There is now a new weight entry sheet called “Weight Entry (new)”
There are now some calculated values for everyone (not just the few of us that had extra rows) to hopefully provide a bit more motivation. If you don’t want these new calculated values displayed let me know and I can edit the formulas.
Removing the extra rows a few of us had that calculated ‘stuff’ has tided up the sheet, nothing should have been lost as the calculations are now placed in a column.
This has made the sheet ununiform. The additional rows messed up (a bit) the calculation sheet that @Justafatguy uses for the weekly stats, which I very much enjoy (Messing it up, that was my fault as I didn’t see the calculations sheet until after I’d added a row.)
Please don’t over type calculated values in ‘grey’ highlighted cells.
Thanks to @Justafatguy for allowing this version to ‘go live’
Yes, I have done that but I don’t entirely trust it.
It gives me a warning if I edit the formulas and it should not allow anyone else to overtype them.
@holybinch, could you test, try editing one of your calculated Cells D62 maybe?
You are only a few rows up from me in the sheet.
So after about 5-6 weeks of zero structured training and focusing mainly on weight loss and having fun on my bike I did a ramp test today. Went into it fully expecting that I might lose some watts vs my last test a couple months ago. I’m doing a lot of volume these days (relative to me), and still going after hard outdoor efforts of varying length but I know i’m not getting the same quality workouts as I had with TR’s plans. I kind of expected to be same as last test, or maybe down 5-10 watts possibly.
Anyway, managed to hang on for a bit after the 19:30 mark and ended up gaining +5 watts (now 279w) and setting some power PRs in the process. Thrilled to know that I’m not losing power through this, and i’m on track for a good weigh in next week if I can keep my momentum. Was dreading this for weeks and can sleep well tonight. Keep up the good work everyone.
Because the ramp test breaks you. It is a barrier that destroys any thought of “I might be able to do more”… It is the proverbial monster under the bed.
Went ahead and put in my weight for next week since I won’t have access to a scale Monday. Leaving tonight for a week at the beach. Did a bit extra this week with calorie restriction and some additional workouts knowing next week will be relaxed. Goal for the week is to maintain current weight, take a week of the bike and recover some before coming back into traditional base mid volume and focusing on getting the rest of this weight off.
Vent session. I am totally struggling on motivation. I had some stellar weeks of training and progress. COVID and the stress around it has taken its toll on me mentally. Working in healthcare leaves me drained at night. Home life has seen some changes with projects being completed way ahead of schedule and some not on schedule. I have ridden my bicycle 1 time in the last 3 weeks. I feel ready to get back on but I am having trouble just getting those bibs on. This is my weekend. Seeing my regression takes a bigger mental toll on me than anything. I’m ready to get back into it. Let’s get it
You’re not alone @Lactobicyclist; I’ve felt exactly the same way in the last few weeks.
I’ve managed to get back on the bike by doing something - anything - every morning. Even just a 30min recovery ride. I’m trying to make it a routine that I get up, get the bibs on, get on the bike. I’ve also revamped my garage gym set up with a big new TV instead of my shitty tablet and soon a new fan too. Basically trying to make it as appealing as possible to train and the £150-ish it costs felt a reasonable outlay.
Afraid I can’t help with the diet side though, I’m still fighting on that one! I find it relatively easy to create a habit that is an “event” - e.g. completing a bike ride = success for the day. But on the other hand, I really struggle with creating habits that require action throughout the day - like making the right food choices every time I eat. I would welcome any advice from others on how they’ve overcome this as my weight has certainly regressed since I started making progress despite the additional training load.
I think it’s time for the investment thing to get me back into it. I’ve had some jerseys that I have been looking at. The problem/solution is I’m between sizes. I think I will go for the smaller size and have it be a reward.
Diet usually isn’t this much of an issue. I’m a social drinker and in that lies a large problem. Even light beer adds up eventually. Pair it with the holidays and it’s tough.
Sounds like burnout is creeping up. Amber on the podcast said one time that trying to lose weight while doing structured training is really difficult, she was not wrong. We are a quite a few weeks into this challenge and that is a long time to grind.
I am not trying to balance it anymore. I’ve thrown my trainer sessions aside for little a bit. The weather in Ohio has been so amazing that I am limiting myself to being outdoors as much as possible, this has pushed back the burnout that was creeping up like you guys described. No structure, no worries, just burning some calories while doing some exploring on the bike. I am sure I will have regressed a little bit of FTP, but I’m getting back in touch with why I am doing this in the first place, health and quality of life. There are a finite number of blue sky days in store for each of us, don’t forget to have fun on the bike.
It’s lovely just exploring and being on the bike isn’t it. We also had a magic week of weather here in the UK… somehow I did 18 hours just catching up with a friend or two or getting out solo every day. Was great and I think I have a small fitness bump from it. Now the weather is more typical, summer but a fair bit of rain and I’ve got to get back to some structure on the bike and guys, I’ve got to be honest, I’ve really let the weight loss thing fall off. Committed to getting back to it though, and of course in a sustainable way, eating a big amount of whole foods and not too much else.
Remember the quote about components? Stong, light, cheap - pick two. I think it applies here and you can go easy on yourself. If your work life is stressful and you are trying to lose weight then maybe progressing your fitness is too much to ask.
I’m in a very similar boat. I lost around 10kg at the end of last year and half of it went back on during Covid lockdown. This time I’m being a bit more gentle; aiming for a smaller calorie deficit and trying each day to nudge up to what is possible and sustainable. That might mean having a snack if I’m hungry or picking an easier workout. I’m keeping a food diary until the point that awareness around what I’m eating is second nature, which I find hugely informative and useful.
My goal is easier this time and it might take a bit longer to get there but hopefully it might stick. I wish you all the best!
For me, I’ve come to see the goals of “losing weight” and “getting faster” as uniquely distinct. It’s not to say that one can’t occur with the other. It’s just that one should prioritized over another depending the context.
For me, and for my training right now, weight loss is the main goal. To be successful, you need to run a caloric deficit and do it consistently. This can very much conflict with a goal of getting faster with structured training which requires significant stress and recovery methods. Adequate recovery may require eating more.
Moreover, losing weight is stressful on the body. I find that I get similar moods and feelings of fatigue while dieting as I did when I focused only on structured training. I’ve noticed that a structured plan AND dieting really packs on the stress much harder than either or alone. When doing both, I notice that water retention becomes a real thing as well.
Much like you, I’ve decided to just lay off a TR plan and focus on “getting time in the saddle”. Not a lot of intensity but 1:30-3:00 hr rides that put my HR into endurance territory. Not too stressful that I can’t recover from and it creates enough caloric burn to make dieting a bit easier.
It can be done, I lost 12kgs (from 27th December 2019 to the 25th March 2020) so ~ 13 weeks, just under 1kg a week. During that period I completed structured training and added Zone 1 and Zone 2 running sessions and increase my FTP ~ 22 watts.
No booze, no crisps or fried foods, very very few foods that were out of a packet, except the odd biscuit.
Lots of Vegetables, Chicken, Turkey, Lean Beef & Pork <5% fat, Salmon, Greek Yogurt, Eggs. Honey and porridge was in there in a good amount on heavy training days and lots of potatoes and sweet potatoes.
