Back in the saddle
 

At 67 and being retired going on three years (already?) not long ago I went to my doctor for a checkup and to my horror my weight was (to me) on the way to becoming an old fat guy. OK, time to get going on the bike again!

I'm not sedentary by any stretch, and do all of my own home / yard maintenance and walk a lot, several miles a day fishing but it's been ~6 years since I rode my bikes.

After my doc's office surprise, I started bicycle riding / fishing (I fished most days on foot anyway) finding out of the way honey holes (term for seldom fished spots) on an aluminum mountain bike and I'm having a blast with it. Aside from the bike fishing, I'm riding about 10-12 miles a day so far, and I lost 11 pounds (my target is 25 pounds total) which will bring me to where I was when I stopped riding 6 years ago, and not far from where I was in my 30's :-)

I'm not hip to more current training methods, but at the start, my resting heart rate was ~77 and it's currently in the mid to low 60's. I've ordered another cycle computer so I don't have to scavenge one from my other bikes to keep track of my daily riding efforts.

I'd like some advice from others here (note competition and group rides are out of the equation) who have recent and similar experiences and goals and how their "get in better shape" plans worked out.

If you're needing an eating plan to help with your exercise regime in speeding up losing that remaining 14 pounds, I can recommend www.theFast800.com by Dr Michael Mosley.

I'd started Intermittant Fasting, basically reducing the amount of hours during the day in which you eat, at the start of the year and was having slow but steady progress. Fast800 ramps this up to a new level by combining IF with restricted calorie intake too. If you think you can accept only 800 calories a day, and within an eight hours or less window, which I'm finding quite do-able working with some excellent recipes in his book and also Fast Cook by Mimi Spencer, go for it.

Currently, I'm 16 days into fast800 and have lost 12.8 pounds - just under halfway to my target. The initial rapid-loss stage can be up to 12 weeks or until you get to your target weight, or you can approach it in different ways, then a weight maintenance programme can be embarked upon.

I don't have a diet plan but I'm of the opinion that one half of good fitness and health is exercise and the other half is portion control. We are not as active in later years as we were in earlier years so we do not need as many calories. Evidently, many are surprised by this fact and continue to eat in the same way as when 17 years old. Eating healthy and nutritious meals in proper amounts is mostly a matter of habit but making good habits takes effort. O.P. you have the exercise part down.

Ride lots. See hill, ride up it. Keep increasing the distance on one ride a week. Make that one hard, the others more moderate. When you can ride 60 miles, look for a group of riders who are a little faster than you. Group rides are a training plan all by themselves. That was my strategy when I was getting back into it.

"We are not as active in later years as we were in earlier years so we do not need as many calories."
Exactly why I'm on the fast800! :)

I'd kept in reasonable physical shape starting in my mid-20's, thankfully! ...with more than a few times over the years falling-off-the wagon for periods of time for various reasons.

One of the many activities I'd always enjoyed was cycling.

Dissolve to 40 some years later, retiring at 64, zero "work" distractions now...

For whatever reason, I've been enjoying cycling immensely these last few years. Now, at 66, I've found that in just a few years riding I've improved immensely. Lost weight, strength, aerobic capability.. It's amazing how we are capable of improvement even now.

No special food, no special training regimen, Just ride.. mostly by myself.. a few organised rides, ('doing the 107mi GSFondo in Sept.) Fortunately even after several long tough days of riding, each new morning I wake up with the idea that I can't wait to get out there and spin! Although the weather around here often adjusts my idea(s)

I do enjoy pushing myself with increasing distance, speed, climbing etc. Real simple plan and It's worked for me!

It's fantastic to hear of the progress you've made! Keep it up!! Adding miles, and climbing as you improve even more.

You sound a lot like me.

I retired about 3 years ago. I was 218lbs when I retired. A year and a half later I was 254lbs. Doctor said you have to work on losing some weight. I started riding more. A Few pounds came off. One thing that has helped be is after a ride, I substitute my normal next meal with a Slim Fast Shake. I realize I can`t drink Slim Fast forever, but substituting a meal a day , maybe 5 days a week, has really helped. And I don`t feel like I`m dieting, or starving myself. Slim Fast Shakes actually taste very good.
My son-in-law has a friend that is a triathlete . (Unbelievable Great Shape).
He said he uses Slim Fast Shakes after all his workouts instead of a meal.

Wow, thanks all for the suggestions! I got a puppy today, and she will help me clean up some of the yard work. It seems like she wants to chase me while I'm weeding, no problem there because I have neglected my "orchard" for a while.