DGP9999

Genetics: My ancestors are all big
Bad behavior: Not wanting to care about nutrition
Stress: My job is extremely stressful (thinking of a big career change soon to fix this but scary)
Metabolism: I seem to be efficient and use everything

When I was young I rode 200-300 miles per week to stay reasonably lean and rode centuries and doubles. Was an insane training schedule. Now I ride 125-150 per week and am careful about proper nutrition and limiting calories. At 6'-0" now and 190 and dropping. Had been as high as 250. Training for my first century in 20 years (September). When I was racing and doing endurance events I used to hate those Skinny guys that could climb hills and sprint like nothing was a problem. However, I used to bury those guys on 100 plus mile rides but I always wanted to get lean and be able to compete. Not happening though, I may get lean someday soon (I hope) but too old now to be in competition except with myself which is fine. So, for now it's me and my my bike and FitBit, logging eating habits, water intake and the like and then only worrying about the now and living in the moment.

The mountain climber Hilary said something that stuck with me: "It's not the mountain we conquer but ourselves".

I can really relate to all you Clydesdales and Athenas out there because I struggled all my life with this issue just wanting more than anything to be "normal". In the past not that much was understood about bike fit and I suffered a lot. Now I have the best machine I could never afford that really fits and it is just up to me to stay on track.

Dave

KraneXL

From what I've seen that's a common problem in schools and colleges, particularity with women as they eat more when under stress.

As for me my eating is not effected by stress or anxiety. When I watch shows on TV and they say they're "not hungry" -- for whatever reason -- that makes no sense to me.As for what made me become fat, it was my back/shoulder injury. After that, I couldn't train as before and so I became overwhelmed with depression and stopped working out completely -- for over 8 years!

Bigbandito

Eating without thought to what I was eating. Now I track my calories ("LoseIt!" app) and plan where, when, and how I want to eat them/(drink them). I call it "mindful eating".

fiat0

In the last 10 years, I gained almost 100 lbs. *sigh*

I went from 186 to 276. Dropped to 270 and aiming for 200lbs, eventually. I think 220 would make very happy for now.

As to why, you know, life. and stress.

KraneXL

When I was a kid I used to think this was a given. Now that I'm here, I realize that its not. You can change anytime. All you have to do is want to.

Jon T

Mother Nature, Father Time, and my wife's terrific cooking.
Jon

mr,grumpy 

This. A lot of other factors too, but mostly this. When I was in my early 20s I thought that a "man" had to be 6 feet tall and weigh 200 pounds. I made the six foot pretty early on (5'11 and 3/4" but good enough for me). The 200 didn't come until my late twenties, then I was 220 for a while. Now it's 240. Gross.

bikingbill

There's GOOD MONEY to be made in selling people on the idea that they don't have to do all of that.

Sadly, it really does come to this basic concept.

bikingbill

I was a big kid, almost 6' 3" and 275lbs when I went to college. Worked for BikeCentennial in '76 (the summer after Freshman year) and got close to 200lbs. Bike raced in college. Went to grad school and balloned to over 300lbs. Got into the video game business, still biked a bit. Then when I was 39 I dropped almost 150lbs, down to 220lbs. Riding 8000+ mile years in the late 1990's. Bounced around a bit.

Recently got on a losing streak. Down to 235 from almost 260.

1500 calories a day.

A few weeks ago (at 239).

KraneXL

Parents/sibling? What are they like? At 6'4 (small frame) I've maintained an average weight of 200 lbs. My dad wasn't fat but he had a gut (classic beer belly). My mom average. My sisters are all fat. Point being, if its genetic, we'd all look the same.

RubeRad

Not necessarily. Genetics yields differences. Like hair color, eye color, etc. Most significantly, gender! Closest to relevant: height.

KraneXL

My point was, if both parents are over 6 ft. tall then its pretty much a given that all the kids are going to be tall -- and there nothing anyone can do to change that. That's what I mean by genetics. Yes I know about recessive alleles, but I'm trying to keep this simple.

csrpenfab

The great Mexican food in So. CA! Down 80 lbs now due to a strict diet and lots of riding. I try to stay clear of the Taqueria!

bikingbill

One brother equally strict about dieting is a bit thinner than I, the other one over 300lbs.

Father (6' tall) grew up in foster homes, entered the Army in '42 at 135lbs. Left at 185lbs, played AAA Baseball. Was kinda overweight (and smoked). So we have the "fasting metabolism" but it really doesn't matter because ...

1. I'd be as hungry on 3000 calories a day as I am at 1500.

2. Since I was once over 350lbs, I have to accept that I 'damaged' my metabolism.

1986:

fiat0

I know this is an impossible question, the answer is really "it depends" but how many miles per day or per week should I ride to get from 265 lbs to something more reasonable? I would be very pleased with 220lbs for now with 200 lbs the next goal after that.
I don't do any other exercise, not even walking.
I am pretty tall as my Raleigh frame is 60cm and I think I could deal with an even larger one like 62cm.
Give me a number for idiots.

bikingbill

IMHO What/How Much you eat matters more, but when I dropped the >100lbs I was doing 100+ mile weeks in a hilly area.

fiat0

100 miles / week works out to 14 miles per day. Interesting. That's commitment.

KraneXL

Much, much more. In fact, you can change how you look entirely through diet, with no exercise whatsoever, However, the reverse is not true. If you want the quickest route to changing the way you look, focus the bulk of your energy on diet. Which is where it counts the most.

fiat0

I once lost more than 50 lbs entirely through diet but there is a "but". I found the one diet that worked for me. It's called the "rural diet". I lived in a rural setting, 20 miles from anywhere and it just wasn't convenient driving somewhere at 10PM when you got a craving for ice cream or some other evil food. So I shopped twice a month, never when hungry and a result went from pants size 44 to 36. there was no Starbucks anywhere and not much fast food and none of it close. I am not going to drive 1 round round trip for any snack.

when I went back to the city and surrounded, bombarded on a daily basis with various sin food, gained all of it back. And the stress of living in a large metro area.


I am sure if I got put on a desert island I would lose 100 lbs and be much healthier. there is no other diet that works for me.


Anyway, now I am going to integrate bike riding into the routine. and make a serious attempt.

KonAaron Snake 

I actually do think it's pretty much as simple, for most people, as counting calories and determining approximate usage. Is it exact? No...but it's close. There's some fluctuation as far as water weight.

I use this...works great...

https://www.precisionnutrition.com/w...oss-calculator

My non-expert opinion is that people aren't honest with themselves over activity level, or caloric intake. They forget that 32 oz soda and then complain that calorie counting doesn't work. Garbage in/garbage out. I also think a whole lot of pseudo-experts make a lot of money by over complicating it.

How'd I get big? Well, I've been heavy to some extent for most of my life. My family tends to be heavy...my parents were both over eaters, and poor eaters, and neither were active at all. I learned poor habits, just like they did, and I really like food. I was nonathletic, and that discouraged me from athletic endeavors.

I was mostly able to keep my weight somewhat under control through cycling. Sometimes I rode more, and I'd be less heavy, sometimes less, but i ALWAYS rode. About 6 years ago, I was hit by a car and it broke my knee. It was a rough year...there was the injury, we were robbed, my brother in law died...i fell into a depression and got complacent. A year or so later, I was laid off from work and began a new path to be a CPA...which meant lots of work going back to school. Then I had tax season.

Classes were tough...the CPA exams were tough...and I was having marriage issues, though I didn't realize it. My wife was also inactive, and prone to complaining about our inactivity without being willing to do anything about it. We both like heavy, rich foods, and she was a great cook. So she'd complain about our diet while baking cookies. I was depressed, I was inactive and the inactivity and weight gain led to back issues, which made me less active. Life has inertia, in both directions.

Last year I was gasping for breath, and in pain, walking a quarter of a mile.

My wife separated in December, and it was a serious wake up call. I had gotten to 330 lbs...could barely ride at all, could barely walk...was depressed...

I started just walking around the block...but I did it REGULARLY...and I started counting calories. Within a month I could walk a mile. Two months...3 miles. I started riding again, and it kept getting easier the more weight I lost...and more enjoyable.

I'm down to 210...almost totally out of obesity range. Went from 3x to L. I ride 30-40 miles at a brisk pace (average about 13-14mph) every other day. I walk 5 miles on ride days and 10+ on non-ride days. I've slacked slightly on food intake, but I still count...and I keep it REASONABLE. I'm still losing, just not as quickly, which is perfectly fine. My back still bugs me at times, but no where NEAR as badly, and I can fight through it more easily. I feel 100% better.

RubeRad

+1000000

You can't outrun your mouth

fiat0

what an inspirational story, thank you for sharing.

fiat0

My plan is to ride 5 miles daily then up it to 7, then 10. I don't think I can do 14 miles per day right now. Maybe, but the next day I won't able to walk probably.

Actually 5 miles is not very much at all, it's the question of finding time for it and having commitment.

KonAaron Snake 

There's no need to hurt yourself...the key is sustainable, long term, change. There's no rush...it took us a long time to build the fat, and it takes time to burn it off. Do your pace. Your plan sounds smart.

I started with simple walks around the block.

bikingbill

Yep. I'm maybe doing 50 miles on a good week nowadays, but I've dropped over 20lbs since August by limiting myself to 1500-2000 calories a day.