 158 lbs; 19% bf. My best friend is 5'7"; 135 lbs; 14-15% bf. When calculated to be at 15% bf I will still weigh 150 lbs. We are the same height but totally different body types.

If you are training you should not focus on weightloss. Instead, focus on fueling your body properly for lifestyle you are living. Athletes HAVE to EAT. They need to eat the right types food and typically a lot of them. I had a sobering experience last week when I met with my trainer. I was complaining about this last layer fat on my stomach (that 4-5% bf I can't seem to shed). I explained that I run like a madman (I'm training for a marathon), cycle as often as possible given the season, and lift weights 3 times a week. When I told him how I ate, he didn't say I was not eating the right type of foods (because I generally eat pretty healthy now), he said I wasn't eating ENOUGH. My caloric intake was not high enough given my level of activity and my body was in "starvation mode" and holding onto the stored fat around my middle.

Bottom line- EAT RIGHT. EAT OFTEN. TRAIN HARD. AND YOUR BODY WILL RESPOND.

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"Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession. Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word" - John Steinbeck

Shoot for one to two pounds per week. More and you will really notice your energy levels dropping from caloric deprivation. Drink at least .5 to .75 gallons of water per day to keep hydrated. Trust me, you don't want dramatic weight loss. My wife is a nutrition coach and both of us are former group leaders from weight watchers, we have seen it all between the two of us. My advice, if you are starting from scratch, is to read chris carmichel's (Lance's coach) book "food for fitness". It's a straightforward and intelligently written primer on BASIC sports nutrition, enough for the regular guy but not too much to confuse you. The more specific you get with your sports nutrition, the more complicated it gets!

Cheers, Karma

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Dave Stark
dreamcatcher@astound.net
USAC & USAT level 2 certified coach

Let's do the math:

50 lbs = 23,000 grams

times 9 kcal/g (obviously you want to lose fat, not muscle mass) = 207,000 kcal

divided by 183 days = 1,131 kcal per day

You may be able to adhere to this and lose the weight, but I do not think that you can train effectively with that daily caloric deficit. Personally, I cannot maintain more than about a 300 kcal deficit per day, and that for not more than a few days -- after that I get really hungry and I have to level off.

Good luck in whatever you choose.

John

BTW--I have some great news--one of the "side effects" of weight loss is (can be) gall stones. They are as bad as kidney stones. You will beg to die.

LB-
first of all, you'll gain some muscle mass during training. Losing 10 pounds won't necessarily mean that you only lost 10 lbs of fat - could be more.

Consistently losing 2 lbs/week while training hard is going to be difficult. 1 - 1.5 lbs is a bit more realistic imo. Have you been losing weight since you started training again? How much/week?

2 lbs a week means a caloric deficit of about 7000 kcal per week. E.g., for a guy your size, this means about 55 - 60 miles of running or about 10 hours of pretty hard cycling while maintaining your overall food intake (not a good idea to do it this way, obviously). If you cut out some bad foods (try cutting one bad diet habit per week), it's progressively less.

It can be difficult to have enough energy to work out and get in great shape, while trying to lose weight. Why do you want to go to 200 - were you 20 lbs overweight when you did LP? Good luck!

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Josef
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[reply]The last time I did LP I was 220 but my bmi was 25. I think loosing an extra 20 lbs will make the hills a little more pleasurable. Hell, I'm 46 and the last time I weighed 200 was when I played hoops in high school. I bulked up for football in college and haven't seen 200 since. I like the idea of weighing less since it means less stress on my knees and other joints. The advice given so far has been great and I do appreciate it. I won't loose sleep if I don't hit 200, after all the fun is in the journey and I don't expect to qualify for the big dance, just hoping to make the time and effort worthwhile and live to spend my 401K.[/reply]

Sounds like you have the right priorities! If you have the time and $$ to meet w/ a good sports nutritionist, I recommend you do that. Or buy a good book. I'm sure they have one at Human Kinetics.

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Josef
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If you haven't been below 200 in 28 years, that's a tall order, IMO. If you were 220 just 3-4 years ago, that shouldn't be too big a problem. good luck!

Two pounds a week is the standard dietition's figure for sustainable weight loss. Anymore and you risk yo-yoing back up to your start weight again (again!). Also if you restrict your intake more than 15% of your bodyweight the body will burn lean muscle mass rather than fat, and store said fat as it perceives that it is a time of famine.

Good luck.

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"How bad can it be?" - SimpleS