Overweight issues

I'm glad I stumbled on this forum. I just bought a bike saturday and I have 104 pounds to lose.

I can't ride a regular bike, leaning on the handlebars wrecks havoc on my wrist and I had given up riding as a possible source of exercise. Then I wandered past a bike shop the other day, saw a poster for a 'flat foot' bike and went for a test ride. I rode right out with a new Townie bike. No pain in my wrist at all!:p

I've been riding to work, about 6 miles each way, with a mile long hill just before home-currently I have to get off and walk the last bit.

So am I crazy to think I could get in shape in time to go on the Red Riding Hood 38 mile ride in Cache Valley Utah in just over a month? The description says mostly flat, no big hills. That's right in my backyard.

Crazy??? I don't think so. I think it's terrific, and I think you should go for it! After all, I think starting out with that commute is impressive. Keep it up and let us know how it's going!:)

Hey, did you shoot that avatar yourself?

Becuase I think I've seen that piece of art on a highway near Fayetteville, AR.

Karen

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Originally Posted by Ellen 06

So am I crazy to think I could get in shape in time to go on the Red Riding Hood 38 mile ride in Cache Valley Utah in just over a month? The description says mostly flat, no big hills. That's right in my backyard.

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What color is your Townie? I see them advertised in Bicycling all the time, and think they are just darling! I don't know what health issues you have, of course, but I think you could do the LRRH. It's well-supported, there will be lots of really nice people there, and it's flat! It should be loads of fun. Where are you? My husband is from Cache Valley, and one of these years, I'll get down there for that ride!

I bought the Townie model 7 D, it's blue.

I live in Providence on the bench, so no matter where I go it's a steep ride home.

I think I'll take the bike in the car this weekend to a central point in the valley and do some riding. Someone mentioned there might be a book of rides, with milage and grade information, I'll stop by the bike shop and see if that is so.

The more I think about it, the more I want to do the LRRH, it would be silly to have such an event so close by and not take advantage of it.

Ellen

Go for it! (You're never going to be talked *out* of riding at TE. :D)

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Originally Posted by mmelindas

The problem now is that I have to cook for MEN.....and they don't like that sort of girly diet stuff..... If I have to fix one more fattening thing for a man (even cutie DH and beloved DS) I will hit somebody with a skillet!

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And my problem is a man who cooks. Well, one of my problems. I know I'm privileged. He works closer to home, so often as not I come home to dinner on the table. But he likes sour cream :eek: . On "everything". :eek: Often with ranch dressing mix in it. And of course the real problem here is ... so do I. So when I'm on my own, like this year on sabbatical, I just don't buy the stuff and manage to lose some weight. But then I go home to DH's cooking, and back it comes, at least some of it. Sigh.

But maybe biking is the solution to that too. He stays skinny by doing long hilly rides and hikes every weekend, whereas I (til now) have been doing a 40-minute walk to and from work with just 80m climb over 3 miles. So maybe now if I get to where I can also ride long hilly rides, I can keep up with DH and burn off that ranch dressing. :p

I took the pic in Arkansas somewhere. I think it was when I was camping at Devil's Den. Guess it's the one you saw!

Yep! I was going to say Devil's Den! Of course, one of the best places to mtb in Arkansas. .

We saw the world's largest ketchup bottle last time we went through St. Louis. (It's in Collinsville, IL.) I think things like that are just fascinating.

Karen

I just moved to Utah from near the Madison WI area and those Wisonsin folks are certainly a different breed: four major food groups = beer, cheese, deer meat and brats! (bratwurst sausages cooked in beer!) :eek:

My DH is a born and raised Wisconsin boy who grew up in west Milwaukee. He's built well, doesn't tend to put on weight and can eat a cow under the table at Culver's Ice Cream -- have you had that addictive stuff yet? :cool:

I'm with you -- your 105 and my 150 lbs we'll lose riding our bikes! It is so hard, but worth it. My obesity has put me at greater risk for uterine cancer, breast cancer, stroke, diabetes and I don't need it!

Good for you and your efforts! I totally support you! We all do!! :D

Tuckerville,

World's largest ketchup bottle? I've lived in and around St. Louis all my life and never heard of it. I'll have to check it out. If you like that stuff, there is a website and book called Roadside America. I'm not sure of the link, but you could google it. It's been awhile since I've used it, but there was a time when I was on the lookout for old muffler men. Spotted one in Pennsylvania. I think you would enjoy it. It has all of the odd and wacky places to visit in the US.

It's actually a water tower for a ketchup plant.

I think that book you mentioned...they did a PBS show based on it. That's where I first heard about the ketchup bottle. :)

Karen

Where are you and how are you doing? There doesn't seem to be any posts from you lately. I know mmelindas was going through some health problems. Please let us know how you are doing...and if you got away from the bikes, you can always go back!

Can I join here? I've got about 40lbs or so to shed (main reason for biking in the first place) and I'm having a blast, while not losing too much weight...lol. I feel lots better though, so I can't really complain! Haven't seen a drop in lbs, but have noticed a shift in shape change! My waist is back, butt trimming up, all that good stuff! Plus my legs are building up nicely :)

Hope everyone is doing well!

Kim

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Originally Posted by bikeless in WI

And my problem is a man who cooks. Well, one of my problems. I know I'm privileged. He works closer to home, so often as not I come home to dinner on the table. But he likes sour cream :eek: . On "everything". :eek: Often with ranch dressing mix in it. And of course the real problem here is ... so do I. So when I'm on my own, like this year on sabbatical, I just don't buy the stuff and manage to lose some weight. But then I go home to DH's cooking, and back it comes, at least some of it. Sigh.

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Hey there Bikeless - have you talked to DH about your desire to lose weight and the effect of his delightful cooking? Maybe he can cook/serve with less concentrated fats on your food. I do that for us - the kids love to have grated cheese on or through their mashed potato - but my partner and |I don't have ours that way for the weight control thing. Maybe he can serve yours before he adds the extras... or only add half as much, serve and then top his up...
I hope you find some sort of middle ground... perhaps he can serve you "lite" varieties all week and then one day over the weekend he can pamper you with "sour cream on everything" to satisfy his cullinery persuasion...

Along with DHs cullinary concessions, continue to bike and walk and you'll find the weight you lose on sabbatical will stay off.


And Kim - yes, I am finding the same thing - though I haven't lost that much weight yet (only about 6kg / 10-12 lbs) but my shape has changed, I have a waist and my tummy is a little less pronounced and I am losing the wings on my back - my self esteem is up because i am feeling so very fit - fitter than I have ever been in my entire 40 years.

Kim (one of my fav names!)

It's terrific that you are feeling better and tightening up! This thread has been dead for awhile and I was wondering about those that were so gung-ho for awhile. I weighed this morning and I need to lose 30 lbs myself! Shall we keep this going? And shall we encourage Shasta and mmelindas to get back on track? Send me a pm if you want to join ranks and "get er done!". I think we should bombard Shasta and mmelindas and show them that some of us care and want to hear from them! If they fell off the wagon, SO WHAT! You can always start over!!!!!

uforgot,

I'm definately up for keeping track of losses and all together! I'm very new to cycling, but learning a little everyday, getting more comfortable with it all, and loving the way it makes me feel!

I really do hope Shasta and Melinda come back! I LOVE seeing posts about women losing weight while cycling. When I first started I really didn't think I'd notice a difference with just riding, I figured it wouldn't be enough of a workout, but boy was I wrong!

Shasta and Melinda were motivated as well as motivating, so maybe they'll come back and let us know that they're still riding, or fixin to get back into it!

Kim

Ellen here, I haven't replied to this thread for awhile. I'm still planning to ride the Little Red Riding Hood next week. Rain and cold weather this weekend aren't helping my training plans any though. My longest ride to date is 27 miles, I hope to get to 35 on wednesday.

My bike is now five weeks old and has 268 miles on it! I haven't lost any weight though. Too busy riding to pay attention to cooking well, but I'm getting caught up and expect to get back to following a diet soon.

:o

Ellen

I haven't lost more weight for a while either, but am definitely in better shape. I can now make it up hills. :D Sooner or later, long as I eat a generally healthy diet, this will certainly start producing weight loss again. I try not to worry about it. Oh, and I just read in a newspaper (not that they're to be trusted, but this article did refer to research at a reputable university) that people trying to lose weight also need to be sure to get enough sleep. They don't know why this is so yet, but I'd imagine that your body adjusts. If you're not getting enough sleep, it will slow down the metabolism, same as it does when you're not eating enough (which is apparently why diets always have periods of weight loss lulls).

Ugh Bikeless! I'm an insomniac, and I can tell ya, sleep deprivation will wreak havoc on your metabolism! I honestly believe that's why I've felt like crap all these years...cause of my sleeping habits, or lack thereof!

Ellen, even though you haven't noticed a weight loss, have you noticed shape changes? The way your clothes fit better? That's what has kept me so motivated to keep up with the biking and my diet changes! I started out getting on the scales everyday, but got so mad, I stayed off for a little over a week...all the while still noticing slimming here and there...when I finally got back on the scale I'd lost 5lbs! Not much at all as far as weight, but with the other changes, it's no big deal!

Kim

I would love to lose 15 pounds, and haven't lost a thing except.... inches! Amazingly 4 in the waist and 2 in the hips. So be sure to take your measurements. You are sure to see a difference there too.

If you have a bathroom scale that measures body fat %, that can help, too. You might drop in fat (the important part) but not really see a weight difference.

It can be disconcerting, but I'm definitely of the camp that if you FEEL better, you ARE better. Keep at it and the weight loss will come naturally. Better to lose it gradually and keep it off than fall into any sort of extreme diet/exercise plan that you can't keep up with in the long run. Build a better engine, get better mileage :)

I seem to have stalled at 152 lbs. I'd really like to be 140. But even though my weight has stalled, I'm still shrinking. Or at least fitting into clothes better. Today I noticed that when I sit in my straightbacked chair, my thighs don't overlap the seat anymore.

I'm gonna assume it's adding muscle that's keeping me at 152. For one, muscle is sexy :D . For two, I know I'm riding faster up the big hill home from work. (ok, only 1 mph faster, but it is FASTER.) So there is a strength increase. Or maybe it's just the Frogs.

One of my friends told me that 1 lb of fat is the size of a grapefruit, and one lb of muscle is the size of an orange.

Trading my grapefruit for oranges...

I am trying to lose some major weight too. I am up to 30 miles on my long rides so that should help. I have noticed shape change and other people have mentioned it too, but I haven't seen much on the scales yet.

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Originally Posted by KnottedYet

I know I'm riding faster up the big hill home from work. (ok, only 1 mph faster, but it is FASTER.) So there is a strength increase. Or maybe it's just the Frogs.

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Hey, 1 MPH IS faster!!! Congrats & keep at it.

Are you doing other weight workouts for your upper body? Muscle burns fat even while you sleep. Fat just hangs out & demands food. Which do you want on your body? :p

Knotted, I like that...grapefruits for oranges! That's cute. And yeah, when you just say it 1mph doesn't seem like alot, but when you think about it, it really is!

It's a great feeling to have other people notice your losses, J-Hawk! Even better when you notice how good you're feeling.

Kim

I need a really good plan to follow for upper body strength. I let my gym membership lapse so have no access there anymore and I have to be able to do it at home, with hand weights. I actually started biking to replace the cardio I was missing at the gym and now love it strictly for biking's sake. Wish I could fall in love with lifting weights at home too. If I could find a program that allowed me to see the results as quicklly as I improved at biking, then maybe I'd be able to stick with it. Any suggestions? Can I really see big results with a stack of hand weights? I HATE the arm jiggle, especially when I riding over rocky stuff on the MTB...:eek:

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Originally Posted by kelownagirl

I need a really good plan to follow for upper body strength. I let my gym membership lapse so have no access there anymore and I have to be able to do it at home, with hand weights. I actually started biking to replace the cardio I was missing at the gym and now love it strictly for biking's sake. Wish I could fall in love with lifting weights at home too. If I could find a program that allowed me to see the results as quicklly as I improved at biking, then maybe I'd be able to stick with it. Any suggestions? Can I really see big results with a stack of hand weights? I HATE the arm jiggle, especially when I riding over rocky stuff on the MTB...:eek:

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I highly recommend "The Firm". You can get videos for just about every body part. When I started biking, I wound up only doing upper body ones. You can get them in 30min (Express) or long ones up to 50 minutes. You see results and they aren't boring. They always move quickly from one thing to the other. I started using a step stool, hand weights and videos I got off of ebay. Eventually I wound up with the bench. Out of all the home exercise things I've done, this is the one that works best for me and it's one I tend to follow.

My housemate is a massage therapist and chiropractor's assistant. She also runs and bikes. She created this mantra for me. I repeat it when I get a little bummed about not actually "losing weight".

You're losing fat and gaining muscle. You're losing fat and gaining muscle. When you gain enough muscle, you will lose the weight!

Although I haven't lost weight, I need to go purchase some smaller jeans next paycheck. It's a nice feeling. :)

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Originally Posted by uforgot

I highly recommend "The Firm". You can get videos for just about every body part. When I started biking, I wound up only doing upper body ones. You can get them in 30min (Express) or long ones up to 50 minutes. You see results and they aren't boring. They always move quickly from one thing to the other. I started using a step stool, hand weights and videos I got off of ebay. Eventually I wound up with the bench. Out of all the home exercise things I've done, this is the one that works best for me and it's one I tend to follow.

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Thanks uforgot! I found one on upper body at the library so will check it out before I buy one. :)

barb

Let me know how you like it. Another advantage of the Firm is that there are about a gazillion workouts available, and the VHS ones go dirt cheap on ebay!:)

I weigh about 254, and my height is 5'7". And my weight just keeps creeping on. I am 47. I've recently decided that a car is unneceassary to me, and bad fir thee environment. I MUST ride a bike if I wish to sail with my women's sailing club. There is no public transportation to that neighborhood.

I would be happy to get down to a size 16 even, just so I can buy "normal" clothes, and not shop in the plus sizes. Besides I prefer to shop at thrift stores, and I can't find big stuff easily there.

I am glad to hear that biking burns weight off. Actually, just if I stopped gaining I would feel accomplished.

I am sure I will be posting more on this forum.

Mary

You might like to take a look at http://www.sparkpeople.com

It's kind of like the WW site but it's totally free, no stupid diet pills ads, just awesome support for people wanting to lose weight and/or become fit.

I've lost 10 lbs since I started biking 2 months ago. And I'm sure I've gained tons of muscle. The inch losses are more pronounced than the weight loss...

barb

I'll have to go check out 'The Firm' too! I've got the lower body covered with biking, and if I need extra I love lower body weight lifting on the bench and all...I just hate doing upper body! My husband and I were lifting together on a pretty set schedule, but he started having to actually go to work and stay...lol.

I need structure, so a DVD might work for me! I tried a Tae Bo tape...and well, let's just say, my 3yr old daughter laughed at me and said 'you can't do that stuff momma' when she saw me try the steps!

Kim

okay, I am royally pissed off. I know what my body looks and feels like when i am in good shape. I also know what my weight and body fat are when I am in good shape. At a peak of fitness I weighed 138 with a body fat % of 19.

In the past for years I have gotten very out of shape. The reasons are many and they really don't matter. I joined a gym in late August of 2005 and as part of the initiation fee there was a fitness assement that included weight and body fat measurements. My weight was 197 and the guy who did the measurements said my body fat was like 34%. I was fairly certain that he was wrong. Even during the measurement process I did not think he was doing it right and I told him so. He insisted that he was doing everything correctly. Based on his numbers a healthy body fat number would have gotten me to 172 lbs and and excellent body fat number would have had me in the mid 160s.

I have been working out pretty regularly since the day of the assesment, doing workouts that include eliptical machines, lifting weights, spin classes, cycling and running. I am down 20 lbs and look much better, but still have quite a ways to go. This reaffirmed my belief that the guy at the gym was wrong. I still have fat rolls - large ones. So I bought a scale this week that includes body fat measuring. According to this scale I have between 35 and 36% body fat. After 9 months of working out and dieting and losing 20 lbs, my body fat is higher than the idiot at the club told me.

UUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

I really hope that it was the incompetent guy, not that you'ree body is atter than you thought. I'm thimking of getting a scale, but after reading the posts here, I am reminded that weight is not a good measure of fitness.

I think I'll go for a tapemeasure instead.

It occured to me today that the use of my bike to go sailing was covering me both in the upper and lower body. Although it is hard to measure the actual exertion of sailing, because it depends on the weather so much.

And both fit in well with the idea of earth-freindly transport, whoch is my main purpose anyway.

I am now wondering, after spending WAY to much time on my butt surfing for cool biking deals, whether getting better equipment actually is counterproductive for weght loss. I know that totally lousy equiopment will be frustrating to use, and will keep me from riding. But maybe getting a nicer bike actually will burn less calories.

I would like some input on this. How much does the quality of bike affect the "feel" of biking, versus increased speed and efficiency?

I know when I had a department store bike, I never rode it, felt guilty for being out of shape, and never rode it. And this was during my twenties! But when a coworker talked me into trying out his wife's bike for a weekend, I rode about 20 miles, not realizing how far I was going (on a paved path with few cross streets). The bike felt alive somehow and responsive, versus just a dead peice of steel.

I was at first a little miffed at the suggestion I join Sparks, didn't want to follow a plan. But decided that I didn't have the right to be miffed until I checked it out. I joined up, and it looks wonderful. You get to choose your own goals, and its done in babysteps. Thanks for the advice.

Mary

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Originally Posted by plantluvver

I was at first a little miffed at the suggestion I join Sparks, didn't want to follow a plan. But decided that I didn't have the right to be miffed until I checked it out. I joined up, and it looks wonderful. You get to choose your own goals, and its done in babysteps. Thanks for the advice.

Mary

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Mary, sorry you were miffed at me even only if was only temporarily. After I posted it, I was worried that it might have been taken the wrong way. I found it is working for me, when nothing else has been, because I like doing stuff online and it's so easy to do (for me anyways), and you can set your own goals for just about anything. I figured if someone else was checking out the online community at TE, they might also like Sparks... :)

Barb

I bought a Breezer and it wasn't cheap. My LBS calls it the "Volvo of bicycles". What gives me more of a workout (and I sure need it) is that it is upright, on the heavy side at 35 lbs, and I carry a ton of crap to and from work everyday. I'm usually hauling 55-60 lbs with the weight of my bike and my stuff. So it makes my 3.5 one way trip to work a little more substantial. The high quality makes me confident everything will stay working, especially my brakes.

So, good quality can make for a good workout. I like reliability, and I can afford it.

Plantluvver, I've wondered the same thing about quality as well. Well, not quality, but getting a road bike vs the mt bike that I have now. That mt bike gives me a heck of a workout because i try to keep my speed up and I'm increasing my distance! I've heard so much about the roadbikes being so light and easier to peddle and all that good stuff...we're probably thinking a whole other kind of thing! I'm sure we'll get just as good a workout on another type/brand, whatever! Besides, we're not just sitting on the couch, right? We're burning calories, even if it is a little less!

Brina, if you're feeling better, that's all that really, really matters! The better fitness and weight loss will come. I started all of this with the intentions of seeing those pounds go away. Never, ever would I have thought that I'd be doing all of the exercise, watching what I eat and all and not hop on the scale everyday and obsess over it. I don't see biking as exercise now, I see it as a hobby and it makes me feel strong! The weight will go, or it won't...I'm having fun! Chin up girlie...it's not all about the numbers!

Hope everyone is doing well!

Kim

Plantluvver, Brina, and all - When I embarked on changing my obese body and sedentary lifestyle, it was a tremendous help that both my doctor and the GREAT trainer I found at the gym (after a few duds of the one- plan- fits- all mindset) told me to focus on the changes in how I FEEL, not #s of any kind or my appearance. That if I focused on those, I would get discouraged and give up. That's really held true for me, esp. since I do serious weights at the gym (except for spring, when I'm shoveling manure, tilling, planting my huge garden - I figure that's weight work of a different sort.) After an initial quick drop, all my changes have been slow, but they have added up to a very different body.

I let my clothes tell me about my shape changes, and the hills tell me about my fitness changes, and my partner's eyes tell me....;)