# Post up your weight loss stories and how you did it



## lacofdfireman (May 2, 2010)

6'4 245lb Overweight 40 year old that has gotten back into cycling this past year. When I started I was pushing 265 and seem to have plateaued.. I still have the dreaded hand to mouth disease and eating at a Fire Station is not always the healthiest choice but would love to hear some weight loss success stories to keep me motivated. Seems like most of the stuff I see here on RBR of weight loss success they say they cut out Breads and Sugars. I can subscribe to that but what about your longer rides when you are using Gels, honey stingers etc for energy. I am sure they are packed with sugar. What would be your advice to a guy like me that would love to get below 220 this next year? Tell me your story...


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## odyofael (May 14, 2011)

My heaviest was 242 lbs. My lowest was 209 lbs., then I stopped riding for a year, in May of 2010 to around June of this year. The weight crawled back to 228. Now I am back to riding, got all my numbers down (bp and cholesterol), 212 lbs currently and been eating healthy. Ok, not all the time but I burn it anyway. You can't deprive yourself for eating delicious food you know! If it looks good, I eat it...with moderation. Safe riding and Happy Christmas to everyone! I'm 45 years young and 5'10".:thumbsup:


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

I started my weight loss about 5 years ago when I was 36 years old.

I was 5'11" tall and between 290 and 300 pounds at the time. When I could't reach down and tie my shoes any longer...having to put my foot on a table or something like that to tie them...I knew it was time to start working out again or bad things were coming my way.

So I started easy...45 minutes a day on the trainer 5 days a week. After a month I upped it to an hour a day 6 days a week and kept building. 4 months after that I found a club with regular Saturday rides that started near my house...so I began riding with them and joined the club shortly after.

The first year I dropped from my 290-300 pound range down to 235 pounds or so. During that time I moved from the 17-19 mph group (average speeds on the flats) to the 19-21 mph group. Then winter hit and I kept riding with them on Saturdays...but still having the "Hand to mouth" disease I jumped up to 250 pounds over the winter.

I wanted to race the next year...just time trials...and during some of the winter rides I was asked to join the race team for the following season. January hit and I knew I needed to lose weight if I was going to race...my power was good, but my weight was 250 pounds. So I kept up with my normal 12 hours or so per week on the bike/trainer and started major calorie restrictions (-1500 calories per day) for the next 4 months. 

By the time April rolled around I was down to 196 pounds and not just racing TT's but also participating in road races.

From then on I have been up and down a little with my weight...usually putting on 25-30 pounds from the end of the season to the end of December, then I take it off over the first 3 months of the year for the race season...I still have the "Hand to mouth" disease, but my workouts and eating a little better keep it in check compared to the past.

Since I've started racing I moved up to a CAT 3 racer...but mostly race masters 40+ now and have won several CAT 3 state championships in the Team Time Trial and placed in the top 3 in my class each year in the state championship ITT's. I've won my fair share or road races, ITT's, cross races and MTB races over the years.

It's always going to be a work in process for me...but riding has helped immensely and when I get check ups at the doctor my numbers are all way better than 99% of the people out there my age...and 20 years younger for that matter 

Now I'm 41, my weight (off season) is around 210...which is better than usual this time of year...and I'll be back down to 190 by early/mid March and ready for another race season :thumbsup:

*Before and after pictures*...The photo on the right/bottom is a picture of me this season (*age 41...and 4 years after the first weight loss photo*) at around 200 pounds. As you can see...the upper body muscle isn't going away with age and 185-190 pounds is about as low as I can generally get due to muscle mass (and I don't do any upper body lifting at all).


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## lacofdfireman (May 2, 2010)

Wow, Wookiebiker 1500calories a day? What kind of food are you eating and how do you even have the energy to ride? I can't imagine only taking in that many calories. You have an amazing story and one you should be very proud of. What does your daily food intake include? Is there stuff you don't eat ie: sugars etc? Thanks. Any nutritional information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

lacofdfireman said:


> Wow, Wookiebiker 1500calories a day? What kind of food are you eating and how do you even have the energy to ride? I can't imagine only taking in that many calories. You have an amazing story and one you should be very proud of. What does your daily food intake include? Is there stuff you don't eat ie: sugars etc? Thanks. Any nutritional information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks...


When I start my weight loss every season (January 1st every year)...I start to monitor my calories using fitday.com and I put "Everything" down. What I eat varies depending on what my workout was that day.

I don't rule out sugars...or any food for that matter...but do up my protein intake and drop my carb intake a lot during the weight loss.

As for having the energy to workout...Basically I eat a little before working out, which ups my energy for the workout, then eat something shortly after the workout...again monitoring what I eat. Getting on a schedule helps as well...but seeing my food intake and my caloric burn for the day helps a lot. I do use a powermeter so I have a good idea of my actual caloric burn for the day (as well as my base metabolic rate). I can pretty much chart out my weight loss a month ahead with this method and hit it within a pound or two.

Usually on an average workout day I'll eat around 2200-2500 calories that day...but on a long/hard ride day...something like a 4 hour hard group ride where I might burn 3500 calories I'll bump my calorie intake up to 4000 calories or so that day.

It all depends...but having certain goals in place and wanting to hit them...such as placing well in a race, not getting dropped on the hard climbs, etc. keep me on track


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## alexp247365 (Dec 29, 2009)

My wife is from another country - a country with a food culture none-the-less. She thinks American food is about on par with dog food. I thought she was crazy, until the first time I went to visit her homeland where meals are actually cooked with natural ingredients. 

She will spend most nights cooking something with vegetables and maybe an 1/8th pound of ground beef or ground lamb to add some flavor. 

Not eating anything that comes in a box is really the secret, but to get there, you have to learn to cook. Nothing wrong with bread either, but you have to understand that most of the bread on the shelf isn't bread. If it has more than 5 ingredients, its not bread. 

I started cycling at 220, and am down to 170 over the course of a few years. Racing also helps to set goals which can only be accomplished by having the correct balance of sleep, diet, and exercise.

As long as you keep trying - you'll get there. It's great that you asked for advice, as learning from others will help to find out what works for you. Just don't give up!


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

I was always trying to get down from 160-170 range to around 150 for racing. All my success came with spending most of the day hungry, not pigging out in the evening, and good amounts of easy riding.

Soon as I'd start doing higher intensities to get in shape for racing, weight loss usually stopped.


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## Zipp0 (Aug 19, 2008)

202 a few years ago. Quit smoking and decided to race mountain bikes for motivation to stay off the cigs. Lowest weight was 2 years ago at 172 - and i was really doing well in the races at that point. My fork control went downhill and weight this fall crept back to 191. My goal is to go into the spring road races at 172. Starting with the weight off will make it much easier to have a good season than starting overweight and having to watch calories when i am riding a lot.

Like wookie I cut overall calories big time on non hard days. I am weight training and upping the protein as well. If you are not hungry most of the time you aren't doing it right. There is no short cut and it is not easy. You just have to decide how bad you want it.

Also, I got a good body composition scale so I can see added muscle and lost fat. That helps me keep perspective if I see a pound or two added to the scale.


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## Poncharelli (May 7, 2006)

Around 200 pounds 10 years ago. Now at a good weight of 160-170. Been as low as 158. 

I believe it was because I moved to a town that has so much accessibility to healthy activity. Moved from EP Texas to Ogden Utah were the biking/race/riding/health scene is much stronger. I saw all the MTB trails around the city and everyone doing it, so I wanted to get into it. There's also about 4 or 5 road club rides that go off in town during the week. Also a midweek MTB race series and crit series throughout the summer. (Now it seems like we have _too many_ cycling activities). 

The weight loss was just a side effect of riding, having fun, and trying to get faster. Weight loss wasn't the focus at all.


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## bike-md (Dec 6, 2011)

As with Poncharelli, I started riding for "fun" and trying to get faster...

Started at 194 (I am 5'9")....after one year of riding I am at 177.

I hope to reach 170-175 by next year....and keep it there. I am not as interested in weight loss, as I am tired of being dropped by 145lb guys during our group ride every time we hit a small incline.


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

My weight had steadily gained over the years despite cycling a lot. Last Christmas, I got an iPhone for Christmas and downloaded an app called "LoseIt" to start tracking my calories because I had always heard that was the best way to lose weight. It worked and I had lost 30 pounds by August, which is what I weighed in college nearly 40 years ago.

With LoseIt, you enter in all of your personal data (eg, weight, height, age, etc.) and set a goal for how much weight you want to lose over a time period. It then gives you a calorie budget needed to reach that goal. If you go over on any given day, it's no big deal if you make it up another day. My goal was to lose 1 lb/week, which requires a 3,500 calorie/week reduction. The app also tracks you calories burned and has data for a bunch of different exercises. So, for example, if you have a 2,000 calorie/day budget, you can actually eat 3,000 calories of food if you burn 1,000 calories from cycling or other exercise. Over time, I lost weight at almost exactly the rate set by my budget, altho it varied from week to week.

Since I reached my target weight in August, I set a new goal to maintain my weight at the current level, so it allows me to eat more. Although weight still fluctuates on a daily/weekly basis, I have successfully maintained my target weight on average for the past 4 months.

If you don't have a smart phone, you can still use Loseit.com through their website, and it's free. The smartphone just makes it simpler to enter food and exercise data and avoid cheating by forgetting to keep track of what you eat.


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## mmoose (Apr 2, 2004)

6'0", was 225 in 2009. I saw 163 on the scale this summer. Since I added leg muscle also, that's a lot of fat gone.

I cut back on simple sugars. I still like bread, it fills the belly. So even if it's "carbs", the fill factor makes it worth while for me. Apart from that, just smaller portions. Simple receipe for me: wake up, small bowl of cereal, work for 3-4 hours, protein heavy carb light lunch (sometimes, just a protein shake)

Everyone has different definitions of "long rides". 10 years ago, I'd always have something in a jersey pocket for eating on 40-60 milers. But on a late year ride with the local group, I was suprised how much people were eating. Two stops at gas stations and we only did 66 or so. I had a granola bar (100 cals), 21 oz bottles of water and gatoraid (no refills).

Of my 13 centuries this year, I usually only had 2 granolas and 4 bottles total. (maybe another refill when it was over 95*). I had a Sat 100 solo, Sun 100 with 2 friends and Monday 110 solo (about 5:12 for the century, so I wasn't too slow, but I didn't get my sub 5 solo goal)...but on that Saturday, I did eat an extra chunk of coffee cake. After the monday ride, I added a hamburger to the protein shake. Figured I was still on the good side of the calories.

But the point is, when you train your body to work off of fat, you don't have to gel up alot. If I were riding to race and win, then I would pay more attention to eating. But I'm more recreational.


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## Sonomasnap (Feb 10, 2010)

2.5 years ago I was not riding, was 49yo. weighed 206 and 5'10.5".

Looked in the mirror, said I was fat, got my old Waterford bike out of the closet, drastically cut my calories and started riding like a man possessed. Lost 35 lbs. in 2 month. Current weight 174, 51 years old, Cat3.

Shooting for 165 lbs this season.

Not really that hard. At least the early way overweight lbs.


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## Chico2000 (Jul 7, 2011)

In the early 1990's I was riding often, doing a few MTB races, did a 2 month cross country tour to MTB in some great places(Moab, S.Dakota,Colorado,Wyoming . Weighed about 148lbs at the time 5' 9'' tall.
Got a finance job, which got me into a fast living (drinking, smoking, party 6nights a week). Did that for about 10 yrs (almost zero bike riding) until I got married. Looked at wedding pics and said, "damn, my face looks fat". Got on the scale. 185lbs!!! I nearly sh*t myself.
Wife got pregnant (4yrs ago) I wanted to get healthy again. Started running, got down to 168lbs.
This past spring wife says, "Why don't you start riding again, you seemed so happy when you were doing that".
Rode 3 or 4 days a week for most of the summer. Bought a new road bike. 
Current weight is 158.
30lbs might not seem like that much, but I'm only 5'9'' and fairly slim frame.
Haven't touched a cigarette in 5yrs (quit cold turkey) but have a cigar once in a while. I try to watch what I eat, but I don't stick to a strict diet.
Still probably drink a bit too much(to silence the voices).


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## Incident (Nov 22, 2011)

mmoose said:


> If I were riding to race and win, then I would pay more attention to eating. But I'm more recreational.


Of course I wouldn't call that racing, but I would definitely call that more then recreational.


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## Cinelli 82220 (Dec 2, 2010)

Consistency is the most important thing. Don't think up a rigorous training schedule you won't be able to follow. Don't starve yourself or you'll end up binge eating.
I do weights for 45min and an hour on the stairclimber every morning before work. I follow a program that I can maintain, not one that leaves me exhausted. And leaving it until after work usually means it won't get done. Try a five day weight split, plus cardio. There are lots of weight/diet/cardio programs on bodybuilding dot com.
Any bodybuilder will tell you that a six pack is made in the kitchen, not in the gym. Write down every single thing you put in mouth. Doing that makes me think twice about everything I eat.


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## Trevor Ash (May 19, 2005)

I originally started riding a bike about 10 years ago to save money (sold car) and lose weight. It's been an up and down cycle for me. I'm a "small framed" guy, 5'9". In high school I was about 130 pounds. Over the years my metabolism stopped and I managed to hit 170. For me, I felt extremely overweight. You could see it in my face and my torso. The first time I loss the weight was mostly because I was riding a lot, and trying to race. I was watching calories, but I was more interested in becoming faster than anything else. Somehow I managed to get to 140. I eventually stopped riding for a couple years, got into bad habits and climbed back to 175 on the scale one day. I decided enough was enough. It took a few years to go from 140 to 175.

Today I'm riding bikes again, but mostly via commuting. I'm sitting at a comfortable 155 with a goal of being comfortably under 150. I think that's my ideal weight.

It might seem stupid talking about 175 to 150 (it's only 25 pounds right?) but my body really shows it when you're built like I am. I'm guessing it'll be something I deal with for the rest of my life.


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## iheartbenben (Mar 18, 2011)

Got a little pudgy. Knee took an arrow in the day. Got a bike. That's really all there was to it, cycling. My non-bike exercises are specifically for cycling.

230 to 180 in about a year, down to 165 two years or so now, but I'm climbing up given the holidays. I've been in shape before, Football, Army, and Tennis 'fit'. Cyclist fit is just plain skinny, I feel awkward these days in public.

When I don't ride for a few days, I get fluffy. The biggest key was consistent focus on healthy calorie deficit to get below 180, then below 170 you have to start doing crazy stuff (6 foot here) like only eating fruit, eating a bite here every hour w/o big meals, and setting your homepage to the paleo-diet-blog guilt trip.


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## ohiorick (May 29, 2010)

I'm 58. Six months ago I decided I was getting too fat and at 240 pounds and 5'8" . I started a Medifast plan and started to watch what I was eating. I am eating about 1200 calories a day now and weigh 179. I have always been a bike rider. My wife and I rode RAGBRAI in 2010. Raced a few cyclocross races this year and just hired a coach and plan to get serious for next season. It really is all about getting off ones butt and eating healthy and less food.


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

When I started cycling I was finishing up my senior year at college.. Swam in high school and college and did fairly well. However I never really slimmed down. At 6'1" I was carrying around 225-245 pounds around. I never looked "fat" but I was a big guy. After swimming finished I needed a new activity because I didn't want to get bigger. Started mountain biking... 2 years later moved home and got a full time job. Treated myself to a new road bike. Started riding on the road a lot and eventually my interests shifted toward racing. I was still big.. well over 220 but slimming down. After a few years of becoming a roadie I began training more seriously.. Dropped under 200lbs and steadily kept losing weight. 
During the winter I kept packing the weight back on so a few years ago I joined Masters swimming and started training for swimming again. This helped me curb the winter weight gain. Now I'm around 170lbs in the best shape of my life and happy as ever. So.. I'll continue working hard and see how things go from here.


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## Hiro11 (Dec 18, 2010)

I swam competitively through college and used to do 20 mile runs for fun. I weighed 142 in fighting trim at 22 years old (my coach made us weigh ourselves all the time to ensure hydration). I then promptly gained 100 pounds when I graduated, got married and was issued a desk job.

I peaked at 245 (I'm 5'10") in 2006. After buying a pair of size 40 waisted jeans I decided enough was enough. I joined a gym and started trying to run. Initially I couldn't jog for more than six minutes straight the first week. I could jog maybe 400M and then have to take a break. It was embarrasing.

I started swimming again and worked up to about 1500 yards after three months. I lost some weight but was stuck at 185 for about a year

After a two years I did a half marathon. Training for it pushed me over the edge and my weight went down to 153 at that time. I haven't really looked back. At this point, I've been hovering around 148 lbs for the past ~3 years. I work out six days a week alternating running and swimming in the winter. Cycling starts to take over in the late spring. I eat whatever I want but keep the calories below about 2200 a day unless I'm doing a hard 4 hour ride or something in which case all bets are off. When I was trying to lose weight I kept it below 2000 calories a day. Apples and almonds helped. It also helps that I don't like ice cream, don't like fried foods and love Korean food.

I think it was somewhat easier for me to lose weight than some people as I'd been an athlete all my life and knew how to get back into the habit of training.

What I learned:
- it's a cliche but it's a lifestyle change, not a program. I needed to develop new habits. For me, I needed to do a workout every single day, I tried "easing into it" and it didn't work. Cold turkey worked for me. Having an addictive personality helps.
- There's no easy way to lose a lot of weight and keep it off. High intensity exercise and seeing just how little I could eat and not be starving was the best way to lose weight for me. Low intensity just didn't cut it. I need to push myself every single day. Racing encourages this and allows me to stay motivated.
- Finding like-minded people is enormously helpful. Preferably like minded people who are just slightly faster than you.
- I enjoy cycling more but running is probably the quickest way for most people to lose weight. A half hour run can be pretty intense if you do it right. Swimming also destroys calories but you have to go fast and know what you're doing.
- learning to avoid pointless eating is the best way to control caloric intake. Depriving yourself of things you love is a sure way to failure. If you just did 80 miles on a bike, eat the effing Big Mac.


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## Wilierit (Oct 31, 2005)

Hiro11 said:


> I swam competitively through college and used to do 20 mile runs for fun. I weighed 142 in fighting trim at 22 years old (my coach made us weigh ourselves all the time to ensure hydration). I then promptly gained 100 pounds when I graduated, got married and was issued a desk job.
> 
> I peaked at 245 (I'm 5'10") in 2006. After buying a pair of size 40 waisted jeans I decided enough was enough. I joined a gym and started trying to run. Initially I couldn't jog for more than six minutes straight the first week. I could jog maybe 400M and then have to take a break. It was embarrasing.
> 
> ...



High intensity worked for Me in the begining. I dropped around 30 pounds in the first year of regular training. My normal race weight is right around 165 but I've been down to 158 at times. It really comes down to calories in versus out for Me. Riding is pretty much the thing that gets My metabolism going full tilt. I eat healthy, and alot. My weight fluctuates depending on how much I ride. If I really need to focus to lose, then Fitday.com comes into the picture.I pretty much know what I need to do after 10 years of racing. As long as you are eating good whole foods then the rest of it is simple math. You can zap 2000 calories on a long hard ride.


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## mucker (Jan 16, 2011)

I was 33 years old, 5'10", and weighed 210lbs. My wife and I went on a surfing vacation to costa rica and when we got back I had a video of me and I realized how fat I was. 

I changed my diet and cut out wheat based carbs during the week, stopped drinking beer during the week, and cut down on calories. I also kept my cardio up. At first I introduced running and would do 35 mins per day with another cardio mixed in, either mtbing or the elliptical at the gym. I ended up losing 45lbs over the next 2 years. I cheat on weekends and will drink beer and eat desserts. But during the week, I eat a very strict diet.

I'm now 39 and have kept my weight at around 165lbs. My workouts and diet are still the same as when I started the weight loss. I limit carbs during the week and cheat on the weekends. During the week when I am working, I do at least 35 mins of running and 45-50 minutes on the elliptical at the gym or I ride for 2.5-3 hours when I am off work.


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## motox155 (Jul 9, 2009)

Dwayne Barry said:


> All my success came with spending most of the day hungry, not pigging out in the evening, and good amounts of easy riding.


This.

Get used to being hungry. You cannot fill up on lots of food and expect to lose weight.

Gastric bypass, Lapband etc. are based on eating less food to lose weight.

I've had to lose weight before and read all the stuff about "you're not eating enough"...when I upped my calories I didn't lose weight. When I was losing weight I was usually kinda hungry.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Here's my story-
6 years ago I topped out at 5'11", 235lbs. For a guy who was 145lbs at age 22, this was a bit of a jump. My knees aren't the greatest since playing soccer on turf in college, so I didn't do much exercise in my 20s and early 30s. Since I always had a skinny-guy mentality, I didn't notice the weight packing on. One day I woke up and realized that I was obese. From that day forward, I started seeing myself as fat.

I started bike commuting (12-15 miles each way), which knocked off about 20lbs without much added effort. I still ate horribly, so after the initial success I plateaued. Then I decided my Type-A personality enjoyed racing. Being the fattest guy at the race is never fun, so I pushed myself a little harder and lost another 15lbs. Still ate vast quantities of everything, and usually gained 10-15lbs back every winter.

Then I started really riding (intervals, hills, intense races against people younger and fitter than I was...), and tried to cut out some of the snacks. That got me down to 190-195lbs.

This year I'm at 185, and am on a downward trend despite the holiday season. I'm bringing my lunches to work (a lot of marinated, grilled chicken and mixed veggies) to avoid grazing at the snack bar on my 12 hour shifts. I've also started pushing away from the table earlier, trying to cut down the portion sizes. I try to make better choices when I go out to eat with the family. I've been averaging about 1/2lb a week since I started, which I find is a practical pace for me to keep off weight. Otherwise I binge and it just comes right back. I don't beat myself up for my diet failures.

I just got a power meter and do a lot of rides on the trainer, so I have a decent idea of what I'm burning on the bike. I just add that number to my Basal Metabolic Rate to get the upper range of what I want to consume that day in calories, and I end up with a deficit as long as I stay under that number. Sometimes it's bigger, sometimes it's smaller, but it's a deficit either way. Some days I can deal with being weak, tired, and hungry, and some days I need more calories. Sticking to a firm number doesn't work for me as much as having a good idea of what I'm consuming and putting it into perspective.

I have a bet with my cycling coach that I can lose 10lbs by early April. I really want to win that bet, but I also want to better my power to weight ratio so I can climb with the skinny(er) kids.

Because I have a fat guy mentality now, I haven't bought any new clothes and wear a lot of belts.


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## Dwayne Barry (Feb 16, 2003)

motox155 said:


> I've had to lose weight before and read all the stuff about "you're not eating enough"...when I upped my calories I didn't lose weight. When I was losing weight I was usually kinda hungry.


Never made sense to me that you could eat extra calories to "fool" your body into thinking it isn't gradually starving so that it ups your basal metabolism sufficiently to off-set the extra calories you're eating to stimulate the increase in metabolism. 

The biggest problem I think with extreme calorie deficits isn't the slowing of basal metabolism it's that the vast majority of people find them nearly impossible to maintain because of hunger and so they over eat here and there or they just flat out give up. It's not like there were fat people in POW or concentration camps in WWII. You'll lose the weight if you have the willpower to sustain a large calorie deficit but most don't.


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Dwayne Barry said:


> Never made sense to me that you could eat extra calories to "fool" your body into thinking it isn't gradually starving so that it ups your basal metabolism sufficiently to off-set the extra calories you're eating to stimulate the increase in metabolism.
> 
> *The biggest problem I think with extreme calorie deficits isn't the slowing of basal metabolism it's that the vast majority of people find them nearly impossible to maintain because of hunger and so they over eat here and there or they just flat out give up. It's not like there were fat people in POW or concentration camps in WWII. You'll lose the weight if you have the willpower to sustain a large calorie deficit but most don't.*


Agreed! For me even small calorie deficits are hard to sustain. Mostly due to periods of time when I'm at home such as a day off and a handful of chips adds up to a bag by the end of the day. It's all the little filler calories between meals that are my nemesis. When I have a busy day and away from the proximity of food I don't even think about it. When lounging around, not really engaged in any one activity, is when I am aware of my hunger. 

Only after I used a calorie counting program for a few months did I understand how easily calories added up. I don't need to do it anymore. Just used it to raise my awareness.

Lastly, I've been successful in thinking more about getting lean than losing weight. Maybe semantics and is way more than what I care to type, but the quality of calories I eat has made the weight loss and getting lean possible.


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## Ronman (Feb 12, 2007)

I'm one of the few guys I know of who actually gained weight after I started riding. I've worked out my entire life and stayed in pretty good shape, and was holding steady at around 185 lbs. I'm 6'5" and currently 49 years old, and started riding at 43. After my first year of cycling I weighed 200 lbs, and have stayed between 195 and 200 the six years I've been riding. I eat healthy and in large enough quantities to satisfy me, but nothing beyond that, and nothing I consider excessive, i.e., junk food or snacks between meals.
Intererstingly enough, my doctor had always told me that my weight should be around 190~195 given my height and frame. I feel terrific and all the vitals are in good order, e.g. cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. Maybe the combination of cycling and working out have put me where I was supposed to be the entire time.


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## bmxhacksaw (Mar 26, 2008)

I'm 5' 9" and I hit 213. I started riding about six years ago and though I've fluctuated up and down (I'm 176 this morning) I've been as low as 165. This, however, is the first year that I haven't put on weight over the winter and I'm on a serious training plan this winter and the power's up and the weight is going down. I'm shooting for 160 by summer.


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## motox155 (Jul 9, 2009)

Dwayne Barry said:


> Never made sense to me that you could eat extra calories to "fool" your body into thinking it isn't gradually starving so that it ups your basal metabolism sufficiently to off-set the extra calories you're eating to stimulate the increase in metabolism.
> 
> T You'll lose the weight if you have the willpower to sustain a large calorie deficit but most don't.


Yep, there is a HUGE market out there for how-to weight loss. Lots of fortunes have been made praying on peoples lack of will power.

Another thing to keep in mind is most of the people out there losing weight in the 2lb a week class, have the weight to lose. If you are substantially heavy, just a slight tweek in your diet will produce results.

I allowed myself at one point to get up around 210...too much for my 6ft frame. Once I buckled down and cleaned up the diet the weight came off pretty much as anticipated. But, once you get down to a certain level (for me that's 175)...the weight loss basically stops. Then the real work starts lol. The only way for me to get much lower is a very calorie light diet...basically starving lol. On the diet that was working I stay the same.
I have gotten down to 165 before but cannot maintain it. 170/175 for the last few years eating healthy foods.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

motox155 said:


> But, once you get down to a certain level (for me that's 175)...the weight loss basically stops. Then the real work starts lol. The only way for me to get much lower is a very calorie light diet...basically starving lol. On the diet that was working I stay the same.
> 
> I have gotten down to 165 before but cannot maintain it. 170/175 for the last few years eating healthy foods.


Pretty much true...your body has a "Set Point" that it likes as a basic minimum for weight that will vary from person to person. Going beyond that takes a lot more work than getting there.

For me it's around 190 pounds (at 5'11")...I've been able to get to around 185, but have only been able to hold it for about a week before bumping back to 190 pretty quickly, even holding the same food intake and workouts.

It's just a reality that everybody has to deal with...and some people are genetically more lucky with this than others. :mad2:


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## SeaRay (Oct 26, 2011)

My story is much like Hiro11:

A year ago September, at age 37, I was pushing 240+ pounds with a tight 38 waist - I am 5'9". Tired of the belly shaking, I decided it was time to get back into running - a passion I had during my college years. I joined a gym and walked the treadmill every other day - by mid winter I had dropped about 20 pounds and was starting to run. My goal was a 5k by early summer, so I was behind schedule. Decided that a diet had to assist, so I lowered carb intake and stopped drinking as much beer - went from about 12 cans a day to 12 cans a week! Well, weight kept dropping and running got better.

Ran my first 5K at about 170 pounds in early June with a time of 24:29 - I met my goal but was not ready to stop. Continued running but my shins could not keep up, so I did some reasearch on the cycling thing. This is great! Love the biking deal so much, I bought three new bikes in a matter of 5 months. Biking helped my running and eased the shin pain. I still run three days a week, but when I am not running, I am on one of the bikes. My last 5K in October I ran a 20:33 and weighed in at 150 pounds with a tight 28 waist.

90 pounds lost in one year
almost 4 minutes off 5K time in 5 months
near 10 inches off the waist
addicted to bikes and not beer

For 2012 - Duathlons and Triathlons (sprint). First dual is West Point on April 29.

Life is better on two wheels!


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## jsedlak (Jun 17, 2008)

My story is pretty simple. I was 240 pounds on February 25, 2009. I was sick of the way I looked and wanted to do something about it. So I rode; I rode a lot. And now I am hovering around 170 (today I checked in at 171).

I am 25 years old and eat healthy enough - focusing on carbs and protein. I'm cutting sugar more and more and will be looking to lose caffeine next year. Or at least lessen it.

Before:









Mid-Summer (I'm ~5-10 lbs lighter than this)


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## SeaRay (Oct 26, 2011)

Wow -- the last two posts from Team Marty's Members!


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Hiro11 said:


> I swam competitively through college and used to do 20 mile runs for fun. I weighed 142 in fighting trim at 22 years old (my coach made us weigh ourselves all the time to ensure hydration). I then promptly gained 100 pounds when I graduated, got married and was issued a desk job.
> 
> I peaked at 245 (I'm 5'10") in 2006. After buying a pair of size 40 waisted jeans I decided enough was enough. I joined a gym and started trying to run. Initially I couldn't jog for more than six minutes straight the first week. I could jog maybe 400M and then have to take a break. It was embarrasing.
> 
> ...


BigMacs ARE about the most pointless POS you would want to eat. If you do an 80 mile ride don't ruin it with eating crap. What you eat is just as important as how much you eat...


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## jsedlak (Jun 17, 2008)

SeaRay said:


> Wow -- the last two posts from Team Marty's Members!


Woah! Nice!


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## Pharmerbob (Jun 27, 2011)

People trust their pharmacist (that is me) and therefore ask their advice on many health related topics. I get asked a lot about fad diets. Or maybe they just ask me because I'm so damn skinny according to my wife. (6'2" 180#) I always tell them that I don't believe in fad diets and that life is a diet, you need to eat right and exercise the majority of the time. I am a firm believer in healthy lifestyles, but I love foie gras too....and cheese, and chocolate, and potato chips, and........

I agree with many other posters that it is about calories in vs calories out. I also believe that the types of food we eat are also very important. I eat lots of salads, fresh fruits, Greek yogurt. I don't eat a lot of red meat. I don't eat a lot of stuff that comes out of a box and goes into the microwave or any other heavily processed foods. I like to cook and would rather make it myself than buy it in a box. It takes a little extra time but it's worth it, don't we all deserve to eat food that is good and good for us?

Calorie counting apps are good to help with awareness of what we put into our mouths. 

But I haven't always been this way. I was about 240 with a 40 waist in my senior year of high school. I went on a crash diet and lost 70 pounds in 3 months and have mostly kept it off for 25 years. I did go up to 210 a few years ago when I wasn't exercising much. After loosing the weight I had to really learn how to eat healthy and be more aware of what I eat and it's impact on my waistline.


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## RacethendrinkBeer (Dec 9, 2010)

I had always been active growing up, playing competitive baseball, tennis, and soccer. When I got to college, I started eating out almost daily and was not exercising. I am 5' 11" and got up to 215 lbs with a 40" waist. I had high blood pressure of 150+ systolic, my cholesterol was 300 points and my HDL (the good one) was 23. I felt my gut sitting in class watching all the cute girls feeling too insecure to go talk to them. I felt my gut bending over to tie my shoes, and started wearing baggy clothes to try and hide my gut.

I woke up in January 2010 and decided I was going to change not only how I looked, but how I felt- my lack of self-esteem was not going to hold me back anymore. So I started jogging on my lunch breaks at work. I started cooking healthy meals instead of hitting up the drive-through. I even ended friendships that were holding me back from reaching my goals and found new friends that shared goals more in line with my goals or were already leading an active lifestyle.

I borrowed a friend's Cannondale hybrid bike and went and rode out on the MUT one weekend and was hooked! I went out and bought my first road bike in July and did my first century in October in under 5 hours. I started commuting to work everyday. Then I went to a local cyclocross race and decided this was the next step to get my self-esteem back. So I started training and bought a CX bike. Since then I have gotten ~ 10 podiums in road and cross racing combined and am down to 143. I feel so good about myself and can't believe how my body and self-esteem have transformed in this short amount of time. I now wear 30" jeans, my BP and cholesterol are well under the normal range and there is no way I am going back. I am 24 years old.


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## adam_mac84 (Sep 22, 2010)

After college, the weight where I played baseball, i was 205. That was down from 248 when I was a freshman. Got up to about 220 4 years after college. Had to have ankle surgery after running 3, 1/2 marathons, got a bike a year ago in october and got hooked on triathlon and CX, was hovering about 218, and in good shape, but a bit soft.

Decided last may that I wanted to get slimmed down. Got on P90X and was down to 185 3 months later. Cut my run times from 8:30's to 7.20's per mile. Was down to 185 at my lowest this year, and am around 195 now that CX season is over. Going to start P90X again Jan 1st to get ready for road season (first race in mid march, 35 or 60 mile gravel race). Getting asked to ride for a team has really upped the motivation level for CX next year. Last year, midpack B's, this year, top 5 B's, and 1 top step podium!!!

Key is counting calories... no 2 ways about it!!! P90X is a good program, but not if you don't do the diet plan, and it'd be just as good in my opinion if it was ONLY the diet plan... easy to follow!

some before/afters:

(far right)

IMG_0010.JPG by adam_mac84, on Flickr


sc005d6ccc by adam_mac84, on Flickr

After:


DSC_1897 by adam_mac84, on Flickr


photo-1 by adam_mac84, on Flickr


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## IAmSpecialized (Jul 16, 2008)

3 years ago turned 32 years old and woke up one morning wondering how I had let myself get so big. I was 249 pounds and only 5'8" tall. It's called post college, married, family, and lots of food. Had high blood pressure and tachycardia on medication, cholesterol was through the roof. Could hardly walk 1/8 mile without getting short winded.

Built a cheap bicycle to ride around the neighborhood. Two months later I did a local 12 mile group ride. The rest is history. I'm looking to upgrade to Cat 3 in another couple of races.

My off season weight now is 156-160. My peak race season weight is ~147-148. No high blood pressure. Resting heart rate in the 40s. Cholesterol panel is better than beautiful. Walking for an 1/8 mile now...HAHA. I can't imagine life without my bicycle. And as I type this I'm sitting here taking my time with lunch, which consists of ~10 oz skim milk, small baked chicken breast, fresh spinach salad with avocado and tomatoes with about 1 tbsp of oil/vinegar tossed in, and a glass of water. Will have an apple for desert about an hour or so from now.


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## scottzj (Oct 4, 2010)

Nice stories on here for sure. Well about 2 years ago I was tying my dress shoes and while bent down, I had to take a breathe between shoes.......so I said thats it! I was at my largest at 298. We had an office biggest loser competition for 3 months with everyone putting money in. I ended up winning at 45lbs and donated the 500$ to the navy chapel hehe.
Well during that time frame, I changed my eating habits to yogurt/cereal for breakfast, fruits for snacks before lunch, salads for lunch with celery and carrots for snacks afterwards and a sensible dinner. I started running on the treadmil to help with cardio but that wasnt enough. So me and a navy chief took up riding mountain bikes on the road for 2 months averaging around 45 miles and 13-15mph. After getting passed by tons of road cyclist, I wondered what they had that we didnt...........come to find out a road bike.
Last Oct 2010 I bought my first entry level road bike and pounded serious miles on the road......probably over 5k miles on the bike to date and bought a new carbon race bike with tons of miles on it. I ended up meeting a local race team on a ride and smoked a good deal of them, so they asked me to join. They say I wont last long on the CAT5 race team as I will move up quickly, but I still have skills in the racing realm to learn before any advancement. I have been pounding tons of team training miles along with pro trainer tech days.
To date, I have lost around 112 lbs within under 2 years time frame. I am currently 6'3 and 185 but looking for around 170 my ideal weight for race season. I also have been able to maintain weight during the holidays, which is great! Now time to burn the rest down. Oh and shaved my head too as the pony tail was just too much to deal with cycling haha.



















* Only a couple CAT5's in this pic riding with all the CAT3 racers. Thats me with nothing on the legs.. hehe*


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## MarkZeus (Jun 12, 2008)

I was always chubby growing up. My family genes and heritage doesn't help either. My parents weren't really into active lifestyles. My family had history of heart prblems and diabetes. Dad had 5 way bypass when he was in his early 40s. My younger brother was diagnosed with diabetes in his mid twenties and past away last year from a massive heart attack. I was over weight but not obese growing up. I joined sports in highschool and at a young age i was able to loose the weight pretty easy. But unfortunately I gained it all back in my mid twenties and my weight kept creeping up year after year. I balloned from 140 lbs in high school to over 220 in my early thirties. I started developing some shortness of breath and chest pains in my early 30s so I started seeing a family physician. I haven't seen a doctor up to this point in my life. I had some physicals done, labs, ekg and a treadmill. I had high cholesterol and borderline diabetes, but so far my heart was ok, so he prescibe me some cholesterol pills and so from then on I was scared that I told myself I don't want this to happen to me like my dad or my brother. So I took up cycling. 5 years and counting now, I mean always love cycling and I've owned mountain bikes and bmx and I use to be a paper boy when I was a teenager. I started slowly. and also inspired by Lance Armstrong. Started watching tour De France in July and got into cycling seriously. Eight miles one day here and there. I live in a hilly area. My legs used to scream in agony just after a 15 mile ride. They would ache so much I couldn't walk straight after the excercise. I kept it up. Every month I would add miles. I joined a club locally and urged me to do some events and STP, Seattle to Portland event. A double century in 8 months time, so I trained real hard for it. I dropped 30 pounds and finished the race. Now these days. I'm off my cholesterol pills, but still see my family doctor and I'm hovering between 145 to 150 lbs, but still love to eat. ride 3-4 days a week, religiously. Owned 3 road bikes and a mtn bike, 6 sets of wheelsets. Next year goal, I could lose 10 more pounds and joined more sanctioned races and more events. Wish me luck.


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## lacofdfireman (May 2, 2010)

Wow, thank you all for your posts and success stories. Very inspiring. I am taking on this challenge myself and hoping to drop about 45lbs. This would put me below 200. That's a number I haven't seen since high school. I know I can do it I just need to exercise some self discipline, desire and stop thinking I need to feel full all the time. I heard it quite a few times from the posts I read that if at times you don't feel a little hungry your not doing it right. I'm going to try and keep my caloric intake to around 2200 calories per day and hopefully less at times. Thanks again for all the inspiration. Hope I can post up a success story of my own in a years time..


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## BethLikesBikes (Nov 28, 2010)

Whenever I need to get back to my goal weight, I track my diet on Fitday.com. I like this site because you can join groups (such as cycling) and make friends like on Facebook. People hold each other accountable, especially if you haven't signed in regularly, but they are also huge cheerleaders for weight loss and help each other through the daily struggles.


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## mtb-oregon (Jan 2, 2012)

*Surefire method...*

eat less and ride more. works every time.


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## fightcity (Oct 16, 2010)

When i was thirteen I was 5'11" and I weighed 215! 
I started to box and dropped to 156, i'd cut weight to 140
I'm now 23 I weigh 165 and am very much trying to gain weight.
Boxing was fun but all that endurance exercise made me look too scrawny. 
So far I've put on 6 pounds doing starting strength and eating all day.
I love riding my bike because its so fun but I'm scarred to ride it to much in fear ill drop weight.
It's nice reading all the responses in this thread. It's great that everyone is reaching their goals.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

lacofdfireman said:


> 6'4 245lb Overweight 40 year old that has gotten back into cycling this past year. When I started I was pushing 265 and seem to have plateaued.. I still have the dreaded hand to mouth disease and *eating at a Fire Station *is not always the healthiest choice ...


You're in a tough situation. One of the biggest obstacles to weight loss (and maintenance), is your surroundings. Lots of good advice here on what to eat, but the biggest obstacle is culture (the attitude of people around you and available food). If you make a big deal about variance from culture, you'll just be labeled an oddball or something. Make whatever changes you need to your diet, and just tell people that "My doctor said I was going to die if I didn't change my diet", or something similarly subtle :wink: if they ask, and let it go at that.

Good luck with weight reduction. It's really not that hard once you get your thought process adjusted.


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## T-Doc (Apr 4, 2002)

Went to a Trainright training camp and usually got up early to answer emails on my lap top in the lobby. Chris Carmichael was usually down there also. I was lamenting my inability to lose weight and he asked if I was hungry all the time. I said no, and he said then you're not doing it right. He then added , "why do you think Lance was in a bad mood all the time?"


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## simonaway427 (Jul 12, 2010)

I was 205 out of college in 1999, and stayed that way for another 3 yrs.

One christmas, my mom called me "pudgy", and that was it. Time for a change. I started running and doing weights. The weight came off, but I was still pretty soft. I got down to about 175lbs.

In '06 I started doing Crossfit. I drank the Kool-Aid and did it religiously for about 4 yrs. I got pretty ripped and hovered around 168lbs. I loved how I looked, but it was a LOT of hard work. I was injuring myself constantly, probably because I never really had any formal Crossfit training. It was all self-taught from watching the videos.

In 2010 I hurt my back pretty bad doing a deadlift. So I wanted to try something different. I bought a bike and started riding. ALOT. The scene wasn't very big where I lived, so I rode solo all the time, and did lots of Spinervals in the winter. 2011 I moved to a bigger city that had a bigger scene, including a full CX series in the fall. Fast forward to today, early Jan '12, I finished 3rd overall in B Category for the CX season, after upgrading mid-way from C to B. My race weight is about 159-161lbs

My new goal is to ride outside more, less on the trainer. I love the focus and intensity of the trainer rides, but I'll take an outdoor ride any day. Looking to road race this summer and tackle CX again the fall with a few upgrades to the bike.

Here's me in 2000, about 205lbs. 24 yrs old









At my prime during my Crossfit days. About 170lbs. 32 yrs old









CX season '11, around 160lbs. 35 yrs old


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## tarwheel2 (Jul 7, 2005)

Some amazing stories here -- and proof that you can successfully lose weight if you exercise and eat right.

I had blamed my weight gain for years on slowing metabolism, but the fact is that I was just eating too much. Sure, your metabolism tends to slow down as you age, but you also tend to eat more and exercise less as well.


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## Caadmandu (Nov 28, 2011)

I started riding Aug 2011 weight was 225 lbs. I ride outside and use a trainer in cold weather. I eat chicken,eggs,fish,steak, salads with tuna,nuts and certain veggies. Drink water and ice tea and 1 cup coffee a day. today Jan. 2012 I weigh 197. I don't eat fast food, sugar of any kind nor do I drink alcohol . I eat small portions no 2nd's. I drink a protein drink after every ride. It does take discipline but it sure feels good when your meeting goals and dropping weight esp. at 58 yrs old and 6'2".


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## slow climb (Jul 24, 2010)

I used to be around 86kg (189lbs) but was riding almost everyday,and because of feeling hungry would just load up with as much crap as I could do,
I eventually got down to 82kg (180 lbs) but no matter how much I rode it wouldn't go any lower,despite a change of diet I gave up and just rode,
Then at the end of last year went through an emotional problem with a girl who was one of my best friends .. I made a total fool of myself .. but over the following month my weight dropped to 74kg (162 lbs) or just on the 12 stone mark,
It was the hardest emotional month of my life .. but I got thinner out of it 

So the best way to loose weight I found is .. lots of stress,eat nothing,and own a broken heart !
but Im riding better than Ive done in years and climbing the hills as good as anyone I ride with for once,
so Im really glad I went through it,although wouldn't recomend anyone to follow me 


JJ..


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## lacofdfireman (May 2, 2010)

One thing I have noticed in most of these weight loss stories is that is seems going hungry is the key... My question to this is don't you need the food and nutrition to make you a better rider? One poster made not that Lance Armstrong was always cranky due to hunger as told to him from Chris Carmichael. Wouldn't you need the calories or is it just that I am so use to eating that psychologically I feel like I need food in my stomach and need to feel full all the time where the opposite is actually true? I am sure I am overeating there is no question about that. I wonder if when you cut back alot if you eventually feel full after awhile cause you have changed your eating habits and realize you don't really need all the food you are putting in your body...


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

lacofdfireman said:


> One thing I have noticed in most of these weight loss stories is that is seems going hungry is the key... My question to this is don't you need the food and nutrition to make you a better rider? One poster made not that Lance Armstrong was always cranky due to hunger as told to him from Chris Carmichael. Wouldn't you need the calories or is it just that I am so use to eating that psychologically I feel like I need food in my stomach and need to feel full all the time where the opposite is actually true? I am sure I am overeating there is no question about that. I wonder if when you cut back alot if you eventually feel full after awhile cause you have changed your eating habits and realize you don't really need all the food you are putting in your body...


If you are carrying fat on your body...you don't really "Need" the food...but it helps of course. The reality is most people eat more than they need and eat out of habit or are situational eaters (i.e it's lunch so I must eat...or I'm at a party, I have to eat chips and dip).

During times of dropping weight, you can still get all the nutritional value your body needs with reduced calorie intake...and it's pretty easy to do so.

It's really only bad if you eat "Nothing" for days on end while trying to improve fitness...that's going to hurt


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## RayfromTX (May 18, 2011)

I went from 235 to 175 a year ago. Since then I have added back lots of muscle from riding 5000 miles in the hillcountry over the last 9 months or so. I am 6' 2 1/2" tall. I used myfitnesspal.com through an app on my phone to track the calories. 

I disagree with all the posters that say you must feel hungry to lose weight. I felt hungry until I changed my diet. 1600 calories a day without exercise put me at deficit of 1000 calories per day and I lost 2 lbs per week for months. It is important to eat calories that last such as proteins, and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs and sugars will not last long and you will run out of calories and be hungry. 

I start every morning early with oatmeal, 1/2 a scoop of whey protein, and blueberries. I would then have one fish taco or something similar for lunch. That would leave me almost 1000 calories for dinner. I would have a nice chunk of meat of some sort, lots of vegetables and a big salad. That kept me satisfied through the evening so I wasn't tempted to snack and later in the evening if I had the calories left I would have some 0% fage greek yogurt with blueberries. 

For me, the myth about needing to not eat late in the day was a recipe for failure; because, that's when I'm sitting around with less activity to keep me occupied. 

At holidays or special occasions I would eat whatever I wanted. My belief is that you can't get fat in one day so enjoy the thanksgiving meal. Just don't overeat the leftovers on the days that follow. Get in healthy habits eating real food and you will succeed. At Christmas, go nuts. The next day and all those that follow, be disciplined. 

The most important advice I can give and the thing that helped the most is, LEARN TO COOK!

Being at the mercy of restaurants and processed, corn based purina people chow doesn't work. It will lead to being hungry for large parts of the day and many of those foods will make you want to keep eating as they don't tell the brain that you have fueled the body. That's also why you should avoid the simple carbs and sugars. Ever notice how you can sit down and finish 1000 calorie basket of chips and keep on eating but you can't do that with a 1000 calories of steak or oatmeal or vegetables?


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## dawgless (Jan 15, 2012)

Good advice Ray! 

I'm no vegan, or a tree-hugger type of person, but you do need to eat healthy foods that are not processed. It's all about moderation. Pay attention to the labels and make sure you know what you're eating. If you're not counting calories, you're going to over-do it. 

In August of 2010, I had some simple bloodwork done for my workplace. My total cholesterol was around 254. I was 35 at the time and this was kind of alarming. I was around 211 earlier that summer. I hadn't ridden a bike, for anything longer than 10-15 miles, in approximately 7 years. I'd had two lower back surgeries and arthroscopic surgery on my hip to repair a torn labrum from golf. The hip surgery was just the year prior. 

I had a buddy come to my cubicle and noticed that I had a picture up of me in my last DH race ever. He convinced me that I needed to get a bike and get out riding. Sure enough, about three weeks later, I had a nice Kona MTB and started riding. Man, was I out of shape! 

I ended up doing a combination of hitting the gym and when I was working out, I was riding. Riding was probably only around 2-3 times a week, until the snow flied, but the gym was basically all other days. I cut my calories down to around 1200-1500/day. I counted. I remember one week where I lost five pounds in one week. Over a period of five months, I dropped down to 183-185. I had new blood work done and my total cholesterol dropped down to a 182. YAY! I kept at it and at one point, early in the spring of 2011, I dropped all the way to 171. I ended up getting some kind of tummy virus and actually dropped to 166, but that was sickly for me... 

I'm now around 177 and feeling a bit pudgy, but I'm not as concerned now. I'll be able to shed this in a matter of a few weeks, when the weather warms up a bit. 

Moral of the story: All it takes is patience and motivation. Unless you've been fed Ding-Dongs and Twinkies all your life, you know what's considered to be good food. Oh, and I haven't had a soda in about a year. I've completely forgotten what the taste of Pepsi is like and have no motivation to try one. Granted, I should probably cut back on the beer a bit, but :meh, I like to drown out the voices as well.


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## daethon (Sep 1, 2011)

I'll preface this by saying that I am currently, not in shape and this story is old, but is where I'm going to again...now.

I'm 5'6" at the time I was 25 and had just hit 186 pounds. I'm a medium build guy, so I'm never going to be rail thin. In high school, once I hit this height I was always at 154.

My girlfriend at the time was heading off to Australia for a study abroad, and I wanted to join her. Problem? I really didn't have 1500 bucks for a flight laying around. I started to eat in a more fiscally conservative fashion. I also wanted to look my best when I got there, so I instituted the following changes:

1) Diet: Breakfast was a grilled hot italian sausage, lunch was 4-6oz of meat (pork tenderloin typically), dinner was 2 chicken wings. Throughout the day I would also consume about 2 handfuls of pistachios, and 64 - 128 oz of Green Tea. Total estimated calories was about 1000-1200 a day. I know, I'm missing veggies, but this is my story 
2) At lunch time I would go for a walk instead of eating (I did that while working). I'd go for a 1 hour walk with co-workers down a nearby trail.
3) After getting home I would go for another walk, 1-2 hours long.
4) On the weekends I was free to eat most anything I wanted, but I would also walk 10-20 miles each day (3-8 hours). Those days I would eat near 2500 calories a day.
5) Gave up dairy, most carbs and wheat during the week. No more ice cream, nothing with loads of sugar, etc.
6) During every meal I would drink two glasses of water throughout the meal. Made my tummy get all full and refuse to eat more food!
7) When I went out for lunch sometimes I would ask for a to-go box when I placed my order (or bring my own) and take half of the lunch special (think Thai/Chinese, etc) and put it into my to-go box so that it wouldn't be there staring at me, asking to be eaten. This would then be my dinner the next day.
8) Started paying attention to the caloric intake of everything that I ate and remembered "I can live off of less than 1600 calories...how much MORE today can I eat, if I eat this thing? That normally makes me re-think what I'm about to eat and changes my behavior

What was the end result? I started off losing 2-5lbs a week when I started for the first month, after 3 months I was down to 143lbs. I looked a bit like starving Marvin. 

For the first two weeks it was hard, really really hard, but after I went two weeks without sugar things changed dramatically for me. I never craved sugar, I was hungry most of the time, but I didn't feel like I 'needed to eat.' My mood was sooo much better all day long than it was before, I smiled more, life was grand. But those first two weeks were hell.

I am now at 168. Which, frankly, isn't too bad for my winter weight. Once it gets nice outside I will easily drop to 160. That's when the work begins. Lifestyle is making things a bit harder for now, I'm used to being able to split all my meals, but that isn't working out as well right now. Need to either get back to doing that, or reinstitute my "put half for later" policy. Not drinking as much fluid at meals, or in general, and being too much of a homebody in the evenings. If I change these few things, I'll drop 12 pounds within a month or two.

I'm planning on doing at least one century this year, and really "competing" in a cross race in the fall. I've done a Metric century, and I've participated in a cross race under the newbie category, but I was at 60% speed and felt dead afterward.

I'll report back in a couple months with my progress.


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## taralon (Sep 1, 2011)

I started riding again about a year and a half ago as a the exercise part of a weight loss plan at the time I was 225 lbs. October of last year my weekly goal mileage wise was 250 miles a week, and I was exceeding that within 5 days. On the diet side, I cut out all sweetened soft drinks (the only carbonated beverage I drink is flavored soda water by La Croix), switched to unsweetened tea and plain water for all beverages, nixed all alcoholic drinks, and rather than go the "you can't eat that route" went with a plan of moderation as far as food went. I increased my protein and fibrous vegetable intake and cut the carbs I was eating. So far I'm down a total of ~45 lbs, but that number doesn't really illustrate how much fat I've dropped. In the same time I've went from a 36" waist pant to a 30", and I've still got another inch or two to take off before the belly is all gone. I'm also back down into the teens for my body fat percentage, as opposed to the 30% I was when I started. 

I don't have a goal weight per se, rather I have a goal fitness level. Aerobically I nearly met that last year, but my goal for this year is to increase my upper body strength by at least 50% and drop the body fat down to mid-low teens.


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## jlandry (Jan 12, 2007)

I want to lose 30 LBS over the winter. A friend who had great results in a weight loss competition we were in together suggested i read and follow "The 17 Day Diet". It's basically a lot of fish, chicken, turkey, veggies and no fruit after 2:00pm. You follow it in 17 day cycles, adding different food every 17 days. 
I started last week, and I've lost 8 lbs in 7 days. Very impressive and encouraging results.


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## Wookiebiker (Sep 5, 2005)

cptcoolman said:


> how many days a week should i ride, time, etc. to lose 20 lbs in 3 months?


20 pounds = 70,000 calories

70,000 calories / 90 days = 777 calories per day that you either need to add in as exercise or cut out from your eating.

So if you rode an 1.25 - 2 hours every day at a moderate pace, that would do it. If you do some longer rides and intervals, you can cut a day or two out of that.

The easiest way is to ride and reduce calories. To create a -777 calorie a day difference isn't that hard to do really.


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## psycleridr (Jul 21, 2005)

I am 5'9 and have always been active cycling although sometimes more than others. Once my wife and I started having kids (2 boys) time to yourself was slim. On top of that I travel a bit and part of job is to entertain. I like food and I love good food even more so between work, travel and kids I got to 200lbs. My previous high prior was 185. 
Once I saw that number I kinda freaked. I gave myself a goal of getting healthy (weight loss would come naturally). My choleterol was high and some blood values were off. I committed to an IRONMAN race. I havent swam in 20years and could not run 1mile without stopping but could still ride a century although not fast. I gave myself about 2 years as i wanted to do this as a 40th bday present to myself

First, I made the committment and told everyone my goal. A little psychological trick against yourself as lots of people told me I was crazy, I wouldnt make it, couldnt do it, etc. The naysayers were motivational for me. 
Second, I looked at my eating habits and determined what I needed to change. I did not eat terribly other than breakfast (love pastries!) and just plain over eating (portion control). Try to increase fruits and veggies and reduce carbs (only at dinner time). 
I did realize one of my biggest challenges was snacking around 5-6pm. I would eat crap like chips. I realzed I was going to be hungry so made sure I had healthy snacks available like fruit and nut mixes
Lastly, was to excercise. Everyday. No matter where you are. Stop making excuses and we all have them. I was in lots of hotels but they all have gyms so although I prefer to be outside you need to take what you can get.
Over a year and a hlf I lost 39lbs and have my IronMan coming up in June of this year 2 month before turining 40. Im still losing weight and plan to be about 155 for race day.

I never went hungry and dont believe you need to feel hungry to lose weight. I never stopped eating ice cream and chocolate....just ate less and only after excercise. Tried to get cards from fuits and veggies instead of pastas and rice. 
Most important of all believe in yourself and give yourself time. You didnt gain that weight in 2 months and it wont come off in 2 months.


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## kg1 (Apr 17, 2002)

*Still a work in progress*

I started the year at about 190. I don't have a lot of muscle mass, so at 6'1", I was fat -- not morbidly obese, but fat. My wife and I started a Whole30 program, but it really isn't anything other than this -- eat a lot of vegetables, eat meat and eggs, have some nuts and some fruit. That's it. I've lost about 11 lbs so far, and I feel worlds better.

This new way of eating is interesting. I'm eating vegetables that I hadn't really cooked before -- squashes, beet greens, rutabaga, red garnets, etc. I find that I've had to branch out because vegetables are making up such a large part of my diet.

My big problem that I was the 4:00 pm hour, and then after dinner. I would often eat three or four candy bars in the late afternoon when a feeling of extreme fatigue would overwhelm me. I didn't feel any better after eating the candy bars, but I couldn't seem to help myself. It wasn't rational, and I hated it, but I would find myself marching towards the candy machine at work like a zombie, unable/unwilling to say no.

I have a theory, and it's probably half-baked, but my theory is that some people (and I'm one of them) deal with carbohydrates, and sugar in particular, very poorly. At times it has felt like an addition. I can give it up for while, but the insatiable cravings would always return. I can't eat just one piece of chocolate, or just one cookie; if I have one, I have to finish the box. 

This new way of eating for me isn't that different (based on my limited understanding) from a lot of other "diets" -- Atkins, South Beach, Paleo, etc. The point of all of these seems to be to swear off almost all forms of carbohydrates. I am hopeful that this new way of eating will help me end the cycle of eating well for a week, then binging for three, then eating well for a week, etc.

My goal is to lose another 5 to 8 lbs, and also to get some strength into these old muscles and bones.

Thanks.

kg1


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

Wookiebiker said:


> 20 pounds = 70,000 calories
> 
> 70,000 calories / 90 days = 777 calories per day that you either need to add in as exercise or cut out from your eating.
> 
> ...


Exactly. 

Check this out from an expert - Joe Friel: September 2011

Best case is you do this in the off season so you aren't running a calorie deficit when serious training starts.


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## Ruonpoint (Aug 22, 2011)

*I did it my way.*

Let's see, about a year ago today...or was it two years ago today? Regardless I weighed in at about 202...a lot for me since I'm only 5'7", although a pretty thick boned, maybe like Eric Cartmen at the time. I got there by eating a lot of good food and a lot of really good beer and not riding/exercising enough. Last year I went on a great vacation to different parts of Asia and I tried to prepare by cutting back and working out at the gym and got down to the low 190's. I felt better and was somewhat solid but still way too heavy. 

Once I got back from my trip I made a decision that I just had to workout and exercise regularly regardless of what that consisted of. I started riding my bike either before work or after and sometime twice in a day. These are short rides of around an hour or less. I stayed away from the gym for the most part and just kept riding. I also cut back on drinking and eating too much. I didn't track a single calorie or really keep a log of anything. But slowly I started to drop weight. In the first couple of months I came down from mid 190's and then all of a sudden I was under 190...a couple of more months and I was closing in on the low 180's and riding more. It really helped that it was summer and we had lot's of day light. I finally hit about 175 this past December so I pretty much dropped a good solid 20 lbs and it's very noticeable. I feel awesome, clothes fit way better and I'm at my college weight. 

Since January I also decided I wanted to get down 169, a few pounds off my racing weight of 164 so in addition to quitting my occasional cig's I started using the loseit app and started tracking my food and exercise. I'm now 172 for the last couple of weeks but have been having some fun and eating a little freely and having a some drinks here and there too. I still track my calories and I'll probably try and get down another few pounds because I think I see a six pack hiding under stomach somewhere. 

For me, consistency was the key...30 minutes before work is way better than nothing before work. I didn't let my own excused keep me off the bike or out of the hotel gym when I'm traveling.


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## arai_speed (Aug 19, 2003)

Then - around 215 to 220, 6'1 early 30s:










Now - around 180 mid 30's










When trying to loose wight +1 on being hungry and going to bed hungry. In short I started cycling 3 times a week, then swam or did weights on the other days. I also stopped eating crap (chips, sodas, cheeseburgers) and increased my fruit/vegetable consumption.

For example, rather then eat chips I replaced the craving by eating cherry tomatoes.


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## Rad Fondo (Feb 7, 2012)

Had a non-cycling related accident and was unable to exercise beyond light walking for about a year. 5'11" 200 pounds and started riding again in June. Started slow with easy rides 5 days a week. I am now down to 175 lbs.

I did not change my diet or stop drinking beer! I just rode a ton.


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## gbivensz85 (Feb 8, 2012)

*It is Not Rocket Science*

I am new to the forum. Forgive me for keeping this thread going. About three months ago I decided that I was not going to live long if I continued with my eating habits. I was like most Americans and was addicted to food. I used it as a comfort and not a source of fuel for survival. I weighed in at about 220 lbs. For my age (32), height (5'.9"), and body composition (medium build), I should be between 167 and 145 lbs. I decided to take action, by doing research (Knowledge is Power).

Here is the secret. FOOD. 90% of your weight loss efforts should be directed at your diet. You should combine diet and excersise of course, but you can actually lose weight by just diet alone. You need to create a deficit of calories. Changing your calorie intake is one way, and of course exercising is the other way (calorie burn). Your body needs a certain amount of calories every day just to keep your various systems working. So by reducing your calorie intake, you have just introduced a deficet. Do not worry, you are overweight anyway so it will not hurt you. By adding excersise to your daily routine, you are just increasing that deficit even more. You should restrict your diet to somewhere between 1200 to 1600 calories per day. Sounds like not enough and you will starve? Not if you eat the right foods (vegetables keep you full longer than twinkies) and spread your meals out throughout your day. With diet and exercise you will change your body's metabolism from fat storing to muscle building and your body will begin to use the stored fat to fuel your workouts, it has nothing else to use remember your calorie deficit.

Here is what I have done. I started Power 90 in December 2011. I live in Oregon, so the winters are not ideal for riding. I can't stand to spend too much time on a trainer, because I go nowhere and I get bored. So I do Power 90 in the winter and in the spring, I will start riding again and mixing in P90x strength training workouts with my routine. 

So far in 51 days I have lost 21 pounds, and dropped two pant sizes. My goal weight is 160 pounds. I want to be able to do any race I want, Marathon,Triathalon, Road Race, Cross Country. If I am always in shape, than I will not have to train as hard. 

Weight loss is a life change not something you put a time limit on. Most people fail diets and plans because they have a time limit like 30 days or by the time of their wedding or their High School reunion. How about changing the time limit on your life instead. Live longer, that should be you weight loss goal. You did not get fat over night and nor will you get back to normal over night. You are on the right track with excercise, now change your diet. 

Another little secret that helps, go as Organic as possible. Being a Firefighter you should watch this movie: The Engine #2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn. Stay away from overly pocessed foods, they are what will make you hungry on a calorie deficit diet.


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## Ukukwi (Feb 8, 2012)

May of 2009 I was 308 lbs at 5'11" tall. The following month we had a Biggest Loser challenge at my office and in 12 weeks I lost 50 lbs. It was a lot of hard work and really watching how much of what I was eating (it's quantity and quality for me). I ended up winning the office challenge and continued to lose weight for the next 8 months to a final weight, where I am now, of 218 lbs give or take a pound depending on the day.

I keep it off by continuing to track everything I eat every day, exercise 5-6 days a week and commute on my bike as often as possible. 

Last summer I rode 2 centuries (one with some friends and one was an organized benefit event). This coming summer I plan to add a third to the mix. I feel great and am more confident that I have been in a long time. I would like to lose another 20 lbs, but I'm going to put that on hold for right now.


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