I'm a complete beginner...........

[Steve Malkin]

Hi Roshan.

Last year I was in much the same position as you, I weighed 15st 6 Lbs and at 5' 7" was as close to obese as makes no difference, On the 3rd June 2011 I bought a book by Dr Charles Clarke called the High Protein Diet Book, now I did not expect to much but the results have been outstanding and I have lost 44Lbs in weight, the diet is based upon carb counting not calorie control which mainly does not work and in the end is self defeating.

The diet is boring and you need never be hungry and best of all IT WORKS two guys I work with and my wife have all lost weight AND KEPT IT OFF.

I now belong to a gym, rum 7K three times a week (last June I could not have run a bath ) and after many years have got back into cycling again.

But enough about me this will work FOR YOU, i am a normal weak willed man who has tried many many diets and failed, why? because calorie controlled diets dont works but this one does. If I can do it the believe me ANYONE can do it.

Please, please try it you have nothing to lose but your fat.

Personally I would say don't bother with any of the 'miracle' diet methods, but rely instead on your own common sense.

If you are dramatically overweight then it makes exercising difficult and uncomfortable, so it makes sense to go on a fairly strict diet initially and get some weight off to make exercising easier.

I kept to a fairly strict diet for about 6 months when I started out, but I didn't follow any particular 'method', even calorie counting was just too much of a chore for me. Instead I just cut out all those foods that I know are full of fat and sugar like cakes, sweets, biscuits, pork pies, take-aways etc and allowed myself to eat as much fruit, nuts, salad and other healthy stuff as I wanted.

You can do that for a few months no problem, but it's not something you can do forever unless you're some kind of iron willed Jedi master.

Once you get down to a weight you are happy with then provided you are active and exercising regularly then you don't need to 'diet' any more, these days if I fancy a bag of chips or a mars bar then I have one, just not every night that's all

And Primal Scream, If you're going to the gym regularly and running 7k 3 times a week then you could probably live on a diet of lard butties and you wouldn't put on weight!!

 

[lulubel]

Personally I would say don't bother with any of the 'miracle' diet methods, but rely instead on your own common sense.

I agree with this.

Calorie counting does work, for fairly obvious reasons, but it's too much of a chore for most people. If you've got to your current weight by eating a lot of takeaways and junk food, try to cut down on that, keep on with the cycling, and you'll see the weight start to come off.

You've already done the hardest part by just getting out there. Once you start to see improvements in fitness and some weight loss, there'll be no stopping you!

 

[KateK]

I haven't cycled for many years and those years have taken thier toll on my fitness and weight. I'm 5'9, 18 stone, 42 years old and a walking heart attack. I have bought a bike and rode it today for the first time. Probably covered about 4 miles in 2 hours!!!!!!

You are doing something really positive Roshan. You just need to give yourself time. I had been in hospital for the best part of two years when I started going out for rides last October. The first day I tried to go up a hill I got so winded it took me a good two minutes before I could even stand up straight...and I was only about 100 yards up the hill. Needless to say I haven't been up that particular hill for some time. I'd repeat what the others say really, they probly know more than me! : make sure you are in a low enough gear, ie easy enough to pedal with some sort of continuity...in my case this is in first gear! and make sure you breathe, sounds silly but once I realised that you can breathe more frequently than you are turning the pedals it made a big difference. And if you are knackered, get off and walk - you are still getting exercise after all. Oh, and try and find some flat routes, it does wonders for your self confidence. Best of Luck, I know you can do it!

 

[gary in derby]

Hi Roshan,
silly question, but what bike have you got? as a mtb with knobbly tyres will knacker anybody out first time. if thats the case get some slicks on it the difference is amazing. from another fat git who found out the hard way.

 

[Primal Scream]

Personally I would say don't bother with any of the 'miracle' diet methods, but rely instead on your own common sense.

If you are dramatically overweight then it makes exercising difficult and uncomfortable, so it makes sense to go on a fairly strict diet initially and get some weight off to make exercising easier.

I kept to a fairly strict diet for about 6 months when I started out, but I didn't follow any particular 'method', even calorie counting was just too much of a chore for me. Instead I just cut out all those foods that I know are full of fat and sugar like cakes, sweets, biscuits, pork pies, take-aways etc and allowed myself to eat as much fruit, nuts, salad and other healthy stuff as I wanted.

You can do that for a few months no problem, but it's not something you can do forever unless you're some kind of iron willed Jedi master.

Once you get down to a weight you are happy with then provided you are active and exercising regularly then you don't need to 'diet' any more, these days if I fancy a bag of chips or a mars bar then I have one, just not every night that's all

And Primal Scream, If you're going to the gym regularly and running 7k 3 times a week then you could probably live on a diet of lard butties and you wouldn't put on weight!!

Hi Steve.

Just a couple of comments, the diet is no sort of "miracle diet" such as the cabbage diet and other such dumb ideas, it is just a case of restricting daily carbs below 40 grams and getting into a state of ketosis. I have been trying different diets (I hesitate to use the word diet) for many years with some short term success, this however works with quick results, I just wish I had tried this many years ago.

As I said I have lost a lot of weight and more to the point have kept it off with no effort or hunger.

As for the gym/running this only started after I lost most of the weight so my lose is not because of it although no doubt it helps to keep it off.

The only reason I directed Roshan is that it has worked for me and three other people, my wife has gone from a size 12/14 to a 10.

One great result it has got me back on a road bike after many many years and for that I am very thankful

 

[Thomk]

I read your post and it is exactly the situation I was in a couple of years ago, I too an 5'9", mid 40s, and weighed 18 stone 2 years ago.

Now I'm 12 stone and whilst not exactly super fit, I am fitter than I have been at any time in my adult life, and I'm loving it!

My advice would be simply to stick with it and don't expect to see instant results. It took me 43 years to get my body into the state in the left hand picture, so I decided to give myself at least a few years to get back into reasonable shape. Do frequent exercise and build up gradually by trying to push yourself just a little bit harder every time you go out, tiny increments soon add up to a significant change.

Also, whilst cycling is great, try not to make it your only exercise option. In the middle of winter when it's pitch black and freezing cold outside it can be difficult to find much enjoyment in a bike ride, so I tend to concentrate on swimming during the winter, it doesn't matter what the weathers doing outside, it's always the same in the swimming pool.

The good news is that it definitely does get easier, as the weight comes off and your stamina increases you'll find that you enjoy it more and more, it's like a sort of virtuous circle, the more you do the more you'll enjoy doing it, so stick with it!!

That is two separate people completely, photos taken 5 minutes apart! Even the hair is more happening!

 

[Roshan Varma]

thank you all for your comments and advice. all taken on board. the bike i have is a raleigh something or other. bought for £200. it has the skinny wheels on it not the fat ones as all the cycling i'm doing is in the city. i'm attemting to do the "knowledge " on it so if you spot a fat brown man on a bike with a map attached to a board in front of him puffing and panting riding around London - that'll be me!! good luck all

 

[Francesca]

do NOT give up!!!!keep at it, believe me, you will see and feel the difference with alot of determination. Good luck!

 

[lavoisier]

Lycra?????????????? Bloody hell! Do they do fat git size? That would not be a pretty sight at this stage in the game

I too am a fat git but shrinking slowly. I found the Lycra also stops your wobbly bits wobbling so much tiring you out and causing stitches. Go for it and good luck.

 

[Black Bird]

Like everyone have said here .
Don't give up . There is this hill here where lots of cyclist will get off and walk instead .
1st time when I was there , I did got off . 2nd time half way and got off < and its really killing my heart > .
3rd time all the way up . Now never got off .

It is still quite heavy on my body but keep up the spirit , sleep early , wake early , no smoking , eat healthy !!

My goal is to take on the another not so steep one but still steep one .

 

[colly]

I'll echo what everyone else has said in that you have done the hardest thing already. That's to get up, get out and get on the bike. It won't be quick but stick at it and you will end up where you want to be.

 

[seashaker]

Keep up the good work!! you will get there. My boss has just lost 4 stone in around 6 months mainly through cycling. I weigh a bit less than you but not exactly fit and yeah if you get to a hill you cant get up you walk, thats fine. dont get disheartened by it everyone has to start somewhere, just think to the future when you will be fitter and will be able to cycle up these hills, it will all be worth it! I have a local nemisis that I cant manage at the min and cant wait for the day I make it up there!

 

[Risex4]

Just to echo what has been said already.

Firstly, (and I do hope this doesn't come across as patronising as thats the furthest thing from my intention), you must be congratulated on actually taking the steps of buying a bike and trying to get out there! I know far too many people who bemoan their weight/fitness. I've offered/suggested many times to help them - cycling is my preference, but other things aswell, including simply "lets go for a walk" - but some people just seem set on accepting things as they are. No matter your starting point in fitness, the resolve to actually go out there and seek some kind of improvment is the biggest thing; rate of improvement, distances covered, speed traveled, hills climbed/how, everything after that is secondary.

On hills, in my experience, everyone walks! If you're looking at fitness, then its a good sign - if you simple breeze over it its not doing its job of working you properly and you need to find a bigger one. I actually love hills I can't climb; I think they're a great and simple measure of improvement. I'll hit one and pant and puff and eventually give up at some point on the climb, but as seashaker said, I then simply 'mark' that one as a challange. I'll leave it for a week or so, doing other rides in other places, then come back and hit it again and see if I can better my previous attempt. Eventually I'll beat it, and then I'll set off to find a sterner test.

I currently have four 'marked' hills. The first is a steady 1.5 miles long. First time I hit it not long after starting cycling again I made it probably about 100 yards before I had to stop. And then stopped several more times on the way up. The second time I more or less made it but felt terrible over the final stretch, the most recent I was actually still fairly fresh by the time I crested. Hills Two and Three are in various stages of tackling, one Im more or less there on after four attempts, one Im hitting halfway before I have to start forcibly fighting the "Walk It" urge.

The fourth I found yesterday, and my lord, I think I managed about 20 feet before I instantly started regretting finding it! It will, however, be a sweet day when I crack that one cleanly!

The advice is definately don't give up, or feel in any way negative about where you are right now. You can't change where you are *right now*, so there is little point in worrying about that. What you can change is where you *will* be. Enjoy the challange of getting there and the feeling of achievement along the way.

Oh, and as I have no medical knowledge what-so-ever, I'd not advocate my approach to all and sundry, at least not without someone speaking to their doc first.