Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Hey guys, I'll check in again. I've been spending almost all of my "free" time riding, so I don't post a lot. That and I'm out on the bike instead of in the gym, so I haven't been weighing myself alot.

But I have a question for you guys, do you think its a bad idea for me to ride a vintage road bike at 270 pounds?

I have a chance at a '79 bianchi for $25 that is supposedly in good shape and there is no way I'm passing it up. I'm just wondering if I ride it right now, will I break it?

update: Down to 365 fully clothed this morning!! Starting to see some muscle structure and such comign out i have been doing alot of weight traing also lately!

Go for it Z is a G, It's most likely made of steel being a '79 model and all... I would caution though, check the drivetrain for wear. It will cost you more to replace that than you paid for the bike. Keep up the good work and reach your goal! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Well I thought I'd check in, my life has been so insanely busy I had forgotten all about this.

Good news and bad news....bad news I've only lost about 10lbs over the past two months,
although the good part of that is I haven't gained any either. Managed a solid month of eating
healthy, and midterms came around it just didn't happen anymore. That's the bad news, the
good news is I stuck with my weight lifting much more than I thought I would, and have seen
nice improvements all around. Seen a 70% increase in bench press with similar (although not as
extreme) results in other areas as well. That's about the only thing that keeps me at it.At first
I would do about an hour at the gym, but now I'm doing nearly two hours three times a week. I
commute on a fixed gear now, which is the absolute best thing I ever did for my legs. All sorts
of muscles pop out now! :p

Came to the same realization as before, I'm on the way, but I still need to be putting in some serious
effort if I want to get healthy. I think I lost most of the 10lbs in the first month, and stayed steady
during the second. So, it's time to get back on the diet and stick with it. I can't find too many roads
to bike distances on, as I get a bit bored riding up and back the same 3-5 mile stretch over and over.
And it's a tad hard to zone out when there's traffic everywhere. So this week I'm going to start
running as well.

Doubt I'll make my original goal of ~230 by the end of June (24th B-day), as that would be around
50lbs in a little over two months. But hell, I'll give it a try. My inspiration is my best friend, he's lost
40lbs in the last two months doing no-carb and moderate running/weight lifting. Normally I'm against
no-carb, but it's worked especially well for him as he's diabetic, and has significantly decreased the
frequency with which he takes his Insulin shots.

My other inspiration, is that all the new muscle has really started to show through, and it looks great.
Sounds silly, but for the first time in a while, I can actually imagine myself as being fit and trim at some
point in the future. :o

Good luck everyone! :D

Keep it up! You can do it! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

I just wanted to let you guys know, it felt really good doing a 21 mile ride with a bunch of skinny guys on road bikes (I have a mtb with slicks) and being able to pace them for the whole ride.


(nevermind that they were all at least twice my age)

I would realy like to gett into riding a bike around town and stuff but for now I think that I need some easier exersie regiment . I am 22 and am in college right now. I love college. Its hard but im getting B's so i guess im ok. Anyway I have always been pretty out of shape but recently I realized it more than ever when I was supposed to go out and meet my friends. i live on the 5th floor of my doormitory. The elevator down the hall was temporarily out of order. I was tired already and needed to sit down.So i decided it was to much work and went back to my room. pathetic. I dont know how much I weigh but I maxed out my 350 scale like 2 years ago.Im scared of being this fat and i thought a bike would be good exersise. If the damn elevator worked maybe i could go out to ride a bike after i purchased one

Don't give up MelloneeM! Start now by making small changes. Do one thingdifferently today. If you normally have a soda at lunch, (Even Diet) get water instead. Then whether it feels like it or not, you have made a positive impact on your weight loss. Don't beat yourself up by looking too far ahead, and geting upset that your not thin, or fit yet. Small, gradual changes are what got us to the places we are today, and Small, Gradual Changes are what will get us in better shape. Soli Deo Gloria! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

yeah man dont get discouraged i was 450lbs on feb 1st 2005 and today i am 364 and still loosing it, you can look up my old post and see how strict i have been or shoto me a im or a email i will help you through it man it is the best thing i have ever done in my lie to get into better shape you would be amazed at the changes that you see!!

Well I managed to gain a little weight.

Max: 304
Now: 278

Hopefully I can start reducing my caloric intake again and get the ball rolling again.

Well, this being my first post here, I'll start by saying hello and that I've recently found this forum and am very excited to have a community to discuss fitness, bicycling, commuting and everything in between with a group of folks that has similar interests.

Now, for my odd 'weight loss' story.

I'm 6', 218 lbs. currently. I give this as a marker for where I'm at when I've not ridden for about 6 months, at all.

Some background:

I'm 31, have been married for 7 years and have eaten like a total pig. I smoke a pack a day and regularly drink 6-8 mountain dew 12oz. cans a day. I tend to get wrapped up in computer gaming, which is why I've had the hiatus from riding recently, and reflected back on something that took place about a year ago.

On my 31st birthday (June 7) of last year, I was at 289 lbs. (quite literally the biggest I've ever been). I work in an office where stress+sitting in front of a computer is bad enough, but a friend introduced me to a video game, Everquest. After 3 years of doing nothing but sitting at work for 8 hours, then coming home and playing that video game for another 8, then squeezing in 2-3 hours of sleep, its no wonder I was in terrible physical shape. The combination of pizza, fast food burgers and Taco Bell had taken its toll on me.

Needless to say, when my birthday hit, my wife asked me what I wanted for a present. For 3 years prior it was either a)a gaming card b) an expansion to EQ or c) new computer parts; well this time, I did something different. I asked for the one thing I missed most - a bike. We went down to the local LBS and I picked out a Haro V3 (2003) model. I think she and the guy in the bikeshop had the same mentality, that this would become nothing but a 3-month thing and then I'd be back to sitting in front of the computer.

So, from June-Oct. I started doing some strange things:

1. I actually pawned my computer to get it out of my house.
2. I stopped drinking soda.
3. I went on a diet consisting of chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables. I only drank water and the occassional sobe.
4. I still couldn't quit smoking, but I was able to cut back.

I never really noticed it, I always had issues waking up since I was a kid. But, I started deciding to commute the 13 miles (one way) to work. It was impulsive and stupid (to most of those people I knew, including my wife, her family - it was sorta a big joke) but I got it in my head that I was going to do this, period. Needless to say, on a mountain bike it wasn't easy. But I went from taking around 1:15 to get to work down to 46 minutes. I didn't pay much attention to my weight, but in Oct. my in-laws started talking about their weight loss on the Atkin's diet. They purchased a scale and were very proud of their 15 lb. weight loss. They kinda chided me to get on the scale (they said I looked like I had lost a lot of weight).

This is were I lost it. I had gone from 289 in June (sedetary) down to 187 lbs. in Oct.

So, we went out clothes shopping (I was very frugal and refused to buy clothing during this period) because it was becoming pretty obvious that my size 42 pants were literally deathstrapped to me via my belt. I was back into a size 34.

And that's where things went wrong. Due to finances that plummeted faster than the DOW recently, I had to put the bike up for sale (it literally came down to selling it or not being able to feed my wife and son). We were living week-to-week and expenses seem to jump out of nowhere when my wife lost her job. Needless to say, I sold the V3 (I believe we spent $345) for $50 to a LBS.

Fast foward to now:

My wife got another job, I've been promoted and moved up to a better position in my company and can afford another bike. This time, I've vowed I will not let the bike go at any cost. I'm back up to 218 lbs., but know that once I get another bike I can start losing weight fast.

Anyhow, I thought it was an interesting success story for how biking+reasonable diet can = massive weight loss. I anticipate getting my new bike in June (we're holding off so I can buy a decent road bike and hopefully can consider doing a few charity rides next year).

Well, this being my first post here, I'll start by saying hello and that I've recently found this forum and am very excited to have a community to discuss fitness, bicycling, commuting and everything in between with a group of folks that has similar interests.

Now, for my odd 'weight loss' story.

I'm 6', 218 lbs. currently. I give this as a marker for where I'm at when I've not ridden for about 6 months, at all.

Some background:

I'm 31, have been married for 7 years and have eaten like a total pig. I smoke a pack a day and regularly drink 6-8 mountain dew 12oz. cans a day. I tend to get wrapped up in computer gaming, which is why I've had the hiatus from riding recently, and reflected back on something that took place about a year ago.

On my 31st birthday (June 7) of last year, I was at 289 lbs. (quite literally the biggest I've ever been). I work in an office where stress+sitting in front of a computer is bad enough, but a friend introduced me to a video game, Everquest. After 3 years of doing nothing but sitting at work for 8 hours, then coming home and playing that video game for another 8, then squeezing in 2-3 hours of sleep, its no wonder I was in terrible physical shape. The combination of pizza, fast food burgers and Taco Bell had taken its toll on me.

Needless to say, when my birthday hit, my wife asked me what I wanted for a present. For 3 years prior it was either a)a gaming card b) an expansion to EQ or c) new computer parts; well this time, I did something different. I asked for the one thing I missed most - a bike. We went down to the local LBS and I picked out a Haro V3 (2003) model. I think she and the guy in the bikeshop had the same mentality, that this would become nothing but a 3-month thing and then I'd be back to sitting in front of the computer.

So, from June-Oct. I started doing some strange things:

1. I actually pawned my computer to get it out of my house.
2. I stopped drinking soda.
3. I went on a diet consisting of chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables. I only drank water and the occassional sobe.
4. I still couldn't quit smoking, but I was able to cut back.

I never really noticed it, I always had issues waking up since I was a kid. But, I started deciding to commute the 13 miles (one way) to work. It was impulsive and stupid (to most of those people I knew, including my wife, her family - it was sorta a big joke) but I got it in my head that I was going to do this, period. Needless to say, on a mountain bike it wasn't easy. But I went from taking around 1:15 to get to work down to 46 minutes. I didn't pay much attention to my weight, but in Oct. my in-laws started talking about their weight loss on the Atkin's diet. They purchased a scale and were very proud of their 15 lb. weight loss. They kinda chided me to get on the scale (they said I looked like I had lost a lot of weight).

This is were I lost it. I had gone from 289 in June (sedetary) down to 187 lbs. in Oct.

So, we went out clothes shopping (I was very frugal and refused to buy clothing during this period) because it was becoming pretty obvious that my size 42 pants were literally deathstrapped to me via my belt. I was back into a size 34.

And that's where things went wrong. Due to finances that plummeted faster than the DOW recently, I had to put the bike up for sale (it literally came down to selling it or not being able to feed my wife and son). We were living week-to-week and expenses seem to jump out of nowhere when my wife lost her job. Needless to say, I sold the V3 (I believe we spent $345) for $50 to a LBS.

Fast foward to now:

My wife got another job, I've been promoted and moved up to a better position in my company and can afford another bike. This time, I've vowed I will not let the bike go at any cost. I'm back up to 218 lbs., but know that once I get another bike I can start losing weight fast.

Anyhow, I thought it was an interesting success story for how biking+reasonable diet can = massive weight loss. I anticipate getting my new bike in June (we're holding off so I can buy a decent road bike and hopefully can consider doing a few charity rides next year).

Wow, congratulations. Once you get a plan in your head, you're clearly stubborn enough to make it happen. Good work. :D It sounds like you really showed your wife's family you were serious.

I hope you are able to replace your bike soon. I know if I had to go without a bike, I'd go crazy. It would certainly be a tough call between the bike and food, but I guess if I had a kid, I'd feel obligated to feed him too.

Here's to sustainable lifestyle changes. (don't worry, it's Sobe) :beer:

Go Man, Go! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Weighed in this morning. I am down to 359!!!! Thats 91lbs on the ole ticker!!

Weighed in this morning. I am down to 359!!!! Thats 91lbs on the ole ticker!!

WOW Big Lug!!! That is awesome! Congrats!

Wow, great job. Keep going!

Thanks guys!

Big Lug you are going to have to change to a smaller moniker! LOL! Maybe Mini-Lug? Funbun! Glad to see your post friend! How goes it? WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Hi folks (newbie here <grin>)--
I've lost 72 pounds in the past year.

Diet: Sugarbusters (works esp well for me as I have diabetes) and I drink ONLY water (about a gallon a day)

Exercise: Yoga (daily without fail) and recently added biking for cardio

Hey, I just found this forum and thought I'd do a quick introduction.

I just started riding again (since I was a kid) and am trying to commute to work at least 4 times a week (I have to have a car the 5th day). It's not a long commute at 3.5 miles each way, but it's enough to keep me moving for 40 minutes a day. And with living in California with gas at $2.69/gallon, it's helping out in other ways.

I'm not really tracking my weight right now, but do now that last month I weighed in at 220 pounds at the doc's office. Right now my main concern is getting some cardio work in -- my pulse and blood pressure aren't in danger zones, but I can seem them from here.

I'd already been making changes in my diet over the past year -- more fruits, less bread; more home cooked, less through-a-window.

So I have no idea if I've lost weight over the past month or so. I do know I enjoy my trip into work more and I'm in a better mood when I get home (work gets lost in the ride through a nice neighborhood). I know that I feel less "guilty" when I eat that nice meal on the weekend.

And I'm hoping that the Fresno summers won't wreak havoc with the fun that my commute is now. Any tips on hot weather riding (we're talking 100+ afternoons on a regular basis)?

And, good luck to everyone out there! Any change can be daunting, but almost all change can be good.

Jennifer

Hi Jennifer!
Good luck with the biking in the heat. I don't have any good suggestions except drink a ton of water!
I used to live in Fresno and was back to visit friends there this past October. I forgot how HOT it is there! Even in October I was sweating to death!
Enjoy the biking!
Gypsy :D

Yeah, get a good hydropack.

Hi folks (newbie here <grin>)--
I've lost 72 pounds in the past year.

Diet: Sugarbusters (works esp well for me as I have diabetes) and I drink ONLY water (about a gallon a day)

Exercise: Yoga (daily without fail) and recently added biking for cardio


Wow, I bet you diabetes has gotten easier to manage with losing that much weight.

Glad to see that you understand that WEIGHT is NOT equal to FITNESS. As a matter of fact when most people begin any physical fitness program they tend to gain weight. Lean muscle weighs more that fat and as you start building muscle mass you body will retain more fluids to help nourish the new muscle you build.
Bicycling is a great method of weight loss as it requires you to use the largest ( and most metabolicaly active) muscles in your body.
I would suggest, from personal experience, that you invest in a heart rate monitor. When you exercise at a heart rate of 60-70% of your (Theoretical) Maximum Heart Rate, you are in the correct "zone' for burning body fat and building muscular and cardio endurance. The reason I suggest you use a monitor is that I believe that most will ride at a higher heart rate which, if you are riding for longer periods ( 90 min). may actually break down muscle tissue for fuel. The less muscle mass = less energy expended throughout the rest of your day.
Of course this is just general information. I would always suggest you educate yourself about how the body works, On-line resources are great, but a Nutritionist and/or Personal trainer :rolleyes: ( SHAMLESS SELF-PROMOTION ) can condense all the information out there down to bite size chunks that may be easier for you to swallow.
So keep up the good fight and happy trails

Captain Chaen

Okay, its time to enter the Magnuson Zone! This is the radical departure in the way I've been eating. (I.E. The Wrong Way!) Get ready to see some big numbers fallin' ! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Well I turn 35 this year and i'm about 350lbs lost both parents to heart issues, so I am thinking of buying a bike and I need some guidence in my choice. I was thinking of a Giant Suede 7speed comfort bike... Any help would be great.
Thanks in advance

Well gang I've been reading this thread for about 3 months now and I'm ready to commit. I'm 39 years old 5'7" and 205 pounds. I'm active and I ride alot. But my major vice is Junk Food , Candy and Soda. I love to travel on bicycle tours and I race mountain bikes in 24 hour races. I'm riding hard again and I'm working on hitting the 155 pound mark again. I was there 2 years ago but with work and just plain being lazy saw the waist line stretch out of control. I love to bike I own 9 of them and I can still ride. Yesterday I rode a 75 mile road ride with my best buddy. But the weight is holding me back I can't climb those hills like I used to and it really bothers me. So starting right now I'm back on the Fitness Bus and I'm hoping I can hit the 155 mark before my birthday in Sept. I'll be posting a progress report every week that way it will keep me on the strait and narrow. I know there is alot of support on this thread and I know you folks can help me out if you have any biking question maybe I can help you out. One more goal for getting in shape is were going camping in July to Mt Shasta and were riding our mountain bikes around the mountain its a 65 mile ride with about 4,000 feet of climbing so I need to get the big arse in shape.

Wingman, sounds like you've got it goin' on...

Mr. Moontang, Don't rule out recumbents. I am 262 pounds, but was once 308. My bike is a Sun EZ-1 SC and I love it! Talk about comfort bikes! These start around $500.00, and are worth every penny. It's been said that the best bike for you is the one you ride, I have all ready put 1052 miles on this one since January 1st 2005.
WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

good luck man keep us posted i am down to 357lbs my goal of 340lbs by my bday (june 23rd) is looking good!!!!

Ritz Good luck on whatever it is that you are doing!!

Moontang get a kona hoss if you are looking at mountain bikes it is a never look back choice!

Time for another update:

January 18, 2005 --> 213 lbs.
February 21, 2005 --> 203 lbs.
March 30, 2005 --> 190 lbs.
May 2, 2005 --> 184 lbs.

Target --> 170 lbs. by September 2, 2005.

Whew, 14 lbs. to go! Does anyone have any tips for the push to the finish line? As you can see, my weight loss is beginning to taper off somewhat. I still routinely eat far fewer calories than I burn (roughly 600-700 a day), but as I lose weight the deficit is obviously decreasing. I'm trying to stay active, riding as much as the weather permits and starting soccer this month. Any secrets for dropping those last 10-15 lbs?

just keep at it man you will make it!!!

My story I copy from half way down this page:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=59058&start=30


As I child I always tended on the heavy side, though not excessively so. I had polio aged three and spent my childhood recovering from paralysis in the left leg. I was never any good at sport and consequently have no interest.

By the time I was fully grown at 6 ft 3 in I was top of the range normal and weighed about 14 stone (196 lb) – I will subsequently quote only in lbs, but they may not be round numbers. Obesity is an issue in the family. My sister struggled as a girl and is now – size 24/26. By middle age my father was over 250lb but brought his weight under control. My mother is short and a size 20. My weight crept up to around 210 when I was an undergraduate reading Theology at Durham University. I managed to get down to 198 when I went aged 27 to the Sandhurst Military Academy to train as a chaplain. When I married at the age of 32, I was 210 again. Over the years the weight crept up. Medical Officers grumbled a bit over the years, but it was no serious medical or professional concern.

When I was 53 I was over 250 lb. After spraining my ankle my mobility was badly impaired for a few months and my weight climbed to 260 lb. Time for the routine medical. At 54 I got a serious talking to from the Senior Medical Officer!
Blood Pressure March 04 147/94. Cholesterol up a little but differential very very good.

“Do Atkins”, he said, “It works.” I was on the edge of this decision anyway, but his backing made it easier at home. My wife is a biology teacher and has also taught nutrition and domestic science. Low fat was the regime at home – “Not too much meat, dear, it’s bad for you.” I am a Viking and love meat, so for me Atkins was easy and natural. I have no intention of abandoning the low carb way of life. One of the nurses in the medical centre and my wife raise a caution from time to time about “stress on your kidneys.” The Senior Medical Officer dismisses those concerns.

By the end of June 04 my weight was down to 225 and my blood pressure was121/74. By December 04 I weighed 208 lb and my blood pressure was down to 119/72. My resting pulse is in the mid to high 50s. I do not have the results of the blood tests, but I do know they were impressively healthy. On a 65% fat diet my cholesterol had fallen a little, though it was not an issue in the beginning.

What Atkins said about high glycimic index foods and the blood sugar roller-coaster was certainly true for me. If I feed on fat and protein I do not suffer from hunger or cravings and just feel generally more “steady.” I may be a strange way to put it, but quite precise – I feel steady, stable and satisfied eating the Atkins way. I have no need to rush for the sweets or for apples and oranges as I did before. I was probably heading for type two diabetes before. I hope to avoid that now.

I eat lots of meat, foul and fish with mountains of salad and green vegetables, and yes, I drink litres of water a day. I have Greek Yogurt or Low Carb Home made Ice Cream with strawberries. I am not sure to what extent these dairy products contributed to my winter stall. I have taken to flax cooking - half and half with Whey Protein Isolate, olive oil and egg, and flavoured with lemon, cinnamon, “Italian Herbs” or sun-dried tomatoes. My treat is a square or two of high cocoa content dark chocolate, sometimes by itself, and sometimes microwaved into fudge with cream and butter.

There is still more to be done. I have lost no weight since before Christmas – I put on three or four pounds but have lost those. I have had no serious cheats or binges – didn’t even have any Christmas cake, which I love.

Now summer is on the way I must exercise more and try harder to get those last few pounds off. The Base swimming pool has closed, which is a loss, but I have been enjoying cycling the country lanes. My ambition is to get below 14 stone (196 lb). I will have to work hard for these last few pound, but the 50lbs down from 260 to 210 was very easy.

Quote from Atkins Bulletin Board ends.

Postscript:

Yes, the pool has closed :mad:

So I have dusted off a Trek 800 which is 12 years old and almost unused. I have fitted slick tyres and I am enjoying the country lanes. It's a Bank Holiday Weekend here in England - 20 miles Saturday, 20 miles Sunday, 15 miles Monday morning and 12 miles Monday evening.

So lets see where that gets me!

Poorer, I would think, because now I have hankering after a road bike. As a boy in York I cycled everywhere on a Falcon - a road bike with ten speeds and drops - not an expensive one, and not the fastest, but it got me round with a lot more ease that the plodding Trek 800.

_________________
Male 6 ft 3in 55 years Married 23 years.
Within sight of 200lb now, down from 260 lb since March 04
Blood Pressure Mar 04 147/94 . Jun 04 121/74 . Dec 04 119/72
All blood measurements now impressively healthy.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y114/labarum/260to208lb.jpg

^^^ awesome job so far. But there a few things to be careful of. One is that if you plan to really ride a great deal, you're going to need carbs for fuel. You'll just tire out too quickly if you stay on atkins (as I come to understand it) and ride during the same time. Also, the problem with atkins is that a lot of that weight loss is "water weight" which is also very easy to gain back if you are to increase your carbs. So when you say you are willing to keep living the low carb lifestyle, that's great, it really is. But if you do ever decide to up your carbs, you're going to see a weight gain. You need to understand that I think because along with rigorous exercise, the body needs at least some carbohydrates. I also wouldn't dismiss the kidney worries that accompany atkins. I've heard from various doctors that they are real concerns. I'd just have a regular check up on the kidneys. Maybe 2 a year. Well, good luck and great job! :D

Thanks for your concerns. I am thinking very hard.

I initiated another discusion here:

http://www.cyclingforums.com/t237330-.html

Hey labarum could you tell me more on how your doing to maintain your weight? I too went on a semi/atkins style diet with exercise and went from 260 down to 215. But then I stalled around winter time and went up to like 228. Basically I'm struggling to maintain the 228. Before the stall I had hoped to reach my goal of 190 before 2004 ended but courtesy to relatives and christmas food is a bad combination. :(

And as I slipped and started eating a few carbs here and there I started to gain weight again. And of course along with the added carbs I started exercising less cause of the winter. Well, its spring again and I'm out exercising more.
And to help kickstart my diet plan again I bought a mtn bike. :)

You guys have any advice?
And ya labarum how is your weight loss going? Have you been able to overcome your stall?

Hi Stalker

Gained two or thre pounds over the winter which I have mow lost, but cannot get below 208 lbs.

I have been gradually increasing cycling mileage over the last three weeks - over 20 miles a day now, but no decrease in weight. I hope I am making muscle: i think my shape has changed. Early days yet.

I have been eating more carbs - but that is permitted and required and I am in deep ketosis after a ride. Dark purple on the sticks. Before I stated cycling I didn't see that often as I drink lots of water.

For constant advice sign up to

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/

lots of supportive and knowlegable folk there.

On a side note I noticed that Its easier to be on a low carb diet if your not actually eating red meat and eggs all the time. At least thats how I did it. I ate mostly fish,chicken,turkey and salad. I stayed away from red meat mostly and I ate boiled eggs for breakfast without the yolk.....that was me not that its necessaary to remove it.
But anyway, I was thinking....have you started training with weights? I've heard if you gain a few pounds in muscle mass that it would in turn accelerate fat loss. So if you were to do some weight training during the week along with the bike riding and the continued diet you should finally be able to go under 208. I'm gonna try to incorporate some weight training into my plan soon. But in the meantime I need to get my bike training going more for my cardio workout.
Ya see, the thing is my first phase of weight loss was due to my diet and walking exercises.....alot of walking. :|
My feet just can't take it anymore. I used to get terrible pain in the soles of my feet. So I HAD to find away to overcome that. I think biking is the key.

Wish me luck people. I hope to AT LEAST get back to my plateau weight of 215 and from there I hope to go down further. :|

Hey guys, thought I would just give you an update.

My weight has been floating around the 275 mark. This is down from 304 in January.
I may have just torn my ACL (hopefully its just pulled or strained), so biking may be out for a while :-( I hope I can keep this up, I just need to watch my diet a little closer now.

Can I join in?

I'm 33yo male 6'3" and I tip the scale at 378. I just picked up a new bike after lurking around here for choices. I hope the damn thing holds up to my weight.

I don't really think I can lose much weight until I can get stabilized on my thyroid meds and get my diet to were its hypothyroid freindly. But I along with my doc. is working on that.

Its nice to get back on a bike after so long.

Welcome Ladrones! WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Can I join in?

I'm 33yo male 6'3" and I tip the scale at 378. I just picked up a new bike after lurking around here for choices. I hope the damn thing holds up to my weight.

I don't really think I can lose much weight until I can get stabilized on my thyroid meds and get my diet to were its hypothyroid freindly. But I along with my doc. is working on that.

Its nice to get back on a bike after so long.
hey I am also on hypothyroid meds. What do you mean by you diet being "hypothyroid friendly"? My doc didn't really tell me any specific things I needed to change about my diet.

hey I am also on hypothyroid meds. What do you mean by you diet being "hypothyroid friendly"? My doc didn't really tell me any specific things I needed to change about my diet.


My doctor actually recomended the zone diet. It's all a bit confusing right now. I've been doing some research on the net and there are some things I should be staying away from. For me its all in the research phase.

Check out this book it has alot of good info in it.
Eat to Win for the 21st Century by Robert Haas It talks about the zone and akins and how to eat to slim down but still be able to ride or run...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0451214021/qid=1115443304/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/104-5672789-2755950

http://www.springboard4health.com/notebook/diet_win.html

Anyone know anything about Coconut Oil? A Sister at church recomended it for weight loss. WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM

Just felt compelled to add to the sucess stories
3/20/04 235lbs
5/9/05 147lbs
I owe it all to the pushback diet(pushing myself back from the plate and excersizing more :-) and a lot of running and recetly cycling)
Keep up the good work all of you.

I bought my bike in January. The "before" results were in November of 2004. The "after" results are from late April:

Weight: before - 265 after - 255
Cholesterol: before - 272 after - 168
Triglycerides: before - 417 after - 157

This has been done without any drug therapy, with no change in diet, and while doing something I really enjoy!

My doctor is amazed. I'm happy and considering buying a more comfortable bike for longer rides.

If four months of bicycling can make this large a change, what will a year or a number of years do?

Ya I'm 17 so I'm so happy to be saying that biking turned me around. My parents had a rough divorce and I was really really sedentary, both my parents are overwheight, so it felt sort of normal to be overweight. Just these few summer months I've started riding my bike to school (don't know how far it is but I'll update it once I've rode the distance again with my new spedometer). I bike fairly fast and it takes me around 25 minutes one way. I'm not a scale Nazi, because scales only indicate the mass of your body, not what it's made out of. I can see the fat melting off. I'm going to be 18 in june and I think I will be f'ing fit by then. My skin is really nice and taned, my legs are purely muscle and my abdomen has less and less fat on it. I love bikes

david.l.k
that's good to hear, keep up the good work who knows maybe you can be another Lance in the making. I'll keep my fingers cross and good luck.
oscar

Hi everyone!

I think sometime last year I tried to join this group, but since that time, my weight has taken a terrible turn for the worse, so I hope I can join in with you, become inspired and encouraged and meet my two major goals for this summer: 1) Ride my first 100K and 2) Lose at least 15lbs.

My story in a nutshell:

I am one of the people at a "normal" weight, but heading down a very slippery slope with my excessive eating. My BMI is now dipping into the "moderately overweight" category. I have now broken all my previous weight records, having gained 30lbs since I was dancing daily (in my late teens/early 20s, realistically I'll never be that thin again!) and 20 lbs since the fall of 03 when I met my fiancee. Of course he thinks I look fine, (he likes "heft" in my ass) and that's great, but all my clothes have that tight "freshly washed" feeling, and some I can't get into at all. My arms are heavy and jiggle. I am getting a wattle. I am TOTALLY ashamed of myself.

It's not that I eat such terrible foods (I hate sugary soda, and rarely have fast food) but I just LOVE eating so much. It has nothing to do with stress or emotional eating, just an adoration of good food. Oh, and ice cream, my biggest "bad" food weakness.

Anyway, I am in the process of immigrating to the US from Canada, we are getting a fiancee visa and our petition was recently approved. (yeay!!!) and I just need to go through the final steps. If all goes according to plan, I will be getting married sometime in October.

As a result of moving here, I have not yet found a ballet school to replace my school from Toronto. It takes significant effort to get to a good school here because we live out in the boonies, and I still haven't mastered driving! I would need to take the bus, metro etc for at least an hour to get to class.

In addition to that, with visits here from my mom, working on the house, travelling, and going home to Toronto for quick visits to see friends and family, I've done lots of eating and drinking and not much constructive exercise. I have been on about 5 rides so far this season, and am terribly out of shape, huffing and puffing up hills.

It's not that I don't know just what to do to lose this weight...I need to cut back the calories and start cycling like a fiend. I need to get back to ballet class (ballet is actually excellent cross training for cycling, it strengthens your core). I need to go for walks....I do know all this. It's just that I'm so depressed having a whole summer of misery ahead of me.

All this is just to say that I want to meet my goals by September 12 and hope that I can report positve results back to this group along the way!!!

Cheers,

Jessica

It's not that I don't know just what to do to lose this weight...I need to cut back the calories and start cycling like a fiend. I need to get back to ballet class (ballet is actually excellent cross training for cycling, it strengthens your core). I need to go for walks....I do know all this. It's just that I'm so depressed having a whole summer of misery ahead of me.


Hey Jessica! Thanks for sharing your story with us! It sounds like you have a lot going on right now, and it's always harder to lose weight when there are other things happening in life. Good for you for recognizing the changes you need to make in your lifestyle!! Maybe don't think of it as a 'summer of misery', but a summer to really focus on your physical well-being. I'm trying to lose about 15 pounds this year, and I find when I think of it that way, it's a lot easier to stay on board. Anyway -- good luck!! I can relate to your ice cream weakness, mine is chocholate. :)

-GS