Scooper

My parents thought that kids weren't "healthy" if they weren't a little chubby, so I was a chubby kid until I got to high school and started playing football. The problem is that the eating habits we develop as children (with the encouragement of our parents) are very difficult for most of us to break; fat kids become fat adults.

As a young adult, I went into the military (Air Force) and made a conscious decision to dramatically change my eating and exercise habits. At six feet, I managed to keep my weight at 175 - 180 most of the time during my twenties, thirties, and early forties, but in my late forties/early fifties I got up to 220. I felt really uncomfortable at that weight, and through watching what I ate and moderate exercise (including recreational bicycling), I slimmed down to a svelte 190, which is where I am now at age 64. I still feel a little too heavy, but at least it's been stable for several years.

Since this is the Living Car Free forum, I have to admit I haven't been without a car since I learned to drive at sixteen, but I do ride my bike instead of driving whenever it's practical.

Bizurke

I've been fat as long as I can remember. Once I started riding a lot I started to loose some weight but it was never an extreme amount. I know if I stick with it I will loose weight ever time but I have to sort of ignore the weight loss aspect of riding or I spend too much time focusing on my lack of results and get discouraged. I'm planning to make 2007 my year to really work at it hard and try to get in the best shape I can. I'm about to start figuring out a year long plan for training that takes in to account the extreme differences in weather for each season. This time of year all the riding I do is the riding I need to do for transportation and I don't really go out just to ride unless it's a warm day which is pretty much never. I'm looking in to getting a trainer and putting an old road bike on it in the basement but I don't know how interested I'll really be to ride my bike and not be going anywhere.

I've never been the guy someone guesses as a rider by the way he looks, and I've always got a bad attitude of the seriously thin lycra clad "road warriors" I see around. It used to really bother me but over time I got used to it and quit caring so much. I still know when the mileage for the year is added up they will be in my rather fat shadow ;-)

Edit: I forgot to mention I am 5' 11" and was a little over 260lbs. I lost a quite a bit of weight but since winter hit I've started gaining it back and am at 243lbs

shhambo

I used to be 245 lbs, 5' 6" tall. I was athletic up until I was a teen and got large when I was in my mid 20's as I started working desk jobs. I hired a personal trainer and started riding in my early 30's(3 years ago). I am now maintaining at 155 lbs. I could be a bit smaller but at least I'm healthy. Biking was one of the things that helped me lose weight, it's fun and easy on the joints. Bike love forever!

CTAC

Never. With or without car my weight was always 125-140. I always eat as much as I want and I only gain weight if I work out. If I do not move I just do not feel hungry. When I used to telecommute I would spend all day on coffee sometimes.

HardyWeinberg

2 yrs of biking steadily has me ~halfway (by weight) to BMI=24

nedgoudy

I used to be 240 lbs.
Started drinking whey
protein smoothies and
riding bikes and I have
been 150 for the last 7 years.

There is RECOVERY from Obesity...

PM me for details... and NO, I am
not selling anything! But I will testify...
and NO, not about Jesus (or Scientology.

pragueinspring

Was 356 lbs. Found a bike. Fell in love. Now 170 lbs. Hot damn, I'm only 21 years old.

wethepeople

was 206, started biking and playing rugby, went down to 125, started working out and now i'm around 145.

K6-III

5'8" tall. Used to be 200 lbs 4 years ago. Dropped all the way to 135 lbs by last year. Started lifting and gained healthy weight. Have now been at 145 lbs for a while.

pedex

lost 38 lbs in first 8 months as a messenger and car free

Roody

WOW! You lost a whole person! Amazing good work. Watch out that the weight doesn't come back. That happened to me. Now I've learned some of the techniques for maintaining weight loss:

• Weigh yourself frequently and adjust food intake accordingly.
• Exercise! 90 minutes every day is best for those of us with a history of severe obesity.
• Adjust yourslf to the fact that you probably just can't eat as much as most other people. It's probably a genetic thing--us hardcore fatties gain very easily.

ReptilesBlade 

I have always hovered in the 150-155lb area. I briefly jumped up to 167lbs almost a year ago when I got really heavily into working out and building up muscle but that was planned because I wanted to build decent muscle to aid in fat loss later down the road. I have since dropped back down to 157lbs and I am planning to go all the way to 150lbs within the next six months or so. I could do it in a month; two at most, if I really wanted but I want to make sure my body adjusts and solidifies into a lean 150lbs of pure cycling muscle. I am 5'9" and a healthy weight rang for me is between 140-170lbs.

I also practice Tai Chi for flexibility and energy.

gerv 

Great for balance too. Occasionally, this makes for interesting observations at red lights. ("hey... shouldn't I be falling over?... shouldn't I take my feet off the pedals?"). I have been doing short form Tai Chi for about 4 years, 3-4 times a week. Another thing I have noticed while doing it is a feeling of heat in the hands, almost like they are in warm water.

However, it has done nothing for weight loss. But then biking hasn't really helped much either. I weighed about 226 in 1998 and have gradually been losing weight since. I did manage to lose about 13 lbs since I started biking a little over a year ago. However, I currently weigh 193 which is 20 pounds over where I probably should be.

At this pace, I should hit my ideal weight by the time I am 80.

ranger5oh

no... never been fat.. although I was headed that way a few years ago. Im 5'11" and weighed 187, but I was muscular with a good fat coating. Now I am down to 157 with a slight fat coating However, my secretary always tells me I am too skinny and I need to eat more butter.

biffstephens

I am fat and not carefree.... although it has been better lately...I am on the down side right now....LOL

Exercise is a must in my life....I am pretty good with the types of food it is the amount that I have problem with.....I am sure that is a psychological thing I have had most of my life....

Since I am on the down side life is good...you would think I would learn and stay here.....

Cosmoline

You're little bitty people! I hope one day to get back down to 225, where I'm pretty thin.

Roody

I have the same kind of pattern. Did you know that there is more and more scientific evidence that some people--especially those who eat only wholesome food, but are still overweight--have a physical abnormality? They (we?) can't really tell when they're full and when they're hungry, due to abnormalities in two or more hormones. That's why portion control is so important. If your body can't tell you when it's had enough food, you have to consciously think about it. I suggest keeping a food log periodically to help monitor intake. A book that I found useful is The Portion Teller. Sorry, I don't remember the author's name.

donnamb 

I've currently got 20 lbs to go to hit the upper limit for the normal range BMI for my height, 5'8". (My avatar pic is me at 10 lbs heavier than I currently am.) That's my goal, but I don't think I'll try to go any lower. I know people use "big-boned" as an excuse for their excess weight, but I've got a size 10 ring finger, a 7 inch wrist circumference, a head circumference such that the only women's hats that fit my head are the ones I make myself, and sit bones so wide, the only Brooks saddle that fully supports me is a B-67. None of these measurements have so much as budged with my 55 lbs weight loss. I think I really do have a large frame, so a high normal BMI will suit me just fine.

I don't think I could have made it this far without being car-free and on a bike daily. Even if a gym membership were free, I know I'd never be consistent.

andypants

I'm 5'11", at my heaviest I was 225, now I'm at a steady 170. took about 6 months of riding around town, about 15 miles a day.

livewirerc

I'm not 100% car free (my wife has a car and I'll carpool with her 1-2 days a week) but before I started riding again (last July) I was 256lbs and I'm now down to 200-205lbs. At 5' 11" I still have some weight I could afford to lose but I've also built up a good bit of muscle on my 16 1/2 mile (each way) commute 3-4 days a week. I have an errand bike with a big basket that I use to run most of my errands and unless I have to pick something (or someone) up I can't carry I'm pretty much on my bicycle.

Being overweight and out of shape has definitely been a big motivator for me to get back on a bicycle after a ten year hiatus. I'm 27 now and have been overweight my entire adult life. When I was 18 I lived in Argentina, walked EVERYWHERE and was down to 185lbs, but between then and now I've been working sedentary computer jobs and at one point was up to 293lbs. As of about two months ago I've been at my lowest weight since I was 18, and I'd venture to say best shape ever. I have a ton more energy and have been feeling much healthier and better about myself. I don't really "excercise" besides lifting and racking heavy servers at work, but bike riding has really changed the shape of my body. It's been a nice change.

donnamb 

I can totally relate, livewirerc. I'm beginning to believe that for those of us who can gain weight by simply looking at certain food, our North American culture isn't very good for our health. We need to incorporate physical activity into our everyday lives. To be honest, I think this is my #1 reason for not getting a car again. Going to a gym is completely abnormal for me - my exercise has to have a "purpose", if I'm going to be motivated to engage in it. It's funny how at the turn of the 20th century, North Americans were dying of overwork. At the turn of this century, we are dying of underwork.

lima_bean

Im car free, but I dont think it has helped me in terms of fitness in any real way.

lancekagar

I used to be "thick". Then I got a messenger job in Chicago, and it all went away. I mean ALL of it. Within two months.

When I first started, my body temperature went way up, and even while sitting still or laying in bed, I'd sweat profusely. At night, I had to sleep on a towel to soak up the sweat. My skin was, and still is, always very warm. My friend's cats flock to me when I visit.

It's nearly eight years later, and my metabolism is still at full-throttle. Always warm, but the sweatin' has subsided.

recursive

At 6'0" I used to be a chunky high 180s. Now I'm low 160s.

Yay.

brevig

I'm still waiting for my roommate to get his car registered before I get his bike, but my decision to go towards a bike is more focused on economic, environmental and then health reasons. Aside from the fact I use the eliptical every time to warm up my body before working out, I think riding my bike as opposed to driving would be a great way to include cardio.

I'm 5'9". A year ago I was 124 lbs. I'm now consistent at 129 lbs with a 7% body fat count. With riding a bike, I plan to drive that down to about 5.5 or 6.0%. Working out and eating better should increase my weight to 140 lbs in about a year.