Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll try that. I guess I should be drinking about four of my water bottles per day, now that I understand a little better how much I should be drinking, I can shoot for my goal. I'm hoping that increasing water intake will increase lbs lost.

February 1,2005 Started a new job, we have a giant scale for weighing motors for cars. Hoped on and tapped out at 450lbs. I totally freaked out!!!
Immediatly cut out everything but water, less quantity intake of food, more water, no sugars, less carbs, no fried, just healthier foods in general.
Also it helped that i started working instead of sittign on my butt for 3 months after i got laid off!!

Well as of today 2/25/05 I am down to 414lbs and i havent even started excersizing yet!
I am getting a bike this weekend and joining a gym i the next week or so!!

That is awesome Big Lug! Congrats on the weight loss already. Once you start exercising you will be amazed at how fast the weight starts coming off.

Hope you have been saving some money for new clothes, you are going to be needing them. :)

Like low cell said in his post, Awesome job! I like the motor thing in the sig. line too! Let's all get supercharged!:) WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Thanks for the tips guys. I'll try that. I guess I should be drinking about four of my water bottles per day, now that I understand a little better how much I should be drinking, I can shoot for my goal. I'm hoping that increasing water intake will increase lbs lost.

You can add WATER to your FitDay.com Journal to track it if you haven't done so yet. :)

Also, I assume you have been checked by your doctor for diabetes. If not. Get'r done!

Zin

Big Lug, good for you!

Slow and steady is the best advice I can give. Be careful to avoid injury. See your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to exercise and that have no underlying issues that could be a problem.

After that, HAVE FUN!

Zin

You can add WATER to your FitDay.com Journal to track it if you haven't done so yet. :)

Also, I assume you have been checked by your doctor for diabetes. If not. Get'r done!

Zin

Oh man, I pray its not diabetes. I'm 21 years old! But yeah, I've been meeting with a nutritionist for a while now and we might do the test.

Zach.

No need to get alarmed. Constant thirst is a symptom of diabetes. Thats why I think you should have the blood test to see. Its far better to know and treat it, than to ignore it. Just get it check out. I've been able to reverse it. No longer on meds. My body is now processing glucose normally again. Your on the right track. :D

Zach.

No need to get alarmed. Constant thirst is a symptom of diabetes. Thats why I think you should have the blood test to see. Its far better to know and treat it, than to ignore it. Just get it check out. I've been able to reverse it. No longer on meds. My body is now processing glucose normally again. Your on the right track. :D

Thanks for the concern, it is really appreciated.

Thanks for the concern, it is really appreciated.

Hey, no problem! This thread is for those of us on this journey to walk together. To help one another. And, to watch out for one another.

Zin :)

Well it has been a few days since I checked in. I worked out tonight for the first time since Thursday of last week. Good and bad news. My eating has gone up, but my weight has stayed exactly the same. So I just need to keep myself in the gym and make good choices still.
Max: 304
Today: 281.3

You guys ever try working out first thing in the morning before you eat? Supposedly it burns fat more.

I used to do this when I had a weight problem.

I'd get on my tradmill first thing in the morning. It seems to curb your appetite also.

Not to jack this thread, but from my understanding one of the best things to do is a small amount of food in the morning and then working out. The food jump starts your metabolism and working out will burn that plus some fat if you're looking to lose weight.

Not to mention that it kicks your day into gear well. Hardest part is just getting up to do it, but I find it helps a lot especially on gym days.

Not to jack this thread, but from my understanding one of the best things to do is a small amount of food in the morning and then working out. The food jump starts your metabolism and working out will burn that plus some fat if you're looking to lose weight.

Not to mention that it kicks your day into gear well. Hardest part is just getting up to do it, but I find it helps a lot especially on gym days.

If you were doing high intensity exercise that would be ok.

It just that food causes your pancreas to release insulin. Insulin causes fat cells to resist releasing fat.

I would walk on my treadmill for about an hour at relatively low intensity in the fasting state. It really seemed to get me burning fat. I ate right after the treadmill workout.

Then in the evening I'd lift weights.

That's just how I did it. I'm not saying other methods don't work.

Hi everyone, I am a 43 yrs old male and was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma (bone cancer)a little over a year ago. Have been through many chemos and a stem cell transplant and still getting chemo injections in 21 day cycles. Before I found out about the cancer I was 5'8 175lbs now I am 5'6 235 lbs, height lose due to effects of MM on bones, weight gain due to extreme fatigue and no exercise at all.

Now I am finally feeling better and needing to do some exercise and to lose the weight I gained. Starting to eat right again and I am buying a new bike and going start riding for exercise, swimming and riding are the only things the doctors will ok.
I am going buy one of those dreaded dept store mtb bikes for now and when I get 200lb or under get a higher end bike. Its going to be all road riding to start with anyway,so I won't be beating it to death. So a couple of questions

What is a good starting point on riding as far as distances and speeds?
How often a week? I can ride everyday,I'm not working now.
Where can I find info on a exercise/weight loss cycling program?

Ok now the tough question, and I know everyone has their opinions, but is there any difference in the quality of Mongoose,Schwinn,Micargi,and even the Honda and Jeep bikes. They all have bikes with dual suspension and upright riding positions, some with disc brakes.I know they are not the top of the line, but for right now they will get me riding and fit the budget,around $200. (6500.00 a month in medical bills puts a crimp in the bike budget),so everyone chime in on you opinions on which is better than the others. Oh yeah and a used higher end bike is not a option, neither of the 2 LBS has anything used in that price range or even a new one.

Sorry for the long winded post.

Thanks in advance for any help and ideas.

I say any thing that fits you well for the bike. As far as distance goes... I began by riding until I was almost tired and then turning around. This allows you to push yourself slightly, without overdoing it. See my website for encouragement! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM Ritz.

On choosing a bike in the $200 range do not get anything that has rear suspension or disc brakes. They are going to be pretty much worthless plus they will have even lower quality components.

The rear suspension on a cheap bike bounces you around like crazy. This takes a lot of power away from the cranks.

Other than that just go out and ride. Ride a mile or two and then turn around. If you feel up to it do the loop again. Just don't get too far away from your house on the first few rides until you get a feel for everything. You don't want to burn out on it by wearing yourself out the first ride or two.

Ditto on the suspension. In that price range, avoid suspension - especially dual suspension. The shocks are basically just springs, and only serve to sap your energy, and only make it harder to ride. If you're riding roads, shocks shouldn't be necessary anyway. Disc brakes at that price are also too good to be true. Conventional brakes work fine unless you're doing extreme descents or swamp riding or something. The theme seems to be: Try to find something without a lot of bells and whistles, because at that price they are gimmicks, not to say you can't get a very decent and usable bike though.

Of the brands you mentioned, I would prefer Schwinn, but I don't have any hard evidence to support that.

One other thing to consider... Check with some of the bike shops before you go department store buying. Both of my local shops have some used bikes from time to time. A good bike that is used is still way better than some of the WalMart bikes. Also, most local shops will adjust the bike for free for a few months and can give you set-up advice.

Hope your recovery goes well...

I think I have decided on an Iron Horse Maverick Sport. I can get it for $209. I have a 2 mile loop planned out to ride. It has some small hills and all smooth new pavement and low traffic. If I go further from the house there are Killer hills that I need to stay away from right now.

Congrats on your decisions, and your dedication to your health and recovery! I looked that bike up, you'll probably get lots of miles on it :)

To make riding more pleasant, I suggest replacing the knobby tires with slick ones. If you still want a cushy ride, use larger slick ones, you'll still notice a big difference. I run big balloon (26x2.125) slick tires on my mountain bike, that thing rides like a dream. See the commuting forum for lots of good hints on running a mountain bike on the road ;) Slick tires are the #1 suggestion though.

Well the weight is still coming off. Soda free for about six weeks now and I have lost around 24 lbs. I came in at 278.1, but I haven't eaten much today, so I recorded it at 280. Keep it up guys, all it takes is some dedication to eating right and working out 3-4 times per week!

I posted a message and lost it ... dern it!

Was hoping I could get in on the weight loss club here! Just got me a bike so it's all new to me. I was advised to post on this forum so that I wouldn't lose out on much more advice and encouragement that I can gain here.

I need to lose about 60 pounds. I'm not looking to just lose weight, I want to be healthy. I enjoy riding my bike, but don't know all the ins and outs and secrets of losing weight by riding one.

Any advice you all can give me would be great. I've gotten some great advice on the Introduction thread from some of you already.

I will gladly report what I'm doing and how my progress is coming along. I certainly need the support. I lost 70 pounds 7 years ago by running/jogging/lifting weights, but riding will allow me to be doing something active with my husband and my children ... and my sister and her son.

Thanks for letting me in here !!

TX

Welcome TLL!

Now that you have your bike, I think the best advice I can give you is simply, ride. Ride daily. Watch your food intake. Most of all, ENJOY riding. :)

Zin

Hey Y'all! Welcome to the forum! I'm glad you're here and you might like my site for family oriented weight loss as well. WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM Watch what you eat, ride your bike and drink lots of water. Have fun doing it too, or you will lose intrest and give up. We don't want to be doing any of that!
:D :o :p :rolleyes: :) ;) Ritz.

I think I overdid it today. Oops. I did my longest ride ever (~17 miles, I know its not much) plus some riding earlier in the day, and weight lifting tonight. But I am at 278.5. That means I have lost about 25 lbs now. Woot Woot.

It felt really good to get out and do a long ride today. I haven't ridden that much since last fall.

Good job, Z is a G! Don't kill yourself though, and remember consistancy is the key! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM Ritz.

Getting kinda frustrated here. Still taking in about 1800 calories each day but I have been exercising damn near every day (ran 2.5 miles yesterday) and haven't lost any weight. I wonder if I'm again taking in too few calories and my body is storing fat rather than burning it. Any suggestions?

I'm not a nutritionalist, I don't even play one on TV. When I plateau, I find that consistancy is the key. You may get better advice from someone else, but that works for me. WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Hey all. Just started back dieting again, after falling off the wagon. I had been on the South Beach diet and lost about 30lbs (went from 230 to 199). Over a 5mo period i gained back, and as of Monday morning i was 220 again. Went back on it and four days later i'm already back down to 212. I know most of it is water weight, but it's good to see it coming off, and i've already tightened my belt by one notch. Imagine how far down i would be if i weren't drinking 6-7 litres of water a day :) The goal is 200lb by April 7th when we have family coming into town. Wish me luck!

I would say scrap the South Beach progam and buy the book Eat To Win for the 21st Century by Robert Haas,ms . Lance Armstrong uses the program and we all know about Lances comeback and performance.
My cousin started the Eat To Win lifestyle and lost over 30 pounds so far ...

I've been really happy with the SB diet, i'm certainly not looking to be Lance either. Mostly for me at least it's about eating healthier (i'm actually eating more). I'm having a chef salad for lunch instead of a philly cheese with extra cheese and mayo, or salmon and salad for dinner instead of general tso. My problem was back in about october i went on vacation, and when i came back i started just eating crap again. The reason for my weight gain is completely my fault, time to get back on track...

Max: 304
Min: 276

I've lost 28 lbs now since January 18th. Fitday.com is helping me watch my intake and keep track of my activities. It is also letting me know where to adjust my foods. I have a good plan now that will help me keep on course.

I have recently lost 15lbs in only three weeks time. I went from 190 to 175 after seeing a nutritionist who specified an eating plan for me. I could never lose weight no matter how many miles i would put in because after the ride i would be starving and felt justified in having a big greasy fast food meal. After this new eating program I can't believe how fast im losing weight and it is mostly fat as after the first two weeks my body fat went from 22% to about 18%. Well im goning to continue until i get to atleast 165 then hopefully i can keep it off.

February 1,2005 Started a new job, we have a giant scale for weighing motors for cars. Hoped on and tapped out at 450lbs. I totally freaked out!!!
Immediatly cut out everything but water, less quantity intake of food, more water, no sugars, less carbs, no fried, just healthier foods in general.
Also it helped that i started working instead of sittign on my butt for 3 months after i got laid off!!

Well as of today 2/25/05 I am down to 414lbs and i havent even started excersizing yet!
I am getting a bike this weekend and joining a gym i the next week or so!!


Weighed in today after riding 19 miles last night and having started the gym on 3/1/05 i am down to 398!!!!

Weighed in today after riding 19 miles last night and having started the gym on 3/1/05 i am down to 398!!!!

Good job man! We can all do this together!

Big Lug, keep it up! Great job!!! Ritz.
WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Hi Everyone,

Boy, this seems like the place for me. I went to the doctor yesterday for a physical and she told me to lose 60 lbs. I'm 5 feet 10 inches and weigh 226lbs, my doctor says I should be 166 lbs. I told her I haven't weight that in 20 years.

I love to ride and just started back on the trainer in the basement...I can't wait for it to warm up.

Anyway, I typed "cycing and weight loss" in a Google search and here I am. Reading through the posts has given me inspiration to get on that bike and stay on. If it's okay with all of you, I think I'll stick around and do some learning, some sharing and some shedding of pounds.

ps. Ritz, I checked out your site and it looks Great!

tsweet09, thanks for the compliment and welcom to the group!
WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

yeah awesoem site man!!

My goal with the site is to encourage a more active lifestyle, and to give credit where credit is due. Hey, if I can do it... Anyone can! Pass it on to your friends, I even have a few non-cycling readers that just think it's funny. Push the "My Testimony" button at the bottom of the front page, or in the "Links" page for some very intresting reading. Y'all enjoy! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Update time...

Mid November 2004 - 252 pounds - Blimp

Mid March 2005 - 226.5 pounds - Current Race Weight

Goal - 200 pounds by the end of race season

25 pound weight loss in 4 months, 1.5 pounds per week average

This is amazing for me, I am 6'6" and I am not extremely overweight but need to be lighter. Also with racing I have to eat heavly to have the power to do my best. I am eating 4000 calories on workout days, 2100 or so on non hard days. What makes me feel good is that people are really really noticing, expecially people I do not see that often. That makes me happen.

On a side note I have also gained significant strength and most importantly aerobic endurance, and muscle definition.

New guy here. Live in the mountains of No. California..Volcano. I'm 57 and just purchased a bike after too long of a time. At 5'11'', 187 lbs., I've gotta cut out about 15 lbs.. Per this thread I logged on to FitDay...good site and I hope it helps. Lots of encouragement here..Thanks!

New guy post here...I've been reading this thread for a while for inspiration, and today it's my turn to throw my hat into the ring and get off of my butt and get started!

So here's my background.... gained about 45 pounds back in 1996 or so and have been between 220 - 230 ever since. I'm 5' 10" tall...so the BMI isn't so good. No matter what I eat, or do not eat, I've stayed between that weight range, even when exercising regularly in the past. Unfortunately, I've got mild hypertension and blood glucose that lingers around 115 coupled with high cholesterol and triglycerides. I think the triglycerides are a genetic issue, as I went on a completely vegan diet for a while and they were still elevated...just not as much. So, here's what's finally gotten me motivated to really attack this problem... I've apparently had sleep apnea for a while now...always felt tired and didn't sleep well and such...well, I just sunk $1k on a CPAP machine and have been sleeping with it on now for 10 days and am really starting to feel better! So, I'm going to take advantage of this new found energy and get to exercising and eating right and riding my bike more, hence the reason I'm posting here today. I think by posting and updating this thread I'll feel more accountable and maybe it'll make me think twice before I eat the wrong thing or decide to take an unplanned day off...whatever works for motivation! :)

Started today with a two mile walk/jog to get started. I'm planning to do that daily and start lifting weights in a few weeks when I get accustomed to the increase in activity level. Also, plan to start bike commuting in to work on the couple of days I go in...work from home most of the time...

At one point in the past couple of years when the wife and I went on a "diet" together, I was able to get down to 205 pounds (with much hard work, as well as prescription diet meds...never again!), but I was able to come off of my hypertension meds and my BP returned to normal. I'm hoping now that I am getting what I think is the major issue addressed (sleep apnea) I can get down to 200 pounds as quickly as possible to get off of the BP meds and then take the rest of the weight loss slowly...so for me now, the diet is chicken, fish, salads (and fruits and veggies), oats and nuts.

Weight this morning = 226 pounds

:)

May 2003 - 263 lbs Dr. gives me 90 days to lower choelesterol and Blood pressure or go on medication. Friend at work suggests getting a bike. Hmm I used to ride regularly 20 years before and had gotten down to 165. Now I'm 6 feet tall and when not exercising my weight is between 185 and 200, so 263 way too much.
So I buy a $400 mountain bike and within 3 months had lost 35lbs and improved my blood ch. to Excellent. My doctor was stunned at improvement.
FF to now I'm at 210lbs and just bought a new road bike and have plans on being 180 by June!
Oh and a huge side benefit to wt. loss and strengthened knee muscles, I have basically no cartilage in rt knee and walking has been at times very painful. That has been vastly improved w/ wt loss.

Wow. Its been a while since I posted here.

I've been suck at around 220 for a long time. Not sure why. In the past I have not focused on my wieght quite so much. I think I will go back to that approach. Just ride and have fun. The weight will come off in time. My goal by August 24th is 180lbs. If the weather ever breaks perhaps I'll be able to get enough miles in to make it.

Quite discusted with the lack of progress. :(

Nice to see everyone's progress... :)

Y'all are all in the right place! Especialy you Zin, I'm still hanging at 262 but I Will get past it! So will you. Darren, and Ranzak... remember one thing, you didn't get this way overnight, and you won't get healthy overnight either. Do not let percieved lack of progress rob you of your motivation! Consistancy is the key. WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM as you can see on my site, it takes a while to reverse years of bad habits, but it is possible. Ritz.

Well thought I would give an update on my progress. Things have definately slowed down. Anyway, here it is.

12/1/05 - 220 pounds, 24% body fat
3/23/05 - 183 pounds, 18% body fat

The weight is still coming off just a lot slower. I was stuck at 186 - 187 for about two weeks. I recently changed my routine and that has made a pretty big difference. I also changed my breakfast, quit eating cereal every morning. Here is my new eating schedule.

6:30 am - 1 ounce brown rice, 1 ounce plain oatmeal, 2 packets splenda, blue berries or black berries, ground cinnamon, flax oil

9:30 am - Nutrigrain cereal bar

noon - Brown rice or a bowl of soup

2:30 pm - Nutrigrain cereal bar

4:00 - 6:30 - Gym time

7:00 - Something decent for dinner, somewhat healthy. Half the time it is a 6" sub from Subway.

At the gym I have a pretty much new routine, I'm concentrating on weights a lot more now.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday- Crunches (3 sets of 15, 140 pounds), Lower back (3 sets 15, 180 pounds), Trunk twist things (3 sets 15, 90 pounds), Assisted Dips (3 sets 15, number 12 on machine), Assisted Pullups (3 sets 15, number 12 on machine), Curls, bench presses, fly's (2 sets of each, whatever weight I can do that day), 40 minutes cardio

Tuesday, Thursday - Calf raises (3 sets 20, 200 pounds), Leg presses (5 sets, 10 - 15 reps, 375 - 400 pounds), Leg lifts (3 sets 15, 120 pounds), Rear leg lift things (3 sets 12, 100 pounds), 40 minutes cardio

Saturday, Sunday - Primarily cardio.

Right now I am only getting to ride about twice a week. The weather decides what days I ride, riding is the priority over all other exercise for me right now. However, some days I do hit the gym and do upper body after I ride.

First race of the season is April 3, wish me luck.

Well thought I would give an update on my progress. Things have definately slowed down. Anyway, here it is.

12/1/05 - 220 pounds, 24% body fat
3/23/05 - 183 pounds, 18% body fat

The weight is still coming off just a lot slower. I was stuck at 186 - 187 for about two weeks. I recently changed my routine and that has made a pretty big difference. I also changed my breakfast, quit eating cereal every morning. Here is my new eating schedule.

6:30 am - 1 ounce brown rice, 1 ounce plain oatmeal, 2 packets splenda, blue berries or black berries, ground cinnamon, flax oil

9:30 am - Nutrigrain cereal bar

noon - Brown rice or a bowl of soup

2:30 pm - Nutrigrain cereal bar

4:00 - 6:30 - Gym time

7:00 - Something decent for dinner, somewhat healthy. Half the time it is a 6" sub from Subway.

At the gym I have a pretty much new routine, I'm concentrating on weights a lot more now.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday- Crunches (3 sets of 15, 140 pounds), Lower back (3 sets 15, 180 pounds), Trunk twist things (3 sets 15, 90 pounds), Assisted Dips (3 sets 15, number 12 on machine), Assisted Pullups (3 sets 15, number 12 on machine), Curls, bench presses, fly's (2 sets of each, whatever weight I can do that day), 40 minutes cardio

Tuesday, Thursday - Calf raises (3 sets 20, 200 pounds), Leg presses (5 sets, 10 - 15 reps, 375 - 400 pounds), Leg lifts (3 sets 15, 120 pounds), Rear leg lift things (3 sets 12, 100 pounds), 40 minutes cardio

Saturday, Sunday - Primarily cardio.

Right now I am only getting to ride about twice a week. The weather decides what days I ride, riding is the priority over all other exercise for me right now. However, some days I do hit the gym and do upper body after I ride.

First race of the season is April 3, wish me luck.

good work so far but it sounds as if you're eating practically nothing! I was surprised when you said you have a 6 inch sub for dinner. What kind is it? Also, you may want to stay away from those nutri-grain bars as they have a lot of high fructose corn syrup in them. But keep up the good work. Don't ever get discouraged. :)

I generally have a Chicken Pizziola sub. It consists of 6" wheat (usually) bread, chicken, 3 slices pepperoni, pizza sauce (minimal), shredded mozerella cheese, banana peppers and oregano.

Not the healthiest sub in the world, but not the worst either. Plus it tastes great!