need help ! :(

lingham95

hi every one im in need of your help im 14 nearly 15 years old and afraid too say it but im around 15 stone i am extremely intrested in mountain biking i have been riding bikes for about 11 years but started mountain biking about a month ago i want a excerise that i know will show results and siet plans that i will stick to has any body got any advice

floosy

In simple terms weight loss is calories in vs calories out.

Just ride the bike lots and eat less..

I would recommend the livestrong website as you can register for free and then input the work youve done cycling walking etc and the food you`ve eaten...

Its a faff but it does keep you honest.....


hope it helps

Dave.

forcutty

lingham95 wrote:

hi every one im in need of your help im 14 nearly 15 years old and afraid too say it but im around 15 stone i am extremely intrested in mountain biking i have been riding bikes for about 11 years but started mountain biking about a month ago i want a excerise that i know will show results and siet plans that i will stick to has any body got any advice

I was about that weight at your age :oops:
I now weight 11.5 stone
I hate to say but it's going to be hard to lose it and keep it off.You need to change your lifestyle. When you sit down and watch TV your should be exercising etc. Eating is still my faux pas . I now don't care what others eat I eat healthy!!! No Caffiene and white bread or processed foods.Biking Will for sure help you lose weight but aim for 1lb weight loss a week on average. I lost my weight over several years and diets don't work long term there a waste of time unless you change your life.
Also see your Doctor they can help you sort it out/give advice etc.
It may seem trivial but they can help used to see a dietician once a month, it really helped me see the light.
Good luck

lingham95

thank you i am going to try my hardest but i can tell its goin too be hard for me because a lot of the time i lack motivation to get up and do something about it i suppose as its a monday ill start from today plan to go on a bike ride with my dad later who rides alot so hope he can give me a bit of a motivation boost

lingham95

floosy wrote:

I would recommend the livestrong website as you can register for free and then input the work youve done cycling walking etc and the food you`ve eaten...

i've just signed up to the website and im abit in doubt it looks like theres a lot of stuff to do and fill in and keep logged is it complicated or simple once u get the hang of it

Keezey

Great to hear that youveo decided by yourself to get fit

Motivation can be a problem even for the keenest of us, however there is always something that can get you goin.. I always find that chucking on a MTB DVD always helps to get me in the mood for a ride on even the slowest day.

Chucking on your iPod while your out always makes the miles go quicker...

All you have to do now is find out what it is that gets you charged..!

Good luck

**********************************************************

Scott Genius Carbon MC30

lingham95

hi keezey where could i get hold of a mtb dvd or should i just use youtube lol

u05harrisb

good 4 you bud! ive started mtb xc stuff properlly in the summer and i alot better 4 it! im quite small and squrawny so i havnt lost weight but have actually put weight on however dispite that i have gone down a trouser size a little! just eat less and ride more try to find a local club that ride near you, i go on a club run every wednesday and is great to do it with sombody else! commit! tell yourself your gonna go out every (chose day of the week and set time!) and go rain or shine and dont make an excuse, possibly try keeping a diary about how you feel, food distance hills etc.

Good Job!
Ben only 16 going 17

weeksy59

IT can be done mate... remember.. MTBing is supposed to be FUN. Find out where you have fun bits by you and go enjoy yourself

Good luck

floosy

lingham95 wrote:

floosy wrote:

I would recommend the livestrong website as you can register for free and then input the work youve done cycling walking etc and the food you`ve eaten...

i've just signed up to the website and im abit in doubt it looks like theres a lot of stuff to do and fill in and keep logged is it complicated or simple once u get the hang of it

Its a bit of work at first but stick with it gets easier. It remembers the food you`ve had before etc...
it is a great motivator keeping track of things..

Dave.

Keezey

hi keezey where could i get hold of a mtb dvd or should i just use youtube lol

Youtube is good but if you want to buy some then your local bike shop or amazon.com are a good start...

MountainMonster

I highly recommend the mtb dvds to get you in the mood to ride. Works a darn treat for me. As far as weight loss watch calorie intake quite alot, eating less, and with the right food, will shed the pounds quite well. That mixed with regular strenuous exercise will work well. Im in the weight loss process as well, and while its a slow process, it does work over time. Whatever method you choose to reach your goals, make sure your interested in it so you will stick with it. Best of luck mate

lingham95

did 2 laps of the red route at bedgeburyforest yesterday

MountainMonster

Glad to hear your getting some motivation!

mea00csf

Enter an event, you have to stay motivated

Make a plan, maybe to train for your event, and stick to it (and make it interesting and varied, not just adding an extra loop on each month). Don't even ask yourself "do i want to go out and bike tonight?" just do it. you'll soon get into the mindset of "it's Friday night, i bike home from work/school on friday" and you won't even question it.

Join a club, or get some mates involved. It's easier to to wuss out when it's just you, much more difficult when there are other people involved.

Track your progress, so you can feel smug and proud of yourself when you lose half a stone/pb your mtb route etc

TLDNMCL

Don't expect too much too soon - you will feel physically better before you really notice any visual or physical difference. A good thing is to pick a route and do it regularly, maybe once a week (ride others in between times of course) and monitor your improvements on that route. Be prepared for it to vary a bit though - weather, your rest, and your general well being can give you ups and downs, and there will be downs - everyone has a bad day occasionally.

Think of those days as being like a first class striker in football who is having a bit of a lean spell; it will come back!

What you are looking for is a general trend, not a constant improvement each time you go out; life's not like that. You will improve, and once you are feeling fitter, then that will be motivation in itself, and the weight loss will follow. Good luck and stick at it, it really is worth it.

ireland57

Stick with it young fella. VERY GOOD DECISION you've made there!
I admire you for it.

Take it easy to start with (that may be for a few months).

Ride or train sensibly.

Have fun everytime you ride.

Ride as much as you can.

Eat well. Pay attention to your body when it speaks to you.
When it says I want chips or chocolate it probably means carbohydrate.

Change your life enough to dump some of the crap you do.

My 15yo started seriously this year. Now eats very little junk food. Now wants to compete at State road race titles mid-year.

Have fun.

Have fun.

bartimaeus

Find yourself a local ride that is easy to get to (preferably to ride to) and takes an hour or so. Get to know it, and make it your 'default' ride... if you can find a loop with variations then even better.

If you can find some mates to ride with, and go exploring at weekends, then that will make everything much more fun - riding with other people is great for motivation, and will help you to challenge yourself. But if you make sure you get out and ride regularly - particularly in the winter - then that will get you fit and keep you fit. The fitter you get the more fun you will have.

Unless you are lucky enough to be able to get out and ride weekdays then I'd say you would be wise to invest in some lights (see the What Lights thread). When you have lights you can ride in the evenings... which will make it much easier to get regular exercise. Night riding can be a bit intimidating at first, but if you go round your regular loop you'll be fine and you'll get a whole new perspective on it! (But do tell someone where you are going and take a phone - better yet take a friend as well).

I'd get lights anyway as riding at night is fun - £50 will set you up.

Eyon

WARNING: Long post ahead!

Well I will defiantly wish you the best of luck on this one, I was in a similar place when I was about 16-17 and decided to make the change, one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

I was actually 15.5 stone, I was at college, would eat nothing but junk, chocolate, pizza, sweets, pasties, the lot, I was a stereotype chubby guy. I still love my food, always will do and I have a terrible sweet tooth, but with a bit of self control I limit that sort of thing.

The trick is for loosing weight, is two things, motivation and goals. I lacked the first one, sitting watching tv or on my computer is far easier than going and doing something, but with the addition of the second one motivation comes easier.

So set yourself targets. Dont be shy about them either, set outlandish ones if you want, if you can think of it its most likely possible. Things like, "this time next year I would like to be 13 stone, and focus on making that a reality. Take into account your body size and be realistic though, if like me you are 6 foot 1, with a large build, there is no way I could realistically be 10 stone, no matter how hard I try (though I've done that once).

Examples for targets:
-I'd like to be X stone this time next year
-I'd like to loose 1lb a week
-I'd like to bulk up in the gym to look good (not cycling specific but its one that helped me along the way)
-I'd like to race this time next year
-I'd like to do Coast to Coast next year
-I'd like to do Lands End to John O'Groats next year

Those sorts of things, realistic, but will require effort to do.

So now you have your aim, your goal, your target, call it what you wish, you just need to find a way to do it. First things first, find something you ENJOY, thats number one. There is no point doing running if you hate it for example, you will just give up 3 months down the line and get nowhere.

So you like MTB? great! Its one of the best sports to get fit with as it works most of your muscles and requires good CV strength, will both build muscle and cut fat. Brilliant exercise, and its more popluar than ever.

Next thing to do is get out on the bike, its a nice day outside, would you rather watch TV or go on a bike? well, save the TV for the storms and the -10 degrees, when its nice, get out! Find local fun trails, play about in the forest, try aim for certain distances, try 10 miles first, then 15, then 20, then 25, keep a track of your average speed and times and distances, watch your progress, well, progress!

As said above also, when off the road (dont be daft enough to do it on the road) crack out your iPod and listen to your favourite tunes to keep you going and pushing you

The next step is find people who enjoy it with you. You can only go so far on your own, find a local MTB club who do organised rides. You will find people there ride fast and hard, which pushes you harder and its also far more enjoyable. My local club do tues and thurs night rides, and are starting out sunday morning rides, so thats 3 times a week, gives you time to rest between (v. important) yet keeps you going.

Eventually you will convert your free time sitting doing jack shit to doing stuff like bike, fairly quickly actually. It will be a long hard slog to do it but its worth it in the end, the feeling you get when you conquer the hill for the first time without resting half way up, or doing 20 miles in 10 mins less than when you started, they are the things that drive you. Depending on where you live too you might have great scenery too to drive you along, its amazing what you see when out on your bike.

So in summary: Goals, motivation, like minded people and achievement are the things that will do this for you. Cut the carbs going in and burn more on the bike and you will see it falling off you eventually, It wont happen instantly, you will find your fitness goes up first, then you will see it go off, but it will happen, i promise.

I'm lucky, I had a weight loss head start after a bad case of ecoli shed me of 4 1/2 stone, but getting out on the bike and getting to the gym has been the best decision I have ever made in my 21 years, It wont be easy but you will thank yourself for doing it!

Best of luck, let us all know how you get on, and if you have more questions, just ask away!

Ian