Jacket Size

[bikesam]

Im sure I am not the first one with this problem, so I wanted to see what other folks think about this.

So, I've been working out pretty hard for the last 3-4 months to put on size. I've been doing the whole 3500 calories a day and lifting heavy and as a result I've gone from 135 to 160lbs. This means that my jacket just no longer fits. My goal is to get to about 165 or so and then start cutting to get ready for the summer. So I think I'll end up at around 145-150 in hmm, 3 months, maybe?

I think my current jacket will fit at 145 (it will be very tight, but thats how it ought to fit right?). So I'm not sure if I want to invest in a new jacket for this interim period. Would you spend the money for a new jacket. Any other creative solutions that wouldn't require me to spend additional money?

[setasai]

Originally Posted by bikesam

Im sure I am not the first one with this problem, so I wanted to see what other folks think about this.

So, I've been working out pretty hard for the last 3-4 months to put on size. I've been doing the whole 3500 calories a day and lifting heavy and as a result I've gone from 135 to 160lbs. This means that my jacket just no longer fits. My goal is to get to about 165 or so and then start cutting to get ready for the summer. So I think I'll end up at around 145-150 in hmm, 3 months, maybe?

I think my current jacket will fit at 145 (it will be very tight, but thats how it ought to fit right?). So I'm not sure if I want to invest in a new jacket for this interim period. Would you spend the money for a new jacket. Any other creative solutions that wouldn't require me to spend additional money?

That kind of depends on what you use your jacket for. I got my jacket a little larger so that I can fit layers of clothing in it since it pretty much use it for an all season jacket.

The jacket should be snug so that the armor doesnt shift around but it doesnt need to be so tight that it's restricting. How long have you had your jacket for? If I was set on looking at a new jacket, I would go ahead and purchase one that would fit snugly when at 160lbs and would have a little bit of room after you've toned down a bit. That'd give you the option of layering when the weather gets chilly. A lot of textile jackets will have straps around the elbow to tighten up the sleeves since that is the place that armor shifts the most. There isnt much space for anything to shift around the torso, so having a little extra space there isnt as big of an issue. Hope that helps.

[bikesam]

Originally Posted by setasai

That kind of depends on what you use your jacket for. I got my jacket a little larger so that I can fit layers of clothing in it since it pretty much use it for an all season jacket.

The jacket should be snug so that the armor doesnt shift around but it doesnt need to be so tight that it's restricting. How long have you had your jacket for? If I was set on looking at a new jacket, I would go ahead and purchase one that would fit snugly when at 160lbs and would have a little bit of room after you've toned down a bit. That'd give you the option of layering when the weather gets chilly. A lot of textile jackets will have straps around the elbow to tighten up the sleeves since that is the place that armor shifts the most. There isnt much space for anything to shift around the torso, so having a little extra space there isnt as big of an issue. Hope that helps.

Its hard for me to justify owning two jackets. I see your point though, if I think of a second jacket as more than a gratuitous second jacket, but more as a winter jacket, then its a lot easier to justify owning two.

I've had my current jacket for a little over a year, and like all things related to the motorcycle, I'm pretty attached to it. (Sounds silly, when written down). But it took me almost 3 months of searching to find a jacket that I liked, wanted and could afford so I think it would be hard for me to sell it (considering the return on investment, and personal attachment).

Good call on jackets with straps; I didn't know they made them. I have never owned a textile jacket, so I have never looked in that direction. I'll also do a search on this forum for what others say about textile v. leather.

As for the fitting, when I was gaining weight, I remember the jacket being pretty snug at 145, kinda restrictive at 150, and unzippable at 160.

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by bikesam

Its hard for me to justify owning two jackets. I see your point though, if I think of a second jacket as more than a gratuitous second jacket, but more as a winter jacket, then its a lot easier to justify owning two.

I've had my current jacket for a little over a year, and like all things related to the motorcycle, I'm pretty attached to it. (Sounds silly, when written down). But it took me almost 3 months of searching to find a jacket that I liked, wanted and could afford so I think it would be hard for me to sell it (considering the return on investment, and personal attachment).

Good call on jackets with straps; I didn't know they made them. I have never owned a textile jacket, so I have never looked in that direction. I'll also do a search on this forum for what others say about textile v. leather.

As for the fitting, when I was gaining weight, I remember the jacket being pretty snug at 145, kinda restrictive at 150, and unzippable at 160.

You may want to reconsider and get two jackets. Since you are up in size now, and you have leather now, what about thinking of getting a summer weight textile/mesh jacket. Many keep one leather for colder seasons and one summer weight jacket anyway, and this would get you something that fits your current size, encourages you to be ATGATT and keeps you cool at the same time. You can generally find pretty good deals on summer weight jackets, too.

[kkim]

Just get a closeout textile jacket that will fit your bulked up size. They can be found for $75 or less if you get lucky. When you do drop back down, you can use the larger jacket on cold days with a layer under it. Get a textile jacket design that you could possibly use when off the bike, too.

LOL... No need for 2 jackets??? I think I'm up to 5 or 6, right now, and that doesn't include the one piece Aerostich for commuting.

[Xoulrath]

Sam, I am curious, why are you working out so hard to gain the weight, to then cut back down? I used to do the weight thing back in the day and what you're doing sounds foreign to me.

Originally Posted by kkim

LOL... No need for 2 jackets??? I think I'm up to 5 or 6, right now, and that doesn't include the one piece Aerostich for commuting.

I know, right?! I don't have enough jackets. I'll more than likely be looking for an inexpensive quality mesh jacket in the summer.

My textile one works fine so long as I'm moving, which is my normal MO on the bike, running the back-roads. With my wife getting more seat time on her ride, and more comfortable at lower speeds, the textile may be too hot for those 45mph-or-lower speeds. In addition, I do ride with friends every so often into a heavily trafficked area and the textile doesn't cut it while your foot is on the ground and not on the peg moving along.

[kkim]

most textile jackets have zippered venting to allow varying degrees of cooling. dependent on the ambient temps, they work well for most temps except the extremes.

[setasai]

I know black is the cool color but remember that white is always going to be cooler in the summer weathers. I'm looking in a cool looking white textile mesh jacket for this summer. If winter was this cold, i'm predicting this summer to be a killer, especially for the elderly.

[Xoulrath]

The extremes being what I am referencing when I say I would like to get mesh for the summer. Upwards of, sometimes over, 100 degrees, with high humidity. No thanks. Like I said, when I'm doing the riding I prefer then I am perfectly fine even in the conditions mentioned, in textile/leather track pants and track boots and gloves with my textile jacket. The jacket has mesh panels and flows air wonderfully. It's just those extremes at slow speeds. I experienced it a few times last summer. Not in a hurry to get back there.

[bikesam]

Originally Posted by setasai

That kind of depends on what you use your jacket for. I got my jacket a little larger so that I can fit layers of clothing in it since it pretty much use it for an all season jacket.

Originally Posted by gfloyd2002

You may want to reconsider and get two jackets. Since you are up in size now, and you have leather now, what about thinking of getting a summer weight textile/mesh jacket. Many keep one leather for colder seasons and one summer weight jacket anyway, and this would get you something that fits your current size, encourages you to be ATGATT and keeps you cool at the same time. You can generally find pretty good deals on summer weight jackets, too.

Originally Posted by kkim

Just get a closeout textile jacket that will fit your bulked up size. They can be found for $75 or less if you get lucky. When you do drop back down, you can use the larger jacket on cold days with a layer under it. Get a textile jacket design that you could possibly use when off the bike, too.

This seems to be the consensus then. I'll look into getting a closeout textile jacket. I guess I'll do a little bit of poking around on the internets for a deal. I've been a gawker on here long enough to know not to question the wisdom of consensus on this forum! I can't remember the last time that has happened; with one exceptional topic of ATGATT.

Originally Posted by kkim

LOL... No need for 2 jackets??? I think I'm up to 5 or 6, right now, and that doesn't include the one piece Aerostich for commuting.

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

I know, right?! I don't have enough jackets. I'll more than likely be looking for an inexpensive quality mesh jacket in the summer.

Really? I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but I didn't expect most people to have multiple jackets. This may be getting a little off topic, but I made it a resolution a couple of years back to own as few things as possible and to donate things that I own if I haven't used them for over six months. I just hate the idea of things going to 'waste' in anticipation of a rainy day, when someone out there could use it everyday.

Kelly, you ride a LOT more than I do. I suspect you would laugh harder if you found out how often I ride. Because of long hours at work, I only get to really ride on the weekends (sometimes once every few weekends, sadly) Aghh! Oh BTW, I was super stoked to move to CA from the East Coast, so that I could enjoy the weather here...that is, until I kept on seeing your motorcycling pics on various threads!

[bikesam]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

Sam, I am curious, why are you working out so hard to gain the weight, to then cut back down? I used to do the weight thing back in the day and what you're doing sounds foreign to me.

I did a lot of research on this before I got started. Professional bodybuilders seem to think that its very difficult to put on just muscle mass w/o adding weight from fat. The logic goes, that if you want to put on weight, you have to eat 3500-4000 calories (depending on your metabolism). Technically, it is possible to eat that many calories without increasing your fat intake (I tried eating grilled chicken breasts for 6 meals a day) but its really difficult. I got tired of it REALLY REALLY fast.

I was never a 'huge meal' kinda person, so it was pretty hard for me eat that much food to begin with. So I just focused on consuming high amounts of calories and protein with less of an eye towards my fat consumption.

Well, long story short, I now weigh more than I ever have. I have more muscle mass than I ever did, but I also have more fat mass than I ever did. So goal later would be to lose some of the fat, while trying to retain most of the muscle mass. (Folks also think that you can can't just lose fat without losing some muscle mass also).

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by kkim

LOL... No need for 2 jackets??? I think I'm up to 5 or 6, right now, and that doesn't include the one piece Aerostich for commuting.

Wow. 2nd time today I'm tempted to show my wife one of your posts. "Look, I'm normal. Now can I have a roadcrafter?"

[kkim]

Originally Posted by bikesam

Kelly, you ride a LOT more than I do. I suspect you would laugh harder if you found out how often I ride. Because of long hours at work, I only get to really ride on the weekends (sometimes once every few weekends, sadly) Aghh! Oh BTW, I was super stoked to move to CA from the East Coast, so that I could enjoy the weather here...that is, until I kept on seeing your motorcycling pics on various threads!

Sam,

I think you would laugh to find out how little I ride the Ninja.

Like you, in the beginning, I was looking for that one, do it all piece of clothing for riding when I purchased the Aerostich suit, but soon learned I needed a bit of latitude to alleviate the shortcomings of the suit. I have since found that every piece of riding gear has it's shortcomings and no one piece of gear is the perfect, complete answer.

Just think of the gear you have as "seasonal" and with the seasons comes the need to add for warmth or adjust for cold. Build a collection that will cover the different riding conditions and then you'll be set.

GL with your weight training/bodybuilding... just be careful not to stress/damage your body with "unsafe" methods.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by gfloyd2002

Wow. 2nd time today I'm tempted to show my wife one of your posts. "Look, I'm normal. Now can I have a roadcrafter?"

I dunno... you'll lose your argument if you use me as your example of what is "normal".

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by kkim

I dunno... you'll lose your argument if you use me as your example of what is "normal".

Shhhh. She doesn't know that now, does she?

[setasai]

My gf calls motorcycling the guy's way of accessorizing. So now I'm not allowed to comment when she buys her 500th purse/shoes/dress/top/etc.

[kkim]

Originally Posted by setasai

So now I'm not allowed to comment when she buys her 500th purse/shoes/dress/top/etc.

oh yes, you are... you just don't know it, yet.

[Xoulrath]

Good luck with your jacket search and your workout, Sam. Just remember with those workouts that fat fuels the muscle. The fat cells in your body need to store more energy, in the form of more fat, to fuel your muscles for those intense sessions you have committed yourself to. Also, limit your carb intake, which I'm sure you do already; and remember our bodies need some fat to work properly so don't avoid it like the plague.

By the way, now that you have the mass, you may want to give push-ups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups a try. All without using anything but your own body as the resistance.

[setasai]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

Good luck with your jacket search and your workout, Sam. Just remember with those workouts that fat fuels the muscle. The fat cells in your body need to store more energy, in the form of more fat, to fuel your muscles for those intense sessions you have committed yourself to. Also, limit your carb intake, which I'm sure you do already; and remember our bodies need some fat to work properly so don't avoid it like the plague.

By the way, now that you have the mass, you may want to give push-ups, squats, lunges, and sit-ups a try. All without using anything but your own body as the resistance.

All great advice. I think pull-up/chin-ups are also a great exercise to strengthen upper buddy muscles. I completely stink at them but it's very satisfying to be able to do them.

[bikesam]

Thanks for the good advice all. I agree, I wanted to do this in a healthy way, and I think so far so good. T, I agree, we need fat in our food, I just meant that its hard to double your calorie intake without similarly doubling your fat intake. And right on, I am just putting together a more cardio focused work out plan and it involves a lot of pushups, pullups and sprints. I am looking forward to shedding some of this bulk!

And I'll also have to come to terms with owning multiple jackets. I guess it has already started...I had to buy a pair of warmer gloves a few months ago...and now a jacket. In a few months, I'll be on craigslist researching another bike, I'm sure!

[bikesam]

Originally Posted by setasai

My gf calls motorcycling the guy's way of accessorizing. So now I'm not allowed to comment when she buys her 500th purse/shoes/dress/top/etc.

I will never understand that...my gf's 2 purses cost as much as my ninja...and my ninja is a mode of transportation!!...yeesh

[Xoulrath]

Originally Posted by bikesam

In a few months, I'll be on craigslist researching another bike, I'm sure!

Why aren't you doing that now?!

Did someone forget to tell you the two or more rule? You must have two bikes or more at any given time, otherwise it is that much more likely you will come home with an unexpected friend one day! Or maybe I just made that up, but it sure sounds like it's right!

[bikesam]

Originally Posted by Xoulrath

Why aren't you doing that now?!

Did someone forget to tell you the two or more rule? You must have two bikes or more at any given time, otherwise it is that much more likely you will come home with an unexpected friend one day! Or maybe I just made that up, but it sure sounds like it's right!

haha! I now realize that this is the wrong forum to ask for advice on how to spend LESS money on the ninja!! (Thats what girlfriends or significant others are for, anyway )

[bikesam]

Just wanted to follow up, I got a brand new A* leather jacket on clearence at a local motorcycle shop for $120. It was a discontinued style and fit me like a glove, so I am really happy with it! The funny thing is that I've been to that shop a bunch of times in the last few months but never looked over at the jacket section. So thanks guys for talking me into this. I got a great deal cause I had an open mind, and I am soooo happy to have this jacket!!

[kkim]

welcome to the addiction!

[setasai]

Gratz. Enjoy it. Having the correct gear definitely enhances the experience.

[bikesam]

Thank you all VERY much!! I went riding with it yesterday, it I totally did not realize how restricting the old jacket was. This works great and I am stoked to have it! And I forgot to mention, that this fits me perfectly with the liner on, so as it gets warmer, and I put on a little more weight, it'll likely still accommodate me!