Machka 

To each his own.

Rowan

About nine months. However it goes a bit further than that.

When we were in North America over Christmas/New Year 2012-13, I was up to 104kg. In the January, while still in Canada, Machka and I joined a local YMCA gym with a pool, and I started swimming and doing some cardio work on the equipment it had.

When we got back to Australia, I returned to working in orchards, which added to the exercise routines, along with cycling. Then we moved to Tasmania, and I picked up a job as cherry orchard supervisor. We joined a very well equipped gym complete with pools, and I started swimming, treadmill running, a bit of weights, and some spin bike cardio.

So in that period I have gone from 104 to a current of 87kg (228 to 191 lbs = 37lbs) through increased exercise and a little moderation of my food intake -- reduced sweet stuff, increased fruit and vegetable servings, almost no alcohol, and oatmeal for breakfast every day.

The aim is to do at least a sprint triathlon in our upcoming summer, get back into randonneuring, and hopefully get into some bike commuting when we move to a house that is much closer to my workplace.

As you now, I rode long distance events for some years, but have wound right back in the past four or five for various reasons. Lack of motivation was among the reasons. I think the enthusiasm is returning.

So it's all good. And I have become somewhat of an advocate of slow weight loss so that the lifestyle changes that created it have a chance to "take root" and remain permanent along with the weight loss.

But the point about the outdoor gym equipment is that it provided me/us with the impetus to join the indoor gym formally and get into a routine. The outdoor gym is very good for a taste-and-see scenario for someone who might be unfit and wanting to improve. As I pointed out earlier, it relies on bodyweight which can give various muscles a real workout, but can only go so far.

Thanks for asking.

cooker

Slow weight loss is probably also better physiologically, to allow the body time to adapt to a new homeostasis.

I-Like-To-Bike

And thanks for a very responsive reply.
My goal for losing weight was to get my clothes to fit once again. Mission accomplished.

Since I no longer have any need to commute to work, the daily ride to the local hospital's heated swimming pool is a win-win situation as it provides a daily worthwhile cycling destination and the calories being burned has matched my eating habits. The ½hour stretching exercises I do in the pool have been successful therapy for lower lumbar issues.

cooker

Sounds good. However, although you exercise regularily, you also mentioned in another thread, that you never walk anywhere if you can avoid it, so one concern for you with all the non-weight bearing/non-impact exercise, might be around osteopenia - so keep that in mind.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...1016135440.htm

MikeRides

The nearest gym (or YMCA) is 40 miles away. If I were to bike that, i wouldn't have the energy to use my membership (or at least wouldn't have the energy to pedal home afterward). I haven't had a need for one. I do more cardio (running, walking, biking) than most I know and strength training comes from tilling the garden and helping the nearby Amish with their fields.

I-Like-To-Bike

Thanks for the info.

kookaburra1701

Yup. Every year around Feb-March the hospital where I work sees an uptick in the number of cholecystitis cases as people who went balls-to-the-wall with their New Year's weight-loss resolution lose the lard a bit too fast.

I've lost about 30 lbs since last November, and I plan on losing about 30 more but by taking it slow I give my new good habits time to take root and I don't feel deprived. Like ILTB and others, it was mainly through altering my food intake so that I wasn't constantly overeating.

DogBoy

I think I'm the crazy one. I ride 6 miles to the gym to do a spin class, then ride 2 miles to work, then ride home 6 miles. I found I wasn't challenging myself on the bike outdoors, and the spin classes help motivate me to up the resistance. On a typical commute, I average about 140 watts. Spin class I average 220 watts. I've seen a significant improvement in cycling ease, and my commute average since I started has gone up to 150 watts with the same RPE. I also do some strength classes twice a week, but so far nothing heavy weight training.

enigmaT120

That's really cool. I've never seen anything like that in my area. Some tracks with places for pull-ups or sit-ups, but nothing as elaborate as the equipment in your pictures. Maybe because it rains 9 months of the year here? I don't know about the rest of the country.

cooker

There's some very minimalist equipment of that sort near my old office: that's rowing machine in the foreground and an eliptical by the people, with yellow footplates and handles visible above their heads

kookaburra1701

The one and only spin class I ever did I almost broke my legs because I had such a bad habit of coasting on my bicycle. Can't do that on a spin bike!

mrblue

I do that, too.

I ride 7 miles to work. From work, <1/2 mile to the gym. Then I ride 7 miles home. I actually hate the gym, but go there for the weights and nothing else. I was 25lbs heavier from regular weight training, but got lazy and just rode my bike (no gym) for a couple of years. At this point, however, I'm not looking to bulk up; just stay toned and fit.

gregjones

That's what finally worked for me. Portion control. I bought a $20 food scale, tracked everything I ate with a free online program. Followed calorie and, especially, sodium intake.

45 lbs in 7 months. I feel better than I have for the last several decades, and the doc just took me off of blood pressure meds and instead of 3 month visits said to come back next year.

The best part is the hills around here have shrunk considerably from what I remember them to be.