floridamike99 Member

So let's see......I'll have a huge scar, have a horrific recovery, and lose months worth of fitness progress. Hmm....I think not. Thanks everyone.

you have an awesome attitude!! I too have a hubby who thinks I am totally hot so maybe I need to start believing that and forget about surgical enhancement

Interesting......I'm surprised they would do that surgery on someone who is still obese (which he would be if he was 70 pounds over weight). In any case, a "brutal" recovery is not something I will sign up for. My case is not so bad and if I have that bad of a recovery, I will be further behind than I am starting.

Thanks. The recovery period is one of my big concerns. I am REALLY into cycling and it is my main form of exercise and a key to my fitness. If I needed to be off my bike for several weeks, I would almost certainly start to gain back weight, which would kind of defeat the original goal and purpose. Hmmm......

Yeah, one particular thing mentioned is that doctors routinely assume people drink twice as much as they say they do.

You also may want to consider starting with something more moderate. Going uphill as fast as you can isn't exactly setting you up to the possibility of liking it more. How about starting with a more moderate pace on a level course? Save the hills for after you decide the basics aren't so bad.

First, you should probably consult your doctor, rather than a bunch of amateurs here. Overweight or not, if you are "gasping like a steam train" after 2 minutes, you may have very serious cardiovascular issues. I am one of the amateurs I am referring to, but to me that sounds more serious than just being out of shape. If…

When I first saw the headline of your post, I thought it said "Doggy Scales" and I was thinking, man, these people are really getting kind of nutty! LOL Seriously, probably just the batteries.

I'm guessing that MFP might be saying you should have 1700 PLUS your exercise calories. For someone small like you, that sounds about right. But it also sounds like you are very active. Your cross country alone is probably 3000-4000 calories per week. Bottom line--I wouldn't stress over this. You are obviously fit, so be…

I'm just an "idea guy"--I seek no fame or fortune and the whole world is welcome to benefit!! I've got a bunch of them, which coincidentally get a lot more interesting over several really cold beers!! See--it all ties together. :p

I have struggled with this same issue. I was overweight/obese pretty much my whole adult life. I have no idea what the "right weight" for me is. I have just entered the "normal" range (5'11, 179), but I do not feel that I am at the health and fitness level I want to achieve. I still feel like I have a spare tire (a bike…

How is your sleep? I am really into cycling and I find when I ride too many miles too many days in a row, I can't get to sleep like I normally do. Maybe that is just me, but it is a measure I use to know I am overdoing it.

Wow--you have become one of those that actually looks like a different person. But I guess you are! Seems like you are making smart, long term decisions, which is the only way it ever really works. Congrats!

Animal Farm is my favorite book....

A calorie is a calorie--it is the unit of energy required to heat 1 gram of water 1 degree Celsius. So from that perspective, all calories are equal. (As an interesting aside that not every knows--what we commonly call a calorie is actually 1,000 calories. A true calorie is an extremely small amount of energy, as defined…

OK, so here is some free advice--maybe it is worth what you paid for it......you sound very young, based on mentioning that your mom bought you the candy and you are keeping it in your room......my advice would be that you not start a DIET at all, but start to learn about your body, food, exercise, and how to achieve a…

One word......DECIDE!

15 months is 65 weeks. Barely a pound per week. TOTALLY doable!! It will all come down to what you DECIDE! If you DECIDE that reaching that goal is the top priority, the rest will all fall in place. I bounced between 230-265 for 25 years. Then I DECIDED. Now I bounce between 170-185 (depending on the season and my ability…

I'm sure I'll get pushback on this, but my advice would be quit the gym and go outside and play. Did you need a schedule and plan when you were a kid? No--you ran, you swam, you jumped, you climbed, you rode your bike, you skated, and you were probably more athletic than you are now. I was an obese gym member for 20 years.…

OK, I am going to bow out. Never meant to get in a fight. Time for me to go ride my bike anyway. Good luck to all.

There is really no secret formula and there are no tricks. The best advice is to eat less and move more. And the moving more part (to the extent you can), is really key. It will loosen your joints, it will stimulate your base metabolic rate, and it just FEELS good to move around more! Don't cut your food or increase your…

I don't necessarily disagree if the deficit is extreme and the person has "little to lose" as you wrote. However, this poster has a BMI of 29.8, so pretty much right on the obese line, and 1,000 calories a day if done smartly is definitely achievable and safe for someone in that position. She would probably need to taper…

Just one guy's opinion, but I don't understand why this will even be that big of a challenge. 35 pounds is approximately 122,000 calories. Losing that in 4 months means about a 1,000 calorie per day deficit. If you are planning "intense cardio", you will burn that in an hour or so per day. Just be reasonable with the rest…

But despite your rapid loss, you say you are losing a little under 3 pounds per week. To increase that to 3.5 per week you would have to do everything you are doing now PLUS AN EXTRA 300-400 calories per day deficit. Losing 3.5 pounds per week is just not a good, sustainable idea.

Not trying to be mean, but if you are thinking about this in terms of the next 10 weeks, you are doomed. Nearly 100% of people who think that way (usually in advance of a wedding by the way) will gain everything back even if they hit their short term goal. This is because they make radical, unsustainable changes and are…

Saw this kind of late I guess. I am at 219 for the month. 2 more training rides this weekend, then an MS150 next weekend. Actually--if there are any fairly serious riders on here, hit me up--I have a question that has really not been my issue in the past. Thanks.

What a great post. I particularly like your first few points. I am a sales manager, and most of what you write are the kinds of things I talk to my team about every week. These are basic tenants of success--whether the goal is increasing sales, losing weight, or riding your bike 1,000 miles. Really good post.

Two thoughts: First, you seem to have reached the age/maturity when you come to realize that there is something very noble about thinking and acting on goals beyond just yourself. Good for you--that will be an important element in your success. And by the way, your brother isn't the only other person you should be making…

Yeah, cycling gives you that cut in the calf that you can't get anywhere else.