Training & Nutrition - Where do I start?

Okay- heres the 411-

I am just getting back into riding after not touching a bike for about 7 years (i was probably 14 when i stopped, i'm 21 now. i am 6'2" 250lbs and i work an office job where i sit around for 9 hours a day. I want to loose some weight becasue i am getting married in august and going to the mayan rivera for honemoon.[think bathing suit] i am looking in the local newspaper as well as bike shops to find a bike (looking for a $800ish hardtail with decent componentss that can be ridden as-is and upgraded as budget allows)

how do i begin training with the bike? what should my starting goals be? how do i know if i'm progressing at a suitable rate? how do i know if i'm pushing myself too hard? not hard enough?


discuss.

Hard to say. Start easy and try to ride 3 or 4 days a week, even if some of those days are shorter than others. If you can't walk after, you're going too hard. It's good to push yourself, but listen to your body, and make it fun. Build up slowly, increasing ride length and/or intensity when you feel less challenged.

Remember to lose weight, you gotta pay attention to the input side too -- now would be a great time to get your diet in check.

Have fun!

Okay- heres the 411-

I am just getting back into riding after not touching a bike for about 7 years (i was probably 14 when i stopped, i'm 21 now. i am 6'2" 250lbs and i work an office job where i sit around for 9 hours a day. I want to loose some weight becasue i am getting married in august and going to the mayan rivera for honemoon.[think bathing suit] i am looking in the local newspaper as well as bike shops to find a bike (looking for a $800ish hardtail with decent componentss that can be ridden as-is and upgraded as budget allows)

how do i begin training with the bike? what should my starting goals be? how do i know if i'm progressing at a suitable rate? how do i know if i'm pushing myself too hard? not hard enough?


discuss.

To get into shape, your goal should be to ride in the aerobic zone. Basically, you should be able to talk easily for *most* of your workout. Riding too hard will actually compromise your improvement, and make you less likely to continue.

For losing weight, cycling is a good exercise, but it's more about what (and how much) you eat than the exercise. There are lots of cyclists who ride a ton but still carry a lot of extra weight. If you post what you are currently eating, there are folks here who can give advice.

Take up a bit weight lifting to make sure you won't lose too much muscle mass.

Yeah, to lose weight, you're gonna want to burn off as many calories as possible, meaning LONG 3-5 hour rides that burn off 2000-4000 calories. It'll take a month or two to build up to that level. Then if you can do two of these rides a week, you'll be burning off as many calories/wk as possible. Watch your diet to maintain a calorie-deficit and you can lose 1.0-1.5 lbs/week. This is the maximum safe amount for permanent weight-loss. Much more than this and you'll end up losing a lot of muscle-tissue, which will result in constant fatigue, loss of motivation, and eventual abandonment of the exercise programme and the weight will pile back on.

The idea is you want a sustainable and permanent change in your LIFESTYLE. It's got to be something you can keep up forever. As soon as you stop, you'll end up reverting right back to where you are now. So think beyond an August deadline.

As far as riding, start out with 100-miles/week at a steady pace. Then start mixing it up, doing shorter more intense rides on some days. And longer slower rides on other days. Work up to 200-300 miles/wk.