Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

LOL Kat! bob love them calves :) I realize my self that it does take time and realize the you are building muscle also. Helps if you measure yourself along with weighing. I can tell the muscle gain and the way I feel now.

Well, I've been reading this thread for a few weeks now, and finally decided this thread could help me reach my goal by being accountable.

I am 32 years old and about a month ago bought a Trek 2100. I am totally addicted and haven't been this motivated to get back in shape for years. I want to lose about 60 lbs. In the past three weeks I have lost about 10 pounds. I have been riding 4 to 5 times a week.

Everyones storys a very inspiring, and think this thread is a great thing!

My weight loss is going NOWHERE despite increased cycling and decreased eating. :(

And if that doesn't work, here's the thumbnail. ;)

Oh baby! :roflmao:

Hey ya'll!

I was off on an adventure over the weekend. I traveled to the bikejournal.com Frist Union gathering near Mena, Arkansas for a century ride. I posted a full report here (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=68285) .

Man, it is amazing what you will do when the cycling bug grabs you! I lost a couple of pounds over the 5 days I was away.

I'm attaching a photo of me in a paceline. I'm the third guy in the line.This photo was taken by "Kincannondale" of bj.com fame. You can view his Friday night ride photo documentation of the event at his club site here. (http://www.reddirtpedalers.com/gallery/20040924a/index.asp) Keep an eye on his site as he will be posting the Saturday century photos soon.

I am now movitivated to cycle more. Train more. Group ride more! I had a great time! There is nothing like getting motivated by such a great event!


EDIT: I've also been motivated to get a new bike! A friend of mine is hot on the trail for a 2005 Jamis for me. :D The old Bainchi is just not suited for the type of riding I am trying to do. I'll keep it for my commuter and of course touring bike.

Bob,
Looks like you had a great time, I was wondering where you had disappeared to. :D You will have to post a pic of your new bike when it arrives!

Hey Kat!

I had a life changing experience! I really had a great time. It was physically hard challenging. I had the worst ashma attack of my life which knocked me out of the ride at the Metric Century point. I was pretty dissappointed. But a trip to the hospital would have been much worse.

I will post a pic of the new ride when I finally get it. We are just in the initial research on them. I know it will almost certianly be a Jamis. The guy in front of me in the paceline photo is riding a Jamis Comet. Its a sweet bike! Its only around 17lbs!

The adventure was fun, but I am glad to be home. Even with the winter weather on the way Thursday. :(

Long time lurker here. As of August, I weighed 250Lbs. For the past 10 years, my weight has fluctuated between 240-260. I've always hated riding the fine line of the Coast Guard's weight limits, even though I always hid it well (6'4").

I took biking back up while attending the CPO Academy in Petaluma, CA, this past August. Exercise is a large part of the curriculum, and what better a way to start a new "habit". It was easy to get going again - it's some beautiful country! I've always liked to bike, but I usually only rode during patrol breaks.

As of this week, I'm down to 230 - the least I've weighed in years. My eventual goal is 200-205. I've been riding between 100-150 miles a week, a little over 20 miles a day, 5 days a week. Most of it's on base, since there's only one road and one direction to ride from here! Of course it's flat, but I've ridden into some decent wind for a good workout (Karl, Jeanne). I'm addicted riding now and actually miss going out on my off-days.

My biggest challenge coming up will be during deployments - I'm stationed on a ship which is gone about 200 days a year, 70 days at a time. All you can eat, fat laden food is usually served. I'm going to try to keep in shape by using the stairmaster machines we have on board. The positive side is that I get to ride in many different Caribbean countries - Curacao, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Tortola, Grand Cayman, lovely Guantanamo Bay, ETC. Unfortunately these breaks are only a couple days long, a couple weeks apart.

Bob - I think I've worked you more than a few times over the past few years in various contests.

-Dave

Hey Dave! Congrats on the weight loss! Good luck keeping it in hand while on ship! I wonder if they would allow you to ride around the main deck? :rolleyes: (can you tell I don't know much about ships?)

Your call is VERY familure! I would not be supprised if we have worked many times in the contests! I know for sure that I'll be looking for your call this contest season!

73, Bob

Hi Bob - I could probably ride around the flight deck, but the helicopter tie downs would make it very tricky :) 500 laps would probably equal 1 mile. I'm considering a trainer, but it's a pain to get my bike from where I have to store it, up to the main deck.

I worked you for sure while I was in Guam in the late 90's - I see we had a QSO while I was KH2/N2NL. Honestly, I don't really keep a log per say while stateside, however I've been really active primarily in the CW NAQP and Sprints, ending up in the top 10 a few times. I'll probably end up operating the WWCW contest as N2NL/MM from somewhere in Zone 7 or 9.

Anyway, back to biking - I'm going for an evening ride since it's about 10 degrees cooler. In addition to losing 30 more pounds, I'm working toward a MTB century - from MM 0 in Key West all the way up the Keys.

73, Dave
www.n2nl.net

Bob congrats! Glad you enjoyed the ride.
Dave, welcome to the forum. Riding gets addicting. I have been riding in the rain and will probably have to ride through a lite rain today for my ride.

I lost 50 pounds on Atkins and I heard all the stories about gaining it back. Then something amazing happened ... I started exercising and because I was 50# lighter I could actually stick with it. I now routinely take two or three spinning classes a week as well as several long rides on the weekends. I no longer follow an Atkins regiment since I have an outlet for my carbs .... exercise. I feel great and have not gained back a pound.

I can't believe I did it! But I did. I talked it over with Coleen (my lovely supportive wife) and it was decided to go for it!

I ordered my first NEW bike! No, not another used bike. A brand spanking new one!

I ordered from a friends bike shop a 2005 Jamis Quest. I attached a photo of the 2004 model. The 2005 is Blue and silver. It also has different wheels. It should be in the bike shop next Friday. Then not sure how long to get it built up and to me. I may meet the shop owner in Glaceir National Park for its maiden voyage on the Going to the Sun Road. :eek: The shop is about 200 miles away in Canada. Man, you just gotta love the exchange rate. :D

What does this have to do with weight loss? EVERYTHING! It is my weight loss and change in my lifestyle that makes this possible.

I am going to be training harder than ever. On my "big ride" last weekend, I found out that I still have a lot of conditioning to do. I also found out that my cycling goals are well within my grasp this next year!

I am posting here mainly because of the supportive nature in the Weight Loss Club. We all know the ups and downs associated with our ambitions. I just wanted to share an "up" moment with everyone!

Bob,
Congratulations on everything! You are where everyone wants to be. The new ride is a much deserved reward. New "bod" and a new "ride"… victory must be twice as sweet!

So are you training for compositions yet?

Congratulations again,
W.J.

Hey WJ! Thanks man. It feels really good to have the additional motivation of the new bike! It is very sweet! Not only is the new ride cool, but my friend that owns the bike shop emailed me to let me know that Jamis told him that I'll be the first 2005 Jamis Quest owner in North America! How cool is that? They don't even have the '05s on the web yet!
Can you tell I'm excited?

As for training for "compositions?," I know my gramar is not the best, but geez! :rolleyes:

If I do get to come to Texas next summer, we'll get to have a great ride!

Congratulations on your ride and your lovely new bike! :)

My big announcement...I've lost a whopping 1.5lbs! LOL! Not too earth shattering, but it has restored my faith in the system. Well, let's hope this keeps up. 6.5 more to go until November 6.

Holy Cow! All I can say, it was Friday and my evil twin was seen at my computer. How did he miss that? He should stop relying on the computer to check his grammar and spelling! Lazy bum!

juf2m, just keep at it. The Kg's will come off. Just enjoy the journey.

WonderJaw, I didn't know you had a twin? Obviously you got all the brains. :rolleyes:

In July, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol and high glucose ... dropped my road bike on its gears, and instead of fixing the 20-year relic, bought a new bike. I've been on it practically every day since then. Rode so much in the heat of summer that the valve cap MELTED and ruined the valve so bad I had to get a new inner tube. I lost about two clothing sizes - went from a women's size 12 to an 8. At 44, I feel great and am going to get my blood checked again to see where my numbers are. I've been biking since I'm a kid. It's "my sport" and I love it. It's a fabulous way to reduce. Prior to biking all the time, I was doing exercise videos, walking, going to the gym, but with the bike, I can really build the intensity and go for a long duration outside, where I love to be. I prefer "natural exercise" (being outdoors) versus being cooped up in a gym or in front of the VCR/DVD player, althought I am rebounding on a trampoline as a filler (if I get rained out of a long ride, or just want to supplement activity). I prefer activities that can really get my heart rate up while I'm having fun and feeling free - and that's ON THE BIKE!

Wow, sounds like everyone is making great progress! I'm wondering how most people measure their 'weight loss' - I've been hesitant to weigh myself too often because I've heard it can fluctuate a couple pounds either way because of water, etc. What do you do to measure your progress in small increments?

I weigh in only on Sunday mornings. I have a digital scale so if you don't stand in the same place 2 times in a row, it can give a couple pounds difference. I've traced my feet on the scale so I know exactly where to place them every week.

I'm only down 10 lbs. but my schedule doesn't let me ride as often as I would like.

I'm a Sunday morning weigh'r myself. I'm actually up 3lbs. (give or take) Clothes are fitting looser so I'm guessing that some of it is muscle gain. (I hope)

Hey Bob - Nice new ride!

I weigh myself daily - in the morning when I wake up, and after bike rides. It's always hot and humid down here, so I like to see after riding how much water weight I may have lost, to make sure I am properly hydrating.

There are those who believe in weighing only once a week. I am not one of those. I understand that weight fluctuates from day to day, and keep that in consideration. I'd hate to be working hard on a diet, exercising regularly, and excited to see my weight at the end of the week, only to see a higher number or something less than expected. When I weigh myself daily, I may not see much of a difference until I look back at my log and notice the pounds are dropping off.

I completed two goals this past weekend: my first metric century (on a MTB at that), and the first time I've weighed less than 230lbs in over 10 years. Next milestones include an imperial century, and breaking the 220 barrier.

Dave

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I think I'll start weighing myself every morning, that way I'll get to know the usual range for me. (Then hopefully it will slowly start dropping!)

Congrats on your first metric century, Dave. On a mountain bike!! Way to go. Will you be using a road bike for your 100-mile century goal?

Nope - MTB all the way. I really can't afford a new bike at this moment, and I like the sturdier frame. The roads here aren't bad, but aren't the greatest either. With a MTB, I don't have to worry as much about potholes. I do run slicks which evens the score quite a bit.

A note on daily weighing - your weight WILL fluctuate a lot. Just keep that in mind. Mine varies 3-4 pounds through the day. I keep a log (bike log with a column to record weight), and even though I might not think I'm losing anything, looking back a couple weeks at my records shows otherwise.

Dave

Hey Dave! I can't wait to get my hands on the new bike! I hope I have enough nice weather to enjoy it! I'm putting up a new tower right now, hope to have it up this weekend at the latest. :D

I think I'll start weighing every morning. I can record it on my Bike Journal (http://www.bikejournal.com). It will be interesting to see what things look like over time.

EDIT: Forgot to say CONGRATS on your Metric! The full century will be a breeze too. Just have fun!

Howdy all!
I'm not sure exactly what to say, but I'm feeling inspired by this thread. I just got my bike yesterday, and am really looking forward to riding. I used to ride quite a bit in high school. I didn't get my driver's license until I was a senior, so I commuted to work and school on my 1985 Peugeot 12 speed. I loved that bike. I kept it in my bedroom until I went to college.

I always managed my weight pretty well through sports. When I was single, I played softball, basketball, and vollleyball each one night per week, year-round. I maintained an even 190lbs. At 6' tall, I had some "love handles", but I was happy with it. When I got married, sports took a back seat, and I had to drop volleyball. At least my wife played softball with me. :D

In May 2000, I broke my right ankle and two bones in my right foot playing basketball. One of the bones was a weight bearing bone, so no walking boot for me! After I got the cast off, I still couldn't use it at all. I used crutches for another month after that. I had a severe limp for several months beyond that. During the two and a half months of cast and crutches, all I did was lay around. Consequently, I gained 30 pounds in those 10 weeks.

I never really lost that weight, but gradually my ankle gained strength (I started walking, worked up to 3 miles when I quit). I started playing basketball and softball again, and was slowly shedding weight. I was about 220lbs in November 2002 when I broke my left elbow (radial head fracture), again playing basketball. The weight shot right back up to 230. I decided that I had to give up basketball after that one. Fortunately, I was able to regain full extension in my elbow.

After almost two years of moping (although I did enjoy watching my children grow), I met a friend that was a road cyclist. Hearing him talk with passion and enthusiasm about his sport brought back memories of my teenage years on my Peugeot. After a month of thinking about it, I decided to take up cycling. There was only one problem; no bike! With my wife pregant with child #3, I had to figure out how to find a good bicycle without sending my wife into labor with sticker-shock.

After a month of research and scouring the Dallas/Ft Worth metro area, I found my bike. I used the "forgiveness is easier than permission" route and bought a new 2003 Giant OCR2 (note: I do not recommend this method of buying things when dealing with a pregnant spouse). The store had it sitting in its warehouse, still in the box. They gave me a substantial discount on it to get rid of it.

So now I have a bike! Still have to get shoes, though (my wife is gonna love that). I have the perfect place to ride until I'm comfortable on the roads. I live next door to the Texas Motor Speedway. The service road that circles the Speedway is almost exactly 5 miles. It's very lightly travelled, except on race weekends, but I avoid it like the plague then anyway.

I hope to be posting my own shrinking weight here shortly. Thanks for keeping this thread going.

*EDIT* I want to state for the record, that my choice of forum username has nothing to do with any certain professional cyclist. It is my middle name, and will be the name of my first-born son (when ever he arrives). I took it as my email address 5 years ago, and see no reason to change it now. :)

I am glad i found this forum I like what I have been reading I am 5'7 and a hefty 268 I brought a hybrid because i felt I was too heavy for a road bike but one day I will get one. I went riding every weekend summer last week I did the MSbike tour a 20miler and next week I am doing the MSbike tour a 30 miler and the weekend after that for my 40th birthday i am going to do a 25mile tour I figured that between working out and riding I would really like to reach my goal weight of 175 by next winter(or sooner) thanks for all your post...Also changed my diet to include more fruits and veggies and less junk food

In May 2000, I broke my right ankle and two bones in my right foot playing basketball... November 2002 when I broke my left elbow (radial head fracture).
Still have to get shoes, though (my wife is gonna love that).
All I can say is... 1. Be sure and wear a helmet 2. It's like a band-aid... rip it all off... one time. There is no point in going through the same pain twice. 3. Welcome to BikeForums :)

I am glad i found this forum...
You have found a great support group. Questions, advice, and even encouragement can be found here. Be sure and share (post) your success... call it synergy, karma, or whatever. It's contagious! Welcome to BikeForums :)

WonkerJaw,
I do have a helmet, a pair of cycling shorts, and a tire pump. I bought those during the month long search for my bike.

I can't wait to start riding myself. Hopefully, I'll get some shoes today or tomorrow.

Welcome bxbikerguy & Lance_Work!

WJ is right. This is the place to be! Great people, great inspiration!

Now, go out and ride! :D

EDIT:Hey, W.J.! What the heck is that in your avatar?

EDIT:Hey, W.J.! What the heck is that in your avatar?

My guess: the front end of a good-sized catfish.

I am glad i found this forum I like what I have been reading I am 5'7 and a hefty 268 I brought a hybrid because i felt I was too heavy for a road bike but one day I will get one.

If it makes any difference, I was 5'11" and 265 when I started this Spring...and went straight to a road bike ('04 Marin Portofino). Now I'm down to 225 and just finished my first Century. Keep up the good work!

Well, at 5'11'' 263 I am a tad heavier than I should be. I started biking a little over a year ago as a way to lose weight and it has now become an obsesion (biking not weight loss). I took some spinning classes ( 3 a week to be exact) and found it a great way to lose weight and lower the heart rate, I dropped my resting heart rate by nearly 20bpm. When the wife got pregnant back came the weight and I no longer have the gym that offers spinning, so I just picked up a CycleOps trainer and hook up for a ride when I get done with my commute. I ride at night since my commute is only a 2.5 miles round trip. Thanks to the link to The Bike Journal I now have a great way to keep track of my rides and success. Hope to post a lot, and good luck to everyone!

Welcome Special K!

Stick to it. Don't forget to come back to this thread often for motivation (kick in the pants) when needed. :D

We have a Tuesday night chat session over on Bike Journal. Would love to see you there.

Bob

My guess: the front end of a good-sized catfish.

Ick! :rolleyes:

I must give up comfort food! Since it's Friday (and was a long week), I had my favorite take-out meal, some wine, and dessert. The take-out itself is rather healthy (from a vegetarian restaurant), but I realized I HAVE to stop 'comforting' myself with food and drink! Wine, dessert - the calories add up. I have to find another way to relax on the weekends! Does anyone else struggle with this?

-Grad Student

P.S. I love this thread! I wish it was its own forum!

Hey GradStudent,
I think many of us have to contend with comfort food issues. I know I sure do. Especially this time of year. During the summer I am able to get out and ride. Play ball with the kids. Take a walk with the wife. Anything but eat. But this time of year, I am like a bear. Its time to eat and get ready to hibernate.

i'm 28, 5'-9.5" i weighed 195 in january, i weighed 165 by about june. since then i've just been losing fat and gaining muscle, no weight change. i quit drinking a 6-pack everynight, i bought a kona, started yoga classes, started weight training, and prepared all my meals at home, from scratch.

Okay, I'm 6'2", when I started riding hard last year, I weighted about 230 (the most I've ever weighted); I'm now at 197.

My goal is to get down to 165, with 8-10% body fat. Any speical suggestions on how to achieve that ellusive body fat total?? I just signed up for a gym and took my first spinning class...which went ok, no problems.

I did notice that my peak working heart rate fluctuated from about 170-189, and when the cool down started, it was back down to 150. I'm 37 years old, so this seems rather high. I asked the instructor if I should be worried about this. She said that it just indicates that I can sustain high anaerobic periods of work (we were working mostly on hills).

Does that sound right???

I'm by no means an expert.....but when I'm mashing gears as hard as I can, I usually can get up to and average 170-175BPM. I can sustain this for a few minutes at most. When I'm working hard, I average about 150 BPM over a 1.5 hour ride. I wouldn't think your range is abnormal - but again, I'm by no means an expert.

I'm more than 1/2 way to my goal of a sub-200lb weight. I'm 33 and 6'4". Mid July I was 250, and I'm down around 222 at the moment. I've been riding between 130-180 miles a week on my MTB. The real test will begin next month when I deploy to sea for 7 weeks, to see if I can keep the weight off without the ability to ride. It looks though like I'll get the opportunity to ride in a couple countries new to me (I bring the bike along - but we're usually rolling too much to safely use a trainer).

Dave

The scale keeps on moving downward. I applaud everyone on this thread, I find it the most inspirational of all for keeping me motivated. I have had a cold for a bit, so haven't been on the bike for almost a week, but plan to be back in the saddle within the next day or two.

Man! I need to get off my bottom! Talk about motivational, this thread is awesome! I'm 5'11" and 265lbs. now (308lbs. at my heaviest) I ride a recumbent and tow my three year old son in a trailer. I used to commute twelve miles a day, but am a stay home dad now. Thanks for all the solidarity! I look forward to bringing updates to this thread soon.

I have lost 45 pounds in the last year. Surprisingly I was only biking during the last couple of pounds. Anyway, here's a pic.

I too have been on the roller coaster ride. I just turned 33 last week. From the age of 17-20, I was rowing competitively, lightweight fours, and weighed in at 72.5Kg's. Upto this past summer ('04), I was hovering between 85-92 Kg's. I could never beat the threshhold of 85K for long. This summer, a combination of better eating habits and exercise have helped me to lose the weight and keep it off. Reduce portion size, no eating after 8pm and less sweets (80%) and more protien with an eye on carbs. For exercise, its been aggresive trail riding (MTB-XC) for 45-60min covering 8-10km and weight training (circuit type) for 45-60min, helped me to drop down to 80K and MOST importantly, bring my body fat down from 25% to 18%. I am thrilled, especially when my wife admired the change !!.... and the clothes fit looser, hang better etc. Also, am fit enough run wherenever, whereever and stairs don't bother me anymore. It's a great feeling. As a reward, I upgraded my old Raleigh inferno SX to a Devinci Arrowhead !!

I have one question, which I'd love to hear feedback on. What might one do for a change of training during winter months? I'm getting a little tired of the circuit training and longing for a little heavy alternating with 30-45 min cardio on machines. cheers,
Chandev

When is it time to give away my "fat guy" clothes?

I have a range of clothes from 36" (my current size) all the way up to 48".

I seem to have an attachment to these clothes. Could it be that I hang on to them "just in case I balloon up again?" How do I get over this attachment? Or is it a fear? Or an excuse for a potential failure?

Please. Share your experience.

Thanks in advance!

Bob

Give them away fast. LOL. I recently found some old clothes in a box that I had out grown. They fit better than my now way to baggy large clothes. For some reason I'm stalling on buying new as I am not at my goal yet. In fact since I posted my 200 mark on Labor day I have been stuck at 200 since. I am thinking that the last 20-30 is maybe the hardest or at least slowest. the good news is this has become a way of life. Somewhere along the way I have started to look at food as fuel, not pleasure. Gotta fuel the ride.

Stannian, GOOD JOB!
Everybody keep up the good work. :)

Hey Wonker Jaw, where's your Catfish?

I am 5'11" and was dressing out at 244lbs the heaviest I had ever been. I was getting to be a pain to tie my shoes and get out of the car. I decided that enough was enough and I began walking and started to pay attention to what I was eating. Over time I dropped down 20lbs and started running. That was good for about 10 more pounds but it was beating the fire out of my knees. I had this old Huffy MTB that I started riding to change things up. Can't say it was any fun in the beginning, that Huffy felt like I was dragging bricks around. I found a Giant MTB in someones garbage and fixed it up and starting riding it, sure was a lot better and lost a few more pounds to boot. Shortly after that I decided I needed a road bike but couldn't convince the wife I needed one. Well low and behold someone gave me a KHS Steve Howard somethingorother and it was off to the races. As of this morning I weighed in at a slimmer 200 lbs and I love to ride. Would like to drop 30 more but God, I just love peanut butter....