Overweight Cyclists?

[Kris]

I started cycling in a limited way about 4 years ago when I was 76 pounds overweight. Now I'm about 20 pounds overweight. I feel soooo much better. I can climb stairs. I can walk. I can do the grocery shopping without aching knees. I did not lose the weight by cycling alone. I did Curves for a while. I lifted weights for a while. I joined Weight Watchers and did what they told me. That made the biggest difference. I have not starved myself, and I eat lots of really good food, but it's nutritious food, not empty calories, and it's filling.
I'm 60 years old, and thinner than I've been in years. The laws of physics still apply.
As for what people say, some are just rude. Ignore them or tell them to get lost. However, I think it's possible that you are misinterpreting, "You ride a bike!" sometimes. When I ride my bike to work, which I've done occasionally since I was my heaviest, people are amazed. You'd think I arrived by dogsled or hot air balloon, and some of them express that they think I must be very brave and strong to be cycling when I have a perfectly good car in the garage. Some people don't get it at all, and others clearly think I've lost my last bit of common sense. These reactions haven't changed much since I've lost weight.

[Juliegoddess]

Hey Everyone!

Just thought I would add to the fray here...I'm another plus-sized cyclist, and I know I am slower and more out of shape than even some ladies bigger than me. I am about 5'9" and 229 pounds. I started out at 240, but have found that muscle is replacing fat, and it weighs MORE! I'm not so worried about the pounds not dropping off because of this.

What is discouraging, though, is that I ride every single day...but since I have big ole' heavy mountain bike, my distances aren't very far. I don't mind that...I know once I have a road bike my distances will increase a lot. I just hate being wiped out after only 7-10 miles.

I sure wish I had other plus-size riding buddies, too. People in my area don't bike, and i get stared all all the time like I am from mars or something. People around here (Monroe, MI) bike to the supermarket and back, just for fun. they look at me like I'm nuts.

So anyway, it's hard to set fitness goals...I just feel like I should be going further, doing more, losing more weight, etc. but stop biking? No way!

[sundial]

....i get stared all all the time like I am from mars or something...

Maybe it's because you're on a mountain bike hitting the pavement instead of the trails? It takes a lot more effort to ride a mtb than a light weight road bike on the pavement. Tell yourself you are a trend setter.

[Zen]

have found that muscle is replacing fat, and it weighs MORE!

No, it doesn't.
It has to do with the structure of a fat cell compared to the structure of a muscle cell as shown here. Guess which one is the fat cell?
If you take two identical boxes and fill one with fat cells and the other with muscle cells, the muscle cell box will weigh more. Not because muscle weighs more than fat but because more muscle cells fit in the same space.

One more word-intervals. Hill repeats, sprint repeats, or standing repeats.

[channlluv]

I'm right there with you. 100lbs to lose. But you know what? I feel really strong, and getting stronger. I love that I have super strong butt and thighs, and my forearms are RIPPED now I'm on a road bike and am assuming the correct position. I mean, I can flex them and feel the sinew.

Yeah, there is way to much fat around my middle, but I'm getting stronger with every ride.

Roxy

[owlice]

Zen and JulieGoddess, I think you are saying the same thing, just in different ways: a certain volume of muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. Fat takes up more space; it's fluffier!

I've ridden much more this year than in years past -- last year and the year before, I rode very little -- and haven't lost any weight this year while riding. I am in pants two sizes smaller, however, and a dress that fit me when I was 30 pounds lighter that I thought wouldn't fit (because I'm not 30 pounds lighter!) does, and fits me better now than it used to.

(I bought the dress for a going-away party for my then-fiance, who was moving here to marry me. I tried it on a few weeks ago the day of our divorce trial, and since it fit, I wore it to court since this should have been another kind of going-away for him. My petition for divorce was denied, however.... so maybe I should have worn something else!!)

[PinkBike]

i wanna take friendly exception to chris-the-cop. when you're young it may be calories in-calories burned. wait'll you go through That Part Of Your Life. i finally started losing those last pounds thru Schwarzbein Principle, but you have to be so blanketyblank vigilant! Every Single Day. uggh.

however, who cares??!! ride because you love to ride!!

and know that the people who make any comments whatsoever about being heavy and riding could absolutely not do what you are doing.

and you have friends here who do know and share the passion.

[kenyonchris]

i wanna take friendly exception to chris-the-cop. when you're young it may be calories in-calories burned. wait'll you go through That Part Of Your Life. i finally started losing those last pounds thru Schwarzbein Principle, but you have to be so blanketyblank vigilant! Every Single Day. uggh.

I'm 40 years old! Your body adapts to exercise, it becomes harder to burn the calories you take in. But it is still calories in, calories out. I am 115 lbs at 5'5. I work my butt off to stay like that (I used to be able to eat whatever and stay slender). Everyone assumes I have a "fast metabolism" or am "lucky"...I battle with the same problems everyone else does. It IS harder to burn calories, I have to do more to get less. I am only lucky in that I *know* how to do that, and I am disciplined enough to do it. Even then, I am frustrated at parts of my body that don't tone like they used to, no matter how many crunches I do. The truth is, I need to switch from crunches, which I like and can do a zillion of, to leg lifts and reverse crunches, which I hate (because they are hard, thus would be more effective). Then maybe I could quit whining. Right now I am just whining.

I totally admire anyone who can struggle to lose 50, 60, 70 lbs. Kudos to em. If you are turning the pedals over, you are on your way. But if you aren't seeing results, it is either a) a medical problem, b) you are not burning effectively or c) your diet is wrong...or a combination thereof.

[Zen]

Chris, I think you glossed over a very important point she was trying to make

... wait'll you go through That Part Of Your Life.

it was a whole lot easier to lose weight at 40 than it is at 52. And no, I'm not whining.