As I stated...I was up to my max of about 360-370 pounds last year. You don't honestly think I wasn't the epitome of the "Live To Eat" mentality, did you?

The cool thing about "Eat To Live" is to help you change the things you eat to more healthy things....when you are eating healthy, you typically don't worry about how "much" you eat. :)

I have actualy gained weight recently (up 4 pounds), and droped down a pant size. ;)

Well I seem to be holding steady, but my clothes are getting looser - and I am riding better. Progress.

Hi Folks. I'm so glad I discovered this forum; you are truly an inspiration. Can I join your club? I am a 46 year old guy in Central TX. I have not been on a scale for at least 2 years but I'm pretty sure I weigh around 275. I have been overweight all my life except for a few years in the '80s. I have been a vegetarian (I do eat some dairy and eggs) for almost 3 years. I really want to get serious about my weight, health and appearance. Just before New Years I gave up all beer but maybe one bottle a week. I do miss the daily 3-4 bottles of IPA but my clothes seem to fit a bit looser and I am more alert at my job, to which I will resume commuting by bike as the weather here warms up. I'm trying to negotiate a deal between my inner child and my inner parent that when I get down to 200 lbs I can have the bike I really want, a Greenspeed G5 or top of the line Bike Friday. I would really like to reach that goal by next Xmas, but f it takes longer I'm okay with it as long as I reduce steadily. As soon as I am brave enough to get on a scale I will record my weight and monitor it daily. 'Bye for now

Paupie

I am up 4 pounds in 2 months, now at 246 pounds at 6'4. Same waist size but clothes are slowly getting looser and pants are not uncomfortably tight. My legs and backside are gaining muscle, and I spent 2 hours riding on muddy trails up and down hills today. I couldn't do 30 minutes in those conditions 2 months ago. I decided just commuting by bike was not enough, I had to start riding more if I want to reach my goal of being under 200 pounds. In May I will be riding the Tour de Cure, to raise money for diabetes reseach. I'm going to do a half century. Wish me luck.

good luck... now I need to get my butt in gear!

Yesterday I had a nice 30 mile ride - That's a lot for January! Later I made sure that I did not over (over) eat to compensate like I used to. My food log says I had the right amount in the right proportions.

Last night I had a dream. I dreamt that I was hungry and decided to go to Duncan Donuts for 2 cream filled donuts. I could almost taste them. I thought “No one will ever know” As I drove into the rear parking lot (to hide), the car started to skid out of control. I could not stop it and I crashed into a flower bed. I got out and pulled my last $1.55 out of my pocket to get 2 donuts. That’s when I woke up.

That was some dream. My car being out of control and not stopping was very telling. I woke up hungry but I’m not going to Duncan Donuts!

Quick recap of my journey... I'm 5'10" tall... Last February ('05), at 34 years of age, I weighed in at 282. That's up from an average 245 - 250 since I graduated high school. My daughter, 18mos at the time, was standing in front of the TV and saw a commercial with a pretty large man (larger than me, I thought...) walking on a treadmill. She pointed at the TV and yelled "Daddy!" Ouch! It was TIME to do something. I started attending meetings for a national weight loss company (initials are WW) and following one of their plans. Results! 30 pounds down in the first 2 1/2 months or so - awesome!

Started exercising - mostly walking the neighborhood with my wife and now 2 kids. Got a heartrate monitor for Father's day/anniversary gift, and was using that. Was surprised one day to find that I had to jog (slowly) for 20 straight minutes to keep my heartrate it a moderate level (Wow!)

I'm now down 68 pounds in just under a year (had a couple months of no progress, but no gain either...) and headed for 195. The last time I weighed 214 I was 14 years old. I feel better than I ever remember, and have more fun being active than I thought possible (I always told myself, "If I lose xx pounds, I'll be active, my kids will be active, we'll have lots of fun...) I've been paying for a gym membership, running in the neighborhood or on the treadmill, having a great time. And then I remembered my bike - I used to LOVE to ride (worst thing that ever happened to me was getting my driver's license :p ) I have a relatively nice bike, but haven't ridden it much. Did a couple spin classes at the gym and decided that riding a real bike would be much more fun. Boy, was I right! I STILL LOVE to ride! So I've now started commuting to work. Canceling the gym membership this weekend, looking to the bike and my running shoes to help push me the rest of the way to my goal weight, and help keep me there when I arrive.

Just felt like sharing the progress. This IS possible! I'm inspired by some of the stories I read here - persistence and patience clearly pay off!

Great stuff.

the toughest part for me is food. My son has Crohn's disease and we need him to gain weight, so we eat meals to help him gain, and of course I'll partake as well. Wife and I decided that Monday we will both work out together and try and plan better meals.

Thanks for the inspiration.

I'm sorry to hear that - I have several friends with Crohn's. It can be a nasty thing to deal with. How old is he? If I were in your situation, I would absolutely be inclined to partake as well. I imagine there's a real tradeoff there - if eating with him helps him to be healthy, it would be worth it to me to revise my expectations for myself a bit...

He's 16, and wants to gain weight, so I'll eat a bit. I think when winter breaks up here I'll be out doing 100-200 miles a week on the streets and the weight will fall off. Last year I didn't ride my bike until July 21st, and did 1,200 miles before the temps got too cold for me (October), this year I hope to do 2,500 - 3,000 miles.

Hey everyone -

I decided to get serious about getting healthy for my New Years resolution this year. On January 2nd, I weighed in at 278. I'm 6'0", 28 years old, medium to large frame, borderline high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Right now I'm concentrating on getting my eating under control. I'm hoping the energy boost comes soon to get my exercise jump-started.

I have a hectic desk job and had grown accustom to using my lunch break every day to escape from the office and go eat something good (fast food, Chinese, etc). As of the new year, I have limited my eating out to one to two times a week for now, and I try to pick healthier places like Subway, etc.

I have been eating a lot of frozen meals (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, Smart Ones - whichever is on sale). So far they are working really well for me because they are quick to prepare, small portions, and a whole lot healthier than what I have been eating. They also taste surprisingly good (especially the Weight Watchers Smart Ones). Most of the meals are between 150 and 320 calories each.

My day to day eating so far is like this (when I'm behaving):

- Breakfast
bowl of high fiber breakfast cereal, 8 oz of skim milk
or
piece of fruit and a yogurt

- Lunch
low cal frozen meal

- Dinner
low cal frozen meal

- Snacks (2 or 3 a day)
pack of crackers
handful of almonds
piece of fruit
string cheese

If I stick to the plan, my caloric intake for the day is usually less than 1600 calories. I have found that, with the snacks, I stay relatively satisfied and not hungry throughout the day. My body isn't hungry, but my brain is DYING for some McDonalds ;)

As of today, I am down to 265 pounds. I'm slowly starting to ease myself into jogging a little on the treadmill, as its too cold for me to get on the bike (I know, I'm a wimp).

Here are some links that helped me get started:

ESPN's Mark Schlereth's Diet

Key to losing weight lies in grocer's freezer

Sorry for being so long-winded :)

Well I am back on track now back into riding that it has warmed up some put on about 15-20 lbs over the holiday season. Some of that was muscle though I didnt stop going to the gym. I want to loose another 80lbs this year! Here we go.

J.W.

Hey all,

So glad to hear some of your success stories, there's some really great stuff here. Thought I'd share my story.

I have been overweight all of my life. It runs in the family; we're all overweight. I don't really buy the whole genetics argument, we were overweight because we ate too much and didn't exercise. Blaming genetics won't make you healthy, but cycling will!

This past June (05), I had just finished my first year at college, and the Freshman 15 was more like the Freshman 25 for me. I weighed in right at 200 lbs (I'm 5'8"), and decided it was time for a change. I went out and got an on-your-feet summer job to get some exercise, and got my Magna Glacier Point 12 speed (read: cheap bike from Target) out of the shed. I made changes in my diet, replacing fast food and fatty meats with grains and fruits and veggies. I worked 10-hour days, and rode in the evenings and on my days off.

Over the course of the summer, I got several compliments from friends and family about how different I looked. I really didn't notice a big difference. The reality of my colossal weight loss really didn't set in until near the end of the summer, when I got to visit my girlfriend from college.

When we met up in a grocery store parking lot, and I got out of the car, she stood speechless for about a minute. "You.....look......incredible." That's what she said. I realized she was right.....I looked (and felt) really good.

I started the summer at 200 lbs. I am now holding steady at a lean 155, and have never felt better. I have not had a single illness since I got fit. Not to be conceited or anything, but now, girls want me. Lots of girls. Attractive girls. Pretty girls throw me a wink or a coy smile from across the room. Attractive girls come up to me at parties, and start talking to me. Me?

I am not used to this......but it's a nice problem to have:)

My upper body is still kind of soft, I need to start doing more pushups and crunches. But, from riding my bike around a college campus all day, I have the toned and muscular calves, thighs, and butt of a Greek god.

I have made a permanent change in my lifestyle. I really am the happiest I've ever been. I've never felt so alive. Best of luck to all of you, and keep sharing your successes.

-BR

BR - it's great to read your story. Inspiring. It's especially great to hear that you've made lifestyle changes -- those are the ones that stay. Enjoy the attention. I am sure you are also inspiring people who see you without realizing it. Healthy lifestyles can be contagious that way. And health exudes confidence.

Sandy

Just checking in to see how everyone is doing!

January proved to be a crazy month work-wise. February is almost as crazy since my wife just expanded her business buying out another company.

My poor bikes think I've abandoned them!

BR... thank you for your story. You're an inspiration. :)

I am riding almost every day ... indoors, but still ...

I am JONESING for an outdoor ride. I have mapped out a few, and am shooting for at least one substantial ride (50 miles or more) each week. I know that's not substantial for many of you, but for this clyde, who has never ridden 50 miles in one sitting, it'll be a challenge.

Haven't lost much weight (I am officially down 20 lbs in the last year), but am way down in inches (another 1/2 inch off the waist in the last two weeks).

How's everyone else doing?

Weight still at 246 pounds, I have been increasing my mileage to try and break the plateau, but no luck yet. Even started riding in the rain and in cold temperatures that I would never have ridden in before. Gotta keep trying...

Okay since January 28th I gained another 6 lbs. We had company in town and the weight gain for my son caught up to me. So despite riding 200 miles in January I felt like a pig.

Monday morning I turned it on. I've walked a couple of times (5 miles total) ridden another 50 or 60, but I've eaten much better. Calories down to 1,600 or so a day.

In a week I'm down to 236 will still two days to go. I'm drinking a lot of water and eating a lot of fruit and veggies. Its really not as hard as I thought it would be. Twice this week we had my son eat red meat, and we ate fish or turkey burgers.

By the way, he's up 4 lbs and the doctor is quite happy with his gains.

Well...I quit riding for almost 5 months. I gained 20+ lbs. and ate lots of junk. My excuse was foot pain and then too cold. It was 76* today here in Bakersfield Califorinia and I went on my first ride in a long while. I felt like I was going to puke. I only rode about 6 or 7 miles in 30 minutes and had enough. It was a start though and I think I will keep riding again. I am 6'2" and around 260 lbs. now. I seriously would like to get down to under 220. For now, I'll make 230 my goal by July. I hope this weather stays like this. I'm going to take a walk tonight after my fruit smoothie dinner and try to get into the fat burning mode again. Motivation is hard to come by at times.

So, I'm back. Wish me luck. (by the way, you are all inspiring to me and I appreciate all of your posts) Thanks!

I am down 10 pounds, and have another 20 or so to go to get back to peak form......or near-peak form....

Well I guess since I got back on the bike mainly to lose weight, I'd better jump in on this thread!
Summer of 2004 I weighed my heaviest ever at 227lbs. Not horrible no, and my clothes mostly hid it well. But in college I'd been below 180 and not terribly lean at that. I'm 6ft tall and turning 38 this April. Cholesterol was also a concern. So after a few months of watching what I ate I was down to around 210 and seemed stuck there in October. I'm not quite sure what made me think of it but I researched and bought a trainer - a Cyclops Mag - to put my old college road bike on and ride in my basement. Still no lofty goals, just wanted get some more pounds off and bring back some aerobic fitness.
The LBS where I got the trainer invited me to join some guys in the basement of the shop once a week. Turned out they were members of the shop's racing team and just spinning with them gave me the bug to ride more. Still, I was stuck again at 200lbs by Christmas. I started commuting in the spring (only 2 miles mind you) and riding 1-3 times a week either alone or on group rides where I got dropped fast. By August I felt good enough to try a 50 mile benefit ride. Cleared that fine, actually doing 60 due to a wrong turn! Believe it or not I was still stuck at 200lbs tho. Through the fall and winter now I've been riding more frequently and taking it more seriously with the intent to race in the spring. In January I was at 198lbs and decided to get serious about the weight. I started using DietPower software and set a goal of 185lbs by March 1st.
Today I weighed in at 189 and I'm thinking I might just make it. If I do I'll set another goal, probably 175, for June 1st. Getting on the scale every morning and recording that weight really helps keep on task. Using software to track my calorie intake and exercise calorie burn keeps me thinking of food as fuel instead of food as recreation. It also allows me to indulge wisely - when I know I'm ahead of my daily calorie budget and can afford it.
The best suggestion I can offer to anyone, based on my experience, is to use a food logging system of some kind. Really keep track of what's going in and think about why you're eating it. Eat well, eat small, eat often. Most of all, enjoy the riding!

-Don

What works for me? A year and a half ago I was basically inactive, I decided to get up 15 min. early and do some exercises. Situps, Backups, Pushups. I didn't loose any weight, but it was a start.

A year ago, I started riding with my 1 1/2 year old on the back, and we started out riding a couple of miles a couple of times a week. As it got warmer, we rode longer and more often, and I started loosing weight (& inches). Then it got too warm, and I did nothing over the summer, and most of the weight came back. In the fall, I got started again and added the second boy on the back. We increased our rides gradually up to 30 and even 40 mile rides. By Thanksgiving I had lost about 15 lbs for the year, but over the holidays I gained 5 of them back.

I realized that I needed to do something to make my gains permanent and even improve on them in the off season, and decided it needed to be a diet and exercise solution. The wife went back to Weight Watchers, as she usually does in January, but this year they had a new program. It's called the "Core" program, and is focused on eating whole foods. This seemed less arbitrary than the old "points" program, so I agreed to do it with her. Basically, they created a new food pyramid. 50% Fruits & Veggies, 25% Whole Grains, and 25% Protien. Eating just these foods you could have as much as you needed to be satisfied but not full. You have to keep track of foods outside the pyramid, but you get credit for exercise.

On the exercise side, I needed to find a way to keep 15 min. on the trainer from feeling like 1 1/2 hours, if I was going to get in 1 1/2 hrs at least 3 times a week. I hooked my bike up to a GameBike, and plugged it into a Playstation 2 and I was in business. The best games I found were Gran Turismo 4 because I could find settings that made me feel like I was riding a bike off road in the swiss alps, and it would take the information from the trainer in terms of how fast I was pedaling, to increase my speed in the game which inspired me to pedal faster. I also like Downhill Domination, because it actually feels like you're in the game, riding a bike. With DD you're either pedaling or you're not, so there's less drive to pedal harder, but I found myself making up for it by playing longer. I put close to 2 1/2 hours in last Sunday.

Maybe if someday I get really serious about biking I could hook my trainer up to my PC, and it would push me even harder, but right now I'm just having fun and not spending too much money. The GameBike cost about $60 on eBay, the PS2 was $80 from Craigslist, Gran Turismo was $30 used and Downhill Domination was $15 used, oh, and the trainer was $200 from REI.

Right now I'm just excited with the results. I've lost a total of 12 lbs this year (22 lbs total since getting back into biking). In the weeks that I rode the most I lost the most weight; I've had a week at 5 lbs, a week at 4 lbs, and all the others were 1 lb weeks. I hope this helps someone out, and if so maybe we can meet up and race online... ;)

Went to Doctor today to get the injured arch on my foot looked at. No problems there fortunately. I was thrilled to learn my BMI is down to 30! Now I am overweight instead of obese. Progress! My resting BP was down to 111/60, also a good improvement. My doctor was happy, and I am thrilled. Now if I could just break through the weight plateau I've been stuck on for a month. My wife has noticed me trading fat for muscle, but I want to lose the gut. Still trying...