[MENTION=9420]Kenshi[/MENTION] & bigfred

Thanks for the replies. The technical info is especially helpful.

I've actually lost a lot of weight already through diet and exercise. I appreciate your points about junk food, but I don't do the whole outrun a bad diet thing any more. Probably because my whole lifestyle has changed and I have a seriously healthy diet now. I don't reward myself with bad food after exercising. In fact, I hardly ever eat or drink junk now.

What works best for me is that I have my healthy base calorie rate for losing weight and the requisite amounts of fats, fibre etc. On days I work out, the calories burned figure gets added to my base calorie rate and the amounts of fats, fibre etc get appropriately recalculated. So for example: on days I do weights, I eat much less than on days I do cardio. This is why I was asking about a calories burned calculator. I don't want to under eat or overeat healthy food.

Having considered what you said about calories, I think I may just use the calculator I mentioned earlier on the basis that the figures it gives will give me a ballpark figure. I'll add that to my base calories. I'll then keep an eye on my weight and how I'm feeling as regards nutrition. That should be okay.

In terms of Trainer Road, I think it'll suit me because I'm the kind of person who trains best with ever changing goals and stats. I like the fact that I can take a test and see where I am and then Trainer Road allows me to choose what to work on. If I don't challenge myself, I get bored. If I'm bored, I won't train. I agree with the points about Sufferfest. I've thought about using it or races already on YouTube. Or maybe I'll just put on music or a box set. I'll see how I go. Either way, I need some sort of tool for measuring my ongoing performance as I'm a bit of a stats geek.

I used to find lifting weights very boring, but with trying to reach the ever-changing goals I set myself and music or a box set on in the background, I've got to the point where I enjoy it and look forward to it. I even love updating my own little Excel spreadsheet with my workout and feel very excited every time I update my personal Best All Time Scores. I feel like I've won a competition with myself. (Sad, I know)

That's where I want to get to with using the Turbo Trainer. Cycling outside will be more of a social activity that I do with my friends who don't really cycle to train but just to get a bit of exercise at the weekend and sometimes to go away for a few days somewhere. Having said that, I'm really looking forward to that aspect too!