Obese guy - recently started cycling - need advice

[callummac]

So many responses, thank you all

@subaqua - I was one of those wierd players who didn't drink alcohol (at all), didn't spoke (at all) but did it out of my own reasons as opposed to any religious or cultural reasons.

@raleighnut - I never considered Soda Water. If the cravings don't subside, I may very well try this!

@Cycleops - Thanks for the recommendation, It will be a few months till I look at buying a bike, but I will be coming back to this thread to decide on the bike. I definitely think something with thicker tyres is an absolute must. I realise the steel may be a bit heavier, but that isn't something that fusses me at the moment. I don't plan on doing 100+km road races but perhaps in a few months my aspirations will change and I may very well want to do distance over anything else.

@all - thanks again guys!

 

[Rob3rt]

Give it a rest with all this HR bollocks I say... just go out and ride your bike, even if you are just pottering about, you are doing yourself the world of good, especially in your current state of health!

Ensure you make cycling something you enjoy, rather than it being some sort of algorithmic experience!

Good luck!

 

[jdtate101]

As for cyclocross bike...I'd say yes absolutely a good choice. I got a CX bike for winter use and have just started to race CX this autumn (and love it, although it's b'stard hard work). You can fit some recent road tyres, like gatorskins 28's for comfort and durability and also chuck the knobbly's on if you fancy a bit of mud plugging. I would recommend going for a disc brake model if you can as the canti's are a bit weaker than normal calliper brakes and can take some getting used to, although I prefer Canti's, but that's just me...

Plus CX bikes look mean and purposeful....The below bike is my 2nd CX bike, the 1st being a CAADX6, which I used for yrs, but ended up on the scrap heap after I found a small crack in the frame after completing Paris-Roubaix on it.

 

[Crackle]

The HRM I have is simply a dumb ANT+ device, I am using it simply for reference, currently not bothering with the heart rate zones on the bike computer, using it simply as a reference and nothing more.

Simply use it to track improving fitness. For a given ride you should see it start to fall as you get fitter. Or measure yor hr drop at the end of the ride over a 3 minute period. Likewise use it to track your resting hr, which should go down as you get fitter. I wouldn't currently bother with using it to measure effort, it's all going to be an effort.


Good luck.

 

[Joshua Plumtree]

Give it a rest with all this HR bollocks I say... just go out and ride your bike, even if you are just pottering about, you are doing yourself the world of good, especially in your current state of health!

Ensure you make cycling something you enjoy, rather than it being some sort of algorithmic experience!

Good luck!

Totally agree!

Your maximum heart rate is your maximum heart rate!!!

And, unless you're competing at some level, it really doesn't matter very much in any case. Ride your bike for enjoyment, eat sensibly and watch the weight fall off!

Good luck and happy cycling!

 

[Piemaster]

I am using Endomondo as I am using my android phone for tracking and unfortunately some of the other better known apps aren't ant+ on android, also using myFitnessPal for tracking food and such.

Me: Endomondo: Myfitnesspal if you want to add me.
You've admitted to yourself it's a problem and you're starting on it. Well done.
I have to watch what I eat as it's far too easy at work (a ship) to overeat, someone else does the cooking and no need for me to go shopping,snack stuff always available and the Brazilian love of lots of meat. Plus exercise facilities are almost non-existent.
Though I do watch the weight, my personal indicator is a pair of tailored shorts with a quite poor press-stud closing. If it 'pops' when I'm doing anything at all in them it's time to lay off the beer and pies.

 

[Yorksman]

@callummac I had a severe heart condition many years ago which cleared but which which left me overweight and unfit. I had difficulty with the simplest of tasks which led to joint problems, arthritis etc etc.

Starting with a couple of mins floor exercises per day I worked my way upto walking then a rowing machine then cycling on a turbo trainer and now I can do a couple of hours on a bike and even a few hills.

Just take it easy and bit by bit you'll improve without stressing your heart or joints. You knwo you are getting there when you puff and pant but recover more quickly. Just be patient.

Exercise alone won't shift weight at my age, 60. It has to go hand in hand with diet. What exercise does is alter the blood chemistry so the food that you do eat is digested differently. But, reduce the amount you eat as you exercise and weight will come off slowly. Slow progress tends to have longer lasting results.

You also tend to enjoy the cycling experience more. Choose nice routes.

 

[Yorksman]

A major cause of weight gain for many people is the lack of time due to the 'modern working day'. Taking the kids to pre school nursery, driving to work in heavy traffic, working a full day in an office with no canteen and having to either eat in a greasy spoon, a pub or snatch a sandwich and eat it at the desk. At the end of the day you have to drive back in heavy traffic, pick the kids up from after school nursery and then get them something quick when they get home.

Who is going to start peeling potatoes and washing vegetables? Invariably its a ready meal or something out of he freezer into the microwave and those meals, even instant pasta sauces, make up for the lack of decent ingredients by adding fat and sugar which give even rubbish a satisfying taste.

People don't have the time and they run out of energy.

But, even a cheap slow cooker makes cheap and nourishing meals and soup makers can be fun. Make home made curry sauce and freeze it in portions. Put a portion in the fridge in the morning and it will thaw by the tie you get home, just add chicken, or prawns or whatever. You have to plan to eat healthily. The food industry is all about making money by selling you rubbish because you haven't got much time.

 

[ColinJ]

Make home made curry sauce and freeze it in portions.

That's what I did when I was a student. I used to make a huge pan of veggie curry at the weekend and freeze the leftovers to eat during the week.

I started doing it again a couple of years ago because I was slipping into the habit of buying takeaways when I was tired after long rides. It's good to have something healthy to eat when you don't feel like cooking. It also saves a lot of money!

 

[huwsparky]

I lost a stone just before buying my bike. I followed the juice+ detox thingy! I cut down my portions and ate non processed foods. That's Pretty much it. If losing weight is what's important the diet has to be right. I found cutting out bread was the game changer. It surprised me how much better I felt cutting out bread.

Exercise also important but the diet is number one IMO.

BTW i was13 -10 and went down to 12-10.

If you want it enough you will succeed. I have pretty much zero will power and managed it. My missus followed the diet too. Maybe you could both do it to avoid you watching your missus eating nice foods etc?

I also agree with the majority here, forget the HR zones and enjoy riding!

 

[Yorksman]

It's good to have something healthy to eat when you don't feel like cooking. It also saves a lot of money!

It's amazing how much you can save when you plan, prepare and cook your own food.

I'm in tears at the moment as I am working my way through a small sack of pickling onions peeling them all by hand. But, with a good recipe for spicing pickling vinegar, I'll have many jars of excellent pickled onions which will keep me going more or less until next year, all for about a fiver.

Mrs Yorks does the piccalilli.

 

[gurninman]

Firstly, well done for making a good start
I'm 45, diabetic , 6'1" and was 127 kg in June
Reading through a diabetic forum, a lot of the guys on there had great results from following a low carb , high fat diet , so I decided to give it a go
So far I've lost 20kg - mostly from eating well.I have never eaten convenience food as I love cooking, but now I just don't eat bread, spuds, pasta , rice or pastry products
I don't calorie count, only use full-fat dairy products and eat pork scratchings regularly (very low carb snack !)
For a fat man who likes food, the diet is perfect - sure, I miss piles of toast and fried rice, but stuff like cauliflower cheese is a perfect replacement
The fat in the food helps you feel full, so you don't want to overeat.I'd like to alos point out that my lipid profile is also much improved...
I've not been able to get out on my bike lately due to an injury, but do light weights at home to gain some muscle tone and have a cross trainer behind my desk in the dining room.
I'm aiming to be 15st - last time I was anywhere near that was 15 years ago...

 

[Low Roller]

Your post was really candid and I want to offer you lots of warmth and support. You are in charge of what you put in your mouth. You can lose loads of weight if you are OK emotionally. Cycling can help. Don't sit down. Do loads of things that keep you occupied at times that you would otherwise be snacking. Do something every night of the week. Kindest regards.

 

[confusedcyclist]

Really chuffed to see you getting your act together.

As others have said, drop by the GP if you're concerned with the max HR but for a 30 year old, I wouldn't worry about that too much, everyone's max HR is different, and unless you're feeling breathless/light headed from reasonable activity I wouldn't be too concerned. Just don't over do it to begin with.

if you ultimate goal is to burn the fat I really would recommend getting yourself on a healthy diet as it can be tempting to inhale everything in the house when you get back from a hard workout. Snack on nuts, fruit and things like carrots and humus. Avoid anything with added sugars, but you still need the natural kinds as carbs are important fuel for riding. A helpful tip is to only shop from the periphery of the supermarket. i.e. avoid anything that comes in shiny packaging, breads pasta etc. My typical shop includes, fruit, veg, meats, milk, tinned veg, frozen veg/fruit. If it doesn't grow in a field/on a tree, you don't eat it! Supermarkets are laid out in a manner that you walk in and there are fruits and veg near the start, but to get to the tills, milk or whole foods, you have to walk past all the junk food with huge profit margings. Avoid this trap at all costs!

The initial weight gain could be due to build up of muscle, while you want to lose "weight" you should first aim to build as much muscle as possible, and not just on your legs but everywhere, muscle tissue burns up to 3 times as much energy as fat tissue, even when stationary meaning the potential for fat loss is greater. While building more muscle you are likely to notice a slowing of weight loss, as muscle gained is heavier than the fat burned, stop focusing on weight and instead take measurements around your waist, chest and biceps, track these in excell spreadsheets if your a bit of a PC geek, it can be very rewarding to see your biceps and calves bulge as your gut shrinks. If you can get body callipers you could also attempt to measure your body fat percentage, but I have personally struggled making sense of those!

The calorie estimates of 1k for an hour ride are probably accurate for your weight, as it will take some serious effort to move your bike and body's combined weight around! You won't lose this kind of weight over night, but I lost 2 stone over 2 months when I got my diet and activity nailed, now I'm cycling 5 days a week and am nearing 8% body fat which I'm pretty damn pleased with. Keep it up for your family's sake

 

[confusedcyclist]

p.s. don't forget to take the before pictures, so you can show off your progress to your nearest and dearest!