35, overweight, and out of shape

[Globalti]

My brother lives in Michigan and like the OP, he used to be slim and fit when we cycled together. However after arriving in the USA his weight blossomed thanks to long working hours, crap food, too much food and no exercise at all. He says that road cycling is too dangerous thanks to dozy idiots in SUVs and pick-ups driving and texting and walking is not great because in his district of Ann Arbor if you walk people will take you for a burglar and may even take a shot at you. On the two occasions I've visited him I've been shocked at the size of the portions and the fact that nobody seemed to walk anywhere; there were few pavements (sidewalks) and the few there were, were more like sloping concrete verges on the roads and not great for walking along.

My advice would be to cut your meals in half, store the second half and eat it later. Your stomach will soon get used to the smaller sizes. Cut out beer and after your evening meal clean and floss your teeth, which helps you to avoid the temptation to snack during the evening. It works for me anyway, 60 years old and still the same 32" waist as always.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Hi,

First thing I'd recommend, is to get yourself checked out with a doctor - to ensure that you have no underlying condition that might prevent you from training. Once you've had the 'all clear', I'd get out and do some running and cycling. Running will develop your fitness levels faster than cycling, but take care not to overdo it - with cycling, you are less likely to suffer overuse injuries.

I had a physical not too long ago, I'm not overly concerned with my health being an issue at this point as I've always had decent check ups and haven't developed any issues since. Plus I plan to take it a bit slow at first, I have a doctors appointment coming up before too long anyway.

I used to run a little bit as well, but that's not a great option for me at this point (especially with the cold weather setting in). Indoor training is the best option for me right now, especially with a little one crawling around. I don't get much free time these days.

My brother lives in Michigan and like the OP, he used to be slim and fit when we cycled together. However after arriving in the USA his weight blossomed thanks to long working hours, crap food, too much food and no exercise at all. He says that road cycling is too dangerous thanks to dozy idiots in SUVs and pick-ups driving and texting and walking is not great because in his district of Ann Arbor if you walk people will take you for a burglar and may even take a shot at you. On the two occasions I've visited him I've been shocked at the size of the portions and the fact that nobody seemed to walk anywhere; there were few pavements (sidewalks) and the few there were, were more like sloping concrete verges on the roads and not great for walking along.

My advice would be to cut your meals in half, store the second half and eat it later. Your stomach will soon get used to the smaller sizes. Cut out beer and after your evening meal clean and floss your teeth, which helps you to avoid the temptation to snack during the evening. It works for me anyway, 60 years old and still the same 32" waist as always.

I'm lucky to live in a fairly rural area of the US where I can safely ride on the roads and we have plenty of sidewalks. Eating large portions is definitely an issue, mostly at dinner time so I need to work on that for sure. I'm starting to get better with what I bring to work to eat. Usually a banana or yogurt for a snack in the morning, a sandwich or some soup for lunch and an apple or something like that in the afternoon. The issue is when I get home and eat twice the dinner I should because I'm hungry and it tastes good . So that's another area I'll be working on as I get used to my eating routine for work. Small adjustments in succession I think are the best for me. Anything radical and I won't stick with it.

 

[Globalti]

Having said that I have a 32" waist I have found as I passed 60 that I put on weight during my two-week trips overseas, during which I eat too much hotel food, drink too much beer and take absolutely zero exercise. The belt is always tight when I return home but a couple of weeks off beer, a couple of bike rides and some light DIY seems to do the trick. The DIY is especially effective because reduced testosterone means my upper body is not as well muscled as it used to be and chopping and stacking wood, for examole, is quite hard work. What I'm saying is that just cycling twice a week isn't really enough to burn fat.

In my 30s I used to do light weights in a gym once a week and that was really effective at keeping me lean. I will go back to gym work when I retire.

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Feel for OP here, you guys talking about Stones, lol. Even us Canuckians don't know what that is.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Feel for OP here, you guys talking about Stones, lol. Even us Canuckians don't know what that is.

Haha, I know right. Good thing for google!!

Also, minor set back this weekend. I burned up my smart trainer, guess I must have gotten a bad one. I've only had it a week and white smoke started bellowing out of it while I was trying to do a baseline fitness test. New one is on the way, and then I'll have to box this one up and send it back. Didn't get to ride as much as I wanted yesterday because of that, and I'll be off the bike for the next 2 days as well. Hard to create a habit when stuff like this slows me down.

On the other hand, I've started changing up my diet a little bit trying to reduce portions at dinner time and eat healthier during the day. Especially at work, mindless snacking is easy to do sitting at a desk all day.

 

[swee'pea99]

Is there a swimming pool anywhere near you? Cycling is great exercise, but as you've found it can be quite hard going if you're out of the habit. Swimming is more adaptable to whatever state anyone happens to be in, and it's a good overall workout without being so strenuous as to be offputting. Regular swimming could be a 'gateway workout', and help you get to the basic level of fitness you need to really make a go of cycling.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

Is there a swimming pool anywhere near you? Cycling is great exercise, but as you've found it can be quite hard going if you're out of the habit. Swimming is more adaptable to whatever state anyone happens to be in, and it's a good overall workout without being so strenuous as to be offputting. Regular swimming could be a 'gateway workout', and help you get to the basic level of fitness you need to really make a go of cycling.

Great suggestion, although I've never been too much of a swimmer. I did consider it because there's a local Fitness club that has a gym, a pool, squash court, etc. But it's pretty pricey. I was actually beginning to enjoy the bike even after just a few days until my turbo smoked out on me. New one will be here tomorrow, hopefully I have better luck with that.

 

[Daddy Pig]

Great suggestion, although I've never been too much of a swimmer. I did consider it because there's a local Fitness club that has a gym, a pool, squash court, etc. But it's pretty pricey. I was actually beginning to enjoy the bike even after just a few days until my turbo smoked out on me. New one will be here tomorrow, hopefully I have better luck with that.

The turbo is a great way to get your heart and lungs fit and working well. Once you get some decent fitness other sports will become more enjoyable as you'll find it easier to move around. Get those legs spinning and good luck!

 

[jonny jeez]

Hey all!
Any suggestions...... mostly I'm just looking for opinions on the best way to help me loose some weight and maybe have some fun doing it.

well done on the tacx.

But, if i'm honest I thing a static trainer is a really hard way to "get into" fitness and may be an even tougher way to get into cycling (although I get that this might not be an aspiration).

its certainly a tough way to have fun doing it.

For maintaining fitness, sure a trainer is excellent (if you have the dedication and discipline) but to get the ball rolling, I think that requires something that captures your interest and provides a better emotional reward.

Personally I suspect you will loose more weight if you take up regular walking or swimming...and of course, there's always cycling..like real cycling, out in the woods or on the road....honest, its awesome fun...plus you can even eat cake and still get fit.

 

[Jeepfreak81]

well done on the tacx.

But, if i'm honest I thing a static trainer is a really hard way to "get into" fitness and may be an even tougher way to get into cycling (although I get that this might not be an aspiration).

its certainly a tough way to have fun doing it.

For maintaining fitness, sure a trainer is excellent (if you have the dedication and discipline) but to get the ball rolling, I think that requires something that captures your interest and provides a better emotional reward.

Personally I suspect you will loose more weight if you take up regular walking or swimming...and of course, there's always cycling..like real cycling, out in the woods or on the road....honest, its awesome fun...plus you can even eat cake and still get fit.

I'm definitely planning to cycle outside as well, but it's getting to be the time of year around here that it's pretty nasty going and the snow will be on the ground soon. I know using trainers can be hard because you are inside looking at the same 4 walls, but that's why I opted for a smart trainer. I get to ride with other people and challenge myself. I'm quite competitive so I'm hoping that will inspire me to keep pushing harder. In addition, I've got some snowshoes I didn't get to try out last year due to the piss poor winter we had, planning to get out this year.

 

[jonny jeez]

I'm definitely planning to cycle outside as well, but it's getting to be the time of year around here that it's pretty nasty going and the snow will be on the ground soon. I know using trainers can be hard because you are inside looking at the same 4 walls, but that's why I opted for a smart trainer. I get to ride with other people and challenge myself. I'm quite competitive so I'm hoping that will inspire me to keep pushing harder. In addition, I've got some snowshoes I didn't get to try out last year due to the piss poor winter we had, planning to get out this year.

Nice one.

then check this out for an immersive Static experience.

http://www.widerun.com/

 

[Fab Foodie]

On the turbo, use the first 15 mins, spinning very gently to properly warm up, then more energetic stuff, then 15 mins slowly spinning down.

 

[Yorksman]

If you have the time, you can lose weight by learning to cook. By that I mean prepare everything, including the sauces. Most things in tins and packages have either too much fat, too much sugar, the magic 50:50 sugar fat combination as well as lots of things like salt. Preparing and cooking your own food means that you can control what goes into every meal. You can still eat most things and still eat reasonable sized portions but, you have to control the fat and sugar content. The big problem though is time, or rather, lack of it. Planning what you want to eat, buying the right foods, preparing the meals all takes time. Spices here are your friend. You can use simple ingredients such as prawns and tomatoes but with the right spices, make it chinese, indian, italian. Herbs and spices liven up very simple foods without adding calories. Again though, you need to invest time in learning about them and how to use them.

https://www.hairybikersdietclub.com/recipes/

Exercise whilst dieting in this way helps too but not by burning off the calories. Excercise causes certain hormones which alter the digestive pathways to some extent. Your blood lipids are reduced by upto 50% which means the fats in the food you do eat are not laid down in the body tissue. However, the maximum value of this is achieved at around 250 Kcal per day. The best way is still, reduce the calorie intake but you don't need to eat lettuce and tomatoes all the time, there are about 80 recipes here by the UK's Hairy Bikers. The downside is you need to find the time and the motivation.

I also use a Tacx, 2 x 30 mins per day, running the Tacx Films.

And, then patience is required. Just a couple of pounds per week should be fine.