The reality is that, while it is more difficult for me to achieve and maintain a healthy weight than some other women, I do respond to diet and exercise. I have proven to myself that consistent exercise, especially mountain biking, will peel the pounds off no matter what I eat or drink. I am working to achieve that, once again.

I have been following the Weight Watchers POINTS plan to the letter since last Sunday. That makes today day nine. I have been doing very well. I’ve been using my Flex POINTS when I go over my allotted POINTS for the day, and I’ve been training, so I get to eat my Activity POINTS.

How It Works

At Di’s current weight, Di gets 26 POINTS to spend on food each day. On top of those points, Di gets 35 Flex POINTS for the week to distribute as she feels necessary. If Di wants to eat 29 POINTS, she can allot three of those Flex POINTS to that worthy cause. If Di wants to horde all of her Flex POINTS for a Dominos pizza and sweet, sweet microbrew on Saturday, Di can do that, too. Di also earns activity points when she exercises. Moderate-intensity bicycling for two-and-a-half hours converts to nine additional points that Di can spend on food.

The Evil, Evil Scale

This morning, I stepped on the scale to find that I weigh just as much as I did nine days ago. This doesn’t really surprise me, because I know better, but it really doesn’t do much for my self esteem or my motivation to progress further on this plan. Fortunately, for me, I decided to take waist and hip measurements, yesterday.

Why?

Because I know the scale is the weight-loss enemy when training. Yup. You heard me right. I am training. I am working on becoming a faster, stronger rider because I want to regain my podium status in races. Call it an ego thang.

Yesterday’s 30-mile ride greatly affects today’s weight…as in gain. A hard effort followed by proper refueling leads to water retention and the good kind of weight gain. This weight gain is temporary, however. (See Weight Gain after a Workout.)

While I will continue to check the scale for progress, because that is what I have been conditioned to do, I will compare my physical measurements to gauge my true progress. I know the first week was successful because I had gotten too fat for the “fat pants” I bought a couple of months ago, and now they are much more comfortable, again.

The great weight escape continues…

I have had the pleasure of meeting many riders who have taken up the sport as a supplement to a heart-healthy lifestyle adopted after experiencing a heart attack. Some riders mountain bike to take control of diabetes. Most of these riders are a part of a much larger group that simply wants to lose weight. The sense of community they find with their fellow mountain bikers motivates them to show up to the trailhead on a regular basis.

It isn’t rare to find an overweight, fast mountain biker on a Michigan trail. I am one of those riders. We often go for two-hour rides and aggressively attack various trail features like steep ascents and rocky descents. Sometimes, we push the envelope in an effort to increase our training in preparation for a race and to encourage further weight loss. For example, I recently did a five-hour, 27.4 mile ride. It hurt. It was hard. I completely tore my body down. I also properly refueled. I wasn’t surprised to find that I weighed four pounds heavier the next morning. This occurrence is common after a hard workout, and often throws many weight-loss hopefuls into a state of panic.

A hard mountain bike ride puts the muscles into a desperate state of repair. This is when the body is most receptive to carbohydrates and other substances that are necessary for muscle repair. Eating the appropriate protein/carbohydrate/fat ratio within a certain period of time can maximize the amount of glycogen stored in the muscles and liver.

Glycogen is a stored form of energy that is easily accessible by the body. It is easily broken down into glucose, a sugar that is used by the body’s cells for energy. After a workout, the body converts ingested carbohydrates into glycogen, which is stored in the muscles and the liver. When no more glycogen can be stored, the excess energy is stored as fat.

More glycogen can be stored after a hard workout. Each molecule of glycogen bonds to four molecules of water, so more water is also being stored. This accounts for a weight gain of as much as five pounds the following morning. This weight gain is temporary.

What do you do if you experience this post-workout weight gain? Don’t panic. The day after a workout, you may feel a little sore and tired. Rest, eat healthy meals and even do a recovery ride. If the trail is full of anaerobic features such as steep climbs, you may wish to take the road bike out for a gentle spin. If you decide not to ride, take a 20-30 minute walk just to keep the muscles loose. The next day, hit the trail with your mountain bike. You’ll find that you are more energetic and stronger. It will be well worth the temporary weight gain.