Don't know if I've posted this on the right forum but here goes! I'm desperately trying to lose 8lbs to get me back under 10 stone. 2 years ago, I lost 3st 10lbs to get to the weight I want to be now. I've put half a stone back on and no matter what I do now, I just can't shift it. Infact, this week, I put 3lbs on and have cut down my alcohol intake dramatically to 6 glasses of red wine in 3 weeks. My question is - could it actually be muscle that is making me weigh heavier or is that just a myth? I'm averaging 200 road miles a month at the moment.
Thanks
Hilary

muscle weighs heavier than fat, try taking measurments of thighs waist biceps etcinstead of keeping weighing yourself, you may find that although you gaining weight you are losing inches?
Jane

Insane is right. Could the 3lb simply be fluid retention due to whatever you have been eating that paticular week ? Try and weigh yourself monthly as opposed to weekly you don't want to diet to drastically and end up loosing some of the hard earned muscle aswell !!

Carolyn - I get weighed each week because I go to Slimming World. I am going to keep track of my menstrual cycle too because I can guarantee a weight loss every 4 weeks when I'm on my period which I think is very unusual and am going to see if my weight gain co-incides with my mid cycle

Thats interesting because I've been to SW in the past and tend to follow their eating plan.I know how annoying it is when your weight fluctuates, and that is natural. I use to work shifts and whenever I was on earlies my weight went up and then down on nights. Hence the suggestion to weigh yourself less as it is demotivating if your weight goes up temporarily.

Anyway I found with SW if I completely changed the eating plan for a week eg. did all red instead of normally doing all green or striclty alternated the days and STUCK TO IT. I had a good weight loss. I did that once when I only had a pound or two to target and I lost 5lb's the most I had lost since starting.

I found though they do not understand sport. So they would look at you in amazement and disbelief if you told them what you had done that week. I heard someone say when they had put on "but I've been to the gym twice this week it must be muscle". I wish !!!
Good Luck

Thanks Carolyn - someone else who's been in my frustrating position. Don't really know what else to do now. Everyone says to me that I look fine as I am but from a personal point, I want to be 9st 13 again and know I've been there. The other point people tell me is that its harder as you get older! There's no hope then cos I'm all of 42! (maybe that IS old)! I probably only have one red day a week as I'm not a huge meat eater and am cutting down on bread and fruit and yogurts - blimey and alcohol! How much more boring can I get!?

Hilary,

I know you have heard this before but getting down to a certain weight is not everything. I have not changed my eating habbits (well being a vegetarian does help)and I do eat fair bit of cake and ice cream :-/ and managed to loose weight in 6-7 months from 73kg to 63kg (the aim was to get fit, not to loose weight). During the summer months I rode 6 days a week about 2- 6 hrs a day and anything between 25km to 120km a day on a mountain bike. During the winter (after a shoulder injury and changing jobs) I have gone to the gym, spinning at least twice a week, one other gym session and at least 2 longer rides on a mountain bike. I am not loosing weight anymore and I can eat what I want and if I feel that clothes are getting tighter, I just have a sanity check and pile up more lettuce on my plate.

Basically what I am trying to say is that watching what you eat is not everything and checking the scales is not everything. Main thing is that you feel fit, well and energetic. Add more workouts to your weekly routine, base training, longer rides and quaranteed you will both loose weight and gain muscles.

And why not meet up with a sport nutrionist who understands your sport and can really help you to make an eating plan that helps you loose weight and get fit.

Good luck with what ever your goal is. You will get there with determination.

Mmmm... in an ideal world Nelli I'd love to have the time to ride six days a week for 2-6hrs, I wish. Unfortuntately that just isn't practical for everyone. I manage an average 10 hours of sport a week.

Hils I found that to many green days slowed the weight loss down. I think it was the natural carbs like potatoes. It is different for different people though and I do think natural carbs are v important if you have a long ride the day after. I was the same target weigh as you and 42 this year !!

Go back to the eating plan and sit down and plan a full weeks menu and buy the stuff in so everything is ready for your weaker moments !!

Whoa Nelli (sorry bout that) but you must be super fit - I can't even imagine doing that much exercise. I'm currently doing 40 miles per week to work over 3 days and now with lighter nights, I'm fitting in some evening rides too and the odd 30 miler at weekends. I hear what you're saying and suppose I have to be happy being 3 stone lighter than I was. My husband is very supportive and is impressed that I can cycle and talk without getting out of breath now and my recovery time is almost instant now after a long ride. Slightly OT but I attempted a run the other evening with him and couldn't believe how hard it was! Why does anyone chose to run over cycle? Carolyn, I have done that very thing you suggested and have planned my meals for the week ahead. Thanks for all you advice girls!

Hi Hils
Well done on losing 3 stone! A fantastic achievement!!

I have been a runner for quite some time now, it helps keep the weight down for rock climbing, but I know exactly what you mean about it being harder than cycling. You might find it a bit easier if you run on your own a few times and get to know what your running pace is rather than trying to keep to someone else's pace. I rarely run with my OH simply because he always wants to start off like a hare and finishes like a dead turtle. :-)

Hi Hils (one L) I have lost a lot of weight lately and unintentionally. I have stopped taking the pill after nearly 20 years and had the Mirena IUD fitted.

As some weight has come off, I have been going further and faster so I have lost more.

It makes me wonder if I had stopped taking the pill after the birth of my last child - 10 years ago, would I have been lighter.

I have been to my GP to be checked out - and all my blood tests came back ok.

I am now doing about 100 - 180 miles per week.

Hi there I'm 42 as well.... obviously a popular year!!!!!!

Not really overweight but could do with losing 6lbs or so to be comfortable, I've done it before but it does seem to get harder as the years go by.

Hils - how have you found the Mirena IUD, my GP has suggested I could consider it in order to control heavy periods etc.

daphne - this could get confusing because I (Hills with 2 LLs) had one fitted 12 months ago after being advised by my GP as she told me that at my age I'm very unlikely to get pregnant now! For me, it was the worst thing I ever had. My periods were still heavy and I wasn't even having any respite when I'd finished my period as I was having 'mini bleeds'between my periods. I was sent for a scan to see if it was in place which it was so in the end, I had it taken out after 6 months. When the nurse tried to 'find' it, she struggled to feel it. Nice! Apparently I have a tilted cervix and there's a note on my records for when I have a smear to that effect so the 'long' tool (whatever its called) has to be used!

Ive confused myself now! I meant I'm Hils with one L!

Hils, stick to the running, but build it up slowly, if you really want to do it. I started last year, because I was attracted to how simple it is to just get out and go after work, in lunch break, in the odd spare hour.... and no muddy bike to clean! At first I could barely run for a minute, but built up walking/running so that I now run (slowly) for an hour. I don't think of myslef as a runner, but it's a convinient way of keeping fit.

PS I lost a stone without trying in the fiorst 6 weeks that I took up running. I was going about 3 times a week for 30-45 mins.

Don't tell anyone, but I'm actually quite enjoying running at the moment...

Hi Daphne, I had mine done last June. I was getting headaches on the weeks I didn't take the pill. My GP recommended it, but it took around 9 months to actually have it fitted due to swabs, smears x4 and a colposcopy. It was uncomfortable having it fitted but it has been fine. A little spotting at first but thats all. The headaches went away too.

Hils (one 'L') I'm taking my own advice today and planning my meals for the week, having just got back from a weekend away and weighed myself !!
I'm having a go at running which I haven't done for years.I did 1/2 an hour and found muscles I didn't know I had. My legs ached for five days although I did bike in between and it didn't affect my bikey leg muscles. I managed to sustain the running as the heart and lungs could take it but the little legs suffered. I'm doing it for the same reasons as Alice.

Good luck Carolyn! Running is definitely good for weightloss. I'm starting to build mine back up after spraining my ankle back in January. I'll be doing 4 miles today and building it up slowly (unlike last time, patience is not one of my virtues).

Have you got proper shoes etc? Having had a year of injury problems caused in some part by having the wrong shoes I would recommend you go and get analysed if you haven't already. I got mine done at FootTraffic in Bolton so not far from you ?