lunchbox1972

Hey there,

I'm new, been reading the forum for a few weeks..

Thought I'd chime in for some support.

I'm 35 and on April 30th I had a heart attack. I'm good, got a couple of stents, took a couple of weeks off of work and got on with a new life...

I left the hospital at 262 pounds. I'm 5'10", so I guess that makes me a Clyde.

I eat, almost, no fast food and really watch my calorie intake. About 2000 a day or so, very low sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat intake. I try to stay around 30% protein, 30% fat (or less), and the rest in carbs. The biggest hurdle was quitting the soda drinking.

I've always had a bike, just never rode it like I should. I did some hiking, walking, etc., but never what I needed to be doing.

As of this morning, I am at 225.5 pounds, which makes for a total loss of 36.5 pounds since May 2nd. I feel great and none of my old clothes fit me. My goal was 215 when I started, I should hit that in the next few weeks, at my current rate. If my calculations are correct, I will end up lower than that, but I can ease up a bit when I hit it. I plan on having a steak on my birthday.

I currently have a 2001 Specialized Rockhopper that I've put about 270 miles on, in the last 6 weeks. Last Saturday I did a 30 mile ride with a couple of co-workers and my Cardiologist wants me to ride in the local perimeter race in November, there is a 33 mile leg. I'm going to do it with some co workers, sort of a team. Or if anybody is doing some training here in the Old Pueblo, I'd be up for some rides.

I am kind of looking for a road bike, espicially if I want to do 30 miles on a regular basis. A good friend of mine is going to let me use his 87 Specialized Sirrus for awhile, to make sure I know what I'm getting into.

I also want to start commuting to work, it's about 10 miles one-way, so it's nothing major. I had a blast on the 30 mile ride, so I see me doing those in the future, maybe even farther.. With the right training I could do the whole perimeter race next year, 109 miles..

Any input from big guys out there would be nice. I've looked around and I like the Fuji Cross, as well as the Specialized Tricross. I don't really know what I'm looking for though, but I want to take the slicks off my MTB and use it exclusivly for off-road rides. A used bike would be fine, I've got no hang ups about it and I'd rather conserve the cash.

Thanks for listening,

LB

tabnlu

Sounds like you doing great! Keep it up. I'm down 25 lbs since February, but I seem to be stuck at 260. Clothes are fitting much better all the time and I feel slimmer, but the scales say 260. I'll keep on plugging, but I may need some diet advice from you sometime.

haenous

gratz dude that is great ... keep on a truckin, as far as a roadie..there are many many good options out there,, just make sure it fits you..

lunchbox1972

Thanks for the input.. I don't know if I'd have any diet suggestions, but I could tell you what I'm doing. It seems to work for me.

It's a good feeling and I want to start riding more and further.

LB

cohophysh

wow a heart attack at 35??? that is scary

lunchbox1972

Yeah, tell me about it..

My whole family was suprised, but it turned out to be the kick in the butt that I needed to get going..

I feel better now than I have in years.

Tom Stormcrowe

How did I miss this thread?

Welcome to the Herd! Also, welcome to your new life. Kind of nice to be reborn a cyclist, isn't it?

lunchbox1972

It is nice. Hard to believe that I never did this much before.

I'm looking forward to more rides, long rides. I'll be doing some dirt tracking on Saturday, should be fun.

bcc

Welcome aboard. It's amazing how addictive it is once you've started (even without the health benefits)...