munkyv22

OK, so here is my story.

4 years ago, I was 275 Lbs and sick of it. I bought a bike, changed my diet and rode my butt off. Literally. I dropped to 198 Lbs and was riding centuries and wearing clothes in sizes I hadn't since High School.

Well, 3 years ago I changed jobs and stopped riding as much then stopped riding at all, then stopped watching my diet.

Now I am up to 280 Lbs, I am out of breath walking up some stairs and my asthma is acting up bad.

I know I have to lose the weight again and get healthy, but it is hard to find motivation when all of my memories of riding now are of being fast and having great endurance. Any ideas? It is just so easy to ride for a few miles, feel exhausted and give up...

John Bailey

Quote:

Originally Posted by munkyv22

OK, so here is my story.

4 years ago, I was 275 Lbs and sick of it. I bought a bike, changed my diet and rode my butt off. Literally. I dropped to 198 Lbs and was riding centuries and wearing clothes in sizes I hadn't since High School.

Well, 3 years ago I changed jobs and stopped riding as much then stopped riding at all, then stopped watching my diet.

Now I am up to 280 Lbs, I am out of breath walking up some stairs and my asthma is acting up bad.

and get healthy, but it is hard to find motivation when all of my memories of riding now are of being fast and having great endurance. Any ideas? It is just so easy to ride for a few miles, feel exhausted and give up...

I think what you should do is get sick of it. Buy a bike, change your diet and ride your butt off. Literally. Drop to 198 Lbs, ride centuries and start wearing clothes in sizes you haven't since High School.

John

regnort

Just ride, run, swim whatever...not because you need to or have to because you want to.
I have lost about 60lbs over the past six months diong whatever it is I enjoy doing at the moment.
I eat sensibly I don't diet. If you want to be healthy for life then make that your goal don't make it a chore
Good Luck

jyossarian

Change your diet. Eat healthier, eat less, and keep in mind that what goes in will have to be worked off. I say this as I down a burger, fries and a coke and realize I'll need to do 1000 calorie workout tonight just to burn it off. No problem cuz I know running 30 mins and riding to and from the park burns up 1000 cal. Don't think about what you used to be able to do on a bike, just realize that if you did it before, you can do it again. It won't happen overnight, but it won't take forever either. Just get on and ride. I don't even bother w/ bike computers anymore, I just ride around until I'm done. As for motivation, that's like saddles: what works for me may not work for you. I like riding so not riding makes me act like a fiending crackhead.

Rob P.

Change your lifestyle.

Instead of thinking that riding was only fun when you were slim, start thinking that riding will get you new friends and new pleasures.

Motivation requires that you remake that commitment to yourself every day. Even when you want to quit you have to believe that YOU are more important than anything or anyone else.

RedWhiteandRed

Life has ebbs and flows - like a basketball game: one team goes on an unstoppable run and then the other team comes on like a gangbuster. No sense getting upset over it.

Get on your bike and ride to work or the store or something like that - after a few days you will feel better and that will be a positive feedback loupe. Get on your bike and ride and walk to the store.

Pinyon

I agree with others. Find something physical that you really like to do, and work towards making it even more fun. For me that is riding a road bike. All of the other exercises that I do on a regular basis tend to be geared towards making riding more fun, and less...difficult. I do a lot more cross-training when I do it to work towards a riding goal, than I do just for that cross-training activity itself (mostly weights, core-strength, and hiking/running).

What type of physical activity, depends on what you like to do. Some people like team sports (basketball, football, rugby, hockey, etc.), others like martial arts or yoga, while others like aerobic activities like running or riding a bicycle. I like to ride my bike.

Neil_B

If it's something you like to do, then you don't need to work at being motivated.

bigtempo

Sam exact thing happened to me, but it took me ten years to come back. Take it slow and have a plan. I did it by increasing my riding every two weeks. I went from riding 3 days per week to 6 days per week in 2 months and have not looked back. Have a plan and you will get there again.

The other thing, I fell in love with riding again. Ride part of some of your favorite routes your remember. The smell of sage and chaparral get me going in the San Gabriel Mountains.

blaadd

I have started doing the same... Too big that I had enough of it. I started riding 3 months ago and boy, it just hooked me instantly. It is so much fun. Now I have added a diet to it.
Its you life - you have the power to change their quality... so just do it!

cyclist2000

Years ago I was like you, I weighed 250, stated riding a lot, about 4000 mile per year, got down to 210 lbs. Got married, wife doesn't ride, went out to dinner more, got kid and rode a lot less. I now have a goal of riding one week long bike tour per year. I ride a lot more to stay in shape for my one week of riding. Having this goal means that I need to stay in riding shape or really suffer while touring. I set smaller goals like, 1) I don't walk my bike, 2) ride at least 20 miles when training, 3) pass the rider ahead of me. Set some small goals for yourself.

I also like to do a spin class a the fitness center. I need someone pushing me to go harder.

I agree that losing weight is a lifestyle change. Learn to eat like a 180 lb person. My daughter is 115 lbs but when we go out for sushi she only eats some edaname beans and one sushi roll, if I ate like that I would weigh 115 lbs. Now I need to learn to the eat the whole Tombstone pizza in one evening. Things like that are not good for me.

kazuri

Just keep remembering, you've done it once before, and it worked, and it made you be able to go fast/far.

CliftonGK1

My motivation is a full length mirror and a well lit bathroom.

Wake up, stumble into bathroom, hit the lights, close the door. Augh!
The day I stand in front of the mirror and don't see room for improvement is the day I can back off from the routine.

bautieri

I find that doing several things besides biking helps to keep me motivated to exercise and ride. Riding my bicycle is not the only tool in my inventory, find something else you like to do that is a physical work out and do that too. Substitute one activity for another depending on your mood, really so long as your moving and sweating its all good.

When riding starts to feel like work, stop and go do something else. I never force myself to ride and so far it's working great.

RedC

My riding buddies keep each other going. Whenever I'm tempted to blow it off, I get a call or email reminding me to get my fat a__ on the bike. It's more fun to push each other than try it alone.