General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Any fast loser/fast gainers out there? Rss Feed  
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2004-06-16 1:23 PM

Veteran
134
10025
Seattle, WA
Subject: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
Having lost about 100 lbs a year and a half ago I spend LOTS of time looking at the scale.

I have decided that my body must store an insane amount of glycogen (and thus the associated water), as I can lose 6 lbs in a week pretty easily eating approx 1700-1800 calories per day. (That's for the first week...of course subsequent weeks are slower..2-4 lbs per week)
I work out 6-8 hrs per week, have a job where I am on my feet a fair amount, and almost never sit down to watch TV.

Likewise I can gain 3 lbs in a weekend if I indulge (like eating 2-3 pieces of birthday cake)

When I have shared this with others, I have been told that I am not eating enough and trying to lose weight too fast. Although I know conventional wisdom is that you should only lose 1-2 lbs per week, much of the critical statements I have encountered come from people that don't work out as much or as intensely as I do, and I suspect do not carry as much muscle as I do.

I am hoping to find a kindred spirit or two here since I know you all work out!


2004-06-21 12:47 AM
in reply to: #31770


3

Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
hmm, i think i do this too...more of, its like i can get cut if i actually workout..dieting doesn:t work much at all, but if i go for a long ride (8-10hrs) once a week, i can actually see a diffrence! same with runs over 20k, seems to work well but im not ready for it its too hard on the body... im jsut starting out too, so being tubby to begin with probably means im gonna lose more at first...

i find too that certain parts of my body respond to weights alot better too, like my shoulders are easy to make more muscular, or legs... but everyting else is totally hard to work with...

do you actually notice a diff in your appearance tho?just curious...

ps great work! i have 30-40 to go! im really worried tho im working otu as much as i can, always exhausted, but my friends who are triathletes work out so much more than me! i can only seem to motivate myself for 4 days a week, i just get too tired...
2004-06-21 1:23 PM
in reply to: #31770

Veteran
134
10025
Seattle, WA
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
With the fast losses and gains I don't notice that much of a change in my appearance. That is why I have a hard time with people who say that if I am losing 5-6 lbs in a week I am eating too little. It seems to take about 8 lbs change for me really to see somethign positive or negative.

The big problem though is that having been sooooo overweight it is hard to appreciate small changes in my appearance so I do rely a lot on the scale and thus the fast losses and gains play with my head a lot.
2004-06-21 2:52 PM
in reply to: #31770

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Elite Veteran
617
500100
Roscoe, IL.
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
Me too.
In 2+ years I've dropped 100 lbs. I watch the scale to make sure I'm keeping the weight off.
I can vary 2-3 lbs over the course of three days. If I really want to drop a pound or two and keep it off I watch what I eat for a week or two, ramp up the workout, and keep track of my weight, now it's easy thanks to the training logs.
I try not to obsess about it I just don't want to end up where I was 100 lbs ago
Don
2004-07-03 2:08 AM
in reply to: #32775


3

Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
holy crap good job guys! can i ask how you did it, was it thru triathlon only? or did you weight train...ok its kinda embarassing, ive lost 30lbs about, but i have another maybe 20-40 to go, ive been overweight sooo long i just don:t know anymore? any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated... its been a week and my roomate is telling me im gaining weight! ok there was that trip to macdonalds but i couldn:t help it... and just so tired this week, its hard to be motivated to train, i just want to sleep all the time... not good!
2004-07-05 12:06 PM
in reply to: #31770

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Elite
3020
20001000
Bay Area, CA
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
What I've noticed is that when I do lose a lot in one week (or in two weeks in a row) then I will usually not lose very much (if at all) for the next couple of weeks. I'm very overweight, and my "theory" is that my body loses in fits and starts. So, I lose say 5 lbs in one week, and then none at all for a week or so. This averages out the weight loss over a few weeks.

On the other hand, if you are doing big workout times, some of that weight loss may be water or just temporary loss due to the heavy workout. I've seen this too.

I don't really count the weight as "lost" until it stays of the number on the scale for at least a week. Then I feel as if I've really hit that next level down.
Shellee in CA


2004-07-20 11:19 AM
in reply to: #31770

New user
42
25
Boston area
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?

Hi Karri,

I am totally like this!  It drives me nuts.  I even got a good scale because it was driving me nuts that the scale would go up or down 3-5 lbs from day to day -  UGGHH.   Anyways, it wasnt the scale it is just my body.  If you are seeking a weight loss buddy let me know.  I am currently using DietPower and count calories to help me control my eating since I am pretty good at working out - it is the overindulgence that is my biggest problem. 

2004-07-26 8:43 AM
in reply to: #31770

Pro
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20001000500100100100100
Andover
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
Congratulations on your fantastic weight losses!

I have recently lost 40 pounds on Phase 1 of the South Beach Diet (I'm 5'7" and currently 200 pounds). Last week I switched to Phase 2 to add carbs back as I need them due to the running /cycling / lifting I have been doing over the past 4 months. I'd like to drop another 35 pounds before I switch over to a "high carb" diet to sustain my exercise.

The "problem" I am currently having is that although I want to drop more weight, I'm not sure the scale is the best way to gauge my progress. I have been eating very well, according to the SBD, and have increased my lifting / exercise, but have not shown a weight loss over the past week. However, the inches are still coming off. So, although I want to weight less, I will be going by my fitness level and inches as a gauge and not necessarily the scale.

Has anyone else experienced this "stall" on the scale as a result of putting on muscle mass?

Cheers,
Rob
2004-07-27 12:07 PM
in reply to: #31770

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Elite
3020
20001000
Bay Area, CA
Subject: RE: Any fast loser/fast gainers out there?
If you have lost a bit of weight, it's quite common for your body to take a breather every once in a while where you will see no progress on the scale. This doesn't mean that you aren't making gains, just that you aren't seeing them yet. One of my theories is that your body has to restructure itself, i.e. blood volume, amount of water stored in the tissues, etc. all contribute to your weight on any given day.

If you haven't seen a change for a month, then I'd say it's time to check on what you're doing, and where you could be sabotaging yourself.

This is what I've seen in my own (seemingly neverending) weight loss journey. So, this is my opinion only, take it for what it's worth.
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