Mahoolihan - I have to jump in here. One to two pounds a week is phenomenal and a very healthy rate. You may have to make adjustments as your weight plateaus here and there, but if it's working now, stick with it until it doesn't work anymore.

My first thirty seemed to melt off through exercise and adding healthy foods - even then I lost, at most, 1.5 pounds in a week. The next 10-20 needed more consistent dietary changes (reducing fats, counting portions and calories). It gets more and more specific the closer you get to your body's 'ideal' weight. Even when you get to the 'uber-skinny' point, you can still factor in treats, but they will be once a week or once a month.

And, my treats have changed. I allow myself a daily treat, but now I would take half of a very ripe pineapple over just about anything that I used to think was a treat.

Weight training . . . very important along with the cardio. That's great you are doing that.

Stick with it, have patience, keep going, don't quit.
Sandy

Mahoolihan

That is a great question!

I maxed out at 340lbs around 11 years ago. Right after my first marriage ended. Over the years as life changed and my emotions changed I managed to loose down to around 290lbs just by the ebbs and tides of my extremely emotionally driven eating habits.

Then, around 5 years ago I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes at 285lbs. This diagnosis scared the living daylights out of me. For the first time in my life, I was not invincible in my own mind! There was a price to be paid for the way I had lived my life.

This diagnosis was the great awakening! I began to get out and do what I could with the kids. Started lifting weights. Then one day, the kids wanted me to go with them riding bikes. SHAZAM! I was a kid again! With my own kids!

From there I took up cycling in earnest. Bike commuting to work daily. Completing my first Imperial Century in 2004. I dropped weight quickly once I started the bike commuting. Managed to drop to 214lbs that summer. Then had a pretty nasty crash on the bike. Fractured some ribs. had a concussion and some hematomas on my left hip. I continued to ride as much as I could. Mainly only my commutes.

In November 2004 I was back up to 222lbs. Even so, my doctor told me that I could go off of the diabetic meds. I've been off ever since!

Over this summer I maintained my weight pretty good only to find myself in the thralls of another major emotional upheaval come autumn. In September of this year I topped out at 232lbs. Again, I had allowed my emotional eating rule my life.

On October 1st I began a weight loss challenge with many of my friends on BikeJournal.com. I began researching Diabetes and specifically insulin reactions with a passion. I began a low glycemic lifestyle. And yesterday reached my lowest adult weight of 212lbs.

Well, thats my story. Sorry if it was a bit long in the tooth. I wanted to be sure to convey that there have been many factors that contributed to both my weight gain and my weight loss. There have been ups and there have been downs. It has been a long journey. One we must engage daily. Always vigilant.

Sandy gives great advice here. I would only add to be mindful of how your body reacts to spikes of insulin! Unstable insulin levels can cause a mired of issues. The least of which is to cause the body to be resistant to weight loss.

Thanks, Zin, for the details. That's the kind of context I needed to hear. It truly is a marathon, I am finding, and not a sprint. I pause when I hear that someone started riding or working out and in two months lost 40 pounds, or something absurd. Makes me wonder about whether or not I am doing the right things.

Sandy, thanks for the encouragement. I was also told that one to two pounds a week is a healthy rate. I don't see myself as dieting, really ... it's been a lifestyle change for me. I agree with you on the pineapple snack ... Fresh fruit has become a passion for me, which is a real switch. I feel much better as a result, which is really my goal ... the weight loss has faded into a pleasant unintended consequence.

I began this journey at 389 lbs back in February. I have had some setbacks, but am down to 368 currently. That averages to roughly 1/2 a pound a week. However, for the first two months, I was really just getting in shape enough so I *could* exercise ... I was in bad shape. I was taking pain pills every day, had skin lesions covering large portions of my body and was out of breath walking through Wal-Mart. I actually GAINED weight over those first months, but the pain went away gradually, and my heart rate didn't spike every time I got up off the couch. My skin began to clear up also.
Today I still have back pain, but it's no longer crippling, and I can work through it without the pills. I take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park toward the back of the parking lot. I look forward to riding the bike and the ensuing endorphin spike that follows. :D I can actually do things around the house, like the various remodeling projects my wife dreams up. LOL

This Christmas is very meaningful to me because of all this. I feel like I am giving my kids a real present ... a dad they can be proud of and who will be around long after their children learn to say Grandpa.

Thanks for listening, and Merry Christmas.

Zin and Mahoolihan you guys are an inspiration to me and I hope you and your families have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Joe

Thanks Joe ... Merry Christmas to you as well.

Due to the conversation between Mahoolihan, SandySwimmer, and Zin, I feel bouyed again. I too tend to get discouraged ,Mahoolihan. It's very easily forgotten that our bodies went to heck over a long period of time because of our consistantly poor choices. Even easier to forget is the fact that it'll take those consistantly GOOD choices, over time, to see real, lasting results. I guess what I'm trying to say is hang in there...and thanks for telling me the same through what y'all post in this forum. Merry Christmas everyone! Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM ;)

Mahoolihan, Joe, & Ritz
Hey, I'm glad you found my story useful in some small way. I feared that I was rambling on a bit.

Merry Christmas! :)

Zin, you never ramble! We always love your posts! -GS

Thanks :o

College, grad school, travel, and some teaching sort of confused my cycling priorities. I used to ride and run nearly every day. At my heaviest I was 280. (I'm 5'8" tall)

5 years ago at 250 I started to ride around on a MTB. 3 years ago at 245 I bought a cheap commuter. I dropped to 205 last year and I went out and treated myself to a new MTB, a new Road Bike, and a Touring bike (for commuting and utility). I'm now down to 196, and still working on another 20 pounds. I think these next 20 are going to be the hardest - but I'd like to get back to a weight I had when I was running and cycling everyday... before "life" sort of happened.

The first 20 was hard work. The last 25 seemed easy - I just enjoyed riding, xc skiing, snowshoeing, and hiking. These next 20 are going to be really hard.

I'm at 196 now, 5'8". Working hard this winter to come out on the road in the spring at 175.

I am new here but have struggled with weight my entire life. My story, in short - I am 41, female 5'5" and have weighed as much as 280 lbs. I am a type II diabetic, non-insulin dependent. Currently I am weighing in at 215 lbs, which is down form my starting weight of over 280, with my lowest weight being 196 last summer.

On to my point, I have put on 20 lbs over the summer even though I put on more miles (4600) this year than the 2500 miles the previous year. I am a strong rider, or at least would like to think I am :p I can ride the distance and keep a good pace. I can average around 18 mph and ride distances from 20 - 70 mile rides. Why the weight gain? Recently I have been experiencing great fluctuations in the blood sugar levels. Being a female, it seems the fluctuations could relate to other female issues :o Would the blood sugar levels be a reason for the gain in weight? Any other thoughts or ideas as to what may help the scale go in the right direction?

Thanks!


Linda

Hill Slug - check out your diet. Monitor it for a few days, weeks (weigh portions, write calories and the time you eat). Make observations.

My guess is with the increase in activity also came an increase in appetite. The body tends to work hard at maintaining whatever the current weight. And, if you are gaining muscle, the body requires more calories to maintain the present weight.

This happened to me last spring. I am relatively active and healthy. In the spring I started playing intense tennis 3 hours twice a week, burning lots of added calories, but I could easily eat a box of cereal after I came home. I was ravenously hungry. When I wrote down my calories it turns out I was eating close to 4,000 calories. I didn't gain any weight, but I didn't lose it either. If I stopped exerising for a week, the scale went up.

As soon as I started planning for it - eating oatmeal or sweet potatoes before and/or after, that took care of it.

Also, now I have to eat something every 2-3 hours. With fitness comes the added responsibility of maintaining the fitness. It's true.

bmike - I'm in the same boat as you. The last few just keep hanging on and hanging on. I would argue that nothing was as difficult as the first 20-30 though. That was more psychological, making room for fitness and health, committing to changing habits, facing unhealthy friends etc. Now, the healthy habits are there. My body is healthy. It feels better when I work out and feed it healthy fuel. I have healthy people to work out with. More social support now than I had during the first pounds. I still get impatient, but one added benefit is every pound of muscle I add, I can SEE. It's really amazing. When I first started strength training with the extra 30 I had to trust that the muscles were under there somewhere, but now I see them with every movement.

Sandy

I know what you mean - I knew I was getting faster on the bike. I knew that I've been working really hard, and despite the discouragement of a coworker who was on the latest miracle diet, I knew that burning through riding was going to increase overall fitness while adding muscle - which meant slower weight loss - but increased body tone, longevity of keeping it off, and more energy.

Oatmeal is my favorite. Some finely sliced apple, cinnamon... mmm. Steel cut oats though - and the old fashioned kind - not the instant. It will fill the belly, but not add the calories.

I'm also a huge fan of edamame - steam em up, dust em with a bit of salt, and pop em out of the pod. Eat a whole bag and you'll be full - but you might only down 2-300 calories. mmmm.

Time for a trainer ride and dinner!

Hi Linda! Welcome to our little group here!

As Sandy points out, keep a detailed accounting of the food you eat is important. As you can see by my signature, I log my food intake on FitDay.com. It may provide a revelation. It may not.

This past year I also had great improvement on the bike. 3600+ miles. Climbed Logan Pass. Able to hang with the 20MPH pace-lines etc... I was 218lbs in February. 232lbs in September. I also had to ask myself the question you are asking. I have had success tracking down my solution. I will point out that my solution is not for everyone. However, if your Type II Diabetic it may be.

First, you must understand the effect that out of control insulin levels. For the Type II diabetic, a low glycemic diet is a must. So to help me help you, I need to know more about your food intake.

What has worked for me is simple. It is taking the diabetic diet a step further. Its not for everyone, but has worked well for me. Taking me to the final stages of weight loss. Its not a fad. It is the way my body works best. It keeps the diabetes at bay.

In short, the enemy of all Type II Diabetics is the carbohydrate. More specifically the rise of blood glucose levels they cause. Additionally, and most importantly for weight loss, is the resulting rise in insulin levels to counter act the rise in glucose. Maintaining a level insulin level is key to achieving weight loss. Consumption of carbohydrates is a staple of the diabetic diet. Fine tuning that intake vs. your bodies' need for your activity level is the key.

For me, the key has be adopting a LOW CARB lifestyle. Eating carbs only when I will be burning them. And at a rate not greater than what my body can burn them. This is what works for me. I recommend this for everyone. Weight loss is a very personal thing. For a Type II Diabetic, it is a quality of life issue as well.

So Linda, what is your diet like? Are you on any oral meds to control glucose?

Getting your glucose issue under control is the most important issue for your health. Which I think should be your main focus. So, lets concentrate on that first. Once you have that under control, the weight loss will probably start again.

Confession time: I haven't been here in forever, and it's showing. When it got REALLY cold and I started having to haul a ton of stuff to work and back, I stopped commuting. Then it got so crazy I stopped really working out. . . . and then I stopped eating right. Life is crazy between my first year teaching special ed, my kids, graduate classes, ambulance driving. . . it's just nuts. But I have a week off now from work and school, I got A's in both graduate courses, the kids are happy . . . it's time to catch up.

I'm now back up to 299 after having gone from 396 (at least) to 289. I decided to go until Christmas and then buckle back down. I'd like to hit 250 by summer. Here's the plan:

• Tomorrow morning I'm going to bundle up and take the bike out. It'll be in the 20's here at that time, but the roads aren't icy at the moment.
• I will also go back to Fitday journaling starting tomorrow morning.
• New rule: EVERY morning requires exercise. Some days it may be the heavy bag, some days just calisthenics, some days running, but NO morning may pass without exercise.
• I am committing now to riding the Tour de Stooges in the spring (metric) and the Springfield Century next July (the full 100.) I intend to be at or below 250 for the Springfield Century.
• When school gets out for the summer, I am committing to join GMAP Submission Fighting and stop talking about it.

Weight Loss without proper nutrtion is like trying to use your vacuum cleaner to put out a fire. There is more to this than just riding the bike and watching calories. Been there done that....

Don:

Glad to see you back again. Wondered where you'd disappeared to. I certainly understand the too-little-time issues especially with so few daylight hours now. If you can find a spare $200-$300 — which may be tough given that we just got through Christmas — but if you can, get yourself a trainer. Plop it down in front of a tv, put your road bike in it, and give it 30 minutes a night. You'll be amazed at how the trainer will kick your butt. You don't get to coast! I picked up a Cycleops fluid trainer this fall and have been trying to use it everyday when I'm in town. I haven't lost any more weight but I'm holding my own in house full of Christmas cookies and other holiday stuff. And I'm pretty sure that I when I actually hit the road again, it won't be like starting all over again.

By the way, nice avatar picture. <shudder>

:D

Hey Erskien! Good to have you here brother! I'm still bouncin' between 268 and 272, it's like one week I'm up and then one week I'm down. Poor choices are the culprit I'm certian. I am learning though. Peace, Ritz.

WWW.TOURDEPANTS.COM ;)

The avatar is me at Halloween. My wife and I won Best Couple. (She was Fiona.)

Welcome back Don! Now that we are through the holidays it should be a little easier to get back on track. ;)

Some things to consider:
1. So everyone. How did we all do through the Holidays?
2. What is the plan for next year for weight loss?
3. What goals are you considering for 2006? (weight,mileage,elevation gain, etc...)
4. What are you riding plans? Any big rides on the schedule yet?
5. Who is planning on racing in 2006?


I think its important to have healthy distractions from our focus on weight. Distractions that will actually be a blast while being an aid to our quest for health.

--------
I'll start first:

1. I did well over the holidays. For the first time in my life I lost weight over the holidays.
2. My plan for next year is to continue with the plan. Its working.
3. My goal is to reach 180lbs on or before August 24, 2006. This will be my present to myself for the big 40th birthday. I'm thinking of around 5200 miles for 2006. Not sure yet. I still have a couple of days to decide. Climbing will be a focus in my training. Would like to complete my first Double Century.
4. I'm planning on a big cycling year. It starts of with the Death Valley Century (CA) in early March. Tour-de-Cure Century(MT) in June. Triple ByPass(CO) in early July, Bikejournal.com ReUnion Century(IL) in mid July, One Helena Hundred(MT) in August, Double Divide Ride(MT) in early September.
5. I only have 2 races on my calender for 2006. The Belt Omnium Stage Race in May and the King of the Hill MTB race in August.

This should be a great year of cycling with friends and meeting new friends along the way!

So, lets see those plans, goals, and adventures that you have planned!

I think we all can be inspired and get new ideas from each other.

Hi all. Long time - no see. :)

I gained a few pounds on Thanksgiving, but did much better for Christmas I think. I'm not sure why, but when it came time for Christmas dinner I was feeling very full already, so I didn't eat much. I think I may have lost through Christmas too. :)

I got a new bike for Christmas for myself. I'm finally on a road style bike (touring bike actually). The new riding positions feels like I'm getting more aerobic when I ride....hopefully I'll lose even more weight now.

Tally is in and I did about 1200 miles for 2005 (much better than the 300 miles for the ENTIRE YEAR of 2004). I didn't start riding in earnest until about March or April....so I'm hoping I can do at least 2000 miles for 2006.

Weight loss.....currently down to about 310 (which makes about 50 pounds lost for 2005). I hope to be at least down to about 250 by this time next year. No rides planned yet.....but there is one in March or April that a friend told me about I may look in to. :)

Well, I've covered some of this already, but for the record:

1. Not well. I gained about ten pounds from October to Christmas. And if I'm being honest, I know I was losing muscle from October on as well, so the reality is that I put on more fat than that suggests.

2. I started by throwing out most of the holiday candy, cakes, cookies and all the rest. As I said, from now on no morning will go by without exercise. I ran this morning (further than I've gone in a long time, actually) and did a little lifting too.

3. I think I can get to 225 by next Christmas if I get my act together, and I'm talking about 225 fit pounds. I don't really have a total mileage goal, but I do want to finish a true century. I guess I'd say 2500 miles for me--that amounts to about 50 per week, give or take, averaged over the year. I don't know if that's wildly low or high or what; we'll see.

4. I'm not going cross-country to ride in any big events, but I do want to do the Tour de Stooges here in Illinois in the spring, then the Capital City Century at the end of the summer. The Tour is a metric, and I did the metric at the Capital City last summer so that's something I'm confident I can do as long as I ride. Then doing the full 100 miles in the Capital City should be doable by the end of the summer as long as I keep on riding. The 100-mile course passes within a block of my house, so this is not a big commitment of time or money for me to make.

5. "Not I!" Said the big fat Ogre. . . . .

Somewhere in the midst of all this, I have to sneak in EMT training and 2-3 more semesters before my MS is finished. And this summer I'd like to find time to get serious about jiu-jitsu and take a couple of shooting courses that I couldn't afford before. Other than that, it'll be a slow year. :D

Update......I suspected but didn't want to say it until I knew for sure. But I jumped on the scale this morning and hit the next few pounds down. Not 310 as I stated above, but 307 now. I guess I *did* lose a few over Christmas. :)

I guess giving myself a new bike as a Christmas present helped in that. ;)

KT - Wow! :beer:

Way To Go K.t.!