Originally Posted by
KitN
...Next, you have to look at your daily intake of calories. You should keep a food and drink journal. Literally EVERY SINGLE THING you put in your mouth needs to be written down including any liquids! That's right, you have to write down every single soda, water, juice, tea, coffee, etc., too, not just the food. You'll be shocked at how much you're consuming, trust me.
1 lb of fat = 3,500 calories.
If you want to loose 1 pound of fat you can do that by simply consuming 500 calories less a day for a week or burning off an extra 500 calories through exercise a day for a week.
I was a skinny kid growing up. I even got teased about it. Even into my thirties I could eat anything in any amount and not gain weight... Well, finally things changed and I began to pay for my diet in unwelcome pounds and a growing belly (looked pretty funny on an otherwise thin frame)...
Commuting to work was the first step in getting back to a normal weight. THe other part (the HARDER part) was changing the way I ate. Because I'd never paid attention to my diet in my younger days, I literally ate without thinking. Keeping a food diary revolutionized the way I related to food. I began to consider each meal and morsel...
It sounds worse than it actually is - and it's less trouble than it might seem. Keep a food diary and you'll know where those calories come from. I'll venture that taking this next step will yield results in your quest to lose weight. Just knowing what and how much you eat will change your outlook profoundly.
And after you've gotten the hang of a food diary, start keeping a SPENDING diary... That new bike you can't afford now will suddenly become a possibility!
Good luck in your journey. You are doing the right things and these new behaviors will bear positive fruit.
BTW, the sore legs might be with you for a while, but they'll eventually go away. Just make every other commuting day a gentle spin. Leave five minutes earlier for work and home on those days and DON'T push yourself on the hills.
DWR