RomansFiveEight

September 2013, 341.

Today, 228. Second pic is from thanksgiving, at around 239.

48in waist to 34in. Haven't started cycling yet! Still losing weight (I had about a 12 week 'hiatus' where I maintained. Lots of transitions, moved, etc. Just sort of fell off the wagon. But did not gain a pound! Back to losing, and wanting to use a Bicycle to help keep me on the right path. Goal is 175.)

WonkerJaw

Dude, that's awesome! Keep up the good work! So what is your best advice on dropping a 113 lbs.?

RomansFiveEight

My advice is just to make a list of effective weight loss strategies, and figure out which one you can do consistently. Make realistic goals and stick to them. Write down everything you eat (use an app like MyFitnessPal).

For me, the method was figuring out how many calories my body uses (There are calculators out there. It's not an exact science, but it's darn close). Then subtracting 1,000. And that was my goal to eat each day. A 7,000 calorie/week deficit will net, roughly a 2lb/week loss. You could also reduce the calorie deficit if that's difficult to keep up with (Something you can sustain is the most important).

I didn't start working out until I had lost 70 or 80lbs or so. Now that I'm not lugging around all that extra weight working out isn't such a chore. Actually, I love it. I love the way it makes my body feel, the feeling of accomplishment, etc.

Cycling is the newest endeavor for me. Just a break from running and going to the gym. Something new. I've still got more weight to lose. But it'll get there!

Thanks for the positive comments!

scrming

I hit the 80 pound mark this weekend! I also bought some new jean... size 38"!!! Started a 48"! I haven't been below 40" in probably 20 years or more!

americanrecluse

Holy moly! Great work!

bassjones

Before - 410


Current - 330


Still 100(ish) to go. This is a little over 3 months. I'm also off ALL blood pressure meds. Was taking both Lisinoprol and Hydrochlorothiazide. Went off the HC in late October and Thursday, my doc took me off the Lisinoprol too.

RomansFiveEight

Looking great gentlemen!

Ranmaniac

Just an update.. I had gotten rather comfortable with my cycling and commuting and ended up with 9907 miles ridden in 2014!! Bad weather in December held me from 10K!! Along with all of the riding comes a voracious appetite and despite the riding, I was somehow plateaued at an average of about 232 lbs. I haven't resorted to eating true sin food such as sweets or fast food but I simply eat a LOT of good food, with my worst sins being nuts, cheese, & a glass of wine or 2. Granted, this is 101 lbs off of my highest mark, but still quite heavy. Anyway, late in the year, Nov 2014, I went on a charity ride, with my cycling club and decided I was going to "hang" with a group of fast riders, and once again, I was disappointed as I was dropped in some moderate hills. So, I've decided to buckle down once more and I ave, for the 1st time, began counting calories, and am down to 217 and falling as of this post. I've also gotten a heart rate monitor and have begun to attempt to use it but the vast "coaching scenarios" and advice on different web sites out there makes it somewhat confusing... It will take a few weeks to work out, I'm sure. Hopefully, with a few more intervals rode, and a few more pounds lost, I will be able to manage these hills with better authority ! Attached is the most recent photo with the club's 2015 kit !!

MikeRides

Well congrats on the very impressive 9907 miles ridden last year. As a 1500-2000 mile-a-year rider, I'm not sure I could ever find the time to ride almost 10,000 miles in a year. A even bigger congrats on the weight/fitness progress you have made and I wish you more luck as you continue...

Ranmaniac

Thanks a bunch. The biggest plus for me is that I'm able to ride/commute to work. The shortest route is just over 13 miles, one way so on a light day, I'm getting at least 26 miles in and I do that 4 days a week, weather permitting. On the days when it's particularly nice, I will take the "long way" home which is aboput 20 miles, leaving me at 33 ish for the day. The 2nd, is that down here in TX, one can cycle year around. I participate in some sort of long ride (50+ miles) every Saturday. Only the combination of rain + cold will prevent me from riding. As long as the weather is above 60° or so, I will ride in the rain. In the hot summers down here, I actually prefer it, LOL, it keeps me cool. I am heavily involved in my cycling club. We have just begun our training season in preparation for the MS150, a charity ride from Houston to Austin (175 miles) over 2 days, 100 on day 1 then 75 on day 2, so I will be packing in the miles in bucket-loads over the next couple of months. Afterwards I remain active in a host of various smaller charity rides throughout the summer, leading up to the Tour De Cure in the fall. So I guess the summary here is try to find a way to commute and pack your schedule with available cycling events in your area. The best part is that I REALY love it. It's my peace, my therapy,l my stress reliever.

Here's some links if more people are interested in the tale...

An article they did on me in The League of American Cyclists
Challenge: A Year of Transformation | League of American Bicyclists

My MS150 Link
2015 BP MS 150: Mr. Randy P LeBlanc - National MS Society


Everyone can participate in the "National Bike Challenge" where everyone inputs or syncs their miles throughout spring & summer in an honor system king of the hill mileage challenge, across the country. I came in #262 in 2014 !
https://nationalbikechallenge.org/le...18967#rankings

And.. as I've gotten back on track recently... The last word of advice... Dont eat back teh calories you rode off!! LOL... as I did for nearly 1 year.

Buffalo Buff

Are we allowed to post weight gain pictures?

btcowboy

Best I can do is give a "now" which will eventually become a before lol.

just started riding

Opening weight 318.8 lbs

travbikeman

Hello everyone! I guess I fit into this category. I'm 6'2" and overweight.

I had hurt my right leg nearly 5 years ago and hadn't been able to walk very well. Due to this and being depressed, I gained alot of weight. At my worst, I was 537 pounds. December 2013 and Jan 2014 I had a total of 7 outpatient surgeries on my leg to fix the problem. HEY now I can walk. So since then I have lost almost 200 pounds. I've recently started back on biking, which had once been my true love.

I'm working on losing another 130 pounds. I refuse to post before and after pictures of me until I've lost the rest of this weight. Then I will let you all see!

sirknight

2011 with shirt on 272 lbs. 2015 with no shirt 211 lbs. It was one heavy shirt (jk). Lots of work in the last four years. A lot more happier and healthier. Good luck to all that's in this struggle.

illdrag0n

Started at 175kg/385lbs after a hospital weigh in.



Then a bit of this:


And some of this:


And i started to loose weight and fill out and look like this:


And then some more of this:


And now i look like this:





This far, 36.2kg/79.8lbs lost in 6 months and currently 138.8kg/306lbs

Judi

Great job!

Hugh Morris

Inspirational progress in this thread.

I'm not as drastic a success story but cycling is helping me keep my body and mind right in the nebulous early 20s of a musician's career. Easy to slide into a sedentary lifestyle and put on 10 then 20 then 40 lbs.

Highest I clocked in at last year was 243. One particularly kind morning pre breakfast the scale said 198.6 and this morning it said 200.0! I haven't been setting weight loss goals; I have been making a point of riding everywhere I can and taking meditative rides on free days. Drastic quality of life improvement.

Nothing like gettin out and enjoying the road and where it can take you.

bassjones

Down from 5XLT to 2XLT and it's LOOSE!

Buffalo Buff

......

Cycling_Junkie

How inspirational! Awesome work everyone.

At my heaviest I topped out at 380lbs
2010



My poor health habits caught up with me and I nearly lost my life in a bout of Gallstone Necrotizing Pancreatitis. Below is a pic showing before and at the height of my illness - I lost 93lbs in 3 weeks dropping to 287lbs.
2011


I put some weight back on up to 347lbs as I regained my health:



In late 2013 I had my final post-ordeal surgery and set out to get in better health over 2014 by cycling 2014 miles. I dropped down to 316lbs and exceed my mileage goal closing out 2014 with 2681 miles:



For 2015, I'm hoping to log over 3000 miles and take my weight loss to the next level.

ChrisZog

Finally hit my first of 3 milestones for this year. Started 2/28/15 at 352 lbs and was probably at about 360 during the holidays. First goal hit on 4/14/15. 324 lbs, down 26. At one point I thought I read that Tom regretted not taking fewer pictures during his loss. So the next time the wife and I are out for a ride I'm going to get one. Chest measure is down fro 56" to 52" and waist from 52 to 48. So it may be time for new riding kit by the end of the summer. When the time comes my current kit is going on the pay it forward thread. I'm looking forward to that. My wife is not looking forward to having to buy new jerseys and bib shorts.


Weight Goals:
-25 lbs by family vacation starting April 22... DONE
-50 lbs by GenCon trip with friends starting July 22
-80 lbs by either end of 2015 or in time to get my new road bike in early 2016
-130 lbs by San Diego Century 2016 (end of May)
Healthy weight a year after that. 165-175lbs within about 2-2.5 years of start.

Distance goals:
2000 total miles in 2015 (originally planned 500-1000 but we caught the bug)
35 mile long ride before June 1
30 or 45 mile route at Taylor House in Flagstaff in July. We haven't trained on hills yet so we may have to stick to 30
50 mile route at Ride the Coast in Escondido in October
Metric century+ by the end of 2015
Century+ at the latest San Diego Century 2016. Also hopefully at least 3-4 century rides in 2016. First picture at 350 after first charity ride. This picture at 323 getting ready for morning group ride.

eduardo76

What an amazing and inspiring thread! everyone who posted their pics here are amazing, and those in the process of losing their weight: keep it up!
here is my humble entry!

ChrisZog

50 days in: 29.4 lbs down. At this pace that has me hitting my next goal (50 lbs by July 22) about a month early and may even have my under suggested weight limit of Trek Domane bikes with an extra 10-15 lbs to spare for gear and water by then. We won't be ready to buy in July (probably gotta wait for 2015 closeout sales then again looks like Domane 4, 4.3 and 4.5 2016 are already for sale at LBS so I'm betting 4.7 and 5.2 will be soon) but at least it should make the climbing in Flagstaff for Taylor House ride easier.

ChuckD6421 

Well done Chris!
My 2013 Domane 5.2 was a kind of reward for dropping 40 lbs. I've now got about 5K miles on it and love it. I just built a stiffer set of wheels over the winter since I felt the Bontragers a bit floppy when really humping up a hill but it's as stiff, yet as smooth, as you could hope for in a racing bike.

Also, not to dampen your momentum but keep in mind that as you approach your ideal weight, the pounds don't melt off like they did at first. But by that time hopefully you're in a regimen and it's a part of your lifestyle. Good luck and keep us in the loop!

ChrisZog

That's what I'm planning. I'm aiming for fat and fit after a year and change (down from about 350ish to about 200-250ish depending how things go... hopefully about 220ish by next May) and then goal weight a year later. So in a perfect world I'll be about 260-270 when 2015 Domane's go on sale (4 series 2016s are out so I'm expecting 5 series to be out soon and I expect my LBS to start marking down 15s in the next few months), 220ish by next Spring when my wife and I start trying to do century rides or multiday rides. And then whatever my goal weight ends up being sometime around my 35th birthday (April 2017). I'm expecting that to be 185ish but if the doctor says another 15, I won't argue at that point.

Brother in law and his wife are going to hike the Appalachian Trail. I can't hike more than a few miles thanks to my ankle but I joked with my wife about riding as many miles as they hike. So even though our yearly riding goal started at 500-1000 miles and we increased it to 2000, I may try riding 2180 miles in the next 6 months just to "keep up" with the in laws. That should help keep things moving a bit longer. I'm sure this 4-4.4 lbs/week thing will slow down eventually. Especially since I didn't go the surgery route. Thankfully I heard about Tom's blog and found cycling before I needed to go that route.