Hi! First Post, Need to Lose Some Weight...
Hi folks! By way of introduction, I'm a 38 year old male, 5'11", weighing in at 244.5 lbs (I just checked at the gym last night). I have mostly been away from bicycling for the past 10 years or so, my last road bike being a beautiful DeRosa steel-framed beauty... I've had a few mountain bikes here and there since then, but never rode any of them seriously and they mostly just gathered dust. However, at 245 lbs, I am at the heaviest, and most unhealthy, I've ever been. My "normal" weight hovers around the 190-200 range, and that is where I feel the most athletic/comfortable. At 245, I pant after just a couple of stair cases, and any sort of brisk walking for more than a block leaves me catching my breath a bit. I gained this weight over the past four or five years, and it has slowly crept up on me (typical pants fitting tighter, etc.). So now its time to do something about it. I renewed my gym membership a couple weeks ago, and am determined to make it there at least 3 times a week. And I bought a road bike. At first I was going to skimp with a less expensive bike, then "reward" myself as I lost the weight, but instead, I went in whole-hog. I bought a nice, albeit used, Litespeed Ultimate. I have absolutely no excuse not to hit the tarmac now, and it would be shame to see that bike sitting in the garage unused. My plan is to go for hour-long rides every morning, with no real structure other than the determination to keep my heart rate above 135. I'm also determined to eat much better--and I'm not going to kid myself. No more tortillas, no more sweet bread in the morning or evening, lots of chicken breast, fish, and veggies (I love 'em anyway!). No more white rice (gonna' be hard....), and will instead substitute brown rice,etc...
It's really going to be difficult for me--I love to eat! But I'm setting aside the Sushi, Enchiladas, Korean BBQ, etc., until I hit my goal of 200. There really is no other way for me.
Thank you guys (gals) for the inspirational posts--it feels great to be on the right path again! If you all don't mind, I'll keep you posted with pics and progress.
Thanks!