Calico:

Bully for you!

What kind of bike is the Nishiki? A road or touring frame may have you bent over and stretched out too much for you right now, making you put more weight on your arms. The ladies have suggested a more up right posture to get started back with, and that's a good idea. Raising the bars, or a higher stem may help you here. But bike fit looks to be a key issue right now.

Try to ride at least 4x per week, with a "long" ride of at least an hour and a half as one of those rides. That will get you on a little quicker path to getting your fitness back. And as long as you keep your diet at least steady, the pounds will start coming off.

A bicycle is the only vehicle mankind has created so far that makes you healthier the more you use it!