Daily Maintenance Weigh In - Wednesday, September 18

Happy Hump Day!

178 again today.  Crappy weather so no bike ride last couple days.  We're in the season where it will be day by day if it's super cold, rainy, hot, snow, etc. 

I don't like the number on the scale, but based on recent body fat analysis, I'm not going to panic.  Just keep eating as clean as possible and prepping for my Saturday 200km ride - which will burn 5000 calories or so, on it's own.  Then another 90 miler the following Saturday will burn 3500... If I have fat to lose, that'll get some of the job done.

That said, I have increased the carb content of my diet - mostly from colorful veg (carrots, sweet potato, beets, peppers, greens) up from much less, and that's probably causing a bit more water retention. Calories have stayed the same or gone down slightly.

 

Good morning Jub. I like your analysis. I can't imagine it would be easy to do those long rides without carbs from those type of foods. Good choices.

119.5 for me today. Feeling good here. Optimally, would love to see how I feel and look at 115. Trying to get there so I can see if 115-118 is a good range for me. Definitely under 120 is best for me. I do know that.

Yeah, Before and DURING the rides I have to consume carbs.  I've done some experimenting and found the best routine (so far) to be...

1) eat my normal, low-carb way until day before

2) up carbs day before with long-acting carbs (sweet potatoes! Yum)

3) get up in the wee-hours and have something more carb-y - like whole-grain english muffin with fat (butter/or nut butter)

4) 2-3 hours pre-event some faster acting carbs - i've settled on pancakes with maple syrup.

5) during event, 250-300 calories/hour of pure carbs.  Gels or liquid mainly - seems to work with the sleeve.  Solid food of any kind generally makes me feel bad

6) post-event - an ice cold, full sugar coke and some protein

Lots of fluids throughout.

I tested (twice) trying to stay pretty low-carb, right up to the event, but bonked hard at about the 3 hour mark both times.  

162.2 - What?1?

I have upped my exercise significantly and getting back into some kind of routine after a very hectic emotionally draining 6 weeks or so. I suspect that some fluid retention is going on. Starting training for running season - ugh! why am I running???? I will have 6 races before March, 2-10Ks, 1-10 miler and 3 half marathons - I don't even like running and I'm really no good at it! I expect that with even a little bit of careful eating I will be able to take that last 10 lbs off - the challenge will be can I keep it off come March? Time will tell...

Seems like any drastic change in exercise (up or down) results in temporary weight gain... especially increasing exercise.  I have read - but don't know the truth of - the opinion that fluids are retained to aid in muscle repair and growth.  ALso muscle growth happens, and if it replaces fat one-for-one it weighs more...  My recent body composition analyses show that - weight remained steady or increased a bit even though fat was lost.  A good thing! But can be depressing if your only measure is total weight.

I'm pretty happy at ~160 but that being said I want to keep an upper hand with body composition and not lose too much muscle.  I think that 150-155 would be a bit better weight for me as I still have plenty of body fat and will still be pretty good at that weight. My doctor's office does DEXA scans - maybe I will make an appointment?

I'm at 120.8 today.  That's fine by me.  

Dreary, rainy day here in Calgary, so won't be going too far from home - other than a coffee date with someone I used to work with whom I haven't seen in years.  Can't remember if I was fat or thin when I last saw him!  

Enjoy your day!

126.6 up .8 from my lowest weight yesterday. WTF! I guess it's still post plastic swelling.

137.1#  Still in range but toning it down a bit...I'm sure it's salt.  However, I was a little snacky yesterday.   Maintenance is just as not as fun as the weight loss mode...lol