I lost 50 pounds in 4 years by reducing my intake and increasing my output (exercise). I also changed to an overall healthier way of eating using a basic 1600 calorie/day diabetic-type food exchange plan. I'm not diabetic but I'm prone to low blood sugar. I'm still eating that way but I allow myself some extra goodies on days of high output (30+ mile rides). Like others said, just keep riding, consistency is the key, and don't let a long ride fool you into thinking you can eat a lot of whatever you want. Instead of thinking "I ride to burn calories", think "I eat to fuel my body for exercise". The more active you are, the more calories (fuel) your body requires..... not exactly the same as saying you can just simply eat more. It's a common mistake to think a high activity day means we can eat whatever we want.

Actually, 13 mph isn't bad! After a year, I'm still at about 11 mph on a really light, fast bike, and I'm not overweight now. Stay at it, keep riding. Even short rides as many days as possible add up and build muscle fiber to build your strength.

Don't be in a hurry. Consistency and persistence are key. My weight loss wasn't noticeable until I'd lost 30 pounds, and sometimes I didn't lose anything in a month. That took a LOT of patience to stick with it, so I just concentrated on continuing to eat healthy and doing some sort of exercise most days of the week and let things take care of themselves. I should add, however, that the weight loss was much easier after we started cycling last year -- the fat and pounds seemed to melt as I continued to eat as I already was and increase the mileage each week.

Don't give up!