lose weight fast on bike?

[Swan]

I've spoken to my physicians and they both agree that I need to shed se pounds rather quickly. My diet is alright (apart from the chocolates that I'll be cutting out... (sad, sad sigh...), as it's usuqlly salads with no dressing and fruits/veggies for snacks, but since I hurt my back, my weight has ballooned again from inactivity even though I wasn't eating all that terribly. I had an appointment scheduled to talk about my weight when a group of teen kids threw a rock at me and told me to "go back to the ocean with the other whales," so I've been put on a diet pill to help speed the process along. However, I'm wondering how BEST to bike to lose weight? I've googled it and interval training seems legit, but does anyone have any tried-and-true tips? I'd like to pick up Zumba as well, but idk how that will affect my back...

Any advice would be great! Thanks in advance!

[OakLeaf]

My experience is that the quickest way to weight loss is endurance.

Years ago all the sites used to talk about a "weight loss" heart rate zone, until it was shown that at high exertional levels, even though you're also burning lots of glucose and glycogen, you're still burning more fat than you do at lower heart rates. Well, fine, but you can't sustain that for long enough to make a difference. In the real world, low heart rate and fat loss DO go together. The only way activity and weight loss go together for me is when my workouts last three hours or longer. Do you have any vacation time to take a bike tour? Can you at least do centuries on the weekends?

[Blueberry]

I don't have any great advice, but wanted to offer gentle hugs. Mean people just suck - and I'm right there with you

Can you swim? I know it's not what you asked, but I find there's only so much of one thing I can do. I'm getting ready to try to bump to 2x a day most days with biking being one workout and swimming the other. No matter what I do with my diet and exercise, I have not been able to make the scale budge despite very clean eating and exercising since my thyroid went off. SO frustrating.

[shootingstar]

I'm sorry to hear about your back injury.

How's the diet change at home going? Were you able to prepare/get some daily healthy food choices when other family members want other stuff? That too, will be part of your long term (meaning for the rest of your life) road to a healthy journey that you want.

Weight loss and keeping at a healthy, fit weight is a lifelong effort. It really is, Swan. For every slim/healthy woman that you see in your community who is over 40-50 yrs. old, she most definitely has had to do something quite conscious to be that way --regular exercise, activities that require her to move even though she may not think of it as much physical activity, mindful eating, etc. It doesn't just "happen". A woman's natural metabolism drops every decade..I think it's 2-5%. So she has to doing something to counteract that.

You have found cycling as enjoyable which is wonderful because as you know cycling can be done without thinking all the time as "exercise". http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/...vourite-sport/ (most TE members can identify with what I wrote.). It would be good to plan for a bike trip later. Meanwhile climb back on the bike and just ride. Every day if you can. Build it into your lifestyle...shopping, work, etc. Until it becomes like...breathing.

[Sky King]

Shootingstar nails it. Don't get overly stressed about miles and miles of riding. Just ride your bike as much as you can, hopefully everyday. If you can't ride, then walk, everyday. It is a journey not an instant result. I like to use myfitnesspal.com for tracking my food. At the moment I am doing a higher protein, less carb and strength training but when I ride I balance it out more and the website helps a ton. Good luck

[Catrin]

Catrin: ooh, I know it. Sometimes those nutrition labels are so vague....!

It goes beyond vague labels. Some will choose to include different types of sugar instead of just one kind - which means that even if sugar IS the main ingredient, it is much further down the list since it is different types. That is just pure deception. I no longer eat processed foods of any kind - and feel much better for it. I got interested in Paleo/Primal because I started hanging around with a bunch of Crossfitters and it sounded like an intriqing approach - and I had been on a maddening plateau for well over a year. Within several weeks of making the change I noted that ALL of my health issues had reversed themselves and I felt great - which is why I have stuck with it. Frankly, I could care less about why it works - I've too many other things in my life that I over-think. What I know is I feel fantastic for the first time that I can remember and all of my digestive problems have disappeared. That is enough for me

I also have issues figuring out lunches for outdoor winter activity, or even packed lunch for long rides that don't include bread. I've made peace with using Ezekial bread and almond butter, but I can't see packing a salad or even meats, with no cooling.
I feel the same way about Luna Bars, but despite the fact I have cut way down on eating them, I still crave them during a ride.....

We have to come up with those things that work for us Crankin. For me, a combination of good nitrate-free (and sugar free) jerky, macadamia nuts and dried cherries help me on the bike. This year I also want to try my hand at making my own "Lara" bars - and I will keep in mind that Panaera has a "secret" Paleo menu (here). I really appreciate their efforts to reach out to a different market. They don't advertise this on their menus, but it is now available for anyone who asks for it. This does give more traveling options.

[goldfinch]

I hate jerks. Screw them.

Anyway, for me the best thing is to bike for long slow distances. Partly for calorie burning but frankly, the most important thing is to keep busy and active so I become more fit and so I stay away from food.

Do other things to keep yourself busy too. Like walking. Or doing anything where you ordinarily won't eat.

The quickest way to weight loss is eating less and anything you can do to eat less will help.

[Swan]

Thanks, everyone! We haven't a pool (nor a community pool), so I would need to drive 2hrs to get to the ocean to swim... Shame, because I really love swimming!
I'll start biking every day after work if I can manage it for an hour or two each time, and go for longer rides on the weekends. Hopefully my hamstrings won't tighten up and pull on that plankar-whatever tendon again!

Shootingstar, everyone at home still eats pizza and lots of carbs, candy, etc... but I've started bringing home healthy organic foods that no one else wants to touch. Thus my diet has omproved quite a bit aside from the guilty indulgence of a couple chocolates every day (I'll save them as 1/weekend now....)

[Kathi]

If you haven't yet get a hold of the book "Practical Paleo" by Diane Sanfillippo. I'm sure there are others. I'm the 60+ slim/healthy woman in your community. Since being retired I quit paying attention to what I ate and started thinking a "few M & M's, cheese and crackers, corn chips were ok for me to eat. Years ago I bought into the low fat diet craze thinking it was good for me but I had to eat every 2-3 hours. I thought my diet was good, no fast food, fat or fried food, sodas, desserts and I don't eat out often. However, I'm developing a noticeable "muffin top".

Several of my friends are on weight watchers but their diets didn't seem very healthy and I had seen mentions of Paleo diets. I started doing some research and became convinced to forgo the "snack" foods I was eating. I added more seasonal fresh fruits, eggs and vegetables. My SO buys the groceries and plans meat and potato meals so it's easy for me to suggest seasonings for the meats and forgo the store bought sauces and add delicious, and filling side dishes. I'm also not much of a meat eater but am enjoying the tastier meat recipes and eating more proteins instead of the bad carbs I was eating. Also, when I get hungry, I'm really hungry, not the shaky, irritable, I'm going to kill you if I don't eat now hungry.

In 3 weeks I've lost 3 lbs (not intentional) and 2" off my waist and an inch off my hips. I'm sure this is more "water weight" than fat. Surprisingly, today my SO made a "healthy" soy burger for me for lunch and it was so salty I couldn't eat it. To think I used to add salt to the soy burgers because they seemed bland. I don't crave sugar or salt and actually enjoy the natural taste of food. I feel like I've gone back to the foods I was raised on when food wasn't so heavily sugared and salted that you couldn't actually taste the food.

There is so much hidden salt and sugar in store bought food that you have to read labels carefully and don't believe the "healthy labeling". You will have to cook most things yourself but you'll be amazed how much better you'll feel with more energy and less hunger.

Also, add some weight training.

[Catrin]

There aren't any mechanized fitting machines or anything like that in my area. Maybe if I drove to Tallahassee, I could find one... I'll look around on the web. But what are the fitting machines called? The ones you get hooked up to while your bike is mounted??

The fitting system is no where near as important than an experienced and talented fitter. Technology does not matter if the user cannot think outside the box or have experience with people with physical issues like you, and me.

Check to see if there is a local cycling group who can give you a recommendation. You need someone who can think out of the box. You might also want to see if there is a PT who is also a fitter, I know they exist but not how common they are...

[Owlie]

The fitting system is no where near as important than an experienced and talented fitter. Technology does not matter if the user cannot think outside the box or have experience with people with physical issues like you, and me.

Check to see if there is a local cycling group who can give you a recommendation. You need someone who can think out of the box. You might also want to see if there is a PT who is also a fitter, I know they exist but not how common they are...

This. Ask around. The local clubs might be of help. Are you seeing a PT for the back? They might know someone.

If you were here, I'd send you to one of the local shops. This guy runs a one-man shop and does nothing but fits.

[Melalvai]

Well if you can fit size 12 you've arrived. I like your approach. I think if anyone does numbers at all it should be something like resting heart rate and cholesterol, but those aren't very motivating because they change slowly. Or perhaps a fitness metric like how far or how long or how many of XX. But never pounds and calories. Good job and I will share your story when relevant, it is inspiring. Thank you!

[Owlie]

Yay Swan!

[Catrin]

Fantastic Swan, this is great news! I also really like your approach to metrics on this!

[roo4]

Nice!