245 lb. cyclist that is committed to losing weight

mikeeats

I have hit a plateau and stuck at 245lbs for over a year now and am going to use myfitnesspal as a last ditch effort before I seek professional help.
As a 6 foot cyclist, I need to be south of 200 lbs to be as competitive as I would like to be and to be able to climb as needed in the longer century rides I have done and plan on doing. Last week I was the last one to the finish of the seven in my group during our 104 mile ride and have never been in this position and never want to again. Shedding 45 lbs should be the best remedy to get me back in the fight.
Are there any cyclist here that can help me with any suggestions or vouch for this solution. I have been using this for a week and a half and have seen some promising results,but it is too early to get excited. My goal is to be at 200lbs by November. Any support or suggestions would be helpful... Thanks...

Wendysworld13

Hi Mike. Plateaus suck! The best way to break one is to shake up your routine. For example, eat 6 small 200-300 calorie meals for a few days if you regularly eat 3 400- 600 calorie meals or reverse. Do something completely different for your cardio, and be sure you are definately weight training. Cardio burns while you are doing it - weight training burns for 12x the amount of time you were doing it, and the newly built muscles burn more doing everything then the fat does.
Good luck, and friend me if you want - my best friend is a cyclist who is on the smae track as you - wants to be down below 200 to be in top biking form!

xtinalovexo

hey congrats on that. welcome. awesome tips on here. u can totally do it. MY opinion, which you will hear several, increase your protien and cut carbs down.

KidP

Just do your best to accurately record everything you eat & burn off on here. Give it some time & you will probably see results. The accurate awareness of what you're taking in & expending in terms of calories/energy will do wonders. Do you have a Heart Rate Monitor? It's a great tool to have if you haven't got one & will help you to balance what you burn & what you should be eating (rather than relying on distance, cadence, etc).

I've dropped a good amount of weight since joining here & the bulk of my exercise this past winter came from riding hard on a trainer in my basement for about 45-90 mins/day. I love to ride bikes but really am an amateur when it comes to road biking so i can't offer you advice that way...

I've been plateauing a bit lately & have changed up some of the food i'm eating & changed my exercise regimen to include kettlebell & circuit training while still doing some biking. I suspect that will help me.

floydg68

Mike welcome. MFP has helped me chip away at my weight. I started at 218lbs last year on my own and got stuck around 204-206 but with MFP, good eating (tracking calories-helped me to understand what I need vs. what I want), and regular workouts including riding I'm now at 191. Even a 15lbs weight loss has made me faster and fitter on both my road & MTB.
You will build speed, endurance and power if you drop over 45lbs. You've probably build some good strength to carry to weight you have now. You will lose some muscle with a 45lb weight loss but the gain in fitness should outweigh that. They key is consistency. I'm using the Bicycling "Ride a Better Century"program right now and the ideal of faster short rides and one long ride a week has been great for me so far.
You can PM me for more details about the training program.
Good luck and you CAN do it!

tmcowan

I started MFP last June and losing some weight has really helped me get up the hills a little quicker. Don't get me wrong I still HATE hills and we have a LOT of hills here. This site has really helped me with portion control. Although tonight as I was coming in from my 22 mile ride with winds at 22mph and tornado warnings and the rain starting, I thought to myself.......This is CRAZY, I'm doing this to get enough calories so I can eat dinner. Hmmmm......I think I've become a MFP addict!!!

mikeeats

Awesome! Thanks, that kind of support from a fellow cyclist is encouraging. I can ride 200 miles a week and not lose the weight. I am encouraged by MFP and the way it keeps you accountable and that is really what I have been missing all these years.

mikeeats

That's kind of what I've felt like just in the ten days I have doing this program. I almost feel like I'm cheating the system, but in the long run more calories burned allows us to eat to manage the process we are on to reach our goals.
I'm anxiously optomistic about MFP and really do hope it is the answer to many years on the plateau. Five years ago I lost 30 lbs and put back 10 of it and now am seemingly stuck at 245, but do feel that keeping myself honest is the answer to my concerns. Happy riding and thanks for the support...