23.5 kg to be lost

carrielou

So its time now to get rid of this excess baggage. Cycling is going good for me but need to completely change my diet. gave up the cigs in January, took up cycling in May and now its time to sort out the weight. In no major hurry to do it, slow and steady will be fine, would be great to have it gone this time next year but even half of it by next March would be fantastic.

5'2" - 86kg (:eek:) - need to get down to 63.5kg (10 stone is ok for my build as I can then wear size 8-10 jeans, the girls will understand :rolleyes:)



Goals: WEIGHT

5 Kg by October Bank Holiday Weekend (Birthday time ) - 81kg

next 5 kg by Christmas - 76kg

next 5 kg by end of March - 71kg

next 5 kg by end of June - 66kg

next 3.5 kg by end of August - 63.5kg

HILLS

Need to just get lots more hills under my belt, am very slow up them but I am sure as I get more training in and the weight begins to drop then I will get faster, I believe they never get easier:o

stas

I'll race you to 76kg - I'm 85kg now.

carrielou

haha sounds good, what does the winner get

cdaly_

Lighter!...

carrielou

WOOP - haha love it

carrielou

was just over reading Inquitis log again and it really is an inspiration. I also noticed that in the beginning it was short spins like 20km or so but he tried to get out as many days as he could.

Didnt get out Monday as when I was driving the leaves and twigs flying around the place were a warning I reckon as to how bad the wind actually was so used the WII for half an hour to jog on the spot, worked up a sweat so felt good.

Went out today and done 28.5km in 1h 18min, gradual climb for the first 15km or so and then 1 short sharp dig and then I kinda went touring around the Ballyhoura countryside, it really is beautiful, and then put the boot down a small bit to come home. I hope to do this same route next Tuesday again and see if I can do it in less time.

Today was bad and good, came face to face with a very angry alsation whom I roared at like a mad man but his owner was somewhere inside the ditch roaring at him as well TG.........got chased by 2 medium sized collie kinda doggies, thank God I was on the flat and managed to out run them over the half mile and then eventually a Jack Terrier did not like the look of me . An eventful 28.5km I can tell you.

Hoping to go for a good spin tomorrow up Glenanaar etc and cover a good few hills...........would be good if the weather was calmer

wilmaa

HI there, reading over your entries, suggest you set yourself some cycling targets / goals, have a look at the An Post series for next year.

Also find yourself some like minded cycling buddies. We have a ladies group as part of our cycling club that try to meet once a week, although I forgot completely tonight! have gotten myself roped into scouts for the winter. keep us posted on your progress, there seems to be a lot of support out there, that guy Inquitis has done mighty. Good luck

Beasty

carrielou wrote: »

was just over reading Inquitis log again and it really is an inspiration. I also noticed that in the beginning it was short spins like 20km or so but he tried to get out as many days as he could.

Didnt get out Monday as when I was driving the leaves and twigs flying around the place were a warning I reckon as to how bad the wind actually was so used the WII for half an hour to jog on the spot, worked up a sweat so felt good.

Went out today and done 28.5km in 1h 18min, gradual climb for the first 15km or so and then 1 short sharp dig and then I kinda went touring around the Ballyhoura countryside, it really is beautiful, and then put the boot down a small bit to come home. I hope to do this same route next Tuesday again and see if I can do it in less time.

Today was bad and good, came face to face with a very angry alsation whom I roared at like a mad man but his owner was somewhere inside the ditch roaring at him as well TG.........got chased by 2 medium sized collie kinda doggies, thank God I was on the flat and managed to out run them over the half mile and then eventually a Jack Terrier did not like the look of me . An eventful 28.5km I can tell you.

Hoping to go for a good spin tomorrow up Glenanaar etc and cover a good few hills...........would be good if the weather was calmer

Lots of short spins definitely worked for me - I built up by basically commuting for a couple of years - 23km each way, starting once a week, but building up to being capable of 5 days a week, and extending the commute. Doing it year round definitely helps (which ideally means investing in some decent winter gear) - the only "weather" I steer clear of is ice

You've set yourself some pretty ambitious targets, so don't get demoralised if you don't hit them all. You'll get there eventually if you keep up the cycling, and will definitely feel better (and be a lot fitter) for it

bcmf

May not be the worst thing in the world to get a heart rate moniter.One the gives a Calorie readout. At least you will know how much you are burning off.

stas

When I got my bike last July I went from 85kg to 78kg by mid-September. Watched my diet and went regularly on shortish (~30km) spins 2-3 times during the week and a longish spin (60-100km) on the weekend. I think what also helped a lot was a 6months calendar on the wall right above the floor scales where I registered my weight on a daily basis. It was easy to track the progress and was motivational.

But then of course the winter kicked in... The calendar is still on that wall to remind me!

carrielou

Have a feeling ye lot are gonna be my best friends for the next 12 months or so haha.

Have been cycling now since 1st June and have become pretty strong (or so I think) on the flat, can power along nicely avg 26kph on flattish surface. Sharp / steep inclines slow me down............ sharp short hills kill me...........long drags which are classed as grade 5 are doable and have been known to conquer a grade 4 on 1 occassion (as per map my ride).

Wilmaa - i joined our local cycling club when i started and they have been absolutely great on firstly our beginner/improver spins once a week but also i join them on the club spin on Sunday morning where everyone and anyone is out and I find it great to try to hold onto the "big boys" for as long as possible. I done the SK 90k in just under 4 hours this year and hope to do the SK 90 again next year in a better time. The An Post series would be a good aim to complete them all though.

Beasty - u are also an inspiration and are a great support on this forum. I was thinking now of getting out every day during the week for shorter spins but to make sure I hit at least 1 hill on every spin. Can use the weekends to do the longer runs then. As I said, I feel great on the flat but the hills are holding me back big time and I am blaming the weight. I have not lost 1 ounce since I started and I have 1500km + cycled since June. Its my diet needs the radical change and I believe by being very good that I may at least get close to my goals.

bcmf - I agree with you totally but have spent a small fortune since starting cycling so am on the look out for a monitor. there is a gamin 705 on here for 220 wud u recommend it.

Stas - did the weight just creep back on again the moment u stopped cycling?

I am determined to be lighter and fitter by next spring. I wont go out on ice or snow either Beasty as I cant afford to have broken bones with 5 children to look after. I would love to be able to shoot up hills without killing myself and it would be so nice to wear size 10 again

Thanks for all the suggestions and comments, it is very much appreciated

stas

carrielou wrote: »

Stas - did the weight just creep back on again the moment u stopped cycling?

Not really _that moment_, it takes time as with everything, but essentially - yes. At first I was very fascist about my diet - ate only yogurts and fruit during the day and salads in the evening (sliced oven cooked chicken breast, a bag of mixed or crunchy salad from Lidl/Tesco, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, a bit of light feta or cottage cheese from Lidl again - no mayo, no oil, no cheese, no bread, potatoes - a BIG NO), counting calories, only buying stuff with less than 2-3g fat per 100g, cutting down bread and potatoes entirely, considerably cutting down sugar intake.

Then with lots of cycling as my metabolism started working again I needed to eat more and could do that without affecting my weight (however I would still eat kinda healthy, just not as light/little).

When I stopped cycling except the commute I wasn't careful enough to review my new eating patterns, and then there was holidays, Christmas and so on... Metabolism slowed down, calorie spending decreased, the honeymoon with the bike was already over, so the weight started to come back.

The way I'm going to tackle this is:

• Implement stricter diet (lost half a kilo yesterday from eating fruit all day)
• Start cycling during a week (I can't even cycle to work now as I have a school run in the morning), this will be a problem going into the winter as it gets darker; I shall invest in trainer - Lumen recommends Tacx Satori, I'll get this one then;
• Start cycling log here on boards;
• Join a club;

cdaly_

stas wrote: »

• Start cycling during a week (I can't even cycle to work now as I have a school run in the morning), this will be a problem going into the winter as it gets darker

I do this by driving back home and getting out the bike to cycle to work. I know of others who bring the bike on the car to school, park and cycle from there.

I'm also requiring of my (older) kids that they take the bus to school a couple of times per week. You wouldn't believe the protests that evokes!

@carrielou: I've found that my weight hasn't decreased all that much in 3 years of cycling but I'm sure it's all muscle now. One thing that will defeat you is the temptation to eat all around you when you get back in from a spin. One strategy I heard was to eat something when you get in (eg a couple of weetabix) and then go shower/change and wait a while before having a proper meal.

kuro_man

no mayo, no oil, no cheese, no bread, potatoes

Do potatoes really belong in this group? They are low in fat, high in vitamin C and help fill you up and keep hunger pangs away. I don't think low-fat dairy is harmful is the right quantities, you probably need to calcium.

The problem with eliminating certain foods is that it is hard to stick to it and harder to keep died varied. Variety is key: if it very hard to conclusively link any food to a health effect (good or bad) so having a wide variety of food prevents the over consumption of a single food or food category. After all, if you only ate only carrots and oranges, that wouldn't be considered a healthy diet.

I wouldn't get bogged down too much in good food vs bad food as long as diet is varied and you don't eat excessively.

seamus

kuro_man wrote: »

Do potatoes really belong in this group? They are low in fat, high in vitamin C and help fill you up and keep hunger pangs away.

Potatoes are awesome but they're quite dense. In my experience it's very easy to eat too many potatoes. Where you should probably have one large spud or 3/4 baby potatoes with your meal, here in Ireland we have a tendancy to pile on the aul shpuds. That's fine when you're about go out and do the rest of a days' work, not so much when you're just settling down for a night on the couch.

stas

kuro_man wrote: »

Do potatoes really belong in this group? They are low in fat, high in vitamin C and help fill you up and keep hunger pangs away. I don't think low-fat dairy is harmful is the right quantities, you probably need to calcium.

It's not a group as such, it's just stuff that - I think - makes me fat. So it's highly personal (but also common - as I heard). And don't get me wrong - I love potatoes.

kuro_man wrote: »

I wouldn't get bogged down too much in good food vs bad food as long as diet is varied and you don't eat excessively.

I agree. And I'll do that when I'm back to my normal weight, but before then some sacrifices need to be made.

carrielou

Yea, I haven't had a spud since Sunday haha, see that is part of my problem, i need to retrain to stop at 1 !!!!!! its like everything else. This 3 and half stone has crept on over past maybe 4 years, well the last one since i gave up the fags to be honest but i feel i can focus now again and get rid I have always been fine weight wise and food wise so long as I excercise but havent done much over past 4 years and i admit that when i took up the cycling i ate more to compensate but i didnt need it.

That comment re getting home from good spin and eating all around me...........u are spot on and now i try have bottle of water and a nutrigrain bar or an apple and hit the shower and then more water......

petethedrummer

carrielou wrote: »

Yea, I haven't had a spud since Sunday haha, see that is part of my problem, i need to retrain to stop at 1 !!!!!! its like everything else.

Decide long before you sit down, preferably at the start of the day, what you're going to eat. Whenever you decide its spuds today, say to yourself that you're having one. That way your decision is made early and its easier to restrain yourself from loading the plate. When you eat willy nilly and unplanned you eat like a pig. When I say "you" I really mean "I".

I have very poor self restraint and this is about the only tip I have for eating sensibly.

stas

To add to the above, something as simple as a smaller plate also helps. People get used to eating in standard portions, whereas the portions are all very individual.

My dear mother went to great lengths to train me not to leave anything on the plate. I'm fighting this habit to this day, and I'm not succeeding at that. So smaller plates is the only weapon I have got.

Killme00

stas wrote: »

no mayo, no oil, no cheese, no bread, potatoes - a BIG NO), counting calories, only buying stuff with less than 2-3g fat per 100g, cutting down bread and potatoes entirely, considerably cutting down sugar intake.

Normally i dont comment on things like this, however i feel i must. I do agree with cutting down on bread and potatoes (but not cutting out), however your ideas on fat intake are incorrect. I would advise reading some of Lyle McDonalds research into nutrition.

stas

Killme00 wrote: »

Normally i dont comment on things like this, however i feel i must. I do agree with cutting down on bread and potatoes, however your ideas on fat intake are incorrect. I would advise reading some of Lyle McDonalds research into nutrition.

I don't advocate this as an absolute way to go. I only gave an example of what worked for me when I went from a certain bigger weight to a certain smaller weight. YMMW. Apologies if this came across differently.

cdaly_

carrielou wrote: »

That comment re getting home from good spin and eating all around me...........u are spot on and now i try have bottle of water and a nutrigrain bar or an apple and hit the shower and then more water......

stas wrote: »

My dear mother went to great lengths to train me not to leave anything on the plate. I'm fighting this habit to this day

Also, as a mother, it's very easy to end up clearing the kids' plates if they don't themselves. I frequently finish my dinner, have seconds and then snack on the nice bits the kids didn't eat...

carrielou

just back from today spin 34km in 1 h 24 min, am trying to make myself spin my legs so staying in the small ring for the moment on all spins, i am assuming that by spinning my legs it will make everything that bit easier in time.........

wilmaa

Carrielou, yeap I think you are lumbered with us!

On the diet front I agree with Kura Man, don't get bogged down with good diets and not so good, variety is the key (food pyramid etc), and watch the additional fat and sugar we add.

Don't fall into the trap of when you come home after you get your heart rate monitor that tells you your calorie expenditure, of replacing every last one of those little calorie critters.

Post spin, the weetabix with milk or other hifi cereal is a good option, before you shower, so you are replacing your stores from the the get go and you're also getting a hint of protein from the milk to aid those muscles repair.

Congrats on the SKT 90, keep up the good work, you seem to be doing a great job. There's no way I was able to consider that distance after 3 months of spinning.

W

carrielou

Thanks for all the replies and good advice folks, variety in the diet is definitely a must but I also think that spuds and bread and nice goodies are my downfall. I love my dinner, meat, 2 veg, 10 spuds haha, i love TOAST so that is also where i have to watch big time and i love all things chocolate and sweet so these are just a no go for the moment. weetabix have a new snack bar out, (99c in Dunnes at mo for pack of 5 and only 79kcal per bar) the chocolate ones are gorgeous ! have bought some Go Ahead bars also and my trusty nutrigrain are always in the back pocket.........
went for a 28km spin in 1 h 20 min today, first 10.5km are slight incline all the ways and then a (map my ride grade 5) climb for 3.5km and turned then and came home. felt great as i climbed it at a constant speed of 12kph which was much better than my last time and also my breathing was much better until i practically hit the top and the headwind hit me straight in the face.
Powered home then and felt great cos worked up a great sweat. I know I have lost weight because the WII fit is telling me i have but I wont say a word until next Monday morning when the official weigh in will take place

carrielou

back from todays spin, decided to try my hand a bit of "spinning", its so easy but at the same time so hard, feels like your going nowhere !

37km in 1 h 38 min - avg 22.5

took forever to go around in the low gears but guess its doing me good ?

Captain Havoc

Just want to show you something:

This is Captain Tellytubby at 82kg(ish) shortly before I bought my first road bike in 2007:


This is me in 2010 at about 65kg:

carrielou

WOW - u look like 2 completely different people.......what did you do to transform yourself - did you diet - did you just cycle non-stop - how long did it all take - gosh so different, u must feel GREAT !:)

Beasty

Captain Havoc wrote: »

Just want to show you something:

This is Captain Tellytubby at 82kg(ish) shortly before I bought my first road bike in 2007:


This is me in 2010 at about 65kg:

Cheery Father Ted type character in the first

A lot more sinister looking in the second photo ...


Anyway, by my reckoning that's a paltry 20% of bodyweight gone - there are a number of people around here that have lost a lot more than that;)

Captain Havoc

carrielou wrote: »

WOW - u look like 2 completely different people.......what did you do to transform yourself - did you diet - did you just cycle non-stop - how long did it all take - gosh so different, u must feel GREAT !:)

Diet, not so much but was careful. Back when the first photo was taken I was a Food and Beverage manager in the Mount Herbert hotel so I was getting well fed and watered.

Ultimately it was loads of cycling that got me going, joining my local club helped me no end and I would recommend it. You must enjoy it, I tried running for a while but I wasn't enjoying it.

carrielou

Week 1:
Start weight 86.5kg – todays weight 85.1kg = 1.4kg lost (3 lbs)
Tue Sep 13 - 28.5 in 1h 18min - avg21.9 fst42.2 (hill)
Wed Sep 14 - 34km in 1h 24min - avg 24.3 fst46.6
Thu Sep 15 - 28km 1h 20min - avg 20.9 fst47.(hill)
Fri Sep 16 - 37km 1h 38min - avg 22.5 fst42. (constant spinning in low gear)
Sun Sep 18 - 56km 2h - avg 24.3 fst 39.

183.5km for the week – delighted !

This is the result of the first week guys, i have decided to stay in the small ring and learn how to spin (wasn’t doing it all along, was pushing high gears)

Went small bit astray over the weekend having a bit of Chinese Saturday night and a couple of fig rolls during the day and on Sunday had a bag of Taytos. Apart from that kept a food diary for the week, only took water on Tuesday to Friday spins.

On Sunday out with the club and have now realised the hotness that i get in my head is because by spinning i am probably putting my heart under pressure and I was told it was my body’s way of telling me to slow down! I am going to get myself a monitor of some kind just trying to decide what to get now.

Overall happy, at least I am on the right track.

PS: i started my log at the even number of 86kg but when i actually stood on scales last Monday morning it read 86.5kg

carrielou

Week 2:

Week 1 weight 85.1kg – todays weight 84.2kg = 900 grams lost (1.98 lbs)

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 2.3KG (5.07 LBS) :-)

Tue Sep 20 - 60km in 1h 18min - avg23.3 fst39.8
Sun Sep 25 - 63km 2h 52m - avg 21.3 fst 47.1.

123km for the week – disappointed with that, (should have left the housework) !

Overall a bit disappointed as I meant to get out more on the bike but put other things first but I wont let that happen this week. Weather is to be fab so I am gonna get out as much as I can.

Weight is travelling in the right direction at least and just need to keep this going down.

cdaly_

10% done already...

carrielou

nice way of looking at it cdaly................

carrielou

Week 3:

Week 2 weight 84.2kg – todays weight 84.4kg = 200 grams up (.44 lbs)

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 2.1KG (4.62 LBS) :-(

Mon Sep 26 - 58km in 2h 35min - avg22.3 fst39.7
Sat Oct 1 - 100km 4h

158km for the week – disappointed with that, (should have left the housework) !

Overall a bit disappointed (again) I meant to get out more on the bike but put other things first

Weight went slightly up but I know I had 1 bad day so have to make sure it doesnt happen again.

Really need to start hammering the bike but have sick children at the moment so dunno what this week will turn out like....................

reilig

You're doing good, keep it up.

I know that it can be a little disappointing when you put on a small bit of weight in a week, but remember that this is most likely caused by converting fat to muscle - and muscle weighs heavier than fat!

carrielou wrote: »

Week 3:

Week 2 weight 84.2kg – todays weight 84.4kg = 200 grams up (.44 lbs)

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 2.1KG (4.62 LBS) :-(

Mon Sep 26 - 58km in 2h 35min - avg22.3 fst39.7
Sat Oct 1 - 100km 4h

158km for the week – disappointed with that, (should have left the housework) !

Overall a bit disappointed (again) I meant to get out more on the bike but put other things first

Weight went slightly up but I know I had 1 bad day so have to make sure it doesnt happen again.

Really need to start hammering the bike but have sick children at the moment so dunno what this week will turn out like....................

Lumen

Losing weight on two cycles a week is going to be tough, as there are five days when you're doing no cycling at all.

Longer cycles don't have the same impact IMO; unless you're going very slowly you have to eat on the bike.

It's tough trying to organise cycling around kids, but they are useful for portion control. Try eating the same portion size as them. You'll either end up really thin or have very fat children. :pac:

seamus

Also, this will sound completely inane, but I notice your last two entries were on Mondays, but today's one is a Tuesday. I don't know if you weighed yourself yesterday or today, but in my experience you get the most consistent results if you weigh yourself at the same time and on the same day each week. You will get a lot more fluctuation if you change days (and especially if you change time).

What you did and what you ate the day before will impact your weight. Try to stick with weighing yourself second thing on Mondays (first thing is go to the loo!). Don't weigh yourself again this week. When you go up a bit, there's always a temptation to "verify" that result by weighing yourself again the next day. It never works, just motor on

carrielou

Thanks all

Weighed myself yesterday morning cos I will stick with Monday morning 2nd thing haha

4 children sick and my dad, some type of vomiting bug, i could do with getting it and not eat for 24 hours haha.

Yes, 2 days is not enough out on the bike and really need to start hammering about 4 days.

Perhaps the muscle is growing as well because i did notice on Saturday that the hills/inclines that used make me pant, it didnt happen on Saturday and i went up them pretty strong.

I will keep going, loving the cycling just need to do more of it !

Thanks for the support folks, its good to have it

ROK ON

Lumen wrote: »

Losing weight on two cycles a week is going to be tough, as there are five days when you're doing no cycling at all.

Longer cycles don't have the same impact IMO; unless you're going very slowly you have to eat on the bike.

Big +1.

Last year I lost over a stone in a short enough period of time. I did 4-5 2 hour cycles every week.
I lost more in that year than the prior year where I would have riden a long saturday cycle.
In the 2nd half of this year I put all the weight back on. Eating the same, but cycling 1 long cycle a week as opposed to 4 50km cycles.

carrielou

I would actually feel and million times better if I had got in 4 -5 40km cycles as opposed to the 2 I did do.

100km was an organised event and even though it was great fun and the longest distance I have cycled I think I only pushed it for about 20km of the cycle while I cycled with the leading lads........ Rest of the time I was chatting and waiting on the other females........

I know its not going to be easy but I am very determined.

Also a lot of people tellin me not to go out 2 days in a row, I would be thinking that if my legs feel fine then why not, I wont be doing any major climbing so not damaging my muscles that way and my legs feel fresh as a daisy after 40-50k spins, even felt fine after the 100km but of course i wasnt pushing it in anyway.

cdaly_

carrielou wrote: »

Perhaps the muscle is growing as well because i did notice on Saturday that the hills/inclines that used make me pant, it didnt happen on Saturday and i went up them pretty strong.

This. I spent a lot of time cycling and not losing weight but getting much fitter.

carrielou wrote: »

I would actually feel and million times better if I had got in 4 -5 40km cycles as opposed to the 2 I did do.

Also a lot of people tellin me not to go out 2 days in a row, I would be thinking that if my legs feel fine then why not, I wont be doing any major climbing so not damaging my muscles that way and my legs feel fresh as a daisy after 40-50k spins, even felt fine after the 100km but of course i wasnt pushing it in anyway.

Yeah, go out twice in a row. You could even go out every day for 20km aiming for about 40-50 min and then pushing your time down.

Caroline_ie

When I started cycling 5 years ago I lost 15kg. I was out on the bike an hour or so everyday and meticulously keeping my daily cal intake to 1300cal a day avg ( I am very short )
1 to 1.25 hours per day meant no snacking on the bike and just water in the bidon, just a banana before as I used to get out after work. I would lose about 1kg to 1.5kg per week.

carrielou

kids got Wii fit last month and according to it I have lost 4.1kg in the past month, exactly a month today since i stood on it..............:D

carrielou

Week 4:

Week 3 weight 84.4kg – todays weight 83.1kg = 1.3kg loss (2.86lbs) :P

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 3.4KG (7.5LBS)

Ok, so delighted with weight loss but due to sick children and then getting the ghastly bug myself I never got out on the bike once.............:o

things need to change drastically and now have it in my head to start at an hour per day every day and try to just get stronger and faster which would increase my distance i would hope every week in what i can do in an hour..........

carrielou

Week 5: no cycling was sick weight stayed at 83.1kg

Week 6: weight 83.1kg – todays weight 81.2kg = 1.9kg loss (4.19lbs)

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 5.3KG (11.6LBS)

Saturday 57km Charity Cycle
Sunday 50km Club Spin

Ok, so delighted with weight loss but still not cycling enough. Got very wet on Saturday but that was ok. Got very wet and cold on Sunday, dont mind the wet but must now start covering the legs as they went numb on the spin yesterday morning due to the wet and cold.

Really need to up the cycling, inclines and hills are still an almighty battle ........

seamus

Great job, you're doing well.

carrielou wrote: »

Got very wet and cold on Sunday, dont mind the wet but must now start covering the legs as they went numb on the spin yesterday morning due to the wet and cold.

The rule that some people go by is that when the temps drop below 15C, you should cover your knees.
Now, I don't go with that because 15C is an average summer's day
But particularly now into October, you should really have longer heavier gear on to keep you warm. It's warm-ish at the moment, but it's October and the temperature can change quite quickly mid-spin when it starts raining or if the wind picks up.

Really need to up the cycling, inclines and hills are still an almighty battle ........

They always will be. You need to make peace with one thing; there will never come a day when you can glide effortlessly up a hill. As you get stronger, you will get quicker, and so you will choose a higher gear and you'll still be sweating and puffing up the hills.

The main difference you will notice though, and probably are already noticing with 5kg gone, is that those hills which have you in the easiest gear are getting easier and you recover much more quickly at the top.
What actually makes hills feel good is when you're in a bunch and overtaking people going uphill. It's then you realise that you're actually getting better

ROK ON

carrielou wrote: »

Ok, so delighted with weight loss but still not cycling enough. Got very wet on Saturday but that was ok. Got very wet and cold on Sunday, dont mind the wet but must now start covering the legs as they went numb on the spin yesterday morning due to the wet and cold.

No matter waht you wear you are going to be wet on the bike on a day like yday.
I was out for three hours and a bit and once warmed up I was never cold, despite being wet to the bone.
You need
LS Baselayer,
LS Winter jersey
Either full length fleece lined tights or leg warmers.
Overshoes.
Peaked cycling cap does a lot to keep the rain/spray from your eyes.
light/breathable rain jacket (they are not waterproof, but resistant - the insulate from rain and wind) A waterproof jacket wont allow your sweat to escape so you get very wet and very cold.

carrielou

Thanks folks, getting there

Yep, I understand what you say bout the hills and on Sunday they were a disaster. I wore shorts and my legs got cold and started to go numb which meant I couldnt stand up or use my strength on the hills - disaster.

I shall have my club winter gear in a week or so and was trying to avoid splashing out more cash before that came.

My top half was find with baselayer jersey and light jacket but my toes and my thighs seemed to have come off the worst, it was a nightmare for the last 10 - 15km, live and learn eh

insinkerator

You're doing fantastically with the weight loss! Im a tad jealous myself. Started my log at the start of the summer at 100kg, I now weigh around 97 or thereabouts. I've been getting plenty of excercise, but my diet always fails me :O.

Giving up alcohol for movember though, so fingers crossed that, and some elbow grease will start giving results!

carrielou

Week 7: Was away for the whole bank hol weekend eating and drinking :eek: so didnt even look at the scales never mind get up on it !!!!

Week 8: weight 83.1kg – todays weight 83.2kg = 2kg gan (4.41lbs)

TOTAL LOST SO FAR IS 3.3KG (7.2LBS)

Ok guys between the bank hol weekend and the kids off school for the midterm, I havent been on the bike in 2 weeks. had a great bank hold wknd in West Cork but paid for it by eating and drinking way too much. Impossible to do this with the kids driving me mad so didnt bother last week.

Hope to really make a good dent in it this week, was out this morning for an hour and hope to go out tomorrow morning and do a turbo session with the club tomorrow evening and aim to get out every morning just for an hour except Saturday so legs will be fresh for Sunday Morning Spin.

Was a bit disappointed with the increase again in weight but it is the story of my life so if I manage a good dent this week I just might get myself back on track for Christmas.

Signed myself up for a charity cycling over the first wknd of March, 380km in 3 days ............ need to train for this one so any suggestions are very welcome.

Guys/Gals thank you for your comments, it really is an inspiration to know that ye are interested enough to read and leave comments to urge me on. Thank You