# Obese re-beginner looking for training advice.



## 20to11 (27 Sep 2021)

Hi all. I hope you can help. I'm looking for some basic advice regarding a training regime. I'm currently 19 stone (and a bit), on a keto diet, and have currently dropped 2 stone. I would like to get back into cycling. I've got a hardtail MTB (Vitus Sentier) and a Planet-X Free Ranger gravel due to come in a couple of weeks. I went out on the MTB today and managed about 2.5miles. The plan was to get my fitness higher and drop some more weight before I start using the gravel bike.

What's the best way to go about working up into higher mileages? Should I have a rest day after each ride to recover/strengthen muscle, or should go with something like a ride each day Mon-Fr and take the weekend off to recover? Also, what would you recommend I do for recovery? I currently sit on my backside at a desk most of the day/evening (hence wanting to get back into cycling), and wondered if walking on the 'off' days would be beneficial?

Lastly, if I were to increase the mileage, is there any rule of thumb on how much to increase by and over a given time frame?

Thanks for taking the time to read!


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## slowmotion (27 Sep 2021)

My only advice would be to take it easy to start with. Never mind about your speed or the lengths of your rides. Just get on the bike and enjoy yourself, even if it's only for a few minutes. You don't want your "training" to become some kind of grisly chore. If you start enjoying yourself, you'll want to ride the bike more, and then you'll start getting fitter.

Good luck.


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## 20to11 (27 Sep 2021)

slowmotion said:


> If you start enjoying yourself, you'll want to ride the bike more, and then you'll start getting fitter.



Thanks for the advice. And I totally agree. I love cycling, hence coming back to it. Despite it being tiring after many years and excess pounds, I still enjoy it very much


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## KnittyNorah (27 Sep 2021)

I'm in my mid seventies and recently re-started cycling after a long break and lots of physical changes.
I began on my 75th birthday, and rode once to the end of the close and around the church car park. I could hardly balance! Next I 'graduated' myself to the slightly-downhill road on the quiet estate nearby - maybe 500 yards? - then started pushing my bike along the canal towpath to get to the park, where I could ride 1.1 miles on a wide and mainly level path. Then I'd push home again. Only going out every alternate day, maximum. 
Two months later and I think very little of doing a regular 6 mile return journey to the supermarket carrying a decent-sized 'shop' back with me, and the longest ride I've done was a total of 18 miles. I *can* ride on consecutive days now, but still generally prefer not to. I have no compunction about getting off and pushing, or just stopping 'for a rest' if I want to. My speed is slow, but I'm not in a race am I? 
The first few rides I did which were longer than a couple of miles needed to be followed up by ibuprofen, but this is no longer the case, and my energy levels and - especially - my badly-damaged knee and ankle joints have all improved significantly. I'm retired so I reckon that even through winter I should be able to get out in daylight and the reasonably-dry a couple of times most weeks - and the benefits I've seen to my ageing body even in this short time have certainly given me the impetus to do so, even in less-than-perfect conditions.
I'm 100% certain, too, that had I gone all gung-ho about pushing myself, cycling further, faster etc etc, I'd've got sore and tired and unhappy and not felt even half the positive benefits that I've enjoyed!


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## MichaelW2 (27 Sep 2021)

I would ride by time, start at around 10 mins and increase gradually to around 40 mins, all at an easy pace. Ride a bit every day to condition yourself to being in the saddle.
Once you are at 40 mins then spend a few weeks at that time and ride at a steady pace.
After 3 months your body will have shrunk or grown to the point where you can ride any how you like.

Heavy riders stress the bike more so if you hit a rough patch of road, try and get off the saddle.


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## HMS_Dave (27 Sep 2021)

Work with what you have rather than pushing too hard. I started riding at over 25 stone. Barely get down the street. But just keep going and listen to your body. If there is pain, stop and rest then go again when you feel ready/recovered. Strength and fitness can only come if you are able to ride and if you're injured, you can't gain improvements. It's hard to put timescales in place as we're all different. But you should notice a improvements within weeks if you're able to ride regularly and within months you'll feel a heck of a lot stronger im sure. I know i did and the weight came off too...


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## ColinJ (27 Sep 2021)

Well done for deciding to do something about your health and fitness!

I would suggest taking a day off if you feel tired. That is your body telling you that it needs more time to recover. If you feel energetic, try doing a bit more.

I found it only took a month or two of regular short rides to start to get much fitter. 

Unless you are cycling up hills, it should be easier to cycle than to walk so walking for recovery from cycling doesn't quite make sense to me! I'm not knocking walking - it is great exercise - but carrying a lot of weight about on your feet is hard work... (I was close to your weight at one time and my knees got pretty painful if I walked too far; especially up or down hills.)


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## RoubaixCube (27 Sep 2021)

Like everyone said. Just take it easy. Even if youre pedalling at a slow pace, that is still energy spent and calories being burnt.

The hardest part is watching what you eat after a ride. depending how long/far you ride. Burning a lot of calories will quite often leave you feeling like you havent had a good meal in ages and resisting the urge to eat junk food or foods packed full of sugar can be hell! Not saying that you shouldnt treat yourself once in a while. But just stay away from it as much as possible.

If you regularly have your cupboards stocked with things like crisps, doughnuts and cookies etc etc just stop buying them and fill your cupboards with healthier snacks - when it comes to junk food for me i go by the rule: _*"out of sight, out of mind."*_

I get moments where i absolutely crave some pringles really bad but i dont have any and 100% of the time i cant be arsed to go out and buy some even though i have a corner shop literally 2mins outside my door so i wont be having any 

keep nothing in the house to tempt you, but if you really had to have some then only on the condition that you walk around the block for 20mins before getting a packet and walking home. Either you'll give up wanting crisps ever again, which is also a good thing because youre not filling up with empty calories and because you cant be arsed to walk 20mins (thus staying away from junk food) or you'll get fitter, burn calories because you walked for 20mins for a tasty treat and I know it wont be an every day thing because you'll look out the window and see how shitty the weather looks outside and really wont want to go out 

I dont keep junk food at home because once i start eating, I cant stop. Even if i have one of them large bags of crisps from tesco or aldi and say to myself _"im going to make this last a week"_, Its usually gone either within the first day or makes it to the 3rd before its empty.



::edited to add more context and easier reading::


::Edit 2, 3 & 4:

Also just as point of note If you had to fill your cupboard with something, Try nuts/mixed nuts/seeds and dried fruit (*almonds and cashew nuts in particular are very very good for weight loss* - cashews not so much but as they do contain more fat but healthy in moderation as it contains protein that keep you 'feeling full' - so dont binge on them. Both help metabolism and weight loss but both tend to be a bit more costly than your average bag of peanuts) - a lot of this stuff can be picked up from aldi for very little money. Some of their roasted and salted peanuts are pretty good too but again both are high in salt content so try and limit your consumption to an occasional small handful for a nibble along with something else like maybe a fig roll, dried figs/apricots/dates/mango etc etc


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## HobbesOnTour (28 Sep 2021)

Lots of really good advice above.
I too would stress the importance of not pushing yourself too hard.
I'm thinking of the time of year too, with less daylight, lower temperatures and rain. Or worse.

A little and often would be my advise. Focus on the enjoyment, what you can see or where you can go. 
Photos are a great way of getting us off our ass - pick a theme of whatever you like and a plan to photo every bridge/church/pub within x miles of your house.

Can you do any chores on the bike? Small grocery shopping, down for the paper? It all adds up. And builds confidence and skills. 

Picking decent routes is important too. A wet, dark October night on the side of a busy road is not a lot of fun. 

Some folk like to measure everything and apps like Strava or RWGPS can track everything. That doesn't suit me. I prefer to enjoy where I am rather than worry about beating my time.

My first bike ride as an adult almost killed me at a distance of about 6km. It gets better! A lot better!

Best of luck!


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## Punkawallah (28 Sep 2021)

Doesn’t really matter how far/fast you go, you’re still in front of the crowd on the couch ;-)

’Well done’ for making the effort. Keep us informed on how it’s going!


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## IanSmithCSE (28 Sep 2021)

Good morning,

Are you sure that you want to be combining a Keto diet with an exercise such as cycling? 

Assuming that you are on a Keto diet by choice, not as an anti-epilepsy or similar medical reason you are going to need to learn a lot to be able to exercise without glycogen stores. It can be done, especially with expert help but it is not something that I would choose if I had a fully free choice.

The big problem with exercise and Keto diets is what happens when you are exercising at anything beyond a low intensity, such as going up a hill, and this includes slight inclines that you will laugh at in a few months time but for now are mountains.

If you are on a "normal" diet then the body simply gets more energy from the glycogen in the leg muscles and once that's gone from the liver, and if you are doing any distance it is recommended that you have an energy get, jam sandwich or Mars bar and a can of Coke to replace this.

Once you remove glycogen from the body which is implicit with a diet intended to ramp up ketosis expect to find difficulties as ketosis doesn't build up such a reserve. As I understand it Keto diets are not wonderful miracle diets, the body continually produces ketone bodies with any diet and simply ramps up the process as the number of carbs in the diet is reduced (rather than it being an on/off process) and Ketone bodies are definitely a second choice/emergency energy source aimed at keeping the brain going while the inefficient process gluconeogenesis produces glucose from fat waiting for more carbs to be eaten.

One of the reasons that ketos diets often work for people is that they simply refuse to eat enough, years of media coverage saying fat is bad means that there is a reluctance to eat enough to replaces the day's energy expenditure.

Bye

Ian


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## Cycleops (28 Sep 2021)

Can’t add much to the above except to say make sure you are comfortable and have a good position. Many starting out say they feel discomfort, this can be to do with the saddle. Your back end will find it difficult to adjust but you might benefit from a saddle upgrade, just don’t think that more padding/gel will help, it won’t.
Try to get one that matches your sit bones.
The other thing is to have you saddle at the correct height. Your leg should be more or less straight when seated and the pedal at six o’clock with the the ball of your foot on the axis of the pedal. If the seat is too low you will get pain in the knees. If you get pain in your wrists and arms you need to look at the bars, stem and saddle fore/aft position.
Keep it up you’re doing well.


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## Fab Foodie (28 Sep 2021)

Well done for getting off the couch and onto a bicycle.

Lots of good advice above. I’d echo the general theme: smiles not miles. Don’t worry about how far or how fast, just get out when you can, make it enjoyable or as suggested, even pootling to the shops/running errands are all good miles.
Before you know it you’re going further more easily and feeling the benefits!


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## bruce1530 (28 Sep 2021)

As people say above, just get out and enjoy it. You'll improve.

I remember when I started cycling again - late 40s, overweight, hadn't done any proper exercise for years. Doing short runs, along the cyclepath. Didn't have a "training plan" or anything like that. 

And then you start passing places thinking "Look, there's the place that I used to stop for a rest", or "There's the bit where I used to turn back for home..."


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## CXRAndy (28 Sep 2021)

IanSmithCSE said:


> Good morning,
> 
> Are you sure that you want to be combining a Keto diet with an exercise such as cycling?
> 
> ...



I've embarked on a low carb(very low) and high fat diet. I don't think I'm truly in ketosis yet, but aim to get there in a few months. I've found that once carbs are all but eliminated from your diet, hunger pangs disappear. I can go 18 hours fasting without any thought of food now. I eat in a 6 hour window, get my calories from mostly fats with lots of leafy vegetables, protein from meat and fish. 

The body always has a store of glycogen (used for flight or fight), but as it becomes fat adapted, by reducing insulin at a low level, the body can access the body fat stores. Even the slimmest person has 100,000 calories available in fat.

There are no essential carb required by the body to survive, proteins and fats are essential. By eating vegetables as part of a balance diet you will ultimately get small amounts of carbs.


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## Ming the Merciless (28 Sep 2021)

I would gradually ramp it up. Try going out on your bike tomorrow for another 2.5 miles. Then have Thursday off. If you feel okay on Friday then go for another 2.5 mile ride. Take the weekend off.

Next week try and ride 3 miles on Mon, Wed, Fri. If you feel tired before a ride then either wait till afternoon if it’s morning or delay the ride till the next day.

For the next month I’d just get out 3 days a week. Add an extra mile to each ride each week. That means 4 miles in a couple of weeks, 5 miles in three weeks. Delay a ride till afternoon or next day if tired when due to do a ride.

From November keep the length of your rides fixed but add an extra day, say Tuesday or Sunday. You are now cycling 4 days a week. Keep at that through the darker months. No need to increase distance at this point.

From late February the light begins to return. Either add an extra mile to your rides and progress it that way. Otherwise an an extra day so you are cycling 5 days a week. Make sure you have at least 2 days off the bike for recovery.

Another way is to increase the time. So you could go from 15 mins to 20 mins as an example. Don’t worry about speed or any other measures at this point. Your body’s tendons and muscles will be getting strengthened and used to the exercise. Your heart will be getting stronger. It’s important to progress slowly and steadily to allow your body to able to handle the new loads and not get injured.


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## sasquath (28 Sep 2021)

Firstly congrats on getting back to cycling.

Plenty of great advice above.
Don't get discouraged if scales won't move for a while - your legs will get a ton of new muscle.

For winter bad weather get cheap trainer and adapt your MTB to it(smooth tyre), don't forget about cooling fan.
And your gravel bike can remain ready for outdoors ride.


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

KnittyNorah said:


> I'm in my mid seventies and recently re-started cycling after a long break and lots of physical changes.



That's fantastic to hear of your progress. I'm glad the alternate day riding worked for you. Thanks for sharing!


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

So many replies! Thank you to everyone for all your advice and sharing your experience. A lot of it chimes from when I used to cycle more often before I put the weight on, so it's good to know I'm on the right path. My apologies for mentioning my eating plan, I didn't meant to start a discussion on the pros and cons of keto (though suffice it to say it's the diet for me). 



ColinJ said:


> I found it only took a month or two of regular short rides to start to get much fitter.
> 
> Unless you are cycling up hills...



That's good to know things will be better in a month or two. As for hills... hah, no chance of that right now! Dragging my weight up even small inclines is hilariously difficult. Though I will hopefully test that a few times as I improve. 



HobbesOnTour said:


> Photos are a great way of getting us off our ass - pick a theme of whatever you like and a plan to photo every bridge/church/pub within x miles of your house.
> 
> *Can you do any chores on the bike?*



Great idea regarding the photos. I thankfully live in quite a nice place so lots of opportunities for photos. And yes! I definitely can do chores. I work from home so I'm always popping to the shops/post office etc... I just have to get over my fear of my bike getting nicked. 



Ming the Merciless said:


> I would gradually ramp it up...



Thank you, Ming! This is exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for. It sounds like a sensible plan to me. As much as I think I would like to do long, epic rides, at the moment, this is purely for fitness/heart health as you mention. The diet will shed the pounds, so this plan sounds like something I could reasonably stick to. Having been sedentary for... far too many years, I'll definitely have to focus on the slow-and-steady. Thanks!



sasquath said:


> For winter bad weather get cheap trainer and adapt your MTB to it(smooth tyre), don't forget about cooling fan.
> And your gravel bike can remain ready for outdoors ride.



As it's currently pissing down outside (and I don't have any wet weather gear) this is indeed something I had considered. I dare say, at least to begin with, I'm going to be a fair weather rider, so having an indoor solution makes a lot of sense.


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

CXRAndy said:


> I've embarked on a low carb(very low) and high fat diet. I don't think I'm truly in ketosis yet, but aim to get there in a few months. I've found that once carbs are all but eliminated from your diet, hunger pangs disappear. I can go 18 hours fasting without any thought of food now.



Sounds like you're doing well. I agree with all you've said, by the way. I'm currently 5 weeks into my second long-term keto phase. I started with intermittent fasting, up to 48hrs and a few 72hrs. I now do one meal a day (evening) and a 48hr fast weekly. I'm almost never hungry and have unlimited mental energy. Physical too, though my weak muscles and lack of any kind of cardiovascular strength makes a mockery of all that available energy


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## jay clock (28 Sep 2021)

Ming the Merciless said:


> I would gradually ramp it up. Try going out on your bike tomorrow for another 2.5 miles. Then have Thursday off. If you feel okay on Friday then go for another 2.5 mile ride. Take the weekend off.
> 
> Next week try and ride 3 miles on Mon, Wed, Fri. If you feel tired before a ride then either wait till afternoon if it’s morning or delay the ride till the next day.
> 
> ...


what he said. Little and often and build into a habit. Well done


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## ColinJ (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> As it's currently pissing down outside (and I don't have any wet weather gear) this is indeed something I had considered. I dare say, at least to begin with, I'm going to be a fair weather rider, so having an indoor solution makes a lot of sense.


It is here too. I need to get my turbo trainer fixed up again soon or I will end up doing my usual trick of losing in the winter much of the fitness that I gain from spring to autumn!


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## Dogtrousers (28 Sep 2021)

My three ha'pence is: Don't think of it as training - think of it as going for a ride. To me "training" sounds like a chore, while "going for a ride" sounds like fun. 

Mind you, that's just me. Different people respond differently to different kinds of incentive - so if you thrive in a more structured environment then _do _think of it as training. Whatever floats your boat.

Pretty useless post really


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> It is here too. I need to get my turbo trainer fixed up again soon or I will end up doing my usual trick of losing in the winter much of the fitness that I gain from spring to autumn!



Having never used a trainer before, is there really much of a difference between 'dumb' and 'smart' trainers to warrant that massive hike in cost? If I wanted to do some Zwifting, is it still doable on a dumb trainer?


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

Dogtrousers said:


> My three ha'pence is: Don't think of it as training - think of it as going for a ride. To me "training" sounds like a chore, while "going for a ride" sounds like fun.
> 
> Mind you, that's just me. Different people respond differently to different kinds of incentive - so if you thrive in a more structured environment then _do _think of it as training. Whatever floats your boat.
> 
> Pretty useless post really



Not useless at all, mate. I appreciate the input, and it's something other riders might get some value from too. I love riding regardless of whether it's serious or not. In hindsight, I've no idea why I stopped for so long. Weird how that happens. But for me personally, I find having a plan/routine really helps me stay on top of things. I can easily fall back into bad habits due to depression, so a slightly more focussed plan helps to give me something in addition to the fun of the ride to remain on track. I dare say once my fitness improves and the weight comes off, I'll have more periods of unstructured riding for the smiles. I'll hopefully find a balance along the way.


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## ColinJ (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> Having never used a trainer before, is there really much of a difference between 'dumb' and 'smart' trainers to warrant that massive hike in cost?


I only have a 'dumb' one, but the smart ones sound like fun. It is up to you if you think that is worth paying the extra for!



20to11 said:


> If I wanted to do some Zwifting, is it still doable on a dumb trainer?


I was going to say no, but maybe yes - see *HERE*.


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## sasquath (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> Having never used a trainer before, is there really much of a difference between 'dumb' and 'smart' trainers to warrant that massive hike in cost? If I wanted to do some Zwifting, is it still doable on a dumb trainer?


On a dumb one you need speed and cadence sensors to use zwift, heart rate monitor is added bonus but not essential.
That's how I use mine.
Is added power accuracy and resistance following virtual road worth £450-900? Depends. For making indor cycling less boring, no.
To see measurable progress, no.
To ride with friends, not necessary.
To get competitive(even a bit), hell yeah.


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## Dolorous Edd (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> Having never used a trainer before, is there really much of a difference between 'dumb' and 'smart' trainers to warrant that massive hike in cost? If I wanted to do some Zwifting, is it still doable on a dumb trainer?



Yes. You need to buy a "speed sensor" for your rear wheel, but they don't cost a lot - maybe £20-£30.
Even if you are thinking of buying a smart trainer, my advice would be to try Zwift on a dumb trainer for a while first.
Some people love Zwift, others get bored of it, so you'll be able to give it a good go and see what you think before spending the big bucks.


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## Punkawallah (28 Sep 2021)

I just use the roads when the frost burns off. Have to watch out for shady bits - still tend to be icy. And frozen slush. Frozen slush bad.


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## CXRAndy (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> Sounds like you're doing well. I agree with all you've said, by the way. I'm currently 5 weeks into my second long-term keto phase. I started with intermittent fasting, up to 48hrs and a few 72hrs. I now do one meal a day (evening) and a 48hr fast weekly. I'm almost never hungry and have unlimited mental energy. Physical too, though my weak muscles and lack of any kind of cardiovascular strength makes a mockery of all that available energy



I've just entered fourth week of LCHF regime. I don't feel I need to extend my intermittent fasting beyond 18/6 strategy yet. I'm reducing my waist size a little each week. If I plateau then I'll look at mixing up some longer fasting periods.

My cycling is coming along fine-I used to be obsessed and pretty fit with it. I'm riding up to 2hours in Z2 effort, which is fine. I've done a couple of fasted rides- only water, I didn't want or crave any food after, lasted till normal dinner time. So low intensity rides can easily be achieved on water. I'm starting weights again for some growth hormone stimulation.

It is quite bizarre, that you do get mental clarity and far, far less fatigue without(very low) carbohydratres. 

I watch this chaps videos quite a bit. https://www.youtube.com/c/drekberg

He doesn't ram the information at you, makes some common sense regarding how western 'carb loaded' diets are a major problem for literally billions of people.

The vast majority of us are/have been sleep walking to insulin resistance from a young age, leading to diabetes


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## KnittyNorah (28 Sep 2021)

20to11 said:


> As for hills... hah, no chance of that right now! Dragging my weight up even small inclines is hilariously difficult.


I was born and brought up in the Peak District. Thank GOODNESS I now live in what I call 'the flatlands' - I can go north, south and west from where I live on the outskirts of a Lancashire city, and remain on the flatlands. I _cannot _go east, as 'there be dragons 🐉' in the form of ... hills ⛰ ... ! 
I can just about manage short slopes. For a few weeks after I began, I had to get off and push on those, even the slope up a hump-backed bridge going over the canal. But just a few short weeks on, and I can manage those fine now - progress is really surprisingly fast as long as I take notice of small increments!



20to11 said:


> I just have to get over my fear of my bike getting nicked.


Yes, and double yes. I also have the issue of being rather short so getting a bike to actually fit me is ... problematic. But hopefully my small-size, old-lady step-through bike shouldn't be too attractive, I have good locks and am careful where I leave it.



20to11 said:


> Having been sedentary for... far too many years, I'll definitely have to focus on the slow-and-steady.


Tell me about it! Don't permit yourself to ride into , or with, pain at all. A little discomfort and a few mild aches are fine but riding into or with, actual pain is _not _ok, especially with an unaccustomed-to-use body! Listen to your body, adjust and adapt things for maximum comfort. After my first couple of weeks of rides, I found I was getting a _tiny _bit saddle sore as I slightly increased both distance and time. I shifted the position of the saddle for my next ride by millimetres, and shifted it back for the ride after that. I did that for about three weeks, slight shifts of the saddle and the handlebars, after every ride where I got any soreness. I knew the basic set-up was correct for me, the shifts were literally millimetres, just slightly moving pressure points so as to allow the sore bit some further recovery from the day off (minimum) I took between each ride. I've shifted nothing for about a month now, and there's no actual soreness any more - which is one of the reasons I can - and occasionally do - now ride on consecutive days, if I want to. It'll be useful as cycling becomes more and more weather dependent as the winter rolls on. 

I think the idea of 'doing chores' such as shopping by bike is an excellent one and if you can find a good supermarket that's a nice ride away and has cycle parking, that's a bonus! I've been lucky enough to find just such a one that I can get to with scarcely any traffic, just 3 miles of cycle tracks, quiet lanes and shared cycle/pedestrian paths. I used to have to give myself half a day to get there, do my shopping and come back, when I started. I do it easily, and leisurely, in about an hour and a half or less now. Kill two birds with one stone - do the shopping AND get in a bike ride!

All the best for you going forward!


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

ColinJ said:


> I was going to say no, but maybe yes - see *HERE*.



Thanks Colin. I'll take a ganders shortly.



sasquath said:


> To see measurable progress, no.



I'm sold! 



Dolorous Edd said:


> Even if you are thinking of buying a smart trainer, my advice would be to try Zwift on a dumb trainer for a while first.



Very good advice. I appreciate it!



CXRAndy said:


> https://www.youtube.com/c/drekberg



I love Ekberg. I've been watching him for years now. I also like Fung's work (his book is amazing). Lots of great info on YouTube these days that you can't get from GPs who don't seem to know their doughnuts from their salads. Keep up the fine work, mate. Sounds like you're on the right path to hit your goals. Keto really is a game-change for many. Two years ago I lost over 60lbs in just shy of six months with zero exercise. Would have kept it off, too if I hadn't had a mental wobble and then got obsessed with takeaway food 'Just Eat' is a terrible thing. Once I'm on the sugar/carbs, I have no control and crave it like heroin. When I'm in ketosis, all that goes away. It's a miracle at times. Hopefully the addition of cycling will help me from going 'back' to the old habits.


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## 20to11 (28 Sep 2021)

KnittyNorah said:


> ... if you can find a good supermarket that's a nice ride away and has cycle parking, that's a bonus!
> 
> All the best for you going forward!



That's great to hear you're making progress up the inclines. I'd have no chance with humped bridges at the moment, but there's plenty around where I live so I'll use those as progress gauges. As for supermarkets, I'm pretty lucky in that I'm just outside of the town centre so I have at least 4 all within a mile and a half, a co-op less than half a mile, and various offies and convenience shops on the way. I had even considered buying an absolute beater off eBay for those chores so that I won't feel so upset should some scrote decide to help himself to it. But if it's older, dirtier, and less desirable than other bikes in the same lockup (thankfully almost all of the shops/supermarkets have dedicated bike spots), I'll likely get away with it


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## 20to11 (18 Oct 2021)

Update for those interested. Since I posted, I've been on 14 rides, getting out between 4 and 5 times a week.

I've gone from doing around 3k to 20k (12mins to 60mins). In the last two weeks I also bought a Zwift setup (Kickr Core + a cheap used road bike) and fallen in love with indoor riding. I've stuck to a training plan, and finished up with a little over 4hrs of riding last week. Although I'm not putting out much power (yet), I'm able to last a lot longer in the saddle, and have eliminated the almost instant quad burn I experienced in the beginning. I also recently took delivery of my shiny new gravel bike which is really fun to ride.

I'm also down a couple of KG and have lost about 15cms off my chest/waist/thighs/arms etc.

I update all my stuff on Strava, so if anyone wants to follow along, my profile is here: https://www.strava.com/athletes/16068260


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## Punkawallah (18 Oct 2021)

Well done, that man!


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## sasquath (18 Oct 2021)

20to11 said:


> Update for those interested. Since I posted, I've been on 14 rides, getting out between 4 and 5 times a week.
> 
> I've gone from doing around 3k to 20k (12mins to 60mins). In the last two weeks I also bought a Zwift setup (Kickr Core + a cheap used road bike) and fallen in love with indoor riding. I've stuck to a training plan, and finished up with a little over 4hrs of riding last week. Although I'm not putting out much power (yet), I'm able to last a lot longer in the saddle, and have eliminated the almost instant quad burn I experienced in the beginning. I also recently took delivery of my shiny new gravel bike which is really fun to ride.
> 
> ...


Awesome, well done man!!!
Don't worry about power, it's all about burning those calories and burning excess fat for now. You did great progress as it is.
Keep up the good routine you have going and power will come. It's important to keep it enjoyabe and keep going.


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## jay clock (19 Oct 2021)

great work. with Strava it is worth looking at the privacy settings to hide part of your mapped route.


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## 20to11 (19 Oct 2021)

sasquath said:


> Awesome, well done man!!!
> Don't worry about power, it's all about burning those calories and burning excess fat for now. You did great progress as it is.
> Keep up the good routine you have going and power will come. It's important to keep it enjoyabe and keep going.



It's definitely enjoyable and I definitely intend to keep going. Seeing the progress each ride is quite addictive which helps. 



jay clock said:


> great work. with Strava it is worth looking at the privacy settings to hide part of your mapped route.



Yup, I have that set up. Good tip


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## Fredo76 (18 Nov 2021)

I found that keeping a training log helps with motivation. Mine also has blood pressure and blood sugar readings I do most days. I also found that daily fasting is aided by drinking broth, which somehow feels more substantial than it is. I agree with the advice to keep it fun, not a chore. Riding during a nice time of day helps with this, as does lightening up if you're having a sluggish kind of day. Keeping it fun is key.

Congratulations!


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## Peter Salt (16 Dec 2021)

How are things @20to11?

You haven't been around in a while and I also don't see you doing much on Strava... How's the weight loss journey? Hope everything is alright at your end.


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## 20to11 (16 Dec 2021)

Peter Salt said:


> How are things @20to11?
> 
> You haven't been around in a while and I also don't see you doing much on Strava... How's the weight loss journey? Hope everything is alright at your end.



Hey Peter. Things are okay, thanks. Currently off training at the moment due to a combination of injury, tight work deadlines, and in the process of moving my Zwift setup from indoors to the garage and requiring a bit of finagling to get it all up and running. I've basically decided to put things on hold until the new year as I'll be traveling to spend xmas with family for the rest of the year, but I'll be back training and Strava-updating come the new year! Hope you're doing well too. I appreciated the kudos from you; it really helps with motivation, so thank you for that


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## Proto (26 Dec 2021)

Enjoyment is the key. Don’t beat yourself up with unrealistic ambitions, setting yourself up to fail.

Ride for fun, and try to include cycling as part of your normal everyday life - ride to work, ride to the shops, ride with friends, ride with your kids - just ride!

Apart from the exercise benefit of cycling, enjoy just being outside in the fresh air. Time on your own or with others, just being outside is so good for the soul!

And don’t discount an eBike, they are briliant.

PS I’ll put my head above the parapet with this, but I’m of the opinion that no one ever lost weight through exercise.


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## simongt (26 Dec 2021)

slowmotion said:


> start enjoying yourself,


Agree absolutley. Cycling is all about enjoying the experience, regardless of how little or often you do it. Set reasonable goals for yourself and gradually increase as your enjoyment increases with time.


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## Saluki (26 Dec 2021)

20to11 said:


> Update for those interested. Since I posted, I've been on 14 rides, getting out between 4 and 5 times a week.
> 
> I've gone from doing around 3k to 20k (12mins to 60mins). In the last two weeks I also bought a Zwift setup (Kickr Core + a cheap used road bike) and fallen in love with indoor riding. I've stuck to a training plan, and finished up with a little over 4hrs of riding last week. Although I'm not putting out much power (yet), I'm able to last a lot longer in the saddle, and have eliminated the almost instant quad burn I experienced in the beginning. I also recently took delivery of my shiny new gravel bike which is really fun to ride.
> 
> ...


Hi. I have followed you. Maxwell Edison is my Strava name


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## Ming the Merciless (27 Dec 2021)

Good luck getting back to it in 2022. Don’t worry that the fitness will have leached away with lack of exercise these past 6 weeks. Just reset expectations and then try and make exercise part of your routine again. Remember exercise isn’t just about fitness but also investing in your long term health.


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## Legs (31 Dec 2021)

Saluki said:


> Hi. I have followed you. Maxwell Edison is my Strava name


do you win the silver segment trophies 🥈whenever you put the hammer down?


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## Saluki (31 Dec 2021)

Legs said:


> do you win the silver segment trophies 🥈whenever you put the hammer down?


Shhh PC 31 hasn’t caught up to me yet


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