Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - At 54 years of age, losing weight, saddles, club riding, staying on target.

Words of encouragement, a very long post, read it if you want. Some of this is from my older posts, some of my posts from other forums.

I suspect that some of you who are trying to get going with road biking are having similar problems as I. SADDLE SORES, trying to find some fun, trying to win the battle of weight loss and gaining strength, trying to lower blood pressure and cholesterol..

So, just a post today to confirm that I am still on track for my personal goals, growing stronger, club riding like a mad-man and loving it! Did 34 miles this past Wednesday evening with the local club. There were 19 of us that evening, and I did another 38 miles this morning with eight others. I ride "D" class which is 14~15 mph average speed and 25~35 mile rides typically. We have a ride leader, and a sweeper. Almost everyone is my 50ish age group and today we had five women and four men. Most days it is about 30% women. I have accumulated about 800 club miles since joining in July of 2011.

My weight loss story - I'm 54 years old.

Back story - Rode a bunch and did quite a bit of touring in the 1970s as a teenager... Didn't ride more than 100 total miles in the past 30 years.

I was 285 pounds in October 2009, walking bent-over with a cane and terrible left hip and leg pain. I had a successful L4~L5 disc hernia operation on my spine on December the 7th 2009 which relieved the pressure on the nerves going into my left leg. That got me off the walking cane.

Then after a few weeks to heal and getting the surgeon's OK, I Immediately started walking and worked my way up to 5 miles every day and eating right. Lost 90 pounds in about eight months time. Was entering 5k walk-a-thons and winning them all the time.
But by late summer of 2010 I got a painful case of Plantar fasciitis in my left foot that seriously cramped my style. I got some orthotic shoe inserts and let it heal all winter 2010-11 while tuning-up my vintage bikes.

When it finally stopped raining in mid-June 2011, l had gained some winter weight and weighed about 210 pounds and got on my Paramounts and worked my way up to almost daily 25 mile rides. Joined the local bike club in July 2011 and did 500 miles with them in two months that late summer and fall. Rode at least 1000 miles from June to November of 2011. I haven't done a century ride yet but can knock off 50 miles like nothing.

(I'm 5' 11" and built like a Viking so 195~200 is about as light as I am going to be. Was down to 195 in October 2011 but I weigh 210 now as like most people cold mid-west winter is very hard on maintaining one's weight) - (if I can make 185 I'll be super skinny)
I'm not a very good hill climber and struggle into the prairie head-wind. I often would lose ground to the rest of the club group on these hills. But had no problem catching them once it flattened out. but I think that weak climbing is part of weighing 200 pounds? No matter how strong I get, I still have to haul my 200 pound body up that hill? I feel strong, seem to have good Cardio and recover my wind very quickly. My group members (especially the ladies) use me for a draft leader. Guess I am quite the wind block. :) I'm really looking forward to a whole summer of riding in 2012 to see how strong I can get.

Today, the 26th of May 2012 I climbed a big hill while standing out of the saddle! I now can feel my much improved leg strength! When I started this, there was no way I could climb out of the saddle, Did that 38 miles today with eight other riders in the 50ish age group and we maintained a 15 mph average speed and I can stay right in the pack all the time even on climbs! WOO HOO!

My rides of choice - I have two vintage Schwinn Paramounts that I ride primarily and a 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour, I also have an all Campy 1987 Cannondale "team comp" I'm real careful with my two Paramounts being that they are pretty much pristine original paint survivors.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/430605_2773715022071_1504476669_n.jpg

How I lost so much weight.
No Coke, no fast food, almost nothing fried, almost no bread. I also gave up Caffeine at the same time. My doctor took me off all medications!

I had slightly high blood pressure, the biking made me real strong and at one point my resting BPM was 40. The doc freaked-out and took me off the daily 25mg Toprol Xm that very day. One week later I tested at 55bpm resting rate and normal blood pressure. He calls me "Lance Armstrong"... I have never been a smoker.

My cholesterol was 245, is now 120. Loving the no drug or substance lifestyle.

BUT - I know I am a food addict, (stress eater) and after getting real strong on the bike I began to be able to eat again as I was burning so many calories. So when I'm not biking (winter) I must be very careful about what I eat.
Two plus years into this life-style change I feel better now than I have since my early 20s and weigh less than any time in my adult life. I was a size 42 pant, now a 36.

left image December 2009, right image December 2010
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My sore backside and how I cured that problem - Selle AnAtomica Titanico X saddle.
As I ride the saddle more, the more I like this design. There are some videos on YouTube of the different prototypes etc.. I purchased a third one for my P10-9 Paramount, now have one on each of my three riders.

Honestly, I am/was a Brooks fan, I understand the heritage and tradition of Brooks. I have several Brooks Professional saddles and have been riding on them since the 1970s. And I had been fiddling with them as I am cranking-up the miles since last summer. (Proof-hide, neatsfoot, tension etc.) In fact I played with padded saddles last summer and switched back to the Brooks Pros.

But now I sincerely believe this saddle (Titanico X) is the very first saddle designed specifically for "Clydesdale" riders (200 lbs.+) - I am really beginning to understand the principals of this saddle and indeed I do believe it is what I need. Certainly it is a fact that those hundreds of miles typically required for "break-in" of a Brooks are the reason most people don't like them. I have two very well worn Brooks saddles that are very comfortable and three that are hard as a rock.

I now have several hundred miles on the An-Atomica Titanico-X and I am convinced that for me, this problem is solved

A new one looks like this

http://prairienerds.com/misc_images/AnAtomica_saddle.JPG



I tried a new idea to get in some miles on windy days.

Back story - The prevailing wind is from the Southwest or West typically. (These past two weekends it has been from the Southwest at 15~20 MPH)

So to avoid coming home at a crawl into hard wind, In the A.M. I head out across the prairie to the Southeast toward the city (We live 40 miles from the city, about 45~50 miles via bike-type back-roads.) The wife leaves a couple of hours later and drives my route. If I get to town first, we meet at the Menard's on the edge of the metropolitan area. If she catches me, then I load up there, change into my street clothes in the truck and we do our weekend shopping and errands, have lunch and head home. This way, I don't have to deal directly with the prairie headwind which is sometimes brutal. I take my cell phone with me so we can stay in contact. The roads are mostly flat with some rolling hills and laid-out in one mile square grid pattern, flat open fields and very desolate. Out in that part of the county, it is less than one house per square mile.

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A photo of me before I went out with two other club members on a 30 mile Christmas day ride. (Northwest Indiana 43 degree day)

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Thanks for sharing and putting that nice post together.

Hoss - thanks for the encouraging post.

I just got back into riding about a month & a half ago. My tipping point was going to the doctor's office and being told I weighed 309 pounds. I knew I was scarin' the heck out of 300, but I couldn't believe I had crossed that particular line.

I started hearing more people my age talking about the medication they were taking. High blood pressure meds, cardiac meds, diabetes meds, cholesterol meds.....

And I started hearing about guys my age keeling over dead. Love by everyone, dead as a post at 48.

I sure didn't want any of that to happen to me. So, I started riding the bike. I decided to commute on it. First I rode to a distant bus stop. It only took a couple of weeks to build up to the point where I could make the entire commute. 40 miles r/t. I've been doing that for about a month now.

I went to the doctor's office on Wednesday. I've lost 12 pounds, my resting heart beat is down 4 bpm (from 72 - 68), my blood pressure (which wasn't high in the first place) is down two points. The doctor told me to ignore anyone that starts talking to me about height/weight charts or BMI measurements. I'm six feet tall and I am a Viking (Norwegian - and a big 'un) He said "You're a big guy. You'll always be a big guy. I don't see you ever getting below 200 pounds, but if you do, more power to you. 175 is definitely out of reach. What you should worry about is simply being healthy. You're doing great!"

And all of this is without changing my dietary habits much. I've stopped doing fast food restaurants and I did away with drinking soda. I figured if we're talking a lifestyle change, I should do it gradually so as to not be discouraged or overwhelmed.

And - best of all - I feel great! It's been a while since I felt this good.

I guess I'll keep doing what I've been doing.

Great post, thank you for posting this.

Nice post, your bikes look great.
But 54 is not "old" it's just more mileage maybe a few dings and dents.
(I turn 56 soon.)

Nice post, your bikes look great.
But 54 is not "old" it's just more mileage maybe a few dings and dents.
(I turn 56 soon.)

Hehe.. I try to use the term "of age" but sometimes one uses "old" instead.. The thing I don't typically mention in the bicycle forums is that I raced off road motorcycles from 1973 until my last race in 2004. I was a USA national champion and many times regional champion. The fact that that I am able to ride my bicycle today is simply because I survived all of those years with only one semi-serious injury. (Cracked ankle bone in a National Championship race in Tennessee 1988) I am very fortunate to have both knees intact. At this point in life, I want to get stronger, have a two-wheeled sport to enjoy and above all avoid injury. It seems the bicycle is the lowest risk to leg, knee and foot injury.

Many of my friends are riding street motorcycles and they constantly suggest that I buy one as well. For me, I am getting that same "in-the-wind" thrill out of the bike club riding. And the exercise and health benefits are included as a bonus. As well as the fact that a nice second-hand high-quality road bicycle costs substantially less than a motorcycle.

Nice post, your bikes look great.
But 54 is not "old" it's just more mileage maybe a few dings and dents.
(I turn 56 soon.)I'll be 60 within a year. Hoss, great post - it encourages us all.

What a wonderful post, and a great story. I will post something similar when I get the chance.

I have shed 52 pounds in a year, mostly on diet (not type of food, simply watching the volume) and in addition to riding (150 or so a week in summer, half that in the winter) I run at least 10 miles a week, and I do core work every day.

I did it to get to a healthier base before the age effects really kick in. There's just less pressure on everything if you're leaner and stronger.

I'm 6'3.5, and now around 205. Dr. told me to stop trying to lose weight, and that I was fitter (not for my age, just fitter) than a decade ago when we met. Best line ever -- when I told him my BMI was still high, he said "yes, but they haven't seen your thighs!"

Several posts have quotes from their doctors basically saying to quit losing weight, or you'll always be a big guy.

If my doctor told me that I'd fire her immediately. Just because you're lighter and fitter, it doesn't mean there can't be more improvement. Being lean is better on your joints, heart, circulatory system, everything!

Especially if you're older.

I don't think there is a body type or heritage that prevents one from being lean (maybe some very rare medical conditions, and being a "Viking" ain't one of them).

hey Hoss, thanks for the post. And I admire your strategy with headwinds, nothing saps the life out of me like battling a headwind for hours.

Several posts have quotes from their doctors basically saying to quit losing weight, or you'll always be a big guy.

If my doctor told me that I'd fire her immediately. Just because you're lighter and fitter, it doesn't mean there can't be more improvement. Being lean is better on your joints, heart, circulatory system, everything!

Especially if you're older.

I don't think there is a body type or heritage that prevents one from being lean (maybe some very rare medical conditions, and being a "Viking" ain't one of them).

Big does not necessarily mean fat does it?

Several posts have quotes from their doctors basically saying to quit losing weight, or you'll always be a big guy.That's not the case here - adrien is 205 pounds at almost 6'4", which would be considered an ideal weight and he probably doesn't need to lose any more. I'm 6'5" and when I have been 210 pounds people worry about me because I look too skinny. :thumb:

Big does not necessarily mean fat does it?

I guess not, but choosing words that will be constructive and non-insulting instead of ones that might be harmful sometimes leads to ones that aren't exact. In my experience, big is often used to avoid saying fat. As Barbie says, Language is hard.

Here's an interesting, at least to me, article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18262887

That's not the case here - adrien is 205 pounds at almost 6'4", which would be considered an ideal weight and he probably doesn't need to lose any more. I'm 6'5" and when I have been 210 pounds people worry about me because I look too skinny. :thumb:

I am 6'4" and although 205 isn't obese, for me it was too heavy (overweight by BMI, too close to 40" waist, hill climbing too difficult, and other metrics) so I lost more.

In the context of 21st century of America, "too skinny" would likely be "slightly pudgy" in the past. Ever seen Miracle on 34th Street and the guy that passes for Santa?

My point was a doctor should encourage patients to be as healthy as possible, not just a little better and that's good enough.

I am with jm.

I have a rather simplistic view of losing enough weight. The truth from my perspective at least is that whatever skeletal and muscle mass we have below our skin and fat is what it is. If I can still roll up fat on the underside of my arms or make a roll on my belly or the underside of my thighs, I still hae weight to lose regardless what scale or chart may say.

Now if I want to train differently and ass muscle then that wouldn't be bad, but for me, if I can pinch fat ( reasonable pinch here folks not 2 mm of skin). I am still too fat

Very nice post and I love what you had to say about the Titanico X. I just ordered one of those today and then I come here and read about your experience with it. Sweet! :)

I am 6'4" and although 205 isn't obese, for me it was too heavy (overweight by BMI, too close to 40" waist, hill climbing too difficult, and other metrics) so I lost more.

In the context of 21st century of America, "too skinny" would likely be "slightly pudgy" in the past. Ever seen Miracle on 34th Street and the guy that passes for Santa?

My point was a doctor should encourage patients to be as healthy as possible, not just a little better and that's good enough.


Well, I think I agree, but I can tell you that I do resent somewhat the implications that I must still be overweight and my doctor somehow at fault for telling me I'm not. My BMI is 26. My waist went from a 40 to now about 34.5. Is that too close to 40? 5.5 inches? Would I be happier at 195? Dunno. Not if it meant I had less power to go up the hills.

Heck, even with the new bicycling magazine calculator I am at my ideal weight.

Meh. For me it was an accomplishment, and he has the medical degrees. I've spent a small fortune having all my suits take in, and just finished a self-supported century in 90 degree weather with 4,000 feet of climbing...in 6:19:08. BP is great, resting pulse in the 50s. And one community on the inter webs doesn't completely agree. K. I can live with that.

Well, I think I agree, but I can tell you that I do resent somewhat the implications that I must still be overweight and my doctor somehow at fault for telling me I'm not. My BMI is 26. My waist went from a 40 to now about 34.5. Is that too close to 40? 5.5 inches? Would I be happier at 195? Dunno. Not if it meant I had less power to go up the hills.

I apologize for my implications. Speaking only from my experience, I'm slightly taller than you, and my waist was close to 39" when I was 205. You must carry more in your arms & legs than I do.

I apologize for my implications. Speaking only from my experience, I'm slightly taller than you, and my waist was close to 39" when I was 205. You must carry more in your arms & legs than I do.Which is exactly what he said:
when I told him (the Doctor) my BMI was still high, he said "yes, but they haven't seen your thighs!" - - which is why we were wondering why you implied that the doctor should be fired. Everyone's different - 205 would be too thin for me, also, at 6'5. My waist is about 36 at 210 pounds, which is where I am happiest, and my friends/family say "You need to put some meat on them bones!" when they see me. Bottom line I think all of us are different.

Which is exactly what he said: - - which is why we were wondering why you implied that the doctor should be fired.

One of the posts said that the poster's doctor said he'd always be big. That's the doctor I'd fire.

I apologize for my implications. Speaking only from my experience, I'm slightly taller than you, and my waist was close to 39" when I was 205. You must carry more in your arms & legs than I do.

no worries

Which is exactly what he said: - - which is why we were wondering why you implied that the doctor should be fired. Everyone's different - 205 would be too thin for me, also, at 6'5. My waist is about 36 at 210 pounds, which is where I am happiest, and my friends/family say "You need to put some meat on them bones!" when they see me. Bottom line I think all of us are different.[/COLOR]

You know, to be fair, I'm not saying that 195 would be too thin for me. But I think I would need to either have very very low fat (like 5%) and / or lose some muscle mass. I don't lift much, but I do resistance work and yoga a fair amount. For example I can't wear many off-the shelf jeans -- not because of my waist, but because I can't get my thighs in.

I don't think 6'5 with a waist of 36 is unhealthy. It sounds like we have similar body types.

I am 6' 5" and 218 as of yesterday and wear a 36 in some pants and still have to wear a 38 in others.

Oddly enough, however when I lose the next 8 lbs, I still think I am too fat. I still have a fairly sizable gut...much smaller than it use to be, but still a roll that I don't want. I seem to lose weight from the extremities to the middle..my lower legs and arms have almost no fat on them now,mbut from my knees to my chest still does.

Guess that will come off with time.

Thats why I mentioned above that I just do t think debates on weight mean a lot especially when compared to height, I think we ought to use fat as the real measure

My point was a doctor should encourage patients to be as healthy as possible, not just a little better and that's good enough.

Yes and no. I think doctors need to know their audience. For example, if a person is overweight it might make sense to ask them to have a goal of losing maybe 10 pounds. They still would be overweight but it would improve their health and the goal isn't as daunting as losing 50, 100 or even 200 pounds.

Then if this goal is met they could reassess.

My doctor told me I should quit losing weight at 116. I ended up at 103, with a BMI of 21 point something. I was stronger at 116.

I apologize for my implications. Speaking only from my experience, I'm slightly taller than you, and my waist was close to 39" when I was 205. You must carry more in your arms & legs than I do.

Wow crazy. When I'm 205 lbs I have a size 32 waist. Which sucks because then it's hell to find pants big enough for my monster thighs. :)

Wow crazy. When I'm 205 lbs I have a size 32 waist. Which sucks because then it's hell to find pants big enough for my monster thighs. :)

Maybe it's because I'm a high cadence spinner (which I intentionally worked on years ago) instead of a masher, but cycling slims my legs. Right now, they're cut with lots of surface vascularity, and I can ride a century with a high pace. But I still want to take another inch off my waist.

And I'm identifying a tape measure, not pants size.

We've really strayed from the original post, haven't we...

One of the posts said that the poster's doctor said he'd always be big. That's the doctor I'd fire.

That was my doctor.

He's been a physician for 30 years and is a well-respected professor @ Baylor College of Medicine.

I think I'll stick with him.

He's absolutely right. I will always be a big guy. I am a big guy. I have always been a big guy. But, as I said earlier "big does not necessarily mean fat".

When I was a young man I was shaped like a V. I had big shoulders, a big chest and a narrow waist. At age 18 I weighed 203 pounds and had a 36 inch waist. I had worked on a dairy farm from age 13-18. By the time I was 18 I could toss wagon loads of thirty to fifty pound hay bales (depending on how the baler was set and how dry the hay was) 10 bales straight up. During the winter months I worked at both the farm and at Sears as a stock boy. I stacked full-sized refrigerators by myself, using no equipment. I was strong as an ox - and hopefully just a little brighter.

I rode a bicycle everywhere - except in the winter (when I would cross country ski to my friends houses). The football and wrestling coaches were both vying for me on their respective teams but I was more interested in making money than being involved in sports. Getting involved in extracurricular activities would mean I couldn't work on the farm after school - and I loved farm work.

When I got out of basic training (weeks of PT, marching and running everywhere and eating boiled/steamed food) I weighed 198. So, at 203 I carried around a few extra pounds, but not enough to worry about.

Today things are a bit different. I weigh alot more than I did when I was a kid. My goal is to get within about 10 pounds of where I was in high school. I figure that's a pretty good goal to shoot for. Heck, who knows? Hopefully I'll get there. If I do and say "Man, there's room for improvement. I think I'll step it up a bit" - Great! If I get there and say "Arrived. Whew." That's just as good. I'd be happy to simply get there.

You are right. A person should try to be as lean as possible, but one has to factor the way a person is built as well. When I was in the service, I was always on the verge of being put into the "fat boy program". According to the height/weight charts being used at the time by the Air Force, maximum allowable weight for my height was 205. I weighed 203 - the same thing I weighed in high school.

To give you an example, my buddy had skinny arms, skinny legs, virtually no shoulders, a sunken chest and an enormous beer belly - but he never had any trouble with the fat police in the service - because according to the charts he wasn't close to his max weight.

My son (20 y/o) is two inches taller than me and weighs something on the order of 165. He is a bean pole. He couldn't see 200 pounds if he did nothing but sit on a couch and eat twinkies for the next five years.

That's all my doctor was saying. "You should try to be as healthy as possible. You're doing great. Ignore all the numbers and charts that are out there, keep riding your bike, eat right and you'll do well."

Sounds like some pretty good advice to me. ;)

The thing I don't typically mention in the bicycle forums is that I raced off road motorcycles from 1973 until my last race in 2004. I was a USA national champion and many times regional champion.

Is this the group that has their nationals in Ponca City, OK? My hometown!

We've really strayed from the original post, haven't we...That's half the fun of these threads . . . :)

Well, I really started something didn't I?

(A) jmmcain, Just curious, how much do you weigh now?

(B) I may be a type A, but I also don't ever want to be like some of the type A bicycle riders in the club. My racing days are over, in fact I retired from motorcycle racing primarily because I disliked the type A personalities that permeated the sport. For me it was for fun and always was, the need to win any competition for some people just turns them into characters I would rather not be associated with. My nickname was "Hoss" because I was fat and could really ride, AND I won nationals. I won championships against quite a few thin guys over the years and witnessed a great deal of resentment and cruel things were said to me on many occasions, especially at trophy time.
So, maybe I am a type A- ?
In this bicycle club, no matter how strong I get, I am not going to be interested in riding with those fast guys (and gals) because they are mostly a bunch of people who are constantly challenging each other into faster and longer rides just to see who can out-ride the others. They are constantly "racing" each other for bragging rights. I enjoy the conversations with fellow baby boomers cruising along at 14~15 mph and doing 30 or 40 miles. This is a sport "I enjoy", not boot camp for the Army.. If I let this become the same thing as my motorcycle racing days, I will quit for the very same reasons.

(C) I know that at the 197 lbs that I got down to last fall, I could stick my hand up under my rib cage. I have a huge chest diameter as well as neck diameter. I wear a size 46 long dinner jacket! This is what fits my chest and arm length and it hangs on the front of me. I wear the production largest width eye glasses frame available (145), my motorcycle helmet size is XXL, hat size is 7 3/4.... So, firing my doctor isn't going to happen, and yes "vikings" do exist.
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Club ride notes
In our club I almost always ride "D" class.
"D" class rules - Not more than 14~15 mph average speed and not more than 25~30 miles on weeknight rides, sometimes 40~45 on Saturday or Sunday rides. (Sometimes I ride an "E" class ride on a weeknight and it is usually 18~20 miles and 13~14 mph average speed but these tend to be a little short and slow for me)

"C" class is 15~16 mph average speed.

As of this post, this is my week so far - 128 total miles
Saturday the 26th, Rode the 1973 P10-9 Paramount - 38 miles with the club, nine of us, some mild hills and mild wind. Average speed 14.8 mph
Monday the 28th, Rode the 1987 Cannondale Team Comp as it can haul two water bottles. (But it has a Brooks Professional saddle that is a little hard for my taste) - almost the same course as Saturday but in reverse. 34 miles with the club, about thirteen of us, mild hills and mild wind. Average speed 14.2 mph
Tuesday the 29th, Switched to the 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour as it can haul two water bottles and has an An-Atomica Titanico X saddle. - 28 miles, seven of us with two killer hills and two long down-hills. Got up to 34mph on one down-hill. Some head wind on the way out but a 21mph tailwind on the way back for about five or six miles. 14.8mph average speed. I huffed up the one steep hill and was third person over the top, two people walked-pushed up. - My lowest cogs are 28-39 on the vintage 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour so pulling big hills on that bike is some work. Feels good to climb while standing out of the saddle.
Wednesday the 30th, Been a while since I was last in the group to arrive back at the car park. Rode the Super LeTour again - 30 flat but windy miles, eighteen of us. About ten of the riders were from the faster "C" class which was a "show-and-go" and didn't have a ride leader or sweeper or planned route, so they tagged along on our slower planned "D" ride. Wicked head wind! I almost talked myself out of going. But I had already signed the waiver, not wanting to be a quitter, and no pain, no gain. Right? grrrr. I was the struggling/straggler on the way out and the "sweeper" was with me giving me encouragement and making sure I didn't drop out. (we will not leave anyone behind on club rides) At about the 8 mile mark, the group waited for me and Pat the sweeper to catch up. (We were about 1/4 mile back) I hate it when I'm last and having a person older than me helping me pull a head wind really puts a guy in his place. So, after this re-group we turned away from the wind and I was able to get into the pack and stay with them. But once we turned back into the wind at about the 20 mile mark, I dropped back little by little but this time with two others and the sweeper. We straggled-in about a mile behind the main group and as we are chatting while loading-up I'm apologizing for being the "anchor." Then they are all congratulating me! Seems that even though I was last, I finished with an average speed of 15.5mph which was dead center in the "C" class! So, I was struggling so much last night, feeling like a loser and didn't realize I was riding well out of my "D" class speed in hard wind! This was the very first time I have broken-out of the 14mph average speed on a club ride! And after the ride and even today I didn't hurt when I woke up. (Slept nine hours though)
BUT, I am not going to try to ride with the "C" class, there is an awful lot of testosterone in that bunch of riders, and huffing away all evening trying to keep up with them means that having a friendly conversation while riding is impossible.
Today the 31st, raining all afternoon and cold, all rides cancelled.

Is this the group that has their nationals in Ponca City, OK? My hometown!

I rode Observed Trials. Never rode there or anywhere in Oklahoma. Rode in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Colorado though.

Me in the good old days, August 1998 near Fairplay Colorado on Sheep Mountain.

http://www.trialspartsusa.com/images/gallery/JimWheelie.jpg

Awesome post, OP! Very encouraging.

FWIW, I'm in a very large club with 500+ members and the average age is 54. I'm a youngin in the club at 42, but I'm wholly impressed by the atleticism of the members therein. Many of the club ride leaders are my parents' age (who do not ride) and they can readily kick my ass. It's a very humbling and insipiring.

I did my first metric century on Saturday the 9th of June. I did it like it was nothing, even tried to talk myself out of it, but went anyway. Guess I'm stronger than I thought?

Here is the post link...

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/823963-I-m-doing-my-first-metric-century-tomorrow

My rides of choice - I have two vintage Schwinn Paramounts that I ride primarily and a 1981 Schwinn Super LeTour, I also have an all Campy 1987 Cannondale "team comp" I'm real careful with my two Paramounts being that they are pretty much pristine original paint survivors.

Have any more pictures of the Paramounts?

Have any more pictures of the Paramounts?


Sure do, follow this link to my Paramount gallery (http://www.jims59.com/vintageschwinns/Jims%20vintage%20Schwinn%20Paramount%20Bicycle%20Collection.html)

http://www.jims59.com/vintageschwinns/images/Paramount/1972_Paramount_P-15_rt_rear_dr_rally_7-speed.jpg

Beautiful bikes.

He's absolutely right. I will always be a big guy. I am a big guy. I have always been a big guy. But, as I said earlier "big does not necessarily mean fat".

Exactly.

When I started losing weight, back in February of 2011, they asked me to pick a goal weight. The BMI chart says "180", so that's what I picked. My doctor was "Uh, no." It turns out that if you've been big for a long time then things happen like your bones get denser. My ankles are not going to shrink in circumference, for example.

So we decided to give up on weight as a goal and instead set a body fat percentage, and I get dunked once a quarter. But I can say that now I'm at a point where I buy shirts based on how they fit in the chest - and that's not really going to get too much smaller. I thought I'd end up a L but I guess I'm an XL guy...

The discussion on this thread about ideal weights is interesting, and more considered than we often get. Too often we hear things like "BMI is junk" from people who simply don't want to accept how overweight they really are.

OP, Adrien and others, I don't doubt you for a second. There are people who are simply very heavily built and whose weight at 10% body fat will be substantially higher than that of most people their height at 10% body fat. From what you say, you're undoubtedly among them. And many congratulations on your weight loss.

But Jmccain is right, for the most part. In the USA, and increasingly here in the UK, we've just got used to being fat and being around fat people. People look normal to us who would have been kindly described as "plump" or "well-covered" by my mother, and people who look overweight to us would have seemed enormous to her. I recently read a study which showed that 75% of UK parents of overweight kids were unable to diagnose the fact that their children were fat. That's a bit of a disaster as far as our future public health is concerned.

Speaking for myself, at 57 and 6'3" tall I am currently 91kilos/200lbs. I'm broad-shouldered, moderately muscular, very few people would call me lightly built. Non-cycling friends frequently comment on how lean I am and are disbelieving when I tell them I am still at least 14lbs overweight and very much the fat guy when it comes to bike racing. But it's true. I can still grab a handful of fat around my haunches and when I was last in top shape, aged about thirty, I was carrying more muscle than I do now but weighed 185 lbs. Oh, and don't believe those who say it's "natural" to put on weight as you get older. It's common, yes, but mainly because most people get less active but keep eating as a much or more than they did before.

So I agree that people should concentrate on health and fitness, and not get fixated about numbers. The "right" number for me will be different from the "right" number for you. But for most of us, that number is lower than one might expect based on what we see around us.

The discussion on this thread about ideal weights is interesting, and more considered than we often get. Too often we hear things like "BMI is junk" from people who simply don't want to accept how overweight they really are.

OP, Adrien and others, I don't doubt you for a second. There are people who are simply very heavily built and whose weight at 10% body fat will be substantially higher than that of most people their height at 10% body fat. From what you say, you're undoubtedly among them. And many congratulations on your weight loss.

But Jmccain is right, for the most part. In the USA, and increasingly here in the UK, we've just got used to being fat and being around fat people. People look normal to us who would have been kindly described as "plump" or "well-covered" by my mother, and people who look overweight to us would have seemed enormous to her. I recently read a study which showed that 75% of UK parents of overweight kids were unable to diagnose the fact that their children were fat. That's a bit of a disaster as far as our future public health is concerned.

Speaking for myself, at 57 and 6'3" tall I am currently 91kilos/200lbs. I'm broad-shouldered, moderately muscular, very few people would call me lightly built. Non-cycling friends frequently comment on how lean I am and are disbelieving when I tell them I am still at least 14lbs overweight and very much the fat guy when it comes to bike racing. But it's true. I can still grab a handful of fat around my haunches and when I was last in top shape, aged about thirty, I was carrying more muscle than I do now but weighed 185 lbs. Oh, and don't believe those who say it's "natural" to put on weight as you get older. It's common, yes, but mainly because most people get less active but keep eating as a much or more than they did before.

So I agree that people should concentrate on health and fitness, and not get fixated about numbers. The "right" number for me will be different from the "right" number for you. But for most of us, that number is lower than one might expect based on what we see around us.

I totally agree this thread has gone very thoughtful and interesting. Also, BTW, thank you. I do think I could stand to lose more, though. That said, I worry a little bit (and is what was behind my doctor's comment) that we can become more fixated on weight than on health as a metric.In my case, the concern was that over-obsessing on shedding weight could become more harmful than a focus on fat / muscle balance. My goal is NOT to be a specific weight. It's to be lean, and have the muscle mass needed to do things I enjoy. In my case that is riding a lot (which requires significant muscle, and even upper body strength), some running, swimming, and things like gardening and the usual household stuff that comes with being the dad of an 8-year-old. And I want to live a long time, so BP, blood chemistry, circulation, and mental health all matter. It is a complex series of inputs, and a number on weight is one of them.

I agree - Chasm hit the nail on the head.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if at this stage of the game my doctor is just trying to be encouraging. Once I hit some plateau and am having a hard time dropping weight he might become all about the BMI and want me to go see a nutritionist. I have no idea.

As far as lean as possible goes, I don't know if I'm interested in being as lean as possible. I mean, let's face it, I didn't get to be this much overweight by eating salads and tofu. I still like to munch on a fair amount of stuff that's not good for the waistline.

My thoughts are (and my doc agrees with me) that we're talking about a lifestyle change, and it's best to approach such things incrementally. I've started an exercise regime. I'm being a little more careful about what I stuff down my gullet. I'm sure I'll be fine tuning things as time goes on.

As the author of the ORIGINAL POST.

Simply said, I was pushing 300 pounds and walking with a cane, I've hit 199 last fall and after the winter now am 210. duhh! I have done this much!

This is still the lightest I've been in almost 40 years and my physical condition is better now than since my teen years. When I was 14~15 I was a biking mad-man, doing touring and constantly riding my high-end bikes. As my Grandfather was in the bike business and we had a shop, I had a free ride of any bike I wanted. Once I got that driver's license at 16, the bikes were over. 38 years later, here I am. It feels great to put that foot into that toe-clip on that Campagnolo pedal and push-off, swing a leg over the Paramount and pedal away with 18 other people for a 30 miler. Funny how all that stuff never goes away.

That Paramount feels the same today as it did when I was 15 and this is part of the Karma that is my state of mind and my current evolution. I look down at that Paramount frame, those chrome Nervex lugs, and that polished aluminum and sometimes I just get the biggest grin. I am re-living my youth and regaining my health. - This past Saturday I passed-up an annual antique auto show I haven't missed for a decade, and a chance to cruise around in my 1959 Impala.. Just to ride 62 hot and hilly miles with my bike club friends. Yes, I am different! I have changed.

Did 34 miles last evening at 15.5mph average speed with 18 club members.

Call me fat, whatever, I'm rocking and in my circle of friends they call me "their inspiration". I am surrounded by overweight out-of-shape chain-smoking couch potatoes and in my little prairie town I am now in the upper 10 percentile of fitness for sure. In my workplace, I am the only non-smoker!

This is the message; Anything is better than nothing, quitting all substances, getting in some kind of shape. Will a heart attack kill me? Who knows? I'm from Nordic genetics and my Grandfather lived to 85 and he was huge and lived on bacon and eggs. My male family history is huge muscular men. I have a step-brother and 57-year-old cousin who are thin, but both are heavy smokers and couch potatoes who live on beer and burgers. Otherwise, I am the thinnest man in the family any way you look. In fact many of my relatives are morbidly obese. Especially the women.

So for arguments sake, this is the forum for Clydesdales and as some have said, a lot of doctors probably see anything as better then nothing. My doctor told me that I am "! in 100" He told me that he preaches diet and exercise every day and nobody does it. For me to be almost three years into this and still maintaining and actually gaining strength is an anomaly in itself. (From his perspective, most dieters have long ago failed and regained the weight and often even more) And he is a heck of a nice guy. He is the one who suggested that I try 5k walkathons as I was complaining about how boring the treadmill and air-dyne were. I think he is 100% correct to tell me not to run or jog. He knows I was a motorcycle dirt racer, he knows I escaped knee injury by a stroke of luck, he knows about my bone spurs and spinal disc surgery. I think he is spot-on with how he suggests my training and direction of healthy living. Had I not inflamed the tendons in my foot in the fall of 2010, maybe the Paramounts would still be hanging on the wall? Would I still be walking 5 miles every day, entering walkathons? Who knows?

Just today at the LBS I was talking to my long time friend and mechanic. He commented about how some of the bike club members have been impressed with my gains. How strong I've become etc. I commented that thankfully I am one of the only dirt bike racers I know without having undergone knee surgery. Had I injured myself in all those off road racing years, I would not be biking. All the way around, I am a lucky guy.

Just today I bought tofu for the first time. Going to try and grill it. I have grown fond of Thai stir fry.

To preach these extremes about BMI and muscle mass to Clydesdales and Athenas is perhaps a little too much. If they can lose significant weight and get healthy they are making achievements that most overweight people cannot do. To expect them to be able to remove all that stretched skin and flab and turn themselves into "specimens" is a lot to ask.

To all of you like me who struggle for these goals, you have my utmost respect and support. Self image and pride in achievement be it 10 pounds, 100 pounds or 200 pounds lost, this is a difficult struggle. To also try to quit smoking, quit caffeine, quit fast-food, quit biting your nails, whatever! You are a winner anytime you can walk away from a bad habit and never look back. It is not about losing it, it is about keeping it off. This is the ultimate test. And my best wishes for success!

Sincerely,
A still "fat" 55-year-old guy who is 75 pounds lighter and riding and feeling like a 20-year-old

Me in August of 2010 at 225 pounds, (60 pounds lost)

256039

As the author of the ORIGINAL POST.


To all of you like me who struggle for these goals, you have my utmost respect and support. Self image and pride in achievement be it 10 pounds, 100 pounds or 200 pounds lost, this is a difficult struggle. To also try to quit smoking, quit caffeine, quit fast-food, quit biting your nails, whatever! You are a winner anytime you can walk away from a bad habit and never look back. It is not about losing it, it is about keeping it off. This is the ultimate test. And my best wishes for success!


256039

Good on you, and thank you for the support. If we ever meet, I'll buy you a beer. Doesn't even have to be a "light".

So I agree that people should concentrate on health and fitness, and not get fixated about numbers. The "right" number for me will be different from the "right" number for you. But for most of us, that number is lower than one might expect based on what we see around us.

I would say this - if you're going to fixate on numbers then fixate on a number more valuable than the scale. I wish I had gotten a body comp test before I started, but instead of trying to "guess" why my idea weight is I've chosen a "healthy" BF percentage. And I'll keep monitoring that. That way, if I can weight but my BF percentage is down then it's all good. but to put it bluntly - someone your height and weight probably can't comprehend being as heavy as I was, or losing over 200lbs. I think it's a completely different experience.

... but to put it bluntly - someone your height and weight probably can't comprehend being as heavy as I was, or losing over 200lbs. I think it's a completely different experience.

I absolutely agree. I've never been more than about 240lbs. I can't imagine what it is like to have to lose over 200lbs, and have nothing but admiration for those who manage it.

And I also agree about monitoring something other than weight. Body fat percentage is ideal. Mine is still hovering around 20%, though. If it was under 15%, I wouldn't much care precisely what weight I was.