I am trying to lose 20kg over a 7 month period, would it work

I have cut out drinking alcohol, increasing my protein intake with protein shakes and meat and cutting calorie intake to 2000 cals a day

Have done two distant cycles – 85 mile tues and 40 mile today

Be wary of reducing calorie intake and upping your exercise, you can end up without enough calories to function properly, then you'll just be a mess!

I'd look carefully at your diet to start with and think about areas to cut down. I've lost 5kg in 3 months (from 72kg) just being a bit more sensible, not having cake/biscuits at work, eating a salad for lunch etc.

Exercise before breakfast will speed up your metabolism all day and aid weight loss, but you will have little energy, so don't go doing 4 hour hilly rides on no food!

it's a realistic goal. I was 16 stone when I left college, I now race elite level at 12.5 stone. Be careful with those protein shakes, they pack a lot of calories even though their low in fat, most are a meal replacement system so if you're having those as well as your normal meal you might even increase weight.

Try just a sensible low calorie diet, cut out as much bread as possible as this is loaded with cals, cut out some of the sugar intake that hides in processed foods and cereals. Snack on fruit instead of biscuits/crisps etc.

Also on the days you have a big ride, increase your fuel intake, on the days you don't, decrease it.

Good luck.

take things easy to start with if you are overweight your body is already under stress. if you take your time and don't push yourself too hard you will stay injury free and soon be feeling better for taking charge of your weight. your goal is achievable – i lost 2.5 stone [sorry i don't do metric] in a little under 4 months.

early morning rides really worked for me, a cup of black coffe and out the door before the rest of the world wake up is THE best time of day.

good luck and don't buy too much kit now because it won't fit you in a few months!

Have done two distant cycles – 85 mile tues and 40 mile today

Was that on or offroad?

+1 re above advice and you'll be better off (if possible) doing shorter rides every other day, the day off in between is important for recovery, rather than one or two long rides a week. I take it you are reasonably fit anyway and just want to lose weight?

, increasing my protein intake with protein shakes and meat and cutting calorie intake to 2000 cals a day

hello, Atkins calling!

eat less, move more!

watch the biggest loser. current series the guy lost 90kg's in 3 months!

train your arse off and eat well and the weight will fall off.

i lost 10kgs in a month by walking, cycling and xtrainer every day 1.5hrs

30 mins each.

also do weights, muscle burns fat faster too so do a weight program too. just stick to 2 hrs a day in gym and you wont go wrong and i promise you in 2 weeks you will see all the hard work paying off.

and to quote the prgram that losing so much weight in a short time isnt good for you.. the guy said " i would never change it for the world, i feel the best i have in 15 years"

and a great comment from the stupid but clever kate moss!

"nothing taste as good as skinny feels" i always say this to myself when i see choc or shit coke and things!

Hmm Kate Moss. Not exactly a paragon of healthy living.

and a great comment from the stupid but clever kate moss!

"nothing taste as good as skinny feels" i always say this to myself when i see choc or shit coke and things!

and i'm guessing in she's seen a bit of shit coke in her time!!!

There was something in last weeks New Scientist magazine about how long you can survive without food and water. You still need Vitamin B (B1) to metabolise (use up) the body fat even if you do drink and dont eat. So to lose body fat requires a decent supply of nutrients / good food.

I am trying to lose 20kg over a 7 month period, would it work

20kg=approx 44 pounds

Its recommended that you don't lose more than 2 pounds per week (recommended amount is 1-2 pounds)

In 7 months or 28 weeks losing 44 pounds works out at 1.5 pounds per week, so you have to have a negative calorie balance of 5250 per week or 750 calories per day.

Sounds like a sensible goal as long as you dont over do it at first on the exercise front(risk of injury) or diet excessively and lose weight too quickly.

Good luck and remember that very small changes to diet and exercise make a massive difference in the long run.

I would also recommend along with whatever dedicated training/diet you are following….. To check your lifestyle approach.

Do you get the lift rather than the stairs? Do you drive down the shop half a mile away? That sort of thing. You can make big changes by doing little things and it's something I think a lot of people forget about.

I would also recommend along with whatever dedicated training/diet you are following….. To check your lifestyle approach.

Do you get the lift rather than the stairs? Do you drive down the shop half a mile away? That sort of thing. You can make big changes by doing little things and it's something I think a lot of people forget about.

+1

I almost always get the stairs if their is a choice bewteen that an escalator/lift but would say 99.9% of people don't choose that option

Since you're not exactly body building – I'd stay off protein supplements.
A fast way to lost weight would be to take up jogging / running.
But if you're a bit weighty – you might want to consider swimming first of all.

Incorporate porridge and oolong tea into your diet 🙂

Diets make you fat.

So don't diet, but devise a lifestyle (eating, drinking & exercise) you can adhere to for the long term.

Make sure you don't eliminate things you will develop a craving for, or force yourself to do things you hate.

According to
http://www.the-perfectshape.com/tag/calories/
"It is very important to remember that the human fat tissue contains approximately 87% lipids. This means that 1 kg of body-fat tissue has the caloric energy of 870 g of pure fat, representing about 7,800 Kcal. So, in order to lose 1 kg of body fat, you have to create an energy deficit (consume more than assimilate) of 7,800 Kcal."
(consume = burn up , not eat)

If 7800 Kcal = 7800000 cal then… exercise exercise exercise
20 x 7800 Kcals all the best.

Think about what you are trying to achieve. Loosing 20kg is a great target but what you probably want to do is lose 20kg of flab. If in the meantime you add 10kg of muscle you've actually achieved the same (arguably more) but looking on the scales you'll be dissapointed.

As others have said adding muscle will help longer term so I would seriously consider adding some form of weights program. Your increased protein will help build this muscle. It will also help give your body a balance that will be missing from only cycling.

I'd also consider having a fat test done so you can see what the results are and get some professional advice. I don't know how good the DIY kits are so maybe somebody else can advise on this.

To show you why I think this is so important in the last 12 months I've dropped from 28% body fat to 20%. In that time I've only shed 4kg in weight – 99kg to 95kg. I noticed an inital drop in weight followed by a plateau as I'm guessing fat and muscle swapped in equal measure. The plateau was really dissapointing until I realsed what was going on.

Good luck and whatever path you choose its a positive step.

If 7800 Kcal = 7800000 cal then… exercise exercise exercise
20 x 7800 Kcals all the best.

Kcals are always colloquially referred to as "calories". No need for the x1000.

You don't say how old you are, how tall, how heavy.
20kg is a huge amount of weight, and not everything you lose will be fat.

to give you an idea, 1 Kcal supplies enough muscular energy to lift an average adult 1 metre…

Diets make you fat.

The wrong diet makes you fat.

simonfbarnes – Member

to give you an idea, 1 Kcal supplies enough muscular energy to lift an average adult 1 metre…

what does that mean? i've read it a couple of times and maybe I've been in the sun too long but I can't make sense of it..

what does that mean?

it means if you climb 100m, and average adult will burn up about 100 KCal, ignoring friction, wind resistance etc. If you're small it'll be less, if you're big it'll be more. It's just a ballpark figure, but the point is, a single Snickers bar is enough to lift you (and your bike) 300m, so it's way easier not to eat the bar than it is to work it off afterwards 🙂

thanks – that's clearer now..

I went on a diet coke + pot noodle diet for a while a few years back, lost a stone a month for 3 months with only moderate exercise, can't say I'd recommend it though :p

Was the diet coke actually going in the pot noodle?

So far I've lost 13kg in 2 1/2 months. Just excerise more and cut out the unhealthy snacks.

Hi Simon ,
You can achieve your weight loss in the amount of time you specified without any pain at all.
I was 142.5kg on the 1st of October 2009 and as of tonight I am 107.5kg.
I did have two weeks of at christmas and 4 days off when in ROME with 14 of my rugby mates recently so all in all I have lost 35KG in around 5 months.
Training hard and drinking around 5 litres of water a day with only 530 calories approx.
A real hard shift but I only have to loose another 10KG AND I will hit my target weight.I am 38 and was at my fittest 14 years ago at around 98kg .I will be climbing Kilimanjaro on the 25th of June to cap it all with 7 stone lost and around £7000 raised for Quarriers village , a local charity.
So whatever you have to loose just be focused and you can do it , take my word for it and the very best of luck Simon.
I should mention that I am 6'2" and had the backing of my doctor and go every four weeks for blood pressure tests and heart rate checks. it should also be noted that I have never had high blood pressure or anything above 76 for a resting heart rate ,now 54 BPM I should add.
What I did was very focused and some might say super extreme .Not a diet persay just a massive lifestyle change. I never want to go back to the person I was but live as I now am …or will be shortly.

Cammy Taylor

see my just giving page at http://www.justgiving.com/CAMERON-TAYLOR

Training hard and drinking around 5 litres of water a day with only 530 calories approx.

Holy ****!

Sorry, but the Just Giving page should have a before and after 😆

hi, thanks for all the reply's.

a few stats

age – 27
height – 5.8
bmi – 28
body fat – 27%

i am cutting down my cals, keeping the carbs up on exercise days and uping my protein

i doing cycle rides mainly on road. i dont drive and i only walk, cycle or bus places (bus only if needs be). i live in bristol

ScottChegg – Member
Hmm Kate Moss. Not exactly a paragon of healthy living.

nope but shes skinny 😉

thats a quote that keeps me going

i am losing weight now since i can run again. 8lbs in 4 weeks.
feels great to run again in the woods 🙂

I've lost a stone in the last five weeks by going out on the bike every day pretty much for at least an hour. I don't eat anything I haven't made, (cake at Peaslake shop excepted) and drinking around three litres of water a day. I keep a bag of Clementines on my desk and have fruit for lunch and breakfast. It seems to be working. Also the fact I can now easily climb stuff that had me off and pushing a year ago is a definite bonus. I had a weak moment and bought a sausage roll from a place I like the other day, had one bite and binned it, tasted like what it is, a fatty, shitty mess…

trying to lose fat is going to be difficult from just my stomach area and get to abs. but want to feel good for my wedding in november.

jedi – Member
i am losing weight now since i can run again. 8lbs in 4 weeks.
feels great to run again in the wood

Hmm.

This is just my running activity this year, slowly coming back from an injury, and yet i lose about 1lb every blue moon 😐

I really do think i am one of those people who drives past a Burger King and pops on weight…..

Edit: You think i would have remembered running over 300mph…..

Training hard and drinking around 5 litres of water a day with only 530 calories approx.

Holy ****!

+1 😯

Do you mind me asking what the 530 cals consists of ?

Losing 1lb a month 'til September time and then I seem to put maybe 4lbs on over the winter.
It's a long term plan for me, hoping to shift about 6lbs of fat per year for about 3 years.
Seems to be working a treat and I never feel tired or fatigued this way.
Just had a rather large breakfast though!

PS – Max speed above was 300mph++

Considering your body weight fluctuates by anything up to +-2.2lbs a day then a pound a month isn't really much! I'd expect you to be losing that just training for the 24 solo!

As you say …

I'd expect you to be losing that just training for the 24 solo!

& that's what's happening!

1lb a month over 2-3 years (as stated above) is bang-on & perfect.
If, whilst training for a 24hr solo event and managing 8-14hrs training a week you add muscle but lose fat, then 1lb is exactly the sort of weight loss I'd expect to see, and see it I can!

Wait 'til you cross into your 40's and you'll experience a real, albeit subtle change in your body & its composition, and weight loss is slower & must be managed smarter than you guys in your 20's.