Mountain Biking and Weight Loss?

not the typical kind like you see people take for weight loss competitions...

i was going through a rough spot in training this year and looked up some old pictures of myself for motivation. you can find two of them here.

http://themannadventure.blogspot.com/2009/03/power-of-self-doubt.html

if you look around on there you will also find more recent pictures. riding bikes has definitely saved me from being a slug.

 

When I returned to the sport I went from 220 to 200 in about 4 months then just stayed there. I get to ride about 3 times a week. I would like to drop down below 190 but it's been tough to shed the last 10 to 15 lbs. However, I can say that the climbs get easier, or at least get faster and seem shorter. Also, the recovery time, both during the ride and after, gets a lot shorter. Interval training is especially good to improve your ability to recover but personally I don't enjoy it so it tough make myself do it. I hope you have more disipline than me. Gook Luck and Welcome Back!!

 

I started working out consistently about the same time I took up biking. In fact, biking became my cardio of sorts because I hate to run. I went from 278 and flabby to 217 and ripped in about a year from a combination of daily workouts, rides and proper diet.

It certainly helps. Any physical activity will help.

 

My personal favorite diet meal:
Wahoo's fish salad, no tortilla strips, no dressing, extra salsa...about $6.50 and lots of protein.

 

Ladiesman,

I have the Garmin 705. Don't buy it for the calorie counter, buy it for the other info. I asked at RNR and they said if you want a good calorie counter, get the polar. After using mine for the last 3 months I agree. I've gone on moderate road rides where the Garmin says I'm burning 1k calories per hour and hard MTB rides with tons of elevation gain and a much higher heart rate, where I'm burning 750 calories per hour... doesn't make sense to me. The rest of the info is awesome though. It's great to go out and do a course and then repeat it 2 weeks later and try to beat your own time.

As far as weight loss riding does a great job of taking the pounds off, but you really have to look at the diet. Right now I'm riding about 10 hours a week and the pounds are coming off (down to 163 from 173 in January) but if you slow down on the riding and maintain the same diet, the pounds will pile back on. For me it's been a matter of reducing beer intake (sacrilege) and cutting out dessert.

Best of luck

 

My $0.02:

Get a Garmin 305 or something like it. If you want to work on conditioning (fitness, weight loss etc.) it is ESSENTIAL to track progress and measure the effectiveness of different training strategies. It also helps you refine your output (effort) whilst riding so you get the most out of you rides and don't goof off or bonk.

Regarding weight - I agree, the first 15 pounds are free - you just have to ride, no lifestyle changes. But once you hit that weight plateau only changes in your diet can really get you any lower. A lot of people are happy here, they eat tacos, drink beer & ride. But if you want to go lower in weight you can't simply ride more, you have to change your diet.

+1 on it never getting easier beacuse you just find harder stuff. But man is it a nice ego trip to pump out a few laps and feel good on something that used to nearly kill you. I'll never forget my very humble beginnings on a 'mountain bike' (from walmart) and what a long, long push Westridge fire road was.

 

I think the fastest way to drop weight is to watch what you eat. No fast food or soda is a good place to start. I have also found that running 2 times per week drops far more weight than mountain biking. I prefer to ride though but throwing in a few runs per week have made the couple rides I do that much more enjoyable. My legs and cardio also seem to be in much better shape that those that only ride.

 

I lost 70 lbs in less than a year by commuting by bicycle, mtb'ing and eating a little better.

 

26er Zen Master said that was from "riding the dragon"?:lol::lol:

 

I had been +/- 1 pound form 160 since my High School Graduation. In 2005, i got in a car accident and made it up to 172 because I couldn't do much of anything. Before my surgery to fix the f'ed up neck I went on an anti-inflammation diet. I dropped form 172 to 150 and it was all diet.

The formula is simple: Calories Consumed vs. Calories Burned.

Everything else is a detail. Generally I eat until I'm 80% full and often walk away for a meal still hungry but it hasn't done me any harm

Now I keep a pretty tight reign on my weight both before and after my rides. I drink a beer for every pound lost.
I try to ride 3x a week and love SS climbing. I'm pretty lean now and the downside is that I get cold pretty easily and I'm always looking for my next meal.:beer:

Riding gets more fun the more you ride and the better shape you get in for sure... but remember, everyone's body has a natural set point and if you are trying to get below that the effort required is unbelievable.

 

:lol: I had to look that up on the Urban Dictionary. Never done any of that stuff.

If anything the munchies made it harder for me...

Those Hotwings didn't help either...

 

As soon as I got on the bike I was a gifted technical climber. I've been good with short steep & rock climbs from the beginning. It's the long grinds where they will kick your butt at the beginning.

The best part about my loss was the little things got better and easier. From tieing your shoes, knee/back pain, stairs etc... Even though you're exhausted from riding the day before your energy level will start to climb after every ride.

Best of luck and don't ever let taking longer or being in the back stop you from riding. When I take noobs/returning vets riding I don't mind how long they take as long they keep moving, having fun and come back for more.

P.S. My fatboy pic.

 

I really like what Justin did as far as fitness. This year I have been working in that direction. I am really interested in XC riding. I have been shopping for a Great XC bike and I am planning on training as much as possilble.

 

Sometimes it goes the other way, grasshopper

When I started riding my weight was 145 lbs on a 5'8" frame... I was 43 at the time and there was no such thing as suspension... (that was susposed to be your arms and legs)... 25 years later I weight 152-4 lbs, depending upon the holiday season... the weight I put on was muscle... I am not afriad of bullies on the beach anymore... as I know that I can outrun them now!

Hang in there... you get faster and it wll get easier the more you ride... just don't neglect the wife and kids.

 

get a Single SPeed. It will destroy you... and make you sweat pounds off.. and get insanely stronger

 

About 7/8 years ago I was 250 and finally decided to get off my ass and start riding more. I'm now about 174 and still eat and drink what I want. I for the most part eat pretty healthy and don't skimp or deny myself much at all. Just ride and have fun doing it and don't stress about the number.

 

<<<<<< haven't lost an ounce of weight since I re-started riding again 4 years ago....... It can't be all the mudpies and pizookies is it??? Stuck at 220lbs....

 

I was 180 in high school I am 170- 180 now. I can eat anything I want and still not gain weight. I do get stronger by riding a lot but I never lose weight from it though.

At six two I should be 180 - 200 lbs from what I was told. So I guess I am doing ok.

 

What's funny to me is reading about some Tour De France riders that are 6 foot and 125/130. :?:

 

+ 1 billion!

same problem here, especially with my wife the sweet - toothed enabler