Beer Drinker Appreciation Society 2 - Closed (Page 66)

Originally posted by Burd I need some opinions. I have been thinking of these extra pounds and trying to figure out how they got here. I am coming up with a theory. My diet hasn't changed except for after my workouts I have been having a recovery drink to rebuild the damage and speed recovery and the weight started shortly after this. It has a 4:1 carb to protein plus a healthy dose of glutamine for repair. My body shape hasn't changed and my clothes fit the same so could it be fat being replaced with lean muscle? Is it true muscle really weighs more than fat? My workouts are getting longer and more intense so could it just be some lean muscle causing the weight increase? I wish there was an easy way I could check fat percentages at home or is there a way? If it is muscle not fat I have no problem with the extra pounds since that would just be better fitness and a stronger body. Opinions and info please. Am I giving up beer for no reason? Boy wouldn't that be nice to get my beverage back

Originally posted by thor67

How much weight have you gained? Over what time period? While muscle can be the answer, it does take time to build up. Gaining fat is much quicker(and easier) than muscle. I would try to track your calorie intake as acurrately as possible. A scale will help you with that. What I think is a cup and what is a cup is very different ! As far as the joy juice(beer), just less. Put only one beer in the fridge for the next day. Saves you from having more than one...

Also get a good beer so you can enjoy it!

 

Cheers!

Originally posted by Burd It ranges from 4-7 pounds based on the morning. It started just over a month ago and has been slowly creeping upwards. As for tracking my calories I am religious about logging my food (David can back me up on this one). I have logged my food the exact same way for nearly a year now and am consistently under my budget each day. Could it still be fat or do you think it's likely muscle since it has been over time or is that too short for muscle growth? Could it just be water weight from increased salt and electrolyte intake and that's why it is different each day? Thanks for the speedy reply Thor and trying to help me nail down the cause. Hope this info helps some.

Originally posted by Burd

I need some opinions. I have been thinking of these extra pounds and trying to figure out how they got here. I am coming up with a theory. My diet hasn't changed except for after my workouts I have been having a recovery drink to rebuild the damage and speed recovery and the weight started shortly after this. It has a 4:1 carb to protein plus a healthy dose of glutamine for repair. My body shape hasn't changed and my clothes fit the same so could it be fat being replaced with lean muscle? Is it true muscle really weighs more than fat? My workouts are getting longer and more intense so could it just be some lean muscle causing the weight increase? I wish there was an easy way I could check fat percentages at home or is there a way? If it is muscle not fat I have no problem with the extra pounds since that would just be better fitness and a stronger body.

Opinions and info please. Am I giving up beer for no reason? Boy wouldn't that be nice to get my beverage back

Originally posted by mirthfuldragon



I'm very consistent in how and when I weight (Friday mornings, after the morning necessaries, before I workout or eat). I have an electronic scale that spits out a body fat percentage; while it isn't necessarily accurate, it is generally precise, so I can get an apples-to-apples comparison. The numbers are also in line with my body fat caliper, so it's good enough for me.

Sorry to say, but even putting on 2 or 3 pounds of muscle mass is very difficult for anyone who isn't a teenage boy (with testosterone levels through the roof).

A couple of things: your calorie burn counts are probably high. I quit using Lose It because the numbers were generally 10% to 30% higher than what my Garmin was spitting out (and the Garmin 910xt, with HR monitor, should be about 90% accurate). As you get fitter, the calories required to perform a certain activity diminish. For example, when I first started running, a mile would typically burn 125 calories. Now I'm less than 100 calories per mile, and last night's slow recovery run was only ~82 calories per mile - a 35% decrease in energy expenditure. I used to use 1,000 calories per hour as a standard burn - now anything over 700 per hour wipes me out physically, and this morning's 90 minute ride only burned 472 calories.

You're also probably cheating on your diet. I say this from experience, and having done so myself often and regularly.

Also, as you get thinner and fitter, your BMR will go down accordingly, so the "deficit zone" - that is, between basic energy input needed to sustain and repair, and actual BMR, gets smaller. I'm to the point now (and have been for the last year) that I really can't cut calories any more without having a major impact on the quality of my workouts, so my only loss comes from workouts, and those are easily overcome by one nice splurge dinner.

You're in good company, for what it's worth. Redouble your efforts, and keep on it.

Originally posted by Burd Well put and it makes sense. I assume BMR is something to do with my base metabolic rate, is that right? As for calorie burns you had told me months ago not to use the Lose It ones so I only go by my 910xt with the HR strap. I guess I just need to get strict again and shut the hole under my nose again. Time to up the veggies and fruits again. I also looked back and the 4-7 pound weight gain has happened over 3.5 months. Could any of it be just water or is that wishful thinking? haha Thanks. ETA: How much of a deficit can a person go on while still being able to train hard and not see a decline in performance?

Originally posted by Qua17



Charles - based upon the fact that I've been injured most of the year - would you say that the investment is worth it? I guess my concern is laying out more money than I have to. On the other hand - if it means I will be able to work out pain free - I wouldn't bat an eye. Thoughts?

Originally posted by mirthfuldragon

I have a Half Marathon Turkey Trot next Saturday, and I've only been doing easy running, and mostly indoors on the treadmill.

So, I decided today was a good day for a tempo run . . .when I got back, my house thermometer said 20 degrees fareneheit, and I was sucking a 20mph headwind all the way back. Weather report indicates a windchill of 8 degrees.

It was a bit cold I haven't ran a long-distance tempo in several months, so it felt good to go out and hammer it for a bit. Hopefully the weather will be better. I'm hoping for a sub-2 hour half, which comes to a 9:09 pace. Today's tempo, without nutrition, averaged 9:34, and I felt dehydrated on the way back. With 40 degree temps, I think a sub-2 is very doable.

Originally posted by SportzVision

Still here and have been keeping up on the post. Been hangingback a little; work absolutely drains me emotionaly,mentally , and physically. I love helping all the families but at work I have 99 problems and a b#@ch ain't one, well most days. Yesterday I only had two crying moms to talk off the ledge the other 99 problems just needed solving. School is easy but I am getting B which annoys the heck out of me bc its my fault . Training? What is that? I manage a run once a week and ventured an Insanity workout...ouch. grandson lives here now and no matter how tired I am we play and talk every night I get home befor 9. New German Shepard is like having a baby...I have to be soooo consumed with her poop schedule!

Obviously, I am not managing my tri life like I want a need to gain better focus. Any ideas? What have you done to find balance?

Originally posted by kevinbe

Cynthia-

I'd recommend setting small, attainable weekly goals for yourself and shoot to achieve them. If your running once a week now, try and up it to 2x next week, or try adding in a bike session, or a workout video. Reward yourself with something you enjoy after achieving goal. If you miss it, try and get it the following week.

Sounds like you've got a million things going on. Keep the workouts light and enjoyable. Use it as stress relief.

Originally posted by Burd

I know I said no beer until the weight gets under control again but I had a breakthrough swim last night at tri practice. We did 2700 yards total which was the farthest I have ever swam but that's not the breakthrough. After back breaking sprints and crazy breathing drills all of this with only 10 sec rest between sets we got to yard 1900 and it was swam as a fast 100. I hit lap at the start and when I came to the wall again I hit it again. My pace for that 100 was 1:59! This is the first time I broke the 2:00/100 mark. To show how intense last nights swim was my overall average on all 2700 yards was 2:16/100. That average includes my WU and CD which were swam slow and mixed stroke. Can you say hauling a$$. I am super stoked about my swimming starting to get in place. If that didn't earn a beer then nothing will Moral of the story is coming from scared of the water and can't put my face in to this means if I can do it then ANYONE can!

Think of this next time you are in the pool and tired. Just because it's the off season doesn't mean we stop training hard. It's time to suck it up Nancy Boy and get to work. You got this!

Originally posted by mirthfuldragon



I thought I had posted a response to your question, but I guess it got eaten by the server.

Based on my research (when I was deciding between the Vectors and a Quarq), the knee movement either matters or it doesn't. The best article on the issue is probably over at Slowtwitch: http://www.slowtwitch.com/Tech/Stance_Width_2562.html[/url">. The terms "stance width" and "Q factor" are used synonymously, though technically the Q factor is the width from the outside of one crankarm to the outside of the other, while stance width is from pedal to pedal.

Based on my unscientific opinion, lateral knee movement probably isn't a huge deal, unless it causes issues elsewhere. I can see two arguments here:
(1) Minimal lateral movement, in an effort to limit the leg to one plane of motion. It makes sense, and ensures you aren't wasting power on non-essential movement. As a counter to this argument, I wonder about the wear those millions of strokes in the same small area cause on the knee joint.

(2) Lateral movement doesn't really matter, since leg and knee are dynamic joints that evolved to move in a three-dimensional situation; therefore, lateral movement can prevent or reduce knee wear and pain by distributing the load across a larger knee area. The counter is, of course, that lateral movement wastes power and seems strange.

Speedplay pedals run ~$200 for the stainless ones (which have swappable spindles), and the spindles might be another $50 - so pricey, but not prohibitively so. Your fitter might also be able to wedge your cleats to correct the issue, but wedging seems more to deal with differences between legs as opposed to stance width issues.

Another take on the discussion is the fact that, other than Speedplay, nobody else makes different spindle lengths. If there was a demand for it (and the fitters were pushing the issue), we'd see more aftermarket support. Take into account that the general cycling or triathlete is an older male (a demographic known for knee problems), and that's a small argument that lateral movement isn't a big deal.

My fitter, who is one of four FIST certified professional fitters on the planet as of October 2013, fiddled with it but ultimately didn't push the Speedplays on me, even when I brought it up. In fact, he suggested the Vectors because the combination was a bit cheaper than the Speedplay setup.

On the cleat end of things, that seems all about personal preference. My road shoes have 4.5 degree cleats (grey) and my tri shoes have 9 degree cleats (red), and after a few hours on the trainer, I don't like the float of the reds - there's just too much movement for my liking. I'll probably go back to greys across the board when I hit the road in the spring.

Originally posted by SportzVision

A good friend, that I never met, told me to set small attainable goals..I will start the weeks goals this week...
Each event 1 x .
[/QUOTE

A agree with Kevin about the setting small goals and I like the one time in each discipline. My suggestion would be to book the times now. It sounds like you're really busy so putting the workouts on the calendar now will help you to get them done. Also, think of how you will reward yourself for making it happen.