First thing’s first, yes, weight loss happens in the kitchen. A calorie deficit is the most important thing.
I’m sitting at ~185lb (down from 200lb), and want to get to 170lbs. I think becoming lighter would do the most for my overall cycling experience, so I’m focusing on that for now instead of gaining strength.
With that said, I’ve definitely noticed that exercise can impact the success of a weight loss regime. Long endurance activities above LTP appear to stimulate appetite (thus the “eating a pizza post workout” phenomenon). Once you’ve burned through your glycogen, you bonk, and then you need to convert protein into carbohydrates for high intensity efforts. This is inefficient and counterproductive, unless you did powerlifting in a past life and your legs are too big.
I’ve mostly been doing fasted ~60-90 minute LSD workouts, since they appear to have a good balance of carb/fat burn. Occasional hard sprints for fun (Bullet with Butterfly Wings <3) and to keep the neuromuscular system worked.
I’ve just switched my athlete type to Century Rider with a Maintenance progression rate, since I’ve found that I have a hard time making fitness/strength gains while losing weight.
I’m curious what the experts here have to say on the topic.
Calorie deficits and their relationship to weight loss depends hugely upon the nutrient source of the calories, i.e., carbs, proteins, or fats. I have been eating a ketogenic diet for the better part of 10 years. There are several on-line sources that can give you good info on a ketogenic diet. Outcome? I’m 83 + yoa; 66.5" tall, 32" waist, and 18% body fat to go with my AM weight today of 151.7 #'s. YMMV Anthony (a committed non-expert)
My 2 cents. Weight loss (ie fat loss) is complex and stressful on the body - why we have a plethora of industries and professionals dedicated to it. FWIW, you want to hold on dearly to your lean muscle mass, especially if you’re a masters age athlete. This is what has worked for me, aside from the beloved bicycle, in order of importance: 1. Calorie Deficit - without this, nothing else matters. 2. Macros - Protein intake should be closely monitored as it helps ‘save’ muscle wasting and has a thermogenic effect during digestion: 0.75-1gm per pound of bodyweight. Fats are important for satiety and hormonal/cellular function, carbs are important for fuel and energy levels. I’m not a big proponent of KETO, especially as for endurance athletes - but YMMV. 3. Strength Training is critical for this endeavour - I’d suggest 2-3 full body workouts per week. 4. SLEEP and recovery - helps control hunger and cortisol levels. Not an expert but I must have lost 100s of pounds in my lifetime…and found some too.
