In an effort to become more efficient in my weight loss goals, I have been enumerating nearly every aspect of the process. I keep it all in an spreadsheet where I keep track of weight loss (lbs/percentages/totals), BMI calculations and variances, and miles biked/walked.
I figured that a chart of daily weight loss averages over time would trend similarly to a chart of daily miles biked over time - however, I was quite surprised.
A chart of my daily weight loss average starts out predictably high and tapers off as time goes by. It is natural that I would lose more weight in a shorter amount of time at the beginning. The decline is beginning to piss me off.
The average daily cycling mileage is shown above. The line is obviously sporadic due to the uneven nature of my cycling schedule. Aside from a similar uptick in early February, the weight loss over time does not seem to be affected by the miles biked over time.
I realize that this doesn't take calorie intake into account, nor does it take into account the type of workout (few long, high-mileage rides as opposed to several short, low-mileage rides) but I would still expect to see some correlation between the two data sets. Does anybody know what I'm doing wrong? Any advice on how to rejuvenate my weight loss numbers?
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They say 75% of weight loss is diet. As important as exercise is to your health and general well-being, it actually plays a relatively small role in weight loss. Regardless, of whatever the most current fad is, one fact remains true: if you want to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you consume. But, you still want to be good to your body so it doesn't work against you. Without becoming annoyingly obsessive, you need to become aware of what you are eating. Start by cutting out as much crap as is left in your diet--soda, high fat foods (especially saturated and trans fats), high fructose corn syrup. Then find an index card: across the top line write the days of the week (or the first letter of each) and down the left side write 1-6. You should have six meals a day, evenly spaced: three meals with snacks between. Every time you eat during the day, record it: a healthy meal with a balance of protein, carbs, and some fat, and not a ton of calories receives a check. Same goes for a small healthy snack, preferably with some protein, like a small handful of almonds, a low fat/non fat yogurt, or even a piece of fruit. The sugar in apples breakdown slowly, so your body is being fed long after you eat, unlike a candy bar. If you miss a meal or snack record a dash or leave the space blank. If you have an unhealthy meal, you get an X. This helps me, because even though I don't have a sweet tooth, I tend to eat a handful of whatever I give the kids or see sitting on the counter. You'll have to play around to find how much you can eat to balance with your exercise regimen, but knowing that you are going to record what you have eaten will make it easier to keep yourself honest. Oh, and if a meal isn't filling you up, add more vegetables, they pretty much have no ill effects. Good luck, Jeff. You are doing great.