I’ve been working on this piece since I posted in the cycling group asking for advice on weight loss. Crowd sourcing a health issue is not really like me, but In spite of all the training I reached within 10 pounds of my lifetime high in weight and it wasn’t good for me or the project. This was a group of people who are doing the sport I do at the age I am (and older). I got tons of advice and plenty to research and find out more about. Like my weight loss experience, this post is a work in progress.
Hydration
I’m really good about hydration. I usually drink a glass of water when I get up in the morning. I drink water or unsweet tea frequently throughout the day, and a bottle of water as I drive out to the trail. I take hydration seriously while exercising, and drink another glass of water before bed. I’ve done the bedtime drink ever since I read an article years ago linking stroke to overnight dehydration. Who knows where that original article might be found, but here’s one on the link between stroke and dehydration in general. There are so many things that go wrong when you don’t get properly hydrated, and now I’m paying more attention to electrolytes as well.
Nutrition
Americans are, as a whole, poorly informed about nutrition and our food labeling is a byproduct of lobbying and compromise, not good science or good health communication. My former FIL was a MD and he would be the first to tell you that they don’t teach nutrition in medical school either. But, he and his wife paid attention. Every meal I ever had at their house was balanced. Every. One. What that means has been tweaked over the years. Here’s what Harvard says now about what a balanced diet looks like.
Doc also had a theory that there might be important undiscovered micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals), and that by eating a balanced variety of foods you might be doing yourself a big favor. His later years were better for longer with fewer medical bills than most people. Having that influence in my life, I thought I knew more than I actually did. But, a fear of kidney disease has kept me incurious about keto diets for some time, and I was also unaware of what ketosis actually is. I love my carbs too. That didn’t help. In fact I’m kind of addicted to processed sugar. Seriously. I’ve been on a blood sugar roller coaster since before my due date.
They Used to Feed Karo to Newborns
I was one of them. My sister was born in the 1950s when “fat babies” were “healthy babies”. At that time, breast feeding was not popular and mothers put Karo syrup in babies’ bottles with evaporated cow milk. It was marketing and Dr approved. That’s a teaspoon of sugar in a quarter cup (4 oz) bottle of evaporated milk.
The only thing more surprising than this weird bit of history (a Dr approved fad) is that when I was looking up a link to share, I found current serious minded pre-current formula shortage instructions for how to make it now (not sharing that link). Mom wasn’t so bad about the fat baby thing, but she was still on the Karo plan when I came along, and, brought it up as a viable solution to the recent formula crisis. I was an induced baby, two weeks early. So, beginning two weeks before I was supposed to be born, my blood sugar highs were unnaturally high.
I’ve given up processed sugar 6 times in my life, the first time was for a year during and after my first pregnancy. There were no complications. It wasn’t prescribed. I just wanted to be healthy and have a healthy child. My son’s father didn’t like that because I wasn’t cooking with sugar in food for both of us anymore. So, when I gave it up during the second pregnancy, it was for a shorter time.
Then I gave up processed sugar a third time when I did a Dr supervised protein shake diet in my late 20s. The 4th and 5th times were when I gave up all white sugar, white processed flour and fried foods for Lent twice. I’m not Catholic, but most religions have at least one good idea. On those occasions, I still used small amounts of brown sugar, honey and maple syrup.
The most recent time is, of course, now. The exceptions to my recent hiatus have been when I was inattentive at label reading on protein bars.
Maybe Giving up the Sugar Should be Mostly Permanent
For a few years now, I’ve cut the stuff with ultra high glycemic indexes almost completely out. I make candy for the people who love it every winter, and I scarcely eat a piece any more. Then, a few months ago I noticed reactions like blurry eyes after large meals (like an after the ride burger with fries and a soda). I started looking things up and decided it was time to start counting my sugar intake. I took added sugar down to levels recommended for diabetics, ate fewer after the ride calories and started having a cool down at the end with walking for a few minutes after the ride so the finish is easier on the endocrine system because of what it says after the “5” here.
While I’ve never been diagnosed as diabetic, I was having issues that show up across that literature and there is no down side to taking the first steps that a Dr would prescribe first to see if it helps. Then if you need the Dr, you have more data to give him and can maybe move on to step 2 on that first visit.
I was hoping all of this would have weight loss as a side effect. No Joy. Some people loose weight when they make these changes. Some loose weight when they are as active as me. So far the art of shrinking was eluding me though. The challenge of loosing weight while maintaining the ability to ride seemed a unique problem, so I joined a cycling group and posted to ask. It’s a good group with a lot of positive people. I got a lot of great advice. A lot of it revolved around giving up more complex carbohydrates too. That was May 28.
Counting Macros
A lot of people said to count macros. I’ve counted calories and Weight Watchers points before, but never macros. I just relied on calories and the food pyramid. Back when the Keto diet hit big I did a little reading. Ketoacidosis, not cool. I pretty much ignored everything keto since.
I refocused on the word for burning fat “ketosis” when I read the answer to my post below and started looking at more and more information on protein in the diet. The part I missed when I stopped updating myself on all things keto is the current focus on protein for my age group. Perhaps I’d have missed that anyway. I mean protein drinks are for my Mom, right?
While there are many recommendations from/for different people, purposes and sources, the recommendation for adults over 50 is higher than USDA recommendations for the average adult. I thought a couple of eggs would cover my protein needs for a day. I mean it’s a neat little package that has everything needed to create a little avian life in there. It seems like that would be enough to keep a human going for a day. I was also surprised to note now little protein there is in so many “high protein” foods.
One of the important things here is that I didn’t just take the word of some guy on Facebook (and you shouldn’t just take mine). Look at these links, they’re good sources, but also find your own. There are so many different protein recommendations based on age, sex, goals and habits. You have to settle on the source you trust and an amount you can tolerate.
And, here’s what the guy had to say:
“The best way to ‘hit the switch’ and get into fat-burning mode is to fast for a day. Start by eating dinner and then no more food until the second morning… 32 hours out. You can drink water or black coffee, and should take electrolytes (Nuun, Enduralyte, etc.) when you are thirsty (I like Nuun… easy and convenient).
“You will find that, rather than being weak, you will feel as if you are full of energy… clear-headed… even though you may have a slight headache from ‘carb withdrawal.’ When you wake up on that second morning you will feel really good, although maybe a little tired. This is when you start an intermittent fasting program… confine your eating to an 8-hour window so you have at least 16 hours from the last meal on one day to the first meal on the next day.
“Remember, low (no more than 150 calories, or even less) carbs, 500 to 600 calories of protein, 500 to 600 calories of fat, and restrict your calories to no more than 1500, down to 1200 if possible.
Some people do this with two 500-calorie meals and then 200 to 300 for supper, some split it into five meals (300 cal breakfast, 200 cal snack, 300 cal lunch, 200 cal snack, 200 to 300 cal supper), and this is important… don’t go on 100 mile rides! You cannot ride 100 miles without eating unless you want to suffer miserably AND lose muscle mass because your body will start eating your muscles.
“The body has two main ways to regulate weight that have evolved over 2 million years, via the use of insulin to store excess calories as fat, and via the use of cortisol to get excess fat and turn it into energy that your muscles can utilize. What switches you from one mode to the other is your blood sugar level. High blood sugar, what you get just after you eat and especially with carbs, results in the secretion of insulin to lower blood sugar levels by storing the glucose in fat cells. Low blood sugar, what you get hours after your last meal or after exercise, results in the secretion of cortisol, and results in the extraction of energy from fat cells which is converted from fatty acids to glucose. So, the key to weight loss is to keep your blood sugar levels low enough to invoke the secretion of cortisol which causes your body to burn fat for energy.
“The best way to ‘hit the switch’ and get into fat-burning mode is to fast for a day. Start by eating dinner and then no more food until the second morning… 32 hours out. You can drink water or black coffee, and should take electrolytes (Nuun, Enduralyte, etc.) when you are thirsty (I like Nuun… easy and convenient).
“You will find that, rather than being weak, you will feel as if you are full of energy… clear-headed… even though you may have a slight headache from ‘carb withdrawal.’ When you wake up on that second morning you will feel really good, although maybe a little tired. This is when you start an intermittent fasting program… confine your eating to an 8-hour window so you have at least 16 hours from the last meal on one day to the first meal on the next day.
“Remember, low (no more than 150 calories, or even less) carbs, 500 to 600 calories of protein, 500 to 600 calories of fat, and restrict your calories to no more than 1500, down to 1200 if possible.
“Some people do this with two 500-calorie meals and then 200 to 300 for supper, some split it into five meals (300 cal breakfast, 200 cal snack, 300 cal lunch, 200 cal snack, 200 to 300 cal supper), and this is important… don’t go on 100 mile rides! You cannot ride 100 miles without eating unless you want to suffer miserably AND lose muscle mass because your body will start eating your muscles.
“Ride your bike daily for no more than 45 minutes. This will burn any carbs you’ve eaten without making you bonk or requiring you to eat more calories for the long ride… your body will store up to 1500 calories of glucose as it rebuilds its glucose stores. You might also want to start a light bodyweight program… women’s pushups (even if they’re while upright against a wall), bodyweight squats, calf raises, bent rows and shoulder presses with light dumbbells. The goal here is to stimulate your muscles enough so that the protein you eat is used to preserve muscle mass.
“Most of us will burn 1500 to 2000 calories just to be awake and moving… the extra exercise will not only burn the necessary fat but will also burn extra fat as the body uses it for maintenance… and the body is not 100% efficient in turning fat into energy so there will be additional losses.
“Try this for 30 days and see if you don’t lose 12 to 15 pounds without a lot of discomfort. Once you get to your desired body weight, you can increase calories but keep to the 8 hour eating window… and yes, consume calories on long rides.”
So, what Did I Actually Do?
I got a lot of good answers to my question about what works for weight loss while trying to increase my miles. I joined every group anyone mentioned and have been following them all.
A lot of people said to do a 8/16 Intermittent Fast. The answer I quoted above included that and was a pretty complete plan, so I started there and I started researching high protein diets from science and medical sources.
I did not jump start with the 36 hour fast. I happen to know that if I don’t eat all day, I crash around 4:00 P.M. I didn’t have a day when I could afford to veg or nap or have my brain work badly at 4:00 P.M, and I wasn’t going to get one anytime soon. But, I didn’t want to wait either, so I started on the 8/16 intermittent fasting. Eating all my food inside 8 hours was not such a big change that I didn’t feel comfortable making it while I researched all my questions.
I converted the calorie recommendations to grams just to make it easier with food labels.
I have the most trouble getting protein at the level above while also limiting the carbs. I could have done that pretty easily in maintenance mode, but that’s not where I am.
If I get to choose when I ride, I ride fasted.
I reduced my miles as recommended, at first. Then I adjusted. The reduction in miles was fine through the adjustment, but too low afterward. The compromise was to be sure I had a protein bar in case I needed it, and rest for 15 minutes at the turn around spot.
There have been ups and downs, but doing all of my eating during the same eight hours every day has been the most scheduled and regular I’ve been in some time. That’s probably a good thing.
The First Three Weeks
I got knock you over with a feather Keto breath the first 10 days or so. My grand daughter who sometimes has boundary issues didn’t have any trouble staying out of my face. I got some headaches too, but no real carb withdrawal. Maybe because I had already cut the simple carbs so low months ago.
My weight dropped like it does at the beginning of a diet. I was really busy the first few days and helping out with a move. It was hard to be specialized in my intake and I had several days of taking in half the calories I was supposed to. It wasn’t intentional, I just didn’t realize it until I took a breath and started recording.
After that I had a lot of trouble conforming to the proportions of macro nutrients recommended above. The protein is hard to get while keeping the carbs low enough, and the fat isn’t really stressing me, but it’s usually over. My daily calorie intake has been between 600 and 1800. The 1800 was a Friday when I decided to eat a Jim and Nicks Brisket and Blue salad without dressing for supper.
It was really hard to gauge the progress at first. The weight loss after three weeks is exactly what I lost last time I tossed cookies for 3 days, but some clothes are definitely looser. I live life in yoga pants. I ride in bike tights. I have a few things that don’t stretch, but I hadn’t worn them in a while. My bras were getting looser. I noticed shirts that once rested on my hips were hanging free.
In a lot of ways I feel better. That’s a plus.
Measurements
I have Weight Watchers serving spoons. The measurement they hold is stamped right into the spoon handle and I level it with a knife instead of letting it heap. I even checked the 1/4 cup against other measuring cups because it looked pretty generous. Once I see about what a serving is, If something has 2 or 4 servings I’m willing to guess. As long as it lasts the appropriate number of servings, it will average out over the use of the container.
I’m not measuring me. It would be one way to gauge success, especially with the difficulty I was having telling how I was doing in the beginning, but I’m not Mrs. Maisel. I have enough to keep up with. I’m just going to keep working the plan, and tweaking as I need to, until I think I’m the right weight. I won’t be deciding what that is with a tape measure.
Mistakes
Not recording or getting enough calories or nutrients in the first days.
I kept looking for high protein vegetables instead of low carb vegetables. Before this diet (BTD), I’d often have a sack of “High protein” vegetables for supper, but those have more that a days allowance of carbs.
Stress eating
The Good Stuff I Was Already Doing
Eat most salads without dressing
Don’t use artificial sweeteners
I started this one recently. When Russ received a Garmin Watch as a gift, it was telling him when he needed to be active. I really wanted one too. So, what I did instead was to set alarms every hour to hour and a half. When the alarm goes off I get up from the computer, or stop whatever I’m doing and do the title of the alarm. I have alarms titled things like “sit-ups”, “plantar stretches” and “arms”.
The Bad Stuff I Was Doing Before
Occasionally Binging Carbs
Not realizing how much protein I need
Not realizing that the timing of calories and social late snacks were a significant problem
Joining in with someone who is stress eating
The Big Ugly Problem
Per my ophthalmologist, I take 100 calories worth of Omega 3 to help with Dry Eye. When he prescribed it I was thinking about that old saying “100 calories a day is 10 pounds a year” and really bummed on reading the label, but after a year, I was unable to tell it was causing me weight issues. Perhaps I adjusted my eating. I don’t know.
While the label only said “Take 2 per day”, I started by spreading the 2 capsules out as close to 12 hours apart as convenience allowed. When the intermittent fasting came into play, I took them during eating hours, but from reading what I could find, it wouldn’t have been “breaking the fast” to take them when ever I wanted.
Early in the diet my eyes went crazy. I was intensely aware of my blinks and using the lubricating drops the ophthalmologist also gave me every hour, maybe more. I was miserable and about to go back in to see the him when it eased. That was right about the time I started getting closer to the number of calories I was supposed to be having. I think my calorie intake, when it was very low, must have caused those Omega 3s not to be getting to my eyes.
I could be wrong. Well see if there are any more problems and if they coincide with ultra low caloric intake, but this is the hard fast limit. If severe dry eye is related to the diet and I can’t regulate it, things will seriously slow down. Taking care of my eyes will have to be the priority. My calorie deficit is still quite large right now, but my eyes are pretty important to me.
What’s Next?
I’m days away from the 60 day mark. I’ve lost 19 pounds. My original goal was 50 pounds of weight loss to reach 150 pounds. In the next two weeks I expect to reach half of that goal
This site says I’m burning 1300+ calories on my rides. I’m taking in around 1500 calories in food most days and around 120 calories in supplements, which I’m working to be sure not to forget because of the eye issues.
It’s a pretty stressful level of output. I’ve been thankful for a few rain days, and If I’m feeling drained, I give it a break, whether that’s an easy ride or a day off.
I haven’t actually recorded my food since the break I mentioned in one of my Tuesday posts, but I’m recording my weight most mornings.
I’ve shifted toward eating a few more vegetables, even when that means more carbs (think peas, not potatoes) I plan to keep on going the way I’m going as long as it works. I should reach 150 pounds before I’m trying to transform my current mileage into the number of days and length of ride that the project requires. I plan to pay attention to my energy levels and training intervals to make sure I don’t get stressed in any way that take a long recovery. I’m optimistic and fairly happy with how things are going.