Hi,

I'm new to this forum.  I ride close to 200 miles a week and try to keep my calories under 1300 during the week.  On the weekends I eat more.  I can't lose weight, it keeps going up.  I'm so discouraged.

Last year I maintained my weight riding and eating this way. Then my thyroid went wacko and I'm on medication now, but have gained 10 lbs!  My thyroid is under control now, but can't take the weight off.

Any suggestions?  I need help, I feel so fat!!

Are you eating 1300 net calories or are you eating only 1300 calories and biking on top of it?  You might not be eating enough if it's the latter case.

I'm eating 1300 calories, that's it for the day.  When I do my weekday morning ride, I burn about 1200 calories, so that means I'm really only consuming 100 calories.  Not to mention the 2000 calories I burn for the day just doing my normal stuff, no exercise. ( I wore a body bugg to find out my average calorie burn on a day w/o exercise).  When I eat more than 1300 calories, I gain as well.  I was fine last year, never gained an ounce, kept my weight down at 136-138.  Now I'm 148!

I'm surprised you even survive on that. If you eat more you'll gain weight because your body is in starvation mode right now. That's in the short term. Eventually your body should adjust to a normal metabolism and fat will come off.  At least, I think that's what's happening based on what I've gleaned from these forums.

It's frustrating to know what will really work.  Why can't it be simple?

Denaz,

It is simple. Figure out how much you burn per day (biking, typical day stuff, etc...) and consume 500 calories per day less and you will lose weight.

Just be patient and you'll be fine!

Good luck!

Im the same just started my medication though and totally know the fustration u feel i gained 19lbs!!

Ive just finished reading a book about it and keeping your thyroid ok and loosing weight it says eat little and often and avoid refined carbohydrates.

hope that helps and encourages you

It sounds like you're eating WAY less then you should be.  You said you're burning 2000 calories without your workout, and you burn an extra 1200 when you bike, right?  So, you're burning over 3000 calories a day and only eating 1300.  You have a deficit of over 1700 calories!!!!!

You deficit should be between 500 and 1000 and NO GREATER.  You body is starving and holding on to the calories you do consume, so you don't lose weight.  You need to eat more.  Yes blakthorn is right - you will gain at first cuz your metabolism is out of wack right now, but that will be short term.  Then it will start losing properly.  Make sure you're using the tools on here to get accurate numbers.

I hope that helps.  Take care of yourself and feed your body!

Okay I'm new to the site but not so new to the diet game. Let me tell you that even during High School wrestling I ate more than you do and Idropped from 150lbs to 120lbs (not fun). You have to start eating more. Follow the last post before mine for the calories. As for your biking. Your body has adjusted to your starving/biking. I suggest you rotate in a few weeks of different cardio to throw your body off a little. It knows how many calories you are taking in and it knows your biking and how many you will use. It will hold on to everything to make sure you have enough to live. So eat and switch up your routine from time to time. I got as high as 240 a year ago and am now 190. I have found every plateau goes away if you change up your exercise routine from time to time. Good luck and always consult your doc on these issues as well.

Wow, I can't imagine that you are eating enough.

I just biked 35+ miles in about 2 hours the other day.  I had on a heart rate monitor and it showed that I burned almost 1800 calories.  I'm 5'6" and I weigh 155 lbs.  I was biking flat road as well as a number of hills.

I must say I agree with zeke79.  You need to consume more calories, and change up your cardio.

Good luck.

OK, I'm convinced now that I need to eat more; how fun is that!!  I do change up my exercise, on the days I don't ride I go to the gym and do strength training.  Hope this works, it makes since!  If I burn 3200 calories a day when riding I can see how my body would go into starvation mode.  Thank you everyone for making me see it!

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