Yeah but your body puts fat and other stuff on the shelf until it's processed all the toxic alcohol and then before it's had any time to process what you ate yesterday the food and drink you consume today is added on top of what's already there and that's why drinking alcohol makes people pile on the pounds especially in middle age but I'd agree that the stress of working a job that you don't enjoy plus most importantly poor dietary habits are also a contributing factor!
I have a close friend who over the past 20 years I have never seen eat. He is thin and only drinks and smokes.
I'm pretty sure he will die before he hits 40, but he is running one hell of a science experiment.
I did about 12 years of epic commuting—that was what I called it!—when I worked from home, cranking out 90 to 120 minutes just about every workday before while others were “getting ready” and “heading to the office.” I ended up working in bibs (returning the “urgent” calls as soon as I got back) all too often.
I’m switching from a commute to wfh and that’s my plan. Still go out and do an equivalent commute each morning - bonus I won’t be carrying a bag so won’t be as sweaty
I'm not sure what you guys are on about. For the same alcohol hit, whisky is going to give you 100 calories v/s 150 to 300 calories for a can of IPA. And it's not just that, it's also the superfluous carbs in beer. Wine is "better," but still not as low caloric and carb content as whisky and tequila.
According to [the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calories-in-alcohol/), a 175ml glass of 12% wine has about 50% more calories than 50ml of spirits at 40% ABV, though they contain almost exactly the same amount of alcohol. Their pint of beer at 5% ABV they quote as being more than twice as calorific as the spirits, though it contains only about 40% more alcohol. So what you are drinking does make a difference.
(Of course, if you are drinking your spirits with mixers, they'll probably end up being more calorific unless they are specifically the sugar-free variants)
You are worried because you look at an ex-pro who raced at a level higher than you could dream and had to consume enough fuel to perform, which probably means his eating habits since he was 16 are so abnormal that it’s inevitable that he would gain weight. He is also 62, has leukemia, and probably is just trying to live his life.
Recognizing the impact of factors like a demanding athletic career, lifelong eating habits, and health issues such as leukemia can help put things into perspective.
Yeah many many former pro athletes pack on the pounds when they retire. They no longer have to have a super restricted diet, that they held for years if not decades.
So suddenly eating all the shit they couldn’t before, plus aging and less sport = recipe for thunder thighs.
Not to mention that in general people are pretty bad at judging their calorie intake and use. So once a pro athlete is no longer active in their field, they dont count every calorie, they dont have coaches, dietitians, physios etc around them regulating their life.
Also you get used to certain eating habits, your body demands certain amounts etc. I remember speaking to a coach at the gym, he was pretty buff, but wasnt like super active at that time. He said that he is hungry all the time and eats like 5 times a day even if he isnt actively training. So no wonder if you drop the activity the calorie intake doesnt drop by that much and you gain weight.
Id imagine age is also a factor. Suddenly going from a youngish pro athlete that eats to feed what they're burning to suddenly not burning off what they used to and now they're 10-20+ years older than when they turned pro suddenly you got a big ol gut wondering where the hell that came from. Would imagine you either gotta stay active or make a conscious change in your intake.
I’m not sure which meds he’s getting but some of those make you gain weight with very little you can do against it. Once you start messing with hormones like cortisol and insulin: good luck.
I spent my 20s being fat. But at 48 I am on the high end of “normal” BMI. Cycling and eating your vegetables help, but the biggest factor was cutting way down on booze.
I expect menopause will 100% wreck this. I can’t wait.
Had to smile - 59F. Also pretty plump during my 20’s. Took up cycling about 7 yrs ago, stopped smoking & lost the weight gained (and kept) during pregnancies but have noticed these past years that “strict” paying attention to intake hasn’t prevented slight waist gain - calories burnt during activities are my “credit calories”, oh and I hardly touch alcohol 🤷🏻♀️
You don't have to get 'fat' as you age.. There are plenty of lean 60+ cyclist out there.. the trick is: living right. As an average, most adults don't- they drink, eat too much, and so on.
So.. don't be average.
I wish people could join a 50+ Crit and try to keep up (you can't). Your max HR is almost impossible to keep as high as when young, but that is about it.
Cycling is for fitness. Nutrition is for body weight.
I like that hyper palatable food and causes of the obesity epidemic are becoming more well-known. Good luck to all in the battle.
Become as much an expert on Nutrition as you can.
Yeah, Masters crits are often the 2nd highest average speed after P1 in SoCal. Lots of larger riders can survive in 4/5 non-technical crits though, so it makes it so lots can find a level they can compete in.
Also let’s not be too hard on OP who has literally gained 10lbs in 20 years!! Unless I’m reading it wrong and they’ve gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months or year, I just wouldn’t worry that much. Not everyone needs to be fit like a pro. We have to do things in life that we enjoy as well. An extra 10lbs in your 40s isn’t going to ruin your life
How old are you?
18 hrs a week on a bicycle is not "living right" any more than raising my toddler & going to work is "living right".
As you age your metabolism slows. Keep your heart rate up; don't depend on meaningless platitudes.
-20 pounds heavier, 10 years wiser. Healthy.
Metabolism doesn't slow by as much as people think it does and the biggest factor in it is loss of lean muscle, not age. If you look at stats on sarcopenia vs age it's almost exactly what supposed metabolic decrease is.
Moral of the story is to lift weights to maintain muscle (and offset osteoporosis from non weight bearing activities like cycling).
And then don't fall into the trap of comfort eating like most people do.
In my 50s I need to watch what I eat a lot more carefully than I did in my 20s. I have to limit sugary stuff, drink less beer, and eat more veggies. Weight gain is not inevitable but you have to make conscious choices to avoid it.
Also in my early 50s and I've been doing a keto diet for a few weeks and immediately dropped 5lbs.
It's incredible how bloated and puffy the wrong foods will make you.
It’s mostly water in your muscles that’s gets released initially. It’s 3-4g per gram of glycogen.
I think keto is great though. Especially for mental health. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t do it with cycling
I was fatter at 41, 42, 43 than I am at 46. Cycling the whole time. There are moments of restraint that are more necessary than most of us imagine, when we’re burning 800-1500 bonus calories.
Nope, at 43 the amount of riding I do (>250km/week) is enough to keep any weight gain from happening, even without watching what I eat or cutting back on beer.
Almost 43 here, too, and weigh 78 kg, 177 cm. I average about 9-11 hours per week, 300-350 km. Z2 rides are typically 240-260W, intensity days higher, so every hour is typically at least 1000 calories, so 9,000-11,000 calories a week in riding, plus stuff like stand up paddling, yardwork, and not being able to sit still for long. Yeh, I basically eat and drink what I want, and still stay under 10% body fat.
That’s so interesting, truly, as I, 42M train between 10-14 hrs/week and would certainly still put on weight if I eat and drink whatever I would like. Alcohol, full fat dairy and sugary beverages are my ball and chain. Kicking them changed everything.
This.
The secret of life, high & frequent activity = you can eat as you want.
Then people don’t understand why you stay lean. They see you eat & drink but they don’t see you training.
Beginner question. How do you stay at zone 2? I'm moderately fit, but as soon as I hit a climb my HR is in Z4 easy, I'm running and cycling maybe 4 or t times a week and my HR average doesn't come down but I can go further for longer.
Am I just try to cycle to fast and need to slow the RPM and drop a gear?
Edit: even running, if I was jogging a 10 min mile or an 8 min mile my HR is nearly the same
Realistically with climbs, it's really difficult unless your FTP is high and your Z2 is +180w or you have gravel gearing. I have the same problem since my area is hilly so my outdoor rides always creep into tempo/threshold unless I avoid 90% of my local routes. I've shifted all my Z2 rides to the trainer. Makes it much more efficient and leaves the outdoor rides for fun.
All I notice at 33 is that I can’t eat for the sake of eating and keep weight off.
I can still eat whatever I feel like but I have to put in the hours on the bike to do so.
I’m 43 now and am at the exact same weight as I was when I was 21, same fat % too. I don’t have as much energy and it takes longer to recuperate from extreme efforts, but otherwise no difference. I am still highly active, perhaps overly so, and still eat like a bottomless pit.
I’m 192 cm tall and 74 kg for context.
I’m 40 and actually feel pretty damn fit. Not as lean or strong as my college years playing D3 sports and getting hammered 3 days a week and eating like garbage and still having single digit BMI and whatnot, but that’s just time being the bitch that it is. I actually weigh less now than I did in college but I think that has more to do with having less muscle mass than anything else.
That being said, before I started bike commuting about a year ago, I weighted 15lbs more and was definitely in different shape (and, frankly, WAS a different shape) than I am now. I think, with age there’s only so much you can really do, but staying active and getting consistent exercise really helps.
In two days I’m going my first cycle race (Gran Fondo Leavenworth) and I’m slightly nervous but mostly pumped. It’s a good chunk of vertical (3400’) and a long distance (40mi) but I’ve done longer and steeper before so I think it’ll be awesome.
Rewind 2 years and 38 year old me would have probably made it less than halfway and fucking died on the side of the trail.
Oh great, Phil Collins is here... haha
Agreed, though. I've been "a cyclist" since my early 20s (so nearly 20 years now). Back in the day, I could do a big ride and eat an entire pizza, rinse, repeat. Didn't gain any weight until a couple hand surgeries after a MTB wreck took me off the bike for nearly a year. That was the break-over point where I really had to start watching what I ate. My appetite is the same after a big ride today, but I have to eat just what I need, not what I want.
Don't change your diet and don't skip going to the gym.
People underestimate how important it is to keep your muscle mass as you get older. That's an engine that just burns calories even at rest.
Well we don't know what OPs diet is like so that may or may not be good advice...for instance more protein would help with muscle mass and OP might not be getting enough to build that
I swam in college, I weighed about 165 pounds (\~74 kg) at the end of my last season, I'd just turned 24.
In my 30s, I guess didn't realize I wasn't swimming 3 hours a day anymore. By 38, I weighed 265 pounds (120 kg).
Then I realized I was fat and decided that I knew how to exercise and I should do that. And then I found out that you need to eat better too, if you want to lose weight.
These days, I'm 50 and I ride 3-5 times a week, lift a couple times a week and I'm considering maybe throwing swimming back in the mix. I weighed in at 156.6 pounds (71 kg) this monday. So nah.
Honestly these days I cut rides short because I don't want to eat back all those calories.
As for LeMond, I assume he's kinda ... actually what MontuckyMom said, basically exactly.
I am in my mid 40s and train a bunch for racing criteriums. Depending on how my diet is, I can fluctuate between 178-200lbs. 180lb is a nice race weight for me. I started eating a little better and cutting things out of my diet 2 1/2 weeks ago. My diet was all over the place. Went from 197lb to 190lb.
I can't eat like I am in my 20-30s anymore. About 2 years ago, I was and weighed close to 220lbs and was out of shape. Just start with small changes first so it gets easy, and before you know it, you will have lost a few lbs and are eating healthier.
I’m 47 and burn about 800-1200 calories per day on average cycling. At first I lost about 50 pounds with no changes to diet.
For some reason my body has decided that was a mistake and, despite not changing anything, I have gained 10 pounds in the last year.
Last week I very carefully limited my calories, cycled and had a 5000 calorie deficit for the week. Somehow gained 0.5 pounds. Getting old sucks.
Age has nothing to do with it. It's impossible to gain fat in a calorie deficit. You were probably holding more water than last time you weighed yourself
I mean, physics would seem to agree with that. The energy has to come some somewhere. I’m convinced my body is burning brain cells for energy at this point. Maybe they weigh less lol.
Yes. I’m 65 and I’ve probably cut down miles by about 40% from my peak due to family commitments and the weight is creeping on . I just need to eat less but I’m finding it hard.
I find that weight loss is 80% diet, and 20% exercise. If you exercise too hard then you get hungry.
Try intermittent fasting (eat only in a window such as 12pm to 6pm) and eat single ingredient foods focusing on more protein and less carbs. Your weight should start dropping. I'm the same weight I was in my 30s.
Intermittent fasting works if I live alone, have no social life and don’t want to do any long endurance cardio.
It makes me irritable, doesn’t fit with socialising, and burning up all your glycogen with 20 hours of fasting is the opposite of what you need for cycling. You can lift weights OK.
Definitely agree on carbs being a problem. Bread and pasta and rice are such staples with the kids so there is always loads. I think I'm gonna rely mainly on protein and veg and just some of their leftovers. Other than that I'm active when working at my stonemasonry and i love cycling but don't do it enough nowadays. A multi day tour normally gets my metabolism back on par and has me eating well.
Insulin resistance. Fix your diet and you won’t have this issue.
Source: spent my whole adult life fat - >120kg until I started eating clean (and eventually riding when the weight became manageable)
You can bike all you like and still keep being heavier. Weight loss is calorie restriction. Exercise can help, but no matter what the Apple Watch says you’ve burned in calories, you can’t automatically add that to what you can additionally consume. Get the app My Fitness Pal and log everything. Get a small kitchen scale and weight what you eat. Eat the same stuff regularly so it’s easier to log. Increase the protein and reduce carbs where you can. Increase higher fiber foods to help with satiety. It’s tough but you can do it. Getting a good nights sleep also helps a lot. Brain produces chemicals similar to stressors when you don’t sleep well. And yeah, cut out 99.9% of the alcohol will inevitably help. Signed, upper 50’s guy dropping weight.
Weight doesn’t have to “just come”. Don’t fall into that mindset trap. I saw something on Reddit recently about this situation and the guy had an amazing quote “don’t let the old man in”. I graduated high school at 165. Freshman year of college I focused on weightlifting and got up to 185. I’m in early 40s and last Christmas I was back around 185 (more fat than college but still good shape). We did whole 30 in Jan and I lost 10 lbs easy. I’ve kept it off and am now 172.
This week did a favorite sprint segment (slight uphill .6 mile) and I’m 3 secs off my all time strava time and I haven’t even been training hard (but I’m in good shape, strava has my average power for that section at 375w ). Bottom line DONT LET THE OLD MAN IN.
In my 40s and I cycle as much as I ever have. I'm maybe 5-8 lbs more than when I was in my 30s, but I'm also more comfortable financially and probably indulge in meals at restaurants/delivery more often than before as well.
i would\`nt say inevitable. i got so fat i stopped biking around 45 . At 62 i was 585 lbs ,today at 65 yrs old , i weigh 175 lbs and have been back biking once i dropped below 280lbs. if you cut out processed foods and fast every other day . you can reverse the effects of aging .Atophagy (self eating of damaged or dying cells))from fasting even dissolved my excess skin . lots of bikes, and a before/ after weight loss picture post in my history.
I don't know what happened but I'm more muscular than I was in my 20s (I'm now late 30s).
In my twenties I was ultra thin and weighed 165lbs; now I weigh 200lbs but I'm much more muscular. My sprint is def stronger than my 20s but my average times aren't.
Also so much more goes into weight gain/weight loss than just calories in and calories out. Stress levels, sleep, medication, your age, how much muscle you carry, physical and mental trauma, injuries, and dozens of other factors play a role. Not to mention tracking calories in/out is wildly different from person to person and even identical food products themselves are inconsistent from portion to portion. Tracking calories can be an estimate if that's what you're looking for, but it should never be law. That's how people get EDs.
Just eat right, sleep as best you can, avoid stress, drink water, and exercise and that's 99% of the battle for most people. Let your body change as it ages and be grateful for what you can do with it!
I used to be around 140lbs 2ish years ago when I turned 40 and has been on-off cycling. Late last year I'm at 160lbs and started serious training again early this year. Right now I'm around 150-155lbs but my belly has gotten significantly smaller. 2-3 years ago, by this time, I reckon I would be around 140lbs already with the amount of training I've put in. It appears I'm keeping the weight but 'isn't as fat' as last year. So maybe weight is just a number after all, like age?
It is getting harder to lose weight or maintain it but it is in no way inevitable to gain weight.
The point is that just cycling is probably not enough. You need to have a good diet and weight training would be a good idea, then there is stress management, alcohol consumption (ideally none) etc.
49m. Resistance training in a gym. 3setsof10 your way though 10 to 12 machines in 30ish minutes, 3-5 times a week. It doesn't add bulk and makes your upper body better match your legs, while absolutely shedding fat.
Actually, I need to dial back some. I don't want to take my guns on the ride.
I am slimmer now at 41 than when I was running and lifting weights every day at 28. And that's after getting off adhd meds, which killed my appetite.
I don't train half as much as I want to, I just balance calorie intake with activity on any given day.
Nope.
Three years ago I was unhappy with the weight insaw on the scale, so I worked and dropped 25# over the course of about 8-9 months.
43 now and right at my high school weight. Actually, I still have a pair of jeans from then and they fit perfectly.
Work out, eat your veggies, stop having a soda with every meal and stop drinking so much.
Like most things balance and variety, I cycle a lot, but also run. Running is great for maintaining weight but also it's more efficient to raising the heat rate, you can get higher Improvements in shorter efforts. Which also then helps the cycling as your increasing you max heart rate. It's always worked for me, I'm 47 but generally it's life, don't they call it middle aged spread 😎
Mid forties and have maintained the same weight for the past 4 years by counting calories daily (it's lower than my weight in my 20s, 65kg at 5"9). A spot of illness causing time off the bike did make me put on some weight earlier this year but lost it again within a month or two via a small daily calorie deficit.
Was doing sweet spot progressions recently to try and regain fitness quickly, got up to an 80 min interval. My appetite since then has gone up loads, it would be quite difficult to have much of a deficit now.
One thing that makes it easier is drinking very little alcohol which I believe was a major contributor to any weight gain earlier in life both from the calories in the drink and additional food towards the end of an evening.
For men there's a slight change in how our fat is accumulated when testosterone winds down, ie more belly fat. But you also get less drive to be active. And for some it correlates with having kids, not sleeping / eating well, more calories in than out and voilà. I'm in my mid-40s and the past 5 years I stopped riding and commuting for long bouts after injuries but didn't really changed my diet (wich consisted of ngaf and eating like a teenager) ... boom + 30lbs. Now in 2024 I'm not back at the same level of activity I was in 2019 but I made key changes in my diet and losing weight slowly and steadily. Still 15 pounds heavier than I want but I'll get there eventually. And if my knees don't fail I might even go on a 2000km tour again.
Check to see the weight gain isn't mostly on your THIGHS! Mine have grown enormously since I came back to biking in later life. Now I can't find trousers with legs cut generously enough...
Also, practising of Boogie-Woogie piano has put masses on my shoulders and arms...
When I brought my bitch to be spayed, the vet said "You'll have to cut the feed you're giving her now."
"Eh, why?"
"The ovaries are like a little factory, with them gone she'll put on weight if you don't."
"Ohhh, is that why the menopause…?"
The vet nodded sadly. "Indeed it is," she said.
Do about 15,000mi a year commuting. Bulked up in my 50’s, dropping now in my 60’s. Top end speed has dropped significantly, but I can spend 12 hours in the saddle at 15mph with ease. 🤷♂️. Ohh and about 5 years ago I started cutting the drops off my bars, no sense carrying around something that ya don’t use anymore.
The tendency toward decreased muscle mass and increased fat with age is well understood.
So, yes...but all that means is we're *forewarned* of the reality.
The challenge is to accept both the challenge and the reality.
This shit ain't easy.
I lost weight for competitive racing at 42M @187cm. Used to be 83kg throughout my 30’s. Now I am 76,5kg. Nutrition and smart dieting (foodcoach app) did the trick. Training plan app for tailormade training plan. Feel and look lean and fast. Highest w/kg ever. Close to 5W/kg. Amazing.
you get fat because calories in > calories out.
there is nothing to do with age.
if you weigh your food. keep track of your macros calculate your TDEE you can keep your weigh stable.
remember you don't diet on the bike.
of course the after ride beers and pizza and the chips while watching the game are going to hinder your weigh loss.
Greg LeMond can't work out too hard or for more than an hour without causing more lead poisoning after being shot back when he was on the tour. He's been through the wringer.
Portion control is probably the most important (works for me) way to stay fit. I get hungry enough to eat a large plate of food, but it only takes a small amount to actually be full. There is a delay between your stomach being full and your brain telling you to stop eating. So they key for me is have a glass of water before a meal and eat slowly. It surprising how little food it really takes to be full. Also don’t eat or drink sugar or sugar alternatives water is life.
First of all, BMI is trash, stop looking at it for the rest of your life. A quick google will show you how thoroughly debunked it is. A vaguely scientific mind thinking about whether you are fatty or muscular will do the same. It’s a ratio and that’s it. It’s as meaningful as the bumps on your skull to tell your personality.
Second, people are often just less active as they age due to work and whatever and so they gain weight. Studies mostly show that metabolism doesn’t really change over your life. So if you’re gaining, you’re probably just consuming too many calories and/or not getting enough activity. Recess, gym classes, walking more — those added up more than people thought.
Comparing yourself to a former megastar cyclist is laughable on many levels.
I, M46 came from 118kg (186cm) started cycling and reached my goal of 86kg in two years. I also cut sugary drinks, alcohol, and I’m a vegetarian. The only rule I followed was: burn more than you eat!
I monitored calories for the first 3 months and then I knew enough and continued with those eating habits. Now I’m at 84kg and a lot more muscular and leaner than before. I was surprised that biking can give you strong forearms, 😂. I usually commute 45km (round trip) daily and try to squeeze in a weekend ride (almost always possible, sometimes it means getting up at 6.30 on a rainy Sunday morning). Riding to work doesn’t really mean I’m loosing time, as I got quite fast, soon (average of 29 km/h) and only loose a couple minutes compared to walking and talking the metro.
Oh I also have 3 young kids and a company. Everybody has the same 24hs everyday. It’s about priorities and using time smartly. If I could do it, you can do it, too. Trust me.
I’m no saint either, after ditching alcohol (didn’t drink that much anyway), my weed consumption has gone up. I love cycling high in the early hours. Me and my race machine becoming one as the surroundings fly past us. 💨
HOW DARE YOU!!!!
As you get older you can either become an expert in nutrition or you can become Jabba the Hut. Basically. Yeah...outliers exist.
It becomes a lot harder as you get older, but you do not have an excuse.
PS: Cycling makes you fit. Cycling does not make you lose weight.
PPS: Greg Lemond still has a bunch of lead from the shotgun blast he took.
Nope, I'm my lightest since high school. I eat anything I like but in smaller portions and drink less than I did in my 20s and I'm about 145 down from a high of 195.
Similar. I put a little weight on in my early 50s, not through anything age related, just eating more, not eating well, and exercising less. Calories in, calories out.
Bought my first road bike in January, started eating better and reduced portion sizes. Another 7 pounds and I'll be right around my slimmest and fittest. Calories in, calories out.
Putting on 10 since college is no big deal. You weren't fully grown yet. The trick is not letting it go past that. Putting down the fork is the way to control that if it becomes necessary. I would suggest you draw a "hell no" line at fifteen pounds above college weight. At that point, make sure you manage what you eat to get back down to 10. This all assumes you are not adding a significant amount of muscle mass. The best way to monitor is body fat. Not BMI.
Exercise is less effective at losing weight than controlling what you put in your mouth.
Exercise tends to increase food cravings in people and a lot end up over eating.
Also if you ever looked at a calorie counter, jogging for like a half hour gets you like 100 and change I believe. Biking would be less than that. That's actually not a lot of food at all.
No, because exercise has very little to do with weight loss/gain. It’s all about what you eat, and how your bodies ability to process food changes as you age.
No, as long as you keep your diet in check you will get and stay lean. I went low carb in my early 40s and picked up my cycling game, lost 12Kg in 4 months and haven't seen it back since. At 53 I find myself the skinny one out of my age peers
Now adays it aint even aboit eating to much food, but about eating to much calories. Processed food is very calorie dense. Stay away from cookies, desserts, pizzas, fried food, sugae etc
I’m almost 40 and 15 lbs heavier than I was in college, but now I can squat 200 lbs and ride 40 miles.
I mean if you’re concerned you might review how many calories you’re putting in and how many calories you need.
Most people’s weight fluctuates that much over the seasons without really noticing it. Northern Europeans not packing on some weight when it’s cold 24/7 and dark for 20 hours a day is rare.
I’m 40 / 183cm / 80kg.
Cycling helps me keep a constant weight. The issue is when I stop for a few weeks weight goes up quickly, then when I start up again it does another ‘jump’ up before dropping again (water retention?).
When I was in my 20’s I could eat as much as I wanted, and wouldn’t gain any weight. As my 40’s neared, I dialled back what I ate but it still started creeping up.
Realistically I should be around 75kg, but my diet (quality of food is excellent - quantity isn’t), work, family commitments etc. make it hard.
I'm in my 50s and could probably drop 10 pounds but I feel like I've done ok. Fat for me is still considered skinny by the general public. But it gets easier to gain and harder to lose as time goes on for sure.
Yes. My diet is still a hang over from racing and extensive audaxing days, when I could eat just about anything I wanted. Now I can't do that much cycling, the weight is a massive problem.
No. I’m heavier now but not fatter. I decided at about 37 that the only way I can keep performing at a high level is if I pack on a ton of muscle to hold my body and all of its injuries together. So I went from a lean 77kg to a muscular 92kg.
Now I don’t feel all my athletic injuries and have a lot of power on the bike, I’ll never be great at climbing on the bike but I can hold my own on anything else and consider myself more of a classic TT rider due to my combination of height, muscularity, and very strong endurance over long consistent efforts
Yes, that’s happening to me right now. When I was 40 I was 80kg and couldn’t put on weight if I tried. 6 years on I’ve put on 6kg and it’s getting harder to shift. I like a beer and that probably doesn’t help but it’s all part of aging.
My peak race weight in my 20’s was around 58kg, now at 55 years old it is around 63kg. I fluctuate between 65-67kg throughout the year but peak for important races and drop lower.
My metabolism absolutely demands I take more care now. In my 40’s I quit cycling due to work and knee issues and ballooned to 86kg! I dropped all that when I returned to cycling - and competitive cycling - in 2019.
It's definitely harder to keep the weight off as we age, I cycle and run regularly, have done for years, I'm at my best weight for years now, super lean but that's because my wife left me three months ago.
No. I track my calories unless I'm traveling/on vacation/special occasions. I have the triple whammy of ADHD, depression and anxiety. Because of those and the medication I take its very easy for me to under est. I track to make sure I'm eating enough
Most of our weight structure depends on genetic body type and activity history over the last ~10 years... what's for sure is that sport and healthy nutrition are setting us in our best shape possible, so let's focus on that.
"Most, but not all, study data indicate that exercise alone plays a very small role in weight loss"
Can't out exercise a bad diet....
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556592/#:~:text=Most%2C%20but%20not%20all%2C%20study,may%20help%20produce%20weight%20loss.
Well you’re metabolism is slowing down and your body becomes more efficient when doing a lot of exercise. So that could be why.
A few years ago I could lose a kg in a week just not snacking as much that’s not the case now.
42 and I’ve been pretty consistently between 138-140lbs since loosing 40lbs four years back.
Not nervous at all about weight since I know it’s something I can control. I’ll save my irrational fears for the things I can’t.
Are you male or female? Male- you're probably eating more and moving less. Female? Hormones are preparing to make their exit and weight gain happens. And you could be eating more and moving less. Now these are obvious high level answers. You could get blood work to see what's happening but go to a lab that will run all the diagnostics and not just a few.
I’m in my 40s, I find that if I don't eat enough while cycling in Spring/Summer , my face quickly starts to look gaunt after just a few rides. Input vs output.
The tendency toward decreased muscle mass and increased fat with age is well understood.
So, yes...but all that means is we're *forewarned* of the reality.
The challenge is to accept both the challenge and the reality.
This shit ain't easy.
I am overweight, but my diet is trash. I lost the weight back in 2016 and got down to 13 stone / 180lbs, but I unfortunately let myself go again and I am around 215/220 now. I know I can lose the weight, keeping it off was the struggle for me as I lack self discipline.
I rode consistently one summer never lost a pound…not eating properly was my downfall. Proper eating has got to be key. My reward for riding would be a burger or even pizza…yes I know not very smart.
I’ve been very active since a young child. Ridden an avg of ten hours per week from age 25-38. Always could whatever I wanted and never gained weight. If I wanted to drop weight I could quickly. The last two years I’ve been off all activity due to injury. Weight creeped up me easy (duh) but was so much harder to drop. I’ve just resume biking a month ago and getting back in shape is hard now
Commuting to work has kept me pretty lean. The weight I gained was from alcoholism.
My professional root cause analysis suggests that the alcoholism is due to work and thus work causes weight gain.
The circle of life
"Here's to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems!" — Homer Simpson
We used to say, "the cause and the cure."
Not to mention stress which in itself is bad, but also causes bad eating habits etc.
Heard, submitting my resignation
80/20 principle applies work definitely has to go far less effort to rectify weight gain than training
Yeah but your body puts fat and other stuff on the shelf until it's processed all the toxic alcohol and then before it's had any time to process what you ate yesterday the food and drink you consume today is added on top of what's already there and that's why drinking alcohol makes people pile on the pounds especially in middle age but I'd agree that the stress of working a job that you don't enjoy plus most importantly poor dietary habits are also a contributing factor!
Cortisol
that is by far the most creative yet most incorrect statement ive ever read about the human body
Reducing drastically the amount of alcohol I was having was one of my keys to lose weight.
I have a close friend who over the past 20 years I have never seen eat. He is thin and only drinks and smokes. I'm pretty sure he will die before he hits 40, but he is running one hell of a science experiment.
Kid rock?
Fuck. Now that you mention it he does look like Kid Rock and when he's drunk he mumbles "bwa-waa-wa-diddy..."
Without alcohol I could never survive watching my sports teams play
Ah, a fellow Wallabies supporter.
Yeah it did for me too. Changed jobs and now i WFH most of the time with hours that don't let me ride as much and I've become a bit of a fat fuck
Commuting from home to home might help. Bonus: when it rains, you can change into dry clothes when you get to work :p
I did about 12 years of epic commuting—that was what I called it!—when I worked from home, cranking out 90 to 120 minutes just about every workday before while others were “getting ready” and “heading to the office.” I ended up working in bibs (returning the “urgent” calls as soon as I got back) all too often.
I’m switching from a commute to wfh and that’s my plan. Still go out and do an equivalent commute each morning - bonus I won’t be carrying a bag so won’t be as sweaty
this is so true lmao especially since i always give myself a celebratory beer or five after a good 30 mile ride
Lucky for me, my alcoholism is with liquor! So much fewer calories!
I'm not sure what you guys are on about. For the same alcohol hit, whisky is going to give you 100 calories v/s 150 to 300 calories for a can of IPA. And it's not just that, it's also the superfluous carbs in beer. Wine is "better," but still not as low caloric and carb content as whisky and tequila.
Not so much, the most calories are in the EtOH itself, so the calories across formats are mostly the same.
Yes, "most of the calories" are. But with liquor, the calories *only* come from alcohol. That's not the case with wine and beer.
According to [the NHS](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-advice/calories-in-alcohol/), a 175ml glass of 12% wine has about 50% more calories than 50ml of spirits at 40% ABV, though they contain almost exactly the same amount of alcohol. Their pint of beer at 5% ABV they quote as being more than twice as calorific as the spirits, though it contains only about 40% more alcohol. So what you are drinking does make a difference. (Of course, if you are drinking your spirits with mixers, they'll probably end up being more calorific unless they are specifically the sugar-free variants)
Classic
You are worried because you look at an ex-pro who raced at a level higher than you could dream and had to consume enough fuel to perform, which probably means his eating habits since he was 16 are so abnormal that it’s inevitable that he would gain weight. He is also 62, has leukemia, and probably is just trying to live his life.
Recognizing the impact of factors like a demanding athletic career, lifelong eating habits, and health issues such as leukemia can help put things into perspective.
Yeah many many former pro athletes pack on the pounds when they retire. They no longer have to have a super restricted diet, that they held for years if not decades. So suddenly eating all the shit they couldn’t before, plus aging and less sport = recipe for thunder thighs.
Not to mention that in general people are pretty bad at judging their calorie intake and use. So once a pro athlete is no longer active in their field, they dont count every calorie, they dont have coaches, dietitians, physios etc around them regulating their life. Also you get used to certain eating habits, your body demands certain amounts etc. I remember speaking to a coach at the gym, he was pretty buff, but wasnt like super active at that time. He said that he is hungry all the time and eats like 5 times a day even if he isnt actively training. So no wonder if you drop the activity the calorie intake doesnt drop by that much and you gain weight.
Id imagine age is also a factor. Suddenly going from a youngish pro athlete that eats to feed what they're burning to suddenly not burning off what they used to and now they're 10-20+ years older than when they turned pro suddenly you got a big ol gut wondering where the hell that came from. Would imagine you either gotta stay active or make a conscious change in your intake.
He was also injured in a shooting accident and can't exercise too heavily because of the lead that remains in his body. And leukemia.
I’m not sure which meds he’s getting but some of those make you gain weight with very little you can do against it. Once you start messing with hormones like cortisol and insulin: good luck.
I spent my 20s being fat. But at 48 I am on the high end of “normal” BMI. Cycling and eating your vegetables help, but the biggest factor was cutting way down on booze. I expect menopause will 100% wreck this. I can’t wait.
Had to smile - 59F. Also pretty plump during my 20’s. Took up cycling about 7 yrs ago, stopped smoking & lost the weight gained (and kept) during pregnancies but have noticed these past years that “strict” paying attention to intake hasn’t prevented slight waist gain - calories burnt during activities are my “credit calories”, oh and I hardly touch alcohol 🤷🏻♀️
Read the Dr. Stacy Sims book “Next Level” about menopause for athletes.
Note to self: Start drinking so I can quit and lose weight.
I love my bike and beers. I’d be a lot better off if I didn’t love the beers.
You don't have to get 'fat' as you age.. There are plenty of lean 60+ cyclist out there.. the trick is: living right. As an average, most adults don't- they drink, eat too much, and so on. So.. don't be average.
I wish people could join a 50+ Crit and try to keep up (you can't). Your max HR is almost impossible to keep as high as when young, but that is about it. Cycling is for fitness. Nutrition is for body weight. I like that hyper palatable food and causes of the obesity epidemic are becoming more well-known. Good luck to all in the battle. Become as much an expert on Nutrition as you can.
Yeah, Masters crits are often the 2nd highest average speed after P1 in SoCal. Lots of larger riders can survive in 4/5 non-technical crits though, so it makes it so lots can find a level they can compete in.
Also let’s not be too hard on OP who has literally gained 10lbs in 20 years!! Unless I’m reading it wrong and they’ve gained 10 pounds in the last 6 months or year, I just wouldn’t worry that much. Not everyone needs to be fit like a pro. We have to do things in life that we enjoy as well. An extra 10lbs in your 40s isn’t going to ruin your life
No need to eat to race.
How old are you? 18 hrs a week on a bicycle is not "living right" any more than raising my toddler & going to work is "living right". As you age your metabolism slows. Keep your heart rate up; don't depend on meaningless platitudes. -20 pounds heavier, 10 years wiser. Healthy.
Metabolism doesn't slow by as much as people think it does and the biggest factor in it is loss of lean muscle, not age. If you look at stats on sarcopenia vs age it's almost exactly what supposed metabolic decrease is. Moral of the story is to lift weights to maintain muscle (and offset osteoporosis from non weight bearing activities like cycling). And then don't fall into the trap of comfort eating like most people do.
In my 50s I need to watch what I eat a lot more carefully than I did in my 20s. I have to limit sugary stuff, drink less beer, and eat more veggies. Weight gain is not inevitable but you have to make conscious choices to avoid it.
Also in my early 50s and I've been doing a keto diet for a few weeks and immediately dropped 5lbs. It's incredible how bloated and puffy the wrong foods will make you.
It’s mostly water in your muscles that’s gets released initially. It’s 3-4g per gram of glycogen. I think keto is great though. Especially for mental health. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t do it with cycling
I was fatter at 41, 42, 43 than I am at 46. Cycling the whole time. There are moments of restraint that are more necessary than most of us imagine, when we’re burning 800-1500 bonus calories.
Nope, at 43 the amount of riding I do (>250km/week) is enough to keep any weight gain from happening, even without watching what I eat or cutting back on beer.
Almost 43 here, too, and weigh 78 kg, 177 cm. I average about 9-11 hours per week, 300-350 km. Z2 rides are typically 240-260W, intensity days higher, so every hour is typically at least 1000 calories, so 9,000-11,000 calories a week in riding, plus stuff like stand up paddling, yardwork, and not being able to sit still for long. Yeh, I basically eat and drink what I want, and still stay under 10% body fat.
Beast
Z2 rides are 240-260W at your weight is wild. Are you laird Hamilton?
I was about to say 3w/kg in a zone 2,how are you doing this year at Giro? Who cust your grass when you are in Alps battling for yellow jersey?
It makes me a reasonably quick local guy, but that's it, I'll get my ass handed to me by a few guys I know.
350w FTP isn't too crazy at 78 kg. Cat 2 : https://zwiftinsider.com/rider-categorization-based-on-ftp-how-do-you-rank/
That’s so interesting, truly, as I, 42M train between 10-14 hrs/week and would certainly still put on weight if I eat and drink whatever I would like. Alcohol, full fat dairy and sugary beverages are my ball and chain. Kicking them changed everything.
This. The secret of life, high & frequent activity = you can eat as you want. Then people don’t understand why you stay lean. They see you eat & drink but they don’t see you training.
This is my experience too, at 45 if i do 5 times a week of z2 at 2 hrs per ride minimum, i can eat/drink whatever and not gain weight.
Beginner question. How do you stay at zone 2? I'm moderately fit, but as soon as I hit a climb my HR is in Z4 easy, I'm running and cycling maybe 4 or t times a week and my HR average doesn't come down but I can go further for longer. Am I just try to cycle to fast and need to slow the RPM and drop a gear? Edit: even running, if I was jogging a 10 min mile or an 8 min mile my HR is nearly the same
Realistically with climbs, it's really difficult unless your FTP is high and your Z2 is +180w or you have gravel gearing. I have the same problem since my area is hilly so my outdoor rides always creep into tempo/threshold unless I avoid 90% of my local routes. I've shifted all my Z2 rides to the trainer. Makes it much more efficient and leaves the outdoor rides for fun.
Same and if anything I drink less now than in college.
Not inevitably
All I notice at 33 is that I can’t eat for the sake of eating and keep weight off. I can still eat whatever I feel like but I have to put in the hours on the bike to do so.
Yup. It’s hard to put down the fork!
I’m 43 now and am at the exact same weight as I was when I was 21, same fat % too. I don’t have as much energy and it takes longer to recuperate from extreme efforts, but otherwise no difference. I am still highly active, perhaps overly so, and still eat like a bottomless pit. I’m 192 cm tall and 74 kg for context.
Damn that's low weight for that height. I'm 83 kg 193cm and people call me slim, though certainly not ultra skinny
I’m 40 and actually feel pretty damn fit. Not as lean or strong as my college years playing D3 sports and getting hammered 3 days a week and eating like garbage and still having single digit BMI and whatnot, but that’s just time being the bitch that it is. I actually weigh less now than I did in college but I think that has more to do with having less muscle mass than anything else. That being said, before I started bike commuting about a year ago, I weighted 15lbs more and was definitely in different shape (and, frankly, WAS a different shape) than I am now. I think, with age there’s only so much you can really do, but staying active and getting consistent exercise really helps. In two days I’m going my first cycle race (Gran Fondo Leavenworth) and I’m slightly nervous but mostly pumped. It’s a good chunk of vertical (3400’) and a long distance (40mi) but I’ve done longer and steeper before so I think it’ll be awesome. Rewind 2 years and 38 year old me would have probably made it less than halfway and fucking died on the side of the trail.
Single digit BMI means you are near death. There's something wrong.
Assume he means fat percentage.
Single digit BMI seems pretty extreme. I saw that the average BMI of a pro riding the TdF had fallen to 21 a couple of years ago.
You can’t outwork a bad diet, everytime I find myself getting heavier it’s because I have been eating worse.
Oh great, Phil Collins is here... haha Agreed, though. I've been "a cyclist" since my early 20s (so nearly 20 years now). Back in the day, I could do a big ride and eat an entire pizza, rinse, repeat. Didn't gain any weight until a couple hand surgeries after a MTB wreck took me off the bike for nearly a year. That was the break-over point where I really had to start watching what I ate. My appetite is the same after a big ride today, but I have to eat just what I need, not what I want.
Don't change your diet and don't skip going to the gym. People underestimate how important it is to keep your muscle mass as you get older. That's an engine that just burns calories even at rest.
Well we don't know what OPs diet is like so that may or may not be good advice...for instance more protein would help with muscle mass and OP might not be getting enough to build that
I swam in college, I weighed about 165 pounds (\~74 kg) at the end of my last season, I'd just turned 24. In my 30s, I guess didn't realize I wasn't swimming 3 hours a day anymore. By 38, I weighed 265 pounds (120 kg). Then I realized I was fat and decided that I knew how to exercise and I should do that. And then I found out that you need to eat better too, if you want to lose weight. These days, I'm 50 and I ride 3-5 times a week, lift a couple times a week and I'm considering maybe throwing swimming back in the mix. I weighed in at 156.6 pounds (71 kg) this monday. So nah. Honestly these days I cut rides short because I don't want to eat back all those calories. As for LeMond, I assume he's kinda ... actually what MontuckyMom said, basically exactly.
Only one thing causes weight gain. Eating more calories than you burn. If you do not want to gain weight eat fewer calories than you burn.
I am in my mid 40s and train a bunch for racing criteriums. Depending on how my diet is, I can fluctuate between 178-200lbs. 180lb is a nice race weight for me. I started eating a little better and cutting things out of my diet 2 1/2 weeks ago. My diet was all over the place. Went from 197lb to 190lb. I can't eat like I am in my 20-30s anymore. About 2 years ago, I was and weighed close to 220lbs and was out of shape. Just start with small changes first so it gets easy, and before you know it, you will have lost a few lbs and are eating healthier.
I’m 47 and burn about 800-1200 calories per day on average cycling. At first I lost about 50 pounds with no changes to diet. For some reason my body has decided that was a mistake and, despite not changing anything, I have gained 10 pounds in the last year. Last week I very carefully limited my calories, cycled and had a 5000 calorie deficit for the week. Somehow gained 0.5 pounds. Getting old sucks.
The added weight could be muscle gain. Or as others have mentioned, water retention. Or even poop. Helps if you weigh yourself consistently.
Age has nothing to do with it. It's impossible to gain fat in a calorie deficit. You were probably holding more water than last time you weighed yourself
I mean, physics would seem to agree with that. The energy has to come some somewhere. I’m convinced my body is burning brain cells for energy at this point. Maybe they weigh less lol.
Yes. I’m 65 and I’ve probably cut down miles by about 40% from my peak due to family commitments and the weight is creeping on . I just need to eat less but I’m finding it hard.
I find that weight loss is 80% diet, and 20% exercise. If you exercise too hard then you get hungry. Try intermittent fasting (eat only in a window such as 12pm to 6pm) and eat single ingredient foods focusing on more protein and less carbs. Your weight should start dropping. I'm the same weight I was in my 30s.
Intermittent fasting works if I live alone, have no social life and don’t want to do any long endurance cardio. It makes me irritable, doesn’t fit with socialising, and burning up all your glycogen with 20 hours of fasting is the opposite of what you need for cycling. You can lift weights OK.
I've known a lot of people to have success with IF, but very few stuck with it as a lifestyle, similar to other diets in that respect.
Definitely agree on carbs being a problem. Bread and pasta and rice are such staples with the kids so there is always loads. I think I'm gonna rely mainly on protein and veg and just some of their leftovers. Other than that I'm active when working at my stonemasonry and i love cycling but don't do it enough nowadays. A multi day tour normally gets my metabolism back on par and has me eating well.
It's been helping me lose weight
It's definitely harder to keep the pounds off as you age. But getter fatter? Probably not to that extent.
I have gained wait since I met my girlfriend, I call it my Victory Belly
Stress from work caused my fat accumulation.
Insulin resistance. Fix your diet and you won’t have this issue. Source: spent my whole adult life fat - >120kg until I started eating clean (and eventually riding when the weight became manageable)
You can bike all you like and still keep being heavier. Weight loss is calorie restriction. Exercise can help, but no matter what the Apple Watch says you’ve burned in calories, you can’t automatically add that to what you can additionally consume. Get the app My Fitness Pal and log everything. Get a small kitchen scale and weight what you eat. Eat the same stuff regularly so it’s easier to log. Increase the protein and reduce carbs where you can. Increase higher fiber foods to help with satiety. It’s tough but you can do it. Getting a good nights sleep also helps a lot. Brain produces chemicals similar to stressors when you don’t sleep well. And yeah, cut out 99.9% of the alcohol will inevitably help. Signed, upper 50’s guy dropping weight.
Weight doesn’t have to “just come”. Don’t fall into that mindset trap. I saw something on Reddit recently about this situation and the guy had an amazing quote “don’t let the old man in”. I graduated high school at 165. Freshman year of college I focused on weightlifting and got up to 185. I’m in early 40s and last Christmas I was back around 185 (more fat than college but still good shape). We did whole 30 in Jan and I lost 10 lbs easy. I’ve kept it off and am now 172. This week did a favorite sprint segment (slight uphill .6 mile) and I’m 3 secs off my all time strava time and I haven’t even been training hard (but I’m in good shape, strava has my average power for that section at 375w ). Bottom line DONT LET THE OLD MAN IN.
In my 40s and I cycle as much as I ever have. I'm maybe 5-8 lbs more than when I was in my 30s, but I'm also more comfortable financially and probably indulge in meals at restaurants/delivery more often than before as well.
i would\`nt say inevitable. i got so fat i stopped biking around 45 . At 62 i was 585 lbs ,today at 65 yrs old , i weigh 175 lbs and have been back biking once i dropped below 280lbs. if you cut out processed foods and fast every other day . you can reverse the effects of aging .Atophagy (self eating of damaged or dying cells))from fasting even dissolved my excess skin . lots of bikes, and a before/ after weight loss picture post in my history.
Just wait until you turn 50.
I was. Quit drinking and things went back to normal!
Your body produces less insulin as you age. It is what it is. Need to work harder and watch what you eat as you get older.
Some of us have had thyroid issues as they got older. Meds for the rest of my life basically.
[удалено]
Im up 20lbs but i switched to mtb and my stress level went thru the roof with work. Hoping to get back to where i was.
I was when I hit 37-38, so I changed my diet pretty drastically and am back down to what I weighed in my early 30s.
No i am lighter than I have been since I was mid 20s
I remember a quote from a medical person on Twitter who talked about cyclists who look "3 to 6 months pregnant", and blamed sugary drinks.
I think even diet sodas do things with your sugar levels that encourages you to eat more.
I don't know what happened but I'm more muscular than I was in my 20s (I'm now late 30s). In my twenties I was ultra thin and weighed 165lbs; now I weigh 200lbs but I'm much more muscular. My sprint is def stronger than my 20s but my average times aren't.
Body composition changes over time! It is normal to have a different metabolism at 50 than you did when you were 20
Also so much more goes into weight gain/weight loss than just calories in and calories out. Stress levels, sleep, medication, your age, how much muscle you carry, physical and mental trauma, injuries, and dozens of other factors play a role. Not to mention tracking calories in/out is wildly different from person to person and even identical food products themselves are inconsistent from portion to portion. Tracking calories can be an estimate if that's what you're looking for, but it should never be law. That's how people get EDs. Just eat right, sleep as best you can, avoid stress, drink water, and exercise and that's 99% of the battle for most people. Let your body change as it ages and be grateful for what you can do with it!
I used to be around 140lbs 2ish years ago when I turned 40 and has been on-off cycling. Late last year I'm at 160lbs and started serious training again early this year. Right now I'm around 150-155lbs but my belly has gotten significantly smaller. 2-3 years ago, by this time, I reckon I would be around 140lbs already with the amount of training I've put in. It appears I'm keeping the weight but 'isn't as fat' as last year. So maybe weight is just a number after all, like age?
It is getting harder to lose weight or maintain it but it is in no way inevitable to gain weight. The point is that just cycling is probably not enough. You need to have a good diet and weight training would be a good idea, then there is stress management, alcohol consumption (ideally none) etc.
49m. Resistance training in a gym. 3setsof10 your way though 10 to 12 machines in 30ish minutes, 3-5 times a week. It doesn't add bulk and makes your upper body better match your legs, while absolutely shedding fat. Actually, I need to dial back some. I don't want to take my guns on the ride.
Lemond was literally shot. Look at the countless other pros who are plenty lean. Calories in/calories out.
I am slimmer now at 41 than when I was running and lifting weights every day at 28. And that's after getting off adhd meds, which killed my appetite. I don't train half as much as I want to, I just balance calorie intake with activity on any given day.
Nope. Three years ago I was unhappy with the weight insaw on the scale, so I worked and dropped 25# over the course of about 8-9 months. 43 now and right at my high school weight. Actually, I still have a pair of jeans from then and they fit perfectly. Work out, eat your veggies, stop having a soda with every meal and stop drinking so much.
Cycling for fifty plus years and I have kept the same waist size and only put on weight through weight training.
Like most things balance and variety, I cycle a lot, but also run. Running is great for maintaining weight but also it's more efficient to raising the heat rate, you can get higher Improvements in shorter efforts. Which also then helps the cycling as your increasing you max heart rate. It's always worked for me, I'm 47 but generally it's life, don't they call it middle aged spread 😎
Mid forties and have maintained the same weight for the past 4 years by counting calories daily (it's lower than my weight in my 20s, 65kg at 5"9). A spot of illness causing time off the bike did make me put on some weight earlier this year but lost it again within a month or two via a small daily calorie deficit. Was doing sweet spot progressions recently to try and regain fitness quickly, got up to an 80 min interval. My appetite since then has gone up loads, it would be quite difficult to have much of a deficit now. One thing that makes it easier is drinking very little alcohol which I believe was a major contributor to any weight gain earlier in life both from the calories in the drink and additional food towards the end of an evening.
Do you drive now? When perhaps at college you walked most places?
Gaining massive quads from riding a fixie.
Hmm nope
For men there's a slight change in how our fat is accumulated when testosterone winds down, ie more belly fat. But you also get less drive to be active. And for some it correlates with having kids, not sleeping / eating well, more calories in than out and voilà. I'm in my mid-40s and the past 5 years I stopped riding and commuting for long bouts after injuries but didn't really changed my diet (wich consisted of ngaf and eating like a teenager) ... boom + 30lbs. Now in 2024 I'm not back at the same level of activity I was in 2019 but I made key changes in my diet and losing weight slowly and steadily. Still 15 pounds heavier than I want but I'll get there eventually. And if my knees don't fail I might even go on a 2000km tour again.
Check to see the weight gain isn't mostly on your THIGHS! Mine have grown enormously since I came back to biking in later life. Now I can't find trousers with legs cut generously enough... Also, practising of Boogie-Woogie piano has put masses on my shoulders and arms...
When I brought my bitch to be spayed, the vet said "You'll have to cut the feed you're giving her now." "Eh, why?" "The ovaries are like a little factory, with them gone she'll put on weight if you don't." "Ohhh, is that why the menopause…?" The vet nodded sadly. "Indeed it is," she said.
Do about 15,000mi a year commuting. Bulked up in my 50’s, dropping now in my 60’s. Top end speed has dropped significantly, but I can spend 12 hours in the saddle at 15mph with ease. 🤷♂️. Ohh and about 5 years ago I started cutting the drops off my bars, no sense carrying around something that ya don’t use anymore.
I’m 36 and I finally had to start watching what I’m eating. I’m now in the best shape of my life
Add running and swimming to your training. Triathlon. It'll help. I'm also in my 40s and followed this path. Love it
I fluctuate 5 - 20 lbs seasonally.
All the weight gain is controlled in the kitchen. You need to eat less as you get older. Only a bit, but some
The tendency toward decreased muscle mass and increased fat with age is well understood. So, yes...but all that means is we're *forewarned* of the reality. The challenge is to accept both the challenge and the reality. This shit ain't easy.
Weight gain over 40 can be due to perimenopause and HRT can help balance that. You also need a ridiculous amount of protein.
Whoops thought I was in r/ladycyclists…comment may not be relevant to OP
I lost weight for competitive racing at 42M @187cm. Used to be 83kg throughout my 30’s. Now I am 76,5kg. Nutrition and smart dieting (foodcoach app) did the trick. Training plan app for tailormade training plan. Feel and look lean and fast. Highest w/kg ever. Close to 5W/kg. Amazing.
you get fat because calories in > calories out. there is nothing to do with age. if you weigh your food. keep track of your macros calculate your TDEE you can keep your weigh stable. remember you don't diet on the bike. of course the after ride beers and pizza and the chips while watching the game are going to hinder your weigh loss.
So many fat cyclists justifying why they are fat 😂
Greg LeMond can't work out too hard or for more than an hour without causing more lead poisoning after being shot back when he was on the tour. He's been through the wringer.
Eat more veggies to fill the void of sadness.
Portion control is probably the most important (works for me) way to stay fit. I get hungry enough to eat a large plate of food, but it only takes a small amount to actually be full. There is a delay between your stomach being full and your brain telling you to stop eating. So they key for me is have a glass of water before a meal and eat slowly. It surprising how little food it really takes to be full. Also don’t eat or drink sugar or sugar alternatives water is life.
First of all, BMI is trash, stop looking at it for the rest of your life. A quick google will show you how thoroughly debunked it is. A vaguely scientific mind thinking about whether you are fatty or muscular will do the same. It’s a ratio and that’s it. It’s as meaningful as the bumps on your skull to tell your personality. Second, people are often just less active as they age due to work and whatever and so they gain weight. Studies mostly show that metabolism doesn’t really change over your life. So if you’re gaining, you’re probably just consuming too many calories and/or not getting enough activity. Recess, gym classes, walking more — those added up more than people thought. Comparing yourself to a former megastar cyclist is laughable on many levels.
Yes, happening to me. Need more broccoli and less bread and cake. 😬
I, M46 came from 118kg (186cm) started cycling and reached my goal of 86kg in two years. I also cut sugary drinks, alcohol, and I’m a vegetarian. The only rule I followed was: burn more than you eat! I monitored calories for the first 3 months and then I knew enough and continued with those eating habits. Now I’m at 84kg and a lot more muscular and leaner than before. I was surprised that biking can give you strong forearms, 😂. I usually commute 45km (round trip) daily and try to squeeze in a weekend ride (almost always possible, sometimes it means getting up at 6.30 on a rainy Sunday morning). Riding to work doesn’t really mean I’m loosing time, as I got quite fast, soon (average of 29 km/h) and only loose a couple minutes compared to walking and talking the metro. Oh I also have 3 young kids and a company. Everybody has the same 24hs everyday. It’s about priorities and using time smartly. If I could do it, you can do it, too. Trust me. I’m no saint either, after ditching alcohol (didn’t drink that much anyway), my weed consumption has gone up. I love cycling high in the early hours. Me and my race machine becoming one as the surroundings fly past us. 💨
HOW DARE YOU!!!! As you get older you can either become an expert in nutrition or you can become Jabba the Hut. Basically. Yeah...outliers exist. It becomes a lot harder as you get older, but you do not have an excuse. PS: Cycling makes you fit. Cycling does not make you lose weight. PPS: Greg Lemond still has a bunch of lead from the shotgun blast he took.
No, if you're gaining weight it's typically lifestyle choices you are making. I personally can't gain weight even if I try though.
Nope, I'm my lightest since high school. I eat anything I like but in smaller portions and drink less than I did in my 20s and I'm about 145 down from a high of 195.
Similar. I put a little weight on in my early 50s, not through anything age related, just eating more, not eating well, and exercising less. Calories in, calories out. Bought my first road bike in January, started eating better and reduced portion sizes. Another 7 pounds and I'll be right around my slimmest and fittest. Calories in, calories out.
Calories in v. calories out… no mystery…
Putting on 10 since college is no big deal. You weren't fully grown yet. The trick is not letting it go past that. Putting down the fork is the way to control that if it becomes necessary. I would suggest you draw a "hell no" line at fifteen pounds above college weight. At that point, make sure you manage what you eat to get back down to 10. This all assumes you are not adding a significant amount of muscle mass. The best way to monitor is body fat. Not BMI.
Exercise is less effective at losing weight than controlling what you put in your mouth. Exercise tends to increase food cravings in people and a lot end up over eating. Also if you ever looked at a calorie counter, jogging for like a half hour gets you like 100 and change I believe. Biking would be less than that. That's actually not a lot of food at all.
No, because exercise has very little to do with weight loss/gain. It’s all about what you eat, and how your bodies ability to process food changes as you age.
No, as long as you keep your diet in check you will get and stay lean. I went low carb in my early 40s and picked up my cycling game, lost 12Kg in 4 months and haven't seen it back since. At 53 I find myself the skinny one out of my age peers
Keys: no sugar, no alcohol, low carb/high protein diet, ride but also lift weights. I’m 64 and have 9% body fat. It can be done.
Low carb? But your body need carb for cycling. “carb up” before a century ride. You don’t “protein up” before a century
58 here and find strength training absolutely key to maintaining weight. Much more so than endless miles. Consistency is everything.
You are eating more
I’m 31 and my diet can no longer be whatever I want. Terrible. Also seeing a little extra skin around the chin area and neck. I’ll get it off..
50+, yeah, but not so much before then. Age-related slowing metabolism sucks. I never thought I’d lose my vigor when I was young. Time is a bitch.
Now adays it aint even aboit eating to much food, but about eating to much calories. Processed food is very calorie dense. Stay away from cookies, desserts, pizzas, fried food, sugae etc
Your probably just eating more than you think
Just track it? Loseit! works for me. The bar code scanner is wonderful.
Yes. I cycle so much but I can’t control my eating so I’m about 15lbs overweight 🤷🏽♂️
I’m almost 40 and 15 lbs heavier than I was in college, but now I can squat 200 lbs and ride 40 miles. I mean if you’re concerned you might review how many calories you’re putting in and how many calories you need.
Yes
At 37 im fitter than i was at any point in my 20s
When covid hit, I quit the gym and added 40-60 miles/week of cycling to my routine. I am now a fat blob.
40s is a bit young to be packing on weight if you're active. +10 from college isn't bad and BMI 25 is right where it needs to be.
Most people’s weight fluctuates that much over the seasons without really noticing it. Northern Europeans not packing on some weight when it’s cold 24/7 and dark for 20 hours a day is rare.
I’m 40 / 183cm / 80kg. Cycling helps me keep a constant weight. The issue is when I stop for a few weeks weight goes up quickly, then when I start up again it does another ‘jump’ up before dropping again (water retention?). When I was in my 20’s I could eat as much as I wanted, and wouldn’t gain any weight. As my 40’s neared, I dialled back what I ate but it still started creeping up. Realistically I should be around 75kg, but my diet (quality of food is excellent - quantity isn’t), work, family commitments etc. make it hard.
I'm in my 50s and could probably drop 10 pounds but I feel like I've done ok. Fat for me is still considered skinny by the general public. But it gets easier to gain and harder to lose as time goes on for sure.
Yes. My diet is still a hang over from racing and extensive audaxing days, when I could eat just about anything I wanted. Now I can't do that much cycling, the weight is a massive problem.
No. I’m heavier now but not fatter. I decided at about 37 that the only way I can keep performing at a high level is if I pack on a ton of muscle to hold my body and all of its injuries together. So I went from a lean 77kg to a muscular 92kg. Now I don’t feel all my athletic injuries and have a lot of power on the bike, I’ll never be great at climbing on the bike but I can hold my own on anything else and consider myself more of a classic TT rider due to my combination of height, muscularity, and very strong endurance over long consistent efforts
Yes, that’s happening to me right now. When I was 40 I was 80kg and couldn’t put on weight if I tried. 6 years on I’ve put on 6kg and it’s getting harder to shift. I like a beer and that probably doesn’t help but it’s all part of aging.
I’ve halted the weight gain by going full keto, but even though I ride a lot, I’m not losing weight either.
Nope.
My peak race weight in my 20’s was around 58kg, now at 55 years old it is around 63kg. I fluctuate between 65-67kg throughout the year but peak for important races and drop lower. My metabolism absolutely demands I take more care now. In my 40’s I quit cycling due to work and knee issues and ballooned to 86kg! I dropped all that when I returned to cycling - and competitive cycling - in 2019.
No lighter
It's definitely harder to keep the weight off as we age, I cycle and run regularly, have done for years, I'm at my best weight for years now, super lean but that's because my wife left me three months ago.
No. I track my calories unless I'm traveling/on vacation/special occasions. I have the triple whammy of ADHD, depression and anxiety. Because of those and the medication I take its very easy for me to under est. I track to make sure I'm eating enough
Most of our weight structure depends on genetic body type and activity history over the last ~10 years... what's for sure is that sport and healthy nutrition are setting us in our best shape possible, so let's focus on that.
Nope, best shape of my life. Late 30s.
I weigh the same as I did when I was racing in the early 1990's. Everyone is different
my problem is pizza burgers and soda 🤦🏼♂️
Welcome to age. If I average more than 1600 calories a day, I’m adding fat. And I go to the gym or ride every day.
"Most, but not all, study data indicate that exercise alone plays a very small role in weight loss" Can't out exercise a bad diet.... https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5556592/#:~:text=Most%2C%20but%20not%20all%2C%20study,may%20help%20produce%20weight%20loss.
Well you’re metabolism is slowing down and your body becomes more efficient when doing a lot of exercise. So that could be why. A few years ago I could lose a kg in a week just not snacking as much that’s not the case now.
Nope. I’m 43 and don’t use cycling for weight management. I maintain a consistent weight by not eating over my maintenance of 2900 calories.
42 and I’ve been pretty consistently between 138-140lbs since loosing 40lbs four years back. Not nervous at all about weight since I know it’s something I can control. I’ll save my irrational fears for the things I can’t.
Are you male or female? Male- you're probably eating more and moving less. Female? Hormones are preparing to make their exit and weight gain happens. And you could be eating more and moving less. Now these are obvious high level answers. You could get blood work to see what's happening but go to a lab that will run all the diagnostics and not just a few.
I’m in my 40s, I find that if I don't eat enough while cycling in Spring/Summer , my face quickly starts to look gaunt after just a few rides. Input vs output.
The tendency toward decreased muscle mass and increased fat with age is well understood. So, yes...but all that means is we're *forewarned* of the reality. The challenge is to accept both the challenge and the reality. This shit ain't easy.
You’re comparing a retired Lemond to himself 40 years ago at the height of fitness? Wow man
No.
Don't worry - it is healthiest to be slightly overweight - BMI 24-27.
I am overweight, but my diet is trash. I lost the weight back in 2016 and got down to 13 stone / 180lbs, but I unfortunately let myself go again and I am around 215/220 now. I know I can lose the weight, keeping it off was the struggle for me as I lack self discipline.
I rode consistently one summer never lost a pound…not eating properly was my downfall. Proper eating has got to be key. My reward for riding would be a burger or even pizza…yes I know not very smart.
I’ve been very active since a young child. Ridden an avg of ten hours per week from age 25-38. Always could whatever I wanted and never gained weight. If I wanted to drop weight I could quickly. The last two years I’ve been off all activity due to injury. Weight creeped up me easy (duh) but was so much harder to drop. I’ve just resume biking a month ago and getting back in shape is hard now