Active lifestyle but hard to lose 10 lbs

Evolvingthinker
Evolvingthinker Posts: 9 Member
edited July 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
I am 39 years old, 5'4", and weighed 150 lbs trying to get to 140 lbs. I am currently trying to eat around 1650 calories a day.

In 2005 I was at 140 lbs. It seems like with every decade I gain 10 lbs.

Exercise has been part of my lifestyle since high school sports. I currently bike commute 60 miles a week at 10 mph.

Weight lifting would definitely help and figuring out how to curb my passion to eat out would be ideal.

What have you found to be successful as an active lifestyle athlete to meet your weight goals especially those challenging 5-10 lbs?

Replies

  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Consuming fewer caloies.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Tighten up the calorie logging and you'll find that although loss may be slow, it will happen. Eating out makes it harder to eat at deficit as portion sizes are inclined to bigger and the calorie count is uncertain.

    Eat exercise calories back but only 50-75% of them to account for overestimated burns.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    Tighten up the calorie logging and you'll find that although loss may be slow, it will happen. Eating out makes it harder to eat at deficit as portion sizes are inclined to bigger and the calorie count is uncertain.

    Eat exercise calories back but only 50-75% of them to account for overestimated burns.

    This, plus you are most likely burning no more than 300 calories a day with the bike riding. More active than many, but hardly an active lifestyle athlete.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    Evolvingthinker wrote: »
    I currently bike commute 60 miles a week at 10 mph.

    Increase your distance and speed.

    If you use the calculation 100 calories burned for every 5 km, and 60 miles is 100 km, you're burning an extra 2000 calories per week. Divide that by 7 days, and that's only 285 calories per day.

    So keep doing your commute, but lengthen a couple days to 15 miles a day instead of just 12. Go out after work one day a week and do intervals or hill repeats to work on your speed. And maybe start doing some longer rides on one day of the weekend ... gradually build up to 20 miles, 30 miles and more.

  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
    Exercise more.
  • Evolvingthinker
    Evolvingthinker Posts: 9 Member
    edited July 2016
    Great suggestions.

    I will up my 20 mile a day bike ride one way to 5 days a week (I take the bus one way coz I get to work at 6 am and don't want to get sweaty), ride faster and reduce my calorie intake to maybe 1400.

    I always figured I might need rest days but maybe not. I will see how my body reacts.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    Evolvingthinker wrote: »
    Great suggestions.

    I will up my 20 mile a day bike ride one way to 5 days a week (I take the bus one way coz I get to work at 6 am and don't want to get sweaty), ride faster and reduce my calorie intake to maybe 1400.

    I always figured I might need rest days but maybe not. I will see how my body reacts.

    Yes, you do need 1-2 days of rest each week. But it can be active rest, like walking.

    Also, if possible, do different things on the bicycle ... strength/speed work like intervals/hills 1 day a week, long rides 1 day a week ...

    And mix up your routes too, don't do the same thing all the time.

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