Training & Nutrition - The start of a long trip - Advice needed

Hello all,
First off I will explain my current bill of health. Horrible. I've been denying my body for at least 6 years. I've been heavily addicted to some online games and have gained massive amounts of weight after high school. I weighed in around 240 or so in high school being 6'0. I've gained 110lbs since then and as of January was 350. I dropped around 30lbs since that time back in April but have since fallen back into the bad routines. 2 Weeks ago I decided to change my lifestyle and prepare for my future. The only problem is.... I absolutely hate gyms and prefer to get my exercise outdoors.

Starting weight : 320.4 as of 10/20
Current weight: 310.2

I have been walking between 2 and 8 miles a day. I don't feel that I'm pushing myself enough and want to start cycling again. I have cycled from age 3-18. At 18 I rode down the east coast with my father. I'm not an amateur cycler but I am clueless as to If I need a certain type of frame / wheel on a bicycle so I don't keep breaking it with my weight. I need some pointers on bike frame composition and wheel type / composition if anyone would be so kind as to help me out. I plan on updating this post with my accomplishments or failures.... should be a fun post through the next few months.

Yes I am from New England and no.. I have no problem with riding in the 20's - 40's the winter is coming with.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Avu2Scgsdv4NdFlrS0VXR3FRd3BCS291MlhRNW5fQlE&hl=en

Dan. :thumb:

Hi Dan and welcome to Bike Forums.
Perhaps the folks in the Clydesdales/Athenas (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=248) forum can also help.
Good luck with the weight loss and fitness plan. :beer:

I second asking in the Clydes forum about what kind of gear might best suit your needs, but I'd be interested to hear you post about your progress on this forum as well.

A key component to any plan of this type (other than patience) seems to be keeping an accurate log of the foods you eat and the calories they contain. There are lots of good (free!) online calculators (fitday, dailyplate etc) that can help you with this ...

Good luck!

My suggest to yourself is eat as much organic fruits and vegetables as you possibly can. Stay away from any type of restaurant, fast food or over processed packaged foods(basically anything with more then 5-7 ingredients)

Thanks all, Moved to the other forum which seems like a bit more of my crowd ;)

I spent alot of time in the Clydes forum and you will grow addicted to that as well. Im proud to say that I moved out of that great place as I lost alot too. Ive made lots of friends here and you will too. Stay off the games, play games on your bike, eat right! cheat every now and again.

Id rather Die living than Die Dying. Dial it up!

The hardest part is the internal change. Once you decide, on your own, that you really want to change, then you can do it. That change can be for anything.

you need to evaluate what you consume. Everythign that goes into your body. There needs to be a reason for it. To do this, you will need to have a basic understanding of what makes your body work. And how what you put in will affect your body's functions.

I suggest you go to the library and get the book "The Schwarzbein Principle". She walks you through the basic biochemistry of your body. Not everything will apply to you. You identified the major components of your issue (sedimentary lifestyle, too much intake, not enough burning). But the concepts WILL apply.

Take things slow. You need to be careful about how fast you lose weight. And when you are not losing mass (according to the scale), you need to know how to identify body composition changes. Example: I am close to 180. I will never get below that. And honestly, I will probably go higher again. But my body fat will continue to decline. The muscle and bone will continue to grow in size and density. Thus increasing my overall mass. (Which sucks for climbing)

Do you have health insurance? Talk with them. They may have programs to repay gym membership (I have found the classes help keep me motivated), or even personal trainers. You may want a PT as you get into better shape. Actually, talk with the HR people @ work. They can help you with this. And should be very happy to do so!