Our Biggest Single Limiter: Our Weight. (Page 2)

So I'm 6' and 183.5 lbs today. If I do a BMI calculation I'm just in the normal range. People are shocked to here that. First off I have to explain the BMI thing to them and I know it's not a perfect calculation but it's quick, easy and very telling. I used to 240lbs which is very over weight for me and it took years to get down to my current weight.

So should we talk about weight loss - YES! We are used to fat and it's hard to change our views on what is fat.

You know, it's funny-

I've never been shy talking about my weight. Right now I'm overweight. A person who knows me looks at me and is like, "Oh, Demerly gained 30 pounds..." It's pretty obvious.

It's almost more awkward to not talk about it. To try to dance around it.

Also, when I acknowledge it- that's the first step toward taking some kind of action. It's like calling yourself out on it. Until I acknowledge it's an issue, I'm not going to address it.

I guess I'm not embarrassed by it because I grew up struggling with my weight. It's always been a challenge for me. But it's a challenge I can do something about- I can control it.

That may be the value in discussion of weight. For a person like me who wrestles with it, discussion with others helps reinforce my goals.

There's a big difference between being "overweight" and being "overfat". As there is a difference between being above the optimal weight for racing tris at peak performance and being a healthy, normal weight (and I don't mean some of the lax government standards, either).

I weigh about 137 lbs right now. I am just a hair under 5'10". I am not fine boned. I run toward the "solidly built" end of the spectrum. "Athletic", I guess. The ideal weight for me in terms of running is around 120-123. But that's a hard weight for me to achieve and maintain, and there are a lot of sacrifices made (esp. in terms of brute strength and muscle mass). At 135-140, I am not fat. It is a healthy weight--and I can train and race at a moderate level--and still put down a whole pizza and a bottle of wine for dinner (no sharing, which is for chums, remember?). It is a balance in terms of effort required to maintain it, strength gained/lost, etc.

So, am I 20 lbs. OVERWEIGHT?

ETA: My husband is an example of someone who doesn't have to balance...he's 6'0" and weighs in at about 155. When he's "fat", he's 160 or so. When he's skinny, he's about 150. He's just fine boned and thin...a true "runner's build"...and it doesn't matter how much or little he eats.

There is also a difference between "over-weight" and "peak fitness weight".

At 5' 8" - 160lbs and 10% body fat, I am not "over-weight", yet I am not at my optimal "peak fitness weight".  I have found that this is my happy medium.  I am at the same weight/waist size I was in high school.  I drink craft beer, eat BBQ plates, and devour pizza which keeps me happy (I also eat healthy 90% of the time).  If I am happy, I train hard.  If I am really watching what I eat/drink, I get miserable and generally dispise tough workouts and am grumpy in general.

So for me weight is a fine line juggling act. 

"There is also a difference between 'over-weight' and 'peak fitness weight'."

bgraboski- That is totally true. Agreed. When I've been at my best racing weight, especially for short distances, I was on the razor edge of fitness and being vulnerable to getting sick. I had to be pretty careful to eat adequately, stay away from sick people and change clothes right after training and racing to avoid getting sick.

Somewhat oddly, I did not set my own Ironman P.R. when I was at "racing weight". I was about 8-10 pounds heavy. At ultra distance a little extra weight if your fat burning fuel system is well developed may not be entirely bad. I don't know...

It is true though- when you are at your fittest you are also at your most fragile.

This is a weird one.  I am positively overweight, probably by more than 100 pounds, however, I lead a very active lifestyle, can cycle a century and I feel great.  I carry the weight well.

I would be HAPPY to loose 80 pounds, but would still be considered overweight if not obese...

P.S.  5'9" 280...  (Down from 325)..

I can also "Pinch about a foot, not just an inch..."

At 6"1" and 168, I hear a lot of "you're too thin" comments, as well.  But my scale says I'm 10% fat, so ok.  I'd like to be 7-8% for my first full IM, but I also like good IPA beer.  It's about choices I guess.  When I really concentrate on food choices, I have no trouble maintaining weight.  But then my 10 year old daughter starts in with the Girl Scout cookies and well, it's time for another century ride!

I am 5'7" and 162lbs.  I am a bit muscular for a tri-guy, but I wont deny that I have a nice belly as well that I would love to get rid of.  A while back I tried to get my weight down for real, and ended up at 147.  My wife told me I looked horribly thin, but I still had a gut sticking out of my shirt... but 29" waist jeans would be a little loose on me.  I now wear a 30" waist, am 15lbs heavier than that lightest point, certainly I dont look "thin" anymore. 

I was 158 at the end of last tri season, and managed to put on just a few lbs over the winter despite not eating all that well and only working out irregularly.

I am not sure what an ideal weight for me is.  I wouldnt mind figuring out how to make that gut go away, but it was really hard for me to live at 147lbs.  My body kinda fought me until I put a little weight back.  155ish seemed good, I wonder if I can get back there...

Wow...I was seriously thinking about starting a thread about this last night after reading a number of weight related comments here and on Facebook (mostly indicating various forms of denial) over the last few days.  Thanks for putting this out there for discussion, Tom.

I'd made a similar comment regarding "minimal" footwear and footstrike in another recent thread that characterized that current fashion as being largely driven by the same belief that one can buy performance (or injury prevention) that has been endemic on the cycling side.  Unfortunately, though, the run exposes weight even more than cycling does (because not only is speed impaired, but risk of certain injuries increases)...consequently, I see friends throwing money at Newtons and still neither getting faster nor resolving their injuries, mostly (IMO) because I'm also seeing their weight increase incrementally and not seeing serious work on balance, posture, etc.

At the same time, there's a pretty significant current of enabling and bad advice--e.g., "don't worry...you've plateaued because you're replacing fat with muscle"--out there (not just here) which doesn't encourage people to recognize that they have fundamental choices to make about lifestyle that don't just apply to "FOP" competitors, but to anyone who wants to participate in endurance sports (esp. running) over a lifetime without constantly feeling frustrated by injuries or lack of progress.

I'm 5'6" and 117 pounds. I feel like the wind is going to blow me over on my tri bike as it is. Please don't tell me I need to lose weight

Seriously though, I don't really think losing weight would help someone like me. At 117 pounds I am still a slow runner and get injured easily. I have never carried extra weight - my knees still hurt like everybody else. I really don't think it has anything to do with my weight but my body mechanics. This is my bodies happy weight. I have maintained this weight for the last 20 + years with very little fluctuation ever. My children are adopted so I never gained baby weight. In fact, while we were waiting to adopt I lost about 5-7 pounds due to stress. I can tell you I don't want to race at that weight - I was a size zero. That is not even a size LOL! Maybe I'm just the wrong audience for this discussion although I do find it interesting.

Very timely thread for me as well. This season weight loss will be my main goal. Last year I did IMCDA and I was undertrained and overweight--both taboo in this sport in my mind. I wanted to "just finish" and did. I did IM at 5'10" 180-185 and really should have been closer to 160. I'm still at about 185. My life situation has changed (divorce), so now I'm refocusing (or maybe focusing for the first time) on optimal weight and performance. I want to do IM again in the next couple years and see how many hours, yes hours, I can take off my time.

One thread that I found very inspirational here was "Before and After". This was years back and I can't find it, maybe it was pulled. Maybe once I hit my goal weight I'll revive it--I've still got the "before" pics of me when I first started tri in 2006 and weighed about 210.

Sorry, but that's rude as hell too.

That's because weight isn't an indicator of much... Body composition is.  % body fat and % lean mass is what we should be talking about... however, those numbers are harder to come by acturatly and our society (Biggest Loser) is focused more on weight.

Mean, you can lose weight, but is 20 lbs of weight loss that consist of 15 lbs of muscle loss to 5 lbs of fat loss a benifit?  I guess it would depend on if that muscle loss was being used to create power in the run or bike... I think a lot of people don't grasp the idea that HUGE weight loss isn't just fat loss, but muscle loss do to poor nutrition. 

"That's because weight isn't an indicator of much... Body composition is. "

Agreed. As I have become a stronger athlete I have gotten heavier. That notwithstanding I personally am still overweight, but weight trainig helps me lose body fat although I am a trifle heavier but also more powerful and less susceptible to injury.

Weight in and of itself isn't the most important metric.

IMO I think most of us that could lose some weight would like to stay in denial by focusing on "tri gadgets" instead of good ole weight loss. For most of us, the biggest ROI will be cutting a few lbs (or more for me) instead of getting an aero helmet. I know that my times would improve greatly if I cut some weight.

I come from a big family, and many have fallen victim to weight loss gadgets and diets. It's much easier to think "If I just had product X I could lose the weight." When it really comes down to making a change that allows weight loss naturally.

And I'm the exact opposite of trigal38.  I've been 'overweight' my entire life.  I'm 5'4" and currently at 148lbs.  I'm also at a 19-20% body fat, so I'm not as 'overfat' as my weight might indicate.  That said, I'm still lugging 30 or 40 lbs more around than my two runner girlfriends who are my same height.  I can push greater power numbers than them on a bike, but they can outlast me by many, many, many miles on the run.

I do talk about weight, a lot.  In fact, I have to caution myself to keep my mouth shut on the subject because I can over-talk it with great ease.  Maybe that's because I've been fighting my weight my entire life so it's an easy subject for me?  Maybe it's also because I look overweight?  I think there is much greater resistance to people who look slim (like my husband) talking about losing weight when so much of our population is fat.

At 6'2" and 230 (highest was 275), definitely my biggest limiter.  But until I am willing to take it seriously and do something about it it will continue to be. 

However, when I hear about people that are my height and 180 or less, I am astounded.  I don't think that would be a healthy weight for me (neither is 230, and it's no excuse). 

Awesome post.

I think there is a Healty range one should try to stay in (at my age  of 39 that's considered to be under 18% body fat by most testing services) and anything beyond that is performace based on what my body works best at... How does one figure out where they should be... trial and error.  However, knowledge of what your compostion is... is key.  I get Hydrostatic tested twice per year at a cost of about 50 bucks per dunk... I find it a key informational piece of my training guide... as much as my food log and workout logs...  YMMV.