losing weight for racing

[cyclingfemm]

Been racing crits and road races and have won a couple cat 5's and decided to cat up. I'm struggling that I could be faster but being on the heavier side is slowing me down on the hills and my performance. There's a road race in October I want to start losing weight for. 5'5 148 female. I've done intermittent fasting/counting calories in the past with great results, got down to 119. But as soon as I start biking 7+ hrs/week, strength 1/2 a week my appetite becomes unbearable. Would love to be 135 for the race and eventually 125-115 just to see what it's like at peak fitness. Do you employ the help of coaches/dieticians to help keep you on track with your diet?

 

[JayKosta]

The goal is to find a way to build muscle strength and aerobic endurance. That usually includes an increase in 'muscle weight', and loss of 'fat weight'.

I recently started a program of Sprint Intensity Training (SIT) that is called SPRINT 8 , (it seems to be a variation of Tabata intervals) - it claims to be good for strength and speed, and with weight loss as a side benefit. It does seem to work for me, as I've lost some 'fat weight' in the last several weeks.

 

[azizusmareal]

@cyclingfemm Congratulation on your racing achievements and decision to focus on weight loss for improved performance. To reach your goals prioritize nutrient-dense foods, practice portions control, and consider working with a sports nutritionist for a customized meal plan. Maintain proper hydration, monitor progress beyond just weight, and seek professional guidance from a coach or nutritionist to optimize your training and nutrition plans. Remember to approach weight loss with a healthy mindset and make sustainable changes that support your long-term goals. Good luck with your training and the upcoming race!

 

[Unchained]

Congratulations on many things. Women's racing is often much more difficult because of smaller fields and too wide a variation in ability within a given race. Way easier to hide and finish when the field is 100 in a pan flat 4 corner office park crit than the same race w 20 people, w nowhere to hide from the wind and basically asking many female racers to just ride solo or almost solo..tough stuff.
Fat can't be targeted, so if you feel you are heavier than you want to be, definitely something complicated, has to be true first of all and that needs to be determined by a team. Starting with a doctor, then some help on nutrition, so you are getting the right amount and type of calories to go slowly and safely down in weight. And sprinkle some coaching in there so while you are achieving some physical thing on the scale, you also meet or exceed your goals on the bike.
Journaling can really do a bunch to fix things. Know things about yourself, when you are awake and asleep.
Start whenever you want, how much did you sleep? And what did do while you were awake? And what did you eat to achieve it?
Good set up is to pre cook and prepare healthy meals for half or as much of the week, on the weekend so you and your plans don't crash and burn because you got slammed, car problems, boss wants more, car or bike problems, ect..and you make bad nutrition choices, gotta have, at the ready, high quality fuel and stick to it..
See where you are later in the year w slight increases possibly in mileage and mileage quality. Quality is key because the calendar has lots of short, fast crits, and few big selection races where you are asked to make10-30 minute climbs..
It's going to come, don't worry, big percentage of bike racing is wanting it and it sounds like you do. Stay in the fun as long as possible. If you find yourself around professional CAT5s or 4s get away from that level of serious.
I live by old school rules of upgrading..10 points..3 for a win..2 for second..1 for third.. Zero for participating. 40 counts as a qualifying field size. So yes a win is a win.. But standing on the podium when there was 5 in the race.. well you see what I mean.
Sounds like you have goals and that is amazing.. Write them down and what you are doing on and off your bike to get there.. and the only other thing is that bicycles and bike equipment are generally very good if not great.. Don't buy a bunch of junk. Instead your training and racing will demand certain things, listen to your training and act accordingly. That is coming from a guy that never ever never needed an aero time trial helmet but I bought some.. Yep more than one..

 

[old_wrestler]

good luck bro

 

[nate_hughes82]

The goal is to find a way to build muscle strength and aerobic endurance. That usually includes an increase in 'muscle weight', and loss of 'fat weight'.

I recently started a program of Sprint Intensity Training (SIT) that is called SPRINT 8 , (it seems to be a variation of Tabata intervals) - it claims to be good for strength and speed, and with weight loss as a side benefit. It does seem to work for me, as I've lost some 'fat weight' in the last several weeks.

Best of luck on your journey. I hope that you gain success in the same. I too would like to give it a try to the same if you share some insight over it.

 

[JayKosta]

sprint8.com or Sprint8 on instagram / facebook

I do the workout on an elliptical machine (Matrix Ascent at local YMCA).

Sprint intensity interval training (SIT) might be dangerous to do out on the road - the 30s intervals are done at true 'max intensity' which causes extreme short term fatigue. The rest interval is 90s, and for me the 1st 30s is a blur of just keeping upright, 2nd 30s is 'that was brutal, but I'm feeling a little better', last 30s is 'OK, I can do another one now'.

For me, I need several days of 'recovery' between SIT training days - so I usually only do 2 per week, with several other days of less intense / exhausting activity (I'm 76, so I don't recover quickly enough to do 3x/week).

 

[MaxForsyth]

I’ve definitely been there with the appetite thing, especially when you’re putting in serious hours on the bike. It’s tough to balance training and not overeat, but I’ve found tracking my meals and focusing on high-protein, low-calorie foods helps. When I was training hard for a few races last year, I used fitness business software to keep everything organized—workouts, meal tracking, and progress with weight loss. It really helped me stay on track without obsessing too much over the numbers. I think once you get the rhythm, it’s easier to keep the cravings at bay while still fueling your body for those long rides!

 

[nate_hughes82]

Running is the best exercise, when it comes to lose weight. Even when you go for the weight lose in any gym, the trainer will first ask you to go for running on treadmill.