roy5000x2

Man, I can't believe I didn't come to the training and nutrition forum earlier...

I started road cycling about 4 summers ago (this upcoming one will be my fifth). I started out at 225 lbs, and am now at 190. Race weight for me is 180 lbs, but freshman year at college has put on a few pounds. I'm currently trying to get back down to race weight, but I'm not sure it's possible. Last summer I got down to 170 thanks to mono, jaundice, and strep throat (bleh). I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit 180 this summer because I actually have some upper body to me this year. I'll sure as hell try though.

EDIT: 180 pounds GET. Going to try to get down to 175 for race season. Now excuse me as I finish my greasy calzone for lunch.

WantaBetterLife

I just started riding last weekend.

A good friend of mine cycled for years and tried to get me interested. I was, but just never started, had too many exxcuses - busy with work, with school, with girlfriends, etc.

Recently I took a picture with some friends and could not believe how much weight I had put on over the years. I am 6' and weight 245lbs with a huge gut. I decided that I needed to do something about my health now. Nearing 40 is the 2'nd incentive.

As luck would have it, another friend of mine picked up riding a couple months ago and encouraged me to go riding with him, so I shelled out a couple thousand dollars (Jamaican dollars) got a bike and started riding. My first day out last Saturday was torture and I could only manage 5 KM, today I went out for the second time and took it steady, breating properly and concentrating and did 12.2 KM, tomorrow morning I will go at it again, this time aiming for 18-20KM. After achieving that I will start to keep time myself to get myself riding 20KM FASTER.

One thing I have learnt very early - Cyclists are very pleasant and always willing to help, while pushing my bike last week everyone slowed down to enquire if I was ok.

My goal is to get down to 190Lbs over the next 12 months.

I will post regularly chronicling my adventures and progress

Mike S.

To change your mind, use your body.

To change your body, use your mind.

In order to get over the idea of weight being an issue, I suggest that you gain 100 or more lbs.

Then you will see; your problem is not weight, its fat.


Ciao,


Mike

MrCrassic 

I think the issue isn't fat, but mentality.

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MrCrassic 

I haven't lost much weight since the big drop concluded maybe last year, but in short, I went from nearing 190 pounds to 155 pounds (as of today). Dropped body fat to ~10% and waist size to a 30 from a 34. I never really set a goal for weight loss, but now that I'm at this weight and feeling great, I want to hold it here (lowest I'd go is to 150). I did this mostly through cycling, and maintained it by a change in diet and lifestyle. I don't really call it a "diet," as those are plans that you eventually quit and return to.

How I Eat:

Breakfast:
Normal - Oatmeal with raisins and maple syrup and brown sugar, sided with a one egg, three egg-white omelet with cheese and turkey, and two or three slices of whole wheat, whole grain bread. Usually drink with water, coffee or (sometimes) orange juice.

Heavy - Three large whole wheat pancakes with a good helping of maple syrup (the fake one; it's good!) and the omelet described above. Served with coffee or orange juice.

Light - Two small bowls of Honey Bunches of Oats with 2% cow's milk, sometimes sided with two or three slices of toast. Served with water or coffee.

Snack: One apple and half of a banana. If I haven't had coffee yet, now is when I have it.

Lunch:

Normal - Whole wheat turkey, lettuce and cheese wrap or a tossed salad with raisins, walnuts or almonds, one slice of American cheese, corn and a meat (tuna, turkey or chicken), mixed with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

Heavy - Salad described above with french fries.

Light - Chicken noodle soup with a side of whole wheat bread and lots of vegetables.

Snack: Clif Bar, bread (if I haven't had any) or pretzels. If I haven't had my second cup of coffee, now is when I have it.

Dinner:

Normal - Rice with chicken, beef or tuna (mixed with one tablespoon of mayonnaise). Served usually with water.

or Tossed salad as described above (if I haven't had it for lunch)

or some other meal described on Food Network or something.

Light - Two small bowls of Honey Bunches of Oats (if I haven't eaten this already for breakfast)

Provisions

1) No "heavy" snacks like chocolate (except dark), ice cream, chips, Snickers (unless I'm cycling afterwards), etc.

2) I make many more exceptions on the weekend (e.g. I won't have cheesecake during the week, but will have a slice or two on the weekend).

3) I do a long ride at least one day a week, now that the weather's nice.

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laxrider

Its been about 6 weeks now since school went into "recess" for summer and although I dont know the exact weight I was when I returned home, I have dropped just below 210 from 225 (at last posting in this thread). A combination of work, riding, not eating cafeteria food, and staying away from alcohol as much as possible has helped with this.

Still got a ways to go and the weather is starting to be nice enough to ride everyday.

Ricardo

Guys,
I lost around 40 pounds and have kept them off for a year and a half successfully. I am ready to start shedding a bit more but I feel that the more you loose, the harder it is to loose more.

Why?

Ricardo

Berta

There are all kinds of reasons why those last pounds are the hardest, but from what I've read, patience and diligence are what is required (as if you haven't had enough of that!) I wish you luck, Ricardo, and envy your 40 lb loss that has stayed lost.

I've started my healthy living pursuit YET AGAIN and am using cycling as the primary cardio. I've jogged, swam, walked, used a treadmill and a mechanical stepper over the past 25 years, with some unfortunate lulls. A decent swim is dependent on too many variables for my taste, and I got very tired of buying so-called chlorine-resistant swimsuits that got eaten up by the stuff in two month's time, and getting colds and flu from germs. If I lived at the beach, the first thing I'd do is buy a wetsuit and start up again. What I've missed is being outside, but I don't care for walking where I live and I'm too fat to run--it hurts too much. I hope the bike works for me. So far, so good.

IRONHEAD1

I thought i was too fat to run as well when i started all this. I walked / jogged 3 miles 3 times a week. biked 45 minutes to an hour 2 times a week, joined a spin class once a week. started swimming and as the pounds came off i began to run. now i am doing full 3 mile runs without any major problems and doing it whenever i want. you just have to be persistent with working out. for me it is a lifestyle change i have to live with for the rest of my life if i want to stay fit. good luck.

for me i have lost a total of 39 lbs in 6 months and i really dont diet. i just cut out soda and dont go overboard.

Mike S.

The best thing anyone can do for their nutrition is to make everyday progress toward developing a taste for healthy pure food and drink.

And exercise the same. If you took 20 years to develop a taste for junk food and sedentary lifestyle, expect to spend 20 years retraining yourself to appreciate exercise and filtered water.

Ever taste purified filtered water?

It tastes sweet compared to tap water.

Once you get used to it, you won't want to settle for anythig else. You'll be hooked. When you drink tap water, you'll wonder, "What the hell is in here that makes it taste so bad? I know this isn't what water is supposed to taste like. Aren't I even important enough to deserve a drink of pure water."

The answer is Yes. You do deserve it. And, the sooner you begin to demand it, the sooner you will get it.

VA_Esquire

Lost 36 pounds since Christmas and hit a plateau around 190....I want to get down to 175, but no matter how many miles I do during a week I cant seem to cut anymore weight even though my body fat % is 17......
suggestions?
Right now, I am doing roughly 100-120 miles a week.
Breakfast- bowl of golden grahams or oatmeal
Lunch- usually protein oriented (chicken, turkey sandwich, etc.)
Dinner- random, depends on what the S.O. feels like cooking

aglio

i'm going to join the party.

my wife had a pretty complicated pregnancy (she and baby are 100%), so we didn't do ANYTHING for almost 10 months. I put on 15lbs on top of an extra 5...I was at 210, which is the heaviest that I've ever been. I'd like to lose 25lbs. I'm not a diet guy either, I love to eat, I need to eat...

just wanted to say all of that out loud here. Hopefully 185 soon!

ChemistMama

I"m here for the party, too...after going down to pre-baby weight, twice, I've added on an extra 10 lbs after being diagnosed with celiac disease and going on meds which gave me a nasty case of plantar fasciitis. I started stationary biking at the gym because walking and the elliptical were too painful.

My bike was my primary mode of transportation until I was 23 and got my first car, but after grad shool, marriage, and 2 kids I"m now 30 lbs heavier than I was when I left my bike behind! Just got 'er tuned up, got a new helmet, and me and my 1987 Schwinn sierra (black chrome, baby!) are going to go after those 30 lbs. I'm taking small steps to retrain myself. First up: no food after 8pm, which is my prime snacking time. Next is waking up early to bike before the kiddos get up, which may be a little harder. Wish me luck!!!

Mike S.

Those who propose vegatables as a significant source of vitamins and minerals are out of their f-ing minds! That Dr. Weihl guy is a wacko.

Vegetables are good for a couple things.

They taste good, they can provide types of fiber that are otherwise not usually received and they fill up a lot of room in your stomach with very few calories.

In order to get a significant amount of calcium by eating kale (one of their most common recommendations), one would have to eat a bushel basket full, literally.

I don't know where they're getting their info or what their motives are in saying these things but I am getting my info straight off the tags on the shelfs in the produce dept at my grocery store.

In order to get 100% of the RDA of calcium from kale, you have to eat 50 servings! 50!

And that would only be calcium. Then you would have to find a way to get all your other vitamins and minerals.


vegetables are fine foods, but The only way to get your RDAs is to use supplements.


Period.

Ricardo

LOL! Same here. I tried to start running too but it wasn't a good experience. I started training in a treadmill and slowly building some aerobic capacity. But as soon as I hitted the tarmac, I felt the difference in impact and my knees starting to hurt badly. I had to go to the MD and started taking some Glucosamin. As soon as the pain was gone I quitted. Not because I am a quitter but basically because the bike was more fun and pain is not fun.

Push

Heya all, I have recently lost a ton of weight (not literally obviously but its more than 200 pounds, yes two hundred pounds that's not a typo lol) and I did it by walking/running and riding a stationary bike along with moderate eating, no surgery, no magic pills just common sense and movement , I just bought a K2 Zed 3.2 mountain bike and found this forum while poking around for some accessories this is my first bike since childhood, so far so good I took it out for her first ride this morning and am looking forward to gaining some endurance on a bike so that I can add some range to my workout regimen.

I still have some weight to take off (a good amount) and hopefully biking will help me change things up and keep it coming off.

Thanks for reading

As Ever
Me

Jynx

very nice! that is a great accomplishment. just started reading this thread and there are a bunch of great stories in here.

litesleeper

Told not to lose more weight - do you listen?

In Sept. of 2005 I weighed 215 lb. which was due to having broken my ankle in June of that year and not being able to run until Nov. of that year. In 1987 when I was at my fastest as a runner I weighed 152 lb. and I am 6'3". I was 20 years younger: I'm now 52 years old.
I've made it back down to 162-164 lb. this spring through running every day in the winter and sometimes running twice a day. I started doing more cycling this year in preparation for my second triathlon and also because I have really gotten into the sport.
A lot of my current running partners have told me not to lose any more weight. They don't think it's a good idea. I still feel that I can get back to my faster running times by training at the mileage I used to do and following the habits I've learned about eating what I need but not just for passing the time in front of the TV.
On the Road forum and Road Racing forum it's easily learned that lower body weight means faster riding.

Anybody else run into people telling you that you've lost too much weight? It's hard to ignore people that work out like you do and are your friends.
And I know some of you are going to say that I should be happy to hear that kind of remark and just STFU about it.

aham23

^^^^ its not hard to ignore these people if you have the knowledge. you need to know what you eat, how much eat, what you weigh, and what you should/could weigh. if you are going about this in a healty manner then you are fine.

people use to say this to me all the time. i was eating tons and cycling my butt off, but people were like you are too skinny, you keep losing weight, you should eat. when i am in peak cycling form i dont weigh less, but i sure do look like it. everything up top thins up which most folks dont understand.

in fact, my current response, to these remarks is; "No, I am not still losing weight. I am just peaking."

later.

RiverCityCyclis

I lost some weight since Feb, 40lbs a little more actually. Was 200ish now 160ish, I had started gaining weight out of highschool during the party phase and pretty much got less and less active as life went on. Had to get gall bladder removed and that was pretty scary for me and my family. Healed up a few weeks and then dusted of my department store mtb and got to work. It was February lol and it was very cold out. I rode 4 miles after work, and approx 8 in the am. I know this is nothing but remember I was big and unhealthy . Fell in love with it and started cummuting to work 28 miles round trip. I feel much better and am still kind of losing weight just not as aggressively as I had in the beginning at 10lbs a month. Doesn't come off near as fast now lol but I'm ok with that. Everyone I knew was wondering if I was dying hehe, I just considered that a lil envy.

Willbrewer

Two months ago I decided to get serious about losing some weight, so I started watching my diet and riding my bike. My starting weight was 316 pounds. The first month I did really well and lost 30 pounds, which was mostly water weight. The second month (July) I only lost two more pounds, but I definitely lost fat and increased my muscle mass. My clothes were all fitting much looser, and the spare tire around my gut was noticeably smaller. And I felt a lot stronger, too.

When I took my first ride in June, riding one mile was painful, and wore me out. Towards the end of the month I rode a couple of 30 mile rides. Through July I kept increasing my distances, riding 50, then 70 miles in one day. Then last Sunday I rode a hair over 100 miles. It felt good and bad a the same time, but the best part was that I could still walk pretty well after it was all over.

This morning when I hit the scales I was down to 280. My primary goal is to reach 200.

Anyway, that's where I'm at now and what I'm doing. I changed the way I eat, putting much simpler foods in my mouth than before. It's amazing how addictive some foods are, especially most fast foods, and rich carbohydrates, at least to me. After two months of staying away from those foods, I've pretty much lost my craving for them. Skinless chicken breast, whole grain bread, and dry, unsalted air popped popcorn taste pretty good to me.

80 pounds to go...

dgasmd

You couldn't be more wrong in your statement if tried. Sure, some things are not going to be abundant in vegetables. That is why a varied diet IS important. I can tell you without a single shadow of a doubt that if people in the US had better eating habits, <1% of the population would actually NEED to take any supplements. Some, for medical reasons would still require it, but they are by far the minority.

1. Double your mileage. This is where junk mileage is worth its weight in gold!.
2. Make your diet completely focused on protein intake. Focus on getting at least 25 grm of protein for lung and the same for breakfast. Same minimum for diner. Any other calorie coming from anything else should be viewed as extra dead weight. Obviously, you cannot go on forever like that, but it will help you loose weight though.

+1 for me.

People saying this are usually expressing their jealousy and inability to face their own reality. They wished they could do the same, most times unconsciously, but are not willing to do the work.

If I told you how much your story sounds like mine about 2+ years ago, it would be scary. Down to some of the same numbers you mentioned too..........

Keep it up and stay focused. We all have too many distractors and people encouraging us to go in the other direction like the guy above with his running partners.

FLN333

I lost 80 lbs and kept it off for a year or so. I have now gained back about 25 lbs and not liking it. Since it took me a while to lose the 80 I am not sure if I feel sorry for myself and cant get back into it. I want to lose the 25 I know I need to but just cant stay focused. I know when I do lose it I will ride better. Any suggestions on how I get back into it. Remember I have dieted for a long time and just cant get focused

salvatorejrm

Here's my story. I used to ride alot about 6 years ago then got busy with work and gave it up. Over the last 6 years I gained about 100 lbs. I decided about a month and a half ago I wanted to ride and play tennis again. I figured it was time for a diet. So I started on July 1st watching what I ate and walking. I then decided I did not want to wait to ride so I sent my mountain bike in for a tune up and some slicks and just started riding on friday. I went 4 miles and thought I would die. It has gotten alittle better the over the last 2 days. I guess it will take sometime to get back to where I was 6 years ago riding centuries. To date I have lost 20 lbs and I am very happy with how things are going. If anyone has any ideas on how to build up my endurance please feel free to lend any advice. Thanks

laxrider

Salvator- the easiest way I found to build my endurance while shedding the pounds was to ride at a comfortable pace for a given set of miles. I did that for about 3 days, then took a day off. I started out beginning of may doing 14 miles at a time and I did 113 miles just two weeks ago (as part of a 300 mile, 3 day trip). Keep pedaling and good job on losing those 20 lbs.


Update of my own: I'm now down to about 195, from a high of 230 at the end of April. Weather has been kicking my butt but I'm beginning to feel the best I have ever felt in my life.