I weigh 250 lbs, I am 5' 9''. I have been riding every day for about 3 months. I want to lose weight and become fit and maybe competitive on the bike. I need some advice on a training program. I ride at least 15 miles a day and just did a 40 mile ride averaging 15mph, stopping once halfway for 10 minutes. This is the next day after that ride. I feel pretty good, not too sore, not tired. I would like some advice on how much to ride and how hard, also how many calories I should comsume per day. Should I buy a heart rate monitor? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

by the way, I plan to be on here a bit. My name is Chris Itz (It's is how you pronounce it)