Hi everyone,

I'm going to start out by copying and pasting what I wrote in my introduction thread:

I'm a 26 year old student trying something new! I began a weight loss journey several years ago and went from 375lbs to my current 232lbs. The problem is that last year in June I was 200lbs and steadily (but slowly) losing...and then I quit smoking. I decided that enough is enough, so I signed up for a cycling fundraiser in September from which all donations go to my local cancer center. It's a 25 mile road ride (not race). I'm excited but scared since the furthest I've ever ridden my bike was 12.5 miles last year on a mostly-flat greenway! I just started "training" 2 days ago, so my next stop is the training & nutrition forum to pick some cyclist brains!

Oh yeah, and I also have 8 screws in my hips so this should be an interesting experience for that reason too!

So in a nutshell that's me. I'm a full-time graduate student with a side job so I don't have time to train 24/7. I'm not sure how much it matters, but I'm also female.

I figured the best thing to do is just to start on the stationary bike at the gym and to include arm and core exercises so I can hold my body up without pushing down on my wrists/hands. I'm also dieting, but not on a specific plan with a name (like "paleo", "clean", whatever) - just eating healthier and smaller portions. I'm interested primarily in any advice you can share with me about how to get started. My google searches turned up great blogs and such, but they all seemed aimed towards people who are already fit/active, hobby cyclists, or training for really vigorous races. I'm starting from zero...or even negative since I'm not fit...and I can't find many good resources for people who are like me. Any help you can offer is extremely appreciated! Diet advise too! (I warn you, though, I don't like the diets with fancy names or pretentious "oh I can't eat that, I'm suchandsuch" followings.)

One thing: no high-impact activities! I'm not allowed to run, jump rope, do jumping jacks, etc. I had to jog a short distance recently (less than 1/4 mile), and it really hurt. Here's why........

I was born with bilateral hip dysplasia that was found at my first physical, and, long story short, they should have operated but chose to treat with a harness that was already proven ineffective for severe cases like mine. The insurance company then refused follow-up x-rays/MRIs, claiming I was definitely cured, and within a few years my hips regressed back to their severely dysplastic state. As a child, I thought everyone had hip pain when sitting "Indian style" or in gym class so I never told my parents. I never paid much attention to it despite knowing I was born with messed up hips. When I was 21 (and somewhere close to 375lbs), a piece of my right hip socket broke during a leisurely (albeit lengthy) hike. I thought I pulled something or just had bad muscle-fatigue cramps because I was so darn huge, but went to the doctor 4 months later and found out what happened and that I was still fully dysplastic. So that sucked, and it honestly still sucks, but whatever! I found a surgeon in Boston who accepted my insurance and could perform a mega-operation on each hip called a periacetabular osteotomy. He essentially sawed through my hips all around each socket and tilted the socket-containing chunks outwards, screwing them into place so they would actually somewhat cover my femoral heads the way normal sockets do. He also removed the piece of right hip socket that had broken off. So that's what I have today. Semi-normal (not really) hip sockets with arthrosis (no arthritis yet, thank god) and 4 big ol' screws on each side. You can Google images for a better idea of what it looks like. This type of operation is a joint preservation treatment; my hips will continue to deteriorate until I need full replacements, but they'll just deteriorate slower (i.e. without the operation, I'd likely need replacements by age 30). I also have knee issues (basically easily-dislocating kneecaps) and a heel spur with periodic plantar fasciitis, both as results of the hip issues, an unrelated shoulder condition (os acromiale), and a heart valve deformity. I know, I'm a mess - my sister got all the good genes! The shoulder and heart problems won't affect my cycling though, so that's something!

I'd love to talk to cyclists who have had the same hip surgeries as I have (not likely) or partial/full replacements. Anyone? Any tips for reducing hip strain/pain? I try not to take pain medicine beyond Aleve even though I have tramadol to take with a tylenol (they work synergistically) as needed, which is usually once every 2 months.

I REALLY want to get to the point where I can finish this ride in September. It'll be a great motivator to continue back on a weight-loss path. Plus, I want to see if my hips can manage it!

Thanks! Sorry for the long post!