The dreaded belly

You wait til he/she gets older, it gets much harder! I regularly walk up to a couple of miles with a 3 year old on my shoulders, and occasionally have a 6 year old up there for half a mile or so (just to diffuse carrying jealousy). Sometimes I can almost feel my spine compressing as I walk, and have to peel my collar off my skin when I get home.

Still, 6 years of carrying kids about have left me fitter than I might have been otherwise!

 

Yet it is generally accepted that men put on weight with babies, I have no idea how but its doing it with me I have put on about 4lb since Eddie was born (to be honest if they told me I would put on 4 stone I wouldn't give a toss)

 

I used an HRM when I cycled lots (7 year hiatus in general due to parenting) and now that I'm properly back in the saddle I find it invaluable. These days I use a Polar CS100 which I like, I have my heart-zone set between 114 and 154 and if I don't go too mad I am probably within this for 60% of the ride.

It's fascinating to see what bpm you're pushing on certain climbs. It has hurt taking my initial 5 to 7 mile rides a month ago up to the 10 to 14 miles I have dragged myself back to within 3 to 4 weeks. Lunch-time today I went out for a 'gentle' ride and ended up doing 18 miles, the first time I've done that for a handful of years and I was not sore in the hands or backside. I rode hard too and took in 'the Zig Zag' at box hill in Surrey in the process, first time I;ve been up there in this decade! 300metres of climbing in 42x23 at 6mph with a bpm of 180. Lot's more climbing in the ride too, I'm amazed how good I feel save for the inveitbale dullness in the quads tonight and a sore neck. At this rate, I will get my weight down from 16st3oz to my target 15st fairly quickly I hope. I do hope so!

 

Riverdog explained it better than I could.

It's a case of getting your body working at the level which is best for the desired result, and keeping it there. The longer the better really.

I'm no expert at this, I'd like to add.

 

Paul - good for you ! I remember riding around Box hill, the mountain biking there was fabulous. Some really big hills from memory too.

Have you changed your diet too?

As I mentioned before, I changed mine on Saturday to get rid of some built up cellulite.

I weighed myself at 5pm today, and I've dropped from 13.5 stones on Saturday to 12.75 today.

My weight is bobbing around (its 13 stone right now).. but I'm determined to be 12.5 by next week. I'll do it too!

I should have changed my diet long ago. I'm not just lighter, I feel healthier and more awake too.

 

So do I, I saw it announced in the cycling press, apparently they come in different versions, with or w/o pedaling frequency, calorie consumption, total elevation climbed, etc. The GPS feature I like, you don't have to stop at crossroads to check the map anymore. Doesn't come cheap though.

 

Please tell me that was on a road bike...

 

It seems to be generally accepted that as you age, if you don't perform resistance exercises, you lose muscle mass. This appears to be the key reason why the metabolism slows and the waistline grows.

Resistance training can either maintain or increase muscle mass and it seems from what I've read to be the key to changing/improving your body shape, to increasing you resting metabolism, to maintaining a healthy balance of male hormones and also maintaining bone health.

Generally speaking there are no down sides to resistance exercise apart from the risk of injury. However cardio vascular sessions are important to maintain heart health and longevity and IME help your resistance sessions feel less strenuous.

The other theory which appears to have good credibilty is the low insulin mantra - eat to avoid the release of insulin (ie. low GI) and you will live longer and healthier. In studies on rats they witness 100% greater longevity for rats eating a very low sugar/low insulin triggering and limited quantity diet compared to rats fed on as much sugary food as they wanted.

 

The results of these studies have been known for quite sometime, just look around and I think you will see that a goodly proportion of people living to a ripe old age have a chest measurement that is somewhat larger than that of their gut! IIRC you look at the way people did their eating a couple of generations ago you will find the pattern may of conformed to that of "Feast or Famine" and was due to the economic stresses and starains of every day life thus resulting in the laying down layers of fat and a higher secretion of insulin than is now thought to be good for one. While today I would suggest that not too many people contributing to the forum need to adopt the Feast or Famine mode of eating to exist but slip into it via comfort eating due to stress, strain or boredom.

One of the other evils to creep up upon some in early middle age is that of an increasing disposable income, now before some start to laugh at the thought of more cash being bad for you just consider the sedantry pleasures of food, wine and a lack of physical work as a display of wealth. It would be not too bad if such displays were confined to one or two nights a week but with the help of the if you've got it flaunt it mantra takes over they you 're not only flaunting a wad of cash but a layer of gut - not a good look. It is begining to look like a failing to teach people just how their body works may well be a reason as to why things start to get a bit out of hand in later life and maybe some additional education is need for people who's thoughts and ideas were formed sometime ago.

 

Yes, a bike will do the trick. I suggest getting a proper racer with ten gears - maybe a Bianchi - they offer a great choice from about £400 to £4000. Build up slowly from half hour rides till you can manage 5 hours on the weekend. You will be superfit. Take loads of water or energy drinks and needless to say some healthy food. Good luck!

 

I have a very limited budget for a bike

I can't even afford to replace my Eltax's never mind buy a posh bike

A £200 car is luxery for me .

 

What you want is a singlespeed...

 

Amazingtrade
You're a Manc for God's sake. When I was nobbut a lad in Fallowfield we made bikes out of parts we found/scavenged lying about the place. No brakes, no lights, fixed wheel etc. Got us about the place for peanuts.

 

I have a budget of £100, I can put up with a cheapo thing, I've had cheap bikes before, but they are more fun because you get to fix them (a lot!).

 

well, isn't that motivation enough to spend less on booze?

 

Already am, went out tonight and instead of drinking 6 I drank 3.5.

I have also found a pub that lets us eat Subway inside

 

on*one inbred perhaps? Good idea.

 

the 1st bike i got when i started riding again was £120 off ebay and that was only cos i was a bit picky about what i wanted - if you do a bit of research and don;t mind waiting you can pick up a decent bike for under £100 easily.
on the protien with low fat front - there's obviously chicken but apparently goat is even better as a low fat meat. not sure where to get it from though - i'm sure tesco's doesn;t have it.

 

yeh, there's load of cheapo bikes - like this racer (tho, on;ly 15 minutes left - but it was the first one I saw) -

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Racer-Bike-Ro...4QQihZ013QQcategoryZ72573QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

get looking and get buying...

 

Work that body!

AT,
If you are having a holiday ( about 2.5 weeks) this year why not have a go at getting fitter by doing a bit of walking coupled with some resistance work whilst meeting lots of new faces? I'd like to suggest you get a return ticket on the train from Manchester to St. Gervais and do the low level The Tour of Mont Blanc (TMB). I and three friends did this when we were only a couple of years older than you and I still consider it to have been one of our best holidays. We tended to stay in mountain huts along the way and gained access via our Austrian Alpine Club membership card

The fun bit was returning home with almost no excess fat around the gut, bulging leg muscles and the stamina to go on for hours if required, on top of that a rock hard and slightly tanned body is still I think quite a good look. The downside to the trip . . I can't think of one, give it a go. From what I can remember after looking through old photos and maps the TMB link is all good info, if you need more info then PM me.