I know this is quite superficial of me, but… oh well.
I figured by the time I was done with my Marathon training, I’d be in some of the best shape of my life. Well, I sorta am. But…
Now, I’m working on my first 1/2 IM in June (and then IMFL this Nov), and am hoping I can finally rid myself of my lame love handles. My wife says I’m not that fat, but I still FEEL fat. I can pinch an inch here and there, so Special K wouldn’t be happy.
I am trying, really, to watch my diet, and eat healthier foods. Do some people just keep a certain amount of fat on them no matter what they do?
Furthermore, I’m 36 going on 37 years old. So that probably has something to do with it.
I was 250lbs (6’ 2") in November 2003. I’m now 210lbs. I got down to around 203lbs, but then started gaining muscle I think when I began to hit the weights.
Suggestions, other than slimfast?
Trae
PS. I’ve not really had any bike time just yet, only running and swimming (longest run: 26.2 miles, longest swim: 2.5 miles) As soon as I get my bike though, that’ll change. Also, TOMORROW, I’m hitting the spinning classes again. Do you guys think the extra sport (Biking) will really help knock off those extra few lingering pounds?
That is kind of crappy, because if you are not getting as lean as you would like tri training then the only way to ramp up your metabalizm is the lift weights and that would most likely be counter-productive to tri training. ALso look at your diet, everyone has assumptios of what “watching what you eat” really means, but if you want to get ripped it comes down to the cold hard facts:
Eat 5-7 smaller meals a day.
Reason: Eating ramps up your metabalism, do it often and keep the furnace burning.
Each of these meals must be balanced with carb, protein and fats. You high carb tri diet isn’t going to work here (hence reduced tri performance).
Reason: The protein/carb balance helps level out your spikes from the carbs, and the protein takes longer/more energy to digest so it burns more calories to digest. The fat is required to build that muscle which is going to speed up your metabalism.
Cut garbage calories from your diet, sugary juices, soft drinks, and snacks add up the calories. Everything you put in your mouth should have a purpose.
I do not know why, but when I drink Alcohol I maintain belly fat. I can train hard and eat right and lose weight and fat - my arms will get more defined, my legs will be ripped, but the belly fat stays.
When I quit drinking or cut way back (and continue training hard and eating right) then the belly fat comes off.
I am pretty sure it is the sugar - because if I quit drinking but keep up with the ice cream and candy bars – the belly fat stays.
I am learning to live with my belly because I love beer to much!!!
I don’t really drink any booze. I may have the occasional glass of wine every 4 or 5 months, but I doubt that really accounts to anything.
When I am training hard, I just constantly want to eat. Which is bad because I simply ate lots when I was overweight.
Now I eat all the time it seems. For those that say to cut back on foods, I don’t see how I can do that since I’m burning so much by working out. Maybe it’s the type of foods I’m eating.
What food can: a.) fill you up and make you not get so hungry and b.) not contain tons of calories?
1000 calories a day?! was that while you were training? holy cow, i weigh a lot less than you and i don’t think i could do that. how was your energy level during those months?
I’m the same in that I’m always hungry and also eat constantly. I also generally carry about 5 pounds or so more than I should. I think that the problem is to get a real tight stomach you can never eat until “full.” You have to look at eating as a means to keep energy in system and that’s it.
If I look at the people I know who have a really tight stomach they are either “pickers” in that they don’t really even like to eat, they are extremely healthfood conscious (monitor everything), or they have it genetically. Unfortunately I am none of the above so I carry a few extra pounds.
The notion of being “full” probably has to go. Me, I’ll keep the extra pounds and my burrito’s.
It’s possible that some men just can’t get the washboard. Even in high school, when I was 6’4" and 170 lbs, I didn’t have a washboard… although, I barely had any musculature back then, anyway. Got myself down to 182 on race day for IM Moo in Sept… still no washboard… probably was under 180 when I finished the race… still didn’t have a washboard.
I suppose I could cut out all drinking and sweets and go to a really strict diet, but then… what would be the point of living? Seriously, though… I do tris for fun and for health… and so that I can have the occasional cookie and the (usually) nightly glass of red wine without blowing up like a balloon. I love food too much to give it up for those last 5-10 lbs.
It really isn’t that hard. Besides the obvious eat less/exercise more as noted above, one of the easiest dietary changes you can make is to be sure you consume at least 30-40 grams of dietary fiber per day (USRDA is currently 25g, which is still on the low side). Fiber plays a major role in not only decreasing the transit time of food in the intestine but also in binding to fat/cholesterol. To be sure you get enough fiber each day, focus on a diet rich in whole grains and vegetables for complex carbs, lean sources of protein (chicken, turkey, tuna, moderate dairy), and moderate amounts of omega-3 and -6 unsaturated fats (extra virgin olive oil, avocados, salmon, nuts, etc.) Also worth noting- don’t overdo it on the fiber, as intakes over 50g/day often interfere with the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
hey dude - first of all congratulations for an awesome 2004 - losing 40lbs on the way to doing a first mary on top of real life, family, etc. is no mean feat. you should feel really awesome for that. If you eat healthy (cut out the obvious no-nos - fries, candy, etc.) and put in the endurance miles (which it sounds like you are doing) your body will keep getting fitter and, as a by-product, leaner. Don’t worry so much about watching the scales - its all about getting as fit as possible, not as light as possible. When training think about cruising in your fat-burning aerobic mode. Get efficient. It is a long process, but a year can bring big gains - just look at 2004. As you continue training and getting fitter and eating sensibly your body will change - guaranteed. I also believe that once you get used to small, more frequent meals, you lose the desire/ability to scoff down typical massive USA portions of food. I know that is definitely true for me. Its amazing to think of the amount of food I used to be able to shovel down in one sitting back in the day.
As for food choice - Here I think are 3 good staples:
2nd morning meal: big-ass fruit smoothie (banana, frozen berries, lo-fat organic plain yogurt, PRO powder) poured in a bowl (more filling if you eat w/ a spoon) over chopped fruit (e.g., banana, apple, strawberry), topped with raw oatmeal (trust me, its good), raisins, and almonds.
evening meal: big-ass salad w/ lots of PRO (tuna, salmon, chicken, steak) and fat (avocado, olive)
snack on fresh fruit, and I think its best as a general rule to use only water during training (+ granola bars, bananas etc. on longer rides).
have you read gordo’s nutrition tips at www.byrn.org?
the other thing to watch is cutting back when you are taking a few easy days. just look at the obesity stats in usa - humans are very efficient and simply dont need a lot of calories when they sit on their butts for 90% of the day!
I’ve said this before and it generally doesn’t resonate with people, but I’ll try again.
There are millions of people that are plenty thin enough to see their abs, and yet they do not have the washboard ab look. I do. And I know why. It’s because I have excellent posture. Without doing any specific ab work, my core will look much more aesthetically pleasing to most than the guy who does tons of ab work, is trim, but doesn’t have good posture. The obliques/serratus/etc. get all pushed together if you are not standing upright, and it’s hard to distinguish them, they just won’t pop out and look gnarly. Practice sitting up straight (though straight to you is different to me, you need to constantly be redefining what it means to have good posture) at work, in your car, at home on the couch, on your bike. etc. I think your best bet would be to sign up for a ballet class or pilates class at your local community college, which makes things affordable.
By the way, ironically enough, it is fat that is superficial, while muscle is deeper. So, I’d say you aren’t being superficial so much as you’re making a stand to no longer be superficial.
I just want you to know, I have no idea how to get abs, and nothing here helps me. Maybe its being 44 years old, being younger might help. You would think that training for the IM would have some effect, and it has, but not in giving me abs: The face is slim, the legs are good, the arms are trim, but that tummy just persists. I’ve been to nutritionists, watch the diet, keep to the training program, but I’m still carrying that extra weight. I am now resigned to carrying it all around the Ironman course. Its too late to do anything about it.
If I find out how, I’ll write the book. In the meantime, my time-consuming experiment, to prove that if I did enough exercise, like train for the IM, things might happen, is a failure. I suspect that weights and some sort of Body for Life boot camp is the answer, or become a pro and train for 25 to 30 hours a week, (not an option with my genes). Maybe being an athlete, never getting fat in the first place, being young all helps.
In the meantime, I record all the names of those who say stuff like: well, I just watch my diet and exercise a bit and it drops off, and make sure I never meet them. They are in the same category as those who just turn up, having not trained, and come and thrash me. Not my kind of people at all.
I’m 42…I have them.
I drink beer.Weekends ONLY.I need it to wash down my kids brownies!
My Secret:
GO LONG ALL YEAR LONG!!!
YOU GOTTA DO CRUNCHES!!! with RESISTANCE(25-45lbs on your chest while on an incline bench)
Bicycle Crunches are the most effective.
Get a medicine ball too.
PLUS…you can stay in the Aero position for 112 easier when you have a core that strong.
37 yrs is YOUNG!!! I WISH I WAS 37 again brother!
Keep up the good work though.
Eat smart Mon-Fri…then enjoy the weekend.
Its a reward principle that’s easy to stick to.
For me, this is a classic apples vs oranges debate. One of the great things about triathlon is that it is not a beauty, or slimming context. It is a swim/bike/run contest. By training for and doing this sport your heart and lungs get stronger, your muscles get stronger, you get fitter, and you feel better. I’m generalising a bit but you get my drift. You may also ‘lose’ weight, and some of us will get the fabled washboard stomach. But really - who cares? Some people have fat free stomachs, and some don’t. Big deal. I am much more interested in being healthy and happy all my days than in having a flat stomach. The tattoed punk who serves me copy is lean as a whip, smokes like a train, looks like death, but he has a flat stomach. But I would lay good money he is nowhere near as fit as my own, slightly padded, quite fit 36yr old self.
If people want muscles in places society says they should have them then they should do body building, eat protein shakes, and be a gym head. Nothing wrong with that - it is just as pointless as what we do, but not my bag.
BTW - how goes the training? Feeling completely nuked, think you could sleep for a week, and wonder why you ever took on the challenge? If so, things are probably on track!
How goes the training? I thought no one would ask, despite all the hints I have been dropping.
Realised today I’ve finished my biggest week, and my legs are nuked, but otherwise in surprisingly good shape. Apart from the size of the tummy. I don’t even drink that much to make it worthwhile. Funny how good you feel after you stop thrashing your body.
I’ve signed up for Tracey Richards Cystic Fibrosis charity, so here’s my site: http://www.fundraiseonline.co.nz/MarkJamieson/ I’ve discovered that blow by blow accounts of my training program have a limited audience, so I won’t repeat them here. Actually, this site is a pretty cool way for anyone to set up a fundraising site for any charity.
I’m with you - I truly believe that some of us are just screwed. I have done wrestling intensely in high school with a switch from collegiate cross country to triathlon and finally to collegiate cycling and losing those last couple of pounds has always been beyond me.
I am convinced that after all the exercise and nutritionally sound habits I’ve been employing that I’m just not meant to get that lean look and stay healthy. I think it’s just not for me.
