Overweight Cyclists?

[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.

[dinabean]

SBS, I feel you, I really do! I am training for a TRI, too, and it sucks that the "big" clothes are several sizes too small. Believe it or not, I am eternally grateful to WalMart for carrying the Danskin fitness wear in XXL sizes that fit me (5'9" 235 lbs when I started, down to 227 after 10 weeks of mostly running x a week). It's not specialized Tri gear or bike gear, but it was at least stuff I wasn't embarassed to be seen in public in when I was doing Couch to 5K. I am also S-L-O-W (my 5K time is ~45 minutes) but it's all good. Don't you feel better? Stronger? I struggle with being annoyed that the weight isn't just pouring off (and I am watching intake, too) but it is what it is. At least I am healthier than I was a few weeks ago, and I hope to be even healthier by this time next year!

One other thought -- have you had D3 levels checked? I've done some reading that D3 level really effect weight, and a lot of docs don't check for it. I've heard anecdotal stories of people changing nothing other than taking 2000IU of D3 a day and the weight pouring off. Might be worth checking into.

[Kris]

I'm 60. I've lost 55 pounds in the last 18 months and have at least 10 left to go. The laws of physics apply no matter how old you are. I tried for several years to lose weight, and then all of a sudden I got myself in the right place mentally, started eating right and exercising more, and the pounds came off. I'm fitter now than I've been since I was in my 20's, and I feel 10 years younger than I did a year ago. It's never easy, but it is so worth the trouble.

[kenyonchris]

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

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

No whining detected. It is easier to lose weight at 20 than 40, easier at 40 than 52. Your body burns less effectively than it stores. That is a given, I am not glossing it over at all. But it CAN be done...the advice is for those who are saying that no matter how much they exercise and starve it won't come off. It WILL (unless the body is undergoing some physical problem). The problem is generally that the body has adapted, or is not being challenged in the most efficient manner so as to make it burn effectively. This happens in people of all ages, but is even more important with people who struggle to lose weight.