Hey Tubby! Up for a challenge?

[Daniel]

Bike wont fit in my car. It would fit in my wife's SUV but my wife works in East Williamson Cnty. I work on White Bridge in Nashville. Ill figure something out.

I want to do it regularly not just once or twice. I need to get on it before winter though.

[ttocswob]

Down 3 - now 229

My method? Arise, take up thy lazy butt, and walk.

[Guest mustangdave]

Im seriously thinking of biking my 11 miles to work. I just dont want to do the 11 miles home.

That's a good goal...once upon a time way back in the late 80's and early 90's I use to commute to work on my bike...only had ONE car. I was doing 20 miles one way back then...Find the FLATTEST route you can...and watch out for CARS...just like a motorcyclist...RIDE DEFENSIVELY...They DO NOT see you. I was hit twice in my bike commuting days...NOT FUN.

On the plus side...you will get FIT as HELL. Good luck...get yourself a helmet and a REFLECTIVE Vest

[Daniel]

Im straight down Hwy 100 from White bridge to Warner park.

[Mike.357]

sodas, even if they are diet will cause a huge hindrance to weight loss.

Just my 2 cents. I am a fat ass and don't really care.

[Guest mustangdave]

Im straight down Hwy 100 from White bridge to Warner park.

Dang!!! that's pretty flat...a bit congested during commute hours though...but that's seriously do-able. When I moved here I lived out in Bellvue...and scoped out routes to work when I worked at the TENNESSEAN

[Guest mosinon]

Im seriously thinking of biking my 11 miles to work. I just dont want to do the 11 miles home.

The ride home is the easy part, hell you want to go there, it's the ride to work that is rough.

I used to do eight miles with hills to work when I had no car and it was really rough at first. HAving to walk the bike up hill and so forth but I got better quickly. I think when I started it tok me a hour or so to get to work but about 20 or thirty minutes after a few months in.

I'd get a road bike because it will make it much easier. Clipless pedals help a bunch too but they take some getting used to.

Try it, it's fun!

[Guest mustangdave]

LOL...did about 7 miles on the bike after work today...I live in ANTIOCH...I was seriously motoring...had my heart rate up to 168....

[dralarms]

sodas, even if they are diet will cause a huge hindrance to weight loss.

Just my 2 cents. I am a fat ass and don't really care.

Why? Not why are you a fat ass, but why will diet drinks keep you from loosing weight?

[Daniel]

LOL...did about 7 miles on the bike after work today...I live in ANTIOCH...I was seriously motoring...had my heart rate up to 168....

only did 2. all the time I had. I do have weights to do tonight.

[Guest mustangdave]

Why? Not why are you a fat ass, but why will diet drinks keep you from loosing weight?

Cause you usually get a big greasy burger with all the trimmings and a large fries with that DIET SODA

That's called setting yourself up to FAIL

[dralarms]

Cause you usually get a big greasy burger with all the trimmings and a large fries with that DIET SODA

That's called setting yourself up to FAIL

Ok, so it's nothing in the soda it's self? OK, I dont' like the taste of regular sodas, the diet ones taste better to me.

As far as weight, let me tell you what I told a dr. that told me I needed to loose weight. I told him " I may be fat, but you are UGLY, and I CAN loose weight.":D

[Guest mustangdave]

on the DIET soda topic...my brother in law "claims"...a 20+ pound shrinkage just from switching...I don't see it in street clothes...though

[Daniel]

Dang!!! that's pretty flat...a bit congested during commute hours though...but that's seriously do-able. When I moved here I lived out in Bellvue...and scoped out routes to work when I worked at the TENNESSEAN

Just over 11 miles and Just under an hour. Crossing roads and towards the start of my route I have to go on Old Hickory between Edwin and Percy Warner Parks were the hardest part. I can do this.

I can count PT time as part of my work schedule so I plan on doing so.

[Guest mustangdave]

Just over 11 miles and Just under an hour. Crossing roads and towards the start of my route I have to go on Old Hickory between Edwin and Percy Warner Parks were the hardest part. I can do this.

I can count PT time as part of my work schedule so I plan on doing so.

AWESOME...way to go.

[Guest pjblurton]

I'm proud of you guys... Really.

It's a little late for me to join in the fun. Dec 01, 2008, I was 231 lbs. Not terrible, but not great when you're 5' 8"!

Today I am 175 and at 15% body fat. Right about where I want to be.

Opinions are like, well you know what they are like. And we all have one. Some things that worked for me, that you all might take into consideration while on your quest:

1. Don't think of anything that you are doing as a "diet". Diets are temporary. Diets ALWAYS fail. If not at first, then when you meet your goals and get off the "diet", the weight returns. You just waisted a lot of time and energy and deprived yourself of things you love for a short term fix.

Consider this an opportunity to make a "lifestyle change". For example, I love beer. Plain and simple, I LOVE it! I would not do without it because I knew if I went 30 or 60 days without a beer, the day would come that I would have 20. The solution for me was to have one beer a day, but only on days that I worked out. I work out 5 days a week so thats 5 beers a week. That was my carrot on a stick, if you will.

2. Find a routine that works for you. If a gym membership works for you, DO IT! If walking / running in your neighborhood after dinner works for you, DO IT!. It doesn't matter if its P90X, YMCA, Bowflex or tiddlywinks, If you are working out 4 - 5 times a week and can do it EVERY week with out fail, you will see permanent results. BUT, if it is not a repeatable routine that you can live with for the rest of your life, the results are going to be temporary.

3. Remember there is only one formula for weight loss that works every time. It is infallible. It is time proven.

Calories in < Calories out

Track everything you eat. Everything! If you have a great memory and can track it in your head, Good for you! I don't trust myself to do that. I would conveniently forget that extra granola bar I had for lunch, or that second piece of pizza. I would suggest writing it down or keeping a log somewhere. I used http://www.fitday.com to track my intake every day. The best feature of this website is that not only did it track calories, but it gives you a breakdown of where your calories come from in percentages of fat, carbs and protein.

The most critical part of this formula is knowing how many calories your body requires to complete the day. Most people start with an RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate. This is how many calories that your body consumes at rest with no activity. Then add the number of calories you burn through your daily activity. Then subtract a calorie deficit based on the the amount of weight you want to loose over time. This will give you the total amount of calories you need to eat / drink in a day. If you exceed this number, work out a little more. If you don't, have a special treat that day.

I'm sorry for rambling on so long, but I really feel strongly about this topic. I don't post here much, but I do lurk most days reading comments and keeping track of things. If anyone has any questions about RMR or anything else, shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to help.

Best of luck to you all!

[Guest mustangdave]

Excellent advise PJ...230 to 175 is HUGE

[Guest pjblurton]

Thanks Dave, It takes time, patience and hard work. But mostly time!

Keep in mind that was over the course of 9 months working out 6 days a week eating 2300 calories a day in addition to competing in 5k's and splitting logs for the winter.

Don't let anyone tell you (especially yourself) that you can't do it. The human body is an amazing apparatus. The coolest part of it is, you can mold it into anything you want to.

You just have to want to...

[Guest db99wj]

I'm proud of you guys... Really.

It's a little late for me to join in the fun. Dec 01, 2008, I was 231 lbs. Not terrible, but not great when you're 5' 8"!

Today I am 175 and at 15% body fat. Right about where I want to be.

Opinions are like, well you know what they are like. And we all have one. Some things that worked for me, that you all might take into consideration while on your quest:

1. Don't think of anything that you are doing as a "diet". Diets are temporary. Diets ALWAYS fail. If not at first, then when you meet your goals and get off the "diet", the weight returns. You just waisted a lot of time and energy and deprived yourself of things you love for a short term fix.

Consider this an opportunity to make a "lifestyle change". For example, I love beer. Plain and simple, I LOVE it! I would not do without it because I knew if I went 30 or 60 days without a beer, the day would come that I would have 20. The solution for me was to have one beer a day, but only on days that I worked out. I work out 5 days a week so thats 5 beers a week. That was my carrot on a stick, if you will.

2. Find a routine that works for you. If a gym membership works for you, DO IT! If walking / running in your neighborhood after dinner works for you, DO IT!. It doesn't matter if its P90X, YMCA, Bowflex or tiddlywinks, If you are working out 4 - 5 times a week and can do it EVERY week with out fail, you will see permanent results. BUT, if it is not a repeatable routine that you can live with for the rest of your life, the results are going to be temporary.

3. Remember there is only one formula for weight loss that works every time. It is infallible. It is time proven.

Calories in < Calories out

Track everything you eat. Everything! If you have a great memory and can track it in your head, Good for you! I don't trust myself to do that. I would conveniently forget that extra granola bar I had for lunch, or that second piece of pizza. I would suggest writing it down or keeping a log somewhere. I used http://www.fitday.com to track my intake every day. The best feature of this website is that not only did it track calories, but it gives you a breakdown of where your calories come from in percentages of fat, carbs and protein.

The most critical part of this formula is knowing how many calories your body requires to complete the day. Most people start with an RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate. This is how many calories that your body consumes at rest with no activity. Then add the number of calories you burn through your daily activity. Then subtract a calorie deficit based on the the amount of weight you want to loose over time. This will give you the total amount of calories you need to eat / drink in a day. If you exceed this number, work out a little more. If you don't, have a special treat that day.

I'm sorry for rambling on so long, but I really feel strongly about this topic. I don't post here much, but I do lurk most days reading comments and keeping track of things. If anyone has any questions about RMR or anything else, shoot me a PM. I'll be happy to help.

Best of luck to you all!

That site is great, I used it when I lost my 25lbs. I don't anymore, because my habits have changed! It's amazing how lifestyle changes...work. I have maintained my weight for about 5 months. I monitor my weight and if it gets into my "high" range, I get a little more restrictive on calories in, and increase the exercise. I started running and was happy with the occasional 5K, however, just signed up for the Memphis Half Marathon in December for St. Jude. Never thought or had the desire to do this, until I got into this.

[Guest mustangdave]

I know...as I stated earlier in this thread...I started out in Feb07 at 280...and have SLOWLY chopped it down to 245-250...and during this period I had my knee SCOPED...The YMCA is great...I did Indoor SPIN Classes twice a week...and walked the track on saturdays...after the surgeory I switched to swimming laps three times a week...just recently I bought a new bike (sold the old one to Daniel here on TGO)...and have been adding the cycling back into the routine on weekends with my wife...and when I can't get to the YMCA. The trick is to KEEP at IT...and be consistant

[Guest pjblurton]

My buddy entered that half marathon. I just ain't feelin' it!

[Guest H0TSH0T]

i hit 270lbs. this past spring, it scared the poop out of me when i steped on the scale, loosing weight but not really on any kind of diet, down to 245-250 goal is to hit 200 or less, with no date set, its not all fat, i am a pretty big guy to start out with and do enough exercise doing physical labor on the job, so you want see me in a gym, or running outside, but you will see me loosing the fat.

[Daniel]

ridden today:

time 1:56

miles 21.8

Just over 11 to work and I took a short cut through nashville state's parking lot on the way home.

[Daniel]

I keep hovering between 209 and 207.

[Guest eyebedam]

Down to 197 from 208 when we started. I haven't done much but cut out cokes completly throughout the week. I had my first coke yesterday & I'm have a splash of coke with some Rum right now. I've also cut out alcohol Sunday thru Thursday. I just been drinking on Friday & Saturday.