# My weight loss adventure



## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Hello, 

For quite a while, I saw this sub-forum but I didn't realize what a Clydesdale actually was (other than a horse). I thought it was a bike model or something. After reading a weight loss success story in the beginner's corner, I realized the purpose of this sub-forum! 

My history

I retired early from the U.S. Air Force and I was heavy most of my career. A husky body build is normal in my family and comes from my father's side. I had issues losing weight due to the immense stress of my job and the over-emphasis of physical fitness testing in my service. I also discovered that I have an anxiety disorder (another family trait) which didn't help me out much. Upon retiring, my anxiety levels went down and I now go to school full time to re-educate myself. I am also heavily disabled from my time in service. 

Currently, I weigh 280lbs. 2 months ago, I was 285 so I am seeing weight loss from my efforts. My goal is to drop close to 200lbs. I weigh in twice a month to track my progress. 

My bike riding history

My wife's family loves to mountain bike and they have been doing it for many years. When my brother and sister in law were married, they opted to buy nice mountain bikes as wedding gifts rather than buy nice wedding rings. About a year ago, I decided to start mountain biking with them. I started out on a Specialized Rockhopper 29er but the nature of a hardtail was way too hard on my body. Fast forward to now, I picked up my Stumpy and it was night and day difference on my body. 

Lately, I added a new routine to my riding. I live next door to a mountain bike park and I ride over there 2-3 days a week to have fun, work on skill, and ride XC to work on weight loss and endurance. I am surprised how much better I ride after a year of doing it. I can clear uphills without stopping and I will complete full 1.8-mile laps before I need to catch my breath! 

Yesterday, I managed to complete 2 1/2 laps on my circuit to give me almost 4 miles but I had to stop early to get home and take care of my family. Thanks to my bike and all my work, I have a goal to complete 4 laps next time I go out. I recently discovered Strava and I enjoy using it to track my miles! 

Thanks for reading my lengthy post! I plan on adding updates to my progress on this thread.


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## DickyT (Mar 30, 2017)

Way to go man, congrats on the lifestyle change. I have lost a little over 60 lbs since October with 75 to go. I was BIG for a small man of 5'5". Week by week I notice my stamina increasing and able to cover greater distance before I need to stop for a rest.

Keep at it!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

That's a great success story! I plan on riding more laps tomorrow and hope to break over 5 miles. I have a short term goal to average 15 miles of riding a week while using my Strava app. From there, I want to bump it up and go for 20 miles!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

It does feel good to noticed better riding. Although I started riding a couple years ago, i get a little chuckle inside as a zip pass my stopping/breaking point on my route when i first started.

Interesting about them getting better bikes instead of better rings. 

My wife waited a season before us getting her into biking. I believe she wanted to see if it was just a fad for me. She seen how much i enjoyed it and thought it would be great for the both of us to ride.

Moving forward to today, she only kinda rides sometimes, but seriously gotten into running and she loves it. 

Im well overweight, but at the moment I dont care. Because i'm noticing my progress with this sport is the reason i dont care anymore. My joints are stronger, my heart is stronger, stamina far beyond of when i started, and i simply love riding is all that i care about for myself.

Don't get me wrong, but i do get extremely mad when the scale isnt going down... lol


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

Keep at it. You can all do it if you set your mind to it.
Two years ago at age 51 I was bumping 270. I had allowed myself to get fat again. In 3 months, I had shed 50 pounds and in another 3 got down under 200. Breaking 200 was a goal, so I picked up a new carbon road bike.
This last winter I popped up to 208 and made the decision to get down even lower. I bottomed out at 270 when my doctor advised me to put some weight back on.

If you get on a sensible diet, stick with it and exercise, you can lose it. In prepping for the Tour Divide this year, I am in the best shape that I've been in sine my mid teens. I can run a 10K. My Strava times get faster and faster. The benefits are amazing.

So to all trying to lose! You can do it!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I managed to squeeze out over 5 miles riding XC today. I have to visit my VA doctor and complain about my hands going numb again. It was an issue while on active duty. Being an aircraft mechanic and supporting two wars simultaneously does put miles on your body fast. 

During my circuit riding, I take two breaks to catch my breath and to give my hands a break. I don't put a lot of weight on my hands when I ride, and this issue is continuous with various activities such as typing on my laptop or desktop, playing games on my Xbox or wrenching with my hands. I developed my light grip from riding sportbikes on the streets for years. 

I plan on pushing my 5-mile circuits until my body adapts. From there, I want to push for 6 miles and keep working my way up. I noticed that I am beating my own Strava times everytime I go out. I find that to be motivation for what I am doing!


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## milliesand (Jun 29, 2015)

One thing about biking is that isn't so much "exercise" as much as letting the inner child go out and play. I was never one for the gym (and it showed) yet with this hobby/lifestyle/passion I can't think of a better way to spend retirement.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

milliesand said:


> One thing about biking is that isn't so much "exercise" as much as letting the inner child go out and play. I was never one for the gym (and it showed) yet with this hobby/lifestyle/passion I can't think of a better way to spend retirement.


I definitely agree. My XC work will be my "exercise" at least twice a week and I plan on having some fun and work on skills once a week on top of it.


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## MtbChris76 (Apr 29, 2017)

Great jub, I'm down 50lbs in 2 1/2 months, keto diet... check it out it's the only thing that's worked for me. I was riding the bike for months and didn't see anything but my endurance increased, I switched to the keto diet and drop 20 pounds the first month


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## RAKC Ind (Jan 27, 2017)

Nice work, I actually shared my "success" here a couple years back. Put a little back on and now pushing harder to get back down and make final goal before winter hits. 

Keep at it, it's hard but it's very doable. A big impact will be watching and changing what you eat.

And avoid the Keto diet if you value hear health. It's good for a brief period (1 month unless your doctor says otherwise. Being cyclist lean is actually unhealthy as hell, your body is badly malnurished.

What this big fad hides is the fat at first your not really burning "fat", you burning the carbs and protein that are in/became the fat.

Carb reduction, removing processed foods, keeping it lean and natural will do far better for your long term health. Look at the Paleo "diet" for more explanation. Paleo isn't a right way to describe it either. But basically the idea is to eat like humans are meant to. Natural food, not food made in labs.

I lost a 100lbs first round doing that and was easy to keep it off. Carbs we're heavily reduced but not Keto level cut off. Fats cut to minimum. Veggies, lean protein, fruit, grain based carbs.

Fad diets may be good for short term but weight goes right back on FAST (yes I learned from experience doing it to loose 3-4lbs a week for a month) when you try to eat normal.

Also carbs are required for fat burning process during extended exercise

Keep up the great work. The miles and speed will come. Remember to not overdo it, keep it fun!!!

Sent from my XT1565 using Tapatalk


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## Uwibami (Apr 26, 2017)

good stories here, myself @ 53 just started about 2 months ago. have not ridden a bike since I was a kid. got a RH sport 29 to start and see if I would like the sport, upgrade bug has infected me, BAD. but, in the last 2 months along with light weight training on non ride days, my body, skills and mindset have all improved greatly. keep it up everybody!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thanks for some of the diet feedback. My wife outlaws any type of junk food in my house. If I ever want a Mountain Dew (small bottle), I have to head to the store and get it. Luckily, I am too lazy to drive to a store just to buy a bottle of it to drink. I have a ton of turkey-based meat and a ton of low-fat options for food. Yeah, my wife hates junk food lol! In the past, I have not lost any weight, but I maintained it instead. 

My wife also likes to make veggie shakes with shots of protein powder. At first, I wasn't sure about it but she made some really good ones in the past.

I have a question for some of you. Do any of you use a heart rate monitor device linked to Strava? I would like to purchase one for my rides to check my heart rate. I wore them a lot in the military (against my will) so it's nothing new for me to wear a chest strap while working out.


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## bakerjw (Oct 8, 2014)

I always wear a heart monitor. It helps me figure out how hard to push myself sometimes. Any more I have a hard time getting into the 160s.
NOTE - Beta blockers for high BP will limit your heart rate to the mid 130s. Typically.

When I look at eating and nutrition, I take an analytical view of it. I did this 2 years ago when I had my massive weight loss. If you go back 10,000 years, what did humans eat? They were hunter/gatherers with some limited agriculture. That means a diet primarily consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and lean meats. Grains were also likely in the mix somewhere but they were not very refined. Dairy was likely non existent in their diet. That only came along after domesticating animals.

How does affect your eating habits? when you eat a highly process food such as white bread or pasta, the enzymes in your body will convert the starches to sugar very quickly. Your body produces insulin to utilize the sugar. Ones the sugars are depleted, remaining insulin will trigger hunger. Even diet sodas can do this due them being perceived as sweet. A way to determine how quickly a food is converted is called the glycemic index.

An example is oatmeal. Quick oats are rolled and then chopped into small pieces making for a quick meal. The bodies enzymes penetrate the oat particles quickly converting starch to sugar etc... Rolled oats are better as they are larger particles. Steel cut oats are the best. 

The whole effect is to get off of the insulin roller coaster. After a few days, hunger cravings start to go away. Look at how the body is supposed to work and use it to your advantage.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Maybe it's just me but I seemed to have shed 2lbs over the course of the past 2 weeks. I am really happy about that!

In other news, does anyone have a good weight scale they recommend? I have an old fashion one with a bunch of ticks and it's difficult to read. My eyesight is much worse than when I was young.

I plan on looking for a new one with digital numbers to read. I also came across the Fitbit Aria. I didn't think I would see the day that weight scales connect to wifi! Now, I have seen it all! I don't think any fancy scale is worth $130 but I am looking for a digital scale.

Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi Smart Scale Black FB201B - Best Buy


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## astom22 (Aug 4, 2016)

Battery said:


> Maybe it's just me but I seemed to have shed 2lbs over the course of the past 2 weeks. I am really happy about that!
> 
> In other news, does anyone have a good weight scale they recommend? I have an old fashion one with a bunch of ticks and it's difficult to read. My eyesight is much worse than when I was young.
> 
> ...


I got the Aria for Christmas (guess it could be taken as a message from the family) and love it. It has been flawless for years now. Highly recommend it, really helps with tracking goals and progress. Has proven pretty accurate for body fat percentage too.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I weighed in and I'm down to 274! I picked up a Fitbit to help me stay on track with all of my work. It's pretty interesting to use a watch and an app to see my progress. 

This week, I took a hit with my riding. Some of my disabilities are coming around to create some extra pain for me this week due to extra house chores and yard work. Hopefully, I will get back on track this weekend and start back up feeling fresh.


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## astom22 (Aug 4, 2016)

Battery said:


> I weighed in and I'm down to 274! I picked up a Fitbit to help me stay on track with all of my work. It's pretty interesting to use a watch and an app to see my progress.
> 
> This week, I took a hit with my riding. Some of my disabilities are coming around to create some extra pain for me this week due to extra house chores and yard work. Hopefully, I will get back on track this weekend and start back up feeling fresh.


Nice! Keep pushing and really focus on the diet while you are recovering to ride.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk


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## squashyo (Oct 28, 2003)

RAKC Ind said:


> Nice work, I actually shared my "success" here a couple years back. Put a little back on and now pushing harder to get back down and make final goal before winter hits.
> 
> Keep at it, it's hard but it's very doable. A big impact will be watching and changing what you eat.
> 
> ...


Totally disagree.

I've been in Ketosis since Jan 2017. Lost 20lbs and having no problem keeping it off. Blood pressure went from red zone to 122/74 (yesterday check). Have had two blood tests and doc says astonishingly good results with the bad cholesterol moving in a downward progression. Also took a stress test and artery MRI which showed excellence.

I run 3 days a week about 5 miles each at a 9 minute pace. I ride about 4 days a week all mountain averaging 60 miles a week/10k footies.

Keto might not be for everyone but it sure as heck works wonders for me.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Good time for me to check in! I dropped down to 270 lbs but some of my weight loss may came from the new medication prescribed to me for my blood pressure. The VA has been worried about my blood pressure so they placed me on some medication for it. The side effect is that the pills are a diuretic so I have to keep up with my water intake. I use my Fitbit daily to keep up with all my activities and track my water intake. 

My clothing is starting to get loose and I may have to go shopping for new wardrobe in the near future. 

Your keto diet information is interesting but I don't plan on trying anything like that unless my VA doctor approves me. For now, I just drink a lot of water and keep my eating in check. I don't have a perfect diet but I do focus on lowering my sugar intake.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

So far, I managed to hold my weight around 270 lbs due to my lack of consistent riding days due to my kids being in town the past 60 days. They fly home on Wednesday. I love them and will miss them very much but I am glad they are going home so I can get focused on the task at hand. Instead of riding my normal 3 days a week, I was reduced to 1 day a week. It also doesnt help we are having clean air issues due to the Canadian wildfires. Once my kids head home, I will get back up to 3 days a week. 

During the past month, I did homework on picking up a fitness bike for the roads and streets in my area. Western Washington is very bike friendly and my city encourages people to cycle for health, environment, and cut back on traffic. I am looking at a Specialized Sirrus Sport Carbon located at my local shop. I might give that a test ride, see how it feels, and incorporate a road bike into my fitness. I like this bike because it has a flat bar to keep me more upright. 

I know standard road bikes have 2 riding positions so I am wondering...should I buy the Sirrus with just a flat bar new or used (which is fine with me) or go for a used standard road bike and just use the flat part of the bar?


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

An important part of weight loss is patience, and not giving up with frustration sets in. It's hard to continue on when the weight stops coming off.

FYI, after leaving active duty I went from what I thought was a good 165 to 200 pounds. Now I am 145, sub 140 when I am at my racing peak. It took me from the time I started working out in 2009 until 2014 when I peaked for an iron distance triathlon (140.6). That's an average of 1 pound a month!

Of course, it came in waves. Some weight loss was massive, some was in small amounts. Set a realistic short term goal, and don't get frustrated if you miss it.


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## milliesand (Jun 29, 2015)

Getting a new bike is always fun, but another choice is to have 2 sets of wheels with road tires on one and knobbies on another.
The Schwable Big Apples run 2 up to 2.35 Inch and last forever


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

Look into building a set of road wheels for your mountain bike.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Either get another ast of wheels set up for road like suggested, or get a proper road bike.

More logical option is to get road wheels, then eventually a road bike when you want one.


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## Varaxis (Mar 16, 2010)

Cheating on a diet really puts a hurt on your progress. I know I personally can gain 5 lbs from just a day of cheating with pleasure food (ex. pizza, doesn't help when papa johns sends me free points), which takes at least a week to break even from, after getting back on the usual routine.


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

Strava is a great app for tracking progress but has a lot of little doo dads that make it cumbersome for me. I use Cyclemeter, which is simpler. It in turn uploads to Strava, which in turn uploads to Relive. I also use iCardio, which is kind of annoying too, but does a great job of tracking heart rate. So yea, when I go out, I wear two chest monitors (Ant+ and Bluetooth). I start the Cycling app built into my Apple Watch, and I start iCardio and Cyclemeter. Plus my Trip 300, which also displays my heart rate.

Obviously, I haven't quite figured out what to do with all that data yet, but always better to have too much data rather than not enough, I guess.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Cuyuna said:


> I wear two chest monitors (Ant+ and Bluetooth). I start the Cycling app built into my Apple Watch, and I start iCardio and Cyclemeter. Plus my Trip 300, which also displays my heart rate.


Merge Heart Rate FIT or TCX file with Position FIT or TCX File


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thanks for the advice! 

I weighed in at 270 the other day but my riding stalled for the time being. I am dealing with severe back pains (particularly in 1 spot) and the VA had to give me a 7 day steroid, hydrocodone, and muscle relaxants. The only trade off to using a steroid is that my heart rate is slightly elevated. I noticed this while I rode my bike the other day and I felt gassed more frequently than what I'm used to. 

The VA wants me to check my heart rate daily (over the past 2 months) and I am on blood pressure medication because I am slightly elevated. Due to the use of this steroid, my heart rate is very elevated, even when resting. I am almost done taking the meds and should be back to normal soon. 

Unfortunately, I have to wait 30 days to see the chiropractor to work on my back problems. I did 6 months of physical therapy for my back last year. It's been pretty hard since I left the service and sometimes, I wonder how much I truly sacrificed for the greater good.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Battery said:


> I wonder how much I truly sacrificed for the greater good.


All gave some.

I'm lucky that I only left with hearing damage and the after effects of depression.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Sidewalk said:


> All gave some.
> 
> I'm lucky that I only left with hearing damage and the after effects of depression.


Same here. I have bad tinnitus and I have to wear hearing protection in my kitchen just to make dinner. Running and boiling water hurts my ears. I have to remind my wife to close her bathroom door when she turns on the hair dryer because my ears will hurt so bad! I have to visit the hearing clinic at my VA hospital to have them document this problem.

I also developed depression on active duty and after retiring, I thought things would get a bit better. Instead, I feel like I'm developing more depression just dealing with all my medical problems. Mountain biking makes me feel much better because it tells me that I am still capable of doing things regardless how much pain I deal with on a daily basis.


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## Sidewalk (May 18, 2015)

Battery said:


> Mountain biking makes me feel much better because it tells me that I am still capable of doing things regardless how much pain I deal with on a daily basis.


My tinnitus is at the annoying, hard to converse level but not painful.

I was able to recover from my depression when I was still active duty, which is just luck. But it came from taking too much responsibility over everything, and then internalizing it. Now instead I get angry. Which anger is far better then depression, but it has it's downsides. Luckily, anger makes me stronger, makes me push myself harder, so I work harder. So it's not a total loss.


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## Dan Zulu (Jul 5, 2008)

*Weight*

I recently retired from the Air Force Reserve due to incessant medical issues, and like you am working on my weight. I would barely pass the waist measurement on my fit tests, and was medically barred from doing anything but desk duty at home station. I've had 8 surgeries in the last five years and have two more this fall. So I understand at least a good portion of what you're going through. PM me if I can be of any moral support.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Dan Zulu said:


> I recently retired from the Air Force Reserve due to incessant medical issues, and like you am working on my weight. I would barely pass the waist measurement on my fit tests, and was medically barred from doing anything but desk duty at home station. I've had 8 surgeries in the last five years and have two more this fall. So I understand at least a good portion of what you're going through. PM me if I can be of any moral support.


Thanks. The Air Force's fitness standards messed me up mentally for many years. I used to panic every minute of the day for months. Months turned to years. I actually had random nightmares about fitness testing. Luckily, I went to the mental health clinic and had it documented over a span of 2 years and placed me on celexa. The VA is now compensating me for all of this. It does affect me now even though it's been 3 years.

It's sad that the Air Force pushes fitness testing so hard on the people.

On a positive note, I went out for an awesome bike ride totalling 9.4 miles! I know people bash Strava but I use it to track my miles and progress. I don't care about beating times. My wife also wants to join in on the biking fun but she doesn't feel comfortable riding on trails. Instead, we will pick up some fitness bikes and ride the concrete trails we have in our area. Washington State is very bike friendly and we have a big concrete trail system in most of our cities for bicyclists and runners.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

It's been a while since I updated this thread. I am still floating at 270 lbs for my weight. It's not a bad thing but it's not a great thing. I've been handling a lot of stuff with my new work study position, going to the VA twice a week, and now I have a head cold. 

My back problems were getting worse but I am seeing a chiropractor. It helps some but I decided to take things a step further and get a new mattress. I have a Tempurpedic but I give off so much body heat that the memory foam just sticks to my body shape! I already warrantied the mattress once and I didn't want to get another one and start all over with the same problems. 

I did some homework and grabbed a Helix mattress, which receives great reviews for people with chronic back pains. After a week of sleeping on this mattress, I feel 100% better. I wake up in the mornings with minimal back pains! 

I missed out on 2 weeks worth of cycling and felt it this weekend when I rode with my buddy. It didn't help that we took a new trail that had an excessive amount of uphill riding! It was a bit too much for me, but it gave me motivation to push harder on my training with hopes of coming back out there and conquering the entire trail!


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## STAC (Apr 16, 2011)

Battery said:


> It's been a while since I updated this thread. I am still floating at 270 lbs for my weight. It's not a bad thing but it's not a great thing. I've been handling a lot of stuff with my new work study position, going to the VA twice a week, and now I have a head cold.
> 
> My back problems were getting worse but I am seeing a chiropractor. It helps some but I decided to take things a step further and get a new mattress. I have a Tempurpedic but I give off so much body heat that the memory foam just sticks to my body shape! I already warrantied the mattress once and I didn't want to get another one and start all over with the same problems.
> 
> ...


Hey man, thanks for this thread. I'm just getting in mountain biking and it has been an inspiration to read about your success. Where do you ride? I'm in Tacoma and going to try out the new park off 56th and Portland road.

On another note, might I suggest a device called Quell? It uses electro stimulation to kick off your brain's endorphin production.

My wife, mother in law and sister in law all use them. All had chronic back pain and now get a huge amount of relief from their Quell devices.

Not cheap (250 bucks) but a 30 day money back guarantee. The have some good info on their clinical trials on their website. Back pain sucks so I hope you get relief soon.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk


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## Rugerfan777 (Sep 7, 2017)

I am 283 and 6"4 1/2. I can lose 10-20 lbs of fat which is mostly on my stomach, but then I have to lose bone and muscle to lose more weight. My problem is the more I bike the more muscle I put on. 20 plus years of power lifting got me to 310lbs. I have lost allot in the last 5 years since I no longer power lift, but can't get the bone mass down. My body type seems to be pure mesomorph. Trying to get down to 250, just don't know if it's possible for mesomorph ex lifters? 

Any ex power lifters here?


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

You should get a body composition done, check your percent fat. You might be surprised.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

STAC said:


> Hey man, thanks for this thread. I'm just getting in mountain biking and it has been an inspiration to read about your success. Where do you ride? I'm in Tacoma and going to try out the new park off 56th and Portland road.


I live in Tacoma as well. I live across the street from Swan Creek which sounds like the park you are referring to. I ride over there regularly to do my laps and get my bike on. Private massage me with your info and I will ride with you out there.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Rugerfan777 said:


> I am 283 and 6"4 1/2. I can lose 10-20 lbs of fat which is mostly on my stomach, but then I have to lose bone and muscle to lose more weight. My problem is the more I bike the more muscle I put on. 20 plus years of power lifting got me to 310lbs. I have lost allot in the last 5 years since I no longer power lift, but can't get the bone mass down. My body type seems to be pure mesomorph. Trying to get down to 250, just don't know if it's possible for mesomorph ex lifters?
> 
> Any ex power lifters here?


I used to weight lift a lot while on active duty but not on the level of power lifting. I am naturally big to the point where people mistaken me as a Seattle Seahawks football player. I should check their roster to see if someone looks like me lol!



Cuyuna said:


> You should get a body composition done, check your percent fat. You might be surprised.


I wouldn't mind doing this and see where I am sitting.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

It's been a long 4 weeks. I haven't had time to get out and ride my bike much due to health issues. I saw a massage therapist last week and damn....a massage fixed a lot of issues! My VA doctor and other therapists told me my muscles are too tight and I need a massage to loosen up. 

After 1 session, I felt like new! I still need more massage work because my muscles are still tensed up. My massage therapist asked me to come back in a couple weeks for another session and afterwards, I can visit monthly if needed. 

Lately, I haven't lost weight, but I haven't truly gained any back either. I feel rejuvenated after my massage session and I am looking to make a stronger push for weight loss. I also picked up my Fox Racing Bionic jacket to wear during those cold 30-40 degree days. I tested the sweater while taking my dog for a walk and it did a great job keeping me warm. The fabric was sprayed with rain repellant and worked great in the light rain we had over the weekend. 

Also, I am paying more attention to what I eat and emphasizing my downfalls in my diet. My wife makes me eat salad every second of the day and always cooks health conscious meals....like zucchini spaghetti noodles or using turkey beef rather than traditional beef. I just have to watch what I eat when I leave the house and hanging out on campus!


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Hey guys, it's cool to hear success stories. One thing that helped me is listening to Mountain Bike Radio's Apex Nutrition podcast. The nutritionist who is on the show does a great job explaining the effects of different foods and how it effects riding. For me, it helped me look at food a little differently as it relates to my riding. 

Keep up the good work.


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## Mr. Moody (Jun 19, 2017)

Have you guys found it easier to climb hills after losing weight? 

220 here, but I am a short guy so definitely obese. Went for a ride today (probably only my 4th time ever riding), and I still keep finding myself hiking the bike up most slopes. Hills are really tough and I'm getting kind of discouraged. Pretty embarrassing to hop off my bike every 5 minutes and getting passed by everyone.

I love doing downhill on some single track, but god the hills have been brutal for me. Any light at the end of the tunnel?


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## STAC (Apr 16, 2011)

Mr. Moody said:


> Have you guys found it easier to climb hills after losing weight?
> 
> 220 here, but I am a short guy so definitely obese. Went for a ride today (probably only my 4th time ever riding), and I still keep finding myself hiking the bike up most slopes. Hills are really tough and I'm getting kind of discouraged. Pretty embarrassing to hop off my bike every 5 minutes and getting passed by everyone.
> 
> I love doing downhill on some single track, but god the hills have been brutal for me. Any light at the end of the tunnel?


What kind of gearing are you running? The new SRAM 12 speed stuff offers some amazing gearing.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## askibum02 (Jul 7, 2005)

First of all, Battery, and the other veterans on the thread, thank you for your service. I was active Army for 9 years, and got out with my share of medical issues, so I understand where you are coming from. I spend more time than I care to admit at the VAMC, and my boss hates it. I was diagnosed as being bi-polar while on active duty, and put on a ton of weight from the medication they gave me, before getting out, and even more once I got out. I ended up taking extreme measures to lose weight, but my path isn't for everyone. It sounds like you are doing the right things, it's just, sometimes you can't argue with the hand you're dealt. It seems like Uncle Sam always takes more than his fair share. Keep the faith, ride like hell, and have fun!


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## Mr. Moody (Jun 19, 2017)

STAC said:


> What kind of gearing are you running? The new SRAM 12 speed stuff offers some amazing gearing.
> 
> Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


I am running a 1x11 hardtail...so in theory that should be more than sufficient I would think.

I suppose it comes down to me not having the leg strength yet and I am also lugging some extra 70 lbs in weight. Hopefully should get easier over time, but god now its rough!


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## STAC (Apr 16, 2011)

Mr. Moody said:


> I am running a 1x11 hardtail...so in theory that should be more than sufficient I would think.
> 
> I suppose it comes down to me not having the leg strength yet and I am also lugging some extra 70 lbs in weight. Hopefully should get easier over time, but god now its rough!


Yeah 1x11 should be gtg. What are you running up for the front gear? Might get a bit more gearing if you can drop a couple teeth up front. That said, short steep stuff stops me too. Learning to conserve momentum is something I'm working on too.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## iliketexmex (Oct 29, 2016)

Mr. Moody said:


> Have you guys found it easier to climb hills after losing weight?
> 
> 220 here, but I am a short guy so definitely obese. Went for a ride today (probably only my 4th time ever riding), and I still keep finding myself hiking the bike up most slopes. Hills are really tough and I'm getting kind of discouraged. Pretty embarrassing to hop off my bike every 5 minutes and getting passed by everyone.
> 
> I love doing downhill on some single track, but god the hills have been brutal for me. Any light at the end of the tunnel?


Yes, just keep at it. For me it was like a light switch. All the sudden some of the short, punchy climbs early in the ride didn't stop me at all. I was able to just spring up. Then I noticed I was able to do it for the entire ride (another light switch). After these two switch points, progress has been more slow and steady.

Climbing is all about power to weight. If you persevere, your power will be inching up while weight drops off, which will have a huge impact.


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## KTMDirtFace (Aug 7, 2008)

Mr. Moody said:


> Have you guys found it easier to climb hills after losing weight?
> 
> 220 here, but I am a short guy so definitely obese. Went for a ride today (probably only my 4th time ever riding), and I still keep finding myself hiking the bike up most slopes. Hills are really tough and I'm getting kind of discouraged. Pretty embarrassing to hop off my bike every 5 minutes and getting passed by everyone.
> 
> I love doing downhill on some single track, but god the hills have been brutal for me. Any light at the end of the tunnel?


Climbing hills has always been rough for me. 
I'm 6'6" 230 right now. ( was 250 ). Its getting easier for sure the more I ride and the more pounds I drop...

But even when I'm down at 200, its still hard..compared to some horse jockey. Just take it slow up and smoke them on the downs lol.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Mr. Moody said:


> Have you guys found it easier to climb hills after losing weight?
> 
> 220 here, but I am a short guy so definitely obese. Went for a ride today (probably only my 4th time ever riding), and I still keep finding myself hiking the bike up most slopes. Hills are really tough and I'm getting kind of discouraged. Pretty embarrassing to hop off my bike every 5 minutes and getting passed by everyone.
> 
> I love doing downhill on some single track, but god the hills have been brutal for me. Any light at the end of the tunnel?


It's has already been ask of your gearing, but are you using them effectively. No matter your weight being perfect or overweight, not being in the proper gear is a leg burner. I often have joked that losing weight hasn't helped me with hills. When I look back I realize it does help, but more importantly technique and practice.

I would say not to concentrate with the idea of "When I lose the weight I will conquer these hills", but to simply concentrate on technique and simply practicing.

I could give you my story and it would sound like the bottom line was the weight I lost to handle the hills, but it was technique and practice. Me being extremely heavy and getting off and on my seat while riding was my main leg burner and reason I couldn't make all the hills.

My old problems with inability to finish out hills:

1.	Tire pressure being too high while riding trails
2.	Being in the wrong gear while trying to go up a hill
3.	Trying to strength take out a hill instead of technique

I managed to finish out hills with being in the proper gear and sitting down.

The weight loss caused me to be able to stand a lot more because my legs were not burnt out as quickly with the extra weight I was carrying. I'm nowhere near perfect with this, but I am proud of not walking up hills anymore.

With me knowing I can take hills better(and over 50lbs lighter), I inadvertently tried a hill being in the wrong gear and trying to use all power in my legs like I use to try and do, and I failed the same old way as before.

So, yes the weight loss will help, but there is nothing like skills to get it done.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Hi everyone. Glad to see this thread still generates interest. I haven't been riding in a while mostly due to school and health problems. I took a spin last week and did 4 miles. It was pretty rough but I held up. I checked my weight and I only gained 5 lbs. I am happy it was only 5 lbs! My college quarter is closing and I will have a couple weeks to get some riding done and get myself back on track. 

I thought about grabbing a GoPro and a nice gimbal to record some of my rides. It could get a little expensive, but we will see! 

Climbing
Weight loss didn't make a huge difference in my climbing ability. My 1x11 gearing did help a lot. Most of my climbing power came from trying my hardest to climb to the top. My local bike park has a good climb that can test your endurance. The climb isn't impossible, but provides a great cardio challenge to see where you are at.


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## JDHutch (Sep 29, 2017)

Hi guys, I figured I would share my weight loss story even though its been brief. I'm 45yo 6'2" 203 (as of today) so just barely still Clydesdale. Was 220 two months ago when I started NSNG (no sugar, no grains). I'm not a dietician so I'm not going to try and preach it or explain it other than to say I believe what I've read about it and it works for me. The idea is eat more high fat foods, reduce carbs, eliminate sugar. Stop eating stuff that says low fat or diet.

I eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, pour heavy whipping cream in my coffee, chicken or steak and broccoli for dinner, lots of cheese, nuts, butter, etc. Turkey is good but beef is better. I try to eat zero bread, zero pasta, zero potatoes, zero sugar, although I admit I'm not at zero on any of those because I love food. So anyway thats my story. My pants are too big now and I feel much healthier. Check out www.vinnietortorich.com if interested. Ultimately I want to be lighter to ride faster but my wife likes me lighter also

I appreciate all the updates on here. I was given advice to have my hormone levels tested and make sure everything is good. I haven't done it yet but will. If your nutrition and hormones are good other things will fall into place. I'm in the medical field and we are now starting stem cell therapy/injections to help with pain and arthritis. Anyone getting steroid injections I would highly suggest never doing that ever again and googling "amniotic stem cell injections" to see if anyone in your area is doing that.

As far as riding goes I love Strava to compete against myself and also measure myself against other riders. My times are getting faster which I attribute to better health, gained experience from each ride, and a better bike! Loving my new Trek Stache.

Hope that doesn't sound to preachy....just sharing my story. Keep up the good work.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

JDHutch said:


> I appreciate all the updates on here. I was given advice to have my hormone levels tested and make sure everything is good. I haven't done it yet but will. If your nutrition and hormones are good other things will fall into place. I'm in the medical field and we are now starting stem cell therapy/injections to help with pain and arthritis. Anyone getting steroid injections I would highly suggest never doing that ever again and googling "amniotic stem cell injections" to see if anyone in your area is doing that.


Hello, 
I haven't had my hormones tested either. I should consider the same thing as well. I am not sure what specialist I need to see about injections for arthritis and pain. I do much of my medical stuff through the VA and having extra tests done takes a while to accomplish. I have to get approval from my doctor and it takes ages to get an appointment lol!

I am lookin to buy a fitness bike for extra winter riding here in the Pacific NW. From a cardio standpoint, I am out of shape from not riding the past 2 months. I had a long journey the past couple months and shelved my bicycle riding to handle things.

My wife and I plan to buy a new (or used) elliptical to help with our exercise routine as well. I hate my recumbent bike in my office and I love using ellipticals!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Looks like my weight loss luck is going to be kicked into high gear! My wife and I picked up a new Sole E35 elliptical for 50 percent off from the factory with free freight shipping. I used it the other day and I love it! We tested one out at a sporting goods store and fell in love with it. I need more motivation to lose weight and I have always loved ellipticals. 

I am making a shift from MTB riding into weight loss on my elliptical. I love mountain biking but with all my medical problems, I need another way to push my weight loss without having to rely on my bike for all seasons. Years ago, I opted against having a gym membership because of my experiences in the military. I flat out refuse to step foot in another gym and would much rather workout in an outside environment or in my own home. 

My plan is simple. I will use my elliptical 4 days a week performing interval sessions for 30 minutes. I plan to push my intervals to 45 minutes once I readjust to using an elliptical. My elliptical motivates me to sticking with a sensible diet and making healthier choices. 

My long term goal is to build up endurance to ride my bike for hours! My wife's family rents a full campground for the entire family during Mother's Day weekend and we always go out biking. The trails are mostly XC with brutal climbs! Last year, I did ok on the climbs but this year, I want to do better!


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## JDHutch (Sep 29, 2017)

I love your enthusiasm. It’s inspiring. One trap people fall into when doing cardio workouts is to push so hard that as soon as you step off the bike you’re depleted and starving and you eat too much. Look up Zone 2 Training - the idea is that Zone 2 is the fat burning stage of cardio. When in Zone 2 you should be able to breath with your mouth closed. You can also roughly calculate target heart rate by taking 180 minus your age. So if you’re 50 your Zone 2 sweet spot is roughly 130. 

Good luck man and keep us updated.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I haven't updated his thread in a long time! It's been a very long road during the winter. I am still battling physical problems from military service and I haven't been able to get on my bike or work out on my elliptical lately. 

I had a VA doctor appointment last week and I brought up all of my joint pains. I feel like I'm falling apart these days. All of my joints hurt so much! I have to take Ibuprofen somewhat regularly so I can function. My physical ailments have me questioning my ability to bike ride and do many other things. My doctor prescribed me some neoprene knee sleeves to use daily. My dad (retired veteran too) says they don't work. We will see if they work for me. I also have patella straps for my knees too. 

I am also dealing with a foot problem that causes a lot of pain when I walk. The doctor sent me to podiatry and I cannot see them for another month. It really sucks that the VA system is heavily backed up. I may use my personal medical insurance and see another doctor that may speed up my care. Nothing against the VA. They are backed up pretty bad nationwide. 

I have woken up so many times while questioning where I am in life and why I suffer so much on a daily basis. My inner voice always tells me that I can take the pain and that is why I must push forward. It's a major burden, for sure. 

For the record, I am not suicidal. I am too stubborn for that. I just question myself regularly.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

I’ve posted my joint aliments in other threads, and I mainly speak on how biking saved my life. I wasn’t suicidal, and biking removed me from the realm of unhappiness. 

I had serious joint problems with constant back to back Gout attacks in joints all over my body. It would take me 2 – 3 days to cut my own lawn(which isn’t that large). I would cut the front lawn and be in pain from my hip joints down to my ankles, then wait 2days and cut the backyard. Simple walking wasn’t working for me, too much weight on the damaged joints.

A buddy of mine came by(end of 2011) to show me his new MTB which was fitted for his shorter height. He pretty much made me try it out. I’m going to skip all the details of why, but I loved how that bike felt.

Each summer year I would drop 37-40lbs and put it back on during the winter months, but I haven’t been back to the extreme joint pains. This past season, I kept riding passed the normal bike season when most would put their bikes up, and I dropped 70lbs. This winter I have been trying to get out when I can, and been fighting this 10lb up and down weight change during this winter months. 

I always look forward to the new bike season, but this year is going to be a totally different story for me. This season/year I’m not restarting with the same ole 320lbs, not starting off breathing heavy as I try to get back to where I left off the last season. 

I’ve mentioned in other post:
“Now I cut my front lawn, back lawn, and still jump on the bike and ride my miles!”

Going up and down in weight, I simply wore the same size cloths, but now I have to get refitted. I haven’t gotten rid of my old fitted clothing because I sometime go into denial that I can’t keep this weight off. Right now, I look absolutely ridiculous wearing my old cloths. I want to post pics of what I have done, but I want to post the 100lb+ difference photos.

Wow, looks like I typed too much, but I only wanted to mention that I feel bikes are great resources for getting them joints working like they are suppose to be.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thanks for sharing the story. I am glad others can relate to me in some way. My joint problems were from working on aircraft in the military. I climbed up maintenance stands for 10+ years and it wore my knees out quick. My hands are shot to hell from being a mechanic. I had issues with muscle soreness that wouldn't go away. I fixed that problem by visiting a massage therapist on a monthly basis. I have to hand it to her. It made me feel better for a couple weeks a month. 

Riding my bike also makes me feel better overall. Lately, it's been challenging to do because my joints have been getting worse. My doctor checked me for gout and said I don't have it. I am pushing hard to lose weight so I can take the pain out of my joints and body. I might sign up for crossfit classes again just to get myself moving. I used to do the basic fitness classes for years and it trimmed me down quickly. I had to quit because i left the military and I couldn't afford it anymore. 

Lately, I've felt compelled to get back on my bike even when it's 30 degrees outside. I just wonder if it's a good idea with my current pain level and foot problem. I guess there is only one way to find out.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

If I had to make a list of what I gotten out of biking, putting that list in order would be tuff. Without a doubt, the first on the list is joint healing. At a young age and experiencing that pain was horrible. I always felt the gout attacks were the worst, but compared to having all my joint destroyed and carry excessive weight beat out the attacks. 

May 2017 was my last gout attack, and this has been the longest time I have gone without an attack since it first started back in 1996. It’s only been 9 months without an attack, but a great 9 months. Before cycling(6yrs ago for me), I would have back to back attacks, with 2 joints at a time. Before one joint would heal, I would have another attack in that joint and I would be in tears. It was crazy to be seeing different specialists, putting weight on, and having more and more flare-ups.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t expecting to heal up this way from biking. Biking took ‘myself pity’ away when I was riding. I enjoyed getting out and freedom that goes with riding. 

I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was a little kid back in the mid 80’s, and When I walked into that bike shop, I knew nothing of the bike advancements over the years.... such as these speed gear changers … lol

I bought a 29er, because I felt I would look like a circus bear riding anything with smaller wheels.

I later found this site, and learn a little about bikes and then bought my second bike for trails. I love my carbon bike, but my low priced Marlin will always be special to me.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> Lately, I've felt compelled to get back on my bike even when it's 30 degrees outside. I just wonder if it's a good idea with my current pain level and foot problem. I guess there is only one way to find out.


Ride, enjoy the ride, especially if you feel the need to. Don't let the lower temperature stop you.

Take it from someone who would put the bike up in mid-September and bring out around May because it was a little cold outside. Since I'm not sticking to the ole 'biking season' for my area, I have destroyed the vicious cycle of my weight lost and gain each year(so far).


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> Ride, enjoy the ride, especially if you feel the need to. Don't let the lower temperature stop you.
> 
> Take it from someone who would put the bike up in mid-September and bring out around May because it was a little cold outside. Since I'm not sticking to the ole 'biking season' for my area, I have destroyed the vicious cycle of my weight lost and gain each year(so far).


Kind of funny you brought this up. I live in WA and the sun becomes fully set by 4pm during winter time. As we approach spring, the sun is staying up much longer and doesnt set until after 5:30pm now. In summers, the sun sets close to 10pm. I can actually ride my bike a little bit after work!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> Kind of funny you brought this up. I live in WA and the sun becomes fully set by 4pm during winter time. As we approach spring, the sun is staying up much longer and doesnt set until after 5:30pm now. In summers, the sun sets close to 10pm. I can actually ride my bike a little bit after work!


You just reminded me another change I made aswell. I wasn't riding late at night. If I had worked late, then I would miss out on a ride.

Here is what changed me:

Mid-Summer, it was late and I was sitting on my porch enjoying the cool breeze. I see a bike rider coming up the street looking at a Christmas tree. I believe a few smart remarks crossed my mind, but then I thought about it. If all of those lights caught my attention and I'm making jokes, then they must be effective. I then decided I wanted to be like him.

I ordered (3) bright flickering back light, including (1) attached to the rear of my helmet, and (3) bright flickering front light, including (1) on the front of my helmet.

I contribute me not missing rides late at night, and continuing to ride after the Michigan bike season is over to:









Those 2 pics where taken a 5 months apart, 70lb difference.

I mentioned before that I will post pics in the 'BEFORE & AFTER success story' with full pics once I reach the 100lbs+ difference. With 30+lbs to go, I do know it isn't going to be an easy task or anytime soon.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Hello everyone, 

I am on a very difficult journey with my physical health. Arthritis in my left toe joints has been very difficult to be mobile. I can't wear my Shimano flat shoes for biking because I cannot push down on the pedal without aggravating my toe joints really bad. Over the past 4 months, I have been walking in pain everywhere I go. 

The VA podiatrist gave me some arthritis ointment and it only seems to work on my hand arthritis and not my toes! My podiatrist said they will consider injections should the ointment not help. They also referred me to a local business that makes custom shoe inserts to help mitigate my problems. I will have new shoe inserts by the end of the week. 

Does anyone wear custom shoe inserts inside of their mountain biking shoes? I might buy a pair of FiveTen Freeriders or skater shoes assuming they might have a touch more comfort than my Shimano shoes when coupled with shoe inserts. 

I am really tired of not losing weight due to physical ailments. I also miss riding my bike down the trails and having a great time. I am trying my best to change things up, but these physical problems are just wearing me down mentally.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I thought about trying something different instead of posting up a thread update. Over the past couple weeks, I thought about getting a GoPro Session and record my rides. I believe that doing it in this manner (instead of thread updates) may give me a little bit more motivation because I will push myself to record my riding blogs detailing my weight loss. I love video editing and I will probably trim my videos to around 10 minutes or less. 

What do you guys think? 

In other news, I picked up a pair of Specialized 2F0 flats to replace my old Shimano flats. These shoes give me a lot more comfort while riding my bike. My feet don't hurt as much and the shoes flex fairly well when walking. I am still dealing with my toe problem though. As I push down on the pedal, it aggravates my toe joint. I have to modify my foot position to allow my toe to hang off the pedal a little bit more to keep the pain levels down.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> What do you guys think?


I think it's fantastic that you are trying any and everything to enjoy your ride.

I finally bought some new bike show too. I decided to give 510's(freerider pro) a chance. I'm switching from some ole shimano spd's.

I thought about getting a camera, but my reason is for the wrong reasons. I would want one just in-case something happened and I needed it recorded.


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## solarplex (Apr 11, 2014)

JDHutch said:


> Hi guys, I figured I would share my weight loss story even though its been brief. I'm 45yo 6'2" 203 (as of today) so just barely still Clydesdale. Was 220 two months ago when I started NSNG (no sugar, no grains). I'm not a dietician so I'm not going to try and preach it or explain it other than to say I believe what I've read about it and it works for me. The idea is eat more high fat foods, reduce carbs, eliminate sugar. Stop eating stuff that says low fat or diet.
> 
> I eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, pour heavy whipping cream in my coffee, chicken or steak and broccoli for dinner, lots of cheese, nuts, butter, etc. Turkey is good but beef is better. I try to eat zero bread, zero pasta, zero potatoes, zero sugar, although I admit I'm not at zero on any of those because I love food. So anyway thats my story. My pants are too big now and I feel much healthier. Check out www.vinnietortorich.com if interested. Ultimately I want to be lighter to ride faster but my wife likes me lighter also
> 
> ...


Im experimenting with keto and cycling. If i can drop 10-50 lbs that will be advantagous to me climbing.

Biggest challenge right now is when my muscles for a sprint or high intensity call for carbs or glycogen i have zero. Im just going to fight thru this and hopefully my body will adjust. I may for races carb load and take sugar electrolyte and gels and write that day off for weight loss just to maximize for the race... only like one day a month so nbd.

Being my body has no glycogen getting dehydrated is very easy. You need to drink more water with no carbs but you piss it out as fast as you drink it. Im adding carb free bcaa's in my water that has electrolyte... as its the cheapeat option vs vega augar free electrolyte or nuun tablets.

You do feel amazing on keto. No insulin crashes. Food is awesome... can try the substitutes when you get bored like fathead dough for pizza or zucchini noodles with pasta.... its gross at first but you get over it when you can have a big fat steak with butter and cheese covered asparagus or buttered green beans for supper.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Looks like I finally did it. I bought a GoPro Session for $130 from Amazon. I don't want to go for a high end GoPro just yet. I am experimenting with my rides in the area to see where it ends up. I am also a video editor and I can't wait to edit my footage with Final Cut Pro X!

I watch a lot of biker YouTube channels such as Biking with BoBo (he is great!), Seth, and Phil. I have an overall idea how they record their footage and create content. I believe that using a GoPro will help me get better at riding and motivate me to lose more weight. It allows me to multitask a bunch of stuff I love doing and placing them all into one package.

I may present my videos similar to how Nate Hills does his Follow Cam Fridays. Just jump right into it with no flashy intro and just a little bit of text. For those who arent familiar with Nate, here is his YouTube channel! He motivates me to ride and lose weight!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCywMHpWJsb9GXD0lakYf6WA


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## JDHutch (Sep 29, 2017)

I borrowed my daughters GoPro Session, bought a Sametop Backpack Clip Mount and clipped it to my hydration pack shoulder strap. The view was perfect and the mount worked great...however I was disappointed by the video quality. I’ll do some research and try again.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Some fun stuff to share today! I recorded my first GoPro session on Saturday. It was a lot of fun to use the GoPro Session with my Stuntman chest harness! The only issue was that I didn't angle the camera right. I had it pointed slightly upward and it recorded above the bar. I will do another recording session later. This time, I will install the camera upside down and point it upward.

While out and about, I made new biking friends again. It seems that every single time I go out for a ride, I leave with phone numbers. My wife teases me about it a lot!

Last but not least, I have a commuter bike to ride! I picked up a 2014 Specialized Tricross sport in great condition from a fellow military veteran. In my area, commuter bikes are the norm and I may use this bike to commute to my university next academic year, but we will see. I live 5 minutes away when I drive, but I worry about bike theft if I started riding. According to my school's website, they have bike lockers to store bikes, but I need to figure out how I get one!

I also plan to use this bike for some exercise riding. We have a ton of concrete paths that are separated from the road. These paths are considered running and riding lanes and they go for miles. We also have a scenic peninsula that the city shuts down so runners, walkers, and riders can use the road for up to 5 hours with no cars. I'm pretty excited to branch out my riding into other things!

Here is a picture of my Tricross!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Well, it looks like some of my work has paid off. I have lost 6lbs in the past 3 weeks. Much of this was due to road cycling and drinking more water. For now, I've been pushing 10 mile riding sessions and I want to go further. My distance riding is limited due to my children being in town for the summer.

I decided to take a bold step and I did something that caught my wife by surprise. I sold my 16 Stumpjumper and bought a nice 18 Giant Defy Advanced 2 carbon road bike. I actually sold the bike on Pink Bike in under 2 hours of posting it a couple days ago. I almost sold my Tricross too!

I absolutely enjoy road biking and I'm very confident that it will help me lose weight. I have a goal to burn 80lbs by the time I graduate college next spring. This goal was difficult over the past 3 years due to my inconsistency with mountain biking. Plus, my wife has no interest in mountain biking (she tried it) and prefers to road cycle with me.

Luckily, WA is very bike friendly and we have plenty of paved trails that runs 20+ miles in various areas. Seeing my university is around 3 miles away, I may use my Tricross for commuting in the fall. We will see how this idea works out. I still worry about bike theft and I would hate to see my Tricross stolen.

Road cycling placed an idea into my head and we will see where it goes. If I can burn down a ton of weight by next summer, I may pick up a XC hardtail and possibly race in one of our XC racing leagues in my area. I like the idea of racing as an additional goal to add on to my weight loss goal.

So here is my new Giant Defy Advanced 2. This bike series won a lot of different awards for affordability and performance. I absolutely love this bike! I got it on sale for $1699 from my local Giant dealer. The bike is considered an endurance bike and has hydraulic braking. This damn thing is super light! I can't wait to bust out some miles on her! I yanked all the reflectors off the bike.


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## askibum02 (Jul 7, 2005)

Awesome! Do what you gotta do.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Today, I pulled off a 17-mile / 891ft climb on my new bike. It made me feel really good to do this. I really enjoy cranking out the miles! I ran into a lot of awesome cyclists today and I can't wait to meet more. I opted to cross over our local suspension bridge and man...I was hitting 30mph on the descent to the bridge. Climbing out was really difficult and I managed to make it 75 percent of the way before I had to hike it out. Perhaps next time.

It was fun dressing up like a mountain biker and cycling on a road bike. 
According to the Road Bike Review forum (our sister forum), no one cares how you dress for a road ride. As long as you are riding, that's all that matters to them. Works for me!

I have a planned 30+ mile ride and a 40 mile ride coming up soon. I honestly feel strong enough to pull off these long rides. My body feels like it's slimming down from all the exercise and dieting. I hope to drop some big weight numbers by July 1.


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## scottzg (Sep 27, 2006)

Battery said:


> According to the Road Bike Review forum (our sister forum), no one cares how you dress for a road ride. As long as you are riding, that's all that matters to them. Works for me!


That's kinda true. I'm enormous for a roadie, but fast by any measure, and i don't typically wear lycra cuz it's not that comfortable. I get endless patronizing comments from 'real roadies.' Compliments for sure, but it's cuz they look at me and expect me to suck. It's tiresome.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Well, it seems my road cycling is slowly paying off. About three weeks ago, I weighed in around 279lbs, but my weight hasn't changed. That's fine! I can feel quite a bit of weight loss in my chest/stomach area. I think over time, my weight will go down, but for now, I am enjoying the riding experience and just having fun going the distance.

I decided to challenge myself and break my 17-mile distance ride. Yesterday, I tested my endurance and went all in for a 40-mile cycle trip. I pulled it off! It was a simple 40-mile down and back trip that started in 1 city and ended in another. At about the 17-mile mark, I had to endure over 800+ feet of climbing that spanned around 3-miles. I held an average speed of 14mph up until this point, and it dropped to about 10.

On the way back, I was pushing 25mph+ going downhill, and for some crazy reason, I wanted to hold my average speed above 17mph for 15 miles straight. By the time I was at the 37-mile marker, my legs were burning out and cramping. By then, I realized that my pace was a bit too much for me, but I finished out the run anyways.

According to Strava, I managed to burn 1,800 calories, and my suffer score was "historic" at 312. I didn't realize that I suffered so much! Either way, I managed to test my ability to go the distance, and I was happy with my results.

My wife is pretty impressed with my road cycling work and we are in the process of finding her a bike too. So far, I am looking at a Specialized Dolce for her that I found on Pink Bike, but we will see.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

My work has been paying off in many different ways now! Today, I picked up a 2018 Giant Fathom 2 (29er) and decided to take her out for a spin. Wow, I can see a huge difference in my endurance thanks to all of my road cycling. I had a hard time climbing a specific hill on my XC circuit. Now, I fly up it and just keep on going. I completed 8.6 miles in about an hour which is way more than I have done in the past. I wanted to keep on going but I had to shut it down due to the heat. My body wasn't even exhausted. I just wanted to keep on going. This positive motivation is going to keep me moving forward. I absolutely love XC riding and road cycling.

My road biking is going very well. I am pushing 20-30 mile cycling sessions around 3 times a week and nature rewarded me with some amazing photographs of my adventures. I told my wife about the things I've seen and now she wants to road bike with me. While purchasing my Fathom, I picked up a Specialized Dolce Elite for her as well. We scoped it out over the weekend and decided to give it a few days to make a decision. Yep, instead of 1 bike, we ended up with 2 haha!

To date, I have lost 8lbs in total weight. I've been eating much better and making all of my hard work count for something. In 4 weeks, I have completed over 250 miles on my road bike with over 10k feet worth of climbing. I want to extend those numbers out!

Here is a picture of my Fathom!


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Congrats on the new bikes! I thought I was going to have to tell you to gtf outta here until you got yourself a proper bike. JK, I actually have more road bikes at the moment than mountain bikes, though I mostly ride mtb. And congrats on your weight loss, improved diet and increased fitness; keep at it.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I weighed in a few days ago and I am down to 272lbs. That's 13lbs of weight lost this summer. I am doing 40 mile road cycling sessions on my endurance bike without any major cramps, loss of breath, or endurance. My last session was 37 miles with about 2,300ft worth of climbing. Today, I decided to change up my bike. Instead of riding a 22 pound endurance bike, I am now riding a 16 pound road bike! I sold my Defy and I am now part of the Trek family! I have an Emonda SL 6! What an amazing bike! I plan to take this bike and push my endurance levels higher. Hopefully, this effort will lead to more weight loss and more endurance on my mountain bike too.

I felt that I would achieve my weight loss and competitive goals on an actual road bike rather than an overweight endurance bike. The geometry is making the biggest difference. I should have bought a road bike from the start rather than dabble with an endurance bike. My Defy's weight and geometry just didn't let me ride hard enough! Lesson learned.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Correction: I am now 268lbs as of today!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I'm very excited to report that I have lost 21 lbs! My road cycling and mountain biking has paid off big time. My clothes don't fit anymore and neither do my cycling kits. On Strava, I am starting to see a shift in my best ride times for trails and road sections. I guess dropping 21 lbs is starting to affect my overall speed and performance. My mountain biking endurance is so much stronger than before. I am starting to make plans for some actual mountain biking rides that aren't related to bike parks. We have a lot of awesome trails out here in WA and I want to try out a couple of them.

As of today, I am now 264 lbs. I guess my cycling work and my wife feeding me vegetables 3 times a day has contributed to my success up to this point.

I also picked up a GoPro Hero 5 Black to record some of my work. I probably won't record any road cycling stuff because I wear a heart rate monitor and I like wearing chest harnesses. I am not really sure what content I want to create, so I will experiment with ideas. I am also a video editor so this project will be fun.

If you are interested in my YouTube, here it is: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCctMWzbWsHS5F_x6p5HNyYg

Also, I signed up for the Ryan Leech Connection which will help me build my mountain biking skill set. It's all online and the coaching team will watch your videos and give feedback based on the lesson you are on. Right now, I am working on balance and track stands. I will upload some of this content to my YouTube just to get things rolling.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

kewl.. impressive results good on ya' 


I have just started riding again .. I'm 6'3" 265lbs which is down about 10lbs from the beginning of summer my goal is to get down to 220~115 ish (if still working out and kinda bulked up..) 

I've been riding a bit further each ride.. nothing too great so far but trying to to hurt myself .. I got down to 220lbs working out / swimming ..etc a few years ago ..and then promptly had a rotator injury and could do much and gained all the weight back =\

oh well keep up the good work I to hope to continue my quest for a healthier weight.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

atarione said:


> kewl.. impressive results good on ya'
> 
> I have just started riding again .. I'm 6'3" 265lbs which is down about 10lbs from the beginning of summer my goal is to get down to 220~115 ish (if still working out and kinda bulked up..)
> 
> ...


It will happen in due time. I realized that mountain biking didn't help with my weight loss and I had to switch to road cycling. It made a huge impact. My legs are so much stronger and I can climb up and down stairs much easier than I used to. I guess all of this climbing on a road bike does pay off after a while. I average between 1600-2000ft worth of climbing on most of my road cycling sessions.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> I realized that mountain biking didn't help with my weight loss and I had to switch to road cycling. It made a huge impact.


I do agree, and It took me awhile to notice the difference. Awhile ago, I was feeling it should be the same, because I was far more tired coming off a short trial ride compared to high miles on the rode.

Now, my rode miles is my weight loss and strength training, while the trail is purely for fun. I do whatever I can to strengthen myself while riding rode. I purposely pick inclines to go up, and the tuffest I loop back and forth a few times.

I'm now totally convinced I will not buy a rode bike, but continue with an excellent MTB on my horrible pothole area. Yet, even if the path were all smooth, I'd still ride a mtb for my miles.

Now, my weight loss adventure is aggravating. I'm not sure to call it a discouraging plataue, but its a little different. For some reason, I have been in a weight fluctuation of 241 - 249lbs for months now.

I will work pretty hard and maybe get down a little below 241, and take a 2day break, and be right back to my non moving scale. Once I thought I beat it with seeing 235 on the scale, but that was an illusion of course... lol

The part that's totally strange and this goes with people saying dont pay attention to the scale. My cloths do not fit the same. I'm needing smaller cloths. I have gone as far as cloths I was looking forward to fitting being large now.

Before my bike I was morbidly obese, and now I'm a few lbs from being fat and overweight..... lol

Kinda weird to be excited about being fat and overweight, but I am.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Great to hear HAMP! I am very happy that I picked up road cycling. Road cycling was a life-changing event for me. It's night and day difference with my mountain biking endurance. I can ride 10 miles and I still have energy to keep going. I like to road cycle during the week and mountain bike on the weekend. 

I am wondering where my plateau will begin. I am betting that it will start around where you are now. I also have to get new wardrobe. All of my clothes are now too big and I complain to my wife that I look like a homeless bum who wears the wrong sized clothes. I watched some of my old video content and saw how big I was before summer. It's amazing how much different I look now. 

I still look big in my current YouTube content, but I am very patient and I just plan to keep going and see where I end up. Being part of the Ryan Leech Connection motivates me to continue my weight loss while progressing my skill set. I cant wait to hit my target weight goals and see where my skill set will be by then.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> All of my clothes are now too big and I complain to my wife that I look like a homeless bum who wears the wrong sized clothes.


This made laugh, because I know exactly what you mean. Usually I can make large cloths look nice, depending on how I wear them, but I'm pass that.

I like trying on some of the cloths that I bought that were to small. I had a few items that I kept, either because I was too lazy to send back or felt I gotten a great deal and felt I would fit them 1 day. I never would have thought 85lbs would make that big of a difference.

But I'm most proud of:
Not needing the cpap machine
No longer need to take:
2 different high blood pressure meds(with doctors approval)
2 different meds daily for gout control(or others when it flares up)
Metformin


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

As of today, I am hanging out at 262 lbs in body weight. I managed to burn 23 lbs in weight over the entire summer. It's been quite the accomplishment, but the real challenge is now here. In the PNW, we have rain. Plenty of it. Not to mention, my college quarter started up and I have no break during the week to get some road cycling done. Not to mention, the sun will go down by 4pm as we inch closer to winter. The odds are stacked against me for my weight loss goals! 

I did change things up a little bit and hopefully, it will work out as a viable solution. I've been using my elliptical twice a week before my college classes start in the morning. For these sessions, I like to use my elliptical for 60 minutes near maximum level. It doesn't have the feel of road cycling, but it works. My wife is rather impressed that I can go max level on an elliptical for an hour while holding a steady pace. 

Twice a week, I have a big gap between my classes. I thought about filling that gap in with a couple of weekly mountain biking sessions seeing I live less than a mile from my local bike park. It would change things up and I wouldn't have to use my elliptical as frequently. 

Does anyone have tips they want to share when it comes to losing weight over the winter? My short term goal is to get into the low 250s before the end of winter!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Frustration frustration frustration!!! 
My 85lbs lost has turn into 75lbs only. Yes that is a gain of 10. I hit my lowest of 235lbs, but a struggle keeping it that low. For some reason my weight was like a weird plateau. My weight was would be different each day I weighed. I was weighing in at 241 - 249 for weeks. Recently I've been stuck right at 240lbs.

Like Battery mention, things change during fall/winter. Last winter I was lucky, because I was able to maintain with a little lost along the way.

According to the BMI, I'm still obese and a few pounds away to being fat and overweight. Then I wanted to lose a little more to claim the 100lb lost.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> According to the BMI, I'm still obese and a few pounds away to being fat and overweight. Then I wanted to lose a little more to claim the 100lb lost.


Don't you hate the BMI chart sometimes? LOL! I'm lucky to hold my weight at 262 lbs right now. I havent' had much physical activity this week due to some of my military-connected issues. I am not sure if it's due to the colder weather but my damn joints hurt so much more. My hands are the worst of all my joints. The VA performed x-rays on my hands and found no arthritis but my hands hurt as if I do have it.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Yes the ole BMI chart can be a conversation piece, A hated chart. Since so many heavy people tell me the chart is BS, I made it a priority to follow it. I'm not going to get down to the ideal weight..... F that....

I do plan to join the 100lbs lost club... lol

Sorry to hear about the pain. Believe me, I know baaaaad joint pain. With the weight loss, I haven't had an gout attack over 1 1/2 years now. Before I was having back to back attacks within weeks of each other. Controlled gout is the BEST thing that has happened for me.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

hi.. checking back in here.. I have been riding 3~ times per week .. there is a new bike park just blocks from my house.. 

I'm getting stronger it is a 3~mile uphill ride to the top of the park(mostly not super steep but a bit of it is super steep) .. a few weeks ago, I had to stop 2x times and walk my bike up the steep bits.. now last two times I rode the 3 mile climb without stopping and rode up the steeper sections without having to hike a bike..

if I'm honest I'm way way more a fan of the rather brisk 3mile downhill run home however =p... 

BUT.. absolutely no difference in weight.. I suspect weight is shifting about some however (more muscles) I have also been lifting weights regularly as well.. 

clothes fit a little better but weight is still 265~lbs at 6'3" 

the BMI chart is bs... I'll never be 200lbs which is the cut for "healthy weight" I'm built with big shoulders and arms 8" wrists.. if I could get back to 220~230lbs I would be happy as a clam that was assured it would never be chowder.


I really don't want to road bike... I'm well scared of cars I don't like the couple block ride on the street to the bike park.. I may start trying to use the stationary bikes at the gym perhaps?


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

atarione said:


> I really don't want to road bike... I'm well scared of cars I don't like the couple block ride on the street to the bike park.. I may start trying to use the stationary bikes at the gym perhaps?


I've always hated stationary bikes. They crush my nuts really bad and I start to go numb. It's mostly due to the seat design. I did take my mountain bike for a 1 hr ride at my local bike park during my 3 hr down time. I really didn't exercise too much. Instead, I was recording myself with my GoPro Hero 7 Black and riding the freeride trails lol!


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## Daholla77 (Jun 7, 2015)

Congrats my friend. My bike and diet was the best way to get my weight off. 123 total pounds down.

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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Wow nice work! This might sound funny but when I sit down, I dont have a huge gut hanging out. It's my easy indicator that my routine is working well. 

Yesterday, I went out on a 11-mile trail ride with a buddy of mine who is in the Army. He is a great guy. He's been mountain biking over 2 years on a Giant Talon and earned pretty much every dollar he spent on it. He is a shiny example of what a rider can do with an entry level bike. 

Anyways, I seemed to have out-rode him because he was done around the 11-mile mark. I wanted to keep going. I'm never sore after my mountain bike rides. I'm not sure why. I am usually worn out after my road cycling adventures but never my mountain biking trips. I still breathe very heavy when I climb (never sore), but I hope that my weight loss will help with that as I drop well below 250 lbs and I push less weight on the climbs.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> Wow nice work! This might sound funny but when I sit down, I dont have a huge gut hanging out. It's my easy indicator that my routine is working well.


My weight loss has caused me to have to mental confusion at times. Pretty much the parts of the body that I didn't consider to be a fat problem or didn't mind having some weight, but now it's gone.

I've seen people with fat hands and fat feet, but I've never seen those as an issue with myself. I wanted to get rid of the extremely wide 'love handles', the big wide ole turtle back and neck fat.

Coming down in a few pant sizes has been a conversation piece when the subject comes up, but not the other parts.

My hands/fingers... 
My wedding ring needing adjustment. I haven't taken it to be adjusted yet, because I don't know where my weight loss journey will end. I don't want to keep resizing. When I noticed my ring getting loose, It was a sign of physical change and I was happy. When it started falling off, that was actually mentally weird to me. Now it's falling off after I added a cheap ring size adjuster. Sometimes I find it irritating and take the ring off, because it feels weird.

My feet...
I never had the problem of shoe broken down on the sides. I have always worn my cloths well. Some of my shoe I really don't like now, because I have to pull the shoe strings tighter and make the sides damn near touch. Most of my casual comfortable work shoes has made me look like a clown. I haven't replaced any of my Chuck Taylor's that I donated(I don't like new chucks, but I love worn in).

When I first gotten back into riding a bike for weight loss, each year it was always 40lbs lost and then regained during the winter months. It was always fun going cloths shopping for the weight lost. I just stored the cloths for the weight gain, mainly winter stuff.

Telling the story of of losing weight and getting cloths that are multiple sizes smaller sounds good on paper, but at times I have some mental problems with confusion.

I know I know, it sounds very very stupid to make something that is a good thing sound like a problem. I honestly can't believe I'm telling this, and I simply don't want to press the 'Submit' button.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

It's all good. I'm glad you did. Believe me, I understand the mental health concerns and weight loss. My mental health concerns are a totally different thread on its own. In a nutshell, I suffered from depression for an extremely long time due to the hardships I endured while serving in the military. 

I normally don't talk about my mental health problems with people. Most of the time, they see a happy person who has a good time being myself. In a sense, that was who I became after I retired from the military. I had to teach myself that I still had some self worth left after everything I've been through in life. Cycling helped me find my self worth and my wife can see it. She doesn't get too hard on me when I buy a new bike or bike parts. I've been cycling close to 4 years now and she knows that cycling is for my mental health. 

Don't beat yourself up too hard about body weight. You should learn to make peace with who you are now...weight and everything. I don't blame myself for hitting 285 lbs. Instead, I made peace with the fact that I did and I made it a point to turn it around. How did I turn it around? I sold my favorite mountain bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper, for a road bike. This gesture pretty much threw me in the right direction. Once you make peace with yourself, then you will know how to proceed. 

Until then, stay the course and keep pedaling!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Here is a riding adventure that I did over the weekend with my Army friend. He has been riding a Giant Talon for over 2 years. He rides that bike pretty damn good! I let him take a hot lap on my bike (off camera) and he realized afterward that an upgrade is way overdue on his end. I told him to ride out front for the camera and he had no problem with that.

I'm also a Final Cut Pro X video editor and working on new ways to present my recordings. The camera I used was a GoPro Hero 7 Black shot in 4k 30fps and superview mode. I love the hypersmooth! I can switch out my Hero 4/gimbal for a Hero 7 more often!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Battery said:


> Don't beat yourself up too hard about body weight. You should learn to make peace with who you are now...weight and everything.!


No, no, no, don't mis-understand, I am happy with myself and the weight I have lost. I'm extremely proud of not needing to take anymore prescription medications. I can't express the joy I have now that I have my gout under control or possibly gotten rid of it. It's been over a year and a half since my last attack. I was having attacks on a regular while taking preventive meds, before that...(I don't want to remember that mess)

The purpose of the post was simply me expressing my confusion to the extreme change in clothing sizes.

But,

Biking did stop me from the beginnings of being depressed. I was on my way. I didn't loathe being 320lbs, but all of the medical problems it caused. I was a smooth dressing big boy.... lol

The weight caused me to have gout attacks and being laid up caused more weight. The crazy back to back gout attacks and gaining more weight started 22 or 23yrs ago. I wish I knew back then it was because of weight gain, and losing would stop the attacks. Gout had all my joints messed up. I couldn't walk 2 houses from me before being in pain. 
Also, my ignorance of sleep apnea was ridiculous, but that's fine now. Blood pressure is normal now. Blood glucose is normal now.

I've gone from couldn't walk up my block to riding 26.5 or 31.5 miles per day(5days aweek) on a low budget MTB. I'm happy with the weight change, and with myself.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

I just realized I never uploaded a picture of that bike. It's a 23in carbon frame.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thought I'd share my new wheelset for my bike. I love my Hope wheels but I need a rim with a bigger inner diameter and a little more strength. Wayne @SpeedGearBike built and shipped me a 29er set of Stan's Flow with Bitex hubs for $460. He is an excellent wheel builder with a lot of experience. I also added Cush Core to my wheels for a bit more padding. I've been curious how Cush Core would feel for a Clyde rider. Plus, I'm starting to ride a bit harder and Cush Core will probably give me a hand with comfort and stability.










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## johnD (Mar 31, 2010)

Battery said:


> Thought I'd share my new wheelset for my bike. I love my Hope wheels but I need a rim with a bigger inner diameter and a little more strength. Wayne @SpeedGearBike built and shipped me a 29er set of Stan's Flow with Bitex hubs for $460. He is an excellent wheel builder with a lot of experience. I also added Cush Core to my wheels for a bit more padding. I've been curious how Cush Core would feel for a Clyde rider. Plus, I'm starting to ride a bit harder and Cush Core will probably give me a hand with comfort and stability.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


congrats on the new wheelset !!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

johnD said:


> congrats on the new wheelset !!


Thanks! Here is everything installed. Man I love Cushcore. I can feel some padding on my hard impacts. My cornering traction has increased a ton too! I am running about 23psi and I think that's too much. Other people have said that 20psi or slightly less is the sweet spot for Cushcore.










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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Lately, I have been evaluating some of my oddball joint pains. I left the military with joint pains in my ankles, knees, hands, back, etc. Ever since I started riding a hardtail again, I've noticed way more joint pain than normal. Prior to riding my hardtail, I had no major joint pains because I was riding a FS bike. I've been taking military grade Ibuprofen to help me function. Last weekend, I rode my bike up Tiger Mountain (located here in WA) which was a great time. I ended up climbing a grand total of 2,200ft and set a personal Strava record of 1,500ft for a single climb. The descent wore my joints out when I tried to ride the diamond and intermediate trails back to the bottom. Physically, I felt great! I can tell that my road cycling has helped me with my endurance (even though I haven't road cycled in a month). 

It seems most of my joint pains are in my knees and ankles when I mountain bike. My back pain is minor because I try to focus on technique and engage my core. My saddle height is set correctly. 

I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome in both of my hands and the VA wants to perform surgery to correct it. At least I know what causes my hand pains when I ride. I think my aggressive riding doesn't work well with my hardtail, but this is just a guess. I am in the market to pick up a FS bike because n+1 is awesome like that! I've located a nice 2015 Santa Cruz Bronson that I may scope out if I can get the seller to bring the price down. I also thought about finding a nice FS frame and just swap my parts over to it. 

Does anyone else deal with joint pains and hardtails?


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

I have joint pains and ride a FS fat bike year round (Trek Farley EX8). Ibuprofen works ok for that, Tramadol works better. Most of my issues are with wrist arthritis. My knees used to be a problem, but no issues at all since I had them replaced a 4 years ago. No question the FS with Ergon grips helps keep the wrists comfortable, doesn't really do much for the hands. I had bike-aggravated carpal tunnel syndrome...had carpal tunnel surgery on the right a couple of months ago, which solved that problem in that hand. Getting the left on operated on this coming Friday. I'll have the surgeon inject my wrists while I'm sedated. Those injections tend to hurt.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Cuyuna said:


> I have joint pains and ride a FS fat bike year round (Trek Farley EX8). Ibuprofen works ok for that, Tramadol works better. Most of my issues are with wrist arthritis. My knees used to be a problem, but no issues at all since I had them replaced a 4 years ago. No question the FS with Ergon grips helps keep the wrists comfortable, doesn't really do much for the hands. I had bike-aggravated carpal tunnel syndrome...had carpal tunnel surgery on the right a couple of months ago, which solved that problem in that hand. Getting the left on operated on this coming Friday. I'll have the surgeon inject my wrists while I'm sedated. Those injections tend to hurt.


VA told me that my carpal tunnel is bad enough to warrant surgery but it's not bad enough to be the end of the world. I've noticed that my hands twitch and tremble slightly every now and then, even when typing. I have a hard time maintaining my grip on my bike and with handtools. One of my friends had surgery for his carpal tunnel and his hand works perfectly now.

When I first started mountain biking over 3 years ago, I had similar joint pains while riding my hardtail. These pains were mitigated when I started riding FS. I love hardtails, but it seems that I may need a FS bike if I want to start hitting up actual trails simply due to all of these issues with my joints. Oh, and I flat out refuse to join the e-bike mountain biking community due to my problems


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

Battery said:


> VA told me that my carpal tunnel is bad enough to warrant surgery but it's not bad enough to be the end of the world. *I've noticed that my hands twitch and tremble slightly every now and then, even when typing. I have a hard time maintaining my grip on my bike and with handtools.* One of my friends had surgery for his carpal tunnel and his hand works perfectly now.
> 
> When I first started mountain biking over 3 years ago, I had similar joint pains while riding my hardtail. These pains were mitigated when I started riding FS. I love hardtails, but it seems that I may need a FS bike if I want to start hitting up actual trails simply due to all of these issues with my joints. Oh, and I flat out refuse to join the e-bike mountain biking community due to my problems


Sounds like you would benefit from carpal tunnel surgery. Do they ever bother you at night in bed...wake you from sleep?

Recovery from endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery is pretty quick. I had my right hand fixed on a Friday and was back at work on Monday. Hit the single track that next weekend without difficulty. If that operation is done open (incision down the middle of the palm) then recovery is longer. Not sure what's available at your VA, but there is a distinctly different recovery between the two methods.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Cuyuna said:


> Sounds like you would benefit from carpal tunnel surgery. Do they ever bother you at night in bed...wake you from sleep?
> 
> Recovery from endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery is pretty quick. I had my right hand fixed on a Friday and was back at work on Monday. Hit the single track that next weekend without difficulty. If that operation is done open (incision down the middle of the palm) then recovery is longer. Not sure what's available at your VA, but there is a distinctly different recovery between the two methods.


My hands go numb in my sleep on a regular basis. They also go numb when I type on a keyboard or drive my truck. I'm not entirely sure what the VA uses for their surgical procedure. I plan to talk to my doctor about it in February when I see him again. They performed an EMG test on my hands/arms to figure out how bad it was.

I am going to be graduating college in the spring so I want to finish that first and get the surgery in early summer right after I graduate. They will need to perform surgery on both of my hands and my elbow so I can't say for sure how long my recovery time will be. I don't know if they will just do all 3 at once or split them up. I will assume that they will split them all up into 3 surgeries.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Welp, I've gone and done it. I bought another mountain bike. I picked up this 2018 Transition Sentinel NX from Evo.com when it was on sale. It's a pretty heavy bike when compared to my hardtail, but it will be a perfect fit for my riding style. I am considering the idea to try enduro racing in my area. It's something I really like and I want to give it a shot. I plan to address my health first and get my weight down. I might as well do something with my improving fitness levels!










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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

As of today, I've burned 30 lbs in weight. I am now 255 lbs. I lost close to 5 lbs from mountain biking 22 miles and climbing over 3,500ft in just a week. I seem to gravitate toward mountain biking in the winter. My Trek Emonda was never meant to be a winter riding bike, but I plan to get fenders so I can continue to work on my endurance. 

I also had a doctor appointment regarding my carpal tunnel issues. I also found out that I have tendinitis in both hands in 6 fingers! It explains my really brutal hand pains. I had a problem holding on to my bar over my last several rides. The doc shot my hand up with a steroid and it will provide me with temporary relief. I may end up needing surgery on both hands, but they want to wait and see how things play out first. 

Other than that, I've been going buck wild on my Sentinel! The bike weighs 35 lbs and it's a little challenging in the climbs, but very manageable thanks to the seat angle. I plan to combat some of this bike weight by continuing with my weight loss goals and include some strength training as well. 

I am all for upgrading my bike to make it lightweight and easier to handle, but I can work around it through strength and personal weight loss. It's much cheaper this way! Adding more core strength will allow me to push my bike uphill much better and my personal weight loss goals will lighten up my climbing. 

I have a goal to drop more weight by spring and enter into some of my local non-competitive enduro races. From what I've learned, I can perform a general signup just to try it out. 

I want something to show for my hard work and enduro racing is what it will be. I had a taste of it on the mountain a couple of weeks ago and now I'm addicted.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Losing the weight made a big difference for me. When I weighed 280 - 320lbs, and was only able to ride 25% of a local trail that Iike. I could only make half of the climbs then.
At the beginning of 2018 season, I was down below 250lbs and I was doing 1 1/2 - 2 whole loops with doing 90% of the hills. 

Actually a couple times I went 2 days in a row, and that wasnt happening before. I'm going to work hard to be close to 200lbs as possible and I want to know what I can do on that trail.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> Losing the weight made a big difference for me. When I weighed 280 - 320lbs, and was only able to ride 25% of a local trail that Iike. I could only make half of the climbs then.
> At the beginning of 2018 season, I was down below 250lbs and I was doing 1 1/2 - 2 whole loops with doing 90% of the hills.
> 
> Actually a couple times I went 2 days in a row, and that wasnt happening before. I'm going to work hard to be close to 200lbs as possible and I want to know what I can do on that trail.


That's great to hear! I normally climb between 5k - 6k feet in a week on my road bike. It's hard to get more climbing with the weather changing around here. I'm not sure why, but my Sentinel mentally pushes me to ride my old trails much harder than before. It's a neat feeling when I don't get sore from my mountain bike adventures. It's a great sign that I'm doing things right.

I am still having issues with my heartrate climbing way too high which causes heavy fatigue. 99% of the time, I have to hike on my climbs due to my heartrate wearing me down. My body feels great, but my heartrate is just off the scale!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

I really don't think it's the cold air, but I've noticed lately that I wake up feeling really refreshed.

I don't know if it's a combination of the weight loss and cold riding.

Alarm goes off, no need to hit snooze. I now look forward to getting in some rides in at night so I can have a really good sleep.

Last few days I have hated riding with a stretched chain. I've been waiting on the delivery. My LBS didnt have a 8speed cassette.


BTW,

Reason I felt to post that info, because of not needing that darn CPAP machine.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

I'm frustrated.. i try to watch what i eat.. I've been working out / riding.. and I seem to stay stuck at 265lbs... down from 276~lbs or so at heaviest.. 

but I can't seem to get lower than 265lbs..


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## brawlo (Mar 13, 2012)

atarione said:


> I'm frustrated.. i try to watch what i eat.. I've been working out / riding.. and I seem to stay stuck at 265lbs... down from 276~lbs or so at heaviest..
> 
> but I can't seem to get lower than 265lbs..


That could be a factor of your body putting on muscle. Take measurements, monitor your waistline and how clothing fits for a better indication of how you're going. Way back when I first made the move to lose weight in university, I had heaps of spare time and chose the gym. My body changed a LOT but I actually ended up 5kg heavier after 2 years of serious gym work. When I finished uni, I started playing rugby again and the muscle mass became a hindrance so I stopped lifting. Over the course of the 6 month season I lost 30kg which was mostly my muscle mass


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

atarione said:


> I'm frustrated.. i try to watch what i eat.. I've been working out / riding.. and I seem to stay stuck at 265lbs... down from 276~lbs or so at heaviest..
> 
> but I can't seem to get lower than 265lbs..


Believe me, I know your frustration. I lost the majority of my weight loss last year, with a little just before this past summer.

During the summer, my weight fluctuation was between 241 - 249lbs(that's after I did see 235 on the scale) ALL SUMMER!!! I didnt let it get to me, but when it did start to really get me frustrated is when the lbs starting coming down again.

When I seen that 235 on the scale is when I posted I lost 85lbs. Then it went into that up and down crap.

Right now, I'm seeing the difference. I mean I Actually see it myself.

The newest and greatest to my ego happened yesterday. Company had a couple extra shirts with their logo, and my manager put a size Large on my desk. I asked her, "what am I suppose to do with that". She says it's your size, and just take it.

I have no idea as to why I tried it on. My jaw dropped when I seen that it fit. Not snug, but with room. It felt good and had me happy with the thought of ITS ALL WORTH IT!!!

btw,
I couldn't button the top button.... lmao


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

brawlo said:


> That could be a factor of your body putting on muscle. Take measurements, monitor your waistline and how clothing fits for a better indication of how you're going. Way back when I first made the move to lose weight in university, I had heaps of spare time and chose the gym. My body changed a LOT but I actually ended up 5kg heavier after 2 years of serious gym work. When I finished uni, I started playing rugby again and the muscle mass became a hindrance so I stopped lifting. Over the course of the 6 month season I lost 30kg which was mostly my muscle mass


that might be the case here.. I have become much stronger (again) .. a few years ago I was down to 220 and super muscular (miss that) but then had a shoulder injury.. but stuff is fitting differently again sleeves of t shirts are stretched by arm muscles and my legs are way stronger from the biking.. still annoying to see 265lbs every time I get on the scales .. but hopefully can get back down to 220~ish again.. at some point that would be fantastic...


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## SeaHag (Jul 14, 2011)

Battery said:


> Lately, I have been evaluating some of my oddball joint pains. I left the military with joint pains in my ankles, knees, hands, back, etc. Ever since I started riding a hardtail again, I've noticed way more joint pain than normal. Prior to riding my hardtail, I had no major joint pains because I was riding a FS bike. * I've been taking military grade Ibuprofen to help me function.* Last weekend, I rode my bike up Tiger Mountain (located here in WA) which was a great time. I ended up climbing a grand total of 2,200ft and set a personal Strava record of 1,500ft for a single climb. The descent wore my joints out when I tried to ride the diamond and intermediate trails back to the bottom. Physically, I felt great! I can tell that my road cycling has helped me with my endurance (even though I haven't road cycled in a month).
> 
> It seems most of my joint pains are in my knees and ankles when I mountain bike. My back pain is minor because I try to focus on technique and engage my core. My saddle height is set correctly.
> 
> ...


"In this article, Ross Hauser MD explains why chronic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) usage can make pain worse in the long-term and accelerate the need for joint replacement."

https://www.caringmedical.com/prolotherapy-news/nsaids-chronic-pain-medications/

If you must take anti inflammatories, I recommend you get a script for Meloxicam...trade name of Mobec. It is another NSAID that works far better on my arthritis than ANY other NSAID I've ever tried and it causes less gastrointestinal stress. One tiny 15mg pill a day for a few days to take care of a flare up; then I get off them to be kind to my liver until inflammation gets out of hand. My regular go to for inflammation is fish oil and turmeric root or supplements.


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

Battery said:


> I've been taking military grade Ibuprofen to help me function.


LOL at "military grade ibuprofen". It's 800mg, same as 4 tablets of "civilian grade ibuprofen".

Different NSAIDS affect different people differently. Meloxicam does have fewer potential side long-term effects, although the risk of stomach bleeding is higher. The other issue is that meloxicam is prescription-only and is expensive. Those with osteoarthritis should "ask your doctor if meloxicam is right for you" and try it if ibuprofen isn't working as well as they would like.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Cuyuna said:


> LOL at "military grade ibuprofen". It's 800mg, same as 4 tablets of "civilian grade ibuprofen".


My line wasn't meant to be taken seriously. It was my joke because the military always gave us 800mg ibuprofen pills as a "cure all" for anything. I've taken meloxicam in the past and it doesn't help.

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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

Battery said:


> My line wasn't meant to be taken seriously. It was my joke because the military always gave us 800mg ibuprofen pills as a "cure all" for anything. I've taken meloxicam in the past and it doesn't help.


I figured it was tongue-in-cheek. Not surprised about the meloxicam. It tends to be more variable between people in its effectiveness for arthritis. Ibuprofen remains the good ol' standby.


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

killing time and getting out of my wife's way while she cooks.. went on ride.. I guess in what is a good sign.. my mtb shorts actually seem on the verge of being to big for me now.. I may have to buy size smaller soon..


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

atarione said:


> *killing time and getting out of my wife's way while she cooks.*. went on ride.. I guess in what is a good sign.. my mtb shorts actually seem on the verge of being to big for me now.. I may have to buy size smaller soon..


I _know_, right? Normally, I do about 70% of the cooking around here, but at Thanksgiving, family tradition runs strong with her and my input and assistance is "neither requested nor desired".


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I got my ride done before the rain came. I did some jump line fun! I’m slowly working on trusting myself to speed and clear jumps. I hope to start doing tailwhips soon! 

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! 


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I would like to share a video that I created. It was for my creative nonfiction writing class in college. I had to take one of my creative nonfiction essays and bring it to life. My class was a bit blown away from what I did and didn't know what to say. It didn't help that I went first in line too.

In this video, I explored my anxiety issues while mountain biking. I recorded much of this footage over the course of 3 months. I didn't know what to do with it until now.

I'd thought I'd share it with all of you. Hopefully, there will be no musical copyright issues between now and the next few days lol! I have a license to use the first song.

On the plus side, I got my bitrate correct FINALLY!! I also got my color palletes correct FINALLY!!


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Damn dude!! That was nice! You got an A+ right?

Is it anxiety or just being smart? Because I did some dumbshit, and I wish I had something in me telling me not to try it.

I can think of one right now. I was just getting over a horrible gout attack in my right wrist. For 1, I shouldn't been riding, but nooooooo I had to try a dropoff aswell with only 1 good wrist. To this day, I'm truly happy no one was filming. 

All I could hear was my friend telling me, "ok dude, we will keep this between us".... lol


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> Damn dude!! That was nice! You got an A+ right?
> 
> Is it anxiety or just being smart? Because I did some dumbshit, and I wish I had something in me telling me not to try it.
> 
> ...


Thanks! I think I got full marks for my video. My teacher made the mistake of letting me go first. Yeah, the rest of the class felt inadequate when compared to my work.

It's straight up anxiety. Unfortunately, I have an anxiety disorder. I can do a lot of stuff on the trail, but wooden ramps cause the worst panic attacks I've ever had. I've been trying to deal with them over the last 3+ years but I've made no progress. I can drop anywhere on the trail as long as there are no ramps.

My friends think that it's the sound and the feel of riding on wooden planks. Mentally, I know I can jump from those ramps. But at the same time, my panic kicks in and I view a simple wooden ramp as a broken bridge that dumps you into a ravine.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

I read in another thread yesterday was your Birthday... Since this is your on going thread..

I'd post Happy Birthday youngster here... lol


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thanks!  

Just a minor update. I plan to create YouTube vlogs and other content instead of typing. I'm still having issues with typing. A couple weeks ago, the VA gave me a steroid shot into the tendons of my right hand. I could hardly move my hand and it was getting pretty bad. The surgeon diagnosed me with tendinitis. The shot worked perfectly! I can now use my hand. 

Over the years, I'm starting to have more and more typing issues. Maybe it's due to my age or my hands are just flat out shot from military service. After the steroid shot, I've noticed that my hands like to tremble. I don't think it was due to the shot. My hands may have been trembling for a long time and I didn't realize it due to the tendinitis problem.

Other than that, I am Zwifting my ass off in my garage! I spent the first week doing Zwift 101 Endurance exercises and wow. I can feel the difference on the trail. I plan to stick with Zwift and my road bike to see where it leads me. I am hoping to enduro race this year in the sport league so anything I can do to lose weight and gain endurance is a major plus. Not to mention, my local XC racing league is spinning up next month. I thought about racing my Transition Sentinel in that just for the fun of it. 

Some hardcore XC guys encouraged me to sign up for the XC racing season (Jan - April). They would tease me over riding a Sentinel, but they understand what I'm doing. Plus, I want to get used to their timing system so I am ahead of the game when it comes to enduro racing.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Here is a hilarious stat for you.

Last year I lost 70lbs, and rode 1486 miles.
This year, I have ridden 3316 miles, and only lost 10 lbs
And I've been going back and forth with that damn 10 lbs ... lol


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> Here is a hilarious stat for you.
> 
> Last year I lost 70lbs, and rode 1486 miles.
> This year, I have ridden 3316 miles, and only lost 10 lbs
> And I've been going back and forth with that damn 10 lbs ... lol


That is quite interesting!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

It's time for an update to my thread! I have plans to make a vlog series on my YouTube channel. I'm not sure when I will start it, but I need to quit being lazy and start planning it out. 

I've been training under Dee Tidwell's Enduro MTB Training program. He sponsored me to help with my military disabilities and to fuel my aspirations to enduro race this year. His program is very solid and I saw some major changes in my health during Phase 1 of the MTB Strong program. His program combines cardio sessions with strength, flexibility, and mobility to create a well-rounded person. His program can be used for generalized fitness and doesn't have to be focused toward mountain bike riders. I've seen a big improvement in my ability to climb and I'm not as worn out while cranking out the miles. Tidwell used this program to help him win his class in the Big Mountain Enduro racing events. Overall, I'm very impressed with his program. I start Phase 2 next week. 

Each phase is 5 weeks long with 4 weeks of tough training and the 5th week is recovery mode. So far, I've lost 4 pounds in weight during Phase 1. I believe I cranked out over 200 miles on my trainer and outdoors during this window too. 

I signed up for 2 enduro races that will take place at the end of summer but I may need to cancel one of them. I am scheduled for carpal tunnel surgery within the coming months. I will most likely need 3 surgeries total as I do have dual carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel in an elbow. Typical recovery time is 4-6 weeks before I can actually exercise with my hand. They will probably want to perform surgery on my other hand as soon as my first recovery is done. The 3rd surgery is on the menu but they want to see how the carpal tunnel release helps me before they consider my elbow. These surgeries will place a big burden on my training program but they will benefit me in the long term. 

I might contact Tidwell and see what he can recommend for me while my hand is recovering. I may just stick to very light riding on the indoor trainer a week or 2 after my surgery is complete. I don't want to push my luck and make things worse!


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## Laurastrange (Jan 18, 2019)

Started on a keto diet and workout at the gym 4 days a week. Been a personal trainer in Toronto for a few years now. One thing that really worked for me are doing drop sets. They really work for getting ripped and in good fit shape for hitting the mountains.


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## HAMP (Apr 3, 2012)

Hey Battery,

I read in another one of your post you're not down to 253lbs..
Good job!!

I'm a little frustrated that I've come up to about that. I seriously don't know what has happened. Actually, i'm pretty much the same weight as back in 2017. All the riding I did last year really makes me wonder what I did wrong, and I plan to fix it this year.

Yet, clothing sizes are great. I haven't had to buy bigger cloths or go into my crate of 'just in case' wear..... lol

I did try on a few things from that crate and laughed at the size difference, but the scale is causing me to wonder.


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## wickerman1 (Dec 24, 2003)

I seem to lose a good 30-50 lbs then put it back on. Been like that for years. Keeping weight is far harder than it was for me to quit drinking,smoking , and doing drugs 28 years ago.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

HAMP said:


> Hey Battery,
> 
> I read in another one of your post you're not down to 253lbs..
> Good job!!
> ...


Thanks!

Right now, my weight loss has stalemated on me. It's fine! I haven't gained anything nor have I lost. I've been very busy in my strength training program designed by Dee Tidwell, owner of Enduro MTB Training. His program works great for me. I have way more strength than before and I've been slimming down despite the fact that my weight loss has stalled. My clothes are becoming bigger on me even though I'm holding my weight at 253 pounds. It must be the muscle I'm packing!

The flexibility exercises in his program helped me out a ton. I am not as achey as before. I still deal with a lot of pains from military service. Most of it is my joints! My back still bothers me but it's way better since I started riding full suspension bikes only. I still question my sanity as to why I'm training to race expert enduro. My body says NO but my mind still works like a 21 year old who wants to get big air and ride hard. Eh, it might work out! We will see.

I have carpal and cubital tunnel surgery coming up and that will be my biggest test. My coach said he will work with me to find a routine that will allow me to keep moving without aggravating my arm. Once the surgery is done, the doctor wants to see me 2 weeks later for follow up. I should know what my what my limitations will be once I see him for my post surgery appointment.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I've never posted a photo of myself here. This photo was taken today with my Scout. You guys can follow my shenanigans on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southsoundrider










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## cowboy_down (Mar 11, 2019)

Killer story, I have used MTB as a cardio go getter. After the Army I have had ZERO desire to run, hike, or swim. I woke up one day and wanted to ride. I did, I died, but noticed, holy smokes my pants are loose, and the journey kept going. Now I race, CAT 3 (nothing pro or level 1), but I am out there, I train to beat times, I train to make sure I am soaked after. Next thing I knew, I wasn't ashamed to look in the mirror before a shower!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

cowboy_down said:


> Killer story, I have used MTB as a cardio go getter. After the Army I have had ZERO desire to run, hike, or swim. I woke up one day and wanted to ride. I did, I died, but noticed, holy smokes my pants are loose, and the journey kept going. Now I race, CAT 3 (nothing pro or level 1), but I am out there, I train to beat times, I train to make sure I am soaked after. Next thing I knew, I wasn't ashamed to look in the mirror before a shower!


Thanks! I've come a long way in the last 3 years. My ultimate goal is to race expert class but we will see how that goes. There are days I wake up and I wonder what went through my mind to enlist. I hurt all over regularly and yet I want to go all in and race expert class. I think part of me still needs a big goal in life despite all of my health issues. I also think that part of me is trying to make up time for giving up 15 years of my life to the military.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Welp, it happened. I had my carpal tunnel release surgery yesterday through the VA. It's a major relief! Call me crazy but I had this surgery done while I was awake and then I drove home afterwards. I didn't feel a thing. The surgeon said my carpal tunnel was narrow and he had to widen it. He believed that was the culprit behind my constant hand numbness. 

Enough typing for the time being. Hand hurts! Plus i took some oxycontin and I'm about to get stoned from the pills so I'll keep you guys posted on how things turn out 3-4 weeks from now


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## DrewT (Sep 17, 2012)

Just came across this post, I am very grateful for it. Not too long ago I was 425 pounds, I would say my BMI had pi in it. Now, 260 and adventuring to my first full suspension. I am both humbled and encouraged by all of your posts and responses. Full speed ahead! And they better get out of our way, us big guys dont stop so easily .


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

DrewT said:


> Just came across this post, I am very grateful for it. Not too long ago I was 425 pounds, I would say my BMI had pi in it. Now, 260 and adventuring to my first full suspension. I am both humbled and encouraged by all of your posts and responses. Full speed ahead! And they better get out of our way, us big guys dont stop so easily .


Thanks! It makes me feel better that my post is well received by many people. Right now, I'm stuck at 255 pounds and hoping to break that cycle. My post surgery recovery is going well but I still have a lot of wrist pains which keeps me from doing a lot of floor exercises such as pushups or lifting weights. I'm still getting out there on the bike and riding 10-15 miles worth of laps on XC circuits so I'm glad that I'm doing something! I was going to break out my road bike and do 30-40 mile sessions with 2k ft worth of climbing but the spring rains are back for round 2!


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

I'm not really sure what to say for this update but it's been months since I've posted about my journey. My hand is back to normal and I haven't been cycling much this summer. Here in WA, our trails are super dusty and difficult to navigate at times due to the lack of moisture. Because of that, I typically stick to road cycling in the summers. 

I've been dealing with a lot of mental and physical health issues and I've barely touched my bikes this summer. I usually crank out 80-100 miles a week and I've only done 100 miles the whole summer. I feel very disconnected from mountain biking and I'm so tired of dealing with my bad anxiety. My anxiety pushed my heart rate into the 190-200 bpm range just pedaling on a flat section of trail. My resting heart rate is about 150bpm as well. On my road bike, I typically top out in the 170s and resting around 110. 

I'm just worn out from stressing over every little thing on the trail and it has caused me to view mountain biking as a chore rather than something fun. I'm the type of rider who is focused on progression. Unfortunately, my progression has stalled because my bad anxiety won't let me take things up a notch. I should go back to my VA doctor and take medication for anxiety but I've been on a couple different pills for it and they just make life dull and boring which is why I turned to cycling instead. 

I still enjoy road cycling very much and my focus is more on that. I've cranked out almost 800 miles on my trainer during the winter and hitting the roads and streets does feel better for me right now. I actually plugged my road bike back into my trainer for the rest of summer so I can still get some cycling done while I deal with my mental and physical health.


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## Fuse6F (Jul 5, 2017)

Battery said:


> I'm not really sure what to say for this update but it's been months since I've posted about my journey. My hand is back to normal and I haven't been cycling much this summer. Here in WA, our trails are super dusty and difficult to navigate at times due to the lack of moisture. Because of that, I typically stick to road cycling in the summers.
> 
> I've been dealing with a lot of mental and physical health issues and I've barely touched my bikes this summer. I usually crank out 80-100 miles a week and I've only done 100 miles the whole summer. I feel very disconnected from mountain biking and I'm so tired of dealing with my bad anxiety. My anxiety pushed my heart rate into the 190-200 bpm range just pedaling on a flat section of trail. My resting heart rate is about 150bpm as well. On my road bike, I typically top out in the 170s and resting around 110.
> 
> ...


Doesnt sound like you... please go see your doc. Have him check your testosterone levels. That has been known to cause depression.

then sit down and count all your blessings and see how many you have. There are many. Especially little things often overlooked.

Studies have also shown that doing a mental replay of your favorite moment vacation etc. can provide a mental recharge that lasts for days Think of describing your fav meal, color of food sounds at the table, tastes, etc. write a letter of thanks to a person you admire, Putting down the positive things you see creates more positive thinking internally. Plus giving it to them is a blast!

hang in there and smile.


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

Battery said:


> I'm not really sure what to say for this update but it's been months since I've posted about my journey. My hand is back to normal and I haven't been cycling much this summer. Here in WA, our trails are super dusty and difficult to navigate at times due to the lack of moisture. Because of that, I typically stick to road cycling in the summers.
> 
> I've been dealing with a lot of mental and physical health issues and I've barely touched my bikes this summer. I usually crank out 80-100 miles a week and I've only done 100 miles the whole summer. I feel very disconnected from mountain biking and I'm so tired of dealing with my bad anxiety. My anxiety pushed my heart rate into the 190-200 bpm range just pedaling on a flat section of trail. My resting heart rate is about 150bpm as well. On my road bike, I typically top out in the 170s and resting around 110.
> 
> ...


I do the same thing dude.

Ride your ride, how you want. Go do some easy trails slowly. Take a friend out who's never been. Change it up.

Or, just acknowledge that your brain wants a break, and give it one. Still getting out on the road is nothing to frown about, we all go through phases.

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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

Hang in there, Battery. I was surprised to see your post a while back where it sounded like you were backing off mountain biking in favor of gravel riding. Not that there is anything wrong with that, there isn't. If you are finding gravel riding, or road riding, to be more relaxing, it sounds like that is a good thing. Just don't be so hard on yourself, cycling doesn't have to be competitive or always progressing, just try to relax and enjoy getting out, change your expectations if you can and ride just to ride. But do get out and ride in some form, exercise is very good for when we're down. And keep in touch on mtbr, we enjoy corresponding with you.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

chazpat said:


> Hang in there, Battery. I was surprised to see your post a while back where it sounded like you were backing off mountain biking in favor of gravel riding. Not that there is anything wrong with that, there isn't. If you are finding gravel riding, or road riding, to be more relaxing, it sounds like that is a good thing. Just don't be so hard on yourself, cycling doesn't have to be competitive or always progressing, just try to relax and enjoy getting out, change your expectations if you can and ride just to ride. But do get out and ride in some form, exercise is very good for when we're down. And keep in touch on mtbr, we enjoy corresponding with you.


Thanks dude. A couple weeks ago, I did take my gravel bike on a 30 mile road bike trip and then did an additional 5 miles at my local mountain bike park. The mountain bikers were looking at me funny seeing I was hitting singletrack on a gravel bike wearing full roadie gear. Plus I forgot to turn my tail light off too. I had fun with it though. I was rather surprised how much better it feels to ride a gravel bike on my city streets. I hate to say it but riding through my city is a lot like riding on gravel.

While on my mountain bike, I found it odd that my heart rate hits 190+ just pedaling 5 mph on a flat access trail. It also happened when I was on my gravel bike as well. I can't even get my heart rate that high on my trainer while climbing up a 10 percent grade on Zwift.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

I rode to the trails from home on Sunday on my full suspension. I normally don't bother with a light, it's less than 2 miles and not bad traffic. But I just bought a new flashy light and figured it would be pretty dumb to get hit by a car with it sitting on the table at home. It's a pretty obnoxious flash that varies in speed. I made sure I remembered to turn it off when I got to the trails.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thought I'd share some upgrades tommy road bike. I had a nice set of custom wheels built courtesy of Indigenous Wheel Co. These are 700c wheels with DT Swiss 350 hubs, spokes, and IRC Roadlite tuneless tires. The shop built these wheels to handle my body weight and the craptastic streets I have in town. All I can say is wow! My bike just rockets from the start and just glides on the street. Sprinting is so much easier now.

These wheels have a custom brake track which stops my bike way faster than my OEM wheels and brake pads. I love it! I also installed a nice Easton EA70 aero handlebar and added some gravel bike handlebar tape for extra shock absorption. my chain was also worn out after 1200 miles of use so I decided to add some gold with a KMC chain.

For those interested, Indigenous does build custom mountain bike wheels too.





































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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Last week I burned over 7,000 calories from my cycling trips. My heart rate seems to be stuck in Zone 4 even when I'm recovering during a break. It doesn't matter what speed I ride. I'm always in Zone 4. My new wheels held up great and I'm starting to feel some of my weight loss this week. It's mostly water but I'm sure I burned more than that due to my total calories for the week.

These new wheels are great and climbing is slowly becoming less of a chore. I'm really enjoying myself on my road home again.




























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## OzarkFathom (Jul 2, 2019)

Congrats!.
Onward and upward as the road rises before you.

...and me.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Thought I'd share some updates to my life progress. I started working full time at a local college in their veteran services office. I process education benefit claims and answer questions about their VA education benefits. I started this job back in the summer as a part time employee. My director really loved me and pretty much gave me the full time position when it opened. Now the challenge has started! My weekly mileage has gone down since I started working full time. I am focusing more on diet than exercise these days because I have long commutes via mass transit in the morning and evenings. I did qualify for a disabled rider pass which costs me $4 a day to travel 50 miles round trip. 

I want to get up earlier and ride on my trainer but I'm usually drugged out so I can sleep. It's hard to wake up really early! I have to take a sleep aid because I typically go to bed with everything hurting throughout my body. I've been working on an evening routine where I can use my trainer and Zwift at least 2 times a week. It's still in work and I believe I can get this routine down. I've been working out under Zwift's Fondo training plan to help me increase my distance so I can start riding 60+ mile road bike sessions. 

Before I started working full time, I was on the fence about whether I should stick with mountain biking. Since I started working full time, I started to realize that I want to stick with it. I think I had too much time to myself over the last 4 years because i wasn't working and I was a full time student. I was over analyzing myself and just thought too much about what I wanted to do on a mountain bike (racing and improving my skills). Over time, I lost sight of why I enjoyed being on the trails. I also remembered that my daughter just started mountain biking and I want to ensure she sticks with it. So I decided to keep riding my mountain bike but maybe stick with a 60/40 split (60 road / 40 mountain). 

With that being said, I decided to reward myself for graduating with academic honors and honors distinction from college. I told myself that upon graduating college, I will buy my first carbon frame bike and build it up. I decided to go with an Intense Recluse SL frame that was on sale through Intense Cycles. The Recluse is no longer in production but it's still a great bike. I believe that the geometry is more fitting for how I want to ride my bike. I liked my Transition Scout but it was too bulky and heavy for my tastes. I blame my 17 pound road bike for that! I did swap over 75 percent of my parts from my Scout to the Recluse and everything was a perfect fit. 

I did go with some changes though. I went to my LBS and needed to buy a new shifter cable housing. I walked out with SRAM AXS X01 upgrade kit instead. I've always wanted that kit and I just couldn't pass it up. My shop just happened to have it in there! I also did some poking around on PB and found a nice Revin Cycling E27 carbon wheel set for sale. The dude only put 90 miles on the set and bought it earlier in the year. He is going to sell it to me for a fraction of the MSRP. He's selling it because he bought a 29er and doesn't want to ride on a 27.5" wheel set any more. 

Here are some photos of my build! I have to upload from my phone because the website uploader keeps failing on me.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

Photos





































Sent from my snail mail via Tapatalk.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

The VA recently listed me as permanent and totally disabled and I just want to let everyone know that I've thrown in the towel and walking away from mountain biking. My health has deteriorated a lot more than expected and my body can't handle riding on the trails. I don't know if I can ride my road bike either. I'm still working on that part. A couple days ago, I rode 10 miles / 300ft of climbing on Zwift and both of my knees gave out. Luckily I stopped early enough before it could get worse but I had a difficult time getting up my staircase in my house. Mountain biking just adds additional pain and discomfort that I don't wish to deal with any more. Plus I'm tired of stressing and having anxiety when I'm on the trail. 

I actually have my mountain bike for sale on PB right now. I may end up selling my road bike and consider a commuter e-bike to pedal around the city. I will make a decision on my road bike later. I want to make a few more attempts at pedaling my road bike on my trainer and see what happens. 

I just wanted to give everyone heads up where I'm at in life and I may not update this thread any more. If any of you wish to check up on me, please feel free to leave messages here or just private message me. I do plan on hanging out on this forum even if I'm not mountain biking any more. This place is still entertaining!


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## matt4x4 (Dec 21, 2013)

Today I did good for keto diet.
Basically fasting as long as possible, from waking up to as long as possible until I eat.
Today I had a bowl of fruit, 4 bananas, a can of club soda, 2 hard boiled eggs, 300g of dry curd cottage cheese, and some beef cubes with mustard. Bought three 2L(0.5G) club soda bottles, and some pork and low carb (1g/55g) links. 

Health wise, I am good during the day. But I eat at Subway, and drink a mix of cola and soda water, big no no's for laying off carbs. I do love hard cheese, but another downfall is toast at night, and way back when chocolate milk. I am good drink wise, club soda water, maybe some lemon in that. But for the new year, I will try my best to wake up and not eat for a long time, and eat low carb. I seriously need to lose some weight. I also joined a gym, so I need to break a sweat on a regular basis, so probably go 3x a week.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

matt4x4 said:


> Today I did good for keto diet.
> Basically fasting as long as possible, from waking up to as long as possible until I eat.
> Today I had a bowl of fruit, 4 bananas, a can of club soda, 2 hard boiled eggs, 300g of dry curd cottage cheese, and some beef cubes with mustard. Bought three 2L(0.5G) club soda bottles, and some pork and low carb (1g/55g) links.
> 
> Health wise, I am good during the day. But I eat at Subway, and drink a mix of cola and soda water, big no no's for laying off carbs. I do love hard cheese, but another downfall is toast at night, and way back when chocolate milk. I am good drink wise, club soda water, maybe some lemon in that. But for the new year, I will try my best to wake up and not eat for a long time, and eat low carb. I seriously need to lose some weight. I also joined a gym, so I need to break a sweat on a regular basis, so probably go 3x a week.


I'm actually interested in the keto diet myself but I need to get my wife on board with it. She thinks it's a fad diet and doesn't agree with the program. Right now, I'm not cycling at all due to my health problems so focusing on diet is my main goal. I'm having terrible mobility issues. I can't walk 200 yards from the bus stop to my office without my legs being in pain or giving out on me. Plus my legs want to buckle when I'm trying to walk through my house. The sharp pain in my spine has progressively become worse. My next VA health checkup is coming up soon so I have plenty of things to complain about to my doctor.


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## brawlo (Mar 13, 2012)

Battery said:


> I'm actually interested in the keto diet myself but I need to get my wife on board with it. She thinks it's a fad diet and doesn't agree with the program. Right now, I'm not cycling at all due to my health problems so focusing on diet is my main goal.


I did low carb dieting for a while and did well out of it. Keto is kind of a fad diet, but most of them are in a way. The low carb concept and carb intolerance has been around for a long time though. In the end it comes down to calorie intake vs expenditure. Picking a diet that works with how you eat now should be your best chance at success. Simply working on reducing portion sizes is the best option. Low carb (I would have been in ketosis I guess) worked really well for the things I like to eat. As a family we don't eat much bread and potatoes due my wife's dietary issues so the fat adaptation part I found relatively easy. I dropped off the wagon and over the course of 3 years have put all the weight back on, although I am more muscular now due to a solid gym routine. My wife tried it but struggled with the fat quantity and didn't keep it up


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## atarione (Aug 24, 2018)

Battery said:


> The VA recently listed me as permanent and totally disabled and I just want to let everyone know that I've thrown in the towel and walking away from mountain biking. My health has deteriorated a lot more than expected and my body can't handle riding on the trails. I don't know if I can ride my road bike either. I'm still working on that part. A couple days ago, I rode 10 miles / 300ft of climbing on Zwift and both of my knees gave out. Luckily I stopped early enough before it could get worse but I had a difficult time getting up my staircase in my house. Mountain biking just adds additional pain and discomfort that I don't wish to deal with any more. Plus I'm tired of stressing and having anxiety when I'm on the trail.
> 
> I actually have my mountain bike for sale on PB right now. I may end up selling my road bike and consider a commuter e-bike to pedal around the city. I will make a decision on my road bike later. I want to make a few more attempts at pedaling my road bike on my trainer and see what happens.
> 
> I just wanted to give everyone heads up where I'm at in life and I may not update this thread any more. If any of you wish to check up on me, please feel free to leave messages here or just private message me. I do plan on hanging out on this forum even if I'm not mountain biking any more. This place is still entertaining!


hey good luck man.. sorry about your troubles.. I hope you can still ride something whatever it ends up being..

I'm just 50 but I've got some arthritis issues and I'm not sure how long I will be able to keep hitting the trails.. I hope for the best.

I've finally gotten ~serious about diet and have dropped down to 265~ from about 270lbs at the start of December.. I'm hoping w/ more focus I can avoid the yo-yo between 275 and 265lbs that has been sort of the case for awhile now.. I'm sure dropping some weight would help on the trails and help my knees certainly.. I'd love to get to about 220lbs (I'm ~6'3") I'd settle for about 230lb.


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## Battery (May 7, 2016)

atarione said:


> hey good luck man.. sorry about your troubles.. I hope you can still ride something whatever it ends up being..
> 
> I'm just 50 but I've got some arthritis issues and I'm not sure how long I will be able to keep hitting the trails.. I hope for the best.
> 
> I've finally gotten ~serious about diet and have dropped down to 265~ from about 270lbs at the start of December.. I'm hoping w/ more focus I can avoid the yo-yo between 275 and 265lbs that has been sort of the case for awhile now.. I'm sure dropping some weight would help on the trails and help my knees certainly.. I'd love to get to about 220lbs (I'm ~6'3") I'd settle for about 230lb.


Yeah I was stuck in the yoyo between 255-270 and I'm still in there. I'm adjusting my diet to see if I can get past this crappy spot. I actually tweaked my knee at work a couple days ago. All I did was stand up, take a step forward, and then my left knee gave out. It was unexpected and blew my mind that it happened. Ice and compression seems to be doing the trick though.

I am actually interested in buying a Specialized Creo gravel bike. Mountain biking is now out of the question because I can't hack it any more so I may lean toward the Creo as my road bike seeing it does have quite a bit of comfort and power assist to help me stay active. I have to sell my bikes first though. I hope that with tax return season coming up, my bikes should sell pretty quick.


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## Laurastrange (Jan 18, 2019)

Battery said:


> So far, I managed to hold my weight around 270 lbs due to my lack of consistent riding days due to my kids being in town the past 60 days. They fly home on Wednesday. I love them and will miss them very much but I am glad they are going home so I can get focused on the task at hand. Instead of riding my normal 3 days a week, I was reduced to 1 day a week. It also doesnt help we are having clean air issues due to the Canadian wildfires. Once my kids head home, I will get back up to 3 days a week.
> 
> During the past month, I did homework on picking up a fitness bike for the roads and streets in my area. Western Washington is very bike friendly and my city encourages people to cycle for health, environment, and cut back on traffic. I am looking at a Specialized Sirrus Sport Carbon located at my local shop. I might give that a test ride, see how it feels, and incorporate a road bike into my fitness. I like this bike because it has a flat bar to keep me more upright.
> 
> I know standard road bikes have 2 riding positions so I am wondering...should I buy the Sirrus with just a flat bar new or used (which is fine with me) or go for a used standard road bike and just use the flat part of the bar?


Did we meet at the last personal trainer meetup in Toronto? Whereabouts are you guys located? There were some Aussies that came out to the last family fitness fundraiser back in 2019 before all this COVID mess hit. Would love to connect with the group again if it is indeed you guys. Best wishes!


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