Training & Nutrition - Weight Loss Club

Hi everybody,

Stats after my ride on 1-13-04

Max weight = 264 same
Current weight = 178 after my ride yesterday... woohoooo made my old goal..
New target weight ... hmm dunno playing it by ear..

Stats as of today 2-12-04

Max weight = 264 same
Current weight = 178-180
New target weight ..... still dunno

Well I have kind of fallen of the wagon so to speak <sigh>. Not watching what I eat as well as I should and not riding everyday like I was when I was losing weight <sigh>... LOL lots of sighs... hehe. Lots of factors why (weather, stress, no time) but mostly just excuses. Well the good news is I haven't gained any weight... The bad news is I haven't lost any either LOL. I'm really getting the urge to buckle down and ride more and get my eating habbits back on track.....

Wish me luck...... and i'll wish everybody else the same.... good luck all!!!

talk to you later...... Jay.........

Stats as of today 2-12-04

Max weight = 264 same
Current weight = 178-180
New target weight ..... still dunno


That's fantastic progress. Holding steady for a month under adverse conditions is nothing to be ashamed of. And you don't even have a new target.

Best of luck!

I just found this forum so I'll go ahead and make my contribution. First of all congrats to all those who have lost weight. It is very difficult to do.
My story seems to be similar to everyone else. Im my youth I raced a lot and weighed in at 165lbs. I quit racing, soon followed by wife and kids, and 18 years later I found myself at 270 lbs with high blood pressure. June 1 I decided to dust off the bike and do something about it. After 8 months I lost 72 lbs and am on my way to reach my goal of 170 lbs 1 year later on June 1 2004. This will be a total of 100 lbs lost. The 72 lost has been enough to get off the blood pressure meds and completely change my life. It is amazing how much more energy you have when you are not lugging around all that extra weight. I am hoping to jump into my first race in 18 years this summer. At least it will be with the over 40 crowd.

I just found this forum so I'll go ahead and make my contribution. First of all congrats to all those who have lost weight. It is very difficult to do.
My story seems to be similar to everyone else. Im my youth I raced a lot and weighed in at 165lbs. I quit racing, soon followed by wife and kids, and 18 years later I found myself at 270 lbs with high blood pressure. June 1 I decided to dust off the bike and do something about it. After 8 months I lost 72 lbs and am on my way to reach my goal of 170 lbs 1 year later on June 1 2004. This will be a total of 100 lbs lost. The 72 lost has been enough to get off the blood pressure meds and completely change my life. It is amazing how much more energy you have when you are not lugging around all that extra weight. I am hoping to jump into my first race in 18 years this summer. At least it will be with the over 40 crowd.


Welcome to the group. Great to hear of your progress. I better step it up a notch.

Dale

Hi to everyone,
Another newbi here.
I am very glad to find this forum. A week ago today I was all ready to head out to the Harley dealer to purchase my new toy. On the way to the Harley dealer I stopped by my LBS that I had'nt been to in about 3 years.When I got back in the car to continue on to the motorcycle shop I said to myself, self what are you doing? You need a new motorcycle about as much as you need another 12 pack.
I turned around, back to the LBS and bought a new Cannondale R2000. Now comes the hard part. I really need to lose at least 30#'s.I am starting today(not tomorrow) The bike is finally in the trainer and today is the day.
That is why I am so glad to have found this website. I will be lurking around here from now on for advice and helpful tips.
Now if the ice and snow would only go away.
Good luck to all and take care.

way to go jwh.
Feel free to lurk, ask questions and most of all contribute. I think you'll find quite a supportive group
here.
Marty

I just found this thread.

In October 20 2003, I was a smoker with 228 # of weight, high cholesterol with only 27 years old. I decided to quit smoking and start jogging, a week later I meet this guy at the park, he is a triathlete and suggests me to get a bike. A couple of weeks later got my road bike, and since then I lost almost 35 pounds, lost 4 sizes of pants and pretty happy with my self, in only 3.5 months!!!.

I keep jogging maybe one/two times a week, on weekends I ride my bike, and the rest of the nights, on the trainer gaining condition.

In the diet, nothing spectacular, I stop eating rice, bread (I eat only wheat), red meat and the late night snacks.

In January I discovered this site/forums, I learned a lot and I'm in love with cycling.

Keep the good work, and keep pedaling…. :D


Charlie21
Carlos Figueroa
Puerto Rico

start weight: 285
current weight: 205 and falling

Here is my strategy:


Breakfast-1 Powerbar Harvest, 24 oz water~250 calories. Mix in a 2 mile ride to and from classes, at full sprint.

Lunch-1 Powerbar Harvest, 24 oz water. Add an additional 1-2 miles of sprinting to class.

Dinner-Special of the day in the cafeteria, usually a piece of meat, salad, mashed potatoes, and/or steamed veggies, 24 oz water. A small, 1 mile sprint to and from work

All Day: Drink water as needed. If hungry, eat a small snack, usually fresh fruit and drink water. You WILL be hungry at the end of the day, cure this by a small snack. I have worked this out to be about 1500 calories a day, mostly at dinner time.

Excellent for people who sit through classes and/or meetings; i.e college students

I have used this strategy to lose 80 pounds in the past 6 months.

Ive been riding for a little over a month and I have lost 10lbs. I weighed 205lbs and now Weigh 195lbs. I can only ride 4 miles a day.

Ive been riding for a little over a month and I have lost 10lbs. I weighed 205lbs and now Weigh 195lbs. I can only ride 4 miles a day.

Keep at it Steve. Little by little it will come off and your distance will increase. Just don't expect huge changes overnight.

I have not been on the bike for most of the month now due to weather and work. :( So I am in a holding pattern.

Weight on January 16, 2004: 206

Today (Feb 26): 197


Goal: 160-ish or less.

Hi all,
Well dang! I think my bathroom scale has blown a cog or something!

A week ago it showed my weight to be 220#s. This morning it showed 244#s! NO WAY! :(

I think I'm gonna run by my doctor's office to step on his scale to get a more accurate measurment.

Man, it is really depressing to see those numbers rise like that! My clothes are still fitting the way they should. Still eating like I should. I have started resistance training 2-3 days a week, but can't imagine I put on that much muscle in a week's time.


Sorry for the rant. I just had to. :)

Lot's of good motivational reading here. I need it today.

I started riding off & on a few years ago and really started to get into it last summer in preparation for a 50 mile ride with a friend who had done many before. Was really afraid of being embarassed so I worked pretty hard at it. The ride went very well. What I found was that while not really even trying to watch what I was eating I lost some weight, and the clothes started fitting better.

Fast forward to now and I've gained the weight back and then some over the winter (couch potato). Started the year at 260. Made the committment at Christmas to start riding on the nice days here in the Chicago area.

No nice days in January. Bought a trainer in February after I picked up my new "used" 2003 Lemond Tourmalet. So February wasn't bad for riding either indoors or finally getting outside the last few weeks.

My wife has had great success with Weight Watchers and counting points. The last couple of weeks I have been riding a bit more and created a excel spreadsheet to calculate point values for what I'm eating. Goal here is to ride earlier in the year and make a effort to watch what I eat. I also picked up a HRM which has been fun to use.

So after the last 2 weeks of making the effort to watch what I'm eating, plus get out on the bike every other day I'm not losing any weight...well OK 2 lbs.

Bottom line is I know I will be OK as long as I stick to this plan. But sure would like to drop a few more lbs.

Reading all the success stories sure does help.

start weight: 285
current weight: 205 and falling

How is your skin, do you have extra? I'm around the same wieght and dropping slowly but surely.

January 16 - 206 pounds

Today - 196 lbs

Only 36 more to go :(

If I stay at 2500 calories a day, I lose. About 2800-3000, I maintain.

January 15 - 206 pounds - BMI = 30.9

Today (March 14) - 195 punds - BMI =29.2

To reach healthy BMI cutoff of below 25 I need to weigh 166 pounds. Would still like to weigh less than that.

Still counting calories (about 2500/day), riding, walking.

I bought my trainer last November 2003, and I weight 165 lbs., February 29, I found a weighting scale I weight myself and I am down to my cycling weight of 145 lbs.,

and I have log almost 500 km on that trainer, I am sure glad I bought that one, that is really recommended for people who hibernate during the winter time

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.9

March 21st - 194 lbs and BMI=29.1

I've averaged about 120 miles of riding per week the last two weeks, plus lots of walking. Today I did a 50+ mile ride and will try to hold calorie consumption to a more reasonable level. In the past I've pigged out a little too much after a long ride and set myself back.

I just got back from a week long business trip. Needless to say eating health was a challenge. I am looking forward to bike commuting every day this week.

I think the trick is to quickly recognize the setback and then take the steps needed to move past it. I held steady for the week, but had no loss. So, now back to my routine that has proven results.

Good luck to everyone.

This is a neat thread. It is very motivating to read and I'm glad I found it. I hope it continues to grow and we can motivate each other to lose weight and become very fit cyclist. My story is as I approached 30 yo last 4-03 I had a lifelong problem with obesity. I had missed out on a lot in life and I was sick and tired of it. Last March 2003, I bought myself a road bike. I had been riding mountain bikes inconsistently since 1997, but never had been able to lose much weight mtbiking, I guess due to not being able to do it consistenly due to the toll it puts on your body when riding long rides on consecutive days and poor trail conditions at times due to rain. A road bike does not put near the stress on your body as mtbiking when you are doing a lot of riding. When I bought my road bike I was 250 lbs on a 5'2" frame and miserable due to being so overweight. Over the last year I have lost a total of 100 lbs. I gained 15 lbs back during a 7 week period during the holidays because of it being cold, windy, and rainy and therefore not getting out and riding as I had. My riding has kept me accountable to not overeating also and when I was not riding during this time, I was eating way too much. I had lost down to 169 lbs by Thanksgiving. I got things back on track beginning Jan 21 and have now lost from around 185 lbs at that time to 163 lbs now. I am a total of 87 lbs lighter than I was a year ago. I think I have nearly regained the fitness level I had obtained last Nov also. I lost my weight by "riding lots" and counting and keeping up with my caloric intake each day. I bought a digital scale and weigh and measure all my food and record it in a journal. This is a very tedious and time consuming process, but I think it is very important because it is easy to trick yourself into thinking you are eating less than you actually are if you do not. I take into account my BMR, daily activities, and the calories I burn cycling everyday as far as my energy output and try to have around a 1000 to 1500 cal deficit on each ride day. Typically, I try to burn atleast 2000 cal per ride(I bought a polar HR monitor that calculates calories burned). It now takes me about 40 to 43 miles(2 hrs/5 to 15 min) per ride to do this in the area I usually ride. The goal of my rides is to ride at as high of an intensity as I can sustain so I can maximize the calories I burn. This gets pretty hard when you do long rides on consecutive days and having a calorie deficit each day at the same time. You end up riding in a glycogen depleted state much of the time and it gets hard to ride fast. I am an RN and work 6- 12 hour night shifts in a row and then I have 8 days off, so mostly all of my riding is done on my off days. When I have been really motivated, I have come home in the AM after work on 2 to 3 of my work days and gone out for a hr+ long ride at a very high intensity(try to burn at least 1000 cal on these rides) and lost sleep. When I started out I was not riding as far as I am now. I had to work up to it. My first road bike ride was 6 miles and I went up in mileage from there. I now ride 40 to 50 miles per ride everyday during my 8 off days usually. I look at my six work days as my recovery period even though I do not like to go that long without riding. Over the last year since March 2003 when I first started trying to lose weight, I have rode my road bike exactly 5000 miles and my mtbike around 800 miles. On my off days with my big rides, I usually eat anywhere from 2200 to 2700 calories depending on how many calories I burn(I try to have a 1000 to 1500 cal deficit each day). On my working days, I try to eat about 1800 calories- I have found this to be very challenging and have probably only been successful 3/4 of the time over the last year doing this. I have found that my appetite goes up when I am not riding, especially each day that goes by without riding, and during the winter it was very hard and I failed for a period. I have used the following to keep myself motivated: I have bought every up to date book on cycling training I could, read Lance Armstrong's autobiographies, read about nutrition and fitness on the internet and in books, did a mtb race last fall, recorded all the data from all my rides in a cycling log since I started from my HR monitor and cycling computer along with my weights and look over all this data frequently to see how I have improved, have plans to get into road racing, centuries, and do more mtb racing(this gives me something to work towards), go on cycling vacations, comments by people on my weight loss and how good I'm looking, having to buy smaller better looking clothes(I have lost from 44 inch waist to nearly 32, XXL size clothing to medium and will soon have to start buying small sizes), have set small goals and worked toward acheiving them, came up with mottos like every calorie counts, desire to get married and have children. Anything I can use to help keep me motivated I cling to. Motivation, I have found, is very important in being successful in weight loss. During times of low motivation I have failed more. There are also certain techniques you can use to help you get through tempting moments like visualization of what you want to accomplish, and when you are in tempting situations to think about it in relation to your goals and what you want to accomplish and how if you succumb to a temptation it will bring you away from your goal. I think it is important to try and not get in a hurry to lose a lot of weight fast and to make sure you are taking in enough calories or you will be weak, irritable, and miserable. You also have to realize that you will fail at times but you just have to get over it and get back on track(I have failed many times especially over the winter- I cannot tell you how much I regret gaining 15 lbs of hard lost fat back over the winter and how much further along I could be towards my ultimate goal if I had not). Another thing, if you want to become a stronger cyclist and possibly get into racing, it is going to be hard to train to do this if not impossible as long as you are having calorie deficits, especially big ones. Riding a lot while trying to have calorie deficits will not work well with doing some of the training you read about because it will be harder to become a stronger cyclist if you are not taking in enough nutrition or calories to recover and keep yourself fueled to train and to make improvment. Riding on consecutive days while having calorie deficits each day can be pretty hard because you end up riding much of the time in a glycogen depleted state. It is hard to make much improvement besides getting yourself in better aerobic shape when you are having calorie deficits. As you get in better shape aerobically, your endurance and avg speed will improve and you will be able to ride faster and longer. It is important to realize this and to look at it as the foundation to build upon after you have reached your weight loss goals. Also, it is important to see food as energy and calories are a measurement of this energy. If you eat too much energy(calories) you will gain weight, thus you have to ensure a deficit to lose. If you are not losing you may not be having a deficit, but on the other hand do not eat too little or your metabolism adjust by lowering and you will not be able to sustain any kind of riding. Its a balance.

I am now close to my summer weight at 145 lbs., thanks to my new toy I bought last Janaury a Tacx Roller

mike bike congrats!! You're an inspiration to us all!

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.9

March 29th - 192 pounds and BMI=28.8

Due to weather I could only put in about 55 miles of riding this last week, compared to 120+ miles in each of the two previous weeks. But I'm still counting calories (about 2500 per day) and losing weight.

May 31, 2003 - 285 pounds.

March 29th, 2004 - 209 pounds

Avg. speed while riding: 20mph (100 rpm) on my 32/17 geared single speed
Avg. miles per day: 7
calories per day: 2000

Hi all,

Guess I'll add my story to the list....

I got diagnosed last December with Type II diabetes. At the time I was 240# on a 5'10" frame. I'd let myself slide after stopping riding due to a car wreck in '96. I kept eating like I was riding without worrying about the consequences.

Due to a job relocation I had to find a new doctor who wanted to do a full workup on me. He gave me the diagnoses of diabetes and said I had two choices, either get it under control or continue the way I was going and have my wife collect on my insurance money. Needless to say I've chosen to get it under control.

I started with a walking program, (walkking during my lunch hour at work). The more I walked the better I felt. I also started seeing a nutritionist on a weekly basis who put together a solid program for me to manage my weight and diabetes.

After a month of walking I dragged my mountain bike out of the garage and wiped off 4 years accumulation of dust and spider webs and went on my 1st real ride in I don't know when. That ride ignited my old passion for riding, (numerous cross state rides, centuries, racing, 250+ mile weeks). While I won't be able to ride at that level due to time constraints I have made a serious commitment to cycling.

I'm currently signed up for the Texas Red River MS150 May 1 & 2. Maybe I'm insane in thinking I can train for this in 2 1/2 months of cycling and have a hope of completing a century but I'm going to do may best. It's going to be a h*ll of a challenge for me to do 100 miles, but I'm stubborn enough that I hope to pull it off. I just remember back to my first century, 23 years old, 3 months to train and not a problem. Now I think, 39 years old, diabetic, 2.5 kids, 2 months to train, what in the heck am I doing!

Now I'm down 20#, (more to go), my blood sugar is down to 110 from 337 and I'm enjoying life again!

Prayers are appreciated, good advice is accepted, bad advice is ignored....

Semper Fi

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.9

Today - 188 pounds and BMI=28.2

At least 22 pounds to go.

I guess it helped that I rode almost 200 miles last week. Unfortunately I ended up with a cold and haven't exercised much this week, but I still lost 2 lbs. This week I'll probably do about 75 miles if the weather holds up.

I just recentley decided that I have had enough of being lazy. I started out my High school years being a top regional swimmer, a Pro BMX'er and an all around athlete. I got married, got a job and got fat. The secret of my success - stop eating crap and exercise. I have lost 30 lbs in 6 weeks, registered for 4 bike races, found a training partner that races pro. found my motivation...........

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.9

Today, April 22nd, 187 lbs and BMI = 28.0

It's been difficult to lose weight the last couple weeks. I had a 200-mile week, then I had a cold and allergies, resulting in a 50 mile week. Then I did a 160 mile week, but between weather and travel I'll only do 25 miles this week.

But progress is progress. Just another 21 lbs to my initial goal of a BMI<25.

Hi all,

Guess I'll add my story to the list....

I got diagnosed last December with Type II diabetes. At the time I was 240# on a 5'10" frame. I'd let myself slide after stopping riding due to a car wreck in '96. I kept eating like I was riding without worrying about the consequences.

Due to a job relocation I had to find a new doctor who wanted to do a full workup on me. He gave me the diagnoses of diabetes and said I had two choices, either get it under control or continue the way I was going and have my wife collect on my insurance money. Needless to say I've chosen to get it under control.

I started with a walking program, (walkking during my lunch hour at work). The more I walked the better I felt. I also started seeing a nutritionist on a weekly basis who put together a solid program for me to manage my weight and diabetes.

After a month of walking I dragged my mountain bike out of the garage and wiped off 4 years accumulation of dust and spider webs and went on my 1st real ride in I don't know when. That ride ignited my old passion for riding, (numerous cross state rides, centuries, racing, 250+ mile weeks). While I won't be able to ride at that level due to time constraints I have made a serious commitment to cycling.

I'm currently signed up for the Texas Red River MS150 May 1 & 2. Maybe I'm insane in thinking I can train for this in 2 1/2 months of cycling and have a hope of completing a century but I'm going to do may best. It's going to be a h*ll of a challenge for me to do 100 miles, but I'm stubborn enough that I hope to pull it off. I just remember back to my first century, 23 years old, 3 months to train and not a problem. Now I think, 39 years old, diabetic, 2.5 kids, 2 months to train, what in the heck am I doing!

Now I'm down 20#, (more to go), my blood sugar is down to 110 from 337 and I'm enjoying life again!

Prayers are appreciated, good advice is accepted, bad advice is ignored....

Semper Fi

dave5339,
Your story sounds a lot like my own. I have never been in the best of shape and needed to get my crap (life) together. I started cycling… again… Now I have things back in order. 9-24-03 I was 280lbs. 4-22-04 I am 243lbs. I'm half done. I just completed the MS150 Houston to Austin ride. It was great! You can do the Texas Red River MS150! Four things to do… do a 70 or 80 mile ride(twice before May 1st).… HYDRATE! 3days out from your big ride! (no caffeine or alcohol… they dehydrate)… get adjusted to the Texas heat!(it will be HOT by May)… 100 calories per hour while you are riding(NO BONKING!) If I can do it… you sure can! Let me know how it went. You can so do this!
Godspeed,
WonkerJaw
:beer:

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.

Today - 186 lbs and BMI=27.9

The last month has been hard. Colds, allergies and travelling have interferred with my diet and exercise plans. For some reason I seem hungry all the time, even though the allergies cause me to be less active. It took about 2 weeks for me to lose this last pound.

But I'm halfway to my initial goal. I've lost 20 pounds and I'd like to lose at least 20 more. At 166 pounds my BMI will be below 25, the upper end of the recommended range of healthy BMIs.

Props to all who are working hard and getting results. I have hit a wall… sort of. I don't seem to have any energy during my training rides. I'm trying to work on my cardio strength and I just don't have any getty-up. :( My rides are only 65% of my target hart rate and I'm huffin & puffin. People in my class are easily getting to 75-85%... if I were to that I think I might die! :eek: Plus it's not helping that I am constantly hungry and I have not dropped any more weight. Any suggestions?

Well, I weighed in today, and I am at my goal of 175 lbs! I'm down from 338 last summer. That is really fast to lose it, but I still feel very healthy. I think the hard part now is figuring out exactly how to eat to just maintain weight.

That is incredible!!! Holy Cow! That's a lot of weight! How did you do it? Pardon my skepticism but that does not sound safe nor true.

Props to all who are working hard and getting results. I have hit a wall… sort of. I don't seem to have any energy during my training rides. I'm trying to work on my cardio strength and I just don't have any getty-up. :( My rides are only 65% of my target hart rate and I'm huffin & puffin. People in my class are easily getting to 75-85%... if I were to that I think I might die! :eek: Plus it's not helping that I am constantly hungry and I have not dropped any more weight. Any suggestions?

Well, I think we need more information.

1. What is your current weight?
2. What was your weight when you started?
3. What is your exercise routine? Include times, number of times per week etc.
4. What is your diet like?

The way to loose weight is to run a calorie deficit. Burn more calories than you consume. I know it sounds simple. :rolleyes: I had been against a wall all winter and am now starting to see some movement downward again. Slow as it is.

I also think you may need to redistribute your eating times. If you know your going to be doing a training ride, then eat at a time that will give your body the fuel it will need for that ride. I commute to and from work. So, I eat a good breakfast which fuels my body for the ride into the office (6.5 miles). For lunch, I have a small apple or some cucumber slices. I eat my "lunch meal" around an hour before leaving work at 4PM. My lunch meal is normally a white turkey sandwich on whole wheat with veggie sticks.

I have found that by concentrating my food intake to fuel my body in the same manner as a vehicle needs fuel I feel better and loose weight. If I'm sitting in my office all day, then I don't need much fuel to do that. However, when I am riding, I need fuel for the engine that is propelling the bike.

This is what works for me. I think with some experimentation you will find what works best for you.


Good luck and have fun..



Bob

EDIT: I forgot to address the heart rate question. My suggestion is to talk with your doctor to see what he wants you to do.

1. What is your current weight?
2. What was your weight when you started?
3. What is your exercise routine? Include times, number of times per week etc.
4. What is your diet like?

1. 243lbs. (35 years of age)
2. 280lbs.
3. M/W/F I spin 30-40 min w/hart rate at 60% T/T weight training for 45min.
4. My intake is protein centered (Not Atkins!) with low carb intake. i.e. Today I had a chicken breast and avocado pita... trying to eliminate processed food. I always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner without snacks (most days). I know calorie count maybe high at times but I'm starving at the end of the day. A nutritionist told me if you control portions you won't have to count calories. I may have to start counting.

Dose cardio strength just appear with time or should I be able to do 85% target hart rate range in six months of training? During spin class my trainer kind of looks at me like I'm not working hard enough. I feel like I am working.

Thanks,
Rob
ps Bob, did you get the new Trek?

1. 243lbs. (35 years of age)
2. 280lbs.
3. M/W/F I spin 30-40 min w/hart rate at 60% T/T weight training for 45min.
4. My intake is protein centered (Not Atkins!) with low carb intake. i.e. Today I had a chicken breast and avocado pita... trying to eliminate processed food. I always eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner without snacks (most days). I know calorie count maybe high at times but I'm starving at the end of the day. A nutritionist told me if you control portions you won't have to count calories. I may have to start counting.

Dose cardio strength just appear with time or should I be able to do 85% target hart rate range in six months of training? During spin class my trainer kind of looks at me like I'm not working hard enough. I feel like I am working.

Thanks,
Rob
ps Bob, did you get the new Trek?

Hey Rob,

I have not decided on the Trek yet. There has been an issue of a >200# rider on the OCLV frame. I want to get that ironed out prior to dropping that kind of cash. I am also gonna take a look around at other brands etc... just to make sure I am not jumping the gun. (I am an impulse shopper and I know it! :o )

It sounds like you are on the right track. The cardio thing will probably come in time. I can run in my aerobic target HR for over 2 hours at a time now. I actually try to keep at the top end of that range.

I think another issue for you may be your diet. Your body needs carbs. There is just no way around that fact. I am a type II diabetic. This means I am on a restricted calorie/carb diet. You can't just watch your portions. You have to watch the calories within that portion as well. If it was just a portion thing, then I'd eat cheese cake in small portions and loose all kinds of weight. :)

Anyway, you have what works for me. Remember, there is no magic pill. Even with diet and exercise, you should loose weight slowly. And with your resistance training, you may not see significant weight loss as muscle weighs more than fat.

I have noticed that my weight loss is much slower than I had in the past. I am now within 30#s of my goal and each pound lost is an accomplishment to me. What I notice more (as does my wife) is the change in my body geometry. Just give it time.

Hey Rob,

I have not decided on the Trek yet. There has been an issue of a >200# rider on the OCLV frame. I want to get that ironed out prior to dropping that kind of cash. I am also gonna take a look around at other brands etc... just to make sure I am not jumping the gun. (I am an impulse shopper and I know it! :o )



Thanks for your help Bob :D
I need to observe calorie intake more.
I dropped that kind of cash on a mt. bike and I have loved it ever since. When you do the homework and you have (I'm sure of it) … you can't go wrong. As an impulse buyer (me included) it stills sounds like you're do this the smart way.
Your cranks will only go around so many time in this life… be happy! :D
Thanks again,
Rob

Thanks for your help Bob :D
I need to observe calorie intake more.
I dropped that kind of cash on a mt. bike and I have loved it ever since. When you do the homework and you have (I'm sure of it) … you can't go wrong. As an impulse buyer (me included) it stills sounds like you're do this the smart way.
Your cranks will only go around so many time in this life… be happy! :D
Thanks again,
Rob


I hope I made some kind of sense in my ramblings. Congrats on your MTB. I found my MTB in a pawn shop for $250.00. Its a 2002 Specialized Hardrock UNO FS. Got it last year and LOVE the heck out of riding it. Since I have started commuting on old road bikes, I have fallen in love with Road riding as well. The big problem is that I have yet to find a road bike in pawn shop. Just old ones like I have now in the thrift stores. Oh well, I am not in a huge hurry to purchase anymore. I may go up and ride the 3 bikes I am looking at today. The Trek OCLV, the Lemond TI, and a Trek AL. Just for the fun of it. I have never been on a modern road bike. lol

Anyway, watch those calories, and also watch the TYPE of calories they are. High fat and sugar are not good. Move toward complex carbs. Don't rush things..

Have fun & enjoy life. The weight will come off as long as you keep moving and eat right.

Some how I missed this thread. Now that I'm here I'll keep myself honest with where I am. I have reached a plataue (?) at 222. January 1st I started out on a Dr. directed fat free diet at 256 lbs. The weight I've lost is great, but I have a lot more to go. I'd love to get down to 180.

That is incredible!!! Holy Cow! That's a lot of weight! How did you do it? Pardon my skepticism but that does not sound safe nor true.

Hey, yeah, I know.... I wouldn't believe it either if I had read it. I kept myself on a 1200 calorie diet every day, with at least one hour of hard riding every day... snow, sleet, rain, anything. I know thaqt it wasn't the healthiest way to lose it all, but damn it, I've always been the fat kid, since I was five years old. It's what I had wanted since that age. It's so weird now to do simple things like wear t-shirts and shorts, or feel comfortable at 85 degrees, or walk into a store knowing they'll have my size. It feels wonderful! I do have a little loose skin on my belly and under my arms, but I'm still young (24), so that should tighten up over time.

January 15th - 206 pounds and BMI=30.9

Today - 185 lbs and BMI=27.7

The pace of my weight loss has dropped below 1lb/week over the last 5 weeks. I think it's time I lower my daily caloric intake from 2500 to about 2300 per day.

Hey, yeah, I know.... I wouldn't believe it either if I had read it. I kept myself on a 1200 calorie diet every day, with at least one hour of hard riding every day... snow, sleet, rain, anything. I know thaqt it wasn't the healthiest way to lose it all, but damn it, I've always been the fat kid, since I was five years old. It's what I had wanted since that age. It's so weird now to do simple things like wear t-shirts and shorts, or feel comfortable at 85 degrees, or walk into a store knowing they'll have my size. It feels wonderful! I do have a little loose skin on my belly and under my arms, but I'm still young (24), so that should tighten up over time.
bpohl,
340 lbs. to 175 lbs. is an amazing transformation… You deserve all the praise. What was the hardiest part of losing the weight… What is the most important thing to do while losing weight… have you gone to a nutritionist?... and why is Strong Sad wearing a Charley Brown shirt? :D

bpohl,
340 lbs. to 175 lbs. is an amazing transformation… You deserve all the praise. What was the hardiest part of losing the weight… What is the most important thing to do while losing weight… have you gone to a nutritionist?... and why is Strong Sad wearing a Charley Brown shirt? :D

Hey, Wonker, thanks for the kind words! It was tough, but I always knew that once I started to see dramatic results, I would be in good shape to lose all of the weight. I just made myself get out and ride every day, and not just maintaining what I was doing. I kept pushing myself. The weight really started dropping off from day one. All told, it was pretty easy, since I was seeing results. I guess it's different for everyone, but you just have to keep pushing. There were days when my wobbly legs would be pushing into a headwind, and I'd literally be screaming at the wind (I don't think that anyone could hear). I knew that I was stronger than anything that would keep me fat- whether that was denying myself the food I wanted, not drinking alcohol, looking stupid on the bike, or simply dragging myself and my bike out of my apartment when it was ten degrees outside at 6 am on a morning when I had class or work. It really is just a huge mental battle. I had quit smoking three years earlier, and the two were very similar, except quitting smoking gets easier with time, while losing weight gets harder with time.

And you quit smoking! You are the King of self-discipline! Let me know when you get the Jedi mind-control thing down. :D

Started Weight Watchers June '03 at a weight of 250 lbs. (6'1")
Now, I am weighing in at about 193. Still watching what I eat, but with the increased riding schedule, I can be liberal when I need to be.

Hills are a heck of a lot easier at 193 vs. 250.

bpohl: Congrats

Well, here is my story. Like others it will help to keep me honest. On April 13 I was diagnosed with hypertension. My BP was 165/100, as high as 177/97 :eek:
I was put on medication and told to lose weight & exercise.
49 yrs old, 228 lbs, 5'7". I started a 2000 cal a day program with the salt intake reduced to 1600 mg/day. Sunday the 18th I got back on my bike and started riding.
I did 53 miles the first week, and that was tough after 2+ yrs off the bike.
2nd week I did 55 and was on travel 2 days.
3rd week I did 72 mi and was on travel 3 days
4th week I did 92 mi. Hit the wall as I increased my milage to much :p
5th week 88 mi at a lower pace. Felt much better with the recovery rides
6th week, this week I did 25 Sunday and will do 20+ tonight.

I have lost 15 lbs as of Friday, 2" off the belly, 1.25" off the waist. BP with meds was 118/72 this am. Doc said if I keep up the good work I can get off the meds in 4 weeks. Still have 40 Lbs to lose, but I am making progress. My pants are loose and I am close to the next size down :)

So far so good.

John M,
Great job... keep up the good work. Before too long you'll be in the best shape of your life. I just broke though my 240lbs. plateau… 237lbs.

Hey John, just don't burn yourself out! Good job and keep it up!

Congrats Wonker on breaking through that berrier! I had one at 240 also! I thought I'd never get past that! Right now I'm doing battle with the WALL at 220#s! I am in that stage where my weight floats between 222 and 227. Drives me nuts!

I have only been doing my commuting miles since the rain has been so crummy here. I hope it clears up soon so I can continue to train for my first century on June 12th!

Thanks Bob... Good luck June 12th... it will be a blast!