How long does it take.

[DDH]

OMG, I went to one of those places to check calories and such and it had one of those BMI calculator things. GOOD GOD, I was like 36.6, I'm a freaking heart attack waiting to happen.

You know what, I am just going to do as you guys say. Keep track of what I eat, keep riding my bike, maybe after school starts back up I will start trying to incorperate some strenght training and core work and just no worry about the rest.

I'm 5'5 and 220, and 42. I have an 11 year old son who needs me to be around. If I can quit smoking, which will be 3 months on the 12th, then I can surley do this.
My biggest problem is going to be keeping up with and figuring my calorie intake. More discipline.

Like I said, I am not looking to be some skinny mini, I just want to look fit and be healthy. Without a 36.6 bmi. OMG

[MomOnBike]

I feel your pain!

My scale hasn't moved in ages. The skinny ones can tell us all about how it's OK, because after all, we are replacing fat with muscle. Humph! My feet don't care if they are supporting fat, muscle or a backpack filled with gold. Weight is weight is weight, and the feet complain. Bah!

For all that, I'm riding, my speeds, distances and hill climbing are improving, I feel better, I breathe more easily, the blood pressure and heart rate are down, all that good stuff. (Did I mention that the scale hasn't moved?)

Don't let yourself think that just because you're heavy you can't ride distances. I weigh twice what I should and can still take off and ride 50+ miles just for grins whenever I feel like it. I've done so twice this year, and when things cool off some, likely will do so again.

Maybe I should just buy a scale that does what I want.

[Bad JuJu]

A little OT here, but everything I've read suggests that we also need to do the weight training for the sake of our bones. Cycling is great aerobic exercise, but it doesn't do much to increase or even maintain bone density, as running or walking do. So weight training not only works the upper body, but also helps protect us from the bone-thinning that can occur with age, esp. after menopause.

[pooks]

For three straight weeks, I took the time every day to write down what I ate and calculated the calories. I then wrote down what excersize I did for the day (for me it was cycling), how many calories I burned, and my mood during the excersize (tired vs. full of energy).

By doing this I learned soooo much!!! I first learned that I wasn't eating enough! Yes, can you believe that! I learned that I wasn't eating enough for lunch, which made me snack alot when I got home from work. After forcing myself to eat a higher calorie lunch (adding in some extra veggies, fruit, or grains), it stopped my snacking after lunch and also gave me more energy when I went biking. The second thing I realized is that I was eating WAY too much meat and not enough veggies/carbs. Yes, I said CARBS!!!! There are way too many diets out there that make people avoid carbs and I'm going to tell you, if you plan on biking long term, you are going to have to get used to eating carbs. Ask any biker if they'd rather ride 30 miles after eating a high carb pasta lunch (i.e. wheat pasta w/ marinara and veggies) or a low carb/ high protein lunch (i.e. chicken breast stuffed w/ cheese and veggies). They are going to say the higher carb lunch. The last thing I noticed was that on the days I excersized, I was eating more. But NOT becuase I was hungrier, but because my brain was telling me "it was okay" to have that extra slice of pizza or that donut that co-workers brought in for their birthday breakfast becuase I knew I would work it off later. Well.... if you do that, then your calories in / calories out are just going to even out and you will never loose weight.

So, after figuring out my calories in / calories out every day for 3 weeks, I am now able to do it in my head and am concious of what goes in my mouth more now than ever!!!! Like I said, this worked for me, and may not work for others, but incase you are looking for another option, please try this as it is the most natural and cheap way that I have found!

What an inspiration! I've been thinking about this for years -- how I need to keep track of my food, etc. so I can figure out why I have days when I am high energy and days when I can hardly stay awake. Last week I started thinking about it in terms of cycling and weight loss, and how I should be doing this.

But I obviously still haven't done it. Ooops.

So thanks for the inspiration. I will do it (as soon as we get back from our camping vacation next week, which wouldn't be a very representative week, I don't think).

[Bikingmomof3]

OMG, I went to one of those places to check calories and such and it had one of those BMI calculator things. GOOD GOD, I was like 36.6, I'm a freaking heart attack waiting to happen.

You know what, I am just going to do as you guys say. Keep track of what I eat, keep riding my bike, maybe after school starts back up I will start trying to incorperate some strenght training and core work and just no worry about the rest.

I'm 5'5 and 220, and 42. I have an 11 year old son who needs me to be around. If I can quit smoking, which will be 3 months on the 12th, then I can surley do this.
My biggest problem is going to be keeping up with and figuring my calorie intake. More discipline.

Like I said, I am not looking to be some skinny mini, I just want to look fit and be healthy. Without a 36.6 bmi. OMG

Do not freak out. I was 217, and I am 5'4. I shed it all, without a "diet" and I did it at home. Did it take awhile, yep. Did I and do I still watch what I eat and exercise daily, yep. It can indeed be done for free. As I mentioned earlier, I eat 6 small, healthy foods a day (okay, I do have cake and other yummies on occassion). Yes, even the dreaded "carbs". Our bodies need so many things just to function, even fat! It makes me sad when I hear of people eliminating entire food groups because solme super skinny celeb endorses a the new "diet of the week".

Watch your portions. From experience I can tell you my biggest mistake was not consuming enough calories-yes, not consuming enough. I held a misconception that to lose weight I needed to eat less. For me, I needed to eat more food, and better food choices. Write it down. Whenever you eat, write it down. It really helped me even out my proteins, carbs, make certain I get all my vitamins and minerals and keep my salt low.

Women should not drop below 1200 calories a day, unless a doctor has told them otherwise. 1200 calories is about the minimum a women's body needs to function.

Again, I was 217 pounds. I now wear a size 6, perfect blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. I am very happy with where I am, except I am continuing to build lean muscle. BMI is a tricky thing, because one can have a low body fat % and still show a higher BMI, because muscle weighs more than fat. Keep that in mind. Also, your muscles love water, so drink lots of it and keep them happy.

BTW, I am a SAHM of 3 teen boys who eat all the time. We all began a healthier life style 1 1/2 years ago and usually we do not want sweets.

You can do it, but only if it is what you want. No one can decide for you. It is all up to you. I personally could care less what you look like. If you are a decent person, that is all that matters to me.

[RoadRaven]

Hi there
I really have nothing new to say, the girls here have covered so many things... and I'll just summarise what has been said to reiterate it...

Aerobic activity 3-4 times a week for at least 25 minutes (that means lift your heart rate, but not so much you cant speak) will help you lose weight slowly, but effectively

Exercise in the morning when you can, because exercise kick-starts your metabolism and so you burn mmore calories all day

Do weight-bearing exercise as well (like walking to town) to keep your bones strong)

Eat right, eat anough - def don't starve yourself - when you don't eat enough your body says "famine" and next time you eat your body will try and store more in preparation for the next famine (which is why fad dieters often put weight back on so very quickly.

Your goal is the same as ours - get fit and feel better - and hopefully change body shape and weight along the way

It does take longer to lose weight at our age (I am 41 this month) and our bodies are a different shape because of our changing hormones than they were at 20.

I have been cycling for 2 years this October. After 1 year of cycling, I had lost no weight but I had dropped two dress sizes.

I was 110kg when I started cycling.
I weighed myself about two weeks ago (I don't have scales in the house, so weigh myself intermittently, every few months) and I am 101 kg. It has taken nearly two years but I am starting to lose the weight.

BUT - remember, before I started losing weight, my weight shifted and my body shape changed... this is the best way to lose weight/change your shape.

It takes patience, but your priorities change from "how much do I weigh?" to "whoa! I am so fit and I feel awesome!".

Rant to us anytime, most women here will have felt this way at some time or another, and if you want people to listen, the women here do that so well.

Kia Kaha! Kia Manawanui!
Be strong - have faith in yourself

Raven

[maillotpois]

I figure if I can quit smoking which is suppose to be one of the hardest things to do, then I should be able to lose weight and look better too. Right?

Well, anyway, thanks for letting me go on.

Everyone has given great input. I just want to look at the comment you made at the end of your first post - "lose weight and look better". If looking better is really your motivation, then maybe that is enough to keep you going on a healthier path. Just looking better would not be enough of a motivation for me, and I'd suggest you have some other real motivators:

1. FEELING better! Arthritis, falling arches, etc. already at your young age must be terrible. I expect that by shedding some weight this will improve.

2. Your child - you mentioned a few times wanting to be around for him. This seems to have been the real kick in the pants to get you to quit smoking. GOOD FOR YOU!!! I can't imagine a better inspiration. Keep drawing on that.

How long will it take? Someone must have said you didn't get this way quickly so it will take a while to come off. Which is true and it STINKS. But you just have to be patient and persist.

You'd think that by cycling more you would automatically lose weight -not true!! When I started cycling seriously 5 years ago, I gained a little weight until I remembered that I had to really focus on the INTAKE part of the equation.

I've pretty much been nudging the weight down, holding it steady, nudging it down, etc. for the past 10 years since my daughter was born. (And yes, I gained WAY too much when I was pregnant and topped out at probably 250 - 260 before she came out!! Yikes!! Sure, a lot of that was water and kid, but after she was born I was around 215.) I'm just about where I was before I got pregnant (165 - 170. I'm 5'8". That's may not be the best BMI, but it is a healthy weight for me as things start shutting down if I get much lower.). Anyway, she's 10 years old!!! This takes time. Kids are tough on you emotionally at times, and having one come out of your body does a number on your body as well - even 10, 11 years later!!

Hang in there.

Congrats on the no smoking. If you do NOTHING else, stick with that because you only get one set of lungs in this life and you need to treat those well!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You could lose five pounds of fat and build five pounds of muscle and you'd weigh the very same amount but you'd look much better. In fact, if you did this you would look better than if you simply lost 5 pounds of fat and had an overall 5 pound weight loss. Your waist would be a bit slimmer, less flabby arms, shapelier legs, etc. Muscle keeps burning calories while you sleep, so if you have more muscles you will burn more calories automatically, 24 hours a day.

Try to eat more fresh fruit and salads- that will help too. Stay away from empty calories and fat - like soda, ice cream, cookies and chips. Drink more water- try some lime flavored seltzer water for instance, instead of soda. My husband and I gave up ice cream and now we have fresh peaches and blueberries and strawberries over non-fat vanilla yogurt- yum! yes, there's a little sugar in that vanilla yogurt, but no fat!

Losing a pound or two a month really adds up over a year. I lost 20 pounds over the past 12 months by walking more, biking, and eating more fruits and veggies. No drastic diets.

Change your lifestyle just a bit, and you'll see changes slowly happen. Those changes make a big difference over time.

[eclectic]

I went to the doc yesterday and of course had to be weighed

I am 18 - 25 lbs over where I like to be and my BMI is terrible

Doc asked what I have been doing and told him the long rides and mileage. His comment was "I couldn't make it" (He's a runner)
He also said "you are not fat, you seem to have a lot of muscle" I could have kissed him!

I HATE the BMI index and everyone is touting it like gospel. It only takes into account weight and height and has nothing to do with fitness. 3 years ago I was 18 pounds lighter and my BMI was great, a 20 mile ride about killed me. Now my BMI is terrible and I can go 65 miles with no problem AND swim 2500 yards in a hour (Not on the same day ) Go figure

I am hitting the big 5 - OH in december along with the big M in a few years I think if I don't get this weight off now it is only going to get harder

I need to use the motivation of 20 less pounds to pull up a hill Man I'd be fast

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have been reading a lot lately about the BMI being a very inaccurate way of measuring fitness. I think many up to date people are not relying on it anymore.
Muscle weighs a lot, and having more muscle is GOOD for you!
Yay for sturdy legs- I'm loving seeing new muscles build up on my legs! I don't notice myself much, but people are starting to comment on my leg muscles (which I didn't have at ALL before)- way cool!

[Kano]

Eclectic -- I'm with you: 20 pounds and flying up hills sounds GREAT! It seems I remember reading something about every pound of weight lost makes a significant difference on hills, and so I guess I have that to look forward to! I can climb them now, and it's making me stronger so that when I don't have as much a)) to haul up them, I'll really haul a))!!!


LisaSH -- I've told DH, I've got a killer butt and an awesome six pack, just no one can see them yet! I think I'm looking forward to being able to see them myself -- I can feel 'em growing in there!


DDH, something I thought of in response to how long does it take... Sadly, it takes as long as it takes! The good news is, you're not alone in the process. I know it sometimes feels like it, but I think your thread has showed us that more of us are on this journey than it sometimes sounds like here where we see all these amazing rides being discussed! Our team-mates have simply been on the path longer than we have. We can look at the small stuff with pride! Quitting smoking is HUGE, riding ten miles today, or even five, and an accomplishment like getting ALL the way up the hill, even at 4mph, huffing and puffing, but not stopping -- that's all good! Next time, I'll do it in 4.2 and be even more pleased, and some day, I'll do it without the granny gear!

You and I have a similar path to travel -- we're almost the same height and weight. I'm a few years older. I've decided I'm not in a rush -- at least not tonight -- but some days, I wish I could simply find the zipper and let the inner me out! So, hang in there, kid -- we'll struggle along together with our new friends!

Karen in Boise

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

LisaSH -- I've told DH, I've got a killer butt and an awesome six pack, just no one can see them yet! I think I'm looking forward to being able to see them myself -- I can feel 'em growing in there!

One day soon they'll just pip their way out, like beautiful newborn chicks!

[Livin the Dream]

I also don't have much new to add. I just wanted to chime in and stay stick with it. If you keep doing the right things, eventually your body will respond. I've struggled with weight since I've been a teenager (I'm 44 now). I've lost 55 lbs, with about 30 more to go, I think. I've done it by changing my mental focus from weight loss to living healthy and doing the right things. I've eliminated almost all refined sugar and white flour from my food choices and I try to eat unprocessed foods as much as possible. It's amazing how sweet fruit is when you never eat the junk from the vending machine.

Though I've made major changes in eating choices, I think the most important thing has been to think positive thoughts about myself DAILY and to focus on making lifestyle changes, not short term diets. It's funny how, when your focus shifts to making the lifestyle changes permanent, you become more patient with the time it takes to get your weight to where you want it to be.

Be proud of your ability to quit smoking. That's really tough. If you
can do that, you can do anything. Go easy on yourself and remember that miles are logged through small steps forward..... Keep riding and make sure you do something nice for yourself each day!

[btchance]

Congrats on quitting smoking! That is such a huge thing for your health and if you can do that, you can do anything (you definately have a great amount of will power). For your weight, the girls here have a lot of great advice. I have seen a number of people have success be writing down what they eat to actually see what there eating habits are. After you know what you are normally eating, try to replace a few things with healthier items, such as Coke with Diet coke or water, whole milk with low fat milk, cookies with rice cakes (they actually make ones that taste good now) or fruit. Just make sure you have a good balance of carbs, fat and protein (usually about 40, 30, 30). For some people cutting carbs works, but for most it is not sustainable, and since you are so active, you need those carbs when you're biking.

To help yourself see the improvements you're making without looking at the scale, get out one of those clothe tape measures and measure a few areas such as your waist, hips, chest. Write the numbers down, and in 2-4 weeks remeasure and see if you've made any changes. With the amount of exercise you're doing, I'll bet that you'll see some changes.

As far as the BMI and recommended weights go, I hate them. Using myself as an example, according to the formula doctors use to determine what the ideal body weight is, I should lose about 10lbs to be ideal, meaning that I could be lower than that and still be healthy. Now I wear a size 3/4, you can see my hip bones when I'm standing up, and my family is freaking out because my cheeks are getting hollow. The reason why my weight is above what is recommended is that my body fat % is at most 15% (that's what it was a year ago before I started doing any triathlons). The BMI does not take into account body composition, all it does is allow an easy way to standardize the numbers for comparision, no matter what the height. I really wish there was an easier, more accurate way to measure body fat as that is closer to someones health status and their risk than BMI.

Okay, now to get off my soap box about BMI and weight, once again, congrats on stopping smoking and keep exercising, the weight will come off eventually, and even 10lbs can make a huge difference both in your health and how you feel. Keep us updated