MRT2

Last summer was a so so year for riding. I got maybe 600 miles in, but my wife needed an operation and I was focused on losing weight and practicing Tae Kwon Do, so my riding was way down.

That said, I changed my mindset on food, cutting out most refined carbs, sugar, and a lot of other junk I thought I could get away with eating. I was wrong. By last summer, I was the heaviest I had ever been, even with riding and other physical activities.

I started my new eating program 7 months ago, and haven't looked back. I was down 25 lbs by September, and now down 55 lbs. Weight loss is slowing but still trending downwards. I hope to lose another 25 lbs by summer.

This spring, I will be out riding a lot more, and I hope the weight loss will result in better performance on the bike.

winston63 

wow, congratulations! That's an awesome achievement, and I'm sure it will translate into improved performance. I found that losing weight made a big difference for me, not just in terms of hill climbing but overall comfort on the bike, better endurance, fewer aches and pains all over.

Well done!

MRT2

The scary thing for me is, I was able to ride a lot and still carry a lot of weight. One of the things I needed to change, both with bike riding and my other big interest, Tae Kwon Do. I was doing both at 300 lbs, but eating enough to carry that much weight. The first few weeks of the diet were tough. It takes the body time to get used to not having a constant supply of calories, but eventually, the body adjusts and fat starts to come off.

aplcr0331

Wow great job!

Even without riding much you’re going to be way faster on the bike, that’ll be fun. Enjoy.

Welshboy

Great achievement my friend and very inspirational. I'm down about 26lbs since late summer 2019 but have plateaued a bit so will knuckle down in February.

Keep it going!

zjrog

CONGRATS on the weight loss!!! I know how much a difference weight loss made for me. Good luck getting miles in.

k8t

Congratulations! Would you be willing to share a typical day of meals? I'm just back on my bike and trying to drop the pounds too. Your story is inspirational!

Clyde1820

Funny, isn't it, how vital the cardio-oriented calorie-burning activity really is, paired with nutrition well-matched to that level of expenditure. "Match" incorrectly, and it's a fair bet one's weight can grow rapidly. Get it "right" and it's amazing, as you say, how the body can adjust and get the metabolism going again.

Without a tougher cardio regimen, I find it much harder to maintain. Over the years, my metabolism has dropped significantly below what it once was, when (back in the day) I was a distance runner who also did ~50mi per week or more. Once the running got nixed, and overall activity dropped due to injuries, the weight started packing on. I've maintained for the past 2yrs or so, so I'm decently matching intake to expenditure. But I find that without the longer, tougher cardio that's regularly (daily) part of my regimen, it's darned tough for me to continue losing.

Congrats on the changes so far. Keep up the great work. It'll come off. Just keep the exercise "up" and at a sufficient intensity to burn away what you need.

MRT2

Sure.
Breakfast is a couple of eggs, maybe a slice of deli turkey or cheese, and sometimes a tablespoon of hummus. Coffee with skim milk and Stevia, no sugar.

Lunch - One smoothie consisting of a half a banana, one scoop of protein powder, half a cup of coffee, and half cup of milk, 2 tablespoons of plain non sweetened yogurt.
Afternoon snack - one medium apple
Dinner - a large kale salad with 4 to 6 oz of cooked chicken breast.
dessert - half a cup to a cup of fruit.

This is just an example. You can vary your menu according to taste. But, no bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, candy ice cream, cake, or anything with refined sugar. And little to no fruit juice, though fruit is OK.

MRT2

I am getting back to riding in the spring, but Martial Arts is decent cardio. More of an interval type workout than a long, slow bike ride.