I like the others' advice regarding the frequency of meals throughout the day. I would caution against starting out too ambitiously, I recommend 45 to 60 minute rides of easy spinning to start out. As your strength and stamina increase then step up to real, but conservative, "training" (this could happen pretty quickly, a week or two). I'd hate to see you overdo it at first and risk; injury, fatigue, burnout, etc at the outset of your weight loss program. I recommend for beginners to plan on exerting about 50% of their perceived capability to start off with, increasing effort from week to week, then cycle your workout routiness alternating between "hard", "moderate", and "easy" workouts throughout the month. I think you could also benefit from a conservative weight lifting routing as well for overall strength and flexibility (maybe 2 or 3 times a week to include upper and lower body exercises). Drink plenty of water and mind the phlegm, when tightness, wheezing, and coughing occur during or after excercise, it may be a sign of excersise-induced asthma. Your doc may test for this and prescribe an inhaler to use before your workouts. Also, be aware that as your legs get stronger (addition of muscle mass), you could actually gain weight as muscle is heavier than fat. You may maintain a static weight for some time as your body composition actually changes for the better. Use your weight as only one of several factors in judging your health. Some other factors are: body composition (fat v. muscle), overall proportions and size, aerobic capacity, strength, flexibility, resting heart rate, blood pressure, etc. Weight alone doesn't take several factors into consideration and may be a frustrating and innaccurate standard by which people judge their overall health. Sustainable weight loss means losing a pound or so a week, rapid weight loss usually results in the eventual resumption of original weight and more (in something like 90% of "crash dieters"). Be realistic too. I think the best, easiest advice to remember is simply; eat what you like in moderation and move alot.