Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Update!

I broke 160!!!!!!!!!!!

158 YEEEHHAAAAWWWW!

I'm out in O'Fallon, MO. Drivers in STL just can't drive worth s**t, and they're aggressive and fast, too. The combination makes for some interesting road riding.

I generally ride loops out of my driveway, carefully picking my way over to Winghaven, up towards Lake STL and back. I have a couple of different 10 mile loops that are next to each other so I mix and match pieces of them to try to get 12-15 miles a day in.

Didn't get honked at once and really didn't get a close call. Today was good as far as the drivers go.

Funny how not having to dodge getting run over is considered "good" around here. I'm jealous of those that live in bike-friendly areas.

Funny how not having to dodge getting run over is considered "good" around here. I'm jealous of those that live in bike-friendly areas.

Yeah, me too! Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S.A. and you would think that there would be a little more accomidation for a "Friendly" means of transportation. Our Mayor is even an avid cyclist himself, but he just gets to deal with the same folks as the rest of us. Oh well. :rolleyes:
Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

Houston? Home of the US oil industry? I'd expect the city to pay a bounty to any motorist who is able to spear a cyclist with his SUV's hood ornament! :)

Update!

I broke 160!!!!!!!!!!!

158 YEEEHHAAAAWWWW!

Did everybody miss this? I've eaten hamburgers that weighed more than this wiry little bast. . . well, anyway, he's doin' real good.

Update!

I broke 160!!!!!!!!!!!

158 YEEEHHAAAAWWWW!

Dang, I'll be walking on clouds when I break 160. Congratulations. How much did you weigh when you started? How long has it taken?

Greattttttttttttttttttt Goinggggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update!

I broke 160!!!!!!!!!!!

158 YEEEHHAAAAWWWW!

CONGRATS!

Update!

I broke 160!!!!!!!!!!!

158 YEEEHHAAAAWWWW!

Yep, I did miss it. Way to go!!! Congratulations!

Houston? Home of the US oil industry? I'd expect the city to pay a bounty to any motorist who is able to spear a cyclist with his SUV's hood ornament! :)


Hey Bransom, you're not really to off from the way things are here. Soon we will be relocating to Huntsville Alabama, and I can't wait! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

hi565, You deserve a big HIGH FIVE (SIXTY-FIVE)!

The more I read "Eat To Live" the more I realize I've already been following many of the recomendations. Essentially - eat tons of fruit and vegetables, go light on the animal products. The closer to it's natural state it is when you consume it, the better. Weight loss has never been so easy for me. I've added a few more servings of fruit to my diet and made my salads a bit larger to cut out the Boca Soy-based Chick Patties I was eating. Not that they are bad, but I was getting tired of them.

I'm down to 170.8 already - just about halfway to my second goal I set last week (165) - a goal I had planned on completing in Mid October!

When I feel the need to reward myself, I notice that I'm doing it in much smaller quantities. Last night I craved Ice Cream. I let myself have a single scoop of ice cream and I took small bites, treasuring it. I even bought smaller bowls so that smaller servings don't look so pathetic in them!

Dang, I'll be walking on clouds when I break 160. Congratulations. How much did you weigh when you started? How long has it taken?

Greattttttttttttttttttt Goinggggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!

I weighed 183. I really am not that skinny, I mean kids in my grade are smaller than I am. And also I am not a light weight build, i am pretty big. But hey the less you weigh the less you have to take up a hill! :)

Yep, I did miss it. Way to go!!! Congratulations!

Thanks a buncho my friend!

CONGRATS!

congrats to you my friend. 45 pounds that crazy!

I weighed 183. I really am not that skinny, I mean kids in my grade are smaller than I am. And also I am not a light weight build, i am pretty big. But hey the less you weigh the less you have to take up a hill! :)

Again, congratulations. I started biking in late March, weighed 211 at the time. I'm not much of a scale person, but did step on one in mid-May and found my weight was now 206.5. Hey, I thought, wonder what it would be if I started eating right. This morning, I was 173. My goal is to, like you, go under 160.

Bad news is that this morning I was told that the bruises from a bike spill this weekend weren't just bruises, but that I had one, possibly two, broken ribs. Dang.

Still going to ride my bike though, just be more careful, do shorter runs, and ride my hybrid with platform pedals, instead of clipless. I'll also do the boring LifeCycle routine some instead of actual riding. I've been told I can do this, so long as I don't fall.

I'm willing to take that chance. I'm now kind of addicted to getting outside and riding. I have to modify my weight routine and my usual wind sprints are out until I heal.

I pulled out my FOID card to buy ammo today (Illinois requires this ridiculous ID card even to handle ammunition or firearms) and had to show it to my wife. It's about a year and a half old, and the picture on it shows this huge, round face that looks nothing like me anymore . . . . but the weight says "290."
The difference between the picture and my present appearance is dramatic, but I weighed 288 this morning. Truth is I was approaching 400 lbs. when I marked that license "290."
As a matter of fact, that brings to mind another little moment that should have been a serious wake-up call. I was buying a rifle from a guy out of state and had to send a copy of my FOID (which was five years old, going back to my freshman year of college--best shape of my life) and my FFL. I have my driver's license copied on the copies of my FFL because a lot of places need a photo ID; my DL was more recent, so it showed the 380-400-pounder I had become.
This guy didn't notice the dates on the two different ID's and sent me a note with the rifle congratulating me on all the weight I'd lost. I felt like crud for about a day, then I put it out of my mind. Would have been better off to think about what I was doing to myself.

That's cool Don, You're doing something about it now!

My weight is all over the map the past few days! 225 last Friday. 232 this morning! :eek:

Is anyone else watching "The Biggest Looser" for motivation? It really helped me last year. Hope to get the same results from watching the show again this season.

Hey Zin is it on regular T.V.? I want to console you Brother... check this out:

271.5 pounds Yesterday... 267 pounds Today. Go figure? My miles ridden since 01/01/05 = 1951 miles. So far they are All "Real" (Outside) miles.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

Hi Ritz. It is on regular network T.V. ABC I believe. Great job on the weight loss! Nice ot see some movement downward again. :)

My mileage for this year so far is 3186 combined miles. (indoor & outdoor) My goal for the year is 4500.

Keep it up Zin, you'll reach your goal! You have already smoked me! 308 pounds was my highest, so I haven't come nearly as far as you have. You should be proud of yourself! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

Great going everybody!

Just wanted to share more of the same. Started cycling the first day of May this year and have slowly worked up to a weekly average of 150 miles, mostly on the weekends. When I started I weighed in at 235 and as of Sunday morning I'm down to 198. Only 8 more pounds to my target! :) The worst part of it is, I can't really afford to buy 'skinny' clothes so I'm wearing really baggy stuff. I suppose that's a good problem though.

Haven't changed a thing diet-wise though, and I still like my beer, but I'm definately hooked on road biking. It's the only thing I look forward to, rain or shine. Congratulations to everybody again!

Cheers and stay safe!

Thanks Ritz. Of course I'll keep plugging away. :)

Whooo Hooooo!

228 this morning. I must be seeing some water weight thing happening with such a large swing. To bad this is not an exact science.

Zin,

I want you to know I think you are doing great. Also thanks for pointing out the FitDay website. I set up an account and even went so far as to buy the software to install on my laptop. Since I don't have web access everywhere I go, it is easier for me to keep my records on my laptop. the program is great and I have been using it for almost a week now, thanks to you.

I started on this weight loss journey last year again at around 265lbs, this morning I weighed in at 227. I have been fairly stable at 235 for at least six months until getting back on my bike a month or so ago.

Thanks

Hi Don!

Thanks for your kind words! One of the main reasons I post on this thread is to possibly help others who are struggling with their weight, diabetes, or both. I'm very happy to hear its been a help. :)

Fitday is a pretty good tool. I have not seen the software. I'm almost always next to a computer it seems. Fitday gets easier to use as you go over time. Would you mind posting a comparison between the software and the web site? I've been looking at getting either the Fitday software or the WeightWare that a BF member writes. A friend of mine uses the WeightWare and swears by it. It is a bit more costly, however.

Sounds like you have had some great results so far! Keep at it and keep posting your UPs and downs on this thread. We have a great bunch of folks here who are VERY supportive and understanding.

I was going to post this and saw your post. So, I'll just tag it into this post instead of a new one.

It is difficult for me to see the changes in my body over time. To this day, when I look in the mirror I still see the 340# with the big stomach. So, I use photographs to measure the physical changes. I took a shot in March of last year. Then again shortly after my birthday in August 24, 2004. I have now added a shot from around my birthday this year. I don't see as much change as I would have liked. However, I do see much more muscle definition and some slimming in my face. I guess as I get closer to my "goal" weight the changes may not be as drastic as when I had such a long way to go. So, with no further delay, I give you the comparison image: (be kind)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/zinrider/Cycling/3waycompare.jpg

Hi Don!

Would you mind posting a comparison between the software and the web site? I've been looking at getting either the Fitday software or the WeightWare that a BF member writes. A friend of mine uses the WeightWare and swears by it. It is a bit more costly, however.
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b44/zinrider/Cycling/3waycompare.jpg

Zin,

The software from FitDay is very similiar if not the same as the online web-application. However, I think it is somewhat more robust in the ability to provide reports based on your data. I also find the local app to be somewhat faster. When I get some more seat time with it, I will post some more reports.

Don

New member here, but I'd like to chime in as well.

I was a consistent ~215 pounds the past two years, and I thought I was in pretty good shape. I ride religiously and enjoy lifting weights at the gym. Over the winter the benchpress goes up to 300lb (comes down a bit over the summer since I ride a lot more), but I've always been focused on being a well-rounded athlete rather than specializing in any one thing. I've been riding for 12 years now, and I'm only 24 (started riding while I lived in Germany).

Around May I decided to take it up a notch and really start watching what I eat. I signed up on FitDay and started using that. It was an eye-opener. A lot of times I would think, "hey, I've eaten well all day, I can have a treat," only to log everything into FitDay later and find out it ended up being a 4-5K calorie day. Since then, I still eat what I want, though sweets are more in moderation. I've been extremely good about keeping daily calories to 2600 and under and eating healthy foods. I haven't had soda in the past few years (can't stand the stuff anymore, used to love it, tastes nasty now), but I love chocolate. :)

I started to do more road biking, although I use my Trek hardtail with 1.25" slicks for that (still looking for a roadbike). Bought a Cannondale Prophet to replace the tired SuperV, so a lot more trail riding now, too. I also try to commute to work when I can, too (26 mile round trip), a few days out of the week usually.

Fast forward to September. I'd have people who I haven't seen for a while at the gym comment on my weight loss, friends comment. Weight-wise I'm down to 185 now, and not a single person believes me when I tell them I lost 30 pounds (they ask "where?!?"). I thought I had a decent physique at the beginning of the year, but I leaned out a bit. I'll include a picture just for sh!ts and giggles.

The downside? I can't race clydesdale anymore. :p I took 3rd in the clydesdale class in my last race (still weighed 210 back in early july) and 4th in sport in the hillclimb race the next day(a clyde that can climb is rare, but exists). :)

I'm extremely impressed by some of the people I've read about in this thread, and I want to give out a big kudos to everyone who has come closer pound-by-pound to achieving their goal.

Dwayne

http://blewsclues.com/images/before-and-after-small.jpg

Thanks, Don. I look forward to your eval on FidayPC. :)

Dwayne! Dude, you look GREAT! I'd like to know how many miles a week you normally ride. Also a little more detail on the weights. Not so much on the exercises themselves, but more so the schedule. How many days a week you lift/ride and the duration of the lifting session. I've been VERY lax on my lifting over the summer. I'm afraid it shows in my photo of the year. I'm working on getting back into the swing of things for winter. Thanks.

EDIT: Do you know what your estimated BF% was when each photo was taken? I've found the scale can lie like crazy, but the BF% is a much better mechanism to measure progress.

Man, Dwayne looks amazing. I am not just exaggerating when I say this: I literally cannot imagine what I would look like at that bodyfat level. I'm not even sure what my face would look like.
Incredible.

Oh yeah, and I was 287.2 this morning. If I'm 288 or lower for one more day, I'll change my signature to 288. I haven't been riding at all since the century, but I did commute today. Time to head for home now!

Some interesting stories!

Last year about this time I decided 220 was a little much. I'm a skinny guy hiding in a fat man's body. At age 45, it's mostly gut. So I started riding. I hadn't ridden regularly since about 84-85, and I was very out of shape. (I used to ride a lot and even race a bit back in the day) So I started with short 9-10 mile rides a couple times a week at a fairly brisk pace... 15mph is brisk for an old, out of shape fat guy! Then winter hit and the riding stopped. I got a little more serious this year, cranking out at least 3 15 mile rides over hilly terrain as fast as I could manage comfortably.

By June I was up to about 100 miles a week average and had started going on some longer, 40-50 mile rides occasionally.

July was a solid 100 miles per week minimum and a 55-60 mile ride pretty much every weekend.

August I got serious. Averaged about 125 miles a week and did 2 centuries. I was slow, but I got 'em done.

And now my milestone. I weighed in a couple days ago and I'm 199. Finally below 200! Woo hoo!

My ultimate goal is about 185, but at this point it's just numbers. I feel better, I can eat like a horse and still lose a couple pounds a month, my cholesterol is down so that I don't have to take medication, and my blood pressure is 94/40. My doctor says that my health is very good and to keep doing what I'm doing.

No problem, riding is fun.

Good luck to the rest of you guys!

Az

Found my "fat" jeans over the summer and took some pics. These jeans used to be tight on me!

Two pair of pants for the price of one! Awesome job Princess! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :D

It's so funny you mention Tour De Pants...I just got back (well...August) from a bike ride in Possum Kingdom called Tour De Pants!!

CyclePrincess and Dwayne...awesome photos!

I'm stuck at 178...but I know why....not enough cycling! Just getting started in my new job with a long commute and havent found my routine yet. Will keep working on it.

Great work Az & CP!

Hey, does anyone else use a trainer or rollers when you can't ride outside? I'm thinking of setting up a challenge for indoor miles for the fall/winter. Anyone interested?

Hey, Zin, I'm starting to think about rollers/trainers/something for winter. I've got an old windtrainer thing but want to look into some of the more modern units.

Hey all - checking in again! I weighed in this morning at 168.8 (from 205 on 5/2). When i tell friends I'm tring to drop a few more pounds, they ask if I'm kidding. That's a great feeling, of course, but at the same time when I look in the mirror I can still see a good deal of loose skin and fat around my stomach. Not sure how much more I'll have to drop before that disappears. 160? 155? 150? Wow - I can't believe I'm in a position to think I could weigh 160!

As for rollers and trainers -- rollers seem like they'd require impecible balance, no? I live in an apartment - on the second floor - so I'm worried that rollers or trainers will create too much noise for the people below. Anyone know if this is the case? Also, are trainers/rollers clean when operated indoors?

I live in an apartment - on the second floor - so I'm worried that rollers or trainers will create too much noise for the people below. Anyone know if this is the case? Also, are trainers/rollers clean when operated indoors?

I also will be moving to an apartment on the second floor and my dad mentioned that a trainer might make too much noise. So an answer to this question would be great for me as well.

Wes

I also will be moving to an apartment on the second floor and my dad mentioned that a trainer might make too much noise. So an answer to this question would be great for me as well.

Wes

When I lived in an apartment, I put the bike and trainer out on the porch. I never had any complaints about it. It felt better to be out in the cold anyway.

Az

Air and magnetic trainers can make a bit of noise. Fluid trainers are very quiet. My new rollers are nearly completely silent. I have an air trainer and the new rollers. They are both clean. I also have an "exercise equipment" mat that I put the trainer on. Its basically a big rubber mat.

The rollers do require you to balance. I don't consider my balance all that great. Rollers will make you a better cyclist by improving your balance. I find it a much more interesting experience than being on the trainer. I still ride the rollers in a doorway or in the hallway just in case. I have crashed a few times on the rollers. No damage except my ego in this admission. 30 minutes on the rollers and my quads are burning! It is a very good workout!

Hope this helps.

So, anyone interested in what I call, "Trainer Wars" this winter? :D

I am realitively new here, bought a Trek 7200FX and put my Ultra Clyde body on it for my first bike ride in over 30 years a couple days ago. I did not think it would ever end LOL went 6 miles and plan on doing it agian tomorrow. I just wanted to say, there are lots of inspirational stories here and I hope to be one soon.

I lift weights, but have never really liked cardio, but rode bikes everywhere in Jr high and high school. I am hoping I found my key to weight loss.

Those of you that are riding for weightloss, do you just hit it hard and watch the heart rate, or do you do High Intensity Intervals or what?

After I get these lungs working more efficiently I am all about weight loss....ummmm actually I am all about FAT loss.

Thanks in advance for your comments and responses.

WELCOME PALSDUDE!

When I started back on the bike 3 years ago, My first ride was 5 miles! I was so jazzed!

My advice to you is to start out slow. But be consistent. Rest when your body says rest. Long slow rides are the best for weight loss. I do wear a HRM much of the time. I keep my HR in the aerobic zone for the ride.

This year I have been concentrating on climbing and improving my overall speed. I can now climb better and am able to pull a paceline at over 20MPH. This has not meshed well with trying to loose weight. My weight has remained pretty stable and and recently gone up a little. So, stick to those long slow rides in your aerobic HR and enjoy!

Another thing that will help in weight loss is to journal your food intake. I use FitDay.com (http://www.fitday.com). This will help you to track the calories you consume vs. the calories you are burning. That is one of the keys to weight loss. I also track my rides on BikeJournal.com (http://www.bikejournal.com). I find tracking my rides and miles is a good way to keep an eye on my routine.

Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any question you may think of. You are among friends. :)

I've had a horrible time getting started but I have a little bit of good news today. I'm down 3 pounds to 271. My only saving grace is that I'm still riding. Plus, I've been drinking water like a fish. So if anyone else is having a tough time… every little thing helps out in the long run. Keep at it!

Yeah I hear you with the 3 pounds bit!! Ever since loosing the initial nearly 100 pounds, I've been stuck!! I started at darn near 300 pounds, maybe more since I quit weighing. And that took the better part of two years. Then, for more then a year I have been stuck, and in fact started gaining a little back. My friend joined Weight Watchers, and so I started going with her. It's been 3 pounds so far, in three weeks. But I am happy with a pound a week. Especially since I have been allowing myself one day a week to eat essentially what I want.

I don't want any part of a "lifestyle change" that says I can't go down to the Chinese buffett every once in a while, or have pizza or whatever! So, yeah if I would cut out that I would probably loose at a quicker rate...but I DON'T WANNA!! Besides...slow and steady, I can maintain that. I'd like to loose around 25 or 30 pounds more.

Hi, all --

I'm new to the board. I came straight over here because really I'm trying to figure out an answer to my dilemma.

I'm 28-year-old woman who is 5'7" and weighs 275 pounds. I've started out with diet and exercise, but I just started school, and really would like to not be driving as much as I am (I'm sure you've seen quite the uptick in new members since the gas prices went through the roof). School's not far from me, and I would walk, but biking sounds like fun and a lot quicker.

Is there a bike that can handle my current Venus-of-Willendorf frame? I don't even know where to begin.

Hi, all --

I'm new to the board. I came straight over here because really I'm trying to figure out an answer to my dilemma.

I'm 28-year-old woman who is 5'7" and weighs 275 pounds. I've started out with diet and exercise, but I just started school, and really would like to not be driving as much as I am (I'm sure you've seen quite the uptick in new members since the gas prices went through the roof). School's not far from me, and I would walk, but biking sounds like fun and a lot quicker.

Is there a bike that can handle my current Venus-of-Willendorf frame? I don't even know where to begin.


Hey notanymore, you might also want to post this on the commuting forum... FWIW I suspect that most decent bikes will not have a problem handling your weight, as long as you do not go for stupid light components. Your choice of bike will have a lot to do with what is comfortable and with what you choose to spend on your ride. Good luck and happy riding!

Notanymore, I began riding a Sun EZ-1 SC CLWB Recumbent at three hundred and eight pounds, I'm still on it today, and believe it or not, it's still holding up fine! Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM :eek:

Hi guys!

It has been a loooooooong time since I have posted. Life has been crazy. After the covered bridges metric in August, I went to northern Canada to my cottage on an island in the middle of nowhere. Then I went to Toronto to take care of some immigration related stuff, and to see U2, my alltime fave band live 4 times. Bono pulled me up on stage to dance with him! *faint*

Then I had to go to Montreal for my consulate interview, and finally I had my move from Toronto to MD in a huge Uhaul truck. I am still swamped with boxes and unpacking.

It has therefore been well over a month since I have so much as looked at a bicycle. I am pleased to report that despite partying and red wine, I have lost 2 more lbs, I am now at 134, 4lbs from my goal. Basically 135 was my first goal, so I'm not even really on a diet anymore, but anything I might lose is gravy. On the bad side though...I'm sure my muscles have shrunk down to nothingness.

I am supposed to ride a bit today, or at least this weekend...but I am actually nervous and afraid of getting back on the bike! Have you ever heard of anything so silly?