# I think I'm in love!



## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

A forum that fits me. I'm 6' 5" ~300lbs and nearly 48. I've spent years coaching my kid's teams in various sports, doing all the normal parent stuff in spades since for some of it my wife was back in school investing in her/our future.

I used to cycle 100-200 miles on a road bike in the hills in the SF bay area. I then met my wife and relocated started having kids, getting and recovering from cancer and raising well adjusted kids. When I first met my wife I got a good deal on a mountain bike (an excellent friend of hers works at Giro designing bike helmets). I mountain biked a few years (with a baby seat on the back for a year or two). However, my wife dislikes cycling and with chasing kids I eventually stopped riding.:sad: However, I started riding again this summer and then had major problems with my eyes and a vacation in Hawaii both of which interrupted my return to mountain biking.

There's a great park behind my house that is almost all rocks and hills. The fire roads are 3-5% grades and the single tracks are more (and considerably rockier).

Dilima:
When I ride the single tracks, sometime dismounting and pushing, :sad: my back hurts during the ride and later. I'm thinking of getting a FS 29er. I think my wife's current profession is helping her understand the value. She's an ICU nurse taking care of people fresh out of heart bypass surgery.

*Will I be able to ride with higher tire pressure (more efficiency) and have a less abused body afterward and therefore be able to cycle more? I don't think the bike weight is really a factor. I mean what the heck is an additional few bike pounds to a big guy like me?

I can't believe there's a forum to help motivate me. * I'm ecstatic that maybe this forum can provide the motivation to get me in good enough shape to be able to join acquaintances cycling in the park!


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## Belkin34 (Sep 3, 2008)

First off welcome back to cycling... 

I probably am not the best fella on here to pass out advice as I am a novice, but like you I found this forum to be a wealth of knowledge. The search function is your first best friend on this forum.

First off have you been fitted for your current bike? In proper fit will lead to back pain very easily. (ie seat height) 

Secondly higher tire pressure off road at least to me defiantly makes my lower back ache. It also is slower on the single track the lower tire pressures (I know it sounds weird but you can look it up on this site). Another bit of advice is the more seat time you get you will get less and less aches and pains.

Don't know if a 29'er will help you or not but the premise for one is easier climbing over obstacles and technical single track.

Hopefully some one smarter then I will chime in with some help


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## fireflock (Aug 6, 2008)

The first things that I would work on are bike fit and conditioning. It can take some time to get all of those muscles that weren't used for much re-adjusted to riding.

For bike fit, look at the amount of weight you're putting on the handlebars and how stretched out you feel on the bike.

For conditioning, anything that works your core muscles will help a lot. 
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/core-strength/SM00047
http://www.bicycling.com/article/1,6610,s1-4-20-15681-1,00.html


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks for all the tips! My current bike does not fit. It was adjusted some in the begining of the summer. However, it doesn really fit me. The wheel base is a good 100mm or so shorter than a contemporary mountain bike. Thus I have a lot of weight on the rear tire.

2.5 hrs of saddle time again this morning! 

I went till the legs quit. The climb back home was a pain but worth it.

For my current bike tire pressure really matters. When I checked it this morning it was in the 20's... maybe. I pumped them up to 50psi. That's too much. I'm way more efficient in the flats but I feel every rut,rock and piece of gravel. Also, I am constantly bounced off line because my tires do not have enough compliance. By the time I got back home my back was sore again. I guess I'll have to dial it in until I figure out what bike I want/need.


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## volition72 (May 17, 2007)

Hi dadtorbn, good to hear your back on the bike. Second what fireflock said, look at bike fit first then if you still are having problems try some core exercises. Had the same problem with lower back pain, my bike fit was okay but as i'm tall (6'6") used to think it was my backpack. Tried different packs, higher up my back, lower down my back etc etc. Then by chance came across an article in a magazine about weak core strength causing lower back pain in cyclists and 10 bike related exercises to strengthen them. Gave it a try every day and two weeks later, no pain. The exercises were;
1) pelvic tilts
2) roll-ups
3) cat
4) crunches
5) back extensions
6) plank
7) superman
8) side plank
9) child's pose
10) low cobra pose

Done in that order. I'm from the uk and it was a uk magazine so can't refer you to the exact article, sorry.

With the tyre pressure, higher will make you roller quicker on the fire roads but it's gonna beat the hell out of you on the rocky sections. Trouble is being a clyde if you don't have the pressure up you'll get loads of pinch flats. Get some dh tubes(a lot cheaper, but heavy) or run stan's no tubes (more expensive and a bit fiddly until your used to it) which lets you drop the pressure and less problems. You'll also get more grip with lower tyre pressures as the tyre contact patch with the ground will be larger and they will track the ground better. For reference I used to run 45 psi with normal tubes and 28-30 psi with dh tubes/stans and i'm 220-230lbs with kit.

If you do buy a new bike take a look at a custom 29er frame at our height it's the only real option. Recently got a custom 29er hardtail frame, it's more expensive but worth every penny. Best thing i've done, wish i'd done it at the start would have saved a fortune on ill fitting bikes.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Got out again for two more hours saddle time on Saturday mid day. It was great to get out! Saw deer and turkeys (the feathered kind).

Notes:
1) Tire pressure still needs adjustment down. I still felt everything...
2) Mid day light combined with dusty trail make it really hard to see all the trail rocks.
3) I had the park mostly to myself! 

Took an 1/2 hour aerobic hike on Sunday during my daughter's guitar lesson! Cross training?  That's getting a little easier too!

I need to figure out a method for weekday exercise...


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## the old fool (Jan 27, 2008)

*my $00.02*

i had some lower back pain after a few hours riding and found that a shorter stem helped

higher tire pressure means fast but not very comfortable and not much traction

lower pressure gives more shock absorption and more traction

to low gives pinch flats and stuffed rims

how much pressure depends on your tires and the terrain

try 35lbs and see how that feels, it's the pressure i started at but I'm only 6'5' and 244lbs

I suggest you try to solve your currant problems on the bike you have then when you look for a 29er you will have some idea of what a correct fit feels like.

Welcome to our little forum.:thumbsup:


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## tenbsmith (Dec 31, 2004)

Welcome back indeed. I'm 45 with two kids, so I know what you're saying. 

+1 to getting someone knowledgeable to help improve the fit of your current bike. A good local bike store might help you with this, and you might buy a new stem or something from them.

+1 on improving your core strength, this helped with my lower back pain. Well that and moving to a larger bike.

I’m 240lbs and if I run my pressure much under 36psi I get pinch flats in the rear tire which is 26x2.1. 35psi may be too low for you, I’d slowly lower pressure you start getting pinch flats, then run my pressure high enough to avoid them. Definetly keep some spare inner tubes on hand.


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## UrgentUnguent (Oct 28, 2007)

47, 6'1", 250, gained 30 lbs dealing with cancer (fine now), parent. I really like my Fisher HiFi 29'er XL size, but it's almost too small. It's FS but if I did it all-over-again I'd probably go hardtail and spend the cash on higher end components. I ride 35 psi on hard pack, some baby heads, and lots of roots, and haven't had a flat lately.

What I notice most on my 29er FS is I seldom climb out of the saddle. I was having a bumpy ride on a local climb called Ho Chi Minh trail (looks like it's been capret bombed with wheel ruts), and was like "D'oh, stand up" and then motored on through.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

2+ more hours saddle time today! It was a beautiful day for a ride. I went with a work buddy! It was hotter than usual ~90 degrees. It sapped my strength some. However, the climbing is getting easier bit by bit. We took a fairly technical single track down for a portion of the ride. That was fun and I wouldn't have done it on my own. I dropped my tire pressure to 35 PSI and it was a good compromise.

I ordered a new bike this past week to serve as incentive. It won't arrive till December. I really want to be able to ride well when it arrives! I guess I'll need to ride at lunch and spin some at the YMCA also. With my crazy life chasing my kids after work is out of the question...

Back pain is improving also... I'm not sure why... Tire pressure??? Chaffing is now the enemy. However, I refuse to let it stop me. I figure it'll either stop or I'll get calluses.

FYI...
My son does football. The practices which last 2 hours. I'm doing a very brisk walk around the track prior to pickup. I can cover about 2 or so miles (I walk the extreme outside to avoid runners) in about 34 minutes.  

Also, the wheel base on my current ride is exactly the same as his. However, he's 5' 9"... I can't wait till my properly fitting bike is in.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

UrgentUnguent said:


> 47, 6'1", 250, gained 30 lbs dealing with cancer (fine now), parent. I really like my Fisher HiFi 29'er XL size, but it's almost too small. It's FS but if I did it all-over-again I'd probably go hardtail and spend the cash on higher end components. I ride 35 psi on hard pack, some baby heads, and lots of roots, and haven't had a flat lately.
> 
> What I notice most on my 29er FS is I seldom climb out of the saddle. I was having a bumpy ride on a local climb called Ho Chi Minh trail (looks like it's been capret bombed with wheel ruts), and was like "D'oh, stand up" and then motored on through.


I also dealt with cancer 13 years ago. I put on weight during chemo. It was a concious decision by me to eat more incase I had problems with eating later, I didn't.:thumbsup: I put on 30lbs and lost a ton of wind/fitness.. Since then two more kids:thumbsup: and 50 more lbs.:sad:

Now no matter how much family discourse I'm getting out at least once a week.

I got out yesterday for a ~2 more hours saddle time. I changed up my route and found a less abusive challenging route. I'll know my progress when I can climb one 400 yard section than was too steep for me. other than that it was a fabulous ride and the weather was perfect.:thumbsup:

~1 month for my FS 29er. I can't wait!


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## orangedog (Aug 30, 2008)

nice work! :thumbsup: 

keep up the good work. I think you've got it covered: cross training, core work, and healthy diet will get you there. the FS will be nice too.

keep this thread alive with regular updates - I did something similar on a tri forum and found it to be a great way to track progress/change over time. plus, you have an entire forum to be responsible to now. :thumbsup:


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## Znarf (Nov 12, 2005)

Hi,

just read your story. Glad you´re back to biking. It´s the most fun thing there is and healthy, too.

My cousin is also really tall and a big guy. He was never happy on his older 26" mtb.
ISo he went out, invested the money in a Stumpjumper FSR 29er. A fullsuspension 29" mtb in size XL.

He´s super happy now. He no longer feels (and looks) like riding a kids bike, but a proper mountainbike. He gained tons of confidence and just keeps on spinning and sending it on gnarly trails. 

If you can cough up the $$, get one. 
There might be some great closeout deals. Maybe you could testride the 2009 Stumpjumper Comp FSR 29" it even comes in XXL, but that might be too big. 
Even the XL is HUUUUUUUGE.


Greetings Znarf


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks guys. I just love being away from the world in a beautiful setting getting needed exercise!  The park behind us is a complete gem! Annadel!:thumbsup: It's criminal that I've lived here for almost 10 years and haven't good into the park much at all.



orangedog said:


> nice work! :thumbsup:
> 
> keep up the good work. I think you've got it covered: cross training, core work, and healthy diet will get you there. the FS will be nice too.
> 
> keep this thread alive with regular updates - I did something similar on a tri forum and found it to be a great way to track progress/change over time. plus, you have an entire forum to be responsible to now. :thumbsup:


Thanks for the encouragement! I wasn't certain if I was plugging up the board with drivel. I'll continue to update once every week or so. It helps as both a motivation and tracking tool.

I hope it'll help other clydes get out there too.



Znarf said:


> Hi,
> 
> just read your story. Glad you´re back to biking. It´s the most fun thing there is and healthy, too.
> 
> ...


Your cousin sounds very much like me! My current mountain bike just is wrong sized for me. This year has been pretty good $ wise for me so I have a SJ Expert 29'er in XL on order due in Early November! Unfortunately that's when daylight savings hits. But I think it'll help motivate me to be out there in the "winter" months. I live about 1 hour north of SF so winter is really more about daylight and state of mind. I'm very happy to hear your cousin likes his new bike! I was in my LBS and they set me up on last years comp and it felt pretty good. However, I'm on the hump at the high end for the XL. The Local Trek store wouldn't give me the time of day. I think I'll ride by after I get it...


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## Znarf (Nov 12, 2005)

Don´t worry,

my cousin is also right between XL and XXL, but the XL is really already a big bike and it fits great.
And I heard that the 2010 is going to be even better!

Greetings Znarf


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Got out last weekend for 2 hrs. and this weekend for 3! The ride yesterday was beautiful. It was 7:30am when I left. The weather was overcast and cool ~52 deg. F. I climbed into the park again. The climbing is getting slowly better. The horse power (Clyde?? ) is improving. The nemisis portion of my climb still forces me out of the saddle. I timed it and I can hump up it in 5 min. So it must be ~ 1/4mile. Grrr! Until I can stay in the saddle my objective will be to slice time off that each ride! When I got into the park it was a beautiful sunny day. I could see out over the valley and there was a blanket of fog! Climbing has it's benefits!

Riding notes:
-Wind is improving every week
-As my skills improve I'm looking further down the trail which improves my ability to pick lines and makes my climbing more efficient by maintaining better balance.
-Riding after a rainfall is a mixed bag (3-4 days before the ride). The trail is softer. The pre-existing lines are "washed out" so pick your own. The single track down hills are more technical (read rutted) which pushed me toward the limit of my bike and I.
-I rode till my legs quit and rolled down hill back home. This is my favorite way to ride.:thumbsup: 
-I'm not really weighing myself. I want to get my legs in shape first and foremost. They still have a good dull ache of being pushed 2 days ago.:thumbsup: 
-Back didn't ache till pounding down the rocky sections. FS will help this hopefully.

Thanks All!


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## orangedog (Aug 30, 2008)

keep it up... you'll keep noticing little improvements after each ride. having a constant spot to test against works well, too, IMHO... if you can accomplish something you couldn't before you have tangible evidence of your improvement.

the FS should indeed help... if you haven't thought of it already, a full fitting will be a beneficial exercise


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

orangedog said:


> keep it up... you'll keep noticing little improvements after each ride. having a constant spot to test against works well, too, IMHO... if you can accomplish something you couldn't before you have tangible evidence of your improvement.
> 
> the FS should indeed help... if you haven't thought of it already, *a full fitting will be a beneficial exercise*


Thanks again for the encouragement!:thumbsup:

A full fitting is included in the purchase of my bike. They have rollers, video etc to get you dialed in with the geometry! I'm REALLY looking forward to a proper fitting bike. I'll post the difference it makes.:thumbsup:


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## mava (Oct 28, 2009)

*Lower back pain?*

I find giving the hamstrings a good stretch makes my back pain go away. As we get older the muscles get shorter and spending hours in the saddle doesn't help. Get into the habit of always stretching for a couple of minutes as a cool down routine and you will not have any back pain:thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

orangedog said:


> keep it up... you'll keep noticing little improvements after each ride. having a constant spot to test against works well, too, IMHO... if you can accomplish something you couldn't before you have tangible evidence of your improvement.
> 
> the FS should indeed help... if you haven't thought of it already, a full fitting will be a beneficial exercise


It came in! Fitting frame, 29er and FS are all a huge improvement.

This morning was my first ride.

Went for a ~1:45 spin today.still can't climb my nemesis even with the new bike.

I was a bit worried about all the changes... New bike, new shoes, camelbak etc... Everything went very well. Camelbak fit even me (I appropriately purchased a HAWG). I consumed about half of it on my ride in 50 deg F weather.

The new bike made it easier to focus on exercising and not worrying about every 'effin bump/rock on the trail. On my old bike I would have to scan for every rock and pick the perfect line or take a hit. On my new ride I have the tires at ~40lbs and I was able to roll many minor hits w/o impact. Since my bike fits me I'm able to climb and descend better and even though the wheel base is about 4.5 inches longer it handles better. A well fitting frame helps a ton!. Part of the "handling better" may be that I wasn't overly concerned about taking a hit so I never looked down to figure out if I was going to take a hit. I was very comfortable maintaingin focus down the trail and picking lines.

The trail back down was a dream on my new bike. There's numerous places where 3"-8" rocks litter the trail. Picking a line through these was critical on my old bike and if you fell out of the line for any reason (another rider coming up etc...) the penalty was a though beating. On my new bike there was any beating. The rocks communicated . However, I was able to by and large roll 'em.

All in all it was a fun ride. I'll be doing as many of these as possible!:thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Got out once more last weekend and had a blast! I still can't climb my nemesis. I went around the lake a couple of times before descending. The new bike helps me get a more complete workout through the entire ride. There's always a good gear to get the proper cadence (27spd) and the thumb index shifters are a dream. They shift so well I can push right up to the point I need to shift then shift away. The big wheela nd FS let me look further down the trail and the proper gear allows me to pedal all the time and since minor trail imperfections aren't a problem anymore being tired while pushing doesn't have a beating penalty.:thumbsup: 

I've come to terms with the fact that weekday rides in the park are out until the end of Feb/Beg of March at the earliest. Thus I started spinning at the YMCA at lunch time I did that yesterday and today. I can get ~30min or so in. The gym cycles are amazing. They have all these lights and tracking widgets etc... Both days the calorie counter ticked off a little over 300 for about 30 min of "riding". I'm hoping to get out this weekend (Saturday only due to kids activities on Sun.) and see if this additional training helps my wind. I'll get a small 1/2 hr aerobic hike in on Sun as a cross training tool though. I plan to continue spinning as much as possible to help me conquer my memesis!


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

Which bike did you get?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

CaveGiant said:


> Which bike did you get?


Speshy SJ FSR 29'er expert in XL.



It's way better than being on a bike that's too small.:thumbsup:

Edit. The top of the dam is the ONLY paved section in the entire park. The rest is a mix of single tracks and fire roads with a range of technical ability. However, everything is up/down except laps around the lake up in the park.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Went for a ride Saturday morning! I still couldn't climb my nemesis. However, I was able to get on my bike about 200ft sooner than before! My wind is improving. The sag on my bike was more than last weekend. I purchased a shock pump to maintain it prior to each ride. Riding around the lake is turning more and more into a wind sprint! Slicing through the rock garden on the far side is really quick work. My line is straighter and my reaction time in choosing a line it getting better every trip. The trails were populated with a lot of people doing the same thing as me... Getting out before the rain storm. During one sprint around the lake a flew up upon a pair of horse riders coming the opposite direction. I hopped on the brakes hard and was in too tall a gear to get going back up that section of trail. Oh well... I chose to ride down a fairly technical descent that is also used by runners and hikers. It was a complete joy to ride on a bike that fit me. I never feared going OTB. It was challenging to avoid the big rocks and pick a good line. During the descent my rear brakes made a ton of noise. Texas suggested getting my brakes bled which I'll get done if it occurs again. I took about a mile of surface streets back home. I was quickly reminded that one of the reasons I love mountain biking is that there are no cars.:thumbsup: A van pulling a trailer missed me by less than a foot. My wind was much better! Also crossed trained by playing Bball last night. My wind there was much better. I guess I'll be spinning this week too. It seems to improve my level of aerobic fitness.:thumbsup:


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## [email protected] (Oct 17, 2009)

> Will I be able to ride with higher tire pressure (more efficiency)


This is a bad assumption. After reading several threads here over the last week, higher tire pressure isn't necessarily more efficient. Apparently, even road bikers are no longer following that idea.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I couldn't get out this weekend with family commitments, rain and limited day light.:sad: 

On another note, I continue to spin. I can reasonably squeeze in 30-40 minutes at lunch time. I am trying to go at least 3 times a week. The machines are pretty nifty. In 30-35 minutes I can crank out about 360 calories. My heart rate can be a bit high... I did a cardio workout yesterday. The machine adjusts resistance to help you maintain a constant heart rate. I has it set for 142. My wife the ICU heart nurse said that was too high. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! I want to burn my legs without a heart attack! Afterward a spin I can tell my heart was cranking. Does anyone have any experience spinning up from poor shape and what is reasonable to expect. I really want to use cycling and spinning to get more fit!


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## gasiorv (Aug 15, 2007)

There is a lot of info about heart rate training on this forum, on the net, and in books. I suggest spending some time doing some research on heart rate training. Everyone will have their own opinion on the subject and I will provide you with mine which may not be what others agree with so take everyone's input, apply it and see what works for you. What works for you is the key.

Anyway, my opinion is that you should base your training on an exertion level and your heart rate is one way to determine your exertion level, other ways are perceived exertion, can you talk, hold a convesation, feel like you're going to puke, etc..... If you are just starting to get back into shape and to ride, you first must build a base, building a base requires minimum exertion level at a higher duration, you will most likely have to build up to the higher durations. So I would suggest that if you are only working out for 30-40 minutes at a time, I would shoot for a 75% of your max heart rate (since you are just starting I would say that MHR=220-age and then as you get more in shape you can adjust using other methods), so 75% MHR for 48yo = 129 bpm) or if you don't have a heart rate monitor you should be able to talk in sentences (maybe not hold a conversation but be able to complete a sentence). After you do this for several months and are able to hold this excertion level for an extend duration 1.5-2.0 hours, then I would say to start doing some easy intervals (i.e. warm up and get into your 75% zone and then for 30-90 sec intervals increase your exertion, then back down to 75%, continue these intervals for 10-20 minutes and then cool down). Again, a lot of information out there, take it all with a grain of salt and then see what works for you, once you find what works for you that is the correct answer.


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## Iluv2adjust (Jun 19, 2006)

The best investment I ever made was purchasing a heart rate monitor from Polar that I can use on my bike and use the chest strap at home on my Precor elliptical. Measures everything I need. Great deals on ebay too..It's the CS200 i believe. 

I too started getting back into riding this year. I am building a hardtail 29er from Pricepoint called the Sette Razzo..Still riding my 15 year old Proflex 856..ancient, Applebees will have something to hang from the wall when I am done with the 29er build!


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## BigSwede (Aug 25, 2009)

dadtorbn said:


> Speshy SJ FSR 29'er expert in XL.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Very cool picture.The dam is a good place to get a breather."I'm from Santa Rosa as well"........:thumbsup:


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## Betarad (Oct 24, 2009)

Just discovered your thread, read through it....nicely done so far! And good choice on the FS ride.

I'm 6' 4", just under 220 lbs, and 48. The only reason I'm under 220 is my love of mountain biking (and the climbing that goes with it). As I was approaching my 40th birthday, I found myself almost 250 lbs, sluggish, and slow. Some friends got me into mountain biking, and within a few years, into off road triathlons (Xterra's). After months of training (8 to be exact) for my first one, I was 206 lbs on race day, and feeling lean and mean. 

A bit extreme for most folks, I know, and I no longer do triathlons and all the regimented training that goes with them - I just ride avidly for fun. But I'm so glad I did what I did, because after a few years of putting the intense training time in, I emerged with a great base of fitness that I now simply maintain with fun riding 3 - 4 times a week. 

It also really put me in tune with my body. Gasiorv describes the classic training-to-improve regimen very well. If you can swing it time management wise, a year or two of following such a routine, with a heart rate monitor, is a worthy investment in your future......and it will ultimately make biking waaaay more fun, 'cause you won't be suffering as much. After a while, you can leave the HRM at home, because you will know what's happening to your body simply by feel.

Regarding your back pain, I too suffered from chronic lower back pain - debilitating at times. I'm totally agree with volition72 on the core fitness exercises. After years of regular chiropractic visits (this was prior to my involvement with mountain biking), I finally squeezed info out of the doctor on specialty exercises for lower back strengthening, started doing them for 30 minutes here and there, and I haven't been back since.

Anyway, sounds like you're passionate about both mountain biking and getting in shape, so I thought I'd share a few things that have greatly improved my life as I roll through the rock gardens towards the big 5-0.

Keep riding, brother.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Betarad said:


> Just discovered your thread, read through it....nicely done so far! And good choice on the FS ride.
> 
> I'm 6' 4", just under 220 lbs, and 48. The only reason I'm under 220 is my love of mountain biking (and the climbing that goes with it). As I was approaching my 40th birthday, I found myself almost 250 lbs, sluggish, and slow. Some friends got me into mountain biking, and within a few years, into off road triathlons (Xterra's). After months of training (8 to be exact) for my first one, I was 206 lbs on race day, and feeling lean and mean.
> 
> ...


THANKS!

I haven't added the core training yet...

One step at a time. I'm still spinning at lunch both Mon and Tues (today) this week so far! Work and my family are doing their best to interfere with my regular system. But I will not go down w/o a fight. Instead of lunch I may need to do a dawn patrol spinning (6:00am ) on Thurs/Fri. Such is life. I guess it'll transfer well in a few months when daylight savings kicks in. Then I'll really be able to ride @ dawn. In the mean time I want to spin AT LEAST 3 times a week. The cardio work I did before the holidays actually held up well and I don't think I lost much.

Santa didn't bring me a HRM. However, I'll research them and buy one I think... I really want maximum the impact of my time spinning so I can realize it on the trail when mountain biking.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

BigSwede said:


> Very cool picture.The dam is a good place to get a breather."I'm from Santa Rosa as well"........:thumbsup:


It's a dam nice place! I'm big-n-slow. If you ever want a trailing partner  let me know. My time with family commitments is tough though.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Been a little while since I posted to this motivational (for me) thread. Went on a ride 10 days ago in the park. My wind/capability was much better. Time to explore... Went down (well actually up) a trail I couldn't before. It was fun to explore that area. I wanted to go down one trail but ended up on another. All was well and I was trying to be careful until OTB. Arghhhh.... My back cracked and my hammies cramped. I lay there and took inventory. YAY! Nothing was broken... Then some skinny butted -p) 20 somethins spun by and asked if I was okay, which was appreciated. They stopped for a second to be sure, it was nice. I continued down the trail with more caution and more dismounts. It was over my capability presently. Oh well. A lesson learned. My back actually felt better than before the ride. A free alignment. My shoulder still hurts some.

Brought my bike in for a check up. I broke a tooth on my middle ring. One effin' misshift! Wrong gear on a hill! $30 lesson. My front brake rotor is 203 and rear 185. My rear was blue tinted (tempered some). I need to use the front more and lose weight!

I continued to spin at the Y during lunches. I went out for a ride with a friend on Sat morning before all the storms arrived! He took me in areas of the park I haven't been yet and we were out for ~2.5 hours or so! It was fun to ride with a friend. I was slower and we went to areas that I will not go by my self for some time. It was steepish and very rocky! After crashing the week before there's no way I want to crash on rocks! :-O I need to see if I can run a lower tire pressure and if it helps on this bike... I'm running 40 now and will try 30 on my next ride. The loss of efficiency won't bug me if it helps me ride better. I also need to play with my shock settings some...

I keep spinning every day if I can. I changed my diet some. Lunches are spartan and breakfast is healthy! I also added recoverite as a post ride/spin breverage per my buddy's recommendation.

I've dropped 7.5 lbs so far! Yee effin' haw! I would like to drop 70 more... :-O But I really don't care how long it takes or if I have set backs. My cardio is in SO MUCH BETTER shape I can't even describe. I am in an old mans basketball league and I can actually run up and down the court without dying! I can actually play more like I could before marraige, kids etc!

I'll continue periodic posts to this thread!


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Have you noticed much change in your body's appearance though? I ask because even though 7.5 pounds does not sound like a lot of weight to loose for the work you are doing, I bet you have lost a lot more fat and replaced it with heavier muscle. I know that when I picked up road biking last summer I could tell a difference in how my clothes fit but I actually gained weight. My legs exploded in size. I have tree trunk thighs to begin with and when I used to lift weights heavy I had to avoid working them because they are one of the body parts that respond rapidly to working out. I think by end of the summer my thighs were measuring 31"...lol


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Nubster said:


> Have you noticed much change in your body's appearance though? I ask because even though 7.5 pounds does not sound like a lot of weight to loose for the work you are doing, I bet you have lost a lot more fat and replaced it with heavier muscle. I know that when I picked up road biking last summer I could tell a difference in how my clothes fit but I actually gained weight. My legs exploded in size. I have tree trunk thighs to begin with and when I used to lift weights heavy I had to avoid working them because they are one of the body parts that respond rapidly to working out. I think by end of the summer my thighs were measuring 31"...lol


In my riding days I had received compliments on my legs. I was twenty sumthin' and didn't really understand. The muscles were pretty well defined. I can see them coming back under everything else (fat). My pants don't fit quite so well and I've given up a belt loop! It's all in the right direction. It's rained 6.5 days straight here. The mud is pretty fine grit that I don't want it in my suspension. I opted for 45 minutes of spinning at the Y. It's supposed to rain for another 3-4 days. I guess tomorrow morning will be a Y day also and old mans bball tomorrow night. I've also noticed that I can play ball much better. I'm not spending all my time bent over and sucking wind!:thumbsup:


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## davep (Mar 11, 2005)

Good on you for getting out there :thumbsup: 

I am only 6' and ~190 but I have over 30 years of building/racing/or riding off road bikes...so although I may not understand all the issues involved with your size, there might be a few things I could add.

Looking at you bike, one things sort of stands out. You are quite tall, and as such your seat is very high. But you are running a flat narrow bar (680mm/26.5" according to spec) with zero spacers(unfortunately). It is perfectly normal to have the bars a couple inches lower that the seat, and your longer torso and arms most likely make it easier to reach down to the bars....but it looks to me like your bars are very low compared to the seat height.

Without seeing you on the bike and talking to you about your riding, comfort, weight distribution, etc I am 100% guessing BUT I just wanted to point out the fact that you can find different bars that might make your riding position more comfortable especially on more agressive terrain. 

It is pretty easy to understand how a larger person would be more comfortable with a wider bar, and the trend in the last few years has been to offer more options to that end. 28 inches used to be the standard (all mountain) in riser bars and really only width avialable up to about three years ago. Now you can easily find bars up to 31.5 inches in width. 

Now I am certainly not saying that you need something that wide, or need to make any changes at all, just making a passing observation, and wanting to make you aware that there options out there.

In fact, I am pretty sure that I have a very lightly used 28" riser bar sitting in the garage collecting dust if you have interest in trying....


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

davep said:


> Good on you for getting out there :thumbsup:
> 
> I am only 6' and ~190 but I have over 30 years of building/racing/or riding off road bikes...so although I may not understand all the issues involved with your size, there might be a few things I could add.
> 
> ...


Thank you very much for your reply. The angle on the photo by the lake does not do justice to my seat height. Here's a better photo.



Because it's a full suspension bike the seat drops a bit when I saddle up. This is by far the most comfortable bike I've ever owned. They took the time to fit me on it. It is possible the XXL would have been a better fit. However, no one had it in stock so I never tried it. Neither my legs nor my back ache at all when I've done riding. They're just appropriately tired. 

Here's my old bike.



The seat height is the same. However, no rear suspension. I put bar ends on it to try to help. It didn't really work so well. Thus a new bike! -)

I'll keep you in mind if I need a riser. For now I want to keep riding and spinning and dropping lbs. to make it all make it all more fun and put me in a healthier place (and it's working!).


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Nubster said:


> Have you noticed much change in your body's appearance though? I ask because even though 7.5 pounds does not sound like a lot of weight to loose for the work you are doing, I bet you have lost a lot more fat and replaced it with heavier muscle. I know that when I picked up road biking last summer I could tell a difference in how my clothes fit but I actually gained weight. My legs exploded in size. I have tree trunk thighs to begin with and when I used to lift weights heavy I had to avoid working them because they are one of the body parts that respond rapidly to working out. I think by end of the summer my thighs were measuring 31"...lol


Unbelievable the effect that changing diet has had.:thumbsup: One and a half weeks ago I changed my diet and now I'm now down 12lbs (total). I feel better and that belt loop that I dropped isn't tight at all! Basically I dropped all the processed crap for morning, lunch and snacks. No sodas (diet or otherwise!). Fruit for snacks at work when I'm hungry. Dinner is largely unchanged since it's with the family. Every morning for the the past week or so when I step on the scale I've dropped somewhere between zero and a pound or so. It's like clockwork! I don't really feel hungry either. Smaller healthier meals and fruit as a snack if needed. In addition I'm spinning every day. I hope to squeeze a ride in on Saturday morning before my son's basketball game. It's supposed to rain though. I really want to see how much easier climbing has become. It's been several weeks since I've run my typical course through the hills.


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## CaveGiant (Aug 21, 2007)

dadtorbn said:


> Speshy SJ FSR 29'er expert in XL.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Good choice, love to give it a spin.


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## tommignon (Jan 27, 2010)

Go get the hills

I am 6' 2" and 240 But I did what you are doing 2 years ago and went from 250 down to 220 from Jan to Aug. then I got realbusy with work and the rains started I picked up the 20 pounds and am now trying to take it back off. I've started riding again but I live in the great north wet. (Washington) It will happen. your story has helped motivate me. I recently purchased a 2005 Stumpjumper 120 Expert. I've only had it on the trail once I'm dying to go.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

CaveGiant said:


> Good choice, love to give it a spin.


Sounds good! The next time your in Santa Rosa PM me...



tommignon said:


> Go get the hills
> 
> I am 6' 2" and 240 But I did what you are doing 2 years ago and went from 250 down to 220 from Jan to Aug. then I got realbusy with work and the rains started I picked up the 20 pounds and am now trying to take it back off. I've started riding again but I live in the great north wet. (Washington) It will happen. *your story has helped motivate me.* I recently purchased a 2005 Stumpjumper 120 Expert. I've only had it on the trail once I'm dying to go.


Cool! I'm focused finally. Kids sports/activities and weather kept me from cycling yesterday and today. However, a hour spin at the Y yesterday and basketball tonight should cover my aerobic needs. Down 14+ and counting!


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## tommignon (Jan 27, 2010)

Got 3 more rides in and I've got the suspension a bit more dialed in. wow that full suspension sure make a difference. I still get winded but not beat up and i can kepp peddling in the ruff stuff. also goes up hills better. 
Now I just need to get the wife back out on her bike with me. it's a bunch better when you have your best friend to talk with while riding. 
We are setting up for a week of mountain biking for our 25th in April. will probably do the McKenzie river trail as part of our trip. I can't wait.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

tommignon said:


> Got 3 more rides in and I've got the suspension a bit more dialed in. wow that full suspension sure make a difference. I still get winded but not beat up and i can kepp peddling in the ruff stuff. also goes up hills better.
> Now I just need to get the wife back out on her bike with me. it's a bunch better when you have your best friend to talk with while riding.
> We are setting up for a week of mountain biking for our 25th in April. will probably do the McKenzie river trail as part of our trip. I can't wait.


Good for you!:thumbsup: Your experience with FS mirrors mine! Trails don't beat me up (unless I go OTB). Also for climbing... I don't think I lose anything over my previous bike in termams of efficiency. However, the ability to not feel every minor imperfection in the trail makes the ride more enjoyable. Also, the drivetrain shock is way down when hitting rocks while climbing.:thumbsup:

I'm glad you're getting back out there. If rain keeps you off the trails see if you can work out a way to spin! That and diet are working wonders for me so far...

almost 16lbs gone...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I haven't posted in awhile because I haven't been able to ride due to family and weather. However, I have been riding a stationary bike at the YMCA every day! I have played with effort/max heart rate etc. If I push too hard my chest is a bit sore for a day or two... However, if I keep max heart rate at just a hair over 80% max I can push for 40-60 min and do it again the next day without beating myself down too far. The modified "diet" continues... I half a container of nonfat cottage cheese and a bananna (and maybe an orange) for breakfast, I spin at the 'Y' around lunch time, the eat lunch which consists of two slices of bread with a few pieces of turkey as a sandwich, ~1.5oz of beef jerky (more protien) and a glass of Rocoverite as a beverage. I eat a normal dinner with my family. I've been charting my weight every day and weigh myself a couple of times a day... Right before bed and right after my morning shower. The morning shower time is what I chart. I've knocked down the calories significantly anf have cut out caffeinated diet colas and crappy carb loaded snacks. If I'm hungry during a non meal time I'll eat a piece of fruit or I'll eat cut up veggies! Funny thing... I lLOVE cheese and beer... As I've started eating better and having sucess at dropping the wieght and I feel a ton better... I don't really want them nearly as much... It's a good thing! 

As of this morning I'm down 21lbs!

I'm also picking up a road bike today and have registered for a 65mile ride in October which has a nasty 1 mile 8-10% grade about 2/3rds the way through it... I'll be in shape for that. It's my mid-long term goal...

EDIT:
I put the word diet in quotes because it doesn't feel like a diet to me. I am NOT hungry. Once I completed the transition away from anything containing processed carbs or any corn syrup along with increased exercise I do not feel the same kind of sharp hunger pangs... It's really weird in a good way! Maybe my body is getting used to burning some fat (I have plenty) as fuel when the readily available carbs in my body are consumed.


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## tommignon (Jan 27, 2010)

Last week 3 rides, this week only 2 so far. yesterday was a great ride. I love my new (new to me) Stumpjumper FSR I haven't really started losing wieght yet but i'm back to being able to ride as long as i have time. 1-2 hrs I'm looking forward to this saturday it is finally supposed to be nice weather and don't have any conflicts. I'm trying to get the wife to go an a long ride with me. She also has a Spec. FSR and she loves the rides. WIfe and I are going on a week vacation in April with our bikes and we are going to Oregon. There is the McKenzie river ride (26 Miles along the river, Beautiful) we plan on doing and some others as well. 

BTW Good job on the 21 LBS I'm jealous. LOL thats where I want to be by the end of summer.


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## [email protected] (Oct 17, 2009)

this is an interesting thread and story. It shows the progression ... just doing it to being very aware about diet, HR, and stuff like that. Mainly, "just doing it" builds passion which channels your mind to learn and absorb information. Next thing you know, you are losing weight, etc ...


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## Betarad (Oct 24, 2009)

Sounds like you've got a very good program going....and seeing/feeling the results is the fun part. It always amazed me how my body would change in reaction to a prolonged, regimented training/diet routine. Slowly but surely, a body you never knew existed under all that skin is revealed.

Funny...I love cheese and beer too. That's probably why I have the hardest time losing the last 5 lbs.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well I haven't posted to the thread in a while... I'm going to try to mountain bike tomorrow. I hope to ascend my nemesis. I've dropped quite a few lbs since my last try... In the mean time I logged a 40 mile road ride today... The weather was fabulous! ~40 deg F at the start and 3 hrs later it was ~55 or so. My weight is platueaing a bit... I've dropped about 27.5lbs so far. I struggle with balance between work wife and kids... My road skills continue to improve also. I can get out of the saddle and crank some which is really encouraging. Calves and quads are sore. Life is good! 

I continue to go to the Y and spin and try to minimize crap carbs also... I'm shooting for dropping another 4.5+ pounds by april 1st.


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## gnslr (Dec 24, 2004)

you are all over it, way to go! Nice new ride and congrats on the weight loss, no doubt you will reach your next goal.


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

dadtorbn said:


> Well I haven't posted to the thread in a while... I'm going to try to mountain bike tomorrow. I hope to ascend my nemesis. I've dropped quite a few lbs since my last try... In the mean time I logged a 40 mile road ride today... The weather was fabulous! ~40 deg F at the start and 3 hrs later it was ~55 or so. My weight is platueaing a bit... I've dropped about 27.5lbs so far. I struggle with balance between work wife and kids... My road skills continue to improve also. I can get out of the saddle and crank some which is really encouraging. Calves and quads are sore. Life is good!
> 
> I continue to go to the Y and spin and try to minimize crap carbs also... I'm shooting for dropping another 4.5+ pounds by april 1st.


just came across this thread! glad to hear things are going well. you're losing weight in a very heathly manner- slow and steady. good for you! this is a great way to sustain the weight loss as well.

i've always been interested in fs bikes, but never tried one. i might have to check one out. i'm 6'4 240. it's fun when weight comes off when you're doing something fun.

keep up the good work and look forward for more updates and pics!
ez


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

gnslr said:


> you are all over it, way to go! Nice new ride and congrats on the weight loss, no doubt you will reach your next goal.


Thanks! My commitment varies some. However, I'm focused on getting the extra tire gone! I've already lost the equivalent of an XC bike!  One of the hard parts, if you can beleive it, is the time to prep good evening snacks for the week. (Rep peppers, raishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery etc...). When I snack on them and not cheese the weight comes off easier. However, with after work kid commitments (baseball coach on two teams, ferrying kids etc... By the end of the day I'm not into spending an hour chopping up veggies. Either I get it done on the weekend or it slows my weight loss. Actually putting it in words here helps crystalize the penalty...



Eric Z said:


> just came across this thread! glad to hear things are going well. you're losing weight in a very heathly manner- slow and steady. good for you! this is a great way to sustain the weight loss as well.
> 
> i've always been interested in fs bikes, but never tried one. i might have to check one out. i'm 6'4 240. it's fun when weight comes off when you're doing something fun.
> 
> ...


Thanks. I want to be 240 in July... it's doable. I can't lose focus to achieve it though. Regarding FS, it's made a huge difference to the frequency I can ride. I got abused on my old bike. It was too small and a felt every imperfection on the trails. My new bike rolls all the minor stuff and makes it easier to pick a line for the bigger stuff.

Here's a pic of my other weight loss toy/motivational tool!



I'll wait another 20-30 lbs to post a before/after pic of me. By then I'll be well on my way to my destination...
It's nice to have a road bike that fits too!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm stoked! My pants/shorts have been falling off me for a while (6 weeks or so...) I've been able to put them on/off w/o undoing the button at the waist (sorry if that's TMI). I just brought 2 pair off shorts that are 4" smaller than what I was wearing before!!! I'm so psyched!!!!  !!! Also, acquaintances are mentioning the noticeable transformation!  I'm still on my weight loss track. The feedback helps me recommit my motivation! I also took a "spin" down memory lane on this thread! 3 months ago 30-35 minutes on the spin machine at the Y was worth about 360 calories! Now I can crank out 45 minutes at about 142-145 (~80-85% MHR) and it's worth 630 calories or so!

From 3 months ago...


dadtorbn said:


> ...
> I can reasonably squeeze in 30-40 minutes at lunch time. I am trying to go at least 3 times a week. The machines are pretty nifty. In 30-35 minutes I can crank out about 360 calories. My heart rate can be a bit high... I did a cardio workout yesterday. The machine adjusts resistance to help you maintain a constant heart rate. I has it set for 142. My wife the ICU heart nurse said that was too high. Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!!! I want to burn my legs without a heart attack! Afterward a spin I can tell my heart was cranking. Does anyone have any experience spinning up from poor shape and what is reasonable to expect. I really want to use cycling and spinning to get more fit!


On a side note... I can still feel it in my chest a bit the next day when I push too hard...

I get up at the crack of dawn for another 40-45 mile spin tomorrow before I coach my son's baseball practice. Then either intervals or mountain at the crack of dawn Sunday (the rains have abated!) followed by my daughter's guitar and my basketball game Sunday evening... By Monday I'll crawl into work... But still spin at lunch. 

I'm not trying to gloat. I'm just having a great day!!! and it's friday!!!


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## Betarad (Oct 24, 2009)

Excellent!

If there is a drawback to losing weight and gaining fitness (I'm not saying there is, really) it's the whole "new wardrobe" thing! I remember going through this 8 or so years ago. 

It still kinda irks me that I bought a great pair of silk Tommy Bahama slacks for my sister's wedding right before going through the transformation.....only got to wear 'em once, darn it!

Still an easy trade off.

Keep it up, your gonna start noticing a lot more positive changes on the ride you're on.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Betarad said:


> Excellent!
> 
> If there is a drawback to losing weight and gaining fitness (I'm not saying there is, really) it's the whole "new wardrobe" thing! I remember going through this 8 or so years ago.
> 
> ...


I only purchased a couple of pairs of shorts... I've purchased some cycling clothes. However, I certainly don't mind replacing them if they're too big in a bit. As a matter of fact I purchased a pair of shorts from REI clearance and had them delivered to the store. When I tried them on they were too big! I turned them in and the ordered the next size smaller. They're in and I'll get to try them on/pick them up tonight. In a twisted way I hope they're too small also, but I doubt it...

A week and a half ago I did a 43.5 mile ride with a buddy of mine. It was flatish with maybe a total ascent of 1000ft and not in one climb. It's a great loop. Last week after work we did a 23.5 mile ride with ~800ft of vertical almost all in one climb with a 3-7% grade. There was a very short linkage road with a 13% grade... It's been quite a while since I have climbed something like that... I couldn't... It's on my map as a road to be conquered!

I did a 53.4 mile ride this past weekend. It was the same ride as before with a bit more vertical and distance. The last 5 miles were brutal. I hit the wall. I could get my legs to spin but I couldn't keep them from stopping... I haven't hit the wall like this in a very long time! 

I was useless for several hours afterward...

Sunday was little league baseball field maintenance and my basketball game in the evening. I played the best basketball game since I was in my 20's. It's so much more fun to play ball when you can run.

Additional positive notes: 37.4lbs gone and my "new" shorts aren't tight at all... Maybe I'll need to drop a couple more inches in a week or 2... 

The positive changes keep coming!


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Great results...I need to get my fat ass motivated.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Nubster said:


> Great results...I need to get my fat ass motivated.


Thanks! 

Don't do it all at once. Pick one life style change and commit to it. After you have that one down choose another. Don't look at all the changes you want to make and wait till your motivated to do it. Another benefit of doing it this way is that when the first change runs out of steam (plateau?) then you have additional changes in your back pocket to continue to get you toward your goals. Also, write down your goals. Silly as it may seem the weekly weigh in and this thread are big motivators for me.

Just my 2 cents...


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## banks741938 (Oct 10, 2005)

keep up the good work. I use this thread and the clydes forum to motivate me to get back into shape. Keep us posted


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

The journey continues...

At this point I've dropped 45 pounds and feel GREAT!!! I had so much fun playing basketball this past Sunday. I can jump and run and feel more like I did when I played in my twenties! 

A week ago I did the same route I did 3 weeks ago on my road bike. I was able to climb that linkage road! YEE EFFIN HAW! It felt so awesome to get out of the saddle and crank over a challenge and conquer it! Most of my work outs still come from the trainer at the Y. They probably recognize me as the guy who is "in his own world cranking and breathing hard for 45 minutes at lunch time and sweats like a pig". I started dabbling with interval training but I need to learn more.

Last week I didn't lose as much as I have in past weeks. With rain and LL baseball I got "lazy" and didn't cut up veggies the weekend before last week. I'd get home late from baseball games or practices hungry and eat too big of a dinner. Then I had no healthy choices for a post dinner snack and a moderate glass of wine and... I plateau'd for a few days. Fixed that over the weekend this time and the weight loss continues... The other thing which is good and harder for me is that my family (wife and 3 kids) are raiding my veggies during the week. Healthy for them (yea!) but it means I now have to cut up a ton of veggies to get through the week! -> 2 stalks of celery, 4-5lbs carrots and 4+ bunches of radishes. Thus it lops out an hour or so on the weekend wash, cut and put them in containers in the fridge. I hope to get another 30+ mile climbing ride in on Friday after work and a 40-60 mile ride in on Sunday morning!


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## sladams1 (Apr 13, 2010)

Veggie cleaning may need to become "family" bonding time.  My 10 boy is a great Carrot peeler, which is my least favorite part of the job. Are you doing your veggies solo, or with some sort of taste enhancer (read "dip"). Lite Mayo and hidden valley ranch dip packet... mmmm (u can use fat-free mayo, but..... um.... not quite the same).

Our other favorite is Boars Head Honey-Mapple Turkey wrapped around the light "string cheese".... great protein to go with the veggies 

You are inspiring me, I am FINALLY getting off my buttocks and getting out and active, new bike coming in on Monday, PT bike fitting next Friday, then good to go... thanks for the regular update :thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

sladams1 said:


> Veggie cleaning may need to become "family" bonding time.  My 10 boy is a great Carrot peeler, which is my least favorite part of the job. Are you doing your veggies solo, or with some sort of taste enhancer (read "dip"). Lite Mayo and hidden valley ranch dip packet... mmmm (u can use fat-free mayo, but..... um.... not quite the same).
> 
> Our other favorite is Boars Head Honey-Mapple Turkey wrapped around the light "string cheese".... great protein to go with the veggies
> 
> You are inspiring me, I am FINALLY getting off my buttocks and getting out and active, new bike coming in on Monday, PT bike fitting next Friday, then good to go... thanks for the regular update :thumbsup:


Family bonding... I'll have to try that... But sometimes it's easier if they're off doing their own thing (as long as they're not fighting! :-O).

I started with a "taste enhancer" but I had issues with portion control so I gave up.

I aggressively wash the carrots with a brush to get rid of the dirt and some easily removable peel/skin. I then cut the top and tip off and cut the long ones in two. Radishes get the same treatment top and tip and into the sink. I cut the base of the celery off and then cut it in two and it goes into the sink! I wash 'em and toss them (the carrot and celery) vertically into a colander to "drip dry for a bit them into "tupperware" containers that have the base lined with a few folded up paper towels (to wick any excess moisture). Then into the fridge. I am then able to grab a paper towel and a hand full of veggies for a post dinner snack that's both healthy and convenient as hell! In this form they last for about a week which bridges me to the next cutting...

I'm glad your getting your butt out there. You'll be glad you did (as will your kids once they get used to new routines). I'll continue to post periodically and I'm glad my story helps. It motivates me to know that it helps others too. Kind of like others are depending on me... Maybe when I finally plateau out a bit I'll post before and after pics. My goal was 224 by October and the Medio Fondo I want to ride in. However, I would love to revise that down further... We will see. I haven't moved any goals to be more aggressive yet. It still amazes me how much I've lost and how much FAT I still have hanging off of me! Grrr... I can't believe I let myself get so heavy. I guess our dryer wasn't shrinking my clothes.:madman: Oh well. I've figured out a way for me to lose my weight and I am sticking to it!

Life is Good!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Got back on my mountain bike after about 3 months of being a roadie. It's like the park has been terra formed! What a ride! My nemesis is dead! I went up it with a bit of a struggle. However, my heart rate was way lower. I didn't feel on the verge of death! The rest of the park was easy. I'll need to work on technique now to conquer some of the single tracks... It's amazing! The ride is so much more enjoyable when you're not a cardiac case or recovering from the uphill sections. Also, all the minor (now) uphill sections are a non issue!

The payoffs are coming from the hard work put in!!!!! (and the 46lbs lost;-))


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Major milestone achieved this morning when I weighed in! I'm now down 50lbs! WOOT!

I think I'll celebrate by continuing my new life style and drop at least another 35...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Got out on my mountain bike again for a Sunday morning ride with a buddy. We rode up a single track that I could do VERY, VERY little of the last time I tried!:sad: I could climb ALL of it except for 3-4 short sections that had more rocks and technical climb for 50 feet or so or a hairpin turn with a technical section immediately following... I will tackle these as my leg strength continues to improve. Leg strength is the next thing in my climbing that needs to be added. My wind didn't really limit me! What a pleasant surprise! The park looks prettier when you're not dead BTW! I adjusted the suspension and tire pressure a bit. With the drop in my weight I can get the sag set properly! Yea! Also I dropped the front tire to 28lbs and the back to 31! I may give up a tiny bit of flat/road efficiency. However, we descended single tracks that were scary before. They're still scary but do-able now! There's a few things that help. First, dropping 50lbs has made the loading of my brakes and tires that much less going down hill. Second, the impacts on rock and bumps is that much less. Third (and a bit more surprising) with strong not trashed legs from the climb it's easier for my to maneuver my weight around my bike to set up for down hill drops/technical sections. Fourth, and lastly, my bike fits!!!! Learning instinctively how my bike carves turns and tracks so I'm not re-adjusting in technical sections is also up on my learning list. As well as how my bike and I react when I power into short up hill pitches and rocks! 

Life is goo! (and getting better!)


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## tommignon (Jan 27, 2010)

Great to here from you. My wife and I just did a Mountain bike vacation in the Bend Oregon area and had a great time. I'm with you on the loss of weight really helps the ride. now if I can get busy back to loosing after the vacation. We plan to do the Se
attle to Portland run in July. I want to be 10-15 pounds lighter by then. It should make the 200+ mile in 2 days easier.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

tommignon said:


> Great to here from you. My wife and I just did a Mountain bike vacation in the Bend Oregon area and had a great time. I'm with you on the loss of weight really helps the ride. now if I can get busy back to loosing after the vacation. We plan to do the Se
> attle to Portland run in July. I want to be 10-15 pounds lighter by then. It should make the 200+ mile in 2 days easier.


Great for you! I'm glad your wife's into it with you. It makes it a bit easier I would guess.

Another quick update!

I went for a roadie climb on Friday after work. The grade was steeper and near my limit... But it was tackled w/o dismounting!My buddy and I covered about 32 miles in a ~2:10 There were some moderately steep rollers before climbing about 680ft. It was followed by another short grunt of about 150ft of verticle at about 13% with a short hairpin respite (no stop nor shoe tap though!  The world is getting more accessible.

I also went out Sunday morning at dawn. Some buddies were going out at 9:00am. However, I could only fit a ride in if I left early. I tried to get out @ 6:30. However, I didn't actually mount my bike till 6:50am. It was a great ride... I can now climb into the back way to access the park. Before losing weight and adding cardio it was too steep! It's a much better way in since it avoids all the tons of people near the main entrance. I saw very few people and bikes in the park. I had it to myself! It was a gorgeous morning! My climbing wasn't as quite good as the previous week due to some fatigue from Friday's ride and a previous day on my feet all day coaching two baseball games. Also, I didn't want to fall on rock by climbing too aggressively with a buddy with me for support if needed.

Here's a photo I took early in the morning deeper into the park than I've ever been. Curiously enough the huge park is getting smaller and much more accessible!

The rewards of all the work and good eating are so worth it!. Anyone following this path... Work through the rough spots and keep your eyes on the prize. The feeling of accomplishment and confidence is so worth it. Also, I had a good acquaintance I hadn't seen in a few months and he did a double/triple take to be certain it was me. Then he went out of his way to tell me I look great! It's a good feeling when that happens unexpectedly.



Lastly, on another side note, I look at myself in the mirror and I look soo much better. However, with my shirt of I still see so much more that I want to lose. I can not beleive I let myself get so #$#&^% fat! It will be gone! I feel like with riding (trainers, road and mountain) and my new way of eating like someone has given me the keys to the fitness kingdom and I ain't giving them back!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Arrrgggghhhhh! Life is not letting me ride a real 2 wheeled bike!!! No matter! I will continue to ride the trainers at the Y and eat healthy! I've dropped 60 lbs and am now below 240. I haven't been this "skinny" in ~13 years! I used to ride at about 215lbs (in my early 20's). I want to get there or maybe lower... 200 anyone???? If I get to 200 climbing should be SOOO much easier...

EDIT: Well I did get out for a 31 or so mile ride on Sat. It had 1700-1800 ft of climbing and had a few short pitches (grunts) at up to 18% grade. Part of the route is on the Tour de California... The guys who ride up an 18% grade with race gearing must be animals! :-O


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Still haven't been on a "real" ride in 2.5 weeks!!! Grrrr..... It'll make my next ride soo much sweeter. I've had crappy weather, bus. trip and the flu! Oh well. Prudent dietary choices and the Y are still doing it for me. On my bus. trip I found the local Y there and spun 2 out of the 3 mornings. It's something I never would have done in the past. In addition I was able to keep my typical diet mostly (sort of) intact. Thus I continued to lose weight on my trip! It's positive feedback for doing it once again next trip!.

Anyhow, I'm down to 235 and plan to get out for one or two rides this weekend!!!


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## anavrinIV (Nov 16, 2008)

Major congrats on the weight loss. I know your struggle and I know how amazing the results feel. I'm currently just under 245, down from a max of 315 a few years ago, and I'm very, very motivated right now to get rid of another 45+ pounds (if possible). I'm only 20 and I realized that I was having an issue with my weight when I got to college, and I decided to make a change. The first year went well and the next couple were a struggle, but I've finally found my motivation again and I'm hitting it hard. I haven't been able to really ride in nearly a year due to a constantly broken bike but I just ordered all the parts to build up a new bike yesterday and I'll be back on the trails in no time.

It's been great hearing your story and I'm rooting for you to meet every one of your goals. This is also motivation for me to keep going and to do what I need to do.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

anavrinIV said:


> Major congrats on the weight loss. I know your struggle and I know how amazing the results feel. I'm currently just under 245, down from a max of 315 a few years ago, and I'm very, very motivated right now to get rid of another 45+ pounds (if possible). I'm only 20 and I realized that I was having an issue with my weight when I got to college, and I decided to make a change. The first year went well and the next couple were a struggle, but I've finally found my motivation again and I'm hitting it hard. I haven't been able to really ride in nearly a year due to a constantly broken bike but I just ordered all the parts to build up a new bike yesterday and I'll be back on the trails in no time.
> 
> It's been great hearing your story and I'm rooting for you to meet every one of your goals. This is also motivation for me to keep going and to do what I need to do.


I'm glad to hear you've made fitness a higher priority in your life. The rewards rock! I'm still struggling with the wardrobe thing. I hope my new "normal" is much slimmer than now! I'm down to ~233 but have much fat to go. They seem to be coming off harder now! Grrr...

I was refit on both my bikes on Friday. It was part of the deal when I purchased them. I hoped to drop a bunch of weight (now ~65lbs) and expected that it would affect my riding style, fit, etc... I'm ahead of goals I set in Feb. It was time. The refit took almost 2hrs for both bikes. On my road bike it made a HUGE difference. We went from a 120cm stem to a 110cm stem. The seat was raised about 3/4" and pushed back a bit. The difference is like riding a completely new bike! Before I was only using the lower hal of my quads and no calf. Now I'm using the whole quad calves and glutes!

I got out for two road rides this weekend. I left on both rides ~6:30am and returned home in 2:30 and 3:15 respectively. Both entailed climbing. The first was through a time trap for the local cycling club. The last time I road it I did ~27:30 and Saturday I was able to push myself up the whole climb and did it in 23:30. It's getting fun out there! On Sunday I did a slightly longer ride with a slightly steeper climb. The last time out I had all I could do to stay in the saddle. Yesterday it was tough but I never thought about getting off!  Again, it's getting fun out there progress is always good! For road rides now I'm looking for more climbing. Gotta add muscle and drop fat! Also, the pace is coming up!

The diet is going okay. There's always obstacles. Also, when I ride hard it's tougher to minimize food consumption after the ride. I've got to plan for post ride hunger and pain now...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Weighed in at 229.6 this morning! It's my 70lb milestone! I'm more psyched than most people could possibly understand! I think my wife is somewhat frustrated because I'm having success and we live such a busy lifestyle that her success is muted. So I can't share my success with her... Oh well... I appreciate the support everyone has given me here. If anyone has questions I'd be more than happy to share what's working for me. I'm no expert though. I'm just fortunate to have found a system that is my own and works for me!

P.S.
If I drop below 200lbs, a extremely lofty goal for me, it would be the lightest I've been since Sophomore/Junior year in college. Will I still be allowed post in the Clyde forum?


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## crump582 (Apr 8, 2010)

That's awesome... I'm just in the beginning, but I'm down 10 pounds in my first 1.5 months riding and eating better. I'm about 250 now, but my goal is around 215-220. Once I get there (and I will) I can decide how much further to go. I'm 6'1 and a naturally big guy so I'm not interested in getting too light, but I was about 210 at one point in college and my noggin' looked HUGE! Of course my stomach was flat as well...


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## lunatic fringe (Apr 20, 2010)

dadtorbn - Reading your thread is awesome, I totally get off hearing about people taking charge of their lives. Gives me chills...

One thing I would suggest is to go tubeless on the mountain bike. I used to ride at 45 psi to avoid pinch flats and after going tubeless I'm riding in the mid 20's with no problems (6'3" - 220 lbs). I can climb better, I'm actually faster in the flats (less rolling resistance for whatever reason) and I don't get bounced around nearly as bad. I actually went tubeless with a Stan's kit on my road bike as well with great results.

Anyhow, love hearing about your success. It's very inspirational.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks for the encouragement guys! I cycled both Saturday and Sunday morning. I chose road riding because I can get a earlier start and I can ride till I am completely spent. I can't do that on my mountain bike in the park behind me. When I get tired the threat of going over the bar is too high.

Anyhow, I did 46 miles on Saturday leaving the house at 6:30am and getting back by 10:00am to coach my son's game which for which warm ups started at 11:00am. The ride ad about 3000ft of climbing. I'm trying to build leg strength. Sunday I was also able to get out at 6:30am for a 64 mile ride. It had about 1000 ft of climbing. I felt great until about 3 hours into the ride. I BONKED HARD! I was able to crawl back the 15-20 mile back home but it wasn't any fun at all. It seems every ride longer than about 3 hours I bonk on. I will start working on in the saddle diet/consumption of food to see if that helps... I don't think I can burn fat fast enough to keep up with energy expenditure. I'll experiment soom.

I had targeted 215-225 as my destination weight. However, I'm going to aim lower. Perhaps I'll be one of those skinny butted guys...:ihih: Maybe 190-200... There I said it... We'll see... That would be the lightest I've ever been in my entire adult life... Before my success with my current diet I thought it all had to do with genetics and inherited metabolism. Now I know I can influence my body as well!

Another side note:
I track my weight daily. I've noticed on Sat/Sunday my weight goes up a little bit, usually 2 or 3 lbs. Then Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs my weight drops, when I'm doing well. Anyhow, I think when I ride hard I do muscle damage and maybe a bit of exposure to the sun. Maybe this causes micro swelling in my muscles as they repair??? It's fairly consistent and I don't know why yet. Has anyone else been meticulous about weight measurement and seen this? Do you know the cause? This pattern also reinforces my decision to be meticulous about weight measurement. I've learn to not sweat it when I'm working hard on exercise and diet and my weight goes up. I know it will go down...


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Keep at it dude! A couple years ago I was tipping in at about 300, these days I've been hovering in the 210-215 range.. I suppose I should start watching my diet again  I too had set 225 as my target, I'm past that and with the increase in road mileage, I'm thinking 185 would be better.. 

FWIW, I retain a bit of weight after a hard ride, as do a couple other people I know. Usually only lasts a day or two, I believe your hypothesis is correct.. I also notice water retention on those days.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dysfunction said:


> Keep at it dude! A couple years ago I was tipping in at about 300, these days I've been hovering in the 210-215 range.. I suppose I should start watching my diet again  I too had set 225 as my target, I'm past that and with the increase in road mileage, I'm thinking 185 would be better..
> 
> *FWIW, I retain a bit of weight after a hard ride, as do a couple other people I know. Usually only lasts a day or two, I believe your hypothesis is correct.. I also notice water retention on those days.*


Thanks for the confirmation/feedback!

Crap! I can not get time to ride on a real bike! Life keeps stopping me no matter how committed I am! 2 weeks ago was all star tournament for my son! This past weekend was a family camping outing. Throw in hosting a business meeting and a business trip and free time is zero! This coming weekend I want to get out so bad! Anyhow, I've tried to keep up the trainer miles but that too has been a struggle. My wife works too much as do I and the kids have camps they go to...:madman: Oh well! My new eating regimen (I hate the word diet because it is not what I am doing! I have permanently changed the way I view the food I eat!) is still in place and the pounds continue to fall. Although I think this week's weigh in may not show much loss... When camping I tried to maintain my eating. However, family pressure broke some of it down. Both days I squeezed in a 1.5-2hr. hike before anyone got up! It was a nice form of cross training. My shins aren't as in shape as the rest of my legs and my heart and lungs... I will post about my next ride if I can ever throw a leg over one again!


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## dapozer (Jun 10, 2010)

dadtorbn, you story is amazing and I would love to meet up with you in person, you are a very motivated and family first kinda guy and I am thrilled for you. Time to buy lights. ride real early or late to get some riding in. Keep up the hard work and the blog. Way to go.
Shawn


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dapozer said:


> dadtorbn, you story is amazing and I would love to meet up with you in person, you are a very motivated and family first kinda guy and I am thrilled for you. Time to buy lights. ride real early or late to get some riding in. Keep up the hard work and the blog. Way to go.
> Shawn


Thanks for your kind thoughts. It's been a roller coaster a bit. I got out for a good road ride last night. After 2.5 weeks off the bike I was afraid I'd lose a ton of capability (it's the pessimistic devil that sits on your shoulder and spreads doubt). I purchased a Garmin 500 to refine my riding efforts and hope it will help me figure out my weakest link (lungs/heart or lags) and adjust my cadence accordingly. I'm trying very hard to get under 200lbs by October. It's when I'll do a group ride (Levi's King Ridge Fondo). I'm only doing the medio but it has one heck of a grade 2/3rds the way through it. The less fat I have to haul up it the more likely I'll be able to stay on my bike and peddle up it! I am troubled with how to keep the wheels spinning when the days start getting shorter. I think a light is an excellent investment. I'm also considering a better trainer than the one I have... I don't think I can do intervals on my current trainer because it doesn't have enough power of inertia for a clyde like me. I'll worry about it in a few months. I am toying with the idea of a VR trainer since I am a bit of a geek and it can become a numbers game for improvement for me...

I hope to spin another 100 miles this weekend! One long ride and one climber... I'll post about them and the GPS/HRM next week. I love you guys (and gals? Not too many Clyde gals though...). My desire for keeping doing better is bolstered a bit by my desire to post improvements here and the weekly weigh in.

Lastly, people seem to notice I'm tall all of the sudden, like a 300lb 6'5" guy is short. I think it's an aspect ratio thing since now I'm 221lb.......

and ..........

6'5"!


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

dadtorbn said:


> Lastly, people seem to notice I'm tall all of the sudden, like a 300lb 6'5" guy is short. I think it's an aspect ratio thing since now I'm 221lb.......
> 
> and ..........
> 
> 6'5"!


:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yea, I noticed that too. Odd isn't it.


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## Jeff in Bend (Jun 5, 2010)

To: dysfunction and dadtobn on weight after ride. 
You may want to look at sodium in your diets. In very simple terms your body will maintain a certain sodium to water balance, to much sodium you will retain fluids to liitle and your body won't retain fluids. If your sodium levels are high and you go out for a long ride and drink lots of fluids you will retain those fluids to keep the balance and have weight gain. If you're drinking fluids with sodium during the ride this can compound the problem. My expierience is reverse, I eat very little sodium in mt diet and if I don't drink fluids with sodium replacement when I ride I get cramps and symptoms of dehydration.
I hope this helps.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dysfunction said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> Yea, I noticed that too. Odd isn't it.


Yup! Odd and a tad funny in a good way.



Jeff in Bend said:


> To: dysfunction and dadtobn on weight after ride.
> You may want to look at sodium in your diets. In very simple terms your body will maintain a certain sodium to water balance, to much sodium you will retain fluids to liitle and your body won't retain fluids. If your sodium levels are high and you go out for a long ride and drink lots of fluids you will retain those fluids to keep the balance and have weight gain. If you're drinking fluids with sodium during the ride this can compound the problem. My expierience is reverse, I eat very little sodium in mt diet and if I don't drink fluids with sodium replacement when I ride I get cramps and symptoms of dehydration.
> I hope this helps.


Thanks for the tip. Interesting on the cramps... I'm getting them a bit more now... Maybe I need a bit more electrolytes... I eat no added sodium and very little processed foods. Thus the amount of sodium in my diet is much lower than most. I've won my battle with cheese and beer. Wine is a different story. However, all in moderation. I haven't had a hunk of cheese as a snack in months now. All the veggies I eat are either raw or cooked by me/my wife (nothing out of a can). The only major source of sodium in my diet is jerky. I eat a couple ozs a day.

Additional notes! I went on a 46 mile ride with a buddy of mine two days ago. I hadn't ridden with him in a couple of months. He's one of the people that helped get me back into cycling. When we started riding 10 months ago he would graciously hang with me even though I wasn't very good (okay, I sucked). On Saturday we were at about parity on the flats or mild grades. However, when we went climbing I did better than him. I have a triple and he doesn't. Anything over about a 8% grade he fell behind and suffered. I waited at the top a few times. I had mixed emotions. I was pleased that my fitness level had caught his. However, I felt for him because he was mechanically disadvantaged and probably a bit disappointed in himself that I caught him fitness wise (and happy for me I'm sure).

I had to get out of the house at 5:30 this morning to get a good ride in. I rode about 36.5 road mile with about 3362 feet of climbing. I purchased a Garmin 500 to help me refine my effort. By setting the screens I can tell if my heart ofr my legs are limiting my performance. I am definitely making the rookie mistake of keeping my cadence too low. In the flats I need to make a conscious effort (by looking at the computer) to keep my cadence in the 80's. It's the same with climbing, until I run out of gears. It was cols this morning (~51deg. F) It was supposed to warm up. owever, the fog came in very strong last night and it didn't burn off for my entire ride! It was fine for climbing the6-15% grades. However, descents were cold and the flats were no picnic either. I need to do a better job at clothing selection I guess. Also, maybe I need to buy a slightly bigger wedge...

Lastly, I went to a 4th of July party last night and saw people I haven't seen in months. I'm a happily (most of the time) married guy. That said there were friend's wives who were very complimentary on how I look. One was astounded when I cited that I planned to lose ~25 or so more. I know with certainty where I want to be in October and will not be deterred. It was a fun party and I felt more comfortable in my own skin and thus more social. I wonder if people tend to be less social with people who are overweight. Odd. If I end up where I want I will make a conscious effort to not do this!


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Jeff in Bend said:


> To: dysfunction and dadtobn on weight after ride.
> You may want to look at sodium in your diets. In very simple terms your body will maintain a certain sodium to water balance, to much sodium you will retain fluids to liitle and your body won't retain fluids. If your sodium levels are high and you go out for a long ride and drink lots of fluids you will retain those fluids to keep the balance and have weight gain. If you're drinking fluids with sodium during the ride this can compound the problem. My expierience is reverse, I eat very little sodium in mt diet and if I don't drink fluids with sodium replacement when I ride I get cramps and symptoms of dehydration.
> I hope this helps.


While I really don't count my sodium intake.. per se... I do live in the desert, and my sodium intake during a hard (and typically long.. like 60-100mi) ride is really quite a bit higher than it would normally be otherwise, especially once the temps are in excess of 100º. Then again, I'm also generally crusted with salt after a ride. So it could be, but then again since it clears up in a day or two and I have a low BP to begin with (hence never monitoring my sodium intake much at all), I've really never been concerned. Good idea though.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Today it's official! I've dropped 80! It's another high note. I was worried a bit about salt intake over the fourth weekend. It did have a marked and temporary effect. The trend now continues down and to the right. I would like 100lbs by October. Then maintenance... Oh! one other note. We celebrated father's day a bit late. My wife purchased some short for me... They were too big! She was a bit miffed in a jealous way. It's all good. I had to exchange them myself over the 4rth of July weekend! I'm down to the waist line I had in my 20's!!!


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

wow, 80 pounds. good for you! where are those before/after pics?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> wow, 80 pounds. good for you! where are those before/after pics?


I never really planned on a before and after. I didn't know I was on my journey prior to starting it...That said... Here's a stab at it. It breaks my heart to see the before. I will NEVER, EVER go back! I understand a bit more what people have said...

The first one is camping 10 days ago. The second was snorkling in Hawaii about a year ago. I didn't know my wife took that picture. Holy cardiac arrest! Now those swim trunks would fall right off rather than be as tight as they were.


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

wow, you're looking good. i'm sure seeing your new self makes you quite happy. congrats! it's always cool to see the before/after pics because i feel that can help motivate others- reading someone went from 300 to 220 is one thing, but seeing it is amazing.

keep it up. do you have a new goal weight?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> wow, you're looking good. i'm sure seeing your new self makes you quite happy. congrats! it's always cool to see the before/after pics because i feel that can help motivate others- reading someone went from 300 to 220 is one thing, but seeing it is amazing.
> 
> keep it up. do you have a new goal weight?


Thanks! When I looked at pics last night there was another one of my face. I just didn't recognize myself. Holy crap! It brings back memories of challenges I had. My stomach made tying my shoes hard, My back ached all the time, I was tired all the time and I was hungry too much... I'm so happy with the new me I can not really express it in words. Thanks for making me look back at old pictures. It seems like a nightmare now... When I get a chance I'll post another few. I've lost over 8" from my waist line also! :-0

Yes I've set some additional lower weight loss goals. I am doing a Fondo here in October. I'm doing the medium length one. It is ~65 or so miles with ~3500ft or so of climbing. Some of it is vey steep. It's on the tour of California. To enjoy that rather than suffer I want to get down to between 190 and 200 lbs. I haven't updated my weekly weigh in goals on the sticky here. Call me superstitious...

I'll continue to post here about once a week on my progress if people are interested. I also tell a bunch of friends when I hit goals. It's another form of free weight watcher type motivation for me... One friend sent me this which is indeed very motivating "Honestly, on the 4th I saw you come in, but after you were up closer I was not positive 100% that you were you. WOW, congrats!".


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

dadtorbn said:


> Thanks! When I looked at pics last night there was another one of my face. I just didn't recognize myself. Holy crap! It brings back memories of challenges I had. My stomach made tying my shoes hard, My back ached all the time, I was tired all the time and I was hungry too much... I'm so happy with the new me I can not really express it in words. Thanks for making me look back at old pictures. It seems like a nightmare now... When I get a chance I'll post another few. I've lost over 8" from my waist line also! :-0
> 
> Yes I've set some additional lower weight loss goals. I am doing a Fondo here in October. I'm doing the medium length one. It is ~65 or so miles with ~3500ft or so of climbing. Some of it is vey steep. It's on the tour of California. To enjoy that rather than suffer I want to get down to between 190 and 200 lbs. I haven't updated my weekly weigh in goals on the sticky here. Call me superstitious...
> 
> I'll continue to post here about once a week on my progress if people are interested. I also tell a bunch of friends when I hit goals. It's another form of free weight watcher type motivation for me... One friend sent me this which is indeed very motivating "Honestly, on the 4th I saw you come in, but after you were up closer I was not positive 100% that you were you. WOW, congrats!".


that's great. have you noticed yourself plateau at all? if so, did you do anything differently to overcome it?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> that's great. have you noticed yourself plateau at all? if so, did you do anything differently to overcome it?


I'm an engineer by training... And sometimes a bit OCD... Here's the proof... A chart for my daily weight tracking in excel...

I started tracking on 1/6/2010. From that point I track my weight vs. my goals which are shared in the weekly weigh in sticky. Additionally, I track my loss vs a loss of 0.4, 0.5 and 0.6 lbs per day. Having those bars helps me see if I'm plateauing any... My very initial weight loss was close to 0.6lbs per day for about a month. I think there was fat and water loss. subsequent to that I've lost a about 0.5 lbs per day and now I'm tapering off to about 0.4 lbs per day, without any exercise or dietary changes. I can see weekly trends in my weight. Also, the big drop I got two days ago was was pissing away all the salt (and sweating) that I cheated on a bit over the 4th of July. Lastly, just for grins, I posted my BMI on the right chart axis.

So there you have it. My sanity is in question now also! People can laugh at my OCD wrt charting my weight. However, it worked for me and I'll continue to chart...

Actually charting for me was quite helpful! It gave me a ton of feedback and insight into how exercise and diet had effects on my weight! That learning really strongly reinforced good habits and discouraged bad ones. It also let me know that a glass of wine in the evening was OK and a bottle wasn't, salt shows up ASAP but is temporary, weight gain after extended vigorous exercise was predictable and would drop further a few days afterward...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I've been able to log some serious (for me) road miles.as able to get out twice after work and both mornings this past weekend. This lead to ~158 road miles and ~8000ft of climbing. I am feeling better in the saddle and a heart rate monitor really helps me meter my aerobic/anaerobic performance. I am eating bit more when I ride to help not bonk. It may be helping. I still get fatigued after 3hrs in the saddle.

I'm hungrier lately. I'm not certain if it's the carbs that I eat while riding or if it's my body starting to tell me that it doesn't want to give up the additional weight loss without a fight!:madmax: Oh well! I spent most of the last week plateau'd (weight wise) and start dropping again today. We'll see... I think the days of 3lbs/wk are over. I think every lb will be hard fought now. No matter. I feel great. I've now lost 10" from my waist/pants size. I need to go ride in the park again on my... Mountain bike! It's been a few weeks and my mountain bike is getting lonely in the garage feeling unloved! I think the park has gotten flatter during my absence!

Additionally I think I am going to cut saddle time a bit and add specific anaerobic training (pain!!!) to raise my game.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Mileage is off a bit due to doing family things. Wife admonished me... Anyhow, I'll need to be more judicious about quality in addition to quantity. I started seriously focusing on anaerobic training. Getting my ass out of the saddle, cranking up the heart rate and not sitting even when the burn comes. It should increase my lactic acid threshold and also teach my body to flush the lactic acid (recover) once the anaerobic exercise is put back into the aerobic range. To that end I am not using the smallest gearing on my road bike while climbing (I have a triple). I can not stand and crank on the smallest gearing since it's too low. However, since I started focusing on climbing out of the saddle the progress is encouraging. I can now be out of the saddle for more than a minute and it's OK. Also, when the cadence slows to a crawl I work on balance and steady climbing. It is so rewarding to set a goal, "the top of this hill", climb it, feel the burn, and recover! I think all the weight loss and aerobic conditioning is paying off with some quick gains in the anaerobic region. I expect those gains to come harder and harder once the initial gains are realized. I picked up some running shoes to help with cross training and exercise on a vacation I'm taking soon.

Weight loss... We'll see what the weekly weigh in holds for me tomorrow. I am eating more in the saddle and feeling great after rides now. My legs feel stronger. However, I've plateau'd this week. We'll see longer term where I end up weight wise. It is not my highest priority goal now. Fitness is! It's quite the mind shift from a few weeks ago. I'm still eating mostly the same but I am a bit hungrier now and I also eat more while riding which is making me a stronger rider after a couple of hours and I'm a functional being afterwards. But it means that the calories burned are compensated for through consumption...

Eating while riding... I was eating while returning from a ride on a regional multipurpose trail on my raod bike. Fig Newtons plucked from a baggy. A middle aged lady coming the opposite way and not paying attention to where she was going veered onto my side of the path. There was debise on the side of the path (leaves etc...) . My front wheel went off the edge of the paved trail and my weight was still over the pavement... Bad combo... Down I went at about 15 or so mph... Road rash and a mild bruise on my hip... They're all minor injuries! Luckily my bike only has a tiny bit of cosmetic damage and clothing emerged largely unscathed. I was amazed that my shorts which slid on the pavement a ways weren't torn or even visibly damaged. I guess I learned to not eat while riding on recreational trails... Ouch!

If anyone's really curious I could post a battle "scar" (road rash) picture.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Weigh in was lowest in memory. I'm down to post college weight, the weight I was at in my 20's! I had more muscle then so my % body fat is probably still higher now. I like to think I'm on my way to a cyclist's body... We'll see... I'll continue on my path as it is still reaping rewards.

I went on a mountain bike ride Friday after we had a family ride for ice cream after dinner. No ice cream for me other than a taste or two. I went for a quick lap around the park. I climbed my nemisis. It's been quite a while since I rode it. The ride to it was a royal pain in the butt where I used to work to stayin the saddle. now... It was work but I kept it out of the lowest gearing. My nemisis was a big hairy monster in my memory even though I climbed it 5-6 weeks ago w/o walking. When I got to it it seemed to visually not be as steep. It was really weird. Maybe some of the nasty road climbs helped put my nemisis in perspetive. Climbing it wasn't a problem at all. It was more a question of how fast I could get up it. Also, I was racing sunset. When I got near the top though another guy passed me. Grrrr.... I chased him a bit and then off he went. It was good to get perspective. I'm not at as high a level as I could be. Lastly, riding so much road has definitely affected my mountain skills. I had to remember to look down the trail, use peripheral vision and trust myself to hold the line. It's a tiny bit frustrating... I am more fit than I've been in almost 20 years. Now I have the cardio and strngth to climb almost anything in the park. However, I have to come down. At this point I do not want to fall and suffer a setback...  I'll find a bit more balance in the fall/winter I guess when road riding may be a bit more difficult... Also, I want to go with some friends who are excellent mountain bike rides and more fit than I am. I hope to learn some from them...


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## BrianMc (Jan 5, 2010)

dadtorbn said:


> Weigh in was lowest in memory. ... I'll continue on my path as it is still reaping rewards.
> 
> ... I went for a quick lap around the park. I climbed my nemisis. It's been quite a while since I rode it. ... It was really weird. Maybe some of the nasty road climbs helped put my nemisis in perspetive. Climbing it wasn't a problem at all. It was more a question of how fast I could get up it. Also, I was racing sunset. ...


Dropping the weight REALLY helps the climbs! When I got back on the bike, the bottom ratio was a struggle up the steepest grade in my local circuit. Now I only need to decide if I want to got up as fast as possible to 95%+ MHR (about 3rd from top gear) or stay under 70% at the top (2-3 gears higher than was an out of saddle low RPM struggle before).

Nice to know others get a 'high' this way too!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

BrianMc said:


> Dropping the weight REALLY helps the climbs!
> Soooo True!!!!!!!!!! Unbeleivable. I could understand how in the F$%K people could climb some of these trails a while back. Now they don't look so steep! It's weird that visually to me they don't look too bad... The mind adapts I suppose to what is and isn't hard for the body.
> 
> 
> ...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

F&@k! It really hurts to scroll past that picture every time I update this thread!

Anyhow, Out of the saddle climbing is getting better! Yee Haw! I started riding on a spin machine instead of the LifeCycle. Not having the electronic feedback isn't quite as nice. However, the improved ergonomics of doing standing climbs is sooo much better that I'm okay with dropping the built in feed back of the LifeCycle. Additionally, the spin machine lets me move my seated and standing body position more to allow me to completely burn all of my quads, calves,ham strings and glutes. i.e. I get a more complete workout on the spin machine. I'm playing with my HRM to see if I can get some daily tracking from it. It's still very useful for giving me the real amount of effort I'm putting forth in terms of heart rate.

The pounds are falling off slower and harder. I'm down to 214.8! I will continue on my trajectory and see where I end up.

My kids now want to ride with me and I take them out for a 1 hour ride after dinner on nights that I can't squeeze in a ride for me. It's fun. My 10 (soon to be 11) year old son is now more conscious about what he's eating and he's voluntarily making healthy choices! Last night he chose a bowl of fruit instead of ice cream for desert! I didn't coerce him. He chose it for himself because he knew it was better for him. Over the last couple of months he's been curious what I've been doing and why. It's nice to see it "rub off" on him. We'll see if it sticks! He's not fat. He's active and healthy. However, if he chose to drop a few % body fat it would probably help him with sports which he so loves!

My mountain bike gets rides with the kids. However, the steeper and more technical sections I can not take them on. Those trails are begging for me to come back and ride some more. I'll see if I can squeeze a ride in before vacation without too much domestic turbulence...:ihih: 

Lastly, it's so nice to be able to sit in a chair and easily tie my shoes without a big fat gut in the way!:thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Went on vacation for the better part of 2 weeks! Eating properly while on vacation with family and chasing after all kinds of activities is hard. It takes more work regarding menu selections and compromises with eating establishments. Also, while I want to make good choices I do not want to ruffle family by impacting what they want or give them my menu selection stress... Anyhow, vacation was a blast and I managed to not gain a pound! I was very excited about that. I didn't get as much formal exercise as I would have liked. I went for one jog/walk/jog at a 2/1 min run/walk for 10 cycles. It was rewarding to be able to run again! After my "big" ride in October I am trying to set my sights on a sprint triathlon. We'll see. The other form of exercise we got was walking. To do all the touristy things we did we walked a ton. That helped keep the weight gain in check. Lastly I was "bad" occasionally. As long as I reign it back in it's okay. One night we stopped by a pastry shop in the north end of Boston and I had a piece of tierramisu. It was awesome for the first third! After that the sugar rush gave me a HUGE headache! I didn't like that. However, it's kind of a good thing. It'll give me additional negative feedback for bad choices! Now if that only happened with wine...  

Riding a real bike is going to require me to assert myself a bit with family... Now that school is back in and day time is getting shorter and after school sports is at full tilt I'm going every night of the week coaching or taxiing something. I also have 7:30am drop offs for school... Spinning at work lunch and/or running some during the sports I do not coach but taxi for may be my salvation. Oh yeah, the games are on the weekend also. I can't get the kind of rides in I want easily...:sad: I will probably need to seriously look into lights...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm back on track as far as eating goes. The kids are now fully engaged in school and sports. I managed to only coach one kid for one sport this season! I love coaching. However, I've decided I need some "me" time also and have put my foot down for it. I can not get out during the week for rides right now due to kid commitments. The only possibility might be a Monday evening...:madman: It's okay though. As an ingrained part of my life now I go to the gym at lunch time and spin as often as I can. I've integrated intervals and recoveries as best I know how. I'll learn more and get better at it. I got out for a recovery ride on Sunday morning ~45mile in <3hrs including traffic etc... I kept my heart rate moderate since I did spin intervals on Fri and hadn't recovered. I screwed up and my daughter had to ride her bike to a soccer game. I need to get the schedules put into my calendar.

Lastly, I've started integrating running in when I can! When I started I would have never guessed this! I want to do some sort of a triathlon in the future and running is a part of them. surprisingly it isn't bad. I know a few people who are runners, I purchased shoes and a book... We'll see how it goes... It's something that I can do in the winter during kid sport practices that I'm not coaching! It should help for basketball when that season finally comes around also.

Lastly, A friend of mine was asked by another friend if I'd had gastric bypass! I think that's funny as hell! I need to come up with a trite reply for some people. Hmmm.... How about "I had a medically administered tape worm inplanted!"  . Only kidding. I'll use it as motivation to get me to my goals!


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## Koppuh Klyde (Jul 13, 2010)

*Were still reading......Well, I am.*

In summary, I recently came across this thread and read the whole thing. Im somewhere in the beggining stages of this life-altering change. I was quite the biker in high school but once my bike got stolen in 1994 I fell into a life of partying and such. Ya know, sex, drugs and rock&roll.

Well now its 16 years later and I quit smoking about 3 1/2 years ago and drink some beer/ tequila VERY moderately. I just purchased a MTB a little over a month ago and realized what being out of shape really feels like. I havent been able to work due to economy/ health reasons (DVT/ blood clots.) I also just moved from flatland to hilly area in Ca. and I cant even ride a few blocks without getting EXTREMELY winded. One of my weak points is food. While Im getting more veggies and lowering my sugar intake Im still trying to stop the late-night snacking.

Got to go. Wifey naggin' bout the dishes. I told her I'd do 'em a half hour ago.:madman:


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## naya the dingo (Aug 26, 2010)

Awesome, very motivational thread. At 32, I'm 6' 3", and down to 274 lbs. from diet and lifestyle changes. I've been up to 330 a couple of times in my life, and I'm only 2 lbs heavier right now than my junior year in high school. I quit smoking almost two weeks ago, and bought a new bike that I will be able to ride a few times a week. I've got about three weeks until I can get out and ride though, I have 6 or 7 broken ribs on my right side, a broken right scapula, and two broken bones in my foot that are healing up. That came from a motorcycle racing incident I had three weeks ago, along with a punctured lung and a lacerated liver. With my body type, I think I should be able to get in to the 230's with a pretty low body fat percentage. I'll keep reading this, and other threads in the clydesdale forum, for future motivation. Thank you for sharing.:thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

@ Koppuh - Good for you! Late night snacks were a concern for me early on. Precut up veggies and put 'em in a tupperware style container in the fridge. Cauley Flower, Broccoli, carrot, celery and radishes work best for me. They last several days to a week. If you're hungry eat more of them. If you're still hungry eat even more of the. Don't eat other crap (chips, ice cream, chocolate, cheese, bread etc...)

@ naya! Dig in and drop 'em. It's not too bad...

Today marks 210lbs or 90lbs lost! I'm psyched once again. I've been within spitting distance of it for over a week. I need to use this as a motivational tool to recommit and lean out my last vice or two to get under 200... Wine and a few slices of salami and beef jerky are crutches for me... We'll see... If I can substitute for them it'll give me enough acceleration to drop the extra pounds that are taking their time to fall off. Intervals is definitely helping my anaerobic capability! I can ride out of the saddle much longer now...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well another week down... I'm down to 209. They coming off really hard now... 4.5 weeks to get under 200 for the Fondo... It's probably not going to happen.:nonod: Oh well... I've beaten my original goals by some margin and am in the best shape I've been in since college. I was at my son's open house last week and there were a couple of people I haven't seen in quite a while. At least one of them walked right by me and didn't recognize me at all! A few minutes later a friend chit chatted with her and they came back and she was amazed. That kind of stuff is tremendous motivation. Additionally, there's a tall guy at the grocery store who's a nice guy and we strike up a short conversation when I'm loading up on produce. He's about my height and age. He said my changes have motivated him to work toward dropping 15-20lbs that he's been putting off.Again, great motivational stuff for me actually!

So I've added running. I friend of mine coaches beginner runners. I haven't run in years. She reassured me that "Oh no. Your cycling makes it much easier to be a runner. Everybody says their not a runner. You'll have no problem!". To say the least I was skeptical. Well, I did it. The first time out my calves complained some but cardio was completely fine. The second time out was better and yesterday was great! I'm slow as hell but I don't care. Between running and walking it took me 50 minutes to go 4.6 miles. My running portion is about a ten minute mile. So I will add this into the mix 3 times a week.

I am thinking about another target for next summer...

Vineman Ironman 70.3 ...

It's a big stretch. However, the fear of it will get me to continue on my current trajectory and find out what my limits really are... We'll see. It's an idea now. I have to see how things progress.

*******
Mods

I realize that this thread has so deviated from a mountain bike topic and turned into my own little blog. It motivates me to continue to post here and I hope it motivates others to see what they can do if they put their mind to it. When I look at my progression I find it mind boggling. Also, when I think about rides after I haven't gone in a few days or a week or so my confidence is shaken... Until I ride. I don't know if this thread belongs here or not. I promise to get on my mountain bike after the Fondo!

Oh! I'll post a Fondo pic also along with a better before :sad: in about 5 weeks.


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## p_cycle (Jul 22, 2006)

what's the fat percentage right now?


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## tenbsmith (Dec 31, 2004)

I haven't read this thread in a while, missed a bunch of posts, but I'm sure no one would ever suggest it should be taken down.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

p_cycle said:


> what's the fat percentage right now?


I don't know...

Is there an easy way to measure it?I thought you need a hydro tank...

I still have plenty of extra "non muscle" tissue hanging around. It's alright though. My dimple on my face (and facial muscle definition) came back after years of being mottled out by fat. I still have a bit of a tummy and love handles. When I look at my ass in the morning and flex definition is there. However, it's hidden a bit by loose skin. In a few months or a year or so I expect that definition to improve greatly. The definition in my legs is much improved. They're not as well defined as when I cycled in my 20's. I hope that's just a matter of time. Lastly, as the extra layer of fat apportioned around my body disappears muscle definition is improving and veins long buried under fat are resurfacing. It's kind of cool to see my veins come back I imagine it's two fold for that, one being less fat. The other being larger carrying capacity from all the cardio work. Lastly, my cardio rocks. I no longer worry about having a heart attack when pushing the envelope! I enjoy that a tremendous amount! The physical rather than appearance side of it!



tenbsmith said:


> I haven't read this thread in a while, missed a bunch of posts, but I'm sure no one would ever suggest it should be taken down.


Thanks.

I often worry about my own personal journey blogged here. It is a mountain bike forum. I started it by mountain biking. Then I turned more into a much much more of a roadie, the lonely type though. I almost always ride alone.. I hope to evolve maybe... into a triathlete assuming my wife doesn't divorce me in the process.

The weekly weigh in and this blog keep me honest when I could make bad choices.


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## p_cycle (Jul 22, 2006)

dadtorbn said:


> I don't know...
> 
> Is there an easy way to measure it?I thought you need a hydro tank...
> 
> .


I have one of those cheapo bathroom scales that measure fat as well. Don't know if it's accurate but it sure does look consistent. maybe your data keeping obsession can come in handy and you get a better idea of what's happenin on the fat vs muscle front.

the last 10 pounds are going to be hard

funny you mentioned hydro tank n all cause 1 of the problems I had when I was 200lbs was not being able to stay afloat while being still.

what u do for upper body work out?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

p_cycle said:


> I have one of those cheapo bathroom scales that measure fat as well. Don't know if it's accurate but it sure does look consistent. maybe your data keeping obsession can come in handy and you get a better idea of what's happenin on the fat vs muscle front.
> 
> the last 10 pounds are going to be hard
> 
> ...


I've seen the %body fat scales online. I don't know how accurate they are. There's also one that would link with my Garmin EDGE 500... I haven't invested in one. It's kind of anecdotal. If I'm dropping weight I know my fat is going down, as also evidenced by the fact that my waistline is 10+ inches smaller. Just looking in the mirror I know I have at least 15+ more pounds of excess fat etc. hanging on. It doesn't bother me too much because my fitness is so improved. What will matter is if it holds me back (climbing!). Also funny you should mention buoyancy. This summer at the lake on vacation I definitely noticed I was riding much lower in the water. I had to tread water much harder than normal. I expected that was because fat is much more bouyant than muscle.

Upper body... LOL! I'm not doing anything for it yet. At some point I'll need to add some upper body and core workout stuff. I really want to get through the Fondo and under 200lbs before. That magical 100lb weight loss has a real nice ring to it. I've added running before the crack of dawn 3 times a week with the fantasy of doing a tri... I'll need some upper body for the swim and a solid core to endure the amount of time required to complete it.

Oh and lastly, my back has NEVER felt better! Without the big gut constantly trying to misaligne my spine I no longer have any back problems to speak of!


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## p_cycle (Jul 22, 2006)

swimming is a great exercise for the upper body, good for the lower, helps a lot with your cardio and doesn't stress bones and joints.
only problem is I don't fancy it.
I do recommend it though even if you don't secretly plan a tri.

would like to thank you for the thread, the data logging and the thoughts sharing. it's half the battle and you have already come a looong way.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

p_cycle said:


> swimming is a great exercise for the upper body, good for the lower, helps a lot with your cardio and doesn't stress bones and joints.
> only problem is I don't fancy it.
> I do recommend it though even if you don't secretly plan a tri.


I'm not ready to add swimming quite yet. I want to cement in running as part of my exercise regiment. Running is only a couple of weeks old and I am still trying to figure out what level is appropriate to ramp from. My cardio is not my limiter. It's joints, calf muscles and possibly hamstrings that I'm paying attention to. I don't want to injure my self by being too over zealous... I firgure I'll look to add it sometime between Nov. and Jan. probably on the same day I run at dawn and swim at lunch... The other days are bike days...



p_cycle said:


> would like to thank you for the thread, the data logging and the thoughts sharing. it's half the battle and you have already come a looong way.


Thanks for the encouragement. As long as it's mutually beneficial I'll continue to blog away about once a week sharing what works and doesn't work for me and feel free to post on the thread. I'll do my best to share my limited knowledge about what has worked for me.


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## tenbsmith (Dec 31, 2004)

Swimming is great, but you have to go to the pool. You can run from your front door. That's why I love. 

A few thoughts on running. Get good shoes. If you don't know much about running shoes, find a store where people know running and get their advice--Dick's or Sports Authority won't provide this. Running shoes have different features that can minimize your risk of injury. 

Stretching. I only stretch intermittently for mountain biking, but I stretch almost every time for running. I usually stretch about 6-7 minutes into my run, after I’m all warmed up, or after my run is done. I’ve found stretching cold muscles less effective and read that it can lead to injury. I especially stretch my calves, but also hamstrings and quads. 

Ramp up slow. Let your body adopt to the new requirements and high impact. After a while, it will become much easier.


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## OSOK (Jul 11, 2009)

Just came across this thread... 

Dadtorbn, how you doing now days? (skipped all posts)


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

tenbsmith said:


> Swimming is great, but you have to go to the pool. You can run from your front door. That's why I love.
> 
> A few thoughts on running. Get good shoes. If you don't know much about running shoes, find a store where people know running and get their advice--Dick's or Sports Authority won't provide this. Running shoes have different features that can minimize your risk of injury.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the feedback. I've read the same concerns regarding cold stretching. I've added running and primarily do it @ 5:30am. What a great time to run! There's no cars or people out there, except for a group of ~5 ladies who I come across fairly consistently riding withe their bike lights!.



OSOK said:


> Just came across this thread...
> 
> Dadtorbn, how you doing now days? (skipped all posts)


Here's my roughly weekly update!

I'm down to 207.2! I'm so pcyhed after plateauing a bit. I cycled my long loop of 58 miles on Sunday morning and fairly consistently spin at lunch (at least 3 times a week.

I've added running as I've said above. I'm using Galloway's "Book on Running" as a guide. It advocates running slowly and taking walking breaks at a regular interval (whether you feel you need them or not). Because my cardio is pretty good now picking up running hasn't been bad at all. I'm running 8 minutes and walking 1 minute for 6 cycles every other morning which yields about 4.5 miles. I take Sunday/Monday off from running. At some point I'll readjust my running regiment to get more performance. I'm just trying to get in base miles so my body's adaptions to running happen w/o injuring myself.

I try to spin Mon/Wed/Fri and get a long ride in on Sunday. Occasionally I'll spin on the same day I run on the same day. I have to be careful to not orver tax my legs or cardio. My body gave me some feedback this week about that. I took Mon and Wed. off from any cardio activity and that seems to have helped me recover.

Oh yeah! I still have a job and am at kids sports most weekday nights, most or all of Saturday and some of Sunday.. As I got into better shape needed less sleep and I REALLY look forward to getting my exercise in. So when I get up at 5:00am to run it is NOT a chore/burden! I really look forward to it. It's my time to Zen/zone out and enjoy my exercise in solitude. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY! It's time that no one, family/work or anyone else can interrupt or begrudge me!!! It's my time!!!

Life is good and I'm pleasantly surprised that the weight continues to come off.


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## maxgs (Sep 17, 2010)

What a great read. Thanks for the motivation.

-Curt


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

maxgs said:


> What a great read. Thanks for the motivation.
> 
> -Curt


Thanks! It's therapeutic for me.

Well The running continues to go well. I'm getting about three - 5 mile Galloway style runs in a week in addition to spinning 2-3 times a week and trying to get on a real bike once a week. This past weekend was absolutely crazy busy. Wife work Fri, Sat and Sunday. Son's soccer practice Fri evening, My kids had 2 soccer games and a baseball game Sat morning through 1:00. I got home and quickly changed for a 23 mile road nike sprint. Then I got ready for my youngest son's evening baseball game. Sunday I got out for an early 5+ mile Galloway style run then daughters soccer game, son's baseball game and daughter's guitar lesson. After unwinding each evening I had a bit too much wine! Grrr... Oh well, back on track this week. I'm getting to a point where small mistakes prevent weight loss I guess??? Again, I'll wait to see if it's muscle vs. fat or just planing out. Muscle definition continues to improve and vasculature continues to surface from being long buried... This weekend looks to be busy. However, My wife doesn't work Sat! Yay!

I will persevere through any downside. I feel great. Tired at times, but it's a muscle tired. My back never bothers me and I can ascend the stairs at home without an extra breath much less being out of breath!

Life is good!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Down to 206.6... I'm continuing to road bike once a week. Life will NOT allow me to get any weekday real saddle time in... Spin 2-4 times a week for 45 minutes. Run 3 times a week using my adaption of Galloway's method. I get ~ 1hr. or so (5 or so miles) 3 times a week before dawn on Tues/Thurs and once a weekend whenever I can squeeze it in.

Clothes are fitting better (or worse... looser). Veins on legs/arms continue to surface. I guess the plumbing is getting better while the fat covering is diappears (albeit at a glacial pace now). Lastly on the bizarre side effect side of things, I have to be careful shaving. I've nicked my Adams apple a few times. I guess the definition there is a bit better also.:crazy: Fondo is in 1.5 weeks. My wife works during it.:madman: The kids understand and I'm arranging rides for them and their activities. There's absolutely no way I wouldn't ride in it. I've missed every training ride opportunity to cover the course put on by local bike shops.

I'll need to start tapering to be sure my legs and cardio are ready instead of beat up and in recovery. I'll also try to get a Fondo pic taken.


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Good luck on the Frondo! Taper now, be well rested.. and don't let yourself get psyched up and hammer too much outa the gate.. only advice I got


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dysfunction said:


> Good luck on the Frondo! Taper now, be well rested.. and don't let yourself get psyched up and hammer too much outa the gate.. only advice I got


Thanks! It's good advice. At this point I'm my own worst enemy for this event. In the back of my mind I am a bit paranoid that if I back off on training/exercise I'll revert back to the way I was before I began my journey. I find that prospect horrifying. Thus I hate missing any training I've added. However, I think I've come to terms with my body at this point. I'll drop running and drop to spinning/riding every other day and avoid any extended anaerobic portion. That way my cardio is still in shape and my legs will be fresh.

For the ride I plan to go out slow until the ~40 mile mark. That's where the serious climbing begins. There's at least one section that's between 15% and 20% grade for more than a quarter of a mile. That's going to hurt! I'd like to not have gone anaerobic until that point. That way the glycogen stroed in my muscles is still there for that climb which WILL be anaerobic! Through those hills is between 1500 and 2000 feet of climbing. After them there's about 20 miles of rollers back to the start and a well deserved... beer??? I haven't had one of those in soooo looonnngggg!!!! We'll see...


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## dysfunction (Aug 15, 2009)

Ohhhh then I have another bit of advice...

Enjoy the beer 


FWIW, we've got similar histories, so I understand the concerns with tapering.. I went to Hawaii for a month this summer, didn't do any riding or running etc.. I just did a lot of swimming, diving, surfing, hiking etc.. nothing really structured. Came back home, and had no problem getting back into the swing of things so to speak.. just had to kick it down a notch the first week. I think you'll find that even on things like vacation you end up being more active once you're used to simply being active and it's less of a concern over all.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dysfunction said:


> Ohhhh then I have another bit of advice...
> 
> Enjoy the beer


It'll be good! If it's really good I'll have one for you also... It'll be a short one day liquid carb reprieve.



dysfunction said:


> FWIW, we've got similar histories, so I understand the concerns with tapering.. I went to Hawaii for a month this summer, didn't do any riding or running etc.. I just did a lot of swimming, diving, surfing, hiking etc.. nothing really structured. Came back home, and had no problem getting back into the swing of things so to speak.. just had to kick it down a notch the first week. I think you'll find that even on things like vacation you end up being more active once you're used to simply being active and it's less of a concern over all.


Good for you! Thanks for the vote of confidence. It helps!

Well, I've been able to taper. My legs feel great! I've added a bit more carbs to my diet to semi "carb load". I don't know how being on a low carb diet then carb loading is going to work out. We'll see... I've dropped a bit more and am down to 205.8 Yee Effin Haw! I think it's because I haven't worked out as hard and swelling from micro trauma and healing is minimized. I'm spinning w/o spin class because I know if I went to a spin class I'd kick my butt and wouldn't successfully taper. I cycled 25 flat miles Sunday while keeping my heart rate in zone 3. Spun for 45 minutes yesterday with the same target/outcome! I will spin once more tomorrow with an equivalent target.

I guess it'll be picture time Saturday... 

Interesting note: There's a guy who works in the produce section of my local grocery. He's 6'6" ~50yrs old and was maybe a tiny bit over weight. When he saw how much I'd lost he struck up a conversation and I filled him in on what I've done. I ran into him a couple of days ago and he said he's dropped 25 lbs in the last few weeks! His back isn't bugging him anymore. His cholesterol is better. He's sleeping better. He's adding sit ups and push ups to get to where he wants to go. It really makes me happy to see other people use my success as motivation for them to regain better control of their body.

Lastly, I'm entering a fun phase... I'm fit (although I still have more fat to get rid of) and I can buy clothes that look great on me instead of a tent! Although being 6'5" and no longer fat create additional challenges... To a certain extent the world is my candy store (okay, veggie store) for the first time since I was in my 20's! Down hill skiing should be outstanding once again! Top to bottom w/o stopping to catch my breath!

Fondo here I come!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

As promised...

Before

and

I really hate to call it after! Because my lifestyle is forever different so it wasn't a diet... But we'll call it after for the sake of the post!


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## fattybikejones (Aug 17, 2008)

That is awesome my friend! I am very close to the second pic in size.. This thread is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your journey and continued success to you brother!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

fattybikejones said:


> That is awesome my friend! I am very close to the second pic in size.. This thread is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your journey and continued success to you brother!


Glad it inspires you. I'm an ordinary family guy. You can do this. It's about dietary knowledge, motivation and commitment! As always feel free to post questions here or message me. I'm no expert. I just know what's worked for me.
***********************

From weigh in thread...


Eric Z said:


> good job, everyone!
> 
> dadtorbn, very nice! how tall are you? what's your final goal weight?
> 
> edit: just saw you're 6'5.


Damn eyes... I saw 6'5 and thought you meant 65yrs old... I'm 48 years young!

And yes I'm 6'5". Final weight goal... I'm going to keep my lifestyle and see where I plane out at. I am NOT on a diet. If I was then the weight would come back once I got "off" it...

I fantasize about being between 190 and 200 (ideally closer to 190). I think at that weight I'd be a very good cyclist for my age. I definitely have that much adipose tissue still "hanging" around. The competition will be for lean muscle mass increase versus fat loss... As always... I'm in it for the long haul so... We'll see... They're coming off at about 0.85lbs/week so getting to the mid 190's could take 4-6 months. The last 10-15 are always a ***** but who cares. I plan to live this way the rest of my life, which should be much longer than before!

I'll post more about the Fondo later. Chasing kids today...


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## Metalized (Apr 1, 2009)

Very impressive results in those before/after pics - great work. Sounds like you're going to keep the weight off as well. You may want to do some strength training in addition to cycling, though, even bodyweight exercises at home.


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## Altitude Junkie (Oct 16, 2010)

dadtorbn said:


> As promised...
> 
> Before
> 
> ...


I'm kinda disappointed, dadtorbn. I mean, the second pic is a MUCH sexier pose. How 'bout some flexing and some sun glinting off the bike shorts? 

AJ


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Finally a bit of time to post...

Wholly [email protected] I haven't posted about my Fondo ride... Well I got up and over to the ride start with some aquaintances. The ride "started" @8:00am sharp. However, since I was riding with 6,000 of my closest friends I didn't even get to cross the start line till 12:30 into the "ride". I went out slow and careful. On a ride this big there's all kinds of skill levels and attitudes. Defensive riding is required! The energy and draft of that many riders is simply amazing. The "group pace was between 15 and 16 mph after the ride started to get stretched out a bit after a few miles. However, my heart rate was barely ticking along. There were a few spills on the side early on, including one elite rider who hit a pot hole and crashed hard. Anyhow, the first meager climb was about 800ft at about a 5-7% grade. we had the entire right hand lane to ourselves. It was nice. However, some riders rode 3 across at a slow pace and took the entire lane forcing people to cross into the on coming lane to pass them. Ughhh! A rider a bike or two infront of me dropped her water bottle and stopped to pick it up. I ended up hitting it. It wasn't till after the ride that I found out it untrued my wheel. Nothing $20 and a trip to my LBS couldn't fix. The support on the ride was awesome. There were many rest stops with water, energy foods and drinks etc... The climb that I was worried about wasn't really a problem. I did granny it though. My heart rate climbed to a sustained high level. However, the training climbing hills and spin intervals helped me know what my limits were and I stayed within those for the sustained climb. After that there was another moderate climb which wasn't a problem and a big rest stop after that about 18 miles from the end. I carb loaded at the rest stop and sprinted all the way to the finish! When I finished my legs had more left. I think I need to look more closely at my riding diet... I wonder if low simple carbs leaves me with less energy for extended riding... More on this later... The post ride party was huge. I couldn't stay long ecause I had to chase kids. Oh well. It was one of the best rides of my life. Next year... Gran Fondo here I come. After all, its only 103 miles with about 8500 ft of climbing. Most of the climbing is 15+%... Oh well I've got a year to train for it.

Need to pick a shorter goal. I'm starting to warm to the idea of a tri. I mentioned it to my wife and didn't get push back... Hmmm...



Metalized said:


> Very impressive results in those before/after pics - great work. Sounds like you're going to keep the weight off as well. You may want to do some strength training in addition to cycling, though, even bodyweight exercises at home.


Thanks! I will keep the weight off. I could eat this way indefinitely! Also, I get REALLY FRUSTRATED if I can't get my cardio in. I really look forward to it and am bummed if I don't get it in. I think adding weight training at some point makes sense. I've added running and want to see where I go with that for a few months. I need to look into open swim hours at the pool near work. That should help the upper body some.



Altitude Junkie said:


> I'm kinda disappointed, dadtorbn. I mean, the second pic is a MUCH sexier pose. How 'bout some flexing and some sun glinting off the bike shorts?
> 
> AJ


If you think the second pose is sexier than you must be a pinniped. 

People tell me I look fantastic and regularly don't realize it's me. However, a sexy pose? LOL I've got about 15 pounds of adipose tissue to get rid of. Maybe by May of next year I'll be ready for a "sexy" pose. If I'm not toward 190 a year from now the Gran Fondo is gonna hurt! AND if I get down to 190 I'll post a sexier pose just for you because by then I should be looking good! LOL!


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## Altitude Junkie (Oct 16, 2010)

dadtorbn said:


> If you think the second pose is sexier than you must be a pinniped.


I _beg_ your pardon, sir! I haven't been mistaken for a bloated sea creature for...well, weeks. :skep:



dadtorbn said:


> People tell me I look fantastic and regularly don't realize it's me. However, a sexy pose? LOL I've got about 15 pounds of adipose tissue to get rid of. Maybe by May of next year I'll be ready for a "sexy" pose.


Just do what I do: stand behind somebody hot. 



dadtorbn said:


> If I'm not toward 190 a year from now the Gran Fondo is gonna hurt! AND if I get down to 190 I'll post a sexier pose just for you because by then I should be looking good! LOL!


Promises, promises. :yawn:

AJ


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## p_cycle (Jul 22, 2006)

don't know if you mentioned it but I missed, but what size is your roadie?
have you ever had to true the wheels? other than the bottle incident that is.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

p_cycle said:


> don't know if you mentioned it but I missed, but what size is your roadie?


64cm with a 110mm stem



p_cycle said:


> have you ever had to true the wheels? other than the bottle incident that is.


Once before that at about 245lbs at the end of a paved trail it turned into a dirt and rocky road/parking lot. At 300lbs the wheels seemed a bit "flexy" as if they weren't up to any abuse. Now at 205 I don't worry so much about them. That said, when I replace them durability will be one of the criterion.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well, I was as low as 203 yesterday and the day before. Today I weighed in at 206.4. My weight has about a 3-4 pound cycle in it. I used to think it was tied to differences between weekend and week day habits, temperature difference when I weigh myself (affecting the accuracy of the scale) or something else. However, today I had a peak mid week... Unprecedented in my weigh-ins... I would welcome insigh tor reference material from into short term weight variations. I don't think it's related to things I've usually seen like salt, alcohol or even simple carb. consumption. 

Exercise continues to go well. I'm back to running before dawn and spinning at lunch. I couldn't get a weekend ride in due to rain and family activities. This weekend is looking tough also... I was able to spin for 90 minutes on Sat. Morning though and I toughly kicked my butt according to my HRM and my legs that day/evening. I'm likely to add some lunch time swimming in a masters class at the local pool in December... We'll see... I need to add it if I'm going to do a tri...

Life is good. However, an international bus. trip is on the horizon and my ability to get exercise and control my diet in detail will be difficult. I guess it's a minor blip on the timeline of life. However, I have very specific goals I would like to meet and it'll likely set them back either day for day or more...


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

dadtorbn said:


> Well, I was as low as 203 yesterday and the day before. Today I weighed in at 206.4. My weight has about a 3-4 pound cycle in it. I used to think it was tied to differences between weekend and week day habits, temperature difference when I weigh myself (affecting the accuracy of the scale) or something else. However, today I had a peak mid week... Unprecedented in my weigh-ins... I would welcome insigh tor reference material from into short term weight variations. I don't think it's related to things I've usually seen like salt, alcohol or even simple carb. consumption.
> 
> Exercise continues to go well. I'm back to running before dawn and spinning at lunch. I couldn't get a weekend ride in due to rain and family activities. This weekend is looking tough also... I was able to spin for 90 minutes on Sat. Morning though and I toughly kicked my butt according to my HRM and my legs that day/evening. I'm likely to add some lunch time swimming in a masters class at the local pool in December... We'll see... I need to add it if I'm going to do a tri...
> 
> Life is good. However, an international bus. trip is on the horizon and my ability to get exercise and control my diet in detail will be difficult. I guess it's a minor blip on the timeline of life. However, I have very specific goals I would like to meet and it'll likely set them back either day for day or more...


i don't know the reason for short-term fluctuations in weight but the same thing happens to me, but after a business trip/flight- even if i eat and exercise the same as when i'm home. not as much when i don't change anything without a trip. i'm curious to see what happens next week for you. maybe it's something to do with your digestion possibly?

i agree about keeping up on trips- as you know, just do your best- fit in workouts where you can and mix it up a bit to stimulate different parts of your body. if i always ran or biked, i mixed it up and jumped rope or did other similar cardio workouts. also, interval training helped me a lot when i was away from home- i was able to do it with very little equipment or space- pretty much jumped rope, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. i added in sprints as well.

good luck- always cool to see your updated!
ez


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> i don't know the reason for short-term fluctuations in weight but the same thing happens to me, but after a business trip/flight- even if i eat and exercise the same as when i'm home. not as much when i don't change anything without a trip. i'm curious to see what happens next week for you. maybe it's something to do with your digestion possibly?
> 
> i agree about keeping up on trips- as you know, just do your best- fit in workouts where you can and mix it up a bit to stimulate different parts of your body. if i always ran or biked, i mixed it up and jumped rope or did other similar cardio workouts. also, interval training helped me a lot when i was away from home- i was able to do it with very little equipment or space- pretty much jumped rope, push-ups, sit-ups, etc. i added in sprints as well.
> 
> ...


On my last domestic trip I threw some jerky, dried fruit and regular fruit in my luggage along with some protein bars so I'd have good choices. When I got to my destination if it was a mid teir hotel I went to the store to get supplies for my normal breakfast. I don't know how well that plan will work for international. The jump rope is and interesting idea though. I'll also throw my running shoes and clothes in my luggage to give me options. However, running in Shanghai or Beijing could be interesting... I expect Seoul shouldn't be a problem though.

I did my normal 6 mile predawn run today and swam a masters class at a local pool at lunch time... Swimming will be a fun addition. The instructor is good and I feel it in my arms, pecs and lats. I will drop the last 10lbs if it kills me, Although I have had people tell me I don't need to. However, I long ago gave up on need... This is me wanting to finally look REALLY good in my life.

Lastly, I went with my wife to shop for suits for the trip last night. Damn if the tailor didn't tell me I had no butt nor a gut. Yee 'effin haw! Both my wife and the tailor cringed when I said I wanted to drop more... They said not too much... 

Thanks for the encouragement! It helps! Glad to hear you're making changes to get further along with your goals. It'd be neat to meet you someday if our paths ever cross...


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

dadtorbn said:


> On my last domestic trip I threw some jerky, dried fruit and regular fruit in my luggage along with some protein bars so I'd have good choices. When I got to my destination if it was a mid teir hotel I went to the store to get supplies for my normal breakfast. I don't know how well that plan will work for international. The jump rope is and interesting idea though. I'll also throw my running shoes and clothes in my luggage to give me options. However, running in Shanghai or Beijing could be interesting... I expect Seoul shouldn't be a problem though.
> 
> I did my normal 6 mile predawn run today and swam a masters class at a local pool at lunch time... Swimming will be a fun addition. The instructor is good and I feel it in my arms, pecs and lats. I will drop the last 10lbs if it kills me, Although I have had people tell me I don't need to. However, I long ago gave up on need... This is me wanting to finally look REALLY good in my life.
> 
> ...


i used to swim at the gym more. i should pick that up again- especially with heel pain i've been having. good for you not needing to lose that last 10 pounds! i never really had issues trying on or being fitted for clothes, but i know it feels wonderful when you're in better shape.

it would be very cool to meet. i saw another guy from the co-front range thread and it's neat to actually talk to someone in person when all we've been doing is "chatting" in a forum.

encouragement is great and there's a ton of it here. keep it going! be careful with the halloween candy this weekend =)

later.
ez


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Eric Z said:


> i used to swim at the gym more. i should pick that up again- especially with heel pain i've been having. good for you not needing to lose that last 10 pounds! i never really had issues trying on or being fitted for clothes, but i know it feels wonderful when you're in better shape.
> 
> it would be very cool to meet. i saw another guy from the co-front range thread and it's neat to actually talk to someone in person when all we've been doing is "chatting" in a forum.
> 
> ...


Slight confusion I think... I now get to wear slim or "fitted shirts!!!! YEE EFFIN HAW!!! I still have fat that I really want to leave. It's going to take many, many months more hard work. Most is gone everywhere on my body except abdomen, lower back and some on my legs near my hamstrings...

Well I'm now down to 203.8 for the weekly weigh in... I still haven't given up my evening glass of wine quite yet... I ran~19m miles (3 runs) last week, spun for only 90 minutes and swam 2 hrs. I'm looking forward to adding more swimming in a masters class at the local pools. Talk about an ass kicking! I don't "float" so well anymore. However, My upper body is one of a cyclist not a swimmer (lean and not so strong) The instructor is guiding on technique. Yesterday was the "miracle mile" in a 25 meter pool. It is: 11 push ups then 11 lengths. Then 10 push ups, 10 lengths... By the time I was done getting on the the deck for the last few times for the push ups was hard. I was whooped! Spinning took a bit of a hiatus due to work visitors. Running is going well. My morning loop is 5.86 miles and my near term goal is under an hour for it. I'm done to 1:01:43... Another fewss weeks should do it. Then I'll start changing things up to increase speed...

I didn't eat 1 candy over Halloween. However, I "had to" have two beers Friday evening with my wife and her coworkers. It's really nice when people do not recognize me. Heck I'm 6'5"... I've added raw uncooked almonds to my diet and will cut back on the jerky a bit. I wonder if the salt in the jerky is limiting me some... Additionally, I think theres some good "fats" in the nuts. Anyhow, they keep very well and it's easy to have a small palm full to tide one over. I'll know in a month or two how that's working.

I really hate the short days...:madmax:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well, international trip was good for business. It sucked for exercise and eating choices... We'll see the damage once I manage to piss off all.the salt. It's really hard to manage one's diet when you don't really control your schedule and don't know the language and customs. Internal schedule was screwed up enough from not spending more than one night in a place until the last couple of nights that exercise didn't happen either. Oh well, I'll focus on recovery. Hopefully a hiatus followed by more rigor will yield benefits... I did my best at breakfast eating minimal simple carbs and lots of fruit and veggies (scrambled eggs for protein). Lunches and dinners (especially dinners) were much harder...

Anyhow, yesterday I got on my mountain bike for the first time in months! I adjusted my suspension some because I now weigh quite a bit less than when I rode before. I also dropped my tire pressure a bit. I have yet to see how low it can go...

IT WAS THE MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDE EVER!!!!!

Oh my goodness! Climbing was so much easier! I now laugh at my nemesis! The heart rate goes up but I'm hardly anaerobic climbing it! Also, the rocky technical stuff is SOOO MUCH easier! When you have the horse power for maintaining speed climbing and the ability to give a bit more for momentum running into/over rocks et. al. then balance is easier and with that the confidence to try more because your recovery ability is better. Secondly, descending was SOOO MUCH easier!!! That was a little bit of a surprise. I knew dropping weight would make it easier but the amount of improvement was a bit of a surprise. My brakes and suspension isn't so much preloaded now. When I think about it it's a 100lb difference! The amount of braking needed to control that on descents is significant and I knew it would help to drop the weight. However, now my suspension works a ton better. "Rolling over" 4-6" drops and rocks is easy because both my front and rear suspension are able to work better and handling is better because I'm not loading up my brakes and tires to keep my speed in check due to dropping 100lbs. What a blast!!!!

I rode 21 or so miles with nearly 2000ft of climbing! About 1/2 of it was single track and most of it was either up or down... I didn't take nor need a rest for 2 and a half hours. When I got home I had plenty of zip left. I wasn't trashed and useless for the rest of the day. Oh! Yesterday I turned... 49... I look forward to 50 now... I'll be better than I am now by then!

Lastly, I've been reading a book called "Younger next year". It's a hell of a read and it's mostly what I've done over the last 10 or so months. For anyone looking to make lifestyle changes it's not a bad template

More travel this week. However, it's short haul domestic so I'll get some exercise and be able to control my diet. My "official" weekly weigh in will be off by a day this week. However, I should know by then how much my trip tripped me up.


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## Eric Z (Sep 28, 2008)

happy birthday! glad things are going well.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well life ussuually crazy busy this time of year. This year is no exception...

Pulled my groin a little over 2 weeks ago playing basketball. Being able to run up and down the court and actuall play is fabulous. However, lack of cross training showed up. I've done nothing for agility/quick lateral movements. Thus a pulled groin. I took two weeks off to allow it to heal and started back at spinning then basketball on Sunday evening went quite well. We only had 6 people versus their ten. We moved the ball well and everyone is in decent shape. we won. However, I think I broke my right thumb. I'll know more in a few hours.

[email protected], [email protected], [email protected]!!!

I will percevere though this also!... I've added a few pounds which could be weight bounce. I've got to be careful to not add much through Xmas. Afterward I'll really clamp back down on a routine and get my act completely back together. It's a bit frustrating to be so derailed. However, life has it's bumps and it's how one recovers from them that's important!

As best as possible I've been tracking weight and will update the weekly weigh in in a bit.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

After a week I could stand the splint on my thumb any longer... It just goes on at night time now. I'll let pain govern how much I should use it...

I managed to get a couple of spins in this week. It will be hard to get exercise in between now and Christmas though... I will do everything in my power to get at least 2 (ideally 4) good cardio sessions in per week.

Oh, I weighed in at 209.2 this morning. Grrr... I will stay below 210!!! *I really want to be below 200 for this riding season!!!*


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## mmills416 (Dec 17, 2007)

dadtorbn, 

It is really cool reading your post. Please keep it up. I hope you get to 200lb and maybe get a MTB race in. 
I rode and raced very seriously from when I was 16 - 26. The whole time I struggled with my weight. I would fluctuate from 180 to 210 lbs in the off season. At one point I was riding over 200 miles a week and racing 12 times a year. In 1999 moved away from my cycling buddies and trails and slowly lost intrest in riding. I started racing motorcycles and gave into my struggled with my weight hovering around 230 lbs. Ultimatly I crashed in 2004 breaking my ankle to the point riding was almost impossible. I moved back to texas in 2006 and started to ride very little and inconsistantly again. Now 4 years later at 37, 242lbs, and my first child on the way I have become very motivated to ride and get back to a heathly fit life. The realization that my son will be 17 when I am 55 scaried me. At 18 I went to durango for the first time. I went every year after that with my friends to ride for a week. I want to be able to take my son riding like that when he is growing up. 
I started back on a bike earlier this year for a car race. I got down to 220lbs. Unfortunately our season was cut short after the first race so I quit riding and started eating cheesebugers agian. Now that my wife is pregnant I have the drive and focus I had when I raced. I bought a new 29er and have been riding 4-5 days a week for the 4th week now. Some of my old cycling buddies and I are riding trails at night and are still trying to drop each other like we did 10 years ago. We are just older, fatter and slower.
Anyway I was moved when I read your posts last night and wanted to tell you how I enjoyed it.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks mmills416! It's fun to write stuff down and be able to review it later. I find it motivating that it helps others! I'm a different person than I was when I started writing this and occasionally looking back at older posts helps remind me of it and keep things in perspective! Lately Between work, Thanksgiving and Christmas and stress and kids and INJURIES!!! My ability to get any structured exercise in has been extremely difficult. I've definitely gained back some hard lost pounds which irritates me. I definitely won't be able to hit it hard until January! However, I'm entering the new year between 90 and 100lbs lighter than last year My general fitness is soo much better. I have a lot of thing to be thankful for.

I got my blood work from a complete physical back and all of it was normal. My cholesterol was 128!

Life is good. If I add another pound or so in the next couple of weeks I guess it's okay. I'll buckle down at the beginning of the new year with renewed vigor and continue on my journey. I have several events I would like to do this year which will be water marks for my fitness...


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## big Jay (Dec 21, 2010)

Really awesome to read this from start to finish! You sure have accomplished a great deal in a year, congratulations and well done man!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well, it's been a couple of weeks... Last week I was skiing with my family and had a blast. It was cold but being able to run straight from the top of the lift to the bottom for the hour or so that I had solo skiing was bliss. I managed to avoid re-injuring my thumb which was nice but that concern kept me off the more difficult runs.

Training and eating over the holiday was very difficult. We stopped by In and Out and I was goaded into eating a burger. I used to enjoy their food. Not any more. It tasted good but was salty as hell!

I started training again this week. I spun Tues and today and ran yesterday morning @5:45. It was right around freezing... Unfortunately my legs are a tad out of shape and sore as hell. I'll power through, get back in shape and drop the extra pounds. I am fiddling with adding some core work also. I'll try to add swimming back in if my schedule will allow it...

It feels good to have made it through the holidays and have a renewed focus!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Spinning my but off. Went for a fabulous mountain ride on Sunday. The park was cold at sun rise (~36 degrees F). About 45 minutes into the ride at the beginning of the first real climb I broke my chain!:madmax: I had a chain tool in my pack and dropped a link. However, because we only started to ride we kept going for the entire ride. As a result I never really got out of the saddle and cranked. I was afraid of pulling the chain apart again for good! By the end of the ride my hamstrings were so damn tight I had to stretch 'em out before gliding back down hill to home. Needless to say later that day I stopped by my LBS and purchased a new chain and two additional links for just such an occasion. It's better to replace the link rather than drop one and reseat the pin. I still am recovering lost cardio from ~6 weeks off.:madman: The climbs were not as good as the previous ride. However, way better than when I was too fat! I had a blast!

Additionally, since it was cold by California standards, we had the park almost entirely to ourselves. What a treat!:thumbsup: 

With all this my weight is up slightly to 210.2 I know it'll drop. I've tapped the wine bottle a bit more than needed from family stress. I need to get rid of all the holiday crap in the fridge (I'm not eating it) and make room for good food again.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

More travel and work is screwing up my ability to get back "in the groove" on diet. I'm plateaued or even drifting up a tiny bit. Weighed in at 210.6 this week. I put the hammer down more this weekend... It requires some resolve since my wife works both days and the kids have activities spread throughout...:madman:

I signed up for the Gran Fondo road ride this week. It's in October. 100miles road with 8500ft climbing. Much of the climbing is 15%+ grades with some 20% stingers in there. I am too afraid to not be in shape by October. Fear is a very good motivator for me. I will NOT walk my bike even if it means barfing!!!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Fear is motivating me to get out and ride. However, family life and short days are limiting it. I am still getting to go spinning a couple of times per week. I need to start the 5;30am running again... Broken thumb and pulled groin are behind me. Basketball is a blast! I can stay in the whole game if needed. I went for a really good road ride this past weekend. 52.5 mile and 4400ft of climbing! It was a blast except for an early flat. I deserved it! My back tire was sketchy before the ride... A 4 season gatorskin will be on there for the forseeable future. The weather also turned a bit during the ride so the decent from 3000 ft to 200 ft was a bit cold and wet... It was still fun to push my limits further...

Family stress is still impacting my eating/drinking... I am getting the fridge set up again with healthy post dinner snacks. It's the weakest part of my dietary habit. Also, as of today I'm at 209. However, my clothes are only a smidge tighter than at 203. I think some of my weight may be muscle. It's hard to know. However, the mirror says I can drop more fat... mostly belly and a bit on my butt. Vasculature continues to improve in terms of showing. Thus fat on arms and legs is dropping/staying the same...

I got the rear hub fixed on my mountain bike and maybe I can get out this weekend. I hope it doesn't continue to skip... If so it's $$ to get it right... The current hub is a DT-Swiss OEM hub. If it need to be replaced I'm guessing Chris King is the most bullet proof. I'm going from fat and heavy to big and strong. Either way the hub is taking a hell of a load.

If I manage to get down to 200 or lower I'll feel confident enough for an "after" picture... 

That's all for now...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well it's about two weeks later. 1.5 weeks ago I got out for a 44.5 mile 3400ft day! It was friggin cold at the start ~35 degrees Fahrenheit! My hands were frozen! The heart of my ride was a 5 mile 2000ft climb. Most of it was 10-15% continuous climb. It was rewarding to be able to slog up it and have reserves to stand and grunt up the steeper sections. The view was fabulous near the top and it was quite a bit warmer (~60degrees). It was pretty cool to see way down below and know my legs got me way up there! 

Eating is going okay and I've finally got the fridge set up better for convenient healthy snacks. Family life and stress still consumes and distracts me more often than not. Still occasionally have too much wine. My wife hasn't given it up thus it's a weakness of mine... Grrr...

At my son's soccer practice I ran 6.25 miles in 1:03. That a record for me... My resting heart rate has recovered from a pre-holiday low of around 54beats/min to ~50 beats/min. I'm really stoked about that.

Weigh in again tomorrow... I expect another incremental loss! Maybe 209??? It's just so darn hard to get in long rides ! I think I'm going to get a bike light or a few to be able to ride before dawn or stretch out some of the DST rides past sunset... We shall see......


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thelast couple of weeks have been another trial and tribulation to overcome. Training until a week ago was going OK... I got a short mountain bike ride in on Sunday one and a half weeks ago. Short meaning only about 16 miles... The park continues to flaten out. My technical skills suck! It's a thing I'll need to ride with friends to improve on... My heart rate never needed to get cranking because cardio is in decent shape.

I spun Mon, Tues and Wed last week. It was odd in that it took an inordinate amount of exertion to get my heart hrate cranking to 85%-90+% MHR. I had a tickle in my throat Wed. Thurs. My throat hurt and I didn't sleep well. Fri. my throat really hurt once again I didn't sleep well and was bushed the entire day. Sat/Sun spent in bed with a fever and an incredibly sore throat... Mon off to the doc. I had/have strep throat! It hurts like hell to eat! I was/am exhausted and my resting heart rate was way high (~70BPM vs. ~50BPM normally).

Well today my throat is sore but I can eat without crushing pain! Today will be my 4th day on antibiotics (amoxicillin). I don't think diet lead to my getting sick. I was under stress, not sleeping well and training... Maybe that lead to a compromise of my immune system some and I ignored some warning signs???

Anyhow... Today I weighed in at 204.4! That's very low for me at this point in time. I think there's three things that contributed to a 5lb drop in weight in a week. First, no training in a week. Thus no microtrauma and it's associated swelling. That's probably 2-3 lbs. Sencond, my resting metabolism is just cranking trying to fight off this infection. Lastly, it just hurt so effin' much to eat that my consumption is down quite a bit and I refuse to eat simple carb crap that would probably go down a bit easier on my throat.

Anyhow... If I'm feeling better this weekend I'll go for possibly a short run on Saturday and possibly a short ride on Sunday... We'll see... Oh! LASTLY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY FOR ME...

DST CHANGES THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!! Road rise after work once again (when there's no kids activities that I'm coaching)!
  :band: :yesnod:

EDIT:

Oh yea... Last Wednesday I spilled about half a Latte into my work laptop at 6am... It now out for repair!:sad:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well I haven't posted in about 6 weeks... Getting more than one ride a week in has been exceptionally difficult. Work and family commitments have consumed me once again. I haven't been able to get a lunch spin in over 3 weeks... I force the once a week few hour ride on the weekend...

To continue to get the needed exercise I've added running. I can now run ~6 miles every other day at about a 10:30 pace. Granted it's glacial... But it's running and it's a start... Once work and life settle down I want to get more spinning and cycling back into my routine. With life being difficult diet has been more challenging... I've been in a window ~210 for 4 months now. When I get more time I expect to break this long term "plateau"... To add more muscle mass I've added doing push ups also. It's not a full blown commitment let... I expect in a few weeks it will be... I've got to get accustomed to them first.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I keep looking at my calendar in disbelief! Squeezing in exercise is almost impossible! Work is making life hard and the kids have activities that I coach every night of the week. I couldn't even make on of my daughters JV lacrosse games this season!:sad: I managed a short 2 hour ride during the first game of my sons double header Saturday. I squoze 1 spin in yesterday, the first one in 5 weeks. Other than that I'm relegated to running @ 5:00am... Oh well... It'll certainly dissuade me from the evening glass or 2 of wine. Otherwise I don't want to get up and run!

My ride Saturday compared to the last time I rode that climb was much better... I chopped about 30 seconds off a 12 minute climb (~8 months ago). So even though my weight is up a hair I'm still riding strong...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm going to try to survive baseball season and then I'll have more time for training this summer. Since my basketball seaon is over I now have Sunday evenings to get the fridge ready each week! I grilled up salmon for a Mothers's day dinner for my wife and in parallel I grilled up a whole lot of chicken breasts for me (and anyone else in the family during the week. Produce is back in season!!! rubbermaid containers in the fridge are full! Watermelon, pineapple... Life is good. In addition I chop up a ton of Romain lettuce in a large rubbermaid container and have cherry tomatoes, shredded Parm. Cheeese, croutons and lite Ceasar dressing available. It makes it easy to throw together an individual salad at any time. Plus I can chop up a chicken breast and throw that in. Thus when I got home at 8:30 last night after my son's baseball practice I had an easy healthy dinner of chicken Ceasar salad and a dessert of a bowl of chopped watermelon!

I went for 2 spin classes and a good training ride this week. The spins were the typical 1 hr. class... My training ride was 45 miles with 4150 ft. of climbing. It had one sustained climb of ~ 2000 ft in 5 miles. I'm actually able to eat a bit less on rides now than last year w/o bonking. Part of what I think is going on is my vasculature is continuing to improve and my body is "learning" to burn fat as a fuel for sustained efforts (producing more ATP).

Weight is still a hair frustatrating @ 211.6... Oh well, I will continue to do what I know is healthy and not obsess about the scale. It should take care of itself.

My wetsuit for the Lake Tahoe Xterra arrived yesterday... The end of August should be fun! 1500meter swim, 23 mile mountain bike ride with ~3500ft of climbing and 6 mile run. Oh, it all starts @ lake level ~5000ft elevation! It's another fitness fear threat to motivate me!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Spinning with work just isn't happening lately! Nor is the morning runs since I hurt my foot. I actually got out for a great road ride Sat. morning! I managed a 55mile 5000ft climbing ride! I was psyched! The last climb ~700ft @8-10% hurt so good but it seemed short after the 5 mile 2000ft climb! Unfortunately I was on my feet the rest of the day! Thus that night and the next morning my legs were screaming! I talked to a friend who is a cyclist and he recommended putting my legs up in the air (butt against the wall, legs up) to drain the lactic acid from my muscles. I'll have to try that next big ride. I weighed 208.6 this morning. However, I'm sick right now so some of it is temporary due to dehydration... I want to get under 200 soooo badddd.... I cut out evening glass or so of wine to my wife's chagrin! She's laughing (in a nice way) at me. Oh lastly, to help me eat better now that produce is in season I have the fridge prepped properly. I have cut up celery, cantaloupe, pineapple and romain lettucce. I also have cherry tomatoes in the fridge and chopped up cooked chicken in the freezer.

If the family wants to eat crap I can have a chicken Caesar salad in 5 minutes and a bowl of fruit for dessert!:thumbsup:


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## toxicity_27 (Nov 14, 2009)

Very nice. Keep it up. Hopefully you'll be able to start squeezing in more riding.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Thanks!

I cold not squeeze 1 ride in this weekend! House chores, kids taxi duties, LL baseball and weather all got in the way. Arrgghhh! Diet has been going well and weight got down to 2007. Then a random pop to 210! Oh well it should go away. However, last night we went out to celebrate my son's 6th grade "graduation". I hopped off the wagon for one night. The family social pressure to eat "normal" makes it hard. Also, I brought my mtn bike in for a tune up (air sleeve service, rear brake pad replacement, upgrade to tubeless). Also, I replaced the stock seat post clamp with a Salsa seat post clamp! It's a major upgrade. The stock seat post clamp was crap! it deformed and would not easily adjust after that. The Salsa one will NOT have that problem. I'll continue with healthy diet and hopefully this weekend or next week gives me more time to get some rides in. For living in Northern CA our weather officially SUCKS! It has never rained so much from Feb though June. We're expecting more for the next 4-5 days! Also, very few days have been above 80 degrees!


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## toxicity_27 (Nov 14, 2009)

Weather here has sucked as well. Some days it's hot and humid, others it's hot and windy (today), still more it's hot and raining. Hopefully the weather will hold off for ya and you'll get some riding in.


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## sburnett (Jun 7, 2011)

I just read this whole thing in one sitting.
This is amazing. Thanks for letting us in on your life.
Talk about motivating...


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## CxAgent2 (Oct 24, 2007)

*dadtorbn - where are you???*

I keep checking back for an update, but you seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. Are you still out there? How about an update?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm sorry for not updating. I'm still on the face of the earth! I promise. I'll try to update more frequently.



sburnett said:


> I just read this whole thing in one sitting.
> This is amazing. Thanks for letting us in on your life.
> Talk about motivating...


Thanks! I'm glad! Now go kick some butt! 

I have really been struggling to find time for training. One of my sons made the All Star team! Yay... Sort of!  I'm really happy for him. Now I'll help out coaching for all of this week and next week and for a couple of hours in the middle of Saturday. The middle of my up coming Sunday is plugged too! Such is life.

If I could run I'd do that in the morning. However, my foot isn't quite ready... Maybe next week. I'm lucky if I can squeeze one spin day in a week. However, I've found a solution! I purchased bike lights back in Jan/Feb. I got out once last week and twice this week for a "short" road climbing loop. I leave between 5:15 and 5:30am for 38 miles and 2700ft of vertical. I'm back home by 8:00am and am to work by 8:30am! My long loop on Saturday/Sunday is ~55miles with ~5000ft of vertical. I want to extend that also... We'll see. If I can keep that up I'll get 130 miles and 10k ft per week. That should help get me ready for some up coming events.

I've learned a bit more about extended rides and nutrition also. I have maintained a very low sodium diet which really helps with blood pressure and sodium level in my blood (at my one physical in Nov. last year). Thus my water retention is low. However, on a recent ride I did not consume a sport drink (GU) and I cramped something aweful!!! I've done more investigation and I think my electrolyte levels (sodium et. al.) are too rapidly consumed and it's the source of my cramps. Muscle fatigue is one thing. However, cramps just SUCK!!! So I'll focus on more electrolytes/sodium for my rides. We'll see if that solves the cramping issues.

Weight... I've been 210+/-5 lbs for 8 months... It's frustrating. However, I'm not going to worry about weight for now. I'll track it and watch it but I'm going to focus more on training. If my sodium intake goes up then my weight will go up some. I can't worry about it... So my plan is Tues/Thurs short climbing loops and one long ride on the weekend. I would like to add swimming or running on Mon, Wed and Fri as time allows.

Weight yesterday was 213.6...

I'll try to post more updates a bit more frequently.


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## CxAgent2 (Oct 24, 2007)

Thanks for the update! I love following your progress.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

CxAgent2 said:


> Thanks for the update! I love following your progress.


No problem! Peoples kind words are motivation for me to continue (along with all the health benefits)!

Well... Had a little too much wine last night and wasn't motivated for a monster road ride... Next weekend I guess. I got out on my mountain bike a little later instead! 

It was my first real ride since converting to tubeless. I must say it is a much more compliant ride. Lack of tubes allows a lower tire pressure and the tires absorb all the small stuff! However, I do not think it's as efficient on pavement. However, climbing is way better! I cleaned things I couldn't before. The reason is the drive chain shock to my legs is down so I roll better while climbing. Descending is better too! All the small stuff is easily rolled. I think when I brought my bike in they played with my suspension also. So it was a fun ride, by myself.

I rode 25miles with 2400ft of climbing in 3 hrs. I was still fairly fresh when done! All the training is paying off! Even when I wonder if I'm still progressing... My "nemesis" no longer exists! i.e. There's never a question of if I can climb it... I did it twice today. Once near the beginning of my ride and once "near" the end (5 miles from home).

I'm no where near the fastest out there... Some guy went by me like I was standing still... And he could ride! I'll never go as fast as him... I do not want to break my body...

Keep riding guys!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm still mixing both road and mountain riding! It's a good combination! Today was a great mountain ride. ~19-20 miles (misplaced my Garmin:madman. I was out ~3.5hrs with a stop in the middle to visit with someone I used to work with. More single track and technical trails today... As I gain experience I need to dismount less and less. One major problem I used to have is at drainage dips in the trail where water follows the lay of the land and it cuts a notch in the trail at a hairpin (for lack of a better description). I would approach them slowly and drop into the dip and come up the other side. However, I would lean to the inside and always tip over. Now with more riding I know it's better to "lean" to the outside and keep my weight over my bottom bracket. The reason I state "lean" is it feels like I'm leaning to the outside even though I'm likely just staying centered with my weight.

Oh, since my seat post clamp was changed to a Salsa QR I can now play with my seat height during rides. I think there's really about 3 heights that are useful:
1) low for technical decents (not great for pedaling efficiency but boy does it make handling easier!)
2) Medium good for technical climbs and all around riding.
3) High (knee almost straight at bottom center) great efficiency for nontechnical climbs.

I fell once again today in the middle of my ride. I got a minor scrape on my knee. It was ~2hrs before I was done and I landed in, of course, poison oak. I took a cool shower upon my return... We'll see how much I get... I hate the stuff!

EDIT:
I'm still absolutely loving tubeless!!! I'm running tire pressure in the low 20's (~24 front and back). Between that and a better adjusted suspension (and cardio) my skills are much better!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I still weigh ~210-212... When I manage to get some stable numbers I'll update. It's been between 210 and 213.6... I'm not being anal retentive regarding eating because it drives my family a little crazy.

On an it sucks note:
May crash last Sunday into poison oak didn't go well. I initially had no external reaction until Thursday. On Thursday my left shoulder and tricept area began weeping like no tomorrow. I have two HUGE areas reacting and my left arm from my shoulder to my elbow is inflamed and hot. My wife is a nurse and is "keeping an eye on it". As of yesterday it's swelling receded some and it's weeping has gone way down. For the record... I HATE POISON OAK!!! GRRRRR!

Training...

I've gone to one spin class and logged 93 road miles with 4600ft of climbing since last Wednesday. My 55 mile Saturday ride included a climb I haven't done in a while. It's the "speed trap" for the local cycling club. I shaved my time down from 23:?? to 22:00 flat! That was at the beginning portion of my ride! The weather was fabulous and I made great time! I added running back in and my foot is tolerating it much better than expected... 

3.5 miles last Monday, 3.5 this Mon and 4.9 this morning. I really want to get this back up to 6 miles 3 times/week.

Lastly, I helped work at the Vineman 70.3 this past Sunday. What a blast and talk about inspiration! I want to do this... 1.2mile swim/56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run... next summer... The run scares me a bit...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Weight still unchanged... Still having evening glass of wine... Grrr...

My poison oak recurred in a second spot Thurs/Fri last week on my left elbow/forearm. It originated on my left shoulder/tricept. I put a couple of large unbreathable bandaids on it during work to prevent it from weeping all over my shirt... What a mistake!!! By the end of the day EVERYWHERE under the bandaid was inflamed and red.:cryin: I wanted to go for a ride on Sat but my arm hurt, it was really inflamed and flexing my arm hurt because of the inflamation and skin damage... By Sunday it improved enough I was able to get out for a road ride. I logged 63.5 miles with 1600 ft of climbing. Since it was a long ride the inflamation migrated down my arm to my wrist and my watch band was quite tight by the end of the ride. By Monday it was greatly improved and continues to improve. I probably should have gotten steroids... The affected areas of skin on my left arm are dry and flaky. Hopefully any scarring is minor and disappears in a week or two...

Running has been slow. I got out for a Monday runn and only ran 2.25 miles before I was done. It was warm and I did a big ride on Sun... Excuses? We'll see. I need to get more runs in... Lunch time today...

After work was a good ride yesterday also. Again a rode ride... I will avoid the park for a bit. I can't afford another poison oak infection so soon after this one... I got most of the way to the coast and back. It was 40.4 miles and 2400 ft of climbing... The weather was perfect! I made a wrong turn and ended up on a dead end with a great view... It was a great evening ride!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well again I haven't posted in a while...

I'm still road riding. I've pushed really hard and I did a couple several hard rides and spin HIT spin classes too close together. The result was a road ride last Sunday REALLY sucked! My heart rate wouldn't climb for a very tough hill climb and I felt CRAPPY!!! I had to crawl back home and up the climb to my house. It was a 45 mile ~4000 ft loop. I had to take several days off in a row and my resting heart rate was elevated for a couple of days or so... Some research revealed that I over trained or over reached... I was able to get out Sunday for a 56mile 2800ft loop. I feel okay and went to spin class at lunch. My big 100mile 8500ft ride is in 19 days and I must remain fresh for it. Thus my focus of ride between now and then is managing max heart rate. I want to be completely recovered by ride time. Additionally, I will be careful about diet and tapering prior to the event.

I am presently ~212lbs. My waist is a little bigger than my smallest. To drop 10-15lbs from here would be tough.

BTW
On one of my over training rides I shaved 5% of my best climbing time for one route. I went from 22min to 21 min. I now realize what a monster step than is and will manage it from here...


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## CxAgent2 (Oct 24, 2007)

Glad to hear you are still around and riding. You are a motivation to us all.

If my experience is any indication - 212 is not a bad weight. I think I remember you are about my height. I'm 6' 4" and find that I feel best around 220 lbs. I got down to 210 or so but I didn't have any energy. I don't care what the doctor's BMI says, 200 lbs and 6' 4" is not a good combination. Maybe if I lost all of the fat on my gut it would work, but that area is very slow to shed the fat. :madman:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

CxAgent2 said:


> Glad to hear you are still around and riding. You are a motivation to us all.
> 
> If my experience is any indication - 212 is not a bad weight. I think I remember you are about my height. I'm 6' 4" and find that I feel best around 220 lbs. I got down to 210 or so but I didn't have any energy. I don't care what the doctor's BMI says, 200 lbs and 6' 4" is not a good combination. Maybe if I lost all of the fat on my gut it would work, but that area is very slow to shed the fat. :madman:


Yes, I'm 6'5". I'm mostly at peace with my weight. I could be lighter, but I'm not ready to commit to the effort required to drop from here. You are indeed correct! I have a bit of fat around my abdomen. It's really a ***** to get rid of. I haven't dropped the evening wine. With life as it is it's one of my few remaining evils that I'll live with for the time being.

I will not give up training/exercise!

Some other random thoughts...

Vasculature continues to improve slowly. Veins that "showed up" on the insides of my thighs continue down to my calves now. They are noticable to me only at this point... Also, I can see a vein accross my right knee cap and veins on my wrists and the inside of my forearms. So I am NOT fat! I just am not a road bike cycling waif.

My resting heart rate has been measured by me as low as 42. More typical numbers though are around 48 first thing in the morning. I have a desk job and a random check during the day is usually around 60. When I had over trained they stay up around 60-68 first thing in the morning... Ugh! So my cardio is in pretty good shape Core and upper body are not so good...

My son had a physical yesterday and he's >95% for height and ~85% for weight. Everything with him is fine! My choosing a healthier lifestyle has definitely rubbed of on my kids. We have very lttle crap in the house. Discussing my son's health led to a retrospective discussion of my journey with my wife. I had noticed before I started my journey that my calves/shins were discolored (brownish blotches that crept up from my feet). Additionally I used to have problems with dry feet and atheletes foot. The brown is gone and the feet problems are minimal other than me tweaking my left foot a few months back... I've got to restart running after my ride. Lastly, my wife is a heart nurse as I've previously stated. Last night she said she was worried about me having a heart attack. She had gone to Amazon and had a portable defibrilator in her cart about 2 or so years ago. The damn thing was $600 and she debated buying it and left it in her cart for quite a while... She said about a year ago she dropped it from her cart!

Now this WILL sound sexist but it isn't meant to be in any way. Altering your perceptions of your relationships also matter. So while I was getting some grief about training she knew in her heart (pun intended) that I needed it. If I had been overly sensitive to her comments and dialed it back/cut it out then I would not be where I am today.

I will never go back if there's ANYTHING I can do to prevent it!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I did the Fondo ~9 days ago. It took a little longer than my goal. Oh well. I was riding with a buddy of mine who is a stronger rider than I. At rest stops it was always a bit hard to hook up! So total time was a bit under 9 hours and ride time was ~7:45. This was for 104.7 miles with 9700ft of climbing (according to my garmin).

It was a blast to be out with so many other riders. The support was awesome! However,, it's a beautiful remote area where the ride was with a ton of climbing (and descending) and a rugged 1.5 lane wide road. Sharing with thousands of other riders totally changed the ride. It felt a tiny bit violating to have so many people descend on such a pristine place to ride...

Anyhow, it served as a milestone for my riding season. I'll continue to focus on improvement.

My son had a baseball away tournament this weekend. I didn't get back till arouond 3:30pm... Enough time to squeeze a quick mountain bike ride in. My bike missed me... I hadn't been on it since my poison oak episode... It was a blast. I didn't have time to get to the back of the park and get back in time to make dinner and feed the kids. I settled for my nemesis (not!) and a bunch of cardio laps around the lake. It was really nice. There was no one there! I passed a horse on my climb in. I alswo only encountered a few people around the lake. But I was able to bomb around and keep my heart rate up! what a blast. It seemed pretty flat (unlike a year or so ago) until ~45 minutes of laps. then the burn set in. I did a couple more and rolled home... It was 21.1 miles with just under 1200ft of climbing in 1:50!

I've got to climb to the back of the park again soon. It would be nice to wait for the poison oak to die first though...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I've been in the park mountain biking a couple of times. Between the fitness from riding road/spin etc... The park gets easier. I can now climb a trail that has some technical sections without dismounting. It's amazing what a little bit of speed while climbing does for the balance. Also, I'm working more on spinning (per the direction of a cycling friend who was a top notch college cyclist). It helps go over obstacles more easily because power is always being applied istead of just the mashing down stroke! Also, the gullies at each water crossing I can climb. My balance has improved and I have the power to continue once on the other side. All is well. Howeve, I still fell once on my last ride. It was a "gully" with a ton of rocks on the other side. There wasn't any posion oak and both my bike and I emerged unscathed! Both rides were 13-16 miles long with about 1600ft of climbing and took about two hours. I didn't have time for longer rides but I'm fit enough... Tubeless helps quite a bit also... I have almost no drive train shock when rolling obstacles!

The last month training has fallen off with the lack of daylight and I've added some weight... I'm ~219 now... Grrr... Clothes are a little tighter! Grrr...

Time to fix that!

Now for the insane part...

I registered for a 1/2 ironman in the middle of July next year. I will turn 50 in 1.5 weeks and I want to embrace life by being in better shape! Time to take the training up a notch!!! I started running again after ~5months off and my foot seems okay. I'll start swimming again and on the road I hope to chase some guys in a local cycling club... We'll see... They're pretty fast. I may need better cardio/strength to chase them...


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I'm keeping the exercise up as best as possible. However, weekday riding isn't possible... Only spin classes at lunch. I went for a mountain bike ride first thing Saturday morning and explored some trails that were previously above my capability. The bad news is I can mostly do them now. That's the sticking point. I have the cardio but not the skills... As a result I fell and bruised my knee and forearm... I continued my ride for another 1.5 hours during which I had another minor non-injury fall... I showered, iced my forearm and wrapped my knee to minimize swelling. It worked okay and I played basketball Sunday evening for 1.5 hours nonstop. By the end I was somewhat hobbled...

Yesterday I woke up and my knee was sore so I couldn't run... I went to spin class at lunch time. My knee was sore at the beginning. However, after warming up I was tearing it up again. I love the Monday instructor!:thumbsup: By the evening my quad and knee were sore...

I woke up today and my knee is still too sore to run. I'm stuck working and shuttling kids today. I will have time for nothing I think! Tomorrow wll get nothing again. I hate that!

Anyhow, I FINALLY recommitted my self to dropping the "extra weight I added now that the weather has turned and my after work riding is cut out. I'll add running in the morning 2-3 days/wk and swimming ideally 2 days/wk along with spinning as much as possible and 1 long run/ride on the weekend... I'll eventually need to get more of a tri schedule nailed down. However, for now I want to get all three thing base lined before working into a more disciplined training schedule!

Lastly, at basketball an acquaintance of mine who is an excellent basketball player paid me a nice complement. I commented that this coming Sunday, the date of our first game this season, I turn 50. He said that he's 44 and he would love to be in the shape I'm in when he turns 50... So even though I'm feeling sorry for myself I am happy to hear that!:thumbsup:

In addition to the 1/2 ironman I would like to be down under 200lbs by then. I've once again started daily weight tracking and am being much more rigorous about my diet. I was being okay about my diet but I added too much fruit, nuts (almonds) and yogurt (fat free of course) and cut back too much on raw veggies... I've fixed that and expect to see a resumed and sustained drop in my weight. I've got to get my body kicked back into ketosis!:thumbsup:

Gawd what a long post... Sorry!

EDIT:
As of last week evening wine is now gone! I'm focused!:thumbsup:


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

The only time I can seem to squeeze in a weekend ride is leaving at dawn. It's really cold when I try to leave then. I left for a ride 3 weeks ago @6:00am and froze my toes off. also my groin area got a tad cold... I layered up top with a windbreaker shell and that was fine. For gloves I used my capo full fingered gloves with winter ski gloves over top. That was fine also. shifting and braking were okay!

I am now back into a routine of running. I'm very pleased by this. I leave my house at 5:00 or so and I can get a 5-6 mile run in twice a week and a longer one in on Saturday... Three weeks ago I got my longest run of 8.2 miles in. This past Saturday I "ran" 10.75 miles. It in quotes because it took me nearly 2 hours. I signed up for a half marathon in San Francisco in February. It'll be the second organized run ever. My first was almost 30 years ago and it was a 10k... An easy distance now. I really want to be able to reel off 13.1 miles w/o much thought because I want that psychological comfort of knowing I can do it and knowing my body after a 1.2 mile swim and a 56 mile bike ride... So it's part of my training! In case you're wondering it's friggin cold at 5:00am here. It's 29-32 degrees. As long as your layer and dress properly it isn't too bad. We typically do not have and wind then so that makes planing a bit easier.

Lastly, I've read a book called "Born to Run". It's about a writer who picks up running and learns about the history and physiology of running and much more. It kind of goes through the roots of minimalist/barefoot running and how the running shoe industry may have inadvertently created all the running problems most people have when they run. It turns out that heel strike causes lots of problems which all the padding in modern shoes enable.


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## lunatic fringe (Apr 20, 2010)

Hi Dadtorbn

It's been awhile since I last checked in, I think it's great that while you've had obstacles you're still pushing to overcome them. Your story motivated me to do more to get my weight down and get into better shape: the results are I'm down to 200 lbs at 6'3" and feeling great. I'm also outclimbing my buddies at times who used to embarrass me on the hills. I think 190 would be a great weight so only a little more to go.

Something I'd like to offer for those days that you can't get out for a long ride is to try a workout plan that has worked wonders for me. It's called "Insanity" and is something you can do in 45 minutes. It's an intense interval training program and focuses on your entire body. There are no weights involved; any strength training is solely body weight exercises. This thing leaves me in a puddle on the floor when it's all over. It's a ton easier on the joints than running too. Just a suggestion.

Anyhow, keep up the great work.

Bob


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

lunatic fringe said:


> Hi Dadtorbn
> 
> It's been awhile since I last checked in, I think it's great that while you've had obstacles you're still pushing to overcome them. Your story motivated me to do more to get my weight down and get into better shape: the results are I'm down to 200 lbs at 6'3" and feeling great. I'm also outclimbing my buddies at times who used to embarrass me on the hills. I think 190 would be a great weight so only a little more to go.


I'm glad you were able to get motivated and get your weight down!:thumbsup::rockon:

It's part of the reason I continue to post to the thread! I'm also glad people occasionally post to the thread. When no one hits it in a while I'm not certain if I should discontinue! Especially since mountain biking is a small part of my current training. However, as a blog it shows what can be done from an out of shape (okay obese) late middle age guy to someone in decent shape with continued focus

Out climbing buddies can be fun... I would guess! I wouldn't know... ussually ride/run alone!



lunatic fringe said:


> Something I'd like to offer for those days that you can't get out for a long ride is to try a workout plan that has worked wonders for me. It's called "Insanity" and is something you can do in 45 minutes. It's an intense interval training program and focuses on your entire body. There are no weights involved; any strength training is solely body weight exercises. This thing leaves me in a puddle on the floor when it's all over. It's a ton easier on the joints than running too. Just a suggestion.
> 
> Anyhow, keep up the great work.
> 
> Bob


Thanks for the tip! I'll look into it!

Running... Tough on the joints... If it is STOP your not doing it right! Anyone who is starting to run should please read the book "Born to Run". Even if you're not a runner please read the book!

There's so many knee and ankle problems caused (actually enabled) by modern running shoes! All the **** in terms of cushioning enables and encourages shitty running form. Shitty running form means long strides, heel strikes and lots of up/down body motion. All of this puts tremendous impact loads on ankles, knees, hips, back and neck! Mid/fore foot striking with relaxed proper body position, high cadence/turn over allows long distance running without joint loading/destruction!

I ran 10.5 miles Saturday morning and my knees were fine! My calves and legs and knees were tired but uninjured! A 1 hour basketball game where I play maybe 15-20 minutes of game time hurts my knees much more!

If anyone wants I can post a ton more about running. Big guys can indeed run without injury to joints with proper running technique (it actually becomes quite a bit like proper cycling)! I was never a runner and I'm begining to become one in addition to cycling...

Mike


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## printgoon (Jan 2, 2012)

Hi Dadtorbn,
I am writing this to thank you for the time you have put in describing your weight loss. I read this post from start to finish this morning. I am over 300lbs, probably close to 320 and a tiny 6'3". My youngest son is an overweight 6th grader who requested a "real mountain bike" for Christmas, which Santa brought. On Christmas day we went for a ride..me on a 12year old hardtail and him on a $400 bike bought from an lbs....and he loved it, which sparked a passion in me to get back in shape....I was a triathlete and rugby player many years ago and now, at 40, i am headed to an early grave. I appreciate your story and the time you have put into it. Everyday my son has wanted to go riding and everyday I have said yes, after reading your diary I now know that I can use this to turn my life around. Thanks


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

printgoon said:


> Hi Dadtorbn,
> I am writing this to thank you for the time you have put in describing your weight loss. I read this post from start to finish this morning. I am over 300lbs, probably close to 320 and a tiny 6'3". My youngest son is an overweight 6th grader who requested a "real mountain bike" for Christmas, which Santa brought. On Christmas day we went for a ride..me on a 12year old hardtail and him on a $400 bike bought from an lbs....and he loved it, which sparked a passion in me to get back in shape....I was a triathlete and rugby player many years ago and now, at 40, i am headed to an early grave. I appreciate your story and the time you have put into it. Everyday my son has wanted to go riding and everyday I have said yes, after reading your diary I now know that I can use this to turn my life around. Thanks


:thumbsup:

Outstanding!

Feel free to post to this thread, start your own or pm me! If there's anything I can do to help just ask! Please note I am not a medical professional. I only "know" what I've read and what I've done that has worked for me. That said, I think a lot of traditional dietary advice is just plain wrong! I may sound like a broken record... I truly believe that simple carbs are the root of ALL EVIL in the American diet. If you wipe those out you'll be well on your way! Combine that with exercise and it's a monstrously powerful weight loss and motivational tool!

Congrats on committing to a healthier lifestyle! You and your family are worth it!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## printgoon (Jan 2, 2012)

Thank you so much for your encouragement. One thing that has held me back are the restrictions that family place on a persons ability to find time for themselves, specifically working out. One thing that spoke to me was your perseverance on making time to accomplish your goals. It is hard to say you can not do it after you detailed what it took for you to reach your goals. One question is how where you able to negotiate the time away with your wife, and that question is for any of you "fat" guys like me that get griefed(i know its not a real word..yet) if you spend "too much time" away. To be clear my wife works long hard stressful hours and I do not think it wrong for her to get "time" with me. Any suggestions, I have started with the "hey babe, I need to do this, for us" but in a month or so I will start to get the stay home pressure.....any suggestions?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

printgoon said:


> Thank you so much for your encouragement. One thing that has held me back are the restrictions that family place on a persons ability to find time for themselves, specifically working out. One thing that spoke to me was your perseverance on making time to accomplish your goals. It is hard to say you can not do it after you detailed what it took for you to reach your goals. One question is how where you able to negotiate the time away with your wife, and that question is for any of you "fat" guys like me that get griefed(i know its not a real word..yet) if you spend "too much time" away. To be clear my wife works long hard stressful hours and I do not think it wrong for her to get "time" with me. Any suggestions, I have started with the "hey babe, I need to do this, for us" but in a month or so I will start to get the stay home pressure.....any suggestions?


God I could write a veritable tomb on this... I don't think my relationship with my wife was on an equal footing. There's a bunch of history that I will not go into. But needless to say it wasn't. I wanted to accommodate her and some of my happiness was dependent on trying to "make" her happy. Again, it's only a piece to my fitness puzzle. But it was a major psychological one for me to overcome! I came to the conclusion that she has to own her happiness and I have to own mine and not blame her.

A friend of ours told me she loves you and wants you to reach your goals (without talking to her she assumed, correctly this). Well I took this piece of advice to heart and made certain she understood (even w/o talking about it) how committed I was!

She would still give me grief but I sort of ignored it in general. I tried to go when there weren't kid centric activities (sports or school events). She still gives me some offhanded remarks but I ignore them.

One saving thought I have is WTF is she going to do? divorce me because I need some time to exercise? This rational more than anything helped me redefine how exercise got worked into my life. The kids even get it. There are times when she's been mad for a day or two... It's a small price to pay. If the only barrier to my getting my needed exercise in is her "feelings" than I'm going 9 times out of 10. She doesn't need to love me that much! If I don't get exercise in for a few days I get irritable and she'll make me go amyhow now... It's turned into a kind of win-win!

Also, I try to accommodate the family as much as possible. This morning's run was a "late" one. I didn't get out till almost 6:30, still predawn. When I got back she was on her way to work. She smiled/chuckled at me, I kissed her and sent her on her way. Thursday I'll need to get up at 5:00am to get my run in. If I fall asleep on the couch at 9:30 at night... So what? For me that's really nonproductive time! I choose to get up early and burn out early. The first couple of 5:00am alarms were painful... However, do it enough and it becomes habit. Also, if you come to love your exercise routines (endorphins are ****in' awesome!) you'll look forward to getting up. Lastly, if you miss a workout because of bad evening habits... Drinking? then you'll learn to manage that too.

Whatever you do just make it work. It is a factor in me scheduling anything. I look at the calendar and figure out how/when I get my rides in and I announce it as soon as possible... Maybe on a Sunday I'll look at the calendar and say is there anything going on ... Wednesday night? when I know the answer is no. The I'll say I'm going for a ride after work... She now knows what's coming so she'll just say you can/should go for a ride then because the other nights are booked! 

So as I recall wrestling control of the calendar was a factor... We both have iphones and I use Google calendars and put EVERYTHING into the calendars. If it ain't in there it doesn't exist and I don't need to plan for it! That was another one of those equal footing battles. She just controlled the calendar and was indignant about sharing the control for my planning.

Lastly, be efficient about getting out. Prep the night before so you don't waste valuable exercise time bumbling about for shoes, helmet, gloves... Anything you do the night before from bike prep to clothing/equipment prep gives you less time away from the family...

Ultimately as you get in better shape you'll need less sleep which actually creates time for exercise...

Sorry! I gave you a big brain dump. Hopefully there's some useful germs you can pull from it.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

I haven't really updated in the last few weeks so...

I've been running every other or third day for the last 5 weeks in prep for the first half marathon I'll ever run in three and a half weeks. I haven't been following a someone else's structured training plan. I don't want to force what my body isn't ready for... In the last 5 weeks I've run:

20.64
20.36
23.17
20.43
34.38
4.91(so far... It's only my first run and I'm adding my own version of speed work into my training.)

As long as I run with good form and toe strike I can run w/o injury... I have the classic "nonrunners body type"... 6'5" not skinny Running form really matters... DO NOT HEEL STRIKE!

I hope Sunday I can get out for a ride to see how my cross training translates! Saturdays are my long run and might have a shot... Crap... I am working baseball sign ups in the morning. I'll adjust and spin and lift prior to that.

Other notes:I relaxed a bit over the holidays regarding diet and put on a few pounds. I've clamped back down hard on simple carbs including alcohol except when my wife encourages consumption...

Secondly, since I've started running I've noticed veins or blood vessels showing a bit more in my calves and knees. Also, "lifting" has improved the size of my upper body marginally. I hope that will continue to improve over the next few months. I haven't added swimming yet...

If any of you guys want to add running as a cross training thing I can point you at resources for it. It truly is possible for big guys to run w/o injury. That said, some level of fitness might be required prior to starting. However, with proper form I think the bar isn't as high as many would think.


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## goodoldlevi (Jan 11, 2012)

WOW! I have spent the last hour reading your amazing story and I thank you for sharing. I am 6.4 310 and for the last week and a half I have been riding to work. After 18 years of marriage and two kids I let myself go from my college football days at 215lbs. So far I have lost 5 pounds and your story has me motivated to stick it out and get back to those college days. Keep the posts coming and thanks again!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well... Yesterday was my first half marathon... Fortunately some friends of mine went which helped take the first event fear away. It was a new experience for me. I'm used to doing all my running with no one around. Thus I pulled back into my own little shell a bit at the start. It was the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon. Ten thousand people...what an event! All the tentativeness surounding doing an event like this played through me while I waited with my friends. As I said, I became a tad less social than normal. I just tried to relax and not stress out... Once it started and I mean actually started it took about a half mile to get sorted out and a full 2 miles or so for traffic to thin enough to relax and not worry about tripping or dodging around people. It ultimately was an affirmation of my training that went in. I am woefully slow and finished it in about 2:20. My spinning, running and cycling all came into play at the very end. I had enough left to kick the last 1/4 mile or so before the finish! That was fun, of the cardio crushing anaerobic type.

In the weeks leading up to the event I decided that I wanted new shoes. My Assics have a 12mm heel toe offset... It turns out that the large heel toe offset (big cushion under the heel) makes it damn near impossible to run with the proper form... In order to land on either my toes or mid foot I had to over pronate, land on the outside of my foot and then roll my foot down. While this gave a soft foot landing it started causing knee pain. So I decided to buy new running shoes with only a 4mm heel toe offset. The difference is astounding! When I tried them on in the store I was amazed at how much easier it is to run with proper form. Additionally, they so much light! I trained in doors on a treadmill at the gym (working on spin/run transitions) a few times before running out doors with them. While the transition wasn't perfect, it was damn close. I have no knee pain at all, even today after a half martathon yesterday. However,my left ankle complains a little bit. I may pay a doctor to do a gait analysis to determine if there's anything additional to be done to prevent injury...

Well, now that my 1/2 marathon confidence builder is over I need to add swimming, continue to run and get my ass back on a bike! I'm dying to see if my concentration on spin technique while in spin class will translate to improved cycling performance...

My next "event" will likely be a sprint tri of some sort... Again, more training for the 1/2 ironman...


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## dsweise (Mar 5, 2012)

Was referred by a friend and just finished reading all your posts - astounding. I am much heavier than you (6'4" ` 425 currently down from 485) but I can really appreciate your struggle and journey. It certainly seems like you have causght the firs of the lifestyle change! I had it for a while (even completed a Sprint Triathlon) but then lost my way. I'm back with a vengence, though.

One question I have is how much should a decent, reliable bike cost me? Any recommendation on brands?

Keep up the good work!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

dsweise said:


> Was referred by a friend and just finished reading all your posts - astounding. I am much heavier than you (6'4" ` 425 currently down from 485) but I can really appreciate your struggle and journey. It certainly seems like you have causght the firs of the lifestyle change! I had it for a while (even completed a Sprint Triathlon) but then lost my way. I'm back with a vengence, though.
> 
> One question I have is how much should a decent, reliable bike cost me? Any recommendation on brands?
> 
> Keep up the good work!


Dude! Way to drop the weight!!! Keep it up! Diet is incredibly important. I'm dure you're making smart choices. Drop simple carbs completely! They are the root of all evil in the SAD diet (Standard American Diet). I've mentioned a few book in this thread.

There's antoher guy... Mark Hynaman who I listened to/watched over the weekend on PBS. He's got a book called ... "The blood sugar Solution" or something like that...

I'm insanely busy. I will post another update and more info.

Regarding bikes... There are definitely people much better qualified to answer this question than I on this board. I'd look up some trhreads or post one of your own.

You'll need to provide the height and weight, terrain, riding style and budget to get accurate replies to you needs.

Keep it up and post on the goals and the weekly weigh in threads to. They're helpful for keeping you honest and making sure you push.

Note:
It's a life stlye change you are l;ooking for. Diests do not work!!! Mkae smart choices and recognize that they are commitments for life. It is the only way to drop the weight and keep it off. Also, weight comes off fast at first, harder later. there will be plateaus, emotional highs and lows as you progress. Don't sweat it. Don't stress and commit to a healthy life stlye and the rest will take care of itself. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions I can help you with.

Lastly regarding your nike...

There are two theories and only you know which one will motivate you more...

1) Buy a bike to get by and set a goal of some sort... Cycling event, weight loss event, miles/week... Some sort of scary stretch goal or weight loss goal. Once you reach that get a really good bike as a reward.

2) Buy a really nice bike now and use the guilt of spending so much as a motivation to get out and ride.

If you think your destination is under 250lbs I'd likely opt for 1 because the class of bikes opens up quite a bit as you get your weight down.


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## R+P+K (Oct 28, 2009)

Get a decent mid-range bike. There is no greater demotivator than a bike which breaks down regularly.

That being said, you can down-spec as long as you look after the bike and maintain it.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well long time no update... Changing jobs so I'm taking a little time off to train for a 1/2 ironman in a few weeks... Today's workout was 2800 yds in the pool, 42 road miles and a three mile run...

I haven't been too good about diet and my weight had crept up to ~220... Dropping it while working out intensely is hard but I'll recommit after the 1/2im...


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## Rainman24 (May 17, 2012)

Your story is inspiring. . . I am 35 years old 5'4 and a whooping 315 lbs. . .I was 346 lbs last March. I got myself a bike and have recently started to bike to work 2 miles each way almost daily. . .keep up the good work


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Did my 1/2 iron man yesterday in a bit less than 7 hours... Certainly no course record. However, far beyond my wildest dreams from when I first started posting! Quads killing e today. However, it's ust...

"Pain is weakness leaving the body"...
;-)


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## Betarad (Oct 24, 2009)

Haven't checked in on your thread since adding some comments near the beginning. Dude, you've come a long way! Doing 1/2 ironmans now? Way...to...go! 

You almost don't qualify for this forum anymore. Awesome. Keep on keepin' on.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Betarad said:


> Haven't checked in on your thread since adding some comments near the beginning. Dude, you've come a long way! Doing 1/2 ironmans now? Way...to...go!
> 
> You almost don't qualify for this forum anymore. Awesome. Keep on keepin' on.


Thanks Betarad!!! Indeed I'm a different man than when I started. Weight wise a slight relapse lately. Cardio and fitness wise not so much. Diet REALLY MATTERS! I haven't been careful enough between jobs while training for my 1/2 ironman... I'll refocus shortly... I hope you're still kickin' it!


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Well... Wife/life problems and a relapse...

I'm back in the zone now though. On May 1 I weighed 292! ****!!! I've spent most of the last 1.5 yrs off my bikes. Again, wife/life issues. I no longer give a ****!:madmax: May 1st was the official recovery start! Today, 286.4... I spin every morning for 30+ minutes. At this point I'm base building. The first couple of spins I thought I was going to die... 5-10 minutes of hell! Now 30+ minutes is better. I cut out every ****ing simple carb. No sugar, bread, rice, potato... Fresh cut veggies, salads some protein and adding back some sardines for omega 3s. By May 31 I want to be down to 270!!! It's about commitment to goals! When I hit that I'll shoot for ? 255 by end of June??? Then my bikes won't feel so sluggish and heavy. Granted, the heavy is me! :cryin:


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## johnD (Mar 31, 2010)

dadtorbn said:


> Well... Wife/life problems and a relapse...
> 
> I'm back in the zone now though. On May 1 I weighed 292! ****!!! I've spent most of the last 1.5 yrs off my bikes. Again, wife/life issues. I no longer give a ****!:madmax: May 1st was the official recovery start! Today, 286.4... I spin every morning for 30+ minutes. At this point I'm base building. The first couple of spins I thought I was going to die... 5-10 minutes of hell! Now 30+ minutes is better. I cut out every ****ing simple carb. No sugar, bread, rice, potato... Fresh cut veggies, salads some protein and adding back some sardines for omega 3s. By May 31 I want to be down to 270!!! It's about commitment to goals! When I hit that I'll shoot for ? 255 by end of June??? Then my bikes won't feel so sluggish and heavy. Granted, the heavy is me! :cryin:


I wish you the very best !! How are you getting your protein ?


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

johnD said:


> I wish you the very best !! How are you getting your protein ?


Thanks. I've eaten eggs, chicken and sardines primarily for protein. I'll get more serious once again wrt exactly what I'm eating. I'm minimizing fruit also for the time being...


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## johnD (Mar 31, 2010)

Sounds good.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Totally recommitted after way too long off due to too many ******** reasons! More when I'm willing to share... Not there yet wrt sharing my tripups... Anyhow I'm now down to 280.2! I'm eating close to a ketogenic diet and spinning ~45 minutes each morning near aerobic threshhold. I can feel the effects of several days at threshold creeping up on me and I'll likely need a recovery spin soon. I'll get back outside when free time allows... Sunday maybe... While I feel way better. However, I'm still suffering some effects of the "ketogenic flu". This should pass in the next few days. I think 270 by end of month is possible and 255 by end of June also. We'll see. I'll require continued commitment.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Routine is becoming established! One of the most critical elements for me is to establish a routine. Otherwise my family will knock me out of it! I've spun every day in the last week from 45 minutes to 1hr. I added two days with cadence/power interval to increase cardio and power/strength. My cardio is still weaker than my strength so I will focus on improving this while keeping cadence where it needs to be. My power is improving as cardio improves! My spin bike tracks this for me. This will help dramatically with Power/eight for climbing! I didn't get out on a "real" bike on Sunday. I'm a hair afraid of being disappointed on current fitness level and being discouraged... Anyhow, I weigh 278.1 this morning. I had to add some salt into my diet because a low carb diet makes you excrete (pee) out a lot of water/salt the first few weeks which can result in dehydration... The keto "flu" is mostly gone. Mid day cold hands/feet are gone and energy level is improved dramatically. I expect it to continue to do so. Also, the "need" for morning coffee is dropping. We have an exellent esspresso maching for morning lattees. I measured the amount of milk in them and was shocked at the amount/carb content. I was routinely having two doubles. Each one had about 12oz of "nonfat milk". Thus each one had about 18 net carbs for a total of 36 net just for coffee. That's easily equivalent to the amount I consume for everything else during the day. Therefore this morning I trimmed it to 4oz each and will probably cut back to one in the following week for a net of 6 carbs instead of 36!:eekster: I'm still shooting for 270 by the end of the month. The date is coming a bit too fast... We'll see...


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

I lost 80 pounds two summers ago eating Paleo and riding my bike. Maybe something to look into.

I've since stopped eating Paleo and got heavy into lifting weights and my weight bounced way back up from 250 to 291 when I weighed in at a powerlifting meet a couple weeks ago. I decided to drop some weight again but this time I'm doing If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). It's a diet plan that basically is common sense and requires tracking and measuring and label reading, but it allows you to eat what you want. Of course you can take this literally and eat all kinda crap, but if you stay on the healthy side of eating and throw in some treats here and there....it's very effective. I've been doing it less than two weeks and I'm down to 280 again...shooting for 250ish. There's a lot of info out there on IIFYM but in a nut shell, you figure out how many calories you need per day to accomplish your goal. Then you use a calculator to determine the protein, carb, and fat break down of your daily diet. Then all you do is track and try to hit those marcos. Easy peasy.

I guess the most important thing is...making an eating style a lifestyle. Diets are great if you need to lose a little weight for an event or the beach or whatever. But once you go back to normal eating, you gain it back and usually more. If keto is working, that's great. I tried it. It seemed to work for me but it wasn't a way of eating that was sustainable for me. I could not see myself eating that way forever. Especially the no carbs/very low carbs. I don't want to eat in a way that one bad meal can throw off things for days. I'd rather eat in a way that if I make a not so great choice...big deal. I get up, brush myself off, and keep on gettin' it. Better yet, I like that now if I make a not so great choice, I just fit it in to my macros and it's all good. No harm done.


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## dadtorbn (Sep 6, 2009)

Nubster said:


> I lost 80 pounds two summers ago eating Paleo and riding my bike. Maybe something to look into.
> 
> I've since stopped eating Paleo and got heavy into lifting weights and my weight bounced way back up from 250 to 291 when I weighed in at a powerlifting meet a couple weeks ago. I decided to drop some weight again but this time I'm doing If It Fits Your Macros (IIFYM). It's a diet plan that basically is common sense and requires tracking and measuring and label reading, but it allows you to eat what you want. Of course you can take this literally and eat all kinda crap, but if you stay on the healthy side of eating and throw in some treats here and there....it's very effective. I've been doing it less than two weeks and I'm down to 280 again...shooting for 250ish. There's a lot of info out there on IIFYM but in a nut shell, you figure out how many calories you need per day to accomplish your goal. Then you use a calculator to determine the protein, carb, and fat break down of your daily diet. Then all you do is track and try to hit those marcos. Easy peasy.
> 
> I guess the most important thing is...making an eating style a lifestyle. Diets are great if you need to lose a little weight for an event or the beach or whatever. But once you go back to normal eating, you gain it back and usually more. If keto is working, that's great. I tried it. It seemed to work for me but it wasn't a way of eating that was sustainable for me. I could not see myself eating that way forever. Especially the no carbs/very low carbs. I don't want to eat in a way that one bad meal can throw off things for days. I'd rather eat in a way that if I make a not so great choice...big deal. I get up, brush myself off, and keep on gettin' it. Better yet, I like that now if I make a not so great choice, I just fit it in to my macros and it's all good. No harm done.


Hi Nubster. Congrats on your weight loss. I followed you here some and know it took a while for you to get everything in order for you to achieve your goals!:thumbsup:

I completely understand the lifestyle vs. diet aspect. I do not tolerate carbs very well. I know that consuming them causes inflammation and fat accumulation in me (and many people who are overweight). On and off carb consumption would not work well for me from what I've read and from my understanding of how I react to them. Thus my current effort is to slash them dramatically and see where I end up. The more your body becomes acclimatized to burning fat the the easier it gets. For example yesterday was a very busy day. I had two high fat lattes in the morning (6am) with ~3oz smoked salmon and 1 avacado (with a little salt). I wasn't really hungry at lunch but my co-worker wanted to eat thus I had a can of sardines (~1:30pm). My son had a baseball game. As a snack~5:00 I had two Parmesan cheese rinds. then off to my other sons school awards ceremony. I got home 9:15 for dinner. By then I was a little hungry... I had some salami, cheese and 2 hard boiled eggs for "dinner". After 15-20 minutes I wasn't hungry. Then a small piece of 85% cacao dark chocolate (~3 carbs). A month ago I'd have been starving. Not any more. Thus minimizing carbs keeps my blood sugar highs very low. Thiss minimizes my insulin blood levels. Which in turn allows/forces mybody to access fat stores for energy. This is why I am losing weight w/o being hungry, the major "fear" of most dieters...

Log:
Yesterday morning I weighed 273.9. So another ~4.2lbs gone. Carbs are truly minimized. In general <50grams/day and probably <30 most days! Exercise was off a bit this week. I strained my back and didn't want to aggravate it. Back to spin this morning in a bit. All that said 270 in a few days (by the end of the month) will be difficult and I won't be stupid to achieve it... Thus I'll be happy with continued good discipline and lbs falling off as is... Long term target is <210 by end of the year... Another aggressive goal... Once in that range I'll be back to loving climbing, road or mountain!

Oh! I feel great! All the transition issues (keto flu) are gone! I feel good all day! Food is a second thought rather than a primary thought every few hours.

Lastly, I love my Withings scale. Tracking weight loss is trivial and effortless!


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Just be super careful you are not under eating. You'll really screw up your metabolism and it will take a long time to fix. I'm glad that the keto stuff is working for you. I had a blast with it at first. Eating sausage and bacon and eggs and heavy cream and pepperoni and cheese and....well, you know. After about a month or so...it just go to be too much for me. 

This morning I weighed in at 278 down from 291 3 weeks ago. I actually was down to 272 last week but I upped my calories because I was losing weight too fast then I had a binge weekend...lol...and put a few back on. Now I'm back on track and hoping I'm at a point to lose about 2-3 pounds a weeks. I'm trying to maintain as much muscle as I can since I want to try and continue with powerlifting as much as I can.


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