Looking for Newbies with a large amt of weight to lose..

[pooks]

Thanks for the recommendation of sparkpeople. I just signed up and went through the process and liked it.

What I don't like in general about these kinds of things is that I begin to feel like the program (any program) is a huge gnawing weight on my shoulders, and thinking about food all the time (to figure out what to eat next meal, etc.) overwhelms my ability to think about anything else.

But for now, sparkpeople was cool because it automatically figures stuff for me. There are a few things I need to figure out now, but the basic setup was good and I've logged my breakfast and water so far, and after I ride I guess I'm supposed to log that, too!

Again, thanks. This should at least help me get started.

If you tell yourself that you ruined the day, you will end up over indulging for the rest of the day.

You're only one meal away from being back on track, and that's your next meal!

[Jones]

What I don't like in general about these kinds of things is that I begin to feel like the program (any program) is a huge gnawing weight on my shoulders, and thinking about food all the time (to figure out what to eat next meal, etc.) overwhelms my ability to think about anything else.

I feel like this too, but this year I have decieded to just take it slow and lose weight. Meal planning in advance has really freed my mind from obsessing about food. I always have the same thing for breakfast so I don't have to think about that and I try to make a few nights dinner at the same time so I don't have to prepare food or think about food as often. I have totally stocked my pantry and frig with healthy (or at least low cal.) items.

My goal was to lose 70 pounds between January and September, I have now modified that goal to lose 70 lbs no matter how long it takes. I have lost 26lbs so far and although I think about dieting alot I don't feel like it is consuming me like it has in the past.

Slight thread hijack-PastryPam were in California are you? I think I saw before that you are in the So. Cal desert and so am I.

Jones

[Darby361]

I weigh every day, but I log a weekly weight. I know that there are going to be ups and downs throughout the week - a portion of hot-n-sour soup can make me gain 2 lbs in water! - so I keep these things in mind. That is why I log a weekly weight (Sat AM) on a calendar. This keeps me sane.
Trish

[BikerP]

Hi!

I have about the same amount to lose as well, a little over 100lb. I started biking in March, about 2 days out of the week, when weather permitted. April was basically no good, because of all the rain we got, but I would try and bike on some days. Now we're in May and so far this week, so good. I currently bike about 7.25 miles to work and that takes me about 34 min, however biking home is horrible. I'm going uphill, even though it doesn't seem like it and that takes me about 50 mins to get home. I'm hoping to decrease that time eventually. I really need advice on what kinds of food to eat, as in should I eat before I bike early in the morning? I usually bike to work, then eat when I get here. Also any warm up exercises would be great to hear about. I'm really excited about biking and this thread/posts are awesome. You guys are amazing!!! After June, I will be biking about 9-10miles to work as we are moving. So as you can see, I'm really going to be putting in a lot of biking hours!

[cyclokitty]

Hi!

I have about the same amount to lose as well, a little over 100lb. I started biking in March, about 2 days out of the week, when weather permitted. April was basically no good, because of all the rain we got, but I would try and bike on some days. Now we're in May and so far this week, so good. I currently bike about 7.25 miles to work and that takes me about 34 min, however biking home is horrible. I'm going uphill, even though it doesn't seem like it and that takes me about 50 mins to get home. I'm hoping to decrease that time eventually. I really need advice on what kinds of food to eat, as in should I eat before I bike early in the morning? I usually bike to work, then eat when I get here. Also any warm up exercises would be great to hear about. I'm really excited about biking and this thread/posts are awesome. You guys are amazing!!! After June, I will be biking about 9-10miles to work as we are moving. So as you can see, I'm really going to be putting in a lot of biking hours!

I'm in a similar boat -- I have about 100 lbs to ditch, and I also commute about 20 km round trip 4-5 days a week plus pleasure rides. I don't do any particular stretchs, just a a few touch my toes and arm and shoulder stretches to warm up my back muscles. I usually take the first km easy and then speed up.

I don't like eating before an early morning bike ride because I get naseous, so I wait until I get to work. There's a kitchen at work, so I can nuke some mutligrain cereal with choppped raw almonds, and I bring cut up melon. That tides me over until my breaktime.

My commute to work only takes 40 minutes, but at night it's closer to an hour because of 1 long steep hill, another steadily rising climb, and then two more steep but short hills. The first hill I walk because it is too far for me to ride up without tripping over (and I have). The rest I can do ... now. It took plenty of practice and sheer will (I wanna be home -- that's my mantra).

I learned on this forum (BTW, thanks everyone!) about sparkspeople.com. The advice is good, but I like the tools provided to personalize my own goals, and personal bugaboos (chocolate), and you can rack up points (don't know what they do, but I am a rabid collector of pretty much anything, so rack 'em up I go!).

And, even neater, you get your own blogspace to record, share, and brag. Mine is my.sparkpeople.com/CYCLOKITTY. And I like visitors!

Have fun riding!

[pastrypam]

BikerP,
That is so great that you bike to work. It will really help you with your weight loss. As far as the hills go, just do it. Doesn't matter how slow you go, but in time you will see progress. I use to have to stop a couple times going up a hill I do frequently and now I can go up it without stopping and have seen my speed increase over time. I still find it difficult but I just do it. Even on the days I don't feel like it I still do it.

Go to the free diet website sparkpeople.com and fill in the blanks. They will tell you how many calories you need to eat and even give you menus and recipes. They calculate the calories you burn on a ride.

It helps to write down everything you eat and you can do it all on this site.

Good luck and keep up the good work even though it is hard.
Pam

[mudgirl]

BikerP, I've been trying to to work up the nerve to start commuting back & forth to work as well. Your situation sounds a lot like mine! I live about 7.5 miles away from work, up on a hill, have to go down into a valley through town, and then back up another hill to get to work. And when I say "hill," I'm talking 500 ft of climbing in a half mile... 12% grades and stuff like that. Fun stuff!! There are ways to get around it; such as, I could hop on a bus once I get to town to carry the bike and me up the hill. Like I said, I just need to get up the nerve to do it. I ordered a new road bike that should be in early next week, and part of my deal with myself to buy the new bike was to start commuting to work to save $$ on gas & parking to pay for it!

~Brenda

[BikerP]

**Thank you PastryPam for the encouragement!! I had already registed with sparklepeople about 2 weeks ago. I really haven't had time to look at their site and play around with it. I might this weekend.***

As for Brenda, that sounds like a pretty steep hill. :-) All I can tell you is something is better than nothing. When I first started biking, I biked mainly to work, didn't care to bike home too much. And the sad part, in the beginning, was that I would still be discouraged, because I didn't feel like I accomplished anything in biking, just because I couldn't bike home. And then one day...I'm like WAIT A MINUTE. Just because I'm not biking home doesn't make my accomplishment any less. So I became satisified biking to work, even though it really is the easiest thing to do. This has been my first week biking home, and even though it's been a struggle, I know eventually I will get better. Just as you will. Start off slow, if you can only bike part of that hill, then that's better then leaving your bike at home and not doing anything at all. Also try just biking on the weekends, just to see what struggles you have. I started biking on the weekends to my job, just to see if I would have any issues, and that's how I knew biking home would be my struggle.

Just remember, a little bit can go a long way.

Good Luck!!!