Just a newbie

[garwoodgirl]

Hi I this is my first try at using a forum. Also just starting to really get into biking. I need some encouragement from people who understand! I am 90 lbs over weight and really need to take it off. I have recently become the caretaker of a house bound mother and have two teenage boys. So I need some time for me. I am trying to really get out and bike I am comfortable biking about 20 miles on the bike paths. I live in a very "hilly" area, so if I ride the hills, I can only do about 14 miles. I am having trouble motivating myself to go out each day especailly being so heavy and out of shape. Is there any one out there that has been in my shoes and found the motivation?

[melissam]

Hi Garwoodgirl and welcome to Team Estrogen!

Wow, you have a full plate! As far as motivation goes, here's some thoughts.

* Sign up on Bike Journal (www.bikejournal.com) and track your mileage. I dunno, I kind of like to enter in the miles I've ridden and watch it accrue. Also, you can help Team Estrogen achieve their mileage goal for the year.

* Watch the weight come off as you ride more and more, and feel stronger and peppier!

* Find some friends to ride with, or ride with your teenage sons. Set riding dates, and that way it's harder to "bail" on your ride for the day.

* You might find that riding helps you to "blow off steam" from your stressful days. Heck, that can be motivation enough!

* Check in here and let us know how you're doing.

There's lots of people here who have been in your shoes, and I'm sure they'll have some great advice for you.

Again, welcome to Team Estrogen!

-- Melissa

[TheMomBike2000]

Good for you, taking charge of your health!

I am very proud of you! I think the thing to focus on here is not the weight, per se but on health. I am also overweight, and for years and years and years I tried every d*mn diet out there so I would "look good." I finally gave up on all of 'em and decided not to worry about my looks but about my health. From now on, everything is about my health. Perhaps this focus can help you, too? One thing that really focused me on this was a book called "Body Intelligence" which makes the point that most diets create an artificial system of eating: you eat as much, and what, your current diet guru says. This circumvents the whole appetite-response thing. The book helped me TREMENDOUSLY with my emotional overeating--eating from stress, eating "because I deserve it," eating out of boredom. I found it in the library, it seemed fairly current, but I'm not sure if it's still in print.

Some things that help me with the exercising in general include:

1. "It's about my health. 'Cheating' is stupid because I'm getting healthier every time I get out there and move."
2. "I'll do this for 10 minutes. If I'm miserable, I'll come in." (heh heh, this always works. By the time 10 minutes is up, I'm either feeling pretty good or resigned to my fate...'what the heck, I'm already out here peddling..."
3. Backup plan! I love riding my bike but some days it's better to do something else. I ride in the early morning but this morning we had a thunderstorm at 7 a.m. Yeesh! That happens MAYBE once every summer! I went to the gym instead and peddled in the cool a.c. because even after the rain came through it was 86 degrees and felt like a wet blanket.
4. Don't overdo it! It should feel like some exertion and you should have a sense of "yay! I did it!" at the end, but if you are working too hard you will have a difficult time getting out on the road.

Fourteen miles with hills!! Wow! You are my new hero!

You're a strong woman and you need the peace and quiet of your bike time. Let that stupid chorus to the Barry Manilow song flow through your mind while you ride. Watch the critters you see, domestic and otherwise. You deserve it!

Best wishes,
Nancy in (steamy hot rainy) Central FL

[garwoodgirl]

Thanks Melissa!
I just got back from a morning ride and posted my info on bikejournal. That was really fun. I also entered my team as Team Estrogen. It was good to feel part of a team! I read my message from last night and realized that it sounded whiney Sorry to all that had to read that. I guess I was feeling a bit down. Any how, thanks again for your support
Barb

[Geonz]

We all get whiney :-)

I also use the "okay, dear, you certainly are exhausted, so just go out for 10 minutes" thing. It's so strange that I completely forget the exhaustion 95% of the time... that other time, yea, I go back in.

Keeping track of little bits of progress helps too. Saying "okay, I'm going to try to get to the next mph for ten times around the pedals" ... and then the next day, try to do that for 15 times around the pedals... or other little measures of progress ... it takes my mind away from whatever was cluttering it (or, it clutters it and distracts me from important stuff - but no matteR! the other stuff will be there at the end of the ride!)

Bikejournal is fun and of course you can *bound* up through the ranks at the beginning with every little mile!