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question on changing body "type"
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 2006-10-19 9:17 AM |
Regular 76  TX |  Subject: question on changing body "type"HI, I am a newbie here. A little about me. 41 years old, always been an "athlete" but never an endurance athlete. (Baseball, football, golf, weight lifting) I am 6'3", 250 currently, and although I am definitely quite overweight, I am not a couch potato. I have always stayed active and been a long-time weight lifter, so I have quite a bit of muscle mass. I am intrigued about this "triathlon thing" and am currently in week 7 of the 22 week program to get ready for the Sprint. I have plans to do my first one in March or April '07. I don't really want to be a "Clydesdale" and would prefer to get in the 190 lb range and be LEAN. My question is, have any of you totally changed your body "type" from where I am, to a very lean endurance athlete? I know it won't happen overnight, but I am interested to hear from someone with a similar background. I have enjoyed the workouts, although the walk/jog is getting more difficult and a fat boy on a bike does not work well on steep hills (Ha). Swim is definitely my best event. Any advice about nutrition, etc to change body type? I have gone to lifting only once a week and am following the 22 week program religiously. In 6 weeks I have virtually lost no weight and I am not eating any more than I was before. I know I eat too much, but after swimming and biking I am HUNGRY!! Anyway, I know that was a lot of rambling, but any suggestions? Thanks in advance. I am enjoying the workouts and enjoy reading the forum. |
| 2006-10-19 9:25 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Cycling Guru 15134  Fulton, MD | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" First, welcome to the site!! Congrats on taking the step over to the dark side of endurance sports.  There are plenty of people on the site here who started in a similar fashion to you, so you should get a lot of response I would think (also check out the "Weightloss" section as well). To get your body into the sub-200 range, it will take time and base building. Basically running and riding lots pretty much. You are probably very aware of the calories in versus calories out mantra. The more you put out and the less you take in the more weight you will lose as your body will pull from it's own resources to adapt to the changes. March/April is 5 or 6 months away, so if you had a very focused and aggressive plan with a lot of base building I could see how you would be able to lose the 50 - 60 pounds. But that is still a lot in a relatively short period of time. Maybe set a few separate goals so that you don't get discouraged in the process trying to go for the "big" one of 190 lbs.? In general you will want to keep most of your workouts in the aerobic range and allow your body adapt to the physioligical changes. With that being said .... I'm not coming from the same type of background as you. I've always been an endurance athlete and even though I "let myself go" for 5 years, I still barely got to 220 (I'm 6'-1"). But it did take me three years to get back down to the old race weight I had when I was cycling 6,000 miles a year of 170 - 175 lbs. (where I am now). |
| 2006-10-19 9:34 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Master 1641  Cambridge, MA | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" I'll keep following Daremo's threads.... I've been racing 3 years and at my height (6'0 tall) I think I'm always going to be an Athena. I race well in the low 160s but would look really thin in the 150s (which I've not seen since age 14 anyway, and I'm 32 now). However, my body type has changed a lot. Weight lifting made it happen, along with zone-diet eating (40/30/30). I'm at least 10% lower in bodyfat and feel good on the beach. I have defined arms and legs whereas I used to look and feel soft. No one thinks I'm 'big boned' anymore; just tall. |
| 2006-10-19 9:48 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Extreme Veteran 412 Fort Worth | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Prior to doing triathlons and marathons I was focused on weight lifting for 10 years. In fact I was a few months from my first body building competition before having surgery. I was always referred to as stocky or muscular. Prior to going back to endurance training I was 5'10" and 240lbs (not all muscle). In the past 20 months I have lost 10" off of my waist and have gotten down to 180lbs. I am no longer called stocky. I am now referred to as "thin", "fit" or "toned". So it is entirely possible to make the change. As said in the previous posts firm focus on diet is very important. Secondly, miles. LOTS of miles. Doing miles in all three disciplines will have wonderous effects on your body. In fact you will probably see definition that you would never be able to get through your weight training alone. |
| 2006-10-19 10:19 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Master 2299 New York | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" I haven't undergone the drastic change that some people here have, but tris have definitely helped out the whole "body shape" thing for me. In college I varied between 178 and 165 or so (I'm 6'1") and was mainly weight-training. I used to swim, although looking at what I do now in the pool compared to what I did then it's not all that much (used to do 1000m 4x/week, now 3000-3500 3x/week in addition to running/cycling). However, once I graduated and started getting into tris, I morphed from a slightly bigger, more "muscular" kinda guy (with a bit of a belly) to where I am now - 6'1", 151 lbs, 8% body fat. I owe it all to tri - hard work, lots of sweat, constant awareness of calories in v. calories out and all that good stuff. Keep at it and you'll see the results. It just takes time. |
| 2006-10-19 12:07 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Veteran 264 Halifax | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" You’ll love coming down in weight. And it will come with time if you stay active. I was in the 220’s when I was doing weights at 6’3. I’m now down to 186lbs. The things that made a difference for me was watching what I eat. Its really hard but deep down you know what’s good for you and what isn’t. Start sticking to the good stuff. Next watch your portions. I use to eat two or three helping at every meal because I was hungry. I started to only eat one serving per meal and then follow it up with small drinks of water (often). If I still felt hungry after that I would have a healthy snack of fruit. Its hard to imagine eating like I did before. The last thing is do not get discouraged. You did not put that weight on at the last family dinner. It took YEARS to put it on. It’s going to take some time to take it off. Just stick with it. Here’s a link to my turning point. When I really got the bug and made a commitment. http://ricemantoironman.blogspot.com/2006/05/before-and-after-05-06... Cheers. Rice. |
| 2006-10-19 12:14 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Regular 97 Bay Area, Cali | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" This is an interesting topic. I've always been pretty lean, but not sculpted, and I really thought this sport would help me get that. So here I am at the other end of a HIM, and I don't really see a difference. IMHO training is not a great tactic for weightloss, because you have to fuel properly to maintain strong athletic performance. So this winter I'll focus on strength training and curtail the aerobic training a bit... see if that works. Ultimately the goal is to have abs I can bounce quarters off....
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| 2006-10-19 12:26 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Veteran 139 Concord, CA | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Welcome JLarge! I'm 5'9" and used to weight 223Lbs..mostly muscle. Like you my sports backgroud was in the weights, football, Martial Arts arena, etc. Nver and endurance athlete...now, with my training in triathlon since August I've lost 11 Lbs of fat...I did it just with the miles, and trying to eat "healthy"...I love the feeling of being less "bulky" and more athletic...my wife seems to like it better if you catch my drfit (wink, wink! hahahaha) Just recently I began to lift weights again but now I only do high reps and low weight to "fortify" my body. All I can say is be patient, you'll be working out your lungs and heart...you wont see how they become stronger and more efficent, BUT you will feel it! Isaac |
| 2006-10-19 12:48 PM in reply to: #572596 |
| Regular 76 TX | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Thanks for the great replies. BTW, I certainly don't expect to be at 190 by March or April; that would be my ultimate goal for a year or so down the road. I understand it will take time, and I am committed to that. Any of you in similar situation as me have specific nutrition routines that you follow(ed) with success. I know there is a fine line between getting enough nutrition to fuel the body for the tri and also few enough calories to drop weight. Thanks again, I am enjoying reading the replies. Keep them coming... |
| 2006-10-19 1:00 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Expert 878 Carmel | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" First, once again, welcome to the site and welcome to the sport. I was a "stocky" athlete before triathlons. I played Div I in college and really only did weight training with little to no endurance training. At my biggest I was 5'10'' and 217lbs. After a shoulder injury that forced me out of baseball I needed to stay active, and I turned to triathlons. Over the past three years, I've lost about 40 pounds. It didn't come off at first, but then it went fast and Ive been where I'm at for the past two years 170-175lbs. Two tips from me: Don't pay too much attention to what the scale says, use how your body feels to let you know if you are getting leaner and in better endurance shape. Watch you diet. Make sure that you get your carbs and good fats. Protein is good but you do not need as much as when you are lifting heavy. If you have to race as a Clyde for the first few, that is not bad either. Also just bc you are overa certain weight doesnt mean that you HAVE to race clyde, you can still race in your age group. At 6'3'' being muscular and on the cusp of clyde you really are not carrying a huge amount of weight either. Stick to small meals through out the day also. Dont load up a few times a day. A trick that I used also was that if I watched what I ate throughout the day, I could cheat a little a dinner. This helped me stick with my diet. Edited by MForger18 2006-10-19 1:02 PM |
| 2006-10-19 1:26 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Veteran 139 Concord, CA | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" reagarding the calories...I'm trying to eat plenty of salads with dry fruit, nuts, seeds etc...good sources of fuel, and some lean meat...I also have about 2 cups of oatmeal every day, and If I get hungry, I have in my desk a little stash of bananas, apples and carrots...and when I feel like eating pizza, a juicy-fat stake or a hot dog, hey I enjoy it...what the heck! Cheers! Isaac |
| 2006-10-19 3:18 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Master 1641 Cambridge, MA | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Having a cheat meal once in a while (as mentioned above) is a-OK, but try to keep your cheats to less than once a week. And daily junk needs to be less than 10% of your total cals, in my experience, in order for weight loss to get going. Also, don't forget to drink lots of H2O -- thirst is often mistaken for hunger. If you don't already drink a gallon each day, you can build up to it. |
| 2006-10-19 3:53 PM in reply to: #572677 |
Master 2060 Northern California | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" KenyonTri - 2006-10-19 8:19 AM However, once I graduated and started getting into tris, I morphed from a slightly bigger, more "muscular" kinda guy (with a bit of a belly) to where I am now - 6'1", 151 lbs, 8% body fat. I'm teasing here, so.... 6'1" 151 @ 8%BF !!! Holy cow. Do you like it when people call you skinny? I mean sheesh. Edited by coachese 2006-10-19 3:58 PM |
| 2006-10-19 4:00 PM in reply to: #572596 |
Extreme Veteran 355 Kuna, Idaho | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Welcome to the group.... As a former 250+ pounder I know what your feeling. I have found that if I follow the GI diet and eat the proper cabs, Protean, and FATS...the pounds will fall of. There are a lot of junk carbs that will kill the diet but a lot of carbs that will give you tons of energy for those long miles. It will take time to get the pounds off and It is worth the time to do so. Good luck |
| 2006-10-19 11:45 PM in reply to: #572596 |
New user 4 | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" What's wrong with racing Clydesdale? I dropped 50 lbs this season. In the offseason, I'm trying to stay above 200 lbs to keep the "Big Kid" status. Try placing in your age group at 190 lbs. Racing Clyde at 200 lbs might allow you to place in a smaller spring or olympic race. |
| 2006-10-20 3:56 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Extreme Veteran 579 | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" It is a matter of form following function. Back in the day I raced bicycles (cat. 3) and at that time I was 6ft on the dot and would weight 153-155, I know that seems skinny and I was but for a competitive cyclist it really isn't the better climbers will be the little guys (135-145lbs). After I stopped racing my weight balloned to a high of 202lbs. I know that's not big for a lot of people but that's a 45 lbs gain or so. I am now back down to where I race at around 160lbs, or about 7-10 pounds heavier. My body has changed also, before I had the typical cyclists build, big legs and skinny upper body and arms, now I have a little more muscle in the shoulders, chest and arms. I still struggle with weight gain in the off season but after 3 seasons of tri's I don't really worry about it I know I will not ever go back to "the couch" again. By the way, regardless of my weight or how much I train I still can not get rid of the roll of fat on the front of my stomach, sort of keeps me motivated. |
| 2006-10-20 8:13 AM in reply to: #572596 |
| Regular 76 TX | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" Believe me, Flounder, I would love to race as a Clydesdale at 201 lbs. Ha. I can't even see that number in my near future right now, but I am enjoying the training, and I still have this picture in my mind of me riding a bike and running with a 45 lb plate on my back, which is essentially what I am doing everytime I work out. I can foresee that without it, running and riding will be a whole lot more enjoyable. Of course, swimming may be more difficult, because I won't float as well Thanks for the replies. |
| 2006-10-20 9:46 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Veteran 202 Wheaton, IL | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" J - I was too in the same shape as you....always athletic, into weights, but adding lbs. rather than losing them. I was tired of working hard and not seeing the results in lost weight, so I switched to more cardio, got excited about doing a tri, and really focused on eating. We have given it the phrase of "pushing the plate away." I was the one finishing what was left, having two servings, and sometimes eating just because I thought I was hungry. I started simple and just worked on portion control, and like training, your body adjusts and then you go to smaller meals and can actually guage when you need to eat based on energy levels rather than the sort of reflexive response that it's noon, so I must be hungry. I have lost about 20 lbs over the course of two years and finally have the body type that I was always working towards. Hope that helps and good luck. |
| 2006-12-07 8:11 AM in reply to: #572596 |
| New user 1 | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" I too am facing my first triathlon. I am a 24 year old female, 5'5''. I have decided to make this my passion in something I am working toward because I do need to lose weight. I am overweight and working toward this has given me a goal. Having something that means alot to me, gives me something to work for. Being healthy should be enough, but I have to be pushed. That's when I decided to train for my first race. I don't even like to see it as a race, it's for a reason- me. I am doing it for me wether I finish 10th or 60th, setting a goal and completing it is enlightening. I hope that you too carry the endurance and spirit to do this for yourself. Having a reason is why most humans get up every morning and go to work, or shower. But, training for a race gives you a reason to physically and spiritually enlighted yourself, while doing good for others-CONGRATULATIONS!! |
| 2006-12-07 9:08 AM in reply to: #572596 |
 Master 1324 Rochester, NY | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" My story is somewhat similar. Two years ago, I was over 200 lbs, 25% body fat and 36" waist. I'm 6'0". I started working out more regularly. Before, I would go maybe 3x one week, skip a couple weeks and then go 3x agin. I made a firm committment to exercise almost every day. Gradually, the weight came off. In roughly 5 pound increments. I'd go maybe 2-3 months with no change, then boom, 5 pounds gone. As I started to see progress, as I got more into doing triathlons, and as I started to learn more about nutrition, my diet also improved gradually. No more added sugar. No more french fries. Very few refined grains. Much fewer processed foods. Much more fish, vegetables, fruits and nuts. I have found that I don't really miss the junk food. I also find that I feel poorly after I eat junk food (tired, lethargic, etc.). It was a gradual change so nothing was too stark. I eat a lot, especially if I'm training. I figure that if I'm hungry, my body is telling me that I need food. I just made sure that it was quality food. Thats a critical point. After 1 year, I was down to about 185. At my peak fitness this past summer, almost 2 years after starting to get serious about fitness, I was down to 168 lbs, about 6% body fat, and a 30" waist. My energy level is MUCH higher. My moods are MUCH better. My outlook is MUCH better. I now crave exercise. I crave quality food. Junk food has much less appeal. At the end of the day, fitness and quality eating become a lifestyle. Its not something to do for couple of months or so, its for the rest of your life. Over time, I came to realize that its the way we should live. The way you feel, the way you look, the energy, the moods. I plan on doing this for the rest of my life. |
| 2006-12-07 9:34 AM in reply to: #572596 |
Master 1790 | Subject: RE: question on changing body "type" JLarge, I so hear you. In September, I weighed more than 250 pounds -- and I'm a girl. So imagine your weight on someone much shorter. It's NOT a pretty picture. I've lost 25.5 pounds since Oct. 1 and I'm really excited about my progress. When I began exercising again in August after a year of rotting on the couch, I couldn't even walk a mile. On Saturday, I walked a 5K in 13 min/miles and won a medal for being third overall (second female) in the competitive walk division. I've been walking only to avoid injury, but my trainer says I can begin jogging on Christmas Day. For me the most important thing is counting EVERY SINGLE CALORIE that goes into my mouth. In the past, I was active (did two sprint tris) but did not lose weight because I'd eat so much. A 40-mile bike ride isn't going to help you lose weight if you eat 1,000 calories beforehand, 1,000 on the ride and 3,000 calories afterwards. Tracking calories will help you know if you're eating too much or not enough. Also strive for a good mix among carbs, protein and fat. I personally shoot for 50-25-25. I surprisingly don't find myself very hungry all that often. I generally eat small meals/snacks at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., noon, 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. (8 p.m. is late, but I work out at 6) Sure, at 11:30 a.m. I'm starving, but I take my time when I eat and I find much smaller portions are filling me up. Always take less food than you think you want, eat it and wait a few minutes. You'll be surprised at how often you're full from the smaller portions. There are many calorie counting Web sites. I use calorieking.com's desktop software because it's a one-time fee and it's easy to use, but there are free versions (fitday.com) that also can get the job done. Keep at it and don't give up. There have been hard days -- really hard days -- but if you stick with it the good days will certainly outnumber them in the end. It's very easy to get discouraged when you have so far to go. I know that's the biggest challenge for me -- knowing that I have 75 pounds to go yet and even then I'll be athena weight. But I try not to think about that and just focus on gaining fitness, keeping my calories on target and not worrying so much about the scale. Please, please, please PM me if you ever want to talk to someone who gets it or just want to rant. It can be really intimidating to try to do these things when you're overweight, and I know it's always a great comfort to know someone's listening. |
 2006-12-07 11:16 AM in reply to: #572596 |
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