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Cycling
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Is cycling a good way of losing weight if combined with a proper low fat. low cal or low carb diet ?
Any idea what i should be looking to cycle per day/week.
Im 21 stone and need to shift at least 6 stone.
Just looking for some general help with this.
Ta
Any idea what i should be looking to cycle per day/week.
Im 21 stone and need to shift at least 6 stone.
Just looking for some general help with this.
Ta
Answers
1 to 13 of 13
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Start off gently. I mean maybe just round the block then gradually build up to longer distances. Do you have a cycle track near you? They can be pleasant to ride along which helps to take your mind off the excersizing.
(Lawdy my spelling has gone to pot this morning) Good luck with it and you know we'll be here to support you.
(Lawdy my spelling has gone to pot this morning) Good luck with it and you know we'll be here to support you.
Morning Hammerman, I was over 19 stone last summer I am now 14.7 Stone (my target weight is 14 nearly there!), I started off by walking, I was doing a 5mile walk 5 mornings a week combined with a daily stint on wii fit plus. The first stone fell off really quick (which is great for your confidence although nobody notices at first!) I have done diets before and have lost weight but have always put it back on again (and some) I think the key is exercise and also don't think of it as dieting but as a lifestyle change, (no point in working hard to lose weight if your gonna go back to old ways eating crap like crisps and chocolate!) Now I am more confident showing my body I go swimming 4 or 5 days a week and now manage 80 lengths in 50 mins I can run around the park with my little boy and my new 36 inch waist trouser are getting to big for my (I used to be a 42in waist!!!)
Food wise, I don't eat bread anymore instead of toast for breakfast I have muesli or wheatabix, lunch low cal soup for lunch (asda got some nice one's 5 tins for £2 ) and snack on fruit throughout the day (I set myself a target to eat at least 5 pieces a day so i dont have time or room for crisps etc) then if I have done my swimming/walking i dont worry to much about my evening meal and eat like everyone else (except we got smaller plates, another great tip!!!)
Good luck
Food wise, I don't eat bread anymore instead of toast for breakfast I have muesli or wheatabix, lunch low cal soup for lunch (asda got some nice one's 5 tins for £2 ) and snack on fruit throughout the day (I set myself a target to eat at least 5 pieces a day so i dont have time or room for crisps etc) then if I have done my swimming/walking i dont worry to much about my evening meal and eat like everyone else (except we got smaller plates, another great tip!!!)
Good luck
Start gently with an exercise regime - cycling will be good, but ... the best way to reliably lose weight and keep it off long term is to follow a low carb diet. Eat all the meat, fish, chicken, eggs you want together with enough good fats (like olive oil) and lots of green vegetables. You will lose weight without hunger and be able to keep it off which is, after all, what we all want. I lost 50lbs on this diet and have stuck to it for years. Good luck with your weight lose.
When you get more confident, maybe after the first few stone drop, then get on the bike and start doing short trips (10-15 miles round) somewhere quite flat.
With all this stuff it's best to set yourself a goal. To begin with I aimed to cycle thirty-odd miles to my friend's for the evening, and then cycled back in the morning. Maybe you could arrange something similar.
Equally, once you're a bit happier on a bike I suggest a cycling holiday to the Netherlands, if you make sure you cycle 50-80 miles a day you can eat what you like! And you'll get the strange craving for salad!
With all this stuff it's best to set yourself a goal. To begin with I aimed to cycle thirty-odd miles to my friend's for the evening, and then cycled back in the morning. Maybe you could arrange something similar.
Equally, once you're a bit happier on a bike I suggest a cycling holiday to the Netherlands, if you make sure you cycle 50-80 miles a day you can eat what you like! And you'll get the strange craving for salad!
Ed. As proud possessor of an Audax Altitude Award (AAA) I can tell many tales about hill climbing on a bike http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/audaxaltitudeaward/
Welcome to the club!! I used to ride upwards of 300 miles per week and did some racing and time trials but work, lack of time etc etc in the last 8 years or so has nearly done me in.
I cycle road and mountain bikes and there's no reason you can't whatever weight you are, you just have to make some allowances for your extra weight.
Firstly, for road cycling, don't waste money on all the uber-lightweight bikes and wheels they'll do you no good and a lot of carbon frames carry a weight limit. Gearing, at least have compact chainset but better triple front chainset to give you lower, easier to pedal gears.
Keep your targets small to start with until you build up some aerobic capacity, if you have somewhere flat to go locally, use that until you start losing a bit of weight before you tackle hills, and when you do start on hills take then steady. Mountain bikes are most suitable but murder on the road and it's very difficult to find offroad areas that don't have hilly bits in them.
If, like me, you're metabolism is shot to hell you'll need to watch what you take in because you will not be able to sustain the energy levels you need without things like the odd energy gel and proper energy drinks. You will not be able to metabolise the glycogen stores you have quickly enough to complete even short distances without struggling to cope with the energy demands.
Clothing can be an issue Prendas.co.uk do a lot of larger sizes, it's important you at least have a decent pair of shorts with a proper chamois pad otherwise you can cause a lot of damage to your nether regions blistering is not something you want down there!!
Stick at it though, I was 22 stone when I started riding again in August last year, dropped 4st, my blood pressure is almost normal and i can almost breathe properly again, I'm still working on my metabolism and it's getting better. I've done a couple of 100km rides on the road and have started cracking some good hills. Unfortunately much of the work ive done in the last two months has been on a turbo trainer because of the poor weather we've had, safety first is important, you don't get much grip from 23mm slicks on frosty icy roads, and as for the winds we've had....
Keep at it, it does a make a massive difference, good luck
I cycle road and mountain bikes and there's no reason you can't whatever weight you are, you just have to make some allowances for your extra weight.
Firstly, for road cycling, don't waste money on all the uber-lightweight bikes and wheels they'll do you no good and a lot of carbon frames carry a weight limit. Gearing, at least have compact chainset but better triple front chainset to give you lower, easier to pedal gears.
Keep your targets small to start with until you build up some aerobic capacity, if you have somewhere flat to go locally, use that until you start losing a bit of weight before you tackle hills, and when you do start on hills take then steady. Mountain bikes are most suitable but murder on the road and it's very difficult to find offroad areas that don't have hilly bits in them.
If, like me, you're metabolism is shot to hell you'll need to watch what you take in because you will not be able to sustain the energy levels you need without things like the odd energy gel and proper energy drinks. You will not be able to metabolise the glycogen stores you have quickly enough to complete even short distances without struggling to cope with the energy demands.
Clothing can be an issue Prendas.co.uk do a lot of larger sizes, it's important you at least have a decent pair of shorts with a proper chamois pad otherwise you can cause a lot of damage to your nether regions blistering is not something you want down there!!
Stick at it though, I was 22 stone when I started riding again in August last year, dropped 4st, my blood pressure is almost normal and i can almost breathe properly again, I'm still working on my metabolism and it's getting better. I've done a couple of 100km rides on the road and have started cracking some good hills. Unfortunately much of the work ive done in the last two months has been on a turbo trainer because of the poor weather we've had, safety first is important, you don't get much grip from 23mm slicks on frosty icy roads, and as for the winds we've had....
Keep at it, it does a make a massive difference, good luck
Thank you so much everyone for some fantastic answers.
I have a "Dawes"...top of the range mountain bike which some yob threw in the pond where i work. Ive kept it for 3 years and no one has claimed it so i did.
Plan is to do a small circuit from my home into town...a distance of about 2 miles and then back again. This is mainly flat with a few small inclines. It's quite hard to find anywhere flat living in Lewes nestled in the middle of the Sussex downs.
Many thanks again, hope to get at the weekend
I have a "Dawes"...top of the range mountain bike which some yob threw in the pond where i work. Ive kept it for 3 years and no one has claimed it so i did.
Plan is to do a small circuit from my home into town...a distance of about 2 miles and then back again. This is mainly flat with a few small inclines. It's quite hard to find anywhere flat living in Lewes nestled in the middle of the Sussex downs.
Many thanks again, hope to get at the weekend
Hi Hammerman,
Bike sounds fine, if you are on the road try and get yourself a pair of road tyres, semi slicks because you'll save about 40% of your energy output. While you are just starting out it's all about getting the best out of the energy you expend and be patient, you won't start to see much of a difference for a wee while
Good Luck
Bike sounds fine, if you are on the road try and get yourself a pair of road tyres, semi slicks because you'll save about 40% of your energy output. While you are just starting out it's all about getting the best out of the energy you expend and be patient, you won't start to see much of a difference for a wee while
Good Luck
Keep those tyres hard; I would suggest investing in a stirrup type pump, it makes the task so much easier. Happy trails! http://compare.ebay.c...iceItemTypes&var=sbar
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