We had a wonderful three day weekend! Why can't they all be three day weekends? OH, because then I would be wanting them to all be four day weekends!
We rode our bikes twice Once on a mountain bike trail.
Once on the Canal.
And we even got in a long hike!
I have been thinking a lot about my weight and these bike rides. I know that mountain bike riding is a wonderful way to lose weight. It works! But I seem to be struggling! REALLY struggling. After a weekend of riding, my weight is almost ALWAYS up. It is infuriating. It is annoying. It is maddening!
It has happened time and time again. I have a weekend where we ride less and I lose weight that week. The weeks that we ride hard and often I don't lose....and sometimes even gain. What is up with this? My calories are in check! Seriously!
I aim for between 1200 and 1500 calories a day. All was looking well. I was a bit higher on Saturday and Sunday. BUt then lets add in my exercise and I was spot on!
Uhhhhhhh so what's the problem...because that looks pretty spot on to me?
I know a few weeks ago I talked about possible reasons. (You can read it here) I still stand by those possible things.
*I still do think that it very well could be a hydration thing. My muscles are almost always screaming at me after a weekend ride. While those muscles are healing and repairing themselves they are retaining water.
* I also do still believe in the muscle vs fat thing. Am I building muscle faster than I'm losing the fat? It is possible? But for an extended time? Well if this is what is happening then I'm going to be RIPPED when the fat finally goes away!
* Am I not eating properly to lose weight while biking? Most recently I'm wondering if I'm not eating enough? Is my body going into a starvation mode on those days? I have been notcing that on these really hard ride days that I develop a killer headache by the time dinnertime rolls around. Food makes the difference! That is my body telling me something is not right. That is my body telling me to eat! This past weekend I ate my dinner after our ride I sat there after eating and input my calories I had eaten 1200 calories. I was still hungry! SERIOUSLY. I actually waited an hour before getting something else to eat. I was ravenous. Am I starving myself?
* I know that the days we are riding, I have been drinking..but is it enough? Saturday I ddi really well and think I drank about 100 ounces of water. (and a 44 ounce Diet Soda). But on Sunday, while we rode a less intense ride I know that I probably only drank 30-40 ounces. So could this issue be partly my fault??????
I am just totally frustrated! I am happy with the path that I am on. I know that my relationship with food is healthier than it has been in a LONG time. I am on the right path. I just need to settle in and fix this one last issue and the results will come pouring fourth!
Strenuous workouts increase cortisol. I saw one of those infomercials that said women who are near menopause should not train too hard because it raises cortisol, not sure how accurate that is. I believe it was suggested less heavy weight with higher reps. The difference is, do you work out to look a certain way or do you do it for health? The way you work out for each might be different depending on your hormones. I also live with a former body builder who swears by one high-calorie cheat meal each week, it really helps rev up your metabolism which might be sluggish if you are working that hard and restricting calories on top of it.
ReplyDeleteAwesome advice. I do tend to have a higher calorie meal once a week...just naturally happens! I will have to check into the cortisol thing. I’m biking to be fit....but I want the weight gone!!
DeleteYes, you can absolutely retain water after exercise... you will infact as it's repairing tears etc. Regarding your calories, you might be eating enough but is it at the right time? I personally prefer to exercise before I eat. I tend to have more energy when I do that and then I eat like crazy when I'm done. But I would say as a start WATER WATER WATER and maybe increase your electrolytes after you ride as you are probably sweating it all out. And lastly... if you know the scale is going to be high after your ride, give it a day or two. It's hard I know but I find that ignoring the scale after after knowing it's going to go up, is a mental game you can win.
ReplyDeleteWe have started being more careful with the electrolytes! The weight is up for a week....it’s not just a day...I weigh in on Friday...bike intense Saturday and Sunday and the weight is still up on the following Friday!
DeleteYep, drink more water, and throw in an electrolyte tablet if you've sweated a lot during exercise. As for your food, I wonder if you're not eating enough fat. Sounds weird, I know, but last fall my coach reviewed my food journal and immediately said I had to increase fat. Not by a ton, but a small handful of nuts helped and I do think that was part of my weight loss that I wasn't really working very hard at experience.
ReplyDeleteHmm so fat....that is interesting. I was thinking only calories...but fat could be it too!!
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ReplyDeleteI was just going to say what Shelley above has said.
Electrolytes and fat increase....doesn't have to be bad fats, maybe some avocado or some almonds....
can only but try
Thanks!!!! I’m going to!!
DeleteMary Fran it is a fact that people gain weight after they exercise hard! I wish I knew why - some of the above commenters had good ideas, like cortisol, water retention, etc. It has something to do with muscle repair.
ReplyDeleteThis is opposite common sense but what if you tried:
1. One or two days OFF per week from heavy exercise
2. One "cheat meal" a week to rev up your metabolism - preferably higher in fat and NOT sugar.
Keep up the good work!
I only do the heavy exercise 2-3 days a week...and I do typically have a cheat meal...that’s what makes this crazy!!!!!!
DeleteI think you're doing amazing. Slow progress is still progress!
ReplyDeleteI sent you an invite by the way! Please check your email. :)
Let me check my email and spam folder because I don’t recall getting any invite!!!
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