I'm torn between being obsessive about reaching a simple goal and relaxing and living life a little.
The goal? I'd love to have a flat stomach again. It's hard in lycra - it makes guys that weigh 64kg with 2% body fat look like they have a pot gut. For blokes like me, it's pertinent to ask how many days until the twins are due. But it would still be nice to totally get rid of the beer gut after lugging it around for 15 years.
I've slowly been chipping away at it - there's no dramatic secret. I simply ride at a reasonably quick pace for 70-90 minutes 5 days a week, and try and fit in a longer ride on one day of the weekend. Every now and then, I have to pull the belt in another notch, and I know I am getting somewhere. Even the love handles are harder to grab hold of. The more miles I ride, the faster it disappears. Simple.
But it's easy to backslide. I had a few weeks off due to illness, and the guts suddenly reappeared. Getting rid of it is all about discipline - doing the miles is the main part. I find that if I am riding, I want to eat well, avoid grog, fast food and soft drinks. It's a virtuous circle.
However, I am cognisant of the fact too much riding can make Jack a dull boy. I've been invited to plenty of events in the CBD that occur after work (like seeing James Dellingpole when he was in town) and I have ignored them because it would mean catching the bus home - a day without riding (because I would have to bus in the following morning as the bike would be at work).
Resolving this dilemma isn't going to be easy - I'm not very good at balancing things.
5 comments:
Take fructose and unsaturated fats out of your diet. It is not hard to do and will become your normal diet rather than a one-off thing. I did it and lost weight although I have hit a bit of a roadblock now because I am reluctant to reduce my nightly intake of red wine to (say) 2 glasses.
Don't abandon fruit because the high fibre ones (pears, kiwifruit etc.) do more good than the fructose does harm.
If you need energy drinks or power bars for cycling substitute glucose tablets (sucrose, or glucose, is not bad for you like fructose).
Get away from high sugar breakfast cereals and low fat or "diet" foods - they are not good for you. I eat Weeties for breakfast.
I only use olive oil for salads and (in its light form) for cooking and use butter instead of marg.
Because I have the luxury of working from home I make my own lunch - my current favourite is half an avo spread on two slabs of bread and topped with tomatoes, onions and ground pepper - yum!
Don't worry about eating carbs and fats and don't bother counting calories - by removing fructose and saturated fats your normal appetite control functions will be restored and you will eat what you need.
When you learn how much fructose is in common processed foods you will be shocked.
I had never read a diet book until a friend (a very analytical engineer0 recommended David Gillespie's "The Big Fat Lie" which I read in a day or so and found very sensible and credible. Google Gillespie and check him out for yourself.
I've had a gut for 10 years now BOAB and I still notice the chicks eyeing me off, cough, cough. ;-)
Get a bigger, nastier chain for your bike.
That way, you can CBD it, get on the grog, then ride home with an extra weight (the chain), ensuring you work off the fun.
Give the beer an hour or so before you set off, and the sugars will kick in, too.
You can have your cake and eat it.
All of the above is good advice (except for Cav's - he's full of crap) plus simply consume smaller helpings, especially if eating resturant meals.
Reduce your carbs, I have dropped 10 kg's by reducing my carbs over a 4 month period.
Have a look at this website on the carbohydrate curve, while the Paleo food culture can seem a bit like a cult, reducing the carbs makes a big difference.
PS : Beer is not always an issue , 1 stubby of Carlton Draught is only 10 grams of carbs.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-primal-carbohydrate-continuum/#axzz28mOKV299
Boy on a Bike - Melbourne Branch
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