# Is 2 x 10 miles a day enough?



## dontcallme (19 Jul 2011)

I've recently started cycling after a year of the gym and not enough results. I'm 29 and just under 16st.

I've started cycling to work and back which is 10 miles each way. I play football on Sundays and sometimes go out on my bike on Saturdays.

Is 20 miles a day during the week enough exercise for weight loss?


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## Rob3rt (19 Jul 2011)

Yes, if you are eating less than you are burning.

No, if you are eating a whole lot more too.


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## ianrauk (19 Jul 2011)

Stick to a sensible diet, cut out the crap foods. Cut right back on the booze if you drink. Get your heart rate going on the bike ride and the weight should start to come off. It does take time though.

I was also 16 stone 5 years ago. My initial commute was 1 mile each way and it was tough. I gradually built it up so now it's a 30 mile round commute. Slowly but surely the weight came off and I became much fitter. I am now 12&half stone.


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## Zoiders (19 Jul 2011)

Don't let people dazzle you with the amount of miles they do.

We all do different jobs and not all of us have the luxury of sitting at a desk all day or working at an unhurried pace, so 2x10 miles could be more than enough for you. Some of the figures you see quoted for commuting miles make you wonder what they do when they get to work apart from eat, have a twiddle on the forum and have a bit of a nap until it's time for the return journey again.


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## jowwy (19 Jul 2011)

I did my first commute today it was a 26 mile round journey - and YES i do sit at a desk all day thats why i ballooned upto 18st 9lbs - 5 months of training, change of diet and i am now 15st 5lbs. 

Go for it and enjoy!!!


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## alecstilleyedye (19 Jul 2011)

i found 2 x 5 miles on fairly flat terrain, day in, day out, worked wonders.

don't forget that fat weighs less than muscle, so your weight may go up even if your body tone improves.

good luck


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## Norm (19 Jul 2011)

IMO, it's fitness not fatness that should most concern people, and 2 aerobic 40 minute sessions every day will help that hugely.


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## funnymummy (19 Jul 2011)

dontcallme said:


> I've recently started cycling after a year of the gym and not enough results. I'm 29 and just under 16st.



 But how tall are you...?

16 stone on someone 5' 3" is a bit differnt to someone over 6'


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## Moodyman (19 Jul 2011)

If you get out of breath and sweat, then yes, it's plenty.

Soon you'll get fitter and find you want to extend your commute


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## 2Loose (19 Jul 2011)

Zoiders said:


> Don't let people dazzle you with the amount of miles they do.
> 
> We all do different jobs and *not all of us have the luxury of sitting at a desk all day* or working at an unhurried pace, so 2x10 miles could be more than enough for you. Some of the figures you see quoted for commuting miles make you wonder what they do when they get to work apart from eat, have a twiddle on the forum and have a bit of a nap until it's time for the return journey again.



Nice to know some people think that is a luxury, I am less knackered after helping my brother shovel 2 tons of aggregate than a normal day at my 'luxurious desk' .

Nonetheless, you have a point, 20 miles a day is a very respectable amount of exercise (I do half that on a normal day), IF it is done at a reasonable pace - ie. heart rate elevated and not dawdling - calories in must be less than calories burnt for it to make a difference to your weight, but just the miles will make a big difference to your general fitness and health.


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## dontcallme (19 Jul 2011)

funnymummy said:


> But how tall are you...?
> 
> 16 stone on someone 5' 3" is a bit differnt to someone over 6'


I'm 5ft9.

I'm not struggling with it though my legs are a little tired at the end of the day.


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## Andrew_P (19 Jul 2011)

As someone said earlier weight is not always the main thing. In some ways I am quite glad I cannot eat like horse as it means I have always been careful with my diet (of and on) and when off have spent long periods excercising to get it off.

Back on subject if you are raising your heart rate its great doing 10 miles x 2, infact I would say 10 miles would be my utopia it will mean when you get used to it you will be able to really motor and hammer it out.


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## ColinJ (19 Jul 2011)

2 x 10 miles a day will work wonders for your fitness and will help with weight loss, but controlling what you eat and drink is the main thing for that.


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## BrumJim (19 Jul 2011)

As above.
Weight loss is a combination of more calories out and less calories in. The tricky bit is reducing the calorie intake part.

Cut out snacks, fatty food, sweet stuff. And don't expect miracles quickly.

Oh, and also agree with the fitter is more important than thinner argument too. Enjoy increased fitness, lower heart rate, quicker recovery times. Don't eat more, and whilst you are enjoying your new body, weight will come off too.


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## screenman (19 Jul 2011)

I see the old muscle weighs more than fat thing pop up, how much more? how many calories would you burn building a kilo of muscle? how many miles would you have to ride to build a kilo of muscle. How much more does a kilo of muscle weigh compared with a kilo of fat? 

16 stone January 2010 now only 12 1/2 negative calories worked for me.


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## Alien8 (19 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> How much more does a kilo of muscle weigh compared with a kilo of fat?



That will be zero.


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## ColinJ (19 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> How much more does a kilo of muscle weigh compared with a kilo of fat?


Wrong question - 1 kg always equals 1 kg! 

Really, you want to know how dense muscle is compared to fat and the figures I found were:

Muscle - about 1.06 kg per litre.

Fat - about 0.9 kg per litre.

I.e muscle is about 18% denser than fat.


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## screenman (19 Jul 2011)

No right question, just looking for a response other than that which can be easily Googled. 

By wheeling out the old muscle weight myth we are giving people false hope, a person riding a bike regularly like the OP and following a reasonable diet of negative calories will lose weight faster than he will build this muscle.


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## Nebulous (19 Jul 2011)

It depends what you want to do. I've spent just over a year losing weight and have been really pleased with my ability to sustain the effort and keep it going slowly and steadily. I did it by running a modest calorie deficit, and lost a pound a week for over a year. I'm now at a point where I don't really want to lose any more, but I still want to improve my fitness. Part of that would be altering my muscle to fat ratio or reducing my %age of body fat.


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## Norm (19 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> No right question, just looking for a response other than that which can be easily Googled.


 If you actually read the question, rather than what you think the question says, you'll see why it's the wrong question. 

A kilo of anything, whether muscle, fat, lead or feathers, always weighs a kilo.


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## Wednesday (19 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> No right question, just looking for a response other than that which can be easily Googled.



I don't know if you meant to be sarcastic. If you did, "how much more does a kilo of x weigh compared with a kilo of y" may be an appropriate question. Otherwise it's not, because it's not a question that can be answered with any information other than "1kg=1kg".

I think you could be seeing stuff that isn't really intended when someone mentions that muscle weighs more than fat. I don't see it (in this thread anyway) as anything to do with false hope, just a reminder that if you want to drop fat through exercise you shouldn't obsess over your weight.


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## Banjo (19 Jul 2011)

dontcallme said:


> I'm 5ft9.
> 
> I'm not struggling with it though my legs are a little tired at the end of the day.




I am the same height as you and went from 16 stone to 12 stone in a year doing similar mileage to you. That was aboutt 2.5 years ago , I have put back on about 10 lbs but claim that is the extra muscle  

You need to have a sensible diet as well and see how it goes. I lost 3 or 4 lbs some weeks but this tapered to less than 1 lb a week as I got lioghter.

Eat sensible ride your bike weigh once a week and see how it goes. Good Luck.


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## screenman (20 Jul 2011)

It was a sarcastic question.

Banjo, I like your smile, it really makes the point well. 

Nebulous, perfect way to lose weight well done, also in that time your muscle would have been developing not as quick I would say as your fat was disappearing.

I asked some what I thought were good questions after my sarcastic line, how come nobody has replied to them?


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## Wednesday (20 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> I asked some what I thought were good questions after my sarcastic line, how come nobody has replied to them?


One of your other questions was answered two posts after you asked. I guess you got too upset by "wrong question" and stopped paying attention, but right after that Colin answered the question "how much more?", which he thought is what you were also sincerely trying to get at with your sarcastic line at the end.



ColinJ said:


> Muscle - about 1.06 kg per litre.
> 
> Fat - about 0.9 kg per litre.
> 
> I.e muscle is about 18% denser than fat.


I didn't pay much attention to the more technical questions because I don't know much about training, but I know a bit about biology and looking back at them it seems pretty clear that the reason you can't find answers on google is because there's no way to even give a ballpark estimate to what you're asking about.



screenman said:


> how many calories would you burn building a kilo of muscle? how many miles would you have to ride to build a kilo of muscle.


It depends on the individual's body, how they're training, what stage they're at in their training, what they're eating, and probably some other stuff too.

The muscle weight thing isn't a myth. Muscle weighs more, by volume, than fat. I guess what you mean when you say "myth" and "false hope" is this:



alecstilleyedye said:


> so your weight may go up even if your body tone improves.


In the sense that it could encourage someone to not bother controlling their calorie intake and hope the fat comes off anyway? If so, is the following acceptable to you? If you exercise without dieting you'll get fitter, build muscle, and may or may not lose fat. If you diet at the same time you will lose fat, and faster.

I still think it's a good idea to mention that weight isn't a reliable indicator of how fit you are or even how fat you are, though, because society is all messed up about it and people can lose sight of everything except the number on the scales. For good, maintainable fitness you need to consider more than that.


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## VamP (20 Jul 2011)

Nebulous said:


> I'm now at a point where I don't really want to lose any more, but I still want to improve my fitness.




Good point, and what we should all aspire to I guess.

A question to the forum: How do people measure their level of fitness? A gut feel based on riding times, or is anyone doing anything more scientific - e.g. heart rates, VO2Max, lactate levels etc.?


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## SquareDaff (20 Jul 2011)

Just don't be in a rush!! It'll happen.

I'm 5ft 6ins and was just under 13 stone. Have been cycling for about 8 months and although my body shape had changed I'd not lost any weight. Then starting about 5-6 weeks ago it starts to drop off me at about 1-2lbs per week. Now easily under 12.5 stone and still dropping. Aiming for a target of around the 11-11.5 stone mark. Having said all that - I don't care what my weight is as long as I'm not carrying any obvious fat!! If I look slim and still weigh 12 stone then that's fine!!


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## ColinJ (20 Jul 2011)

VamP said:


> A question to the forum: How do people measure their level of fitness? A gut feel based on riding times, or is anyone doing anything more scientific - e.g. heart rates, VO2Max, lactate levels etc.?


Gut feeling for me. 

I don't need to get scientific because it is blatantly obvious that I am not very fit. I am about 20 kgs (3 st 2 lbs) above the weight I'd like to be and I'm struggling to keep up on my forum rides. I want to get back to the fitness I used to have and to be able to lead my rides from the front!

PS I always thought your avatar photo was of some exotic brown insect crawling up a tree but I just had a closer look and realised that it is a tanned man climbing a rock face! Is that you?


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## Alun (20 Jul 2011)

Not losing weight and hoping that it's due to fat having been replaced by an equal weight of muscle is a false hope in MOST cases, I'm afraid to say! 

More of this  and less of this  and this  .


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## screenman (20 Jul 2011)

Alun, you managed to put the point far better than I did.

Why are so many nurses in my local hospital fat, you would have thought seeing the damage it does to people would make them stay within a reasonable fat content.


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## ColinJ (20 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> Why are so many nurses in my local hospital fat, you would have thought seeing the damage it does to people would make them stay within a reasonable fat content.


Probably the same reason that so many doctors and nurses still smoke, drink too much and take drugs - they are human and are stressed out by modern life in general and their jobs in particular. It is their way of coping.

I drink too much, don't get enough exercise and I'm overweight even though I'm well aware that it's bad for me!


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## VamP (20 Jul 2011)

ColinJ said:


> PS I always thought your avatar photo was of some exotic brown insect crawling up a tree but I just had a closer look and realised that it is a tanned man climbing a rock face! Is that you?




Um... yeah, that's me.  


I go on gut feel too, and have yet to invest in a heart monitor, though I have taken part in a lab study, that measured my VO2Max and lactate levels at given power outputs, which I hope to use as a stick in the san for measuring my fitness in years to come, assuming \i get as serious about cycling as I appear to be at the moment.

Interesting insight into biological processes during exercise that study was.


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## marinyork (20 Jul 2011)

VamP said:


> Good point, and what we should all aspire to I guess.
> 
> A question to the forum: How do people measure their level of fitness? A gut feel based on riding times, or is anyone doing anything more scientific - e.g. heart rates, VO2Max, lactate levels etc.?



I do have a heart rate monitor. It's more of a guide. You notice when it is high after recovery and you're fatigued or not well. I go by feel also, but it's noticeable when recovery for certain types of ride becomes quicker even without a HRM. I feel fittest since 2009 and it is noticeable my HRR has gone down to record lows recently. High compared with others (which doesn't correlate complete with fitness), but good. HRM is mostly useful imho on training rides when you're trying to push 80 or 90% MHR - I really can't tell that well left to my own devices how hard I'm pushing, that might sound weird to other people but it's really the case.

If I was getting VO2Max etc I'd mostly be interested in it out of curiosity and improving my riding.


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## Andrew_P (20 Jul 2011)

I use a HRM and I have compared a recent ride to a ride back in March, and although avg and max where within 10% the biggest, and I mean huge difference was the recent ride my HR had really big troughs on graph. 


This is using the Garmin site HR Graph


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## ayceejay (20 Jul 2011)

I could be wrong but my guess is that your excess weight is fat around the gut. As a measure of loss in body fat your waist measurement would be a better guide than weight. As a rough guide nobody should have a waist measurement over 40 inches.


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## lulubel (21 Jul 2011)

You can also take other measurements, including around upper arms, thighs and calves, every 1-2 months, and this will show you if your body shape is changing (a sign of losing fat but gaining muscle) even if your actual weight is staying pretty much the same.


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## Banjo (21 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> Alun, you managed to put the point far better than I did.
> 
> Why are so many nurses in my local hospital fat, you would have thought seeing the damage it does to people would make them stay within a reasonable fat content.



Part of the reason will be the unsociable shifts they do. I am a shift worker and know it really screws up your body clock and messes with your metabolism. After a week off work I feel so much better its unreal.


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## jay clock (21 Jul 2011)

I was 16st5 and 5'9". After losing close to 3 stone I still do not look skinny

If you are doing that much exercise and not losing weight then "calories in" must be too high....


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## screenman (21 Jul 2011)

Banjo, being on shifts may play havoc with somebodies body clock, but being fat is about not having self control in most cases. My Dad worked shifts for 35 years and kept himself fit, self discipline not feeble excuses.

I know when I was a fatty it was because I had lost my self control not because I run a business that takes up a lot of my time, although that was one of the many excuses I used. I could have blamed it on the wife as she has a love of making puddings.


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## Wednesday (21 Jul 2011)

Maybe their body doesn't respond to things in the same way as yours does. Maybe there are other health complications or other things in their life that make things more difficult. Maybe they could lose the weight if they made an effort but they'd rather chill out and eat cake. Thing is, whatever's going on is all about someone else's body and therefore none of your bloody business.

Personally I'm naturally slim, but if not being fat took as much effort as it does for some people I know then **** that, I'd be fat.


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## screenman (21 Jul 2011)

Wow! just making conversation not trying to cause actual bodily harm. Just wondered why so many people that know the problems being fat causes choose to be fat, rather than do something about it.


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## marinyork (21 Jul 2011)

Banjo said:


> Part of the reason will be the unsociable shifts they do. I am a shift worker and know it really screws up your body clock and messes with your metabolism. After a week off work I feel so much better its unreal.



How people cope with sleep varies quite a lot in humans, a lot more than people think. It suits some people a lot more than others.


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## Andrew_P (21 Jul 2011)

off at another tangent. My wife is having a hip op. Part of the pre-op was a questionaire a question was rate your fitness and she put 8/10 which surprised me, I wouldn't have rated her as that and when she asked what would you put if you were answering I would rate myself a 6. She reckons I should be a 9 My reply was the smoking alone means I am not a 9 add in I am 1.5-2 stone overweight, drink booze means my self ratingis more accurate.


I Smoke, drink but eat healthly. My only excercise is cycling the last three months I have cycled 600-650 each month climbed 22000ft each month avg HR for the 650 120bpm avg cadence 86 and avg speed 15.3mph (cant seem to get avg moving speed in garmin reports!) I am 46 14st and 5ft 10"

Now rate my fitness out of 10 :-)


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## Wednesday (21 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> Wow! just making conversation not trying to cause actual bodily harm. Just wondered why so many people that know the problems being fat causes choose to be fat, rather than do something about it.



I guess without any social context your post wouldn't have bothered me, but it does bug me how it's considered acceptable and even beneficial for certain people's bodies to be publicly judged by anyone who feels like it at any time (which I'm sure you're aware of, having been fat yourself).


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## screenman (21 Jul 2011)

I wish when I was fat more people had told me so, I would then have kicked myself harder to do something about it. Pussy footing about and being nice does not in my opinion help very much being over weight carries many health issue's that need addressing urgently. People are coming on here saying they are fat, or over weight, much the same thing I would imagine.

Loco, I would call you about 4.


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## ttcycle (21 Jul 2011)

screenman, I'm with Wednesday on this one too. I'm slim so it's not personal for me but there's this judgement issue around overweight issues being about greed or lack of self control which does not help people with extra weight. I agree, it's not all about cotton wooling people and being nice for the sake of it but there are very complex issues with food that many people have. There are also health problems that can impact on weight.

Back to the OP- keep at it - sounds like some good distance, maybe build in a longer ride at one stage ie 35miles if you were up for it and eat a healthy balanced diet. Good luck!!


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## screenman (21 Jul 2011)

Whilst I agree that some people cannot help being overweight, I feel that the majority of fatties, lardies, big people etc. call them what you want for I was one and speak from experience lack self control.


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## ColinJ (21 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> I wish when I was fat more people had told me so, I would then have kicked myself harder to do something about it. Pussy footing about and being nice does not in my opinion help very much being over weight carries many health issue's that need addressing urgently. People are coming on here saying they are fat, or over weight, much the same thing I would imagine.


Well let me just say that I found that having to dash over to the hospital and spend 12 hours a day at my dying mother's bedside rather distracted me from my task of becoming a super-fit middle-aged athlete so I didn't ride my bike at all last winter. I also comforted myself by eating too much and I got very pissed every night so I could snatch some sleep before going back for another traumatic bedside vigil. And so, yes, I got even fatter ...

My mum eventually died so you could say that I had then lost my excuse for over-eating/drinking, but there was that pesky glut of dead bodies caused by the severe winter so I'm going to play the 'We couldn't have the funeral for a month' card to excuse my gluttony throughout January but, hey - at least I didn't actually enjoy it!

I started doing my forum rides again on January 30 even though it was cold and wet and windy and I was depressed and didn't really feel like it. I did 57 miles on that, my first ride in 10 weeks. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

Since then I have dragged my lardy arse over nearly every big hill in the area and then I went up to 50 miles away looking for more. Many people on the forum were nice enough to accompany me even though my lack of cycling prowess has become a bit of an in-joke. Every hill hurts, but I still keep doing them.

And you know what ... I'm still drinking too much because I'm still haunted by what I had to watch happen in December. One day, I'll get a grip but it hasn't happened yet. I know the facts. I know the risks. I'm human. _Give us a break! _


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## J-HO (21 Jul 2011)

Check www.fatcyclerider.co.uk. This guy should be an inspiration to anyone wanting to lose weight.

I commute 14 miles a day, only started doing it regulary this year, didnt have much weight to lose but I feel fitter and healthier.

Stick with it, it doesnt take long until it gets easier.


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## screenman (21 Jul 2011)

Coincident you may call it, you may not even believe me but Saturday I will be making the trip from Lincoln to Fleet to say goodbye to my 98 year old Mum who is fast slipping away, so yes I know some of what you went through and would not wish it on anyone. 

You sir are doing something about it, you will succeed and get a return on your hard work. The majority of fat people in the UK will not do anything about it.

I appreciate everybodies view on this subject and like an the ex-smoker I am I tend to be the worse nag. Bit like I managed to give up the filthy stinking habit how come everybody else cannot do the same.

I feel fantastic after losing the fat, I just want to spread the word I want all the fatties in the world to realise that life is far better without the lard, or at least some of it.


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## ColinJ (21 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> Coincident you may call it, you may not even believe me but tomorrow I will be making the trip from Lincoln to Fleet to say goodbye to my 98 year old Mum who is fast slipping away, so yes I know exactly what you went through and would not wish it on anyone.


I'm so sorry to hear that - I hope she goes peacefully. 

I know it isn't much comfort, but she's had a good long life. My mum got to 86 and I told her that she'd managed to reach the life expectancy of Japanese women, the longest-living people on the planet. She was quite chuffed when I pointed that out. Your mum has had 12 more years than that, but it still seems too soon doesn't it?

Best wishes to you and your family.



screenman said:


> You sir are doing something about it, you will succeed and get a return on your hard work. The majority of fat people in the UK will not do anything about it.


I'm sure that people would have said that about our Gaz, gb155, and for many years, it would have been true, but just see what he has now achieved - down from nearly 40 stone to 13-and-a-bit!



screenman said:


> I appreciate everybodies view on this subject and like an the ex-smoker I am I tend to be the worse nag. Bit like I managed to give up the filthy stinking habit how come everybody else cannot do the same.


Well, of course, I'm an ex-smoker too and I tend to have strong views on that subject, but every person has to decide for themselves to stop. Or lose weight.



screenman said:


> I feel fantastic after losing the fat, I just want to spread the word I want all the fatties in the world to realise that life is far better without the lard, or at least some of it.


I'm well aware of what it feels like. I'm a medium built man, 6' 1" tall and my adult weight has varied between a very underweight 10 st 10 lbs and an obese 16 st 5 lbs. I remember what my cycling felt like when I was a sensible weight. Yes, it was great, and I will get there again one day, provided that I haven't died trying!

The way to get people to do it though is to 'lead from the front', or if like me you aren't fit enough to do that, then at least 'lead from the back'! 

I'm sure that potsy and Steve H won't mind me mentioning that they have been struggling with their weight too. They have come out on lots of my forum rides and suffered alongside me and are getting slimmer and fitter, month by month. It's very gratifying to have played a small part in it, though obviously most of it comes from the cycling they do without me.

I don't think that calling people names or putting them down helps though. Gentle encouragement is the way to go!

So, fellow overweight people ... just a reminder that you'll feel a lot better, and live longer, healthier lives if you tackle the weight issue. It is possible, and it is worth having a go.

And now, believe it or not, I'm going to go downstairs, crack open a few cans and relax watching today's Tour de France coverage. 
Cheers!


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## screenman (22 Jul 2011)

All extremely good points and taken on board, also many thanks for your concern.

The good thing about anyone coming to this forum who is overweight is that they know it, unlike those who deny it. On TV this morning they were talking about more people in the UK who are hitting 60 stone. My wife a who is a chiropodist gets customers often complaining of pain in legs and feet, these people are often very heavy, but they did not recognise this would or could cause problems.

Some people need gently gently, whilst other need a tougher stance in my opinion.


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## Banjo (22 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> All extremely good points and taken on board, also many thanks for your concern.
> 
> The good thing about anyone coming to this forum who is overweight is that they know it, unlike those who deny it. On TV this morning they were talking about more people in the UK who are hitting 60 stone. My wife a who is a chiropodist gets customers often complaining of pain in legs and feet, these people are often very heavy, but they did not recognise this would or could cause problems.
> 
> Some people need gently gently, whilst other need a tougher stance in my opinion.




Sadly some people are so shallow they cant see beyond the fat. Plenty of fat people make a far greater contribution to society than I ever will. Each to his own.


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## VamP (22 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> Loco, I would call you about 4.




Harsh IMO.

That mileage with that amount of climbing at that average speed indicates good level of fitness for age, between 6 and 8. Call it 7 to split the difference.

Little extra fat and smoking actually have surprisingly little impact on actual fitness levels.

I am a stone up against my best climbing weight, and smoke, yet position in top ten times in sportives, and my lab scores indicate I am in top 1% of overall population for fitness (VO2max/lactate), regardless of age.

Personally I would give myself an 8, because I don't compare myself to the population as a whole but other sporty people, and compared to say TdF riders I am more like a 2.

It's all relative.


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## VamP (22 Jul 2011)

Banjo said:


> Sadly some people are so shallow they cant see beyond the fat. Plenty of fat people make a far greater contribution to society than I ever will. Each to his own.




Totally agree!

Being fit is just one possible of a multitude of different equally valid ways of living one's life.


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## Andrew_P (22 Jul 2011)

Thanks Vamp, it was the relative and perception I was driving at. 

As an example someone 15 years my junior about the same height and a lot lighter than me, doesn't smoke visited my work and I had to show him some stuff up stairs at the top of the stairs he could just about hold a conversation and was heavy breathing, I wasn't and yet put our stats down on a piece of paper and show them around 99.9% of the population would say it was me heavy breathing at the top.

Out of interest you have mentioned a few times VO2Max lactate etc, where and why did you have these tests?


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## VamP (22 Jul 2011)

LOCO said:


> Out of interest you have mentioned a few times VO2Max lactate etc, where and why did you have these tests?



I took part in St Mary's University College study into effects of nitrate supplements on cycling performance, mainly because I was interested in getting tested, but also because I was somewhat curious as to the actual study aims.

I have only been serious about cycling for about three months, and wanted to get a benchmark, so I could see in years ahead how my cycling fitness was progressing, and what were the weakness areas to focus on.

I actually found the whole process really interesting, as well as helpful in thinking about training in general, and for cycling in particular.

Apperently you can get these tests on a commercial basis as well, but I haven't looked into the specifics.


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## lulubel (22 Jul 2011)

screenman said:


> The good thing about anyone coming to this forum who is overweight is that they know it, unlike those who deny it.



Knowing doesn't always translate to doing something about it, or even knowing what to do about it. A lot of people who are overweight do want to lose weight but the diet industry gives out so many conflicting messages that they just don't have a clue how to lose the weight. Others do know what to do, but aren't prepared to make the necessary changes to their lifestyle.

I'm a member of a site that encourages weight loss through calorie counting and exercise - "eat less, move more" is the mantra. I mentioned in a forum post over there that I cycle 1-1.5 hours 5 days a week, and this is one of the key things for me to lose weight. One member - currently obese according to her BMI, who has lost and re-gained the same stone several times since she's been using the site, and complains it "doesn't work" for her - told me to, "Stop wearing yourself out with all that exercise. It isn't doing you any good."

Of course, there are still others, like Colin, who reach a point in their lives where health and fitness takes a back seat to other things and I totally understand that - I've been there - but I think the people who don't know how to change or aren't willing to put in the effort to change, sadly, far outnumber them.


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## dontcallme (25 Jul 2011)

Well I've lost 5lbs in the first two weeks since I started cycling to work. Seems to be working.


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## ColinJ (25 Jul 2011)

dontcallme said:


> Well I've lost 5lbs in the first two weeks since I started cycling to work. Seems to be working.


Well done - _keep it up!_


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## Stu669 (26 Jul 2011)

2x ten miles a day is more than fine if your diet is good i started this year at 16st7lb now im 13st so it does work if you stick to it but dont deprive yourself of treats say a friday night take away otherwise we as a human race tend to slip into bad ways and binge alot more. never crash diet its not worth it! eat healthy and be active is the best way, if anyone on here has an iphone or summet download myfitness pal or go to myfitnesspal.co.uk and put in your daily food in a diary and it really helps.


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## cycleruk (26 Jul 2011)

all ways start small and build the up miles slowly, you can cause yourself problems over doing it as well , so do what feels comfortable to you then go from there.


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## BrumJim (26 Jul 2011)

dontcallme said:


> Well I've lost 5lbs in the first two weeks since I started cycling to work. Seems to be working.



Brilliant - you are on the right track. Now stop counting pounds, and start enjoying your cycling. 10lbs in 5 weeks seems better than 2lbs every week.


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