Hey everyone. I'm 54 years old, currently 195 lbs and 6' 2" tall.
I'm lighter than I was in high school. I've always been slightly overweight but very strong physically. I could full body press nearly all my friends. I grew up dirt poor in rural Alabama. My Dad needed a mule on the farm, and I was all he had.
I started gaining weight after I married at 30. Wife and I had 3 children together and every time she gained weight, I did too. It seems crazy now how little I was concerned about it as long as I could do everything I always did.
I got up there real heavy. I was 370- 380 Lbs. It's possible I made it to 400 lbs. I wasn't able to do what I wanted to do anymore. Anyway, without writing a book here, I went on a strict diet. I went low carbs but all natural unprocessed foods only and zero sugar for over 2 years.
I discovered cycling at age 50. The same time I started dieting. The first MTB ride I was around 350 LBS., and I didn't make it all the way up my driveway without walking. I kept riding, dieting, and buying bikes until I got to 170lbs. in around 2 years.
I've had 2 years of setbacks with wrecks, and I just had a double inguinal hernia repaired 11 days ago. Doctors tried to diagnose my problem for over a year. I guess I was a bit depressed, and I ate a few things, and drank a few things that I shouldn't have. I got up to 210 lbs. gaining about 40 lbs. in slightly more than 1 year. I forgive myself though because I had been told at one time it looked like cancer, so I allowed myself some treats. My blood work has always been good though. I've had some ungodly tests done. This last procedure was a scope with camera first, that turned into hernia repair. Surgeon said everything looked good on the camera scope.
I've been watching my diet close again and I'm at 195 Lbs. today. I'm hoping to get back to about 175 Lbs-180 Lbs. as that's where I was when I felt my best. My whole decline started when these injuries took me off my averaged 100 mile a week cycling routine. I didn't go awfully far, but I rode nearly every day. I rode 190 days my second-year cycling. I can remember that one because I counted the missed days that year. This past year, I've gone a few weeks between rides and sometimes it was a very easy ride due to injuries holding me back.
I'm just chomping on the bit now, hoping I'll feel good enough to ride soon. It's been 68 degrees the last couple days. I'm only 11 days since surgery though and I'm still pretty sore and weak.
So, the answer is, I'm not happy right now but I'm more optimistic than I have been in a long while.