Eat better. Keep riding, even if just a little. Short trips to the store aren't as good as long commutes, but they're a heck of a lot better than no riding at all. And walk places. Stay out of your chair. Keep moving. And I said it already, but eat better.

Yes, trainers (not the shoes) is a good idea.

I take longer walks with the dog in the winter and, because I don't yet have a winter bike, I walk to and from work as much as I can, averaging about 4-5 walks/wk (about 4km each walk, 2.5mi). I haven't checked my weight but my pants seem to fit about the same.

Vegan diets don't work for everyone, I actually tried that for about 8 or 9 months and my energy levels plummeted. My vegan diet was monitored by a registered or certified (can't recall which now) dietitian, certified health specialist, certified clinical exercise specialist as well as having a masters in health education (all were the same person), she kept altering the diet to give me energy and it all failed. Once I went back to eating meat my energy levels went back to where they were before the diet started. By the way, that dietician and 2 other strict vegans I knew all died of cancer before they reached 50 years of age. I think when people swing to far to one extreme they're at risk for life threatening illnesses, there has to be a balance.

8 more weeks and we are basically done with winter. I ride most of the time in the winter,,these last few days have been almost impossible,,,friday it will be back up to 36 degree F at this moment it is -13. I will probably ride thursday when it will be about 20 and the roads will be clear of the 13 inches that just fell.

I was on a vegan diet for about a year, I got nerve damage from a lack of vitamin b1,,I couldnt figure out to get the b1 in my diet. Needless to say I dont eat vegan anymore. The bad nerve pain has subsided for the most part but some damage remains permanantly.

Vegan kcal are different than regular kcal ;)

Something interesting that is pertinent to this thread:

http://kfor.com/2014/01/06/science-t...cdonalds-diet/

watch the kcal intake and it will be OK.

Damn. That is tough... :/
no cycling! :(
I'm no expert but, i guess...
eat less and switch over to another physical activity for a while... may be join a gym or dance!

Or I guess just hibernating like bears could help. :p

I wonder if the OP has any lakes around ... I've always been a fan of Långfärdsskridskoåkning (long-distance tour ice skating)

Perhaps. Nevertheless, intervention studies, show that a vegan diet can "work" for the vast majority of people.

Anecdotes are irrelevant. Virtually all epidemiological studies indicate that veganism is associated with either a lowering of mortality or no significant effect. Intervention studies and epidemiology also suggest that veganism is associated with decreased risk of diabetes/metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, and possibly CVD. Some of the strongest effects are on BMI and blood pressure.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864

The kcals are the same but the satiety not so much. (It's the fiber ;))

B1 is not an issue for vegans. Vegans do need to take B12 supplements and if you were not doing this then you were simply not doing it right. I should note that B12 deficiency and absorption issues are also quite prevalent for non vegans.

Are you suggesting that non-vegans don't get enough fibre? I am generally curious here.

I don't eat processed foods at all (except for alcohol) but I find meat very easy to cook with no forethought, whereas other dishes take significantly more effort.

edit: I should note that I don't consider cheese/dairy to be processed if done correctly.

The volume of fiber in a vegan diet is one hypothesis for why vegans tend to have a significantly lower BMIs than omnivores and vegetarians. Coooking tofu, tempeh, or seitan takes no more effort or time than cooking meat.

I always put weight on in winter...it's the old and the awful weather that make me want to eat more I think. But there's nothing wrong with it because as soon as I start cycling again (I don't cycle during winter as it just doesn't work for me) everything goes back to normal. I wouldn't worry too much about it, never force yourself to get on the bike if you don't want to. Do some other type of activity and stay positive :)

Fair enough.

Honestly, I guess it's a personal preference, as I feel we've evolved to develop on meat.

I can see the environmentally friendly component of being a vegan. However, I think a reasonably moderated diet including animal products nets the same results but the key is moderation. I should state that I don't like processed foods and shop on a daily basis.

I always ask vegetarians/vegans why they don't eat meat/use animal products and I get some interesting responses. One person I knew was allergic to meat and we finally figured out that she was missing a critical enzyme for meat processing during a clinical trial.

I should also state that I find it much easier to eat healthier over than in the US. The manner in which HFCS is used for everything in the US is pretty ridiculous and leads to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. I think that the alcohol-based version will get me at some point :)

Oh goody, lets quote a reliable government study.

??

I'm sure if I was eating as much as I liked on vegan, I'd not gain weight either, because "as much as I liked" wouldn't be much.

Reminds me of the guy who experimentally tried eating Purina Great Ape chow for a week. After a few days his diary entry was "I now know why monkeys fling poo."

A EPIC European and a Harvard study found no association with unprocessed red meat and cardo disease or diabetes; see: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23497300 AND: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20479151

And by the way, did you know that our digestive system was made to for eating meat? Humans are Omnivores not a Herbivore! We lack the specialized organs to digest cellulose which is the main fiber in all plants. Did you know too that meat is packed with Vit b12, b3, b6, iron, zinc, selenium, plus loads of other vits not found in sufficient amounts in veggies thus vegans have to supplement by taking vits? The reason my energy levels dropped was because meat is loaded with creatine which provides an energy reserve in the muscles and brain, and creatine is only found in animals which is why vegans are deficient in creatine. Meat also contains carnosine which is a powerful anti oxidant and protects against many degenerative issues and is found only in animals. Also meat contains DHA and EPA which are active forms of Omega 3. Meat protein is important for the development of strong bones and increased muscle mass that veggies can't do. Meat eaters have a higher T level then vegans have...which should will excite any man!

So I disagree with your assessment of being a vegan is the best way because it clearly is not. But you are entitled to your opinion as I am. However I do believe in moderation, all meat or all veggies is not good for anyone just as drinking nothing but alcohol or soda is good for you either, so you do a little of that and a little of this, all in moderation.

So, biking in CO? First, HTFU, and it's a poor rider who blames their equipment. Try studded tires, wool, fenders and proper bike care. There are no bad bike commutes, only poor clothing choices. Embrace the seasons, and bourbon is better. Don't they have some of those ski hills out that way?

There's a lot of gobbledygook in this response.

But, I do agree with the essence of it, we've evolved to eat meat and I'm OK with continuing that trend, in moderation.

I do eat a huge amount of beans though and I love them in soups ... I don't even have to pre-cook them, as I use a pressure cooker :)

+1, I'm in this boat. I bike-commuted almost every day in 2013, plus recreational riding, and I didn't lose weight. Well, I lost 10-15lbs near the beginning of the year, but it all came back. And I know why, I eat like a pig.


I'm not sure this is as significant for weight loss as for energy bill savings. I remember I had a physics professor in college who told us he had the bright idea that he could lose tons of weight simply by drinking cold water; it's a simple equation, since a calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to raise 1ml of water 1deg celsius. Back of the envelope, and he thought he could just drink x many glasses of 32-degree ice-water per day and drop tons of weight. The fatal flaw was that he forgot that dietary "Calories" are actual kilo-calories, so he underestimated the amount of ice water he would have to drink by a factor of 1000.

But I'm not disputing the benefits of a cold house. Not only do you save on your energy bill, but my wife has also read that you stay healthier; moving between larger temperature extremes all the time makes your immune system weaker, or warmth makes germs stronger, or something like that. We live in San Diego, so it doesn't get that cold, but we set our thermostat to 55 (i.e. turn it off). Once in a while the house will get down to 60; but that's what sweaters are for!

I won't bother replying to rekmeyta, who is not interested in an evidence-based discussion. There is definitely some evidence that carrion consumption played a role in early hominid evolution. Moreover, hominids also ate significant amounts of insects and scat. I prefer legumes, nuts, seeds, fruit, and veggies to carrion, poop, and grubs. :)

And presumably the proper way to do cheese correctly would be batter dipped and deep fried, served with a side of marinara sauce?

+1

Thank goodness. With all this serious discussion I was beginning if I accidentally had stumbled away from BF.