TXLawmansLady

Hello all! I'm wondering if I've found the right place to help me out. I'm by no means a professional at biking ... I owned a ten speed when I was 12, lol ... But now, my parents just bought me an 18 speed for my birthday and I've ridden it every day since they gave it to me Sunday!

Today I rode it 2 miles. I am attempting to lose weight, but I wanted to do it with something I would enjoy and since I've had trouble getting motivated to walk, biking seemed like an acceptable exercise choice. I also have one of those things to put my 3 year old in to pull him behind me.

Can someone direct me to an appropriate forum here for talking about weight loss thru bike riding? I've had many people tell me in the last few days how they've lost tons of weight by bike riding. I'm interested in knowing how much riding, how often, and how long before they saw results.

I'm ready to get thinner and healthy again .... I need to lose about 60 pounds!

Please help !!!

Thanks,
TXLawmansLady

bnet1

Ride as often as you can. Short distances and times at first until you start to build endurance. Then work your way up to longer rides. Keep the riding fun and don't make it a chore. At some point you might even find that it is easier to bike than take the car for short errands. Keep at it and you will lose weight. You should probably get a physical from your doctor before you get too serious. Take it one step at a time.

You should get a helmet for you and your son who will be in the trailer. Get youself some padded cycling shorts as these will help your behind from becomming sore once you start to crank the miles. A jersey or top that wicks moisture is good too. At some point you might want to invest in good cycling shoes/sandals and some clipless pedals. They make pedalling more efficient and you can go faster farther.

RonH

Welcome and congrats on the decision to lose weight.
Many of us here have lost weight and KEPT IT OFF through cycling. I've lost 55 pounds.
For more discussion go to the General Cycling subforum and the Training & Nutrition subforum. Keep us posted on your progress.

Travelinguyrt

Ist step
EMPTY the refridgerator, no more bread, only low fat and low or no sugar anything, NO MORE JUNK food stops, no more 3 meals a day,,,,,,,,,5-6 small eating stops instead
Pedal till the sweat flows, drink some water and pedal again
Don't torment yourself by getting on a scale everyday, once every 2 weeks is fine
Locate someone in your 'hood to ride with you, and ride longer each time u head out.
Best of luck and welcome to the best sport in the world

robin lindroos

and no alcohol...

AndrewP

I keep reading about the fantastic weight losses people have achieved by biking. I have been biking for over 30 years, and have continually gained weight. However biking has increased my enjoyment of life immensely. Dont worry too much about your weight, and concentrate on enjoying the cycling, the health benefits will follow.

It wont be long till your son is big enough to go on a tag-along bike and pedal with you.

Anthony King

A very good way to ride a bike regularly is to ride the bike to go places, not just to go on bike rides. Start out going places nearby that you feel comfortable riding to-- maybe the bank, grocery store --you can fit a whole lot of groceries in a child trailer. This way you don't have to fit in a bike ride around what is probably already a busy schedule; you'll be riding as you take care of errands. Your range will increase steadily, and more quickly than you think. Distances you once considered long will seem like nothing.

Start thinking of what you normally take care of by driving that you can do by bicycle and do these errands on your bike. Your cycling fitness, skills, and confidence will quickly increase.

aikigreg

weight loss is a very invidividual thing sometimes, but the long and short of it is - eat good food, just take in less! Basically if your calorie output is less than calorie input weight loss is achieved provided you are eating RIGHT. Getting rid the candy bars and fast food, and anything processed (food from a box - on your shelf or in your freezer).

Other than that, as you gain endurance and strength you can begin to do interval training and that BLASTS the fat from your body.

Where in Texas are you from? My wife and I live in Fort Worth, and she's only started riding this year, so she could use a slower-paced partner. I like to be able to go a little faster a little longer, but she's still a newbie like you. Working with a partner keep you going, motivated, and honest.

Anyway, hello and welcome!

TXLawmansLady

I wanted to thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice!!!! Wow, I never dreamed I would get these kinds of responses, but it was just what I was looking for !!

Thank you all so much ....

I enjoy riding my bike so I am excited about the possibility of riding for the joy and love of it while losing weight.

My sister also has a 3 year old so she has a trailer to pull also. Last night we rode around town (very small town) with my 9 year old daughter and 3 neighborhood kids ... so it was fun, but I'm glad to report I was sweating and tired when it was over. I did not push myself, just rode and enjoyed the ride, making sure to pedal often and not just "glide" down the street, haha.

bnet, I have had a complete physical and my Dr. suggested (of course) regular exercise of some sort. I wanted to join the local gym, but was not excited or motivated like I am with my bike. I love my bike, and I love riding! Thanks for the clothing tips ... my rear end is a little sore from the riding and I've contemplated getting a couch pillow to take with me (small one) ... hahaha, but it's getting better now that this is day 4.

Ron, thanks for the encouragement and the links. I can't believe you lost 55 pounds!!! My goal is to lose the weight and keep it off, like you emphasized. It's a lifestyle change that I'm after - to remain healthy!

Travelinguyrt --- Whew! You've given me quite a challenge ... throw out the bread? No more pototoes? No more mac and cheese? No McDonald's ?? Well, the first 3 will be the hardest ... We don't have a McDonald's here to tempt me daily. My will power is lacking, however, I noticed several years ago when I was weight training that as I got more into the training and my body was liking the results, I did not crave the breads and starches like I once did ... and I also felt a little guilty or defeated when I did eat them. It might not be such an issue, but I'm just praying for the desire to go away. Giving them up cold turkey would be hard. I'm also a big DP drinker (Shame shame!), but I'm addicted. I should probably drink tea and water, huh?

Robin ... Good advice, but thankfully I gave up alcohol about 13 years ago.

Andrew, my son already wants to go. Just need to get my hubby a bike and we can ALL go. I have 5 children and a hubby ... so we will be doing LOTS of riding this spring and summer !!!

Anthony, thanks for the suggestion ... I don't live too far from work (2 blocks), my daughter's school is only 2 blocks (have already told her I will ride with her every morning and every afternoon to and from school), the grocery store is only 3 blocks, post office is 3 blocks, etc ... you get the picture. I have not ridden to work yet but I will begin that now!

aikigreg, what is interval training ???? I want to BLAST the fat from my body, hahahaha. My legs feel STRONG!!!! LOL It must be a psychological thing because of course, they are still looking a little flabby ... but after riding for only 3 days, I can feel the muscles when I move, walk, etc ... and they ache a little after my bath and before bed. I pray I'm burning fat at those points !!!

I live in West Texas, 70 miles west of San Angelo. I am very familiar with Fort Worth (I am originally from Eastland/Breckenridge area) .... My husband is from Arlington and his girls live in Mansfield. If I lived closer, you bet I would ride with your wife. I can say that riding with my sister has certainly kept me accountable and motivated ... plus, it's just downright FUN and I love it!!

Thanks again to you all ... I will rely on your expertise in the future and will keep you posted on my progress through it all.

By the way, I have taken one "before" picture, but I have not stepped on the scales. I think I will weigh myself and take a picture every 2 weeks ... I also can gauge my weight loss by how my clothes feel and what sizes I can wear !!! (I don't get flustered this way!)

THANKS AGAIN !!!!!!!

aikigreg

aikigreg, what is interval training ???? I want to BLAST the fat from my body, hahahaha. My legs feel STRONG!!!! LOL It must be a psychological thing because of course, they are still looking a little flabby ... but after riding for only 3 days, I can feel the muscles when I move, walk, etc ... and they ache a little after my bath and before bed. I pray I'm burning fat at those points !!!


In all honesty, it's something you're probably not ready for just yet. But the basics are simple. After a warmup, you pedal as fast as you can for, say, a minute. Hold nothing back - this is an all out sprint.

Once the minute is up, pedal normally for 2-3 minutes. Then sprint for a minute again, rest for 2-3 minutes.

Repeat until exhausted. Try to slowly increase the amount of intervals you can do in one workout. This method has basically been proven to be the best fat burner. It beats long duration cardio by a mile.

But like I said, you're not ready for it, more than likely. I'd hold off until you can stay in the saddle at least an hour at a time. Then do the intervals every other day and do your regular rides on opposing days. Something like that - you'll need to adjust for your own body.

TXLawmansLady

Thanks for that explanation and it sounds like a great workout ... however, you are right, I am no where near ready for that. It sounds much like the repetitions and pyramids that I used to do when I was weight training, so I think it will be familiar ... and fun. I sorta get off knowing I'm "blasting" the fat from my body !! LOL

Thanks again ...

And oh ... I should be riding for at least an hour at a time before I'll be ready for this kind of conditioning? Did I read that right?

Floyd

Three cheers to health,, Can't say how long will take to loose that much but can say slow and steady wins the race. I bike for health. Got it out yesterday and dusted off the seat, has been too long since the riding happened. peace Floyd

aikigreg

That's just kind of a figure I pulled out of my butt. The idea is that you should have something of an increased fitness level before trying to do strenuous aerobic activity. I think being able to bike nonstop for an hour means your heart and lungs have developed the capacity for some strenuous work.

You'll find yourself able to do it quicker than you might expect. My wife has made it up to 15 miles at a timethis year.

tulip

Congratulations on getting a new bike! Like Andrew King says, make biking part of your daily routine, not just an exercise routine. The people who keep weight off are active all day long--take stairs instead of escalators, walk or bike places instead of drive wherever possible.

I have one more that will really help--throw away your TV. Yep. I did it 20 years ago when I first went to college. And really, what have I missed? It will be good for the kids, too.

And instead of DP, go for water (lots). And eat an apple a day.

Enough advice! We're rooting for you. Life is so much more comfortable when our bodies are working properly.

Guest

First, welcome to the forums!

Second, take your questions over to the Training and Nutrition. Obviously, you have a lot of questions, and by remaining in the Introductions section, you lose the benefit of having lots of advice from different people.

Third, DO NOT DO INTERVALS. You are not adequately trained for that. As I've mentioned before in some other posts, everyone always uses intervals as the catch-all miracle for every training goal. It is quite the opposite. Intervals are a training tool for a specific reason. Those who don't understand different exercise modalities and what they are used for, so they throw out what they know. It's not necessarily going to work for you, so the best thing I can do is recommend you 1) see a doctor and get clearance for exercise, 2) get a heart rate monitor- just to become familiar with as you're riding and to watch your heart rate changes over the coming weeks and months, and 3) read up on some books on nutrition and training. For books, I would definitely recommend Dr. Nancy Clarke and Dominique Adaire (I might have spelled their last names wrong. If so, just drop the "e" in their last names) for your nutrition. Dr. Clarke is especially knowledgeable with women's issues and nutrition. I met her once at a book signing at a convention and the line was longer than any other line I'd ever seen there. I also attended one of her seminars. The room was packed from every part and overflowing, and people were standing in the halls straining to hear her speak. She is highly regarded.

For books, just start with a book by Sally Edwards called "The Heart Rate Monitor Book". Get any old heart rate monitor that's a continuous read. They'll range in price from about $15 and up.

Start slowly, don't push it for now, just enjoy your riding, and build up on your knowledge. Then ask some questions as you get more under your belt.

Good luck!

Koffee

krischun

Hello,

You might want to check out www.bicycling.com , the website for Bicycling magazine. I remember seeing a lot of things in articles about cycling-related weight loss. They have the articles archived. I hope you find something that helps. It's also a very good magazine in case you're interested.

Wish you the best! Keep spinnin!

Krischun