My story is somewhat different. In January, 2004, I was diagnosed with a life threatening condition. And it was diagnosed by a fluke. I had a defective heart valve and if that wasn't bad enough, I had an ascendng aortic aneurysm. I had exactly what killed John Ritter. In April 2004, I underwent open heart surgery to repair the aneurysm which saved my life. I recovered well and remained fit and trim.
In 2006 I was placed on a drug to alleviate some nerve pain I was experiencing in my cervical spine. I've also been through two spine surgeries as well as a couple other surgeries. The medication caused me to gain an inordinate amount of weight. The medication alleviated the nerve pain but it was placing a strain on my heart. I had to be weaned off the medication but not before gaining nearly 60 pounds.
I started riding my bike in May of this year and have managed to drop about 15 lbs. I'm 5'4" and currently weigh approximately 183 lbs. Before all the medical problems started, I weighed 135 lbs. After the heart surgery, I weighed 138 lbs. I'm nearly 49 years old and need to drop the weight to keep from placing a strain on my heart. I've never been this heavy and know it will take time to get the weight off permanently.
The weight didn't happen overnight and it's not going to come off overnight. I ride practically every day for about 20 to 25 miles. I have a Trek 3700 WSD bike but am thinking about upgrading to a road bike. I love riding and want to be able to ride further in a shorter period of time.
Good post and good luck to everyone. Baby steps will help us to reach our goal!