First Cycle Ride - Near Collapse

[Spinney]

Best of all I can now do up my jeans button before I could only do up the zip so I have lost some weight although according to the scales I've not.

The scales won't reflect all your improvements. As you convert some fat to muscle you can get thinner but not lighter, because muscle is denser than fat. It sounds like you need to get lighter as well as leaner and fitter, but it will come (as long as you don't overdo the flapjack/cake etc). Good luck.

 

[BrumJim]

"Fitter is better than thinner. "

Repeat until you stop worrying about the scales.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I would add, it might be a good idea, to try walking first of all, not a slow lazy walk, but a nice brisk walk. Plot out a route of about 3 miles, set yourself one hour to complete it first time and see and see how you go. Then once you know how quick you can do it, try to reduce the time by 5 minutes each time. Carry a bottle of water with you to keep yourself hydrated. If at anytime you feel distressed, just stop and recover before carrying on. There is nothing wrong with doing some short rides as well; say 3 miles around your home, then if you are knackered, then it not far to home, then as you feel happier slowly extend it the distance, the combined gentle effort will slowly build up your fitness.

 

[fatboysoontobeslim]

stick at it fella. ive lost two stone in ten months approx since taking up cycling, you will son start to enjoy it im sure good luck

 

[Fab Foodie]

Excellent, keep it up, little and often.

Chris

Sounds like advice for my sex life ....

 

[johnr]

All of the above, plus

Fat is lighter than muscle. I lost my middle age spread pretty quickly after taking up cycling but actually put on weight!

There was an article in Cycling Plus some time ago which suggested that cycling first thing before breakfast burns fat. Don't know whether you fancy giving it a try.

Keep it up

 

[Adasta]

There was an article in Cycling Plus some time ago which suggested that cycling first thing before breakfast burns fat. Don't know whether you fancy giving it a try.

Be aware that this will make you feel bad (groggy, etc.) - at least in the beginning - since you will be using fat to power your body, which is a poor source of "fuel". It might be better just to have your calorie intake at around 2500 cals a day and ensure you eat some high-quality carbs (pasta, for example) 30-60 mins before riding.

Different strokes for different folks, though.

 

[ThePainInSpain]

I would add, it might be a good idea, to try walking first of all, not a slow lazy walk, but a nice brisk walk. Plot out a route of about 3 miles, set yourself one hour to complete it first time and see and see how you go. Then once you know how quick you can do it, try to reduce the time by 5 minutes each time. Carry a bottle of water with you to keep yourself hydrated. If at anytime you feel distressed, just stop and recover before carrying on. There is nothing wrong with doing some short rides as well; say 3 miles around your home, then if you are knackered, then it not far to home, then as you feel happier slowly extend it the distance, the combined gentle effort will slowly build up your fitness.

This is what I did after being diagnosed with a dicky valve in the old ticker. I was told to take more excersice so started with some gentle walking, then built it up to doing around 5 miles.
Frankly I was scared to cycle, but after 12 months when I felt the need for more rigorous excersice, and after checking with the Doc, bought an old BSO to give it a try.

Flogged the BSO for what I paid for it and bought a proper one, (MTB) now I'm pi€€ed off if I can't get out and do at least 10 miles.

Feeling a hell of a lot fitter, but just can't shift this last stone in weight.

 

[PaulSecteur]

Best of all I can now do up my jeans button before I could only do up the zip so I have lost some weight although according to the scales I've not.

Well done!

Your clothes will tell you more accuratly than scales that your body is changing. Those jeans sound ideal as the are probably a bit too small so any loss you make will be noticable like being able to do the button up, next will be its not such a stretch to do the button up, then they start to feel a bit loser all over, then you drop down to a different hole on your belt...then that carries of for a while until you buy new jeans in a smaller size.


Well done and carry on!

 

[Arch]

I've converted to drinking only water and tea and I'm cutting back on extras like chocolate biscuits I want to lose this weight before the summer and keep up a good plan of oversize to ensure I stay fit!

This is a good plan - make little differences to your diet rather than trying to change it overnight. I don't know if you still live at home and how much influence you can have over the meals you eat, but there are various ways to cut down on fat content without really noticing. It's all small increments, but easy to do. For example, I used to use semi skimmed milk, at 2% fat. Now, when I can get it (Sainsburys do it, Waitrose don't, so it depends where I pick up groceries), I use 1% milk - it's not fully skimmed, and I really can't tell the difference between 1% and 2%. nAlso, when I cook with minced beef, I buy pretty cheap mince for budget reasons, but once it's browned in the pan, a lot of fat comes out, and I drain nearly all of it off - that's a tablespoon of fat less in my meal. And I've just made my portions smaller - I used to serve as much spaghetti for me as ought to have been for two, and eat it all. Now, I'm down to a sensible size portion, and that fills me up fine, where before I was stuffed.

But snacking is the devil. I managed to cut out a lot of snacking last year, but it's crept back a bit over the winter, and I can feel the difference in my clothes, so now's the time to make that effort again. Again, you might just be able to lessen the snacks, instead of cut them out altogether. Don't get a packet of biscuits out and leave it by your computer. Get one out, and put the packet back in a tin, in the kitchen. Make it an effort to snack more.

Anyway, good luck - it sounds like you're coming on well already with the diet and the cycling. To increase your distances, can you find a circular route that goes around where your house is? If you do laps of it, then you can increase the distance you ride, without ever being too far from home if you find yourself really tired (instead of riding 5 miles out, and being stuck 5 miles away). As you get fitter, increase the radius of your circuit.

 

[quassleberry]

Well done on how you've improved so far. It will get easier as everyone's said.
I will say BIN the scales and just use the clothes indicator to see how well you're doing.

Most of my work colleagues are on diets, sometimes all together none of them exercise but we all usually get weighed on a tuesday morning in our worktime training session, it infuriates me that my weight hardly changes despite walking 5 dogs twice a day, cycling to & from work 4 times a day and having tried to train for a half marathon last year as well as housework yet my uniform trousers are now so loose I'm considering looking out my belt to hold them up.

So you will get there, just build up gradually.

 

[MossCommuter]

I weigh the same as you.


12 months ago I started riding to work... back then I was 7 pounds lighter but a whole lot fatter. I have never weighed more than I do now nor have I ever had so many people remark on how much fitter/healthier/trimmer I look.

I am no dietician but I say ditch the scales.