Serious Weight Loss Motivation

BruunLoss

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum, 1st post. I started cycling for the first time in January 2011 to my office here in Dublin, a daily commute of approx 22 miles and over 7 months lost 45lbs, I was delighted! I since then lost my job and also have suffered from a severe anxiety disorder the last 4 years which got so bad sometimes I couldn't even leave my house.

In January this year I weighted myself and reached the heaviest I ever was, 297.4lbs! I was shocked and disgusted with myself. In the past 2 weeks I bought myself a Giant Rapid 6 bike, but changed the mountain bike tyres for the skinny road kevlar tires and decided to set myself a goal, to lose 77,4 pounds in 7 months. Don't know if this is achievable, I hope so considering how lazy I was but I signed up here for additional inspiration, tips, tricks and advise. I also set up a You Tube and Twitter account to hopefully get followers who can motivate me on my bad days and remind me that I have people supporting me and I hope to inspire other people too in my situation. But one of the best things is, I love this new healthy lifestyle I adopted of cycling as its the only form of REAL exercise I do...

So greetings from Dublin and I hope to be more involved here.

LeicesterLad

Hello and Welcome,

Thanks for sharing, and i'll certainly add you on twitter to try and keep the encouragement going. Lady luck may be on your side, the best thing about cycling to lose weight build fitness, is that cycling is VERY EASY to fall in love with, which is the polar opposite of the Gym, as long as you keep the love of cycling, you will keep losing weight. If you have Eurosport, start watching the pro-cycling (tour of Qatar starts this sunday in a Long old season of televised cycling!) this will add to the motivation, and keep you interested. Be careful though, cycling can soon burn a hole in your pocket! (but thats part of the fun!)

Good Luck To Ya!

SBezza

You lost the weight once, so you can do it again. I lost nearly 100lbs, but that was over an extended period, as to whether 77lbs in 7 months is realistic only you know what you currently eat and drink, and how much you can cut back/out.

It will take more than just exercise, you need to change your lifestyle, but it certainly is possible to lose the weight and keep it off.

One tip is never to over estimate what you burn doing exercise, always slightly under estimate, and vice versa for what you have taken in calorie wise, it will make the difference between staying static and losing weight gradually. There is no easy answer I am afraid just a long road ahead of you, but trust me it is very worth while in the end.

As above cycling is great, if offers so many different things to everyone.

All the best for the future, and I hope your weight loss goes well.

BruunLoss

Thanks guys for the feedback and motivation. It certainly can burn a hole in the pocket, but I'm investing in my health so I think it's fine. I've changed my diet, cut out take aways and almost cut all beer out of my life except for the odd bottle of Bud Light (45 less calories then a can of Coke!)

If found the cycling helps with my anxiety as I'm getting out more often, I change my routes to vary the exercise and as I mentioned, the more followers on Twitter and subscribers on You Tube, the more I am motivated not to let these people down who believe in me and want me to succeed!

If any of you guys are on Twitter or You Tube, let me know, cycling now more for sport and health is new to me and I want to learn from the best!

BruunLoss

PS: As a photographer also, carrying 30lbs of camera gear on my back also burns a few calories!

keef66

Jesus! You are serious if you've resorted to Bud Light! Best of luck

BruunLoss

LOL! Yes Keef66, my two favourites, Guinness & Bulmers (Magners in the U.K.) have too many calories if I really want to achieve my goal.

Question, is it better to have breakfast before you go for a long cycle or after? I'm a bit confused, I would have thought after because increased metabolism etc, but I've been reading to eat high energy foods before a cycle....

t.m.h.n.e.t

BruunLoss wrote:

LOL! Yes Keef66, my two favourites, Guinness & Bulmers (Magners in the U.K.) have too many calories if I really want to achieve my goal.

Question, is it better to have breakfast before you go for a long cycle or after? I'm a bit confused, I would have thought after because increased metabolism etc, but I've been reading to eat high energy foods before a cycle....

There are many studies for and against fasted cardio so IMO,your best bet is to try it and see what happens over a few weeks. Give your commute a go on a weekend fasted,that way if you know that you need the food beforehand (you've had breakfast) then you aren't calling in to say you'll be late if it doesn't work out for you.


And um,welcome to the forum

ps: Bulmers is far nicer than Magners

styxd

Question, is it better to have breakfast before you go for a long cycle or after? I'm a bit confused, I would have thought after because increased metabolism etc, but I've been reading to eat high energy foods before a cycle....

You could try something like a banana before hand and then a bit of breakfast after to help you recover.

BruunLoss

styxd wrote:

Question, is it better to have breakfast before you go for a long cycle or after? I'm a bit confused, I would have thought after because increased metabolism etc, but I've been reading to eat high energy foods before a cycle....

You could try something like a banana before hand and then a bit of breakfast after to help you recover.

Sounds perfect, also, I currently am unemployed, so no worries about being late! But I am late now to shop for a pair of long cycling pants, so better head to my bike store. Doing a 13 mile coastal run at 7 with a friend. Between winds, hills and 0c temp, shorts will be out of the question today!!!

t.m.h.n.e.t

BruunLoss wrote:

Sounds perfect, also, I currently am unemployed,

I must have had some sort of outerbody experience.When I got back you had a job.

BruunLoss

Well basically I was working in Pensions and Investments till last July, lost my job, but I have also been a photographer for 17 years and always have the odd job coming around but not even regular enough to consider it part time. It's mainly freelance stuff.

I see TMHNET your in Norn Iron, The Antrim Coast would be a place I'd love to cycle one day when fit enough. My first big cycle outside Dublin is Killarney National Park in April, my goal if I lose at least 30 pounds by then!

BruunLoss

PS: Nearly forgot, thanks everyone for the warm welcome to the forum!

t.m.h.n.e.t

BruunLoss wrote:

Well basically I was working in Pensions and Investments till last July, lost my job, but I have also been a photographer for 17 years and always have the odd job coming around but not even regular enough to consider it part time. It's mainly freelance stuff.

I see TMHNET your in Norn Iron, The Antrim Coast would be a place I'd love to cycle one day when fit enough. My first big cycle outside Dublin is Killarney National Park in April, my goal if I lose at least 30 pounds by then!

It's rather handy that I live right on it

There's plenty to see even between Larne and Ballycastle which isn't that much of a distance. The summer is approaching rapidly. Get up here,I'm sure we could bully the other NI residents to join.

BruunLoss

At the moment till I get back into the swing of things I'm doing 15 miles a day as I've been off the bike 6 months... But hope to get back to 25 a day and if on a cycling holiday, double that....

keef66

I'm not convinced by the fasted training malarkey. I once nearly keeled over in the front garden when I was trying to shift a ton of hardcore by hand before breakfast.

If I'm doing a proper morning ride I have to have a decent breakfast first, porridge this time of year. I think it helps me go faster and farther, which means I burn more calories.

keef66

Oh, and have a read of the current Cycling Plus. Motivational piece bout a chap who's lost almost as much as you weigh through diet and cycling. Loads of us on here have been following his progress via his blog. I'll see if I can find a link

keef66

http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/

BruunLoss

Cool, downloaded Feb Edition yesterday, will download March edition now. Thanks Keef

Stick8267

You come across as so positive I have no doubts you will do well. I think I'll follow you for inspiration rather than the other way around!

The whole breakfast thing is difficult but if your main aim is weight loss I would suggest the only wrong thing to do is have breakfast before you set off and then again when you return. Otherwise it's what works for you. Personally I always feel hungry coming off a ride even if I ate before setting off so tend to eat after and avoid pre-ride breakfast.

Good luck and you'll know the bug has really caught when you open the waxing vs shaving vs Veet threads because you really want to know the answer!

BruunLoss

Stick8267 wrote:

You come across as so positive I have no doubts you will do well. I think I'll follow you for inspiration rather than the other way around!

The whole breakfast thing is difficult but if your main aim is weight loss I would suggest the only wrong thing to do is have breakfast before you set off and then again when you return. Otherwise it's what works for you. Personally I always feel hungry coming off a ride even if I ate before setting off so tend to eat after and avoid pre-ride breakfast.

Good luck and you'll know the bug has really caught when you open the waxing vs shaving vs Veet threads because you really want to know the answer!

Thanks Stick 8267, I really appreciate the positive feedback. Again, more inspiration that I am doing the right thing. I think overall, I simply became a couch donut after losing my job and with anxiety problems I stayed in a lot! When my weight hit nearly 300lbs, I thought, my god, I'm one of those fat guys off the biggest loser! [No disrespect to fat people, I know myself that it can be cause by various medical conditions as just as simply from over eating comfort food] But I thought enough is enough, 39 this summer, I don't want to get heart disease or type II diabetes like my brother who is over weight. At 6ft 4 and 297.4 I am clinically obese which really kicked my arse into gear! [pun intended!]

So the fact I had to admit to myself I am too overweight, and admit it to the world via twitter and a YOU TUBE channel, I had people to answer to, who expected results each week, so even if my will power was bad in the past, I didn't want to let other people down and that's the thing that inspires me most, that and the positive feedback I get.

Anyhow first results of the week 1 weigh-in will be uploaded this evening:

www.youtube.com/user/bruunloss

Follow on Twitter also: @Bruunloss

benno68

Keep up the good work mate and enjoy your cycling! Sounds like you're doing all the right things - having the odd pint of Guinness or Bulmers/Magners wouldn't hurt.

t.m.h.n.e.t

http://www.endomondo.com/home may be useful to you. Subbed on youtube too

BruunLoss

Really appreciate that, thank you.

andyrr

Pre-ride you could try starting to drink something instead of sitting down for something more substantiaal. Energy drink or even just some diluted fresh orange, just so you aren't running on nothing for the start of the ride.

denzzz28

Hi just want to share to you my own motivation.

1) keeping up with my cycling buddies is one of my greatest weight loss motivator. my "GOAL" is to atleast level up with their fitness level. they are fast cyclist and they climb hills like eating cup cakes. so "how?" you might ask. if you think about it in order to level up with them i need to be like them. they are skinny and they train a lot on and off the saddle. and because of this I push my self to loose weight and train hard.

2) To live longer and healthier for my family, to also encourage or influence my wife and 3 sons to be active in sports and to eat less junk food.

3) looking good and feeling good. March 2011, at 35 I weigh almost 100kgs and im only 5'9", im always feeling tired and im getting more illness than I use to be. my beer belly is getting bigger and bigger. all my clothes feels like its shrinking. now I am 75kgs, I feel good and everybody tells me that I look much younger and that for me is enough motivation to continue what im doing.

My advice to you is to make a GOAL and give it a time frame and hopefully that will motivate you because if you reach that goal your greatest price is your health.

BruunLoss

andyrr wrote:

Pre-ride you could try starting to drink something instead of sitting down for something more substantiaal. Energy drink or even just some diluted fresh orange, just so you aren't running on nothing for the start of the ride.

Thanks Andy, good idea, will do that this morning.

BruunLoss

denzzz28 wrote:

Hi just want to share to you my own motivation.

1) keeping up with my cycling buddies is one of my greatest weight loss motivator. my "GOAL" is to atleast level up with their fitness level. they are fast cyclist and they climb hills like eating cup cakes. so "how?" you might ask. if you think about it in order to level up with them i need to be like them. they are skinny and they train a lot on and off the saddle. and because of this I push my self to loose weight and train hard.

2) To live longer and healthier for my family, to also encourage or influence my wife and 3 sons to be active in sports and to eat less junk food.

3) looking good and feeling good. March 2011, at 35 I weigh almost 100kgs and im only 5'9", im always feeling tired and im getting more illness than I use to be. my beer belly is getting bigger and bigger. all my clothes feels like its shrinking. now I am 75kgs, I feel good and everybody tells me that I look much younger and that for me is enough motivation to continue what im doing.

My advice to you is to make a GOAL and give it a time frame and hopefully that will motivate you because if you reach that goal your greatest price is your health.

Denzzz28, good points and congrats on your weight loss. My family are changing their eating habits to match my healthy eating now and I am constantly making more and more salads which I never ate before really. I need to remember to increase my fluid intake and I have set goals now for the future too. I've embraced this healthier life style with open arms...

CambsNewbie

Good luck on your weight loss journey...

Just looked at your website. Some of your pictures are amazing! Very talented. Love the one in New York with the taxi.. Just amazing!

BruunLoss

CambsNewbie wrote:

Good luck on your weight loss journey...

Just looked at your website. Some of your pictures are amazing! Very talented. Love the one in New York with the taxi.. Just amazing!

Thanks CambsNewbie. Appreciate the comments.

BruunLoss

So quick update... seem to be stuck around the 20lbs loss mark. I fell off the wagon a few times having some beers which I now regret as I forget just how many I can drink when out for a good time. Trying to concentrate a lot more on my diet, taking in a few faster spins rather then distance but still enjoy the good distance ones sometimes. Still, a lot of support from you guys here and on Twitter so I appreciate that.