Losing Weight?

[wildhawk]

I have lost about 55 pounds but still have about 70 to go to reach my goal weight. I was wondering if any of you are on a similar weight loss journey and curious as to what plans you were following and how you are working your cycling nutrition into your plans. I also have issues with BP and are on meds for that and told to avoid too much salt. Unfortunately the nutrition drinks are salty and have quite a bit of sugar it seems - any ideas on those? I know that I am sweating out quite a bit of salt riding in the Florida heat (90s) so I have not been too concerned about replacing it with watered down Gatorade, but I really do not want to be consuming high fructose either. My diet is mainly a cardio diet, low-fat, lean proteins with fruits and veggies. We are trying to train for the MS150 and other shorter rides, so I know that nutrition is a vital element to proper hydration and fuel. Any suggestions on how to balance my diet and cycling nutrition will be most welcome! Thanks!

[Blueberry]

No advice to offer - but congratulations!! That's quite an accomplishment!!

CA

[squirrell]

Congrats on your loss! I have lost 59 with 80 to go yet. I started riding as part of my weight loss plan but fell in love with cycling and just kept riding longer and longer distances--now up to 100-130 or so miles a week.

I am not on a "diet" but have changed my lifestyle. The junk is not in the cupboards anymore. I cook healthy and exercise at least 5x a week. I drink only water or decaf tea with 2 cups of coffee a day (with Splenda only) instead of 10 cups I was drinking loaded with cream.

I have been counting my calories using a website. I have a basic calorie intake built upon 1200 calories a day, which gives me about 800 calories a day deficit. I also eat my calories "earned" through exercise so my calories intake varies from 1000 to 2800 a day but the net caloric intake stays around 1200 to 1350 a day. On days when I do long rides and burn up as much as 3000 calories, I don't eat all of them--who could?

I don't do "low-carb" or "high protein" or anything like that. I just try to do a balanced diet and eat whatever I eat in moderation.

I, too, have HBP and Diabetes Type 2 as well. I cut back on sodium and dropped my numbers to 120/80 (good but I want better). My diabetes is now under control and my diabetes meds are being cut back and soon to be eliminated completely.

I found a sports drink mix called Emergen-C ElectroMIX Packets on Amazon.com that has no sodium and is sugar-free. It works great for me! Here's a link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KPS61K

I will also say that balancing my weight loss with my cycling has been one of the most frustrating and almost impossible tasks in my life.

Before I began to ride longer distances, I was losing steady 2-3 pounds a week for over 3 months. Since I upped my distances, my weight loss is now sporadic and I often plateau. I went 3 weeks in July and lost a grand total of 8/10 of a pound. :( In the last 2 months, I have lost 12 pounds total. Still good but given that I was losing so much previously and have so much more to lose, it's frustrating.

I do know I'm losing inches and gaining muscles. My calves are looking INCREDIBLE! And I've lost over 6" off my thighs.

I have asked on several different sites for advice/guidance/tips to manage weight loss, medical issues, and cycling and have really gotten very few suggestions. It seems that particularly with Type 2 that there are simply not that many people out there riding long distances (to me that's over 50 miles).

There is another forum I check a lot to just get motivation and basic cycling tips. It's for "Clydesdales and Athenas," which are the nick-names for male and female overweight riders. The people there are great! They understand and can offer some tips. But there doesn't seem to be even on there a consensus of how to approach long distance cycling with dieting. Here's the link for that forum:
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=248

Anyway, I'm at the point now where I'm ready to go back to my doc and scream for help. I come off my meds because I get lows but than have to go back on my meds because my BG levels go too high. I'll lose 5 pounds in 3 days and then go weeks without losing an ounce.

I wish you luck with your continued journey to health. I know how hard it is and yet how rewarding it can be. Keep up the good work! Feel free to send me a PM if you want--I'm always willing to co-miserate or swap tips with a fellow athena :)

[divingbiker]

I've been on Weight Watchers for 10 months, and have lost about 30 lb, with another 20-30 to go. For the first 8 months or so, my only exercise was riding my bike (commuting daily and weekend rides) and the weight loss was slower than I wanted it to be. In June, I joined a gym and started doing water aerobics and lifting weights, and I started running, and my weight loss has sped up considerably.

So for me, mixing up the exercise, along with watching what I eat, seems to be the ticket.

Congratulations on your great loss so far!

[KerryCrow]

I lost 48 pounds on WW and my bike! about 2 years ago and have kept it off. I've put on a few just recently that I am working to get off.The thing with WW (if you do the flex plan with points) is that you still have to be very conscious of your food choices. They give some guidance but not a lot.

To the OP...I find it difficult to make the best food choices refueling after long rides. I still have to work at it. My body wants fast and dense calories. I seem to have a harder time controlling my weight and intake when I am riding longer distances. Also, I would think that if you are sweating a lot you will need to worry about salt if you aren't getting enough. I would talk to the doctor, does she/he know that you have changed your exercise regimen significantly.

[Aggie_Ama]

I lost 40 lbs 4 years ago on Weight Watchers and kept it off for a couple. Now I am back on WW to lose the weight again. My mistake was getting less involved with what I was eating: going out a lot, thinking still eating well in the day was enough, etc. Once the weight was gone I didn't commit to sticking with WW for maintenance. I also started strictly biking but the problem is I am not on overly aggressive rider. Recently I started running again and have already dropped the first 5 lbs. I have about 32 to go to be at goal and then have to focus on not repeating my mistakes.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Add strength training to your program. I'm on a personal mission to tell everyone to not forget strength training. It doesn't mean doing max reps, or heavy lifting, it means getting in the gym and make sure you hit every muscle group at least once, but twice is better, per week. For endurance athletes low weight and higher reps is the key.

I dumped weight training last year because I was losing pretty steadily. I didn't realize that the strength training I was doing was actually keeping muscle imbalances and weaknesses at bay. I did 'something' to my ankle in October and last month, when I got another physical therapy assessment, the PT pointed out all the weaknesses I had. And I just got my certification as a NASM personal trainer this month. How bad is that?! Either case, core training along with a good weight training program will also start torching the fat. I'm convinced of that as I started weight training again and I see the scale going down again. It helps raise your lean body mass so you are burning all the time, not just during and after your rides. It also gives you some even BETTER definition in your calves and thighs.

I didn't pay attention to my highest weight but let's just say it was above 250 lbs. I am now down to 188 lbs. Up from 176 lbs last year. The best thing is people say I don't look like 188 lbs. I guess what I'm trying to say is:

Eat for performance
Focus on how you feel
Ride it like you stole it

It's a lifestyle change. Don't let a number on the scale rule your life.

You have some more important numbers to focus on : BP and blood glucose levels. How about adding cholesterol into it? Or the number of pushups and crunches you can do? Or better yet...miles you can do in a week?

I hear you on weight, you shouldn't not mind it, but there are some even more important numbers that we should focus on.

As far as food, just steer from junk. I log my food half heartedly. It's so hard to get into it anymore, I keep a little journal on it, but it's still a struggle! Calories are hard to figure out. I use calorieking.com software to help me with that, it will track your exercise calories (if you use a HRM) so you can add them back in. I eat about 1/3rd of them back, not all of them.

Just remember it's a lifestyle change-and long standing change is the best kind.

Slow and steady wins the race...

[pardes]

Upon taking up biking a month ago, I dropped 25 pounds almost instantly. Then things have leveled off. Perhaps this is in part due to biking to new and interesting restaurants.

Speaking of BP, my blood pressure has dropped so much from losing weight that I now only need 1/2 of the lowest dose available. Another 25 pounds and I'll be off the BP meds completely. It really is true that if you lose 5-10% of your body weight your BP starts to normalize.

With severe spinal and hip arthritis, doing any major training has been a challenge. However lifting a bike up to the bus bike rack about 4-6 times a day has certainly helped my upper body strength.

Since my panniers are always loaded with tons of camera and other stuff weight, the additional weight to pull helps as well.

I'm looking for other ways to get strength training that doesn't aggravate the arthritis. Doc gave me Celebrex to keep the pain under control which helps a lot. Other version of COX-2 drugs have been taken off the market due to heart and stomach complications; but with severe pain, the pain relief outweighs the risks.

[Trek420]

Wildhawk and all,

Check out the TE weight loss challenge threads. You probably know this already but you can join the challenge and you do not have to post your weight or goals. You can learn and grow (or shrink) along with a great group of gals (and a guy or two)

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=24571&page=36

I really like what Tahoedirtgal sed "Focus on how you feel".

BC (before cycling :)) wore size 22 LL Bean relaxed fit jeans with the elastic waist band
AD (after downtube) I'm not training right now per se because of a busy schedule and remodel, just bike to work .... donating my 16's and slipping into 14's :D

And the funny thing is I weigh the same :o It just all turned to solid muscle, right?

[wildhawk]

You are all awesome!! Thank you so much for the encouragement and ideas. I am fast approaching the dreaded menopause too which I suspect has a lot to do with my difficulty losing the weight too. And the BP meds I am on are also a factor (calcium channel blocker - argh). My cardiologist keeps telling me that the BP meds will go away when I lose the weight, but it is hard when there are weeks that nothing seems to be happening - I scowl at my scale most mornings! I love walking and cycling. I used to belong to a gym that had a great water aerobics class and went faithfully, but our budget is just too tight to have another membership there, so I am on my own. I do own a great treadmill (my “dreadmill”) that has a fat-burning setting so I think I will make it a goal to do that on in-between days when we are not cycling. We are slowly building up cycling miles too - especially on weekends. We are training with full panniers (we have to tote our extra water!) - can’t afford a camelback yet! I have noticed my leg muscles getting more defined - especially my calves. So we will also add in some weight training too. Pardes: I know what you mean about lifting a fully loaded, panniered bike - I have to lift both our bikes up onto the bed of our truck on weekends. Thanks for the links and advice - you are all the best!!

[wildhawk]

Thanks Trek420 for the link, I will definately check that out!

[bikerchic]

I just have to say you ladies are so inspiring, all of you! Some times I feel like I'm the only one on the planet struggling to loose weight, ugg! I'm still too heavy to ride my Serotta!:mad:

wildhawk

Hang in there, even if you're not loosing according to the scale (and only get on the darn thing once a week!) use a tape measure (once a week also) I bet you are loosing inches!

You might want to give these two books a look-see; one The Schwarzbein Principal (http://www.amazon.com/Schwarzbein-Principle-Program-Losing-Healthy/dp/0757302270/ref=pd_rhf_f_t_qp_3) for your diabetes and two, Ten Years Thinner (http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Years-Thinner-Leaner-Younger-Looking/dp/0738211028/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220304803&sr=1-1)by, Christine Lydon for exercise. She has a simple at home exercise routine that is awesome and you will get results if you stick to it.

What I found with cycling is I tended to plateau fast and HAD to include extra exercising to get over the plateau.

Also I have hyperglycemia and it was a struggle to find foods that worked for me and cycling too. Here are a few of the things I did.

Start each meal before riding with a homemade eggo-bagel. Whole wheat or grain muffin/bagel/bread. Scrambled egg, cheese (low fat, low sodium) and meat of choice also low fat and low sodium. Put it all between the muffin and eat! Keeps you going!

Lots of WATER!

Switch to Stevia for your sweetener you can add it to tea or coffee and make your own drinks.

There is nothing wrong with sports drinks when you are exercising hard you need to replace electrolytes, I used Revenge (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=24633&subcategory_ID=2412) it works!

DRINK LOTS OF WATER!

Remember complex carbs, not empty carbs, protein and veggies, fruits too you can pack all of these types of snacks in your jersey pockets.

Oh one of my favorites was and still is PB&sugarlessJ in multi grain crackers for a quick pick me up during a ride. Raw nuts work well too!

Good luck and thanks for the inspiration!

[NbyNW]

DH loses a lot of salt on rides and can't stand the sugary-sweetness of most sports drinks. He has had good luck with Emergen-C for replacing electrolytes after rides.

But he has also found that he needs to have something during a ride to prevent muscle cramps, so he will do 1/2 Gatorade + 1/2 water. It's enough to keep his electrolytes & hydration up without feeling like he's taking too many sugary calories.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I'm going to check out the Emergen C you mentioned- I have other types but not that one.

I am 188 right now, and I'm in size 12s which when I used to have to be 168 to be in them. Granted they made sizes bigger but I'm still more compact than before.

Drinking water will definately get it going. Try it for a week. You will be amazed. Sigh. Karin, take your own advice.

When you are trying to put together a workout plan, for starters, shoot for one exercise per muscle group: tricep, bicep, shoulders, back, legs. That's the easiest way to look at it. I would go for ones you can do with either a stability ball or with just body weight. No frills. Lunges on a BOSU ball or stability cushion, dumbell presses on a stability ball, pushups on a ball, etc. are all good ones to start out with. I have to hit the weights because unfortunately those German genes of mine get too comfortable with the basic stuff :rolleyes:

[GraysonKelly]

Wildhawk,
I agree completely with Tahoe. One of the most frustrating things about weight loss is plateauing. Unfortunately your body needs to be shaken up a bit so that it doesn't get used to any one specific exercise or routine. Add some weight training to your regimine. It doesn't have to be a lot. I agree that anything you could do on an exercise ball or with your own body weight would be very beneficial but I recommend starting out with some of those resistance bands. Most of them can be be bought in varying resistances for around $20 to $30 and come with instructional videos that show you how to use them properly. I like the bands because they can be utilized in ways that incorporate stretch as well as muscle contraction which combined with higher reps encourages muscle elongation rather than "bulking". Also, other activities that stress your body in different ways is a good idea. Stuff like running, walking, hiking, swimming, pilates, kickboxing, aerobics, anything else that appeals to you. But remember to have fun.
I can't really comment on the nutrition end of things because I only know general information. If you can, you might wanna try to talk with your doc or even a nutritionist to get some ideas of different ways to get the right amount fuel and the right kind.
Good luck and high praise for you! Congratulations on your achievments so far.
Gray

[pardes]

German genes, huh, TahoeDirtGirl. So THAT's my problem. I grew up in "outten the light" Pennsylvania country where everyone cooked Pennsylvania Dutch food. Everything was sweetened. Even the vegetables. I never liked sweet foods so it was torture for me.

Of course now that I eat unsweetened everything (but southern iced tea), I still struggle with the later life weight gain. German genes indeed.

[divingbiker]

Yeah, I've got those "German plowing hips" too.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Pardes- I grew up on the edge of Lancaster County in Chester County. There is nothing better than chow chow, fried up potatoes and that shoo fly pie. No seriously, some days I crave weird stuff like shoo fly pie, pickled eggs...best of all the bread.....or worst of all? Smorgasboard anyone? My mom was from Germany and my dad Italy. We were raised on the Italian end as my father's mother made sure the good German woman knew how to cook for her baby boy :) But I think I am more German. Stubborn. Cankles (aka no ankles all calf lol). Big hips. Did I mention stubborn? I am my mother's daughter.

When I get down there I'll be loading up on apple butter and whatever else I can get my hands on in a jar.

I wish I paid attention to my mother when she was canning. I would really love to can up some tomatoes. I guess this year it will be a freezer stuffing festival.

===============
To keep somewhat on topic, a friend of mine told me about that P90 program they see on TV. She said it got her reinterested in weight training. I hate working out at home. I bought ...are you ready?...Hip Hop Abs. Still in the box almost a year later. I have to stop watching infomercials.

I'm looking at taking Pilates. That would really be good for me because my core workouts are really boring. I get in a rut and need something different...

[channlluv]

What if you "plateau" at the very beginning? I've been riding pretty steadily over over two weeks now and haven't lost any weight. Nada. I'm feeling it in my knees, and my muscles are feeling tighter, but my clothes aren't fitting any differently, and the scale's not budging.

I know, two weeks is hardly enough time to see any results. I'm getting a little worried, though. You'd think four-five 15+-mile rides each week would have knocked a couple of pounds off.

I'm not binging on the food, either. Quite the opposite. I just had to throw out the chocolate birthday cake (I turned 44 on Friday) because it just wasn't the least bit appetizing and no one was eating it.

Maybe I need to drink more water, or start an actual calorie count. How do you all track that stuff?

I've heard that you're supposed to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water each day. Is that true? If so, I'm looking at a gallon of water a day.

CL

[Veronica]

Do you really need to drink Gatorade on your rides? Even watered down Gatorade?

Where I live, most days are still in the high 80s when I work out. But, if it's less than a two hour workout, I only drink water.

I've lost ten pounds since I started a serious weight training program and cutting out sugary drinks.

I didn't lose weight when all I was doing was cycling and I'm an ultra distance cyclist, so we're talking 10+ hours on the bike at least once a month, plus the training rides to support that.

Veronica

[RoadRaven]

Just a suggestion for those of you who are plateau-ing (like me... and I have actually put on 5kg this year, my goal was to lose 10)

After reading that in a 6 monuth study of women on a diet/exercise regime... those who kept a food diary lost an average almost twice the ammount than those who didn't, I started keeping a food diary.

In one week of keeping the diary I have lost almost 1kg/2 pounds.
I reckon its because I don't want to write some of the snacks I often eat, so I don't have them. I am not making/buying milky coffees and hot chocolates - I have water instead. I don't have a few spoonfuls of icecream as I serve dessert. I still have treats (yesterday it was chocolate paricots, mmmm) but I just dont have them as often or as much in a sitting.

Its really helping me to focus on whether I am actually hungary or not too.

[channlluv]

RoadRaven, what's a chocolate paricot?

What do you record in your food diary?

CL




Channel the love, baby. Channel the love.

[bikerchic]

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/superiornut_2015_2880617



RoadRaven, what's a chocolate paricot?



They look yummy to me, course you could cover most anything with chocolate and I would at least try it, once. Found the pic on Google, gotta love Google! :)

But then again Google could be wrong?!:confused:

[Grits]

This cycling/weight thing has been a complete mystery to me. I can't believe that I have not lost weight with all the extra hours of activity I am doing. My weight was under better control when I did half an hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes of strength training 3 or 4 times a week. But, it wasn't as fun. I think I will get everything fine tuned pretty soon as far as what I have to have for fuel, but it is discouraging to ride over 100 miles in 2 days, be really careful about what you eat and drink, and still come home two pounds heavier. :(

[greycoral]

I have been doing weight watchers for about 10 months now, and have lost 45 lbs. I had a plateau for almost three months and it was so frustrating! The way I finally broke it was upping my exercise intensity and also lots of variety! In a week, I will probably hike twice a week (one long, one short), one long bike ride (20+ miles), do a spinning class and an aerobic class at the gym, and then be slightly active for my 6th day. Usually entails riding my bike to work, or to lunch, or taking my dogs on a long walk, etc. You can't be afraid to mix it up, and also be sure to take measurements! At first I was losing weight ever so slowly when I upped my exercise, but my clothes were fitting so much better.

[Tuckervill]

Record everything that crosses your lips in your food diary.

I have alternately used Calorieking.com and sparkpeople.com. There are others, like fitday.com and the daily plate.

To add to RR's statistic, in the database of people who kept their weight off for 5 or more years, 95% of them exercised every day and ate breakfast every single day as well.

Karen

[emily_in_nc]

To add to RR's statistic, in the database of people who kept their weight off for 5 or more years, 95% of them exercised every day and ate breakfast every single day as well.

That would be me...

I might miss a day of exercise every couple of weeks, but it's rare. I walk, run, work out with weights, and ride, so I try to do something every day. I do eat breakfast every day. Have kept my weight loss off for 7 years now. :)

[channlluv]

I dunno. It must be caloric intake, but I swear I eat pretty well. I'm riding 60 - 80 miles per week, for a month now, and the only things getting looser are my watch and my bra. Ack.

Also, I'm noticing an ammonia smell when I'm showering after a ride. Anyone know what that's about? It's after soaping up, too.

Thanks,
Roxy, about to go South Beach to see if that helps nudge some of these pounds off

[OakLeaf]

Also, I'm noticing an ammonia smell when I'm showering after a ride.

IANAD...

but ketosis is a possibility. Are you getting enough carbs? I'd stay away from South Beach (at least the initial weeks) if you're already in ketosis...

[Dogmama]

I dunno. It must be caloric intake, but I swear I eat pretty well. I'm riding 60 - 80 miles per week, for a month now, and the only things getting looser are my watch and my bra. Ack.



Women tend to lose weight from the top down (sigh!). :(

+1 on the food diary. It keeps you from popping things into your mouth & forgetting about them. :)

Water helps fill you up. Some say it flushes fat out - but there's no evidence of that.

-1 on South Beach. You need carbs. Carbs help drive protein into your muscles. Good carbs = complex carbs.:(

+1 on weight training. :) Building muscle helps burn more calories at rest. Think of your muscles as your body's engine. A bigger engine needs more gas (calories) even when resting (idling.) We don't build muscles as easily as men, but it can be done. Put down the pink weights. Pick up something that will make you crank out 10-12 reps in good form. Now do it again.

[squirrell]

This cycling/weight thing has been a complete mystery to me. I can't believe that I have not lost weight with all the extra hours of activity I am doing. My weight was under better control when I did half an hour on the elliptical and 20 minutes of strength training 3 or 4 times a week. But, it wasn't as fun. I think I will get everything fine tuned pretty soon as far as what I have to have for fuel, but it is discouraging to ride over 100 miles in 2 days, be really careful about what you eat and drink, and still come home two pounds heavier. :(

I had this same type of problem--I would ride for a few hours and show a 2-3 pound gain the next day. I knew it had to be some sort of fluid retention to gain that much overnight but since I'm on a diuretic, I didn't understand how I could retain fluid. I discovered, through a lady who is getting ready to graduate with a degree in sports science/physiology, that it is due to glycogen depletion. When we exercise heavily, we use up our bodies store of "energy" in the muscles and liver. So, any body will immediately begin to use any carbs, sugars, etc. that we eat to rebuild that glycogen storage.

Well, here's her answer to me below--she was right, too. Four days after a last long ride, the 3 pounds I had gained overnight "disappeared" and I also lost an additional 1 pound. Same thing happened this weekend--long ride and again a 3 pound gain. This time, it took 3 days and I lost all 3 pounds overnight AGAIN and also an additional 8/10 of a pound to boot.

_________________________________________________________
You probably didn't see it at the time because you were well hydrated. Now you've been eating enough and your glycogen levels have increased, resulting in a moderate gain. I'm actually surprised you didn't gain more, I've gained 8lbs in just one day of carb-loading. Your fluid retention is in the muscles and liver, and it's BOUND to glycogen. You can't get rid of that until you break down the glycogen into glucose. Diuretics don't do that, they are based on solute levels in the blood.

We break down glycogen naturally throughout the day for fuel. When our blood sugar gets low, glucagon is released. It's the opposite of insulin, and causes the release rather than storage of sugar. The glycogen is just broken into smaller pieces--the glucose. This is accelerated during exercise. When we are totally depleted of glycogen, we feel tired and just plain bad (this is when we bonk). Then we start to produce ketones from fatty acids and some amino acids; we also produce more glucose from some amino acids and glycerol, so we never run out of glucose, we just can't store it at that point.

Your fluid retention is in the muscles and liver, and it's BOUND to glycogen. You can't get rid of that until you break down the glycogen into glucose. Once your body has reached a level where it's "happy" with its glycogen storage, some of the fluid will be released.

This is partly why people on very low carb diets lose so much so fast--they are simply depleting their body of glycogen storage by not providing the carbs with with the body is most able to make and store glycogen
______________________________________________________

[Aggie_Ama]

I haven't read all the posts since my last one but something I forgot... Make sure you are getting some sort of impact exercise, running, walking, weights. There have been threads on osteoporsis but bone stress can really be an issue if you are only doing low-impact like cycling.

My mother works with a woman who was once a serious cyclists, 100+ miles a week but did nothing else. Her bones became weak and actually stress fractured. She asks my mother everytime she sees her if I am still only cycling and expresses her concern if my says yes. I know my own doctor has expressed concern about making sure I am getting some sort of impact exercise, he was very upset when I had stopped running. I don't know the full issue but may want to discuss with your doctor if that is a concern. :)

Not to mention variety seems to up my weight loss.

[channlluv]

Women tend to lose weight from the top down (sigh!). :(

+1 on the food diary. It keeps you from popping things into your mouth & forgetting about them. :)

Water helps fill you up. Some say it flushes fat out - but there's no evidence of that.

-1 on South Beach. You need carbs. Carbs help drive protein into your muscles. Good carbs = complex carbs.:(

+1 on weight training. :) Building muscle helps burn more calories at rest. Think of your muscles as your body's engine. A bigger engine needs more gas (calories) even when resting (idling.) We don't build muscles as easily as men, but it can be done. Put down the pink weights. Pick up something that will make you crank out 10-12 reps in good form. Now do it again.

This is SO encouraging. Thank you.

I got some real 10lb weights and one of those twisty foot thingies from Everlast, the thing you stand on and twist, for core training. It's got rubber tubes for arm work, too.

And I did 25-miles on my bike today. I am working up to 50, and then, eventually, I'd like to do centuries. I want to look like the woman at the top of this page instead of a giant pear in lycra.

Thank you, thank you!

Roxy, not giving up carbs

[AlwayzOnDaMove]

Congratulations WildHawks!:D

[TahoeDirtGirl]

IANAD...

but ketosis is a possibility. Are you getting enough carbs? I'd stay away from South Beach (at least the initial weeks) if you're already in ketosis...

If you are really noticing an ammonia smell after riding, definately get some good carbs in your system. And water. The reason water is important for weight loss isn't because it flushes you out (boy I wish I could do the big flush) but it helps the liver metabolize fat. It doesn't mean if you drink 4 gallons of water it will metabolize faster, but if you aren't drinking enough, there are other ways your body will provide energy and sometimes it doesn't involve metabolizing fat.

There is a great book called Our Body's Many Cries for Water which I had to read for a physiology class. You would think that would convince me to drink more water. Also, google 'water metabolism'. Some of the sites are not reliable but many that are written with reference to endocrinology can be trusted. Any book on endocrinology will also talk about it. Really interesting.

[CR400]

Wow, it is so cool to see how well you ladies are doing. Keep up the good work. I still have to lose another 67 pounds myself. I like seeing the one lady who was not afraide to show a picture of herself in kit in her avitar. You rock! I am normally horrified to see how bad I look in that clingy spandex. I have the slight problem of unless I get unnaturally thin I always look kind of fat, so that doesn't help.