Weight

[pooks]

So I went from TOTAL (and I do meant total!) sluggery and slothery to riding 2 miles a day, four miles a day, and yesterday over six miles. (Today was four again -- time issues.)

I can honestly say I'm not eating any more than I was eating when I was doing nothing but being a slug and sloth. In fact, maybe better since I'd developed a donut habit that had me eating 2 to 4 a day for several weeks, and I haven't done that since I've been riding.

So here I am, three weeks into it, and I haven't lost any weight.

That quite surprises me. Is the exertion of riding four miles really not that big a deal?

What is happening with other new riders?

[cusepack]

I know it's not easy, but try not to pay as much attention to the weight numbers; rather, pay attention to your increased fitness level and the way your clothes fit. Right now, your body is adjusting to this new lifestyle and lots of things are going on inside. You're no longer fueling your body with donuts, instead, your riding and becoming fit, and, burning lots more fuel. Be patient, you'll begin to feel the difference . . .as it is, you're riding longer, so that's a plus right from the get-go. In the meantime, stay positive, pedal and enjoy your rides.

[pooks]

Thanks! I appreciate the reassurance!

[Pedal Wench]

What you're doing now is an excellent base, and it must be done before you can really start adding miles. But, that doesn't change the facts.

A mile of cycling burns approximately 30-40 calories. So, with no changes at all in your diet, your rides are burning, at most, 200 calories. So, you'll need to make more changes in your diet, or add more miles. You need to burn or reduce your caloric intake by 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat. It will come off in time - be patient!

Keep up the great work! The weight will start to melt off as you increase your level of fitness!

[Fredwina]

Another thing to keep in mind is that, ideally, you only want to lose a pound a week, to avoid the "yo-yo" effect.

[eclectic]

pooks

Congratulations on joining the great world of cycling.

I too was more of a napper than a mover until 4 summers ago when I finally dug my bike out again and started doing club rides

I feel your frustration. I am up to regular 25 to 35 mile rides at an average speed of 13.5 mph with some hill climbing and the weight hasn't budged

BUT and I mean BUT ! ! ! I am the same weight as when I wore size 14 - 16 and I am now in a comfortable 12. Muscle weighs more than fat and you need to build muscle to ride longer,then the added benefit is muscle needs more calories to sustain itself than fat so the weight loss will eventually start.

Stay off the scale for awhile and measure with your clothes.

Most of all Keep Pedalling!

eclectic

[Grog]

Put the scale away - put it in a closet or, better, lend it to someone - use your "feel-o-meter", and enjoy the ride!!

[velogirl]

One thing I remind weight-loss clients (especially at the beginning of a fitness program) is that we didn't become overweight overnight. It probably took years to put the extra pounds on our body, and it will take time for your body to adapt to the changes you're making. You won't see changes right away, so don't let that discourage you.

Patience and consistency are extremely important in this case. Try to focus on longer-term goals and don't weigh yourself everyday. Actually, at this point, don't weigh yourself at all. Focus on increasing your exercise duration, intensity, and frequency. Drink lots of water. Eliminate some of the bad dietary habits you've got (the donuts were a good first step -- now think about calorie-dense habits you might have like soda, alcohol, icecream, pizza). Try to eat lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats everyday. And enjoy the process.

A year from now you'll look back and you won't believe you were that person who was just starting out.

13 months ago, due to a terrible illness, I weighed 184.5 pounds -- the heaviest I'd ever weighed in my life and 40 pounds more than I should weigh. My first ride back after surgery was 15 miles -- and I could barely make it. I stopped a million times and ended up taking the train home (because I couldn't ride the 15 miles back). I set new goals for myself and just kept riding. I've lost 30 pounds and can barely believe I'm the person in the photos from last May. But, if I had focused on the short-term, I never would have made it where I am today.

Patience and consistency. Consistency and patience.

You can do it. Believe in yourself (because we believe in you). Commit to becoming the person you want to be.

[donnambr]

You're probably gaining muscle and losing fat. Muscle weighs more than fat. How to tell you're really getting somewhere? Your clothes get looser in places.

[pooks]

Thanks, everybody! I have several responses but no time right now, but wanted to say I appreciate all the support and the info!

[Tuckervill]

I'll second the motion to think long term. I was riding quite frequently in April, and nothing I did seemed to move the scale. But I consoled myself with the fact that I was riding almost every day, and hey, that's a lot.

I'm barely getting to ride 2 days a week right now (busy with the baseball league). But the scale is still going down in tiny increments. When I can't ride I compensate on those days for the lack in my healthly lifestyle with commitment to some other thing that's healthy, like a good breakfast, time invested in fixing green veggies instead of starches, laying off the food at the ball park.

I'm down six pounds.

The alternative to doing it is not doing it, right? So pat yourself on the back just for doing it, because you could be sitting on the couch eating a donut.

Karen

[RoadRaven]

Hey there Pooks...

Like Eclectic, I have dropped only a few kilograms - but in just over 18months of cycling I have dropped two dress sizes... and those clothes are starting to feel a tad loose on me now...

As Velo points out, one has to be patient... It takes a while to shift weight so it is meaningful and long-term

[Bad JuJu]

Also, from what I've been reading about heart rate training, the optimum heart rate zone for fat loss is 60-70 % of your max heart rate. In practice, this feels like you're not working very hard, in fact, it can feel ridiculously easy for something you're calling a "workout." But once you've got used to that, you should vary your effort and workout occasionally in the other zones too.

I'm no expert on this--just reporting what I've read recently. So it might benefit you to get a heart rate monitor and a book about heart rate training--or look it up on the internet.

Scales suck, and they don't tell the whole story, either!

[Pedal Wench]

Yeah - I forgot to add that I don't even own a scale. Well, I've got a small one that goes up to 5 lbs. to weigh hiking and biking gear. I'll be that kind of weight-weenie, but I won't fall into the trap of watching my own weight.

[SouthernBelle]

If you want some basic method to track yourself, try taking a few measurements. If you are building muscle, your scale weight may stay the same or even increase while you are losing fat. Tape measure rules!

HTH,