After my own experiences commuting by bike and hearing the experiences of so many in these forums, I can't help but notice that the non-cycling world is missing out on a huge discovery.

A.F. Baker said, quite seriously, that he had "only lost 37 pounds so far." And apparently, that is not unusual for many of us. Heck, I lost 25 pounds and I'm only 5'5" tall! I am concerned that
the dramatic examples of weight loss amongst us is so common that we take it for granted.

Do we realize what a struggle it is for sedentary types to lose any weight at all? The weight loss industry (if I can call it that, made up of the Jenny Craigs and the pharmaceutical companies) is a multimillion dollar, maybe multibillion dollar-a-year business. Even with all the attention given to weight loss in our overweight, motorized, desk-bound, snack-ridden, couch-potato society (of which I have also been a lifetime member, though recently I have dropped out,) it has been said that it is extremely rare for anyone to lose 20 pounds and keep it off for more than a few short years. Most people who actually lose 20 pounds or more gain it back, and then some.

There is something about cycling that just zeros in on excess weight. I don't know if it's the calories burned, or the muscles built, or the oxygen consumed, or the appetite suppressed, or what. But the fat just seems to melt off, as long as we learn to eat sensibly.

No wonder everyone else who doesn't cycle is amazed at how I look compared to the way I used to look. For anyone who doesn't know the secret (although it's not really a secret, I blab it to everyone,) losing as much weight as I have would be amazing.

And I find it very easy to keep it off, too. :thumbup: