I restarted commmuting by bike back in February, and have hardly missed a day since. It’s not a huge commute (3.7 miles each way), but enough to make it worthwhile.

When I began, I was unfit enough that struggled getting up the inclines in a moderately low gear without my heart racing (I could feel it when I got to the top), while now, I do the same inclines 3 gears higher without breaking a sweat.

In all that time, though, I haven’t lost an ounce in weight, and feel pretty much the same as I ever felt: like a late-30/early-40-something who eats too much, but hasn’t quite succumbed to morbid obesity.

How is it possible to get fit (after a fashion) in one way, but not in another?

I’m fit by looking so damn good.

You’ve provided a moderate stimulus to make you more efficient at riding up inclines. You haven’t provided any stimulus for prompting gains in upper body strength/weight-loss/flexibility etc

eats too much

Eat less and drink less alcohol, and try a different, longer route on the way home…?

late-30/early-40-something

do you not know how old you are? 😕

I am 39 and will turn 40 early in the new year, but had I said ‘late-30s’, it could have meant ’37’, and the state of my back is such that I have felt older of late.

As for alcohol, I don’t drink much at all. My weakness tends to be picking at snacky food before proper dinner, and more snacky food around 9 p.m.

On the job, though, I am certainly not sedentary, and think that the moderate amount of movement, coupled with the commute, keeps me just on the right side of healthy.

I just wondered why I could one thing well, without any other improvement.

I can build up reasonable bike fitness – especially when commuting regularly…

… but a length of a swimming pool will have me gasping and clutching for the wall by the end – HR at about 1500…

I just wondered why I could one thing well, without any other improvement

because you haven’t done anything to make your body think it should be stronger/lighter etc

I commute about 15 miles each day riding fixed at about 16-20mph, consider myself fairly fit – however when I ride xc I’m coughing up my lungs fairly quickly. I guess your body just gets used to doing what it’s doing – you need to change it up a bit on a regular basis.

Also, if you find yourself picking on food – try to keep healthy bits in the fridge, olives, carrots, mars bars, grapes etc

I had the same thing when commuting 11 miles each way 3 days a week.
You’ve just got to do more.
A good, hard MTB ride a couple of times a week makes a big difference. Uses a lot more muscles than road riding.

As Dave says – I can make a reasonable effort for hours and days on end. I cannot put out high power outputs for anything but short bursts – why? ‘cos that is how I exercise.

There are all different kinds of fitness – compare a rugby forward to a marathon runner

rkk01 – you have awful swimming technique then… try relaxing in the water.

SaxonRider – iDave is being all nicey-nicey sports coach with you… try doing HIIT on your commute home tonight. Take the long way home, ride as fast as you flipping can. You’ve adapted quite quickly to a pretty small amount of exercise. I assume you’re doing the 3.7 in less than 10 mins? If not, why not?

@iDave

Do you know of any resources I could look at to get me started? I have read a great deal about the iDave diet, but know nothing about it – or about any other stuff that might help…

[sorry. I posted before I saw the responses above.]

SaxonRider – you need to vary your workouts. The body adjusts pretty quickly to exercise levels.
Where I live there is a guy who commutes 25 miles each way to work every day and he is the classic example of a lardy middle aged man, not saying thats what you are 🙂 Although I reckon he must eat way too much too…
Try sprinting for 30s etc, also doing easy days and then full tilt days.

If you want to lose weight, start swimming 3 times a week. Proper front crawl type swimming.

Earlier this year I couldn’t do front crawl, and weighed 14 and a half stone. Took weeks to be able to do 6 lengths.

Now I weigh 13 and half stone, can swim 80 lengths comfortably (slow but comfy …..should be my motto), and haven’t stopped eating chocolate :-). Got a nicer “shape” to my upper body now too.

Started doing triathlons in July, and the combination of different activities and a bit of friendly competition means my overall fitness and endurance has massively improved.

I’m late 40’s nearly fifties. Well 47, keeping with the age theme!

I pay the bills making people leaner and faster. And do some stuff for free too. Basically your body adapts to the stress it’s under. So you need to place it under various types of physical stress to get results. At a basic level it responds to manual work by the skin becoming calloused. Weight-loss is the same, it needs change.

If you want to lose weight, start swimming 3 times a week

Is that the only thing that people can do to lose weight, or is it just what you did?

rkk01 – you have awful swimming technique then… try relaxing in the water.

Absolutely true.

Blind panic time – full on flat out. Can’t relax – I don’t float 😆

If you want to lose weight, start swimming 3 times a week
Is that the only thing that people can do to lose weight, or is it just what you did?

It’s what happened when I started swimming. Didn’t intend to lose weight. It just happened. Cycling didn’t cause me to lose any weight. Swimming did, without really changing diet or anything. Although after starting triathlon I do watch my diet a bit more, but not obsessively. Still drink beer and eat cakes, but just a bit less.

iDave – would be interested in what training plans you can help me develop for next year…oooh….starting to sound serious!

what if you can’t swim?

Cycling didn’t cause me to lose any weight.

Cycling has only ever caused* my weight to increase…

* cause / effect not proven 😉 my weight increases as my cycle mileage increases 😥

You do… but you need to relax. Try just seeing how far you can glide from a push off the end. Arms out in front of you, slighlty wider than shoulders, head pointing straight down… go.

MrSmith – Member
what if you can’t swim?

Get some lessons. I’ve really enjoyed the learning a new skill experience, even at my advanced age.

part of the weight loss with swimming is due to the water temperature

As in cold so burning more fuel to keep warm? Sounds reasonable.

Although my local pool probably sweats the weight off me some days!

I’m varying my exercise today – my usual up hill single speed 3 mile commute, but into the predicted 90mph headwind hitting Scotland this afternoon – should be interesting! Guess I’ll be using my pushing muscles…

The body is a wonderful thing and will adapt. Training needs to be progressive and specific. If you want to run/ride fast you need to do it in training.

As Zatopek said when he was asked why he always trained so fast “I already know how to run slow, I want to learn to run fast”

Reset your boundaries

what if you can’t swim?

fat forever. sorry. 😉

Is swimming good for weight loss?

Thought the Triathletes guide to weight loss was in order of effectiveness;

1, Eat less.
2, Run more.
3, Cycle more.
4, Swim more

The only thing I’ve done any different is swim.

I lost weight and got a nicer body tone……must just check myself out in the full length mirror one more time……..mmmmmm……niiiiice!

saxonrider, the email address in your profile seems to be wonky?

pushing muscles…

What are these? The same ones you use to take a dump?

iDave, I just sent myself a test, and it worked fine. But I will send you an e-mail from a different address to the one you have in your profile, and you can then use that one.