theetruscan

I know there are people in this forum who aren't seeking to get fitter or slim down, but I think most of us are. I weighed myself this morning, and found I was up 2-3 pounds from just a few days ago, and static for nearly three weeks. I thought "Man, I'm stuck, I'm not making any progress." The daily weighins and the recent performance in the "Biggest Loser" thread both kind of made me feel stuck. I am/was very frustrated. Then I read Missbumble's post about how she hasn't been active for a week (A whole week, think back a few years and consider what a week of inactivity was like?) and was depressed about it, not wanting to get gain weight. This all got me thinking about whether I was really stuck, whether others who hit temporary setbacks are really stuck, and how much progress and change we've had over the time since we started riding.

So, basically, I'm curious how cycling has worked for us and trying to start a feelgood thread both.

In June 2006 I was completely sedentary. Between June 2006 and March 2007, I sold my car and began biking everywhere. I gained 15 pounds though (living with 2 other enthusiastic hobby cooks and not eating well at all), but began to hit a marginal level of fitness. By July 2008 I dropped down to around 225 pounds, but didn't begin biking for anything more than commuting.

In September 2008, I rode 90 miles for the first time, and could hardly walk for days. I went something like 13.5 mph.

Yesterday I rode 100 miles at 18.1 mph with no trouble at all. Since July I've dropped only 15 pounds, but I can run 5-6 miles without too much trouble, ride 130 miles (with trouble), and ride again the next day.

So, despite feeling stuck and useless lately, cycling has helped me shed around 44 pounds in 26 months and go from sedentary and winded after 3 flights of stairs to pretty comfortable riding 100 miles at a decent clip. Not one of the epic clyde success stories (Like Tom Stormcrowe), but it is nice to take a step back from the week to week and see what the cycling can do for us.

Barrettscv 

Hi TT,

I'm not sure I'll ever hit my goal of 180 lbs. I was over 240 at the beginning on 2008 and I'm now under 215. The next 35 pounds will be difficult and I have yet to do what I need to do to reach that goal.

One year ago I returned to cycling with the purchase of a new bike for commuting. I enjoyed bikes when I was in my teens, but had probably ridden less than 100 miles in the last 35 years. I’m down about 35 lbs. More important, I'm more fit and am enjoying a more active lifestyle.

During the last year I’ve ridden more than 3000 miles, I'll have ridden 500 miles in April plus expect to ride another 500 in May.

I enjoy skiing and was able to join a group of avid & pro skiers for an event at Jackson Hole without gasping for air at the end of every run.

I did my first unsupported (near) century on Friday by completing 94 miles solo. It went well enough that I'll ride that distance two or three times a month from this point forward.

I'm also a gear geek and enjoy personalizing my bike & related gear. I really enjoy the avid cyclists and people in the industry, the focus on fitness and fun fulfills an important part of my soul.

I'm not sure I'll ever reach all my goals, the reward is in the journey.

Michael

nkfrench 

Maybe you should focus less about the # and more about what it's made up of ? If you've gone from sedentary to very active, you have probably put on some muscle mass as well as fat loss. I'd get a tape measure (waist size) and a body fat scale to get a better picture of where you are.

Comparing before and after blood pressure, cholesterol levels and your every-day performance (like: stairs) will also give you a better picture on what matters the most.

My weight fluctuates crazily due to water retention or mild dehydration. It varies up to 8#. The bodyfat scale seems to help me figure it out.

Bike rides I seem to have more trouble losing weight than I had when swimming. I guess I'm afraid of going out on a ride then bonking or not being strong enough to manage the hills or running out of the time allotted (ie, get to work/finish before sunset). Afterwards my appetite is huge. When I swim, I'm never farther than 50 feet away from the end of the workout and I am usually just tired, not hungry, when I finish.

Neil_B

At the risk of the loss of my tough-guy persona.....

Saturday, I came back from leading a 52 mile ride. After showering, eating, drinking lots of water, and retiring for the evening, I found myself crying. Why?

Was it because I'd added back on 30 some pounds since last year? Was it that I looked and felt sluggish? Was it that I don't fit into my 'lucky' jersey?

No. It was because four years ago I couldn't walk a city block without stopping for rest, and now I can ride 52 miles and consider it 'normal.'

pipes

I been stuck at one weight at times for 3 weeks maybe more in my weight loss of over 135# !! So have no fear IF you keep doing the right things it a start falling again .

Village Idiot

I've started biking.

My first ride was May 16th. I did 2 whole miles because after riding in the rain it started raining harder and I didn't want to get caught in a thunderstorm. May 19th was my first real ride. I rode 7 whole miles. That was an accomplishment. The next day I wen riding and missed my mile marker and did 14 miles. The day after that, 12. Sunday I woke up and was bored, so I rode. I went 20 miles. I can't wait to do more. I'm probably riding thise evening despite the rain. It's great that it feels like I'm accomplishing something.

I would go and walk previously, but the most I ever made it was 4 miles and it felt like such a hassle because it wasn't fun and I wasn't motivated. I like biking so far and I'm thinking about buying a road bike now.

CliftonGK1

I'm one of the few people who isn't working on losing weight. Not that I don't have some spare pounds to shed, mind you... I just don't mind.
5 years ago I was lifting weights but doing nothing for cardio. 3 years ago I started riding seriously again and 20 miles was a long day on the bike. Last year I did my first double century in over 15 years, and this year I've already done 7 century rides or longer.

I'm 250 pounds and I've been down to 235 in the past year. My distance riding suffered immensely when I put forth the effort to lose weight. I was tired all the time, I had a tough time riding more than 200k at a time, I was constantly hungry. At 250 pounds I have no problem sustaining 17 hours in the saddle, and the important numbers (BP, RHR, cholesterol, etc) are no worse off than when I was 15 pounds lighter.

TrekJapan

I attribute most of my weight loss to running but sometime late in 2007 I discovered bicycles again. I've always had a bike in the garage with all good intentions but never really rode it.

I mountain biked at lunch for a couple years when working at 29 Palms Marine Base in the desert in CA.

But at any rate here I am now barely using a car at all. Today I have to float over to another island via ferry and I tried to find a way to bike up to the port to work but I just couldn't crack the code so now I have to drive.

In 2003 I was a 300 lb'er and now weigh either just above or just below 190 depending on how the stars are lined up.

I haven't cracked the century code yet but keep wanting to bag a metric century. For the most part it's more about time than anything. I find one or two 2-3 hour bike rides a week very adequate exercise for my lifestyle with several 45min to 1 hour runs and lots of utility cycling.

In short, for me, that's enough. I've been contemplating going for 170 and maybe even 160 but I don't know if I wanna be a stick man or not. Things are pretty well where they are. The loose skin will only get looser and I've had some success tightening up with a couple yoga sessions per week.

It's not about the weight loss for me now as much as it's about the exercise and stress relief it provides. Getting ready to move here in a couple months from Okinawa to mainland Japan and moving is never easy. Lots of variables in this move as well.

John

redvespablur

I'm 42 6'4''and 285ish. Quit smoking seven years ago after getting scare with type 2 diabetes, high BP, shortness of breath, sleep apnea - peaked out well over 330 and a bit of a mess. Last three years have yo-yo about 260 to 300 - slim down in summer when running and biking - and then bulk up over winter. Fed up losing the same 40 pounds annually. Have set a goal of 204 and given myself about 60 weeks from when I started. Logging calories and quite determined to make the eating changes I can live with year round.

Just ran a Half Martahon in 2:04 and am training for full in Oct where I will run 4:20 or better at about 245lbs. Biking is my cross training to augment my running and spend time with family.Wish me luck