Originally posted by Kim
One thing to beware of: if you are doing it to lose weight throw the scale out because muscle weighs more than fat. Go by what you see in the mirror and how your clothes feel, etc. Not by scale weight.
There's a whole lot o' truth in that. I started riding hard, really pushing myself, 11 weeks ago. My starting weight was ~265. My weight after 10 weeks is ~260-ish ... but I've lost 3 inches in my waist, 2.5 in the chest, that double chin is receding, my elbows are suddenly pointy, my wedding ring is getting loose, I can see my knees, and I can SEE the muscle in my calves.

I'm trying to stay off the scale for now ... might pull it out of the closet in another month or so just out of curiosity but right now it's obviously not a reflection of what my body's really doing. Oh, and when I really push hard on a ride it's an instant weight gain of 3-4 pounds ... not something I really want to be seeing!