Becoming deliberately less bulky in middle age.

[Square Leg]

Prof Prolapse said:

I'm still at a loss how anyone of average height can be 10-20kg overweight and be told they look so gaunt they look like they have cancer.

You guys either have baggy faces or very fat friends.

When I stand next to young Balfour he does indeed look gaunt.
And short.

[Louis Balfour]

Square Leg said:

Prof Prolapse said:

I'm still at a loss how anyone of average height can be 10-20kg overweight and be told they look so gaunt they look like they have cancer.

You guys either have baggy faces or very fat friends.

When I stand next to young Balfour he does indeed look gaunt.
And short.

He wasn't talking about me.

But I would agree that I look gaunt when standing next to you. It's a relative thing.

Anyway, have you been soaking your micro-box in Dettol in preparation? It's drawing nearer....

[Square Leg]

Louis Balfour said:

He wasn't talking about me.

But I would agree that I look gaunt when standing next to you. It's a relative thing.

Anyway, have you been soaking your micro-box in Dettol in preparation? It's drawing nearer....

Box not needed - just tuck some lockdown folds in the right place and I’m protected.

Looking forward to seeing you play in the Sunday family friendly matches...

[Louis Balfour]

Square Leg said:

Louis Balfour said:

He wasn't talking about me.

But I would agree that I look gaunt when standing next to you. It's a relative thing.

Anyway, have you been soaking your micro-box in Dettol in preparation? It's drawing nearer....

Box not needed - just tuck some lockdown folds in the right place and I’m protected.

Looking forward to seeing you play in the Sunday family friendly matches...

The world is not ready for me with a cricket bat.

[Piginapoke]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

456mgt said:

In my experience, it's virtually impossible to maintain weight loss that's purely down to exercise, it's what you put in your gob that matters more. And unless you modulate it, you will become round. It's called middle aged spread for good reason.

Indeed. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet. There aren't enough hours in the day. I used to think "I've put the bins out, so I can have a fry up." But putting the bins out means you can probably lick a stamp.

This is true. I burn about 10,000 calories weekly through running/cycling but still put on 5 kgs through eating crap.

Now trying to get back down to 76kg but it's a long old road at 50.

[hotchy]

To loose 2lb a week since new year all iv done is had a healthy breakfast, healthy small lunch and a decent dinner, nothing majorly changed except ill make chips just potatoes. No snacks bar the odd jelly or yoghurt, then come friday/Saturday whatever i want for dinner and as many snacks as I can fit haha. Anyway lost 2 stone and going all the way to abbsville. Probably just my over eating of crisps, crisps, some more crisps and the odd crisp that made me so over weight. Once thin im dropping carbs for 4 weeks to have fully visible holiday abbs. Then come back fat. Wooo lol

[AudiMan9000]

But if you simply start eating less, is the weight you lose fat...or muscle?

[smn159]

Piginapoke said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

456mgt said:

In my experience, it's virtually impossible to maintain weight loss that's purely down to exercise, it's what you put in your gob that matters more. And unless you modulate it, you will become round. It's called middle aged spread for good reason.

Indeed. You cannot exercise your way out of a bad diet. There aren't enough hours in the day. I used to think "I've put the bins out, so I can have a fry up." But putting the bins out means you can probably lick a stamp.

This is true. I burn about 10,000 calories weekly through running/cycling but still put on 5 kgs through eating crap.

Now trying to get back down to 76kg but it's a long old road at 50.

I burn about 5,000 calories a week running and am currently fairly stable at 78kg - aged 57. The benefits of a decent amount of exercise go beyond weight loss through - other processes within your body become much more efficient to compensate, which is where the health benefits come from.

In terms of weight loss though, I found that cutting out as much processed food as possible gave the biggest benefits.

[smn159]

AudiMan9000 said:

But if you simply start eating less, is the weight you lose fat...or muscle?

To maintain muscle mass you need to work hard to use those muscles, regardless of what you eat

[AudiMan9000]

smn159 said:

AudiMan9000 said:

But if you simply start eating less, is the weight you lose fat...or muscle?

To maintain muscle mass you need to work hard to use those muscles, regardless of what you eat

I understand that, but my question is will the calorie deficit attack the fat cells or the muscle material?

[ORD]

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that, but my question is will the calorie deficit attack the fat cells or the muscle material?

His point is that this depends on what stimulus you have towards muscle retention. If you’re lifting, you’ll mostly lose fat. If not, it’s a mix and depends on how fat you are, mainly.

[didelydoo]

ORD said:

AudiMan9000 said:

I understand that, but my question is will the calorie deficit attack the fat cells or the muscle material?

His point is that this depends on what stimulus you have towards muscle retention. If you’re lifting, you’ll mostly lose fat. If not, it’s a mix and depends on how fat you are, mainly.

As a (very) general rule of thumb- with non lifting & lower protein diet, fat loss is about 50% fat, 50% muscle. With a higher protein and lifting regularly, fat loss is 80-90% and muscle loss 10-20%.

So you will lose more fat if you lift regularly when dieting (provides it is with enough intensity) Not more weight loss, but more fat Loss.

[ORD]

And it’s mostly just carbs and water at first, too, right? It takes a week or so before I lose any fat, from what I can see.

[didelydoo]

ORD said:

And it’s mostly just carbs and water at first, too, right? It takes a week or so before I lose any fat, from what I can see.

Glycogen, water, fat- won’t be noticeable at first though.

[ORD]

didelydoo said:

Glycogen, water, fat- won’t be noticeable at first though.

Yep. Even at my small size, I can lose 3-4kg without it being visible!

[didelydoo]

ORD said:

didelydoo said:

Glycogen, water, fat- won’t be noticeable at first though.

Yep. Even at my small size, I can lose 3-4kg without it being visible!

Everyone is fatter than they think- everyone is ‘5kg away from abs’ - whereas the reality is usually double or triple that

[gregs656]

didelydoo said:

Everyone is fatter than they think- everyone is ‘5kg away from abs’ - whereas the reality is usually double or triple that

I hope that’s not me. I have got pretty close a couple of times but I’ve never had proper no tense required abs.

I’ll take another crack at it this year though anyway. My plan is to cut in may and see where I land.

[didelydoo]

gregs656 said:

I hope that’s not me. I have got pretty close a couple of times but I’ve never had proper no tense required abs.

I’ll take another crack at it this year though anyway. My plan is to cut in may and see where I land.

It very much depends on your genetic distribution of fat, and the size of your abs- but generally there’s way more fat to lose than most think!

[spikeyhead]

gregs656 said:

didelydoo said:

Everyone is fatter than they think- everyone is ‘5kg away from abs’ - whereas the reality is usually double or triple that

I hope that’s not me. I have got pretty close a couple of times but I’ve never had proper no tense required abs.

I’ll take another crack at it this year though anyway. My plan is to cut in may and see where I land.

I last had visible abs about 30 years ago, I suspect they won't be seen again.

[Louis Balfour]

spikeyhead said:

gregs656 said:

didelydoo said:

Everyone is fatter than they think- everyone is ‘5kg away from abs’ - whereas the reality is usually double or triple that

I hope that’s not me. I have got pretty close a couple of times but I’ve never had proper no tense required abs.

I’ll take another crack at it this year though anyway. My plan is to cut in may and see where I land.

I last had visible abs about 30 years ago, I suspect they won't be seen again.

But you're probably at a stage in life where you could buy some. There are few problems that can't be resolved with a bit of cash: