It's time to change

[otterclap]

Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself, I'm Vee and I'm 23 years old. I used to ride my bike every weekends years and years ago and I was overweight but had no trouble with it. Today, I thought about bicycling again. I used my brother's bicycle and rode to my friend's house about 5 blocks away from mine. I'm obese, I weigh about 230 pounds and I'm only 5'4''. I have exerted myself and, of course, felt nauseous after the ride.

I ate about 4 hours before I thought about riding the bike and drank Coke before I left. No water. I really should start exercising. Can biking help me shed a few pounds? I don't expect to shed a lot from riding but a few pounds can help me slowly get on track and be healthy. I used to play a lot of volleyball back in high school but I don't think that helped.

I really want to change and I'm starting it today before it's too late for me.

[Irulan]

Welcome, and you are right, no time like today.
There are a lot of gals here who have used biking to improve health and fitness and to facilitate weight loss.

[VeganBikeChick]

It's been drilled into me repeatedly that losing weight is "80% diet, 20% exercise". So in addition to biking, really focus on what you're eating. A food journal is a great idea. Most people, myself included, really have no idea the calories they're taking in until they account for every bite of food they eat. You've come to a very supportive forum. Hang in there and welcome!

[ny biker]

Hello and welcome. Here are a few threads that you might find interesting. For the second one, go to page 7 and read Swan's update.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=52459

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=50870

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=47094

Good luck!!

[shootingstar]

I had no idea about goldfinch's incredible weight loss.

Fall in love with cycling and whatever activity you enjoy doing regularily. And find interesting, fast ways to prepare food for healthy eating. Have you ever considered cycling to do errands and stuff.? Am suggesting this so that it's built naturally as transportation into your lifestyel and after awhile it's not really "exercise" but in reality you are still burning some calories...

[Aromig]

I think bicycling is a great way to change. I agree on the 80% diet, 20% being active but I find that if I do a really hard bike ride I don't want to undo all of that by eating too much junk. I think being active and exercising inspires me to have a better diet. I also start thinking of food as fuel, and who wants to ride their bike after tons of greasy junk? I also second the food journal. I've lost some weight, but have more to lose. I always consistently lose more when I'm journaling every bite I take. I don't deny myself if I really want something, but it adds an awareness that was lacking before.

Good luck!

Amy

[CyclChyk]

Bluntly.....Yes. Cycling will make the weight MELT off. Just stick to it, get used to it, begin to crave it, and ultimately NEED it. Riding is a drug I never want to quit again.

[brigada]

A friend shared his drink "recipe" for rides with me recently, I liked it and you might, too :)
It's super simple - he squeezes one lemon in a litre of water and adds a bit of salt. It's like really mild, salty lemonade. Super cheap and keeps you going during rides. I'll have to try it next time :)

[Owlie]

Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself, I'm Vee and I'm 23 years old. I used to ride my bike every weekends years and years ago and I was overweight but had no trouble with it. Today, I thought about bicycling again. I used my brother's bicycle and rode to my friend's house about 5 blocks away from mine. I'm obese, I weigh about 230 pounds and I'm only 5'4''. I have exerted myself and, of course, felt nauseous after the ride.

I ate about 4 hours before I thought about riding the bike and drank Coke before I left. No water. I really should start exercising. Can biking help me shed a few pounds? I don't expect to shed a lot from riding but a few pounds can help me slowly get on track and be healthy. I used to play a lot of volleyball back in high school but I don't think that helped.

I really want to change and I'm starting it today before it's too late for me.
Hi Vee! (It's nice seeing someone around my age here!)

Riding your bike to your friend's house is a great start...make it a habit! Shooting Star's suggestion to make it part of your routine (biking to your friend's house, the grocery store, work) as much as possible is a good one. Start small, and work up from there. If you make it part of your routine, don't view it as "exercise", just a way to get from point A to point B (just remember to follow the advice below).

Make sure you eat a little something closer to the time you exercise, drink plenty of water, and watch your electrolytes. If you're watching calories, I like the idea of the salty "lemonade," and perhaps have a banana afterwards.

Cycling can help you lose weight. (I essentially stopped riding about a year ago (thanks, grad school!), with no other changes, and gained about 5-10 pounds.) I think, though, that the biggest thing with exercising is that it helps draw your attention to what you eat and how often. As you work up to longer distances, balancing food intake high enough to fuel your efforts with your weight loss efforts can be tricky and often varies from person to person.

Welcome to TE!