indyfabz

+1.

Lost 90 lbs. in 9 months way back during my senior year of college through diet change combined with aerobic exercise in the form of cycling.

More than a decade later I rode a loaded bike across the country (west to east) and then some. We usually rode about 6 days and then took one day off. Averaged probably 60 miles/day. Believe it or not, I actually started to put on weight after we got out of the mountains/real hills at Cut Bank, MT. Why? because I was still eating like we were riding in the mountainous/hilly terrain. Portion sizes at second breakfasts became larger. Due to various circumstances, we ate out a more often. Food choices in the Midwest were not often the healthiest. I remember eating out at a place near our hostel in Lake Itasca State Park because there was no grocery source within practical riding distance. It was all you could eat fish night. Sounded healthy until the fish was brought out and we discovered it was deep fried and loaded into baskets with greasy paper towels at the bottom. Stayed in a senior center in a small IA town so we could take advantage of air conditioning. No grocery store anywhere near. The only dinner restaurant in town had a salad bar which consisted of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions and things like potato salad and macaroni salad slathered in mayo.

Finally had to slap myself in the face and check my eating. Lost the weight I had put on thanks to the hills of NY and New England.