Exercise, calories, rates of absorbtion, and weight loss questions

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Joseph Santaniello - 11 Sep 2004 18:06 GMT

Hello All,

I have a few nutritional questions whose answers will help me with my
exercise and weight-loss program.

I am 34 years old, male, 193cm tall (6'3"), and weigh 103 kg (227 lb). I
am large framed, and I estimate my ideal weight to be about 90 kg (200
lb).

I have recently started a diet and exercise program to get back in shape
and loose weight. When I was around 20 I was in good shape and I intend
to get back to the same level.

I have been limiting my daily calorie intake to 3,000 no matter what
level of exercise I perform on any given day. 3 times per week I take a
100 km (62 mile) bike ride which I estimate to burn about 4,000 calories.
My weight has gone down slowly in the last weeks while my muscle mass
has increased. But I seem to be stagnating a bit.

My question has to do with how the timing of eating relative to exercise
of this type relates to weight loss, and how I can maximize the weigh
loss effects without otherwise adversely affecting my health and
recovery by altering when and what I eat.

So on a 4 hour bike ride, when were the calories being burned eaten?
What type and quantities of food and drink should I consume and when in
order to aid in recovery while not working against my weight loss goals?
I usually start my rides after lunch and ride non-stop. I drink water
during the rides.

I eat usually 400 calories of plain yoghurt for breakfast, about 500
calories of cottage cheese and fruit for lunch, or about 500 calories of
ham and cheese on whole grain non-wheat bread. Usually an afternoon
snack of 400 calories of plain yoghurt. And for dinner about 1300
calories of chicken, pork, or fish with various vegetables (no potatoes,
occasionally wild rice, or pasta), and an evening snack of 400 calories
of cottage cheese. I drink water, and I cannot digest lactose, so no
butter or cream is used in cooking. Just olive oil if necessary.

I have chosen these ingredients because I like them, they are available
in convenient sizes, and are readily available where I live.

So can anyone enlighten me on the process that occurs when I eat the way
I do, and exercise the way I do? When is what converted to glycogen, fat,
etc and when are these things "burned"? And how might I alter my plan to
be more effective?

Thanks!

Joseph

Reply to this Message

Chris Hogg - 12 Sep 2004 10:40 GMT

>Hello All,
>
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>
>Joseph

I'm no expert (just happened to see your post next to mine), but AIUI
timing of food intake isn't too important. What the body doesn't use
immediately it stores for next time. Insulin stores the excess glucose
(from carbohydrates etc) in muscles and in the liver as glycogen, or
as fat. Remember that muscle is more dense than fat, so if you're
developing muscle at the same time as reducing fat, your weight loss
will be slow for a period, but when you have enough muscle for your
body's immediate requirements, then your weight should start
decreasing again (provided your calorie expenditure is greater than
your calorie absorption, of course).

Signature

Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Reply to this Message

Joseph Santaniello - 12 Sep 2004 13:44 GMT

>>Hello All,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 44 lines]
> decreasing again (provided your calorie expenditure is greater than
> your calorie absorption, of course).

Thanks for the reply.

During exercise, will fat burning commence only after all glycogen is
depleted, or does it happen constantly by some sort of ratio? And if I
deplete my glycogen stores during a ride, how fast can these stores be
restored? How can I estimate what type and quantity and meal I can
consume after a ride which will allow restoration of glycogen without
storing as fat?

I have been operating under the assumption that the majority of my
recovery and muscle growth is happening at night while I sleep. Thus the
high protein evening meal. Does this make sense? Or would I be better
served consuming just the right amount carbs after exercising to restore
glycogen, and then immediately some protein for recovery and growth?
When does muscle recovery and growth happen?

Joseph

Reply to this Message

Chris Hogg - 12 Sep 2004 18:11 GMT

>>>Hello All,
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
>consume after a ride which will allow restoration of glycogen without
>storing as fat?

I think the muscle glycogen is used first, followed by liver glycogen,
followed by fat, but as I said, I'm no expert.

>I have been operating under the assumption that the majority of my
>recovery and muscle growth is happening at night while I sleep. Thus the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
>Joseph

I really haven't a clue, but I doubt it's like that. I would think
muscle growth is a slower, steadier and continuous process, in
response to over all exercise levels.

Signature

Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

Reply to this Message

Mirek Fidler - 12 Sep 2004 21:13 GMT

> I am 34 years old, male, 193cm tall (6'3"), and weigh 103 kg (227 lb). I
> am large framed, and I estimate my ideal weight to be about 90 kg (200
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>
> I have been limiting my daily calorie intake to 3,000 no matter what

I think 3000 is simply too much.

> I eat usually 400 calories of plain yoghurt for breakfast, about 500

You must either eat tons of youghurt or your yoghurt has different
calories than mine (65 cal / 100g).

> calories of cottage cheese and fruit for lunch, or about 500 calories of
> ham and cheese on whole grain non-wheat bread. Usually an afternoon
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> of cottage cheese. I drink water, and I cannot digest lactose, so no
> butter or cream is used in cooking.

Butter should not contain any lactose - it is pure fat - unlike other
dairy you list.

> Just olive oil if necessary.

That is a good choice.

> So can anyone enlighten me on the process that occurs when I eat the way
> I do, and exercise the way I do? When is what converted to glycogen, fat,
> etc and when are these things "burned"? And how might I alter my plan to
> be more effective?

Well, I think your menu is a little bit boring, but reasonable. You just
have to give it more time.

As it is rather low-carb, I guess that there was some water involved in
your initial faster phase. You can try to eat less and exercise more,
that is always a good thing, but generally I would advise patience... :)

(I was almost in same situation, 190cm, 102kg, it took me 10 months to
get to 85kg. OTOH I never counted anything (calories nor carbs), just
changed my way of eating. I was also exercising less than you. So in
fact you can go faster.).

Mirek

Reply to this Message

Eric Bohlman - 13 Sep 2004 00:42 GMT

>> I am 34 years old, male, 193cm tall (6'3"), and weigh 103 kg (227 lb).
> I
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> I think 3000 is simply too much.

Actually it's the (approximate) maintenance level for a weight of 200
pounds (roughly 15 calories/pound), i.e. the amount the OP would want to
eat for the rest of his life if he wanted to stay around 200 pounds. It
represents about 405 calories/day less than what's needed to maintain his
present weight, which would result in a loss of about 3.5 pounds per month
(he'd reach his desired weight and then stay there in about 8 months).
True, that's not very fast weight loss, but then IMHO people put far too
much emphasis on the speed of weight loss, and there seems to be evidence
that the slower the rate of loss, the longer the loss will last (might have
something to do with the fact that there's no "going back to normal eating
when the diet is over"; you *are* eating normally while you're losing the
weight.

Reply to this Message