Suggestions for Beginner Rider Schedule?

[RoadRaven]

Hi there bee...

A general rule of thumb for exercise to lose weight is a minimum of 3 workouts per week for a minimum of 40 minutes at an intensity where your heart rate is lifted but you can still talk without gasping.

You also work with your metabolism - a cold or cool drink when you wake up, exercise first thing in the morning, eat breakfast half an hour after you have finished exercise.

Cold (not icey unless its summer or your body is used to it - too cold can make you feel ill) water gives your metabolism a 'kick start' to the day.

Exercise in the morning lifts your metabolism significantly for the whole day so your burn more energy (fat) all day (exercise in the evening tends to build muscle rather than burn fat, because you boost the metabolism then go to sleep).

Eating food half an hour later means your body has to start "chewing on itself" cause there is no food in the tum (remember - you havent eaten since last night...).
Important: after a long or intense ride, if your body tells you to eat then eat... fueling your body after a hard ride is an important part of recovery

Now... having got the weight thing over... listen to the previous posts in this thread. Sure, have a weight loss focus, but the key thing is to set yourself rides that are achievable and you enjoy. Many gals here will attest that it is highly addictive and it wont be long before you find you are able to make more and more time for the bike. Priorities change.

When I first started riding in October 2004, one of my goals was to lose weight. At the end of 2005 I weighed the same - BUT (and this is a BIG BUT - talking about the conjunction - leave my butt outta this! )...
... at the end of 2005 I weighed the same (110kg) but my shape had changed and I had dropped TWO dress sizes.

This year I have finally started "losing" weight and am 101kg (goal is to be under 100 by the new year).

My long term goal is to get under 90kg - 85kg would be great... but this is not because I want to look better - that might be a nice side effect... however, the interesting thing about becoming dependant on this cycling drug is priorities change. I need to lose weight not so I can get into a smaller pair of jeans, but because I keep getting dropped on hills in races, and I want to be faster up hills, and it will be easier to stay with the bunch if I weigh something similar to other cyclists.

So chuck out the scales, enjoy noticing your body shape change, enjoy noticing new firmness (I have never had muscle definition in my thighs before ).

Get on and ride and tell us your successes, which may include weight loss, but it is likely other goals will become as important if not more important than this.

Welcome to our haven
Enjoy
~Raven~

[shoerbee]

Thank you SO much ladies!! I cannot tell you how much all of your input is helping me! I love the riding and eating advice. What gets me very excited is to hear how you all started, got into it, and saw improvement in your riding (and body) !!!
KEep the suggestions coming! I appreciate all of the input, and am eating it up with a passion!!!
A VERY lovely name indeed Grog!!! I have never met another Brigitte!!! Mine is the German pronunciation...assuming yours is French?
Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
b

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Welcome friend!

This is a great support team place.
One thing I would recommend is to be sure you drink plenty of water when you ride- stop and drink some every 15 minutes or so. And I would not recommend going for a long (more than say 30 minutes) ride without any food in your stomache.
If your body runs out of calorie fuel, you can actually feel suddenly ill and be unable to continue riding. Nibble little snacks like apple, granola bar, fig newtons, banana, nuts, pretzels, etc. before and/or during your ride. The saying I hear is "Drink before you are thirsty, Eat before you are hungry".

It's true that after a month or two of regular biking, you may notice changes in your body shape more than changes on the scale. But it's GOOD change! You may lose fat while gaining muscle, thus staying the same weight for a while. You will start to LOOK different however.
Don't be discouraged!
Keep your goals do-able, concentrate on slowly improving your overall health instead of the weight thing, and keep looking at your little accomplishments along the way. Focus on stuff like "Hey, I rode for 20 minutes three times this week instead of last week's three 15 minute rides!" Don't focus on the stuff you can't do (yet), don't beat yourself up. The more FUN you make it, the more you will want to keep doing it. Remember you are already DOING it, you are starting to get fit ALREADY!

[Kano]

When I first started riding in October 2004, one of my goals was to lose weight. At the end of 2005 I weighed the same - BUT (and this is a BIG BUT - talking about the conjunction - leave my butt outta this! )...
... at the end of 2005 I weighed the same (110kg) but my shape had changed and I had dropped TWO dress sizes.

This year I have finally started "losing" weight and am 101kg (goal is to be under 100 by the new year).

My long term goal is to get under 90kg - 85kg would be great... but this is not because I want to look better - that might be a nice side effect...~Raven~

I'm impressed, Raven! Possibly a little bit confused, but impressed!

Things I've read about your riding skills -- time trials, and races and such -- and you're as heavy as I am!

On me, your long term goal is wayyyyyy too much yet, so you must have a bit of a height advantage, but I like the look of kg's over lb's, and your long term looks like a great short term goal for me! I think it will make hills easier for me too, when I'm down there below 90kg!

Karen in Boise