Hi all, I am new to this forum. I have enjoyed reading all your posts, and it is great that so many of you are achieving the inch-loss you desire.

I have just started to get back into cycling again recently. I have to admit that one of the main reasons that I started again is to increase my fitness and help with weight / size loss (although I do love the freedom of the open road as well). I am currently about 55lbs over my ideal weight (well that was my weight as an inactive person at the right size). In British sizes I am a 16, which I think is a US size 14 and I would like to be a British size 8-10.

I have been finding it pretty hard going. I finally get the saddle sorted and then my shoulders and back hurt, it is a nightmare. And now I have to put the cycling to one side for a month as I am looking after my parents dogs while they travel in Canada. The beasts need a lot of walking, so I am getting up early and walking them for about 4 miles every morning before work. This is when I realise just how unfit I am. This walk would be quite a regular weekend walk when I am staying with them, but doing it every day has been killing me! I get back, shoulder and hip pain ( I think mainly from one of the dogs constantly pulling on the lead - I can't let him off as he will not come back to me), as well as very tired legs. However, now that I am on day five of this, my legs do seem to be getting less tired, and I am making it up the last hill without a rest-stop half way I have also avoided all junk food for 3-days now (first I had to clear out what was in the house!).