I’ve had fantastic results using TrainerRoad but I’m losing too much weight when I’m on the programme, it’s got to the point where I am reluctant to start my indoor training again due to the weight loss.
I am 5’ 10" and weight 150Ibs, slim but I can live with this, I did the low volume plan several months ago and found that I would have to eat a lot of food in order to maintain my weight. I started using a vegan weight gain product as it seemed healthier than regular weight gain products, it works but there are 3 main issues:
The weight goes back on but seems to sit on my belly
It takes a lot of effort to continuously eating/drink all of those extra calories
It feels like my stomach is constantly processing food and makes me feel lethargic
I appreciate this is the opposite problem of what most people have, is anyone else in the same situation?
My weight crashed on SSBHV and SPBHV 2 years ago and I got ill - I was doing 2 hour sessions after work and couldn’t get enough food in me later in the evening before bed. I switched to MV - 60/75 mins gives me more time to eat. I am about 61kg but it dropped to 58kg when I got ill.
I’m not sure what you mean by “wheight gain product” but in this strange year when I haven’t been to the gym but instead put that time on the bike I’ve also dropped a bit more weight then I would like to.
My solution is
Post ride nutrition, I’m trying the recovery drink mix from SiS and liking it so far.
Back to strength training and specificaly upper body. I know it’s not what most cyclists want but for general health, I benefit from putting on a couple of kgs of upper body muscle. I’m aiming to get back to my routine of 2 sessions/week but so far I’ve struggled to do so on top of trainer sessions. (It’s my first year of indoor training)
I’m 5foot 9 and 129lbs and having had bowel cancer a couple of years ago and chemotherapy last year I monitor my weight constantly. A period of stress in the summer seen me lose a bit but since I started with TR mid July my weight has slowly crept up and remained stable lately.
Bearing in mind since the lockdown I’ve been weighing my self out of bed whereas pre that I only had time before I went to bed and my weight varies by upto 2kg (4lbs) during the day I’m about the same as I was before that stressful period (pre TR) in the summer.
Pre bowel cancer when I trained harder (but coached) I similarly found my weight wouldn’t vary by much and increase slightly.
It sounds to me like you are under fuelling somewhere. Eating decently before, a banana/carb drink during and refuelling properly after exercise (a recovery drink if its been a hard session + real food) is all you need to do.
I experience this issue, not just with cycling but any high intensity work. My solution has just been to focus hard on nutrition, not just at meal times (though getting enough carbs in here is certainly a challenge I have to stay on top of), but during the workout. I find I ‘can’ complete workouts with far less carbs than the 60-90g per hour suggestion, but this is when I start to have problems. It is not just fat loss, though my body fat has been too low at points and illness becomes a serious issue. Muscle loss is definitely a factor here too.
So my advice would be:
Train yourself to eat more during workouts, building up to the recommended 60-90g of carbs per hour. Little and often will help you bump up the total intake.
Focus on getting enough calories in at meal times and indeed by snacking (probably carbs is the main issue but a food diary would be the only way to be sure). I would avoid weight gain products, good quality complex carbs may help your full feeling. You’re not alone in feeling this is a big challenge though.
Final tip, carb drinks are much easier than solid foods, see what your stomach can handle. I use Beta Fuel for example when I need good fuelling
As a 60kg, 5’10 athlete, I feel you! Hope this helps.
Why don’t you want to lose weight? It’s likely that you’ll be shedding more fat than muscle.
because I dont have a lot of fat on me to start with and im slim enough thanks and when I lose weight my face looks thin and gaunt - not healthy looking, besides I would prefer not to look skinny
68kg is not to light I just would prefer not to get lighter
Assume you’re vegan if you’re using vegan weight gain products? If so maybe the answer is looking at incorporating more calorie dense but still healthy vegan foods like seeds, nuts and nut butters, avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, etc.
I think the suggestions about really considering your nutrition options before, during, and after are smart. I wouldn’t recommend using a weight gain product - rather take a whole body approach focusing on diet choices throughout the day, week, etc.
I think adding strength training, maybe in the form of a kettlebell or free weights would be smart and mesh well with shifting your mindset towards thinking about whole body fitness/health rather than just weight.
Lastly, if possible, you could see a nutritionist - getting some guidance from a professional could help you cut through the guesswork.
I would just reinforce that while it’s the goal for most, weight loss is not endlessly positive. For some, myself included, a high metabolism combined with a lot of training means you not only could reach dangerously low levels of body fat (this stops the immune system working as well as it should), it also could mean you’re using muscle as a fuel source, which is certainly not a positive if a regular occurrence. Different bodies, different needs and all that
I agree, I think adding strength training is the way to go as taking in the additional calories is hard work but doable, without weight training the weight I put on just sits around my middle so will investigate the weight training as a complement to the cycling
Try eating more carbs and protein and less fat. Fat is more satiating, and you’ll end up eating less in total.
Contrarily what you hear a lot, I’d also start eating more on your rest days.
I had the weight loss problem when I first started cycling, and very quickly went to a lot of volume, 15+ hours a week. No real intensity, I just spend the whole day on my bike. I just couldn’t keep up with eating, especially as exercise seems to surpress my appetite. However, at some point I learned to eat more, and I also hink my body adapted to the load, and now I’d love to get rid of a few pounds again…
To gain weight, of the 3 macros, concentrate on carbs and then fat and least would be protein. Carb & fat is tastiest combo as well. But fat and protein both satiate quickly so load up on carbs first and then add in the fat. Eat like 5x per day and start counting calories with apps like CarbManager.
From my perspective the recommendation here is the same I’d give someone struggling to lose weight.
Firstly - weight changes come in the kitchen, not on the bike. Fuel your workouts adequately and ensure you are able to complete your workouts - do not go to extremes in your on-bike nutrition.
Secondly - track your caloric intake. Weigh and record everything you are eating for two weeks. Figure out what your caloric gap (positive or negative) is over that period of time and adjust accordingly based on your goals. Add or remove calories slowly until you find the balance you are searching for
