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Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose weigh
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| General Discussion | Triathlon Talk » Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose weigh | Rss Feed  |
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 2011-09-08 9:56 AM |
 Subject: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose weighBMI. Body Mass Index. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ I just took a few triathletes weight and height and threw it in. Alistair Brownlee, Jan Frodeno, Craig Alexander, Luke Bell, Maik Twelsiek ... all have a BMI between 20 & 22. My BMI is 25.6 (5' 9.5", 176 lbs) -- I'm overweight. MY body fat is 24%. I'm fat and I know I am. In American society it's easy for me to ask my friends or wife if I'm fat and they'll adamantly say "Heck no!" I can just drive up to any public store and within 5minutes I'll even feel 'whip thin'. But the truth is, I'm overweight and (sadly) many people in America are beyond overweight, they are grossly obese. For health reasons, coupled with wanting to get faster and reach my potential, my goal is to get to a reasonable BMI of 23 *158 lbs* in a reasonable, healthy amount of time. Between now and May 1st, 2012. I think weight is far and away the largest component keeping this athlete from getting faster. A lighter frame is just substantially faster and more efficient than a frame with an extra 10, 20, 30+ pounds on it. A lighter frame fatigues the body less, is less apt to dehydrate, operates more efficiently during an endurance event; especially in the heat. Very simply, the body gets less tired carrying around a lighter frame. It puts less strain on the heart and allows an athlete to run at a faster speed with less effort and stress. My dead-middle run all-day aerobic pace is 7:48 & my half Marathon Threshold Race Pace is 6:50 (1:29:30) . If I lose 20 pounds (slowly while maintaining my run-specific muscles) my NEW aerobic pace is roughly 6:50 (my old Race Pace) and my new half Marathon Threshold Race Pace is around 5:50 (1:16:50)!! (This is based on the :02 seconds per mile faster per pound loss rule. And this rule has stood true for me in the past; and I know it has proven scary accurate for many other athletes. *this is also granted you have the weight (fat) to lose. And I honestly do.) This years 10k Cow Harbor Race on September 17th will mark 6 years of Road Racing for me. Here are my times starting with 2006: 51:05, 44:07, 43:54, 42:38, 44:26. (*Last year was an unusually humid/hot race and times were down across the board.) Of all those years, my PR of 42:38 was when I was my lightest in weight. The same goes for almost all my road races. Training is great. Training smart within HR zones will make you a better athlete. Training is what allows me to finish a race. Consistent Training is whats makes me stronger and more durable. But in the end, more training is not going to get me to a sub 40 10k. Training is not going to get me a sub 1:20 at the half marathon distance. I can train until I am blue in the face, 20 hours a week, BUT IF I AM STILL HAULING AROUND AND EXTRA 20 POUNDS OF BODY FAT my gains are never going to be more than very minor. My first Marathon in 2007 was a 3:34. My best Marathon in 2010 was 3:15. Yes, 19 minutes is a lot, but when I look at the amount of Training I had going into the 2007 Marathon compared to my 2010 Marathon, 19 minutes is downright terrible. Training is great and a is a core fundamental aspect of successfully completing Road Races and Triathlons. Nutrition and Experience are also very important fundamentals. But just as important is the Weight/Mass of the Machine. My first half Ironman was a 5:47 back in 2008. Then I knocked out a bunch of 5:20's and a 5:15, and most recently in June a 5:20. I had maybe 1200 miles TOTAL on the Bike and 40k TOTAL meters swimming going into that first tri in 2008. Since I've put very roughly 10,000 miles of Cycling, 3900 miles of Running and 690,000 meters of swimming .... couple that with the gained experience of another 20 triathlons, and another 20 road races... and I'm only 27 minutes faster. REALLY?? I've focused closely on my Run Form, I've been fit and refit on my Cervelo 5 times before I got it right, I focus on my Swim Form. I've Trained Obessesively Consistent since 2008 till right now Today. I've followed plans and Trained Smart. I've done macro and mesocycles. I focus on Recovery. I've done focuses on all three sports. But something is missing... or rather NOT MISSING!!! I look at my body from that first Marathon and what it looks like now. I look at my body from that first Half Ironman and what it looks like now. The difference is NIGHT and DAY. I went from pudgy to stealth. I can see muscles in my thighs, calves I've never seen before. I know internally my body has completely overhauled the aerobic system. My engine has gone from a clunky 4-cylinder to a purring V8. But I'm still dragging sandbags off the rear. Training will allow you to Race Strong. Experience allows you to Race Smart. Nutrition allows you to Race at a Consistent Pace from start to finish. But it's a low Weight/ Mass that allows you to Race Fast. It's just that simple. No BMI is not the end all determining factor of health and does not take into account frame size; but truth is, it's pretty damn accurate. Truth is: there just are no Pro's who are even close to overweight in Running, Cycling or Swimming. There are no AG'ers at the front of the pack in S/B/R who are close to being overweight. Some coaches admit losing 15 to 20 lbs for the average AG'er is far better than a year of consistent training. I'm living proof of this. This is a harsh truth many people don't want to look at or admit. I'm looking at it because I want to go faster. I want to reach my potential. But unless I make a drastic change on how many calories I put into this body, I can continue to train all I want for the next four years and it will all be for naught; it will all be counterproductive cause the weight of the frame will not have changed. I need to make that change or I'm just banging my head into a wall, grinding myself into ground, running on a hamster wheel. Just wanted to share my experience and call myself out. Edited by Dream Chaser 2011-09-08 9:57 AM |
| 2011-09-08 10:04 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Expert 1030   Miller Place, Long Island | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w "But unless I make a drastic change on how many calories I put into this body, I can continue to train all I want for the next four years and it will all be for naught; it will all be counterproductive cause the weight of the frame will not have changed. I need to make that change or I'm just banging my head into a wall, grinding myself into ground, running on a hamster wheel."
But will you be happy? |
| 2011-09-08 10:18 AM in reply to: #3677665 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w mscotthall - 2011-09-08 11:04 AM "But unless I make a drastic change on how many calories I put into this body, I can continue to train all I want for the next four years and it will all be for naught; it will all be counterproductive cause the weight of the frame will not have changed. I need to make that change or I'm just banging my head into a wall, grinding myself into ground, running on a hamster wheel."
But will you be happy? Accomplishing goals makes me very happy. Reaching my potential is what *I* am striving for. I can't do that hauling around this weight and pretending I'm not overweight. I'm going to blink my eyes twice and I'm going to be an old man. I have Dream Goals that I know are attainable for me, and weight is the only obstacle left in my way of those Dreams coming true... |
| 2011-09-08 10:26 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Master 1853  syracuse | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w lots here bobby.....I think you are being a bit hard on yourself. Honestly, I think you are looking at the wrong thing. Take a look at your logs. Have you trained every day for 6 months? For 1 year? for 2 years? If the answer is no, it is not your diet holding you back..... 2 hours, every day, for 5 years. that's 14 hours a week, every week for 5 years. 1 hour before work, 1 hour after work. Simple, but not easy. that is how you get fast. I find if you have the commitment to do that, you'll have no problem eating good most of the time..... If you want my honest opinion, you think you can get fast by losing wieght, when in fact you get fast by training every day, which results in getting lean. Also, you'll never get as lean as the guys you mention and maintain performance unless you set up your life to support the training and effort it takes. It will never happen otherwise. |
| 2011-09-08 10:28 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Champion 7547  Albuquerque, New Mexico Bronze member | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w You're not too far from where I am (5'8.5", 160#). BMI (an inappropriate metric for active people if you do some searching) comes in at 24.0 right now. A few years back I did the bodpod body composition and was around 16% body fat weighing 175#. Being the geek I am, I projected body composition to 160# assuming all weight loss was fat (8.9% BF) and also assuming fat/muscle loss proportion to the trend at the time (12.6% BF) so I'd guess my actual body fat is in the 10-12% range. I've had a lot of people ask me how much weight I've lost this year (between 5-10#) because my composition has changed quite dramatically with IM training. Looking at pictures from the summer, I looked gastly thin, especially in the face. I've had a lot of people concerned that I was getting "too thin" and I was trying hard to not lose a lot of muscle during training. I'll say that 160# is not easily sustained for me (165# is probably a more "natural" weight for me) and I'm not so focused on race performance that I'm compelled to change my diet. How did you determine body fat? If you really are at 24% BF, then losing some fat will be good for you. Whether 158# gets you to the right spot is hard to say, but it's really hard on your body to go up and down 20# like a yo-yo. Good luck in your endeavor! |
| 2011-09-08 10:35 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Huh, Bobby, lot's going on in this post! My first suggestion would be to seperate out race results and training paces from body composition. It's so hard to try and bounce between the two and try and draw conclusions. Let's just say in very general terms the lighter you are, the faster you will become to a point. I suppose what is less clear is beyond race goals, what else is your motivation and how do you get there. As a very active athlete, which I know you are, it's likley not a question of "doing the work" which is your weight loss limiter. That's the good news because the only qualntifiable reason you haven't lost the weight you want is due to choices you are making everyday in your diet which you have CONTROL over. The majority of the poor choices you make I have no doubt you are aware of, you likely do what most do and justify them somehow and not assert change. I'll give you a quick example as it applies to me. I decided this season I wanted to loose some weight as well. I was about 163 or so starting Kona in October of last year. Following that, I started doing a lot of running and noticed my weight came down a bit. So N=1 running a lot makes me loose weight. Once tri season strated, I focused on my diet and recognized area's where I could eliminate wasted calories. I also began to alter my training nutrition strategy. I stopped eating any breakfast at all prior to morning training, began use fewer calories during base aerobic training, and tossed out the calories dense recovery drinks. The result, N=1, is that my training didn't suffer and I lost 10lbs. This has been my best racing season ever in terms of results and pacing and it's also the leanest I have ever been. So it's very possible to accomplish what you want and I can tell you right now without hearing some endless list of what you eat that you aren't eating well enough. |
| 2011-09-08 10:48 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Champion 6046 New York, NY | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w I am more focused on bike racing than triathlon right now - which has me even more focused on weight than triathlon did because when the road tilts up (and I like the big hilly stage races that I am SO not built for) the lightweights win.
So now that I am in off season I am focusing on healthy weight loss. To keep me honest, I am using stickk.com with an ANTI charity getting $20 for every week that I do not lose 1 pound. I will be at my first goal in December if I accomplish this, which will put be 2-5 pounds over the weight I would like to race at. As to whether this will truly make me faster, well time will tell.
eta: this will take me from a BMI of 24 to 21.8. I will use DEXA to check body fat when I am at that weight to establish a true racing weight Edited by TriToy 2011-09-08 10:49 AM |
| 2011-09-08 10:53 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. |
| 2011-09-08 10:56 AM in reply to: #3677691 |
| Expert 1030 Miller Place, Long Island | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 11:18 AM mscotthall - 2011-09-08 11:04 AM "But unless I make a drastic change on how many calories I put into this body, I can continue to train all I want for the next four years and it will all be for naught; it will all be counterproductive cause the weight of the frame will not have changed. I need to make that change or I'm just banging my head into a wall, grinding myself into ground, running on a hamster wheel."
But will you be happy? Reaching my potential is what *I* am striving for.
Then there's your answer |
| 2011-09-08 10:59 AM in reply to: #3677708 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w cusetri - 2011-09-08 11:26 AM lots here bobby.....I think you are being a bit hard on yourself. Honestly, I think you are looking at the wrong thing. Take a look at your logs. Have you trained every day for 6 months? For 1 year? for 2 years? If the answer is no, it is not your diet holding you back..... 2 hours, every day, for 5 years. that's 14 hours a week, every week for 5 years. 1 hour before work, 1 hour after work. Simple, but not easy. that is how you get fast. I find if you have the commitment to do that, you'll have no problem eating good most of the time..... If you want my honest opinion, you think you can get fast by losing wieght, when in fact you get fast by training every day, which results in getting lean. Also, you'll never get as lean as the guys you mention and maintain performance unless you set up your life to support the training and effort it takes. It will never happen otherwise. Mike, I've trained year-round for four years. On average I take off 4 days per month for Recovery. If I don't I fear injury. Granted I've taken a few more days this last month and a half recovering from my first Ironman. But yeah, you see my logs, I train super-consistently, year-round, for four straight years now. Yes adding more training will make me faster, but only incrementally. Shaving off 20 pounds will make me exponentially faster, I believe. |
| 2011-09-08 11:00 AM in reply to: #3677767 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-08 11:53 AM Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. SEE!!! And you're f&cking fast. |
| 2011-09-08 11:04 AM in reply to: #3677795 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:00 AM bryancd - 2011-09-08 11:53 AM Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. SEE!!! And you're f&cking fast. I am FAST more so because of the overall consistency of my training year in and year out. 12-13 hours per week on average ALL YEAR LONG, no off season. I am now f&cking fast because I lowerd my weight, I agree.  You are barking up the right tree. Mike does make a good point as well, training as a full time triathlete is a 365 day per year committment. That's the only part of training where you could likely improve as well which will contribute to results. |
| 2011-09-08 11:08 AM in reply to: #3677804 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-08 12:04 PM Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:00 AM I am FAST more so because of the overall consistency of my training year in and year out. 12-13 hours per week on average ALL YEAR LONG, no off season. I am now f&cking fast because I lowerd my weight, I agree. bryancd - 2011-09-08 11:53 AM Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. SEE!!! And you're f&cking fast. You are barking up the right tree. Mike does make a good point as well, training as a full time triathlete is a 365 day per year committment. That's the only part of training where you could likely improve as well which will contribute to results.You, too, see my logs. I don't have an 'off season'. I'm not at 12-13 hours per week; but I'm not that far behind. |
| 2011-09-08 11:13 AM in reply to: #3677817 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:08 AM bryancd - 2011-09-08 12:04 PM Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:00 AM I am FAST more so because of the overall consistency of my training year in and year out. 12-13 hours per week on average ALL YEAR LONG, no off season. I am now f&cking fast because I lowerd my weight, I agree. bryancd - 2011-09-08 11:53 AM Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. SEE!!! And you're f&cking fast. You are barking up the right tree. Mike does make a good point as well, training as a full time triathlete is a 365 day per year committment. That's the only part of training where you could likely improve as well which will contribute to results.You, too, see my logs. I don't have an 'off season'. I'm not at 12-13 hours per week; but I'm not that far behind. Like I said, it's less your training, it's more your diet. |
| 2011-09-08 11:18 AM in reply to: #3677804 |
Master 1433 Calgary, AB Silver member | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-08 10:04 AM Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:00 AM I am FAST more so because of the overall consistency of my training year in and year out. 12-13 hours per week on average ALL YEAR LONG, no off season. I am now f&cking fast because I lowerd my weight, I agree. bryancd - 2011-09-08 11:53 AM Interesting calculator. My BMI was 22. SEE!!! And you're f&cking fast. You are barking up the right tree. Mike does make a good point as well, training as a full time triathlete is a 365 day per year committment. That's the only part of training where you could likely improve as well which will contribute to results.And you have a godly VO2 max in the 70s. :P
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| 2011-09-08 11:20 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w I just re-read your post and I don't see any mention of diet. You are soley fixated on the training component. How come? |
| 2011-09-08 11:21 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
| Master 5557 , California | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w It's a given that you need to be consistent in workouts but your diet should be considered part of the whole as far as training is concerned. I know a lot of people don't want to hear it from me because I'm thin and don't struggle with my weight. But I do watch what I eat and there are certain foods I would enjoy, but avoid them instead. I've done it that way for so long that it's automatic now. |
| 2011-09-08 11:27 AM in reply to: #3677851 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-08 12:20 PM I just re-read your post and I don't see any mention of diet. You are soley fixated on the training component. How come? The whole purpose of me doing this is to break my own self-denial that I am not overweight. The diet and how to lose the 20lbs is a whole nother ball of wax. |
| 2011-09-08 11:30 AM in reply to: #3677852 |
| Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w spudone - 2011-09-08 12:21 PM It's a given that you need to be consistent in workouts but your diet should be considered part of the whole as far as training is concerned. I know a lot of people don't want to hear it from me because I'm thin and don't struggle with my weight. But I do watch what I eat and there are certain foods I would enjoy, but avoid them instead. I've done it that way for so long that it's automatic now. BINGO!! I've always put a priority on Training and Recovery, and I need to put that same emphasis on my Diet otherwise all my hardwork is for naught. I am my own worst enemy. |
| 2011-09-08 11:33 AM in reply to: #3677869 |
Champion 9600 Fountain Hills, AZ | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:27 AM bryancd - 2011-09-08 12:20 PM I just re-read your post and I don't see any mention of diet. You are soley fixated on the training component. How come? The whole purpose of me doing this is to break my own self-denial that I am not overweight. The diet and how to lose the 20lbs is a whole nother ball of wax. I see, so that's the 20lb gorilla in the room...  I'll make this easy and painless. Stop stuffing your pie hole, tubby. |
| 2011-09-08 11:35 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Extreme Veteran 959 Greenwood, South Carolina | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Be careful of using BMI. It does not take in to account muscle mass. My company uses the BMI and started doing waist measurements as well. My BMI is 25 and I have a 30" waist with little body fat. If you used the BMI only it would say I need to lose weight. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439 A good article in NPR on what is wrong with the BMI.
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| 2011-09-08 11:42 AM in reply to: #3677882 |
Elite 7783 PEI, Canada | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-08 1:33 PM I'll make this easy and painless. Stop stuffing your pie hole, tubby. LOL! I'm putting that up on my fridge..... |
| 2011-09-08 11:43 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Master 2356 Westlake Village , Ca. | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Reminds me of a tweet I saw the other day....I would give credit if I could remember who said it....best I remember it..... "Failure comes when we sacrifice what we want for what we want right now" I remember thinking that this was so true when it came to diet...and other things as well, obviously. IMO, it's pretty tough to train hard and NOT be at your goal weight. I don't think I could physically eat that much...lol. Like Bryan, the more I run, the more the weight comes off. I can bounce off my goal weight +5 pounds pretty easy but after that, it doesn't stick. By that I mean, my goal weight is around 158...but if I'm eating "normal" I'm pretty much 163 no matter what. When race time comes, I can drop that 5 pounds in about 2 weeks. Could I be lighter than that...probably...but I don't make a living at this and am not willing to make the day to day sacrifices that it would take to be that lean. |
| 2011-09-08 11:48 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Melon Presser 52116 | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w bryancd - 2011-09-09 1:33 AM Dream Chaser - 2011-09-08 10:27 AM I see, so that's the 20lb gorilla in the room... bryancd - 2011-09-08 12:20 PM I just re-read your post and I don't see any mention of diet. You are soley fixated on the training component. How come? The whole purpose of me doing this is to break my own self-denial that I am not overweight. The diet and how to lose the 20lbs is a whole nother ball of wax. I'll make this easy and painless. Stop stuffing your pie hole, tubby. Ha ha ha ha! That's the God's honest truth. LMAO ... *quick check* damn, that didn't work, my azz is still there. I'm fat too, and this girl sure likes her Pop Tarts, in a legendary way. I save them for after long efforts. Unfortunately, i'm doing a lot of long efforts these days and it's not going to get any shorter. It's not easy to lose weight, but in my experience it's a lot easier than people think, and ultimately it's a lot easier than hauling the weight around being dissatisfied. I'm glad you posted this, Bobby. I'm in a bit of denial myself as a *tiny* bit of extra body fat will likely help me in my straits swim a year from now. However: 1) I'm probably at least 3x over the discrete amount of extra body fat that might help. Good luck to us both! |
| 2011-09-08 11:58 AM in reply to: #3677655 |
Master 1927 Guilford, CT | Subject: RE: Honest Self Examination: I'm Fat & I'm never going to reach my Triathlon Goals unless I lose w Your not alone. I'm close to 27 on that thing at 5'9" 180lbs. I'm not fat but I'm also not delusional. If I ever want to take it to the next level when it comes to endurance sports, then I need to drop close to 20lbs. Until then I will be just be a guy in pretty good shape but never contending. My friends joke about how much I eat a lot of the time and I take in a lot of junk calories. What are you going to do about it though fat man? That's the question |
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