Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Good job guys!!

Keep it up!!

Well, been commuting for a month now, but have missed some days. I am down about 8lbs to 242, from 250 (also, I am 5'11''). I have a 10 mile commute each way, and I have been trying to cap my calorie intaketo make sure that I am running a net deficit. Also, I have eliminated soda drinks and as much processed stuff as possible. My primary goal is sub-225, ideally 210 by the end of the year.

I finally got re-motivated to continue my weight loss and break the wall I hit this winter. I've started a rewards based diet where I get a sticker for every day without sweets. When the choice comes down to chocolate or a new bra, I'm all for flaunting my less flabby body in new underwear. ;)

So far I've lost about 6 lbs in June. :) I'm reaching my barrier now so I'm getting a little nervous I won't be able to overcome it yet again but I'm just going to keep marching, one day of sensible eating at a time.

This morning I'm down to 183! It's just dropping off.

A week ago - 5'5" and 143.6

Today 138.6

Goal is 125. And then I'll buy a shiny new 16 lb bike. New me + new bike will weigh less than old me alone. :D

Congrats on the loss you two!

I'm down by 5kg / 12 lbs since June now. Broke my first goal of going below 85kg (~186lbs), yay! Still more to lose but for now I'm happy happy.

Good Morning,

So today I am going to start coming down to my goal of 13% body fat.

I weigh in right now at 210lbs or so
My Body Fat is 18%

squat 165
deadlift 120
dumbell bench 55

here will be my routine

monday: upper body/ afternoon ride
tuesday: lower body/ afternoon ride
wednesday: 2 hour afternoon ride
thurday: upper body/ afternoon ride
friday: lower body/ afternoon ride
saturday: 2 hour morning ride
sunday: Zzz Zzzz Zzzzz


Wish Me Luck... I will keep track of everything

Hey Mr. Wright (says one Wright to another!) Funny thing is most of my family (the Wrights) live in Cali... but anyways.

As of yesterday I weighed in at 264.8 lbs. That makes 60.2 lbs lost since August of 2007. Only another 65 to go...

I must say, biking has really helped get things rolling (pun intended!). We changed our eating to B3 FREE starting in August... didn't lose much weight. Started watching portion sizes in November (too much of a good thing is still too much) weight started moving downward. Added walking to my schedule through the winter/spring and that brought me to the sub 300 group. But last month when I added cycling things have steadily been moving down. Even when the scale stops I've noticed the clothes fitting looser.

The other bonus is the cycling is one more thing my son and I do together - and since he's hitting the preteen years hopefully it's instilling good exercise habits at a crucial time in his life. (I never had that... I was a book worm at his age.)

Anyways, I've enjoyed the forum and positive encouragement everyone offers up.

Keep up the good work (or keep down the bad weight..... whichever way you want to view it! :) )

Cheers...

Here was my story:

About a year and a half ago (maybe more), I was 19, 5'8" and about 185 pounds. I had a size 34 in the pants and 17 at the neck. I wasn't too unhealthy, but everyday I looked at the mirror, I was really disappointed in myself and the belly that I had. I sometimes went to gyms to work out, but I hate routines and that wasn't an exception. I would stop after a week or two, with no apparent changes. I did lose weight every summer, but that was because I wouldn't eat as much and sweat everything out, only to gain it back in the winter.

In April 07, I got a mountain bike from Costco and started riding, not even thinking much about the weight. I was pretty slow at first (4 miles seemed like a lot then), but gradually I went from 4 miles to 10 miles to 20 miles, 40 miles etc. etc. I then got a road bike and successfully finished two centuries that summer, while having 60 mile rides on the weekend being the norm.

I also noticed that all of my clothes were bigger on me. I couldn't fit into my good suit or any of my pants correctly anymore (and I had a lot!). I weighed myself, and as of last month, I weighed about 155 pounds, had a BFP of about 10% and was a size 30 at the waist and 14.5 at the neck. I can fit into kid's dress shirts. On top of that, I had a six pack going for me, and my arms and legs looked amazingly tone without lifting a single weight.

The only problem I had was that everyone thought I was starving myself to death...oh well.

The other bonus is the cycling is one more thing my son and I do together - and since he's hitting the preteen years hopefully it's instilling good exercise habits at a crucial time in his life. (I never had that... I was a book worm at his age.)

Congratulations on your success!

I also agree with you here. When I was in those years, I was playing lots of baseball, but had horrible coaches that didn't instill any sort of real exercise regimen (one coach gave out Dove chocolate bars...AFTER EVERY PRACTICE!). As soon as I really started training seriously with a "real" coach, I got lazy and stopped playing for good. That's when I switched over to non-active activities (that were good for me too) like high school debate (changed my life), the arts, etc.

At this point, I look towards many of my fellow students who are eating like crazy and (many) people who are much older and very unhealthy. It seems that they have a connection...

Down from ~185 in May to 176 this morning. That's from about 210 last April.

My original goals were 175 by Sept 1st and 170 by Oct 1st. Maybe it's time to set new goals!

Hi!
I'm starting on a weight loss goal of about 20 pounds right now! I started last week and I've already gone from 150 to 147! :D I started because I needed to lose the weight because I'm a speed swimmer and even though I'm perfectly normal weight for my short height of 5'6" I needed to lose a pretty good amount of weight before my school season starts up again. and i saw that my skinny a** friend was a biker and ate like you wouldn't belive so I decided to try biking! I'm loving it other than I'm in Clearwater, Florida so its not a bike friendly town at all! at least 20 people have tried to run me over already...so a few miles a day around in big circles at about 20+mph and 1 meal a day and it's working pretty well so far! :D

Hi All,

I am 6'2'' and 195 lbs (as of July 7th 2008). My goal is to reach 175 lbs by Oct 31st and maintain it through the tough NE winter season.

I am fairly active in various land/water based sports. So my plan is to spend more time outdoors for next 3 months. In diet i am focusing on controlling portions and avoiding late night eating.

Biking 100+ miles/week, goal to increase it to 200miles/week. I can not commute to work using bike so its mostly evenings and weekends.

Run - 5 miles/week

Climb 2000 stairs & one Weekend Hike/week.

down 30lbs in the past 5 weeks

I'm dangerously close to the Clydesdale Emeritus status. 202 lbs as of Saturday this weekend.

I"ve lost 36 pounds so far this year.
I've done some biking off-and-on for several years, but I've gradually gained weight. At the end of 2006, I turned 50, decided it was time to loose some weight, thought turning 50 would be a good time to set some goals. Then came reality, one of my most stressful years ever. Mother passed away in February. Then from April to November, 3 daughters were married. Dad also remarried. I packed on about 20 pounds, hitting an all-time high weight of 245. I felt miserable. Clothes were fitting too tight. Didn't even feel like getting on bike. I did drop back to 238, but seemed stuck there. I'm 5'6".
Went to doctor this spring. No major problems, but most my minor problems related to weight. Time to get serious. Dr suggested, "Maybe time to give you a bit of a jump-start, don't like to do this, but let's try some diet drugs". Gave me phentermine, but cautioned, "Only going to try this for one month, then come back and see me. If you don't cut down on food and start exercising, when I take you off this, you'll gain 20 more pounds. If goes ok, can try it for 3 months".
Well, I've been on the meds for 2 1/2 months. This morning I weighed 209, so I'm down 36 pounds from my high this spring, and I feel better than I have in years. I really need to loose another 36 pounds or more.
I'm loving biking again. Commute to work most days (about 13.5 miles round trip, more when I take other routes). In July, got in 257 miles. A friend and I are planning a two week ride on the Missouri Katy Trail in September, riding down the trail, and back.
I am a bit anxious on what's going to happen in two weeks when I take a break from the phentermine. I've had my appetite under control for the first time ever. I know statistically, most people who go on diet pills, gain it back. I remember how terrible I felt at 245 lbs, hopefully that will be enough incentive to pound out the bike miles.
I've cut down my portion sizes, not eating until I'm full. Drinking lots of water. Cut out the afternoon "power pills" (more commonly known as M&M's.....lol).

Hi, been on and off here a lot. I just got back on the bike again this summer after a 9 or 10 month lapse in activity. I had lost almost 70lbs just over a year ago while training for a TNT Century last year, but not long after that I started packing them on again. I ballooned back up to 268 from 209 when I did the Century.

Anyway, I finally got really pissed at myself again and started watching what I'm eating and hit the roads again. I've been doing this for a few weeks now and am down about 12lbs. I just got to remember to keep coming back here for motivation.

Thanks for listening...

Hi,
First post here but I have been lurking for a little while. You guys are great inspirations! I'm 5'11" 190 looking to lose some pounds. I have always hated biking but recently I rented a road bike and o boy its a whole new world! I am buying my bike in the next few days, can't wait. My goal is to get to around 150. I have tried running but it is really not for me. In the few days I rented my bike I went from 4 miles on my first ride to 30 miles just 3 days later and I had a lot left in me. I'm a 33 in the waist and I wouldn't mind dropping down a couple sizes. I will surely keep you guys updated!

I'm new here also, and wanting to start losing some of my 200 or so (I'm not getting on that scale right now) pounds....I'm only 5'2", so my target is about 125 or so...even 130 would be great :)

I was given an old (don't laugh) Huffy touring bike that looks like it is at least 20 years old. It rattles a bit at higher speeds, but everything seems to work, and I'm not complaining about something I got for free :)

I am going to *try* to make a habit of riding around town daily...it helps that I don't have a car. We'll see....you all inspire me :)

Mary/katyjeanmachine

I had such a great summer last year and now again this year for almost 30lbs total. However now I can feel autumn 'settling in my bones'. I just crave food all the time and am finding it difficult to stay committed. Not motivated to exercise. It was the same last year, all went well until the autumn then at most I was able to maintain my weight.

I clearly need to go out and ride my bike now rather than sit here and wallow in self pity. :giver:

Hi, been on and off here a lot. I just got back on the bike again this summer after a 9 or 10 month lapse in activity. I had lost almost 70lbs just over a year ago while training for a TNT Century last year, but not long after that I started packing them on again. I ballooned back up to 268 from 209 when I did the Century.

Anyway, I finally got really pissed at myself again and started watching what I'm eating and hit the roads again. I've been doing this for a few weeks now and am down about 12lbs. I just got to remember to keep coming back here for motivation.

Thanks for listening...
This is maybe the toughest situation and it's one that so many of us can relate to. You worked really hard to get those pounds off, and then it's so damn easy to put them back on. But at least you know you can lose it, right?

Here goes...
F, presently 5'5", 172.
Goal: 165 by April 1.

Down to 170 as of this morning. The plan is working!
I hope I'll have more posts like this into spring.

Good lord, I am embarrassed that I was ever that fat!!!

I'm down to 147 now, over a year and a half later. My FINAL goal is another 10 pounds to 137; only then will I consider myself lean, but I'll never be "finished" with my fitness goals.

Oh, and I fly up hills now! Go katie, go katie, go katie... :o

I need some help.
I am so frustrated.

My original weight 4 weeks ago was 226 lbs. I'm 50 yrs old, 5' 11".
I've been eating basically 4 egg whites , with chopped onions, and peppers for breakfast, with a small fruit.
I have a lettuce salad, topped with no more than 3 slices of fresh turkey, or a single grilled chicken cutlet, with a drop of olive oil and red vinegar for lunch.
My dinner is either a 4 oz piece of fish with grilled veggies, and / or salad greens with olive oil and vinegar.

I ride 3 nights a week for for 30-45 minutes, with a constant pulse rate in the 75%-80% range.

It's been 4 weeks, and I have lost a total of 1 pound! YES, 1 pound.

How much more can I do?

I'm disgusted with myself, and ready for a container of ice cream. I'm ready to throw in the towel.

Any idea why this is happening?

hey Anthony - I feel your frustration, we've all been there.

Simply explained: You're either eating too much or exercising too little if you want your weight loss to come faster. Are there calories sneaking into your diet that you're not counting? That's hardly a lot of food in your list there. Maybe you could bump up the calorie count with protein, AND bump up the exercise levels with a weight training routine 2x a week?

What I'm saying is... try kicking EVERYTHING up a notch, your workouts AND your calorie count, keeping to the "clean" calories in your list: veggies, lean meats, maybe some oatmeal for breakfast, whole-food type stuff.

I lost 20 pounds in.... <drumroll please>.... 20 months. So a pound-a-month rate is frustratingly, agonizingly slow, I know.

Hey Anthony. It ain't all about the scale. Do you feel more fit? Are your pants fitting a little better? It isn't unusual to not lose weight for a while and lose fat while gaining muscle mass. Just be patient and keep doing the right stuff. It will eventually show up on the scale. Again though, the scale ain't a that important.

:)

Nice job Katie.

Go katie...go katie...

:D

Quickie, as I ought to be in bed right now... :)

Broke my hip 3.5 years ago (Feb.05), at 170 lbs. In Feb.08 began doing the gym again, mostly weights, typically 3 days a week. I watched my weight see-saw, up to 217 or higher, never under 210 this year.

Began spinning once a week 3-4 months ago. Then a month later got a bike, and have been ratcheting up my rides (helpful to have some free time this summer - in the past 3 weeks I've ridden 15 days averaging 35 km per day). I'm now under 200 lbs. and am aiming for 180'ish or better.

Unfortunately, tomorrow I go back to school fulltime. I'm going to try riding there, which is a 30 km round-trip, since I won't have any other opportunities during the week to ride. I will also try to keep doing the school gym at least 2x/week for upper-body work.

Hopefully I can keep on-track now that I found a formula to get me droppin'. (Post hip recover I don't think I've ever been under 205 until this summer. Yay!)

Haven't updated since end of May. Here's the latest...

4/30/07 - 220 lbs
5/31/07 - 220 lbs
6/30/07 - 215 lbs
7/31/07 - 210 lbs
8/31/07 - 208 lbs
9/30/07 - 205 lbs
10/31/07 - 204 lbs
11/30/07 - 200 lbs
12/31/07 - 197
1/31/08 - 194
2/29/08 - 189
3/31/08 - 186
4/30/08 - 182
5/31//08 - 178
6/30/08 - 178
7/31/08 - 176
8/31/08 - 174

4 more pounds to my goal/re-evaluation weight. Seem to be dropping about a pound every two weeks now. Riding a good bit and getting in better shape, faster & stronger all of the time.

Down to 205 from 245 in November when I started working out. I think if I get down to 195 that'll be about right (I'm 6' 2").

Anthony, I had almost no loss for a few months initially and then it started just going. That and sometimes you plateau I held at 210 for a month or so but lost 5 pounds in the last 3 weeks or so. Good luck!

I've lost over 60 pounds from my heaviest in just over a years time. One thing that I would suggest if your having troubles loosing weight is to do simple exercises like walking (at lunch), and also push-ups, sit-ups and squats during the commercials while watching TV. This will help you gain some muscle mass which in turn will burn more calories.

Also I found that an easy way to reduce calorie intake was to cut out all drinks except water, this way the only calories you get are coming from solid food which makes it easier to track and make it so that all calories will also help fill you up making you feel less hungry

I've slowed down my weight loss now by eating what I want in moderation and keeping my exercise levels up (I commute to work 14km each way 3 - 4 times a week)

I've been taking cycling seriously for 4 months, and have gone from 215 to 165, I'm not even sure if that's a good thing. However I eat properly so and feel much better so I'm not complaining.

I've been taking cycling seriously for 4 months, and have gone from 215 to 165, I'm not even sure if that's a good thing. However I eat properly so and feel much better so I'm not complaining.

I would say losing 50lbs is a good thing. It's a great thing. Unless you you were 215 pounds of solid muscle.:p

FWIW....I increased my rides to an hour. I also bought a heavybag, which added a light cardio / stress reduction routine for upper body.
I give it three or four 3 minute rounds, with light punching and simulated boxing.
The workout feels great.

I saw my first real weight loss. Dropped 3 lbs since last week.

I need to continue.

Thanks for the support, it really helps.

Last November I couldn't believe it when the scale read 213! I thought I was "fat but fit", but heavy breathing after walking a flight of stairs told me otherwise.

It turned out to be a great xx-ski season here in WI and I put many miles on for the first time in years (decades?). That turned right into regular biking as soon as the roads were clear. I "weigh in" every Wed and last week I was at 178 - no longer technically overweight!

I fear the fall, though, when it'll get to crummy to ride.

So I set this goal back in January to lose 5 lbs per month for the entire year to put my 5'8" frame down to 170 lbs. I all but threw in the towel last June or July when I had lost a whopping 5 lbs total since the beginning of the year, and I lost THAT pretty quick on in the year.

I was stepping on the scale at the same day of every month, logging my weight. I had set up a spreadsheet that would be an easy visual for me to sit in my chair and look at the number of pounds I lost cumulatively in sheer joy. Well, that was the plan at least. But every month my weight was the same. I even cheat-weighed myself sometimes mid-month to see how much work I needed to do to just maintain my damn weight for the nest weigh-in.

I felt terrible. In my mind I was undesirable to my wife and had been working my ass off to get this weight off and it wasn't going anywhere. Then I started REALLY thinking about it one night, when I had my hand in a bag of chips. I was NOT working my ass off at this. I was STRESSING my ass off at this but the little voice in my head was really saying I was working hard with no payout.

So I stopped everything. I NEVER get on a scale. I didn't even as much as delete that spreadsheet because I really did throw the whole system I had in the trashcan. Instead of looking at my mountain bike, hanging with almost a sad look on it in my garage and dreaming of riding again when legs and lungs didn't give out after 15 minutes, I stopped looking at it and stopped thinking about riding.

NOW I am losing weight. I'm not sure why. I'm not doing any of the things I thought I needed to do to keep on track. I have come to realize I am an addict. It used to be pot and cigarettes, and I quit all that and it went to food. Trying to get high off food. I stopped going out to lunch and started bringing left over dinner. I started eating oatmeal every morning instead of 5 cups of coffee then running out and finding something to stuff myself on because I had been starving. When I get home from work I eat a fistful of fruit so I am not thrashing for the meat on the dinner table when its dinner time. And the only thing that seems like it takes any "real" discipline is not eating anything between dinner and bedtime.

I don't know how much weight I have lost in the last two months. I haven't been on a scale. I know I've lost weight because two coworkers have told me they see it. Some of the shirts I wouldn't wear because they fit too tight around my gut are now back in rotation. It is taking some discipline not getting on a scale but I don't want any negative press for that idiot voice up in my head looking for an all out victory right here and now, ready to punish if it doesn't get what it wants. I'm going to take my small amount of success and maintain my present work, and throw in some morning jogs as soon as my balls recover from my vasectomy, maybe in a week.

Thanks for reading.

Hi Im new to the forums. I have been an avid bike rider for years..In fact i have never owned a car and recently in the last year bought a motorbike for my main transport.

Before then i used to commute everywhere on bike and public transport. Sometimes doing over 30-40klm a day.
I would eat fairly crappy but as i would ride so much my weight would stay reasonable. Since i bought the motorbike i have barely touched a bike in over a year. And my weight has balloned..and i have lost most of my bike fitness. I went for my first ride tonight and struggled with even a few klm's. Im in total shock..its the first time in my life i have not had bike fitness and the first time i have struggled with sucha small ride!!!. So im hitting this hard now and getting into riding every single night...starting small and building up. My goal is to lose around 30-50ish klg in 4 months which equates to 60-100 lbs i think?

The last time i lost weight riding it was because of 30+ klm a night and a diet of vegetables water and rice cakes...Im wondering if there are any food s i can eat to speed up metabolism and help me lose weight as quick as possible?

Just thought I'd share an update since my last post.

On August 21st, I complained that I had lost only 1 pound after being on a diet and moderate exercise for a few weeks.
After making some adjustments, I'm happy to say that I'm down to 211 , from 226lbs 4 weeks ago! A total of 15 pounds!!

I'm able to ride only 3 nights a week for about 45minutes to an hour, but the real key is the new boxing heavybag I bought a few weeks ago.

I jump around the bag like a raving madman, and beat the crap out of it, and work up a real sweat. Great for stress reduction, and anger management :-)
Upper body starting to feel great too.

I played Ultimate last fall for college, and then started working full time Spring and Summer. I was about 175 last fall, got up to about 195 over the Summer through inactivity and working a desk job. Before I came back to school I got down to about 180 or so. Now I'm working on getting down to 165 in time for the collegiate racing season to start in the Spring. I'm planning on losing 1.5 lbs/week until I reach 165.

The website that I used to lose the first 15, and the one I'm using to lose the second 15 is TheDailyPlate. It's a really easy to use calorie and exercise tracking website, and it definitely helps me keep track of calories and stay on my diet. It helps to see the numbers instead of just having them in my head.

12/31/2007: 281.4 lbs
01/31/2008: 269.4 lbs
02/29/2008: 257.2 lbs
03/31/2008: 246.6 lbs
04/30/2008: 236.0 lbs
05/31/2008: 225.4 lbs
06/30/2008: 214.2 lbs
07/31/2008: 210.6 lbs
08/31/2008: 211.0 lbs
today: 209.2 lbs

link back to my first post

Update (first post linked above). I've made it down to 190, and am plateaued or even losing ground. Gotta maintain that willpower when it comes to foods and when/how much/what type I'm eating. I've been commuting whenever possible, and have put in about 1000 km in the last 30 days, plus a few trips to the gym for weights or other aerobics.

I also ran a 5k today (well, okay, I ran about 3k then had to walk/run the rest of the way) which is probably the furthest I've run since I was 12 (that's about 30 years ago, FTR) in order to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. I finished in 34 minutes, and placed near the top 25% of my age/sex group, so I consider that pretty good since I'm not a runner.

Anyway -- with luck I can still get to (and stay near) my goal of 180 -- I'm feeling good, but it'd be nice to lose the kidney and tummy pads, as well as the man-breasts....

So that's what's up with me!!!

Hi folks! By way of introduction, I'm a 38 year old male, 5'11", weighing in at 244.5 lbs (I just checked at the gym last night). I have mostly been away from bicycling for the past 10 years or so, my last road bike being a beautiful DeRosa steel-framed beauty... I've had a few mountain bikes here and there since then, but never rode any of them seriously and they mostly just gathered dust. However, at 245 lbs, I am at the heaviest, and most unhealthy, I've ever been. My "normal" weight hovers around the 190-200 range, and that is where I feel the most athletic/comfortable. At 245, I pant after just a couple of stair cases, and any sort of brisk walking for more than a block leaves me catching my breath a bit. I gained this weight over the past four or five years, and it has slowly crept up on me (typical pants fitting tighter, etc.). So now its time to do something about it. I renewed my gym membership a couple weeks ago, and am determined to make it there at least 3 times a week. And I bought a road bike. At first I was going to skimp with a less expensive bike, then "reward" myself as I lost the weight, but instead, I went in whole-hog. I bought a nice, albeit used, Litespeed Ultimate. I have absolutely no excuse not to hit the tarmac now, and it would be shame to see that bike sitting in the garage unused. My plan is to go for hour-long rides every morning, with no real structure other than the determination to keep my heart rate above 135. I'm also determined to eat much better--and I'm not going to kid myself. No more tortillas, no more sweet bread in the morning or evening, lots of chicken breast, fish, and veggies (I love 'em anyway!). No more white rice (gonna' be hard....), and will instead substitute brown rice,etc...

It's really going to be difficult for me--I love to eat! But I'm setting aside the Sushi, Enchiladas, Korean BBQ, etc., until I hit my goal of 200. There really is no other way for me.

Thank you guys (gals) for the inspirational posts--it feels great to be on the right path again! If you all don't mind, I'll keep you posted with pics and progress.

Thanks!

Updated for the last two months....

4/30/07 - 220 lbs
5/31/07 - 220 lbs
6/30/07 - 215 lbs
7/31/07 - 210 lbs
8/31/07 - 208 lbs
9/30/07 - 205 lbs
10/31/07 - 204 lbs
11/30/07 - 200 lbs
12/31/07 - 197
1/31/08 - 194
2/29/08 - 189
3/31/08 - 186
4/30/08 - 182
5/31//08 - 178
6/30/08 - 178
7/31/08 - 176
8/31/08 - 174
9/30/208 - 173
10/31/08 - 170 (calling it early)

170 was my intitial goal for re-evaluation. GOAL ATTAINED!

I have re-evaluated (looked at what I have left hanging on my mid section) and determined that I can probably shed another 10. Will start slowly working that off.

Update (first post linked above). I've made it down to 190, and am plateaued or even losing ground. Gotta maintain that willpower when it comes to foods and when/how much/what type I'm eating. I've been commuting whenever possible, and have put in about 1000 km in the last 30 days, plus a few trips to the gym for weights or other aerobics.

I also ran a 5k today (well, okay, I ran about 3k then had to walk/run the rest of the way) which is probably the furthest I've run since I was 12 (that's about 30 years ago, FTR) in order to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Canada. I finished in 34 minutes, and placed near the top 25% of my age/sex group, so I consider that pretty good since I'm not a runner.

Anyway -- with luck I can still get to (and stay near) my goal of 180 -- I'm feeling good, but it'd be nice to lose the kidney and tummy pads, as well as the man-breasts....

So that's what's up with me!!!

Good job on your progress. Stay strong!

Hi folks! By way of introduction, I'm a 38 year old male, 5'11", weighing in at 244.5 lbs (I just checked at the gym last night). I have mostly been away from bicycling for the past 10 years or so, my last road bike being a beautiful DeRosa steel-framed beauty... I've had a few mountain bikes here and there since then, but never rode any of them seriously and they mostly just gathered dust. However, at 245 lbs, I am at the heaviest, and most unhealthy, I've ever been. My "normal" weight hovers around the 190-200 range, and that is where I feel the most athletic/comfortable. At 245, I pant after just a couple of stair cases, and any sort of brisk walking for more than a block leaves me catching my breath a bit. I gained this weight over the past four or five years, and it has slowly crept up on me (typical pants fitting tighter, etc.). So now its time to do something about it. I renewed my gym membership a couple weeks ago, and am determined to make it there at least 3 times a week. And I bought a road bike. At first I was going to skimp with a less expensive bike, then "reward" myself as I lost the weight, but instead, I went in whole-hog. I bought a nice, albeit used, Litespeed Ultimate. I have absolutely no excuse not to hit the tarmac now, and it would be shame to see that bike sitting in the garage unused. My plan is to go for hour-long rides every morning, with no real structure other than the determination to keep my heart rate above 135. I'm also determined to eat much better--and I'm not going to kid myself. No more tortillas, no more sweet bread in the morning or evening, lots of chicken breast, fish, and veggies (I love 'em anyway!). No more white rice (gonna' be hard....), and will instead substitute brown rice,etc...

It's really going to be difficult for me--I love to eat! But I'm setting aside the Sushi, Enchiladas, Korean BBQ, etc., until I hit my goal of 200. There really is no other way for me.

Thank you guys (gals) for the inspirational posts--it feels great to be on the right path again! If you all don't mind, I'll keep you posted with pics and progress.

Thanks!


Welcome & go get'em!

I lost 80 lbs from June 06 to June 07, since that point, I have floated back and forth and could never break the 80 lb barrier. Looking to lose another 100. I put on about 15 lbs over the last 10 months and decided I needed to find out what I was doing wrong.

I started counting calories which I just hate to do, but, since I started, I discovered I was not consuming enough calories to get to my base basal rate and conservatively, I was short 500 to 800 calories per day. I started counting on Oct 15th, not changing anything in my diet other than consuming enough to get to my base basal. My exercise program is also the same, cycling, elliptical and weights in some fashion at least 5x a week.

Since I started counting and ensuring I hit the base basal, I have lost 8 lbs in 10 days. I am still a little shocked that just a shortage of 500-800 calories a day could put my body in the starvation mode. While it might not be the reason, at this point, it seems to be a positive shift and hopefully I am back on track to lose the next 100.

Years ago I started biking, lost 30lbs in 6mos but kept getting thinner. The past few years I haven't been able to ride as often as I would prefer. Finally got tired of getting fatter and fatter and fat. . . well, you know. I was riding 2-3 times per week and was managing to maintain my weight at 238 roughly. (that's bad for someone that's only 5' 8 or 5' 9".) Finally, at the end of July I started logging my miles, for tracking purposes and in August decided I'd had enough of gaining weight. (Between roughly Aug 2002 and Aug 2008 I went from 205 to 238. Had dropped some of eat between the two time periods, but gained it all back when I had to get a second job.) Now down around 15lbs in about 2mos approximately. we'll see where this goes from here.

I have lost 80 pounds (265-185) from last February to August of this year.

I ran alot and completely changed my diet.

I feel amazing.

I've heard that maintaining your weight loss is actually harder than shedding pounds off. Well, guess what? I've maintained my weight for ONE YEAR NOW!

It can be done guys. Keep up the good work and dont lose hope.

¡trabajo agradable Ricardo!

¡trabajo agradable Ricardo!

Thanks! Now I am trying to build some muscle starting with some weights.