Goals – Page 3 – The Fat Guy

The Bad and The Good

Bad:
My weight now is about the same as it was two years ago.
Good:
I’m 50-some odd pounds lighter than I was three years ago.

Bad:
At the Y today, I did three laps in the pool before needing to stop. I’m training for an event that will require swimming the distance equivalent to 35 laps in the pool.
Good:
When I first started riding a bike, a mile seemed like forever, but I quickly built up to riding 60 miles.

Bad:
I was completely unable to do a single pull-up.
Good:
I’m now using a weight machine to strengthen those same muscles. I expect to be able to do pull-ups in a month or so.

Bad:
The scale hasn’t budged recently.
Good:
My pants feel a little looser. I may be gaining some muscle mass.

Bad:
I still suffer periods of depression.
Good:
I can muddle through until I feel better. Muddling through is what I’m doing today. 🙂

Achieving This Goal…

… was almost a let-down.

On my way home from work, I hit 5000 bicycle miles for the year. I’m glad I did, but it does seems a little bit of a let-down. There isn’t enough time left in the year to add serious miles, just commuting and a little riding around town.

I know my mileage for 2011 will be down some. I live a lot closer to work now. I’ll be spending a lot of time training for the triathlon, most of that time won’t involve the bike.

I still have other goals to work for. I want to complete the triathlon in 2011. I intend to reach my goal weight in 2011 (about time, I started all this in 2007).

Stepping It Up

I’m going to participate in a triathlon in 2011. I’m starting training in the next couple of weeks.

The joke has been made that triathletes are not cyclists. I’ll be a cyclist who isn’t really a triathlete.

That’s why I started a Y membership yesterday. My swimming needs a lot of work. I need to learn to run without hurting myself. I need to get faster on a bike.

This came about because I got an email from Debbie, a former co-worker, from my pre-weight loss days. She had found out about my blog. She wants to participate in a triathlon, and has asked me to join her.

My gut reaction was to decline, but that is the “fat-person mentality” that I mentioned yesterday. After rolling the idea around in my head for a while I decided to go for it. It could very well be what I need to make it to the next level of fitness.

I don’t expect to do well, I just expect to finish. That’s my goal. Hopefully I’ll attain my goal weight along the way.

I have a friend willing to loan me a bike that is a bit better for a race than my current bikes. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll strip my LHT down, and use that.

I still have a lot to learn, but I’m commited. I signed up for the Y membership and agreed to do this. The next step is to buy some shoes I can run in. I’ll probably go to the Y for some swimming and running very soon. The real training starts in early January.

The Organization Formerly Known As YMCA

… is re-branding themselves as “The Y”.

Why? I don’t know. How do I know? I was at the downtown location today becoming a member.

Why am I becoming a member? Well, I will write more about that later. I have a new goal, a new obsession, and a good way to lose weight and get more fit.

I will tell you why I’m doing what I’m doing, even if I’m not telling you what I’m doing, yet…. Confused yet?

I was involved in an online discussion about the “fat person mentality” that tends to hang around people like me, even after shedding the pounds. It becomes an excuse to not do things. You tell yourself “I can’t do that, I’m just a fat guy”. The name of this blog really shows the issue. Yes, I was a fat guy when I started it, but am I still? Even if I am a little, is it enough to prevent me from doing things anymore?

No. It’s not. I can do anything that any other normal person can do.

So, I’m taking a challenge. I’m going to push myself. The Y membership will help me.

More tomorrow.

Simple Thanksgiving Dinner

Back in October I ranted a little about my lack of control on my eating habits. I made a brief effort at the time, and now, a month later, I’m back in the same rut.

I haven’t been cooking. I go out to eat almost every day. I’ve been drinking beer several times a week. I’ve been snacking. The only exercise I’ve been doing is bicycling. I haven’t stepped on a scale in a while.

That’s changing now. I will drink NO beer until further notice. I will cook and prepare lunches to take to work. I will not go to the coffee shop, unless it’s to buy more whole bean coffee or to buy a cup of coffee on a bike ride.

I realized earlier today that I would have ordered pizza today for Thanksgiving had I found a place open. As I got hungrier, I cooked what I had here at the house. I hadn’t went grocery shopping in a while, but I had pork chops, frozen vegetables, and a couple of potatoes that I made into mashed potatoes.

The meal was satisfying, even if it meant I had to skip turkey, stuffing, and cranberries. 🙂

I had hoped to be under 200lbs by the end of the year. I now know that’s not going to happen. My revised goal is to be under 210lbs by the end of the year. It’s going to mean a difficult push to even do that.

I’ll get back on the scale tomorrow morning, then update my daily weigh-in page.

Hills, Money, Candy, and Weight

On Thursday I had some candy at work. One of the departments was doing a trick-or-treat thing. I ate a small amount of candy and left it at that.

I worked from home on Friday (due to a health issue). Later in the day I went grocery shopping, and bought several large bags of candy for the kids that will expect some. I made it a goal to not eat any of this candy, no matter how much is left. I’ll take the leftovers to work. So far, so good.

Today, I shirked a bunch of responsibilities and drove out to Bluegrass Bicycle for the LBC Crestwood ride that Tom was leading. Actually, as ride captain, he had to trail behind everyone else.

I’ve ridden that ride before. It’s roughly 25 miles of rolling hills in the Kentucky countryside. I decided to ride my single speed bike. I wasn’t really even sure if I could finish the ride on that bike.

I did fine. I walked two hills. I averaged 14.2 mph. I was near the rear of the ride, but not completely at the end. I did feel like I was going to cough up a lung a few times. I think that’s a good route to get faster on a single speed. It’s hilly enough to be challenging, but not so long or hilly to be impossible.

My weight has dropped back to about 216 after peaking above 220. I need to keep the momentum going. I’m 41 lbs from my goal. I let it slip away before. I don’t want to do that again.

In my previous post I mention that I’ve been “out of control”. That’s true. I’m fixing that. Cooking meals at home is saving me money and helping me eat healthier. Bringing coffee to work saves me money and keeps me from being as tempted by the snacks at the coffee shop. Taking a lunch to work is saving money and calories over eating out.

I may, or may not, ride another LBC ride tomorrow. I have a lot of things to do, but I would like to get some more riding in.

Haven’t Been Under Control

I haven’t been under control recently. I eat too much. I spend too much. I eat the wrong things. I’ve gotten out of the habit of cooking. I’ve gotten into the habit of stopping at restaurants and coffee shops way too often.

I’ve gained weight. My weight this morning was 221.2. I’ve erased a lot of progress, but that’s changing today.

I haven’t spent a penny today. I brought a lunch to work. I carried a thermos of coffee to work. I cooked dinner tonight. I have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch.

I want to be at my goal weight of 175 (less than 50 lbs away) in one year. Then I want to maintain between 170 and 180 indefinitely.

In addition to controlling myself again, I’m going to start doing some upper-body exercises. I have a set of dumbbells, but haven’t touched them in a while. I need to quit busying myself with stupid stuff. I can exercise all I need in a few minutes a day.

Ugh

I’ve been gaining weight. I haven’t been weighing myself regularly. These things need to change. I have a goal to be back under 200 lbs by 3/1/2011.

Here’s my monthly weight chart. It looks like I’m heading toward 220 lbs.

Change of Focus?

This blog started as a way to document my weight loss and keep me accountable for my eating habits. Once I started bicycling that was simply added into the mix. More recently, the weight loss aspects have been ignored. I’ve gained some weight. I don’t weigh myself regularly anymore.

Vehicles — Which vehicle to take to the coffee shop?

This is, in part, due to my focus on bicycling for transportation. Bicycling for transportation has become such I big part of my life that moved into Louisville (while continuing to pay the mortgage on my old house) so that I could bicycle everywhere. It’s been wonderful. I have not driven to work since moving. When my wife and I go out to eat, I’ll even meet her there rather than drive (if she’ll let me).

I rode my bike to the coffee shop the other day, when the white truck in the picture on the right pulled up. One individual drove that huge diesel-powered truck, just to grab some coffee. I have nothing against trucks. I own one. I just believe in using the right tool for the job.

I’ve been very busy for the last week. Some of it has been the have-to-do stuff. Some of it is want-to-do. In either case it has left me sleep-deprived. I was up late last night driving to Danville and back. I had intended to ride the Harvest Homecoming ride today. I changed my mind at the last minute and went back to bed. I don’t regret the decision. I needed the sleep.

So, this blog… where does it go? What should I focus on? I would love to show some positive results in my weight loss and/or fitness. The truth is, I haven’t really improved either of those since February of 2009. I’m in much better shape than when I started in 2007, but I don’t think I’ll ever get to my goal weight of 175. Maybe this is where I need to focus on waist size and strength. I should add some weight training to the mix.

So, I haven’t been writing about every bike ride recently. It’s safe to assume I ride every day now. I will continue to do so, except maybe today, where I probably won’t be leaving the house. I will write about exceptional rides. I will write about what I decide to use as a metric to measure my progress, but I need to figure that out still.

I love bicycles and bicycle advocacy. I don’t think I’m a great bicycle advocate, other than just being out there on the road. I’m not eloquent or persuasive. I’ll leave the “advocacy with words” to those smarter than I. I’ll just ride my bike. 🙂

I Need Control of My Eating Again

My eating is still out of control. That ends today.

I’m going back to smaller portions, lower carbs, and better decisions. I’ve been eating too much “because I want to” instead of “because I need to”.

I’m giving up beer permanently. I will finish off the two six packs in the fridge first. 🙂

I had a muffin and a banana with my first coffee this morning. I had chili and unsweetened tea for lunch. I had a bagel for a snack (oops). I cooked two hamburger patties on the grill for dinner, and ate them with onions and tomato. I did not have bread.

I am drinking a beer as I type this, but, as I said, once these beers are gone, that’s it. My wife doesn’t think I’m going to follow through with the no-beer thing, but I am.

When the RCCS holds another “brew cruise”, I’ll just drink water.

Getting Fatter?

I stopped weighing myself a while back. My weight had been mostly holding steady, but I have noticed that my gut is bigger. I think the lack of upper-body workouts in combination with poor eating is leading me to lose muscle and gain fat. So, yes, sometimes the scale lies.

I’m sitting in the Louisville airport waiting to fly to DC via Cleveland. I have a work-related conference to attend. They will provide (too much) food. I need to control my portion sizes.

I’m not bringing a bike with me. Without riding, I should be able to get by with very little food. When I get home I’ll concentrate on eating right again, re-start the food-diary (again), and start weighing myself again. I’m also going to start using my dumbbells and doing push-ups.

The hotel I’ll be staying at has a fitness center, and I am bringing proper exercise attire, so I should be able to squeeze some time in on the weight machines.

My goal weight is still 175. My lack of progress has been maddening and a bit depressing. I’ve used being busy as an excuse to not eat right. That needs to change.

New Month, New Start

I did ride to work on Thursday and Friday. I rode very little during the weekend, just some errands on the folder.

I rode to work today, although it was a fast, direct-route kinda ride. I averaged 16.24 MPH for the ride. That’s pretty quick for me.

I’m not going to be able to take my folding bike to DC with me this trip. I’m a bit bummed by this, but the logistics were stressing me out. I don’t need more stress. I’m going to buy a proper case for the bike, and fly a more bike-friendly airline next time.

I do have another trip coming up in September, but I’ll be driving to St. Louis. I don’t think that city is all that bike-friendly, but I’ll get some riding in.

I’m awfully busy to get the long rides in, so I’ll just have to ride to work every day, or as close to that as I can.

August will not be a record bike mileage month for me. I’ll be spending time in DC with no bike. I have to drive to Michigan and back, and I have a lot of things to work on around the house. I just need to keep riding to work, and running quick errands on the bike and it’ll work out.

I still intend to get 5000 miles in for the year. I need to keep my average daily miles up to do so.

Good Stuff, Bad Stuff

Good Stuff

I’ve been riding a lot of miles. I broke a few records on Sunday. I’ve ridden two centuries in a little over a month. I hit 3000 miles of cycling for the year during my commute today. I’m well on track to get 5000+ miles for the year.

The depression that was really affecting me earlier this year has gone away. I’m sure it’ll come back again some day, and I’ll have to cope. Overall, I’ve been feeling really good recently.

Bad Stuff

My eating has been crazy. It’s partially from being hungry from riding. It’s partially due to treating myself to beer, pizza, ice cream, steak, and similiar items much too often.

I haven’t had any real weight loss since March of 2009! That sickens me. I know weight is just a number, but I still have a gut. I feel like I’m way too fit for this gut. I’ve got to lose the gut. Damn the gut!

I’m having comfort issues on my newest bike, Surly Sue, the LHT. Although I’ve ridden two 100-miles rides on that bike, the recent rides have left me with possible ulnar nerve issues in my left hand. I also have some saddle issues to figure out. As such, I’m riding Oria, my recumbent, more often, as there is no pressure on the hands. I will get a bike fit to help get comfortable again, but in the meantime it’s nice to have another option.

What’s Next?

I’m trying to get my eating under control. I had started my “food diary” back up a while ago, but that didn’t last long. I need to track what I eat.

I’ve decided that I need a fast bike. Both my current bikes are designed to be comfortable for hauling stuff long distances. Neither is really designed to be fast. After much thought, I think my fast bike will be a recumbent. Probably a Bacchetta Strada. It won’t be until at least next year until I can afford one, but that’s the plan.

Record Month

I won’t be riding any more for what is left of this month. I need to get well and I’ll busy spending a few precious days with my wife before she leaves again.

I was on track to have 800 miles for the month of June. Then things got busy, but I was still on track for over 700 miles. Then I got sick. If I rode to work and back one day this week, it would put me at 700 miles. That’s not going to happen. So my total for June is 665.6 miles. 136.6 of those miles were on the recumbent, the rest on the LHT.

June 2010 is a record mileage month for me, beating out August 2008 with 626.8 miles.

I’m not done. There’s a new month starting soon. Now that my daughter has moved out, and my wife will be gone again, I intend to set a new record for July.

Looking Back at My Weight

I looked back at this chart of my weightloss from the beginning. The “good weightloss” range was October 2007 to March 2009, with a loss of about 94 lbs. Nearly all of my weightloss occurred at that time.

During the slower weightloss period I dropped about five pounds from March 2009 to July 2009.

From July 2009 to present I’ve actually had a small net gain. I actually weight more today than I did in early March 2009.

On the bright side, I think my body fat percentage is a little lower than it was in March 2009. I have been riding the bike a lot more. I’ve built a lot of muscle. I’m on track to have over 5000 miles on the bike this calendar year.

Also being fit (which I feel I am) at any weight is healthier than not being fit at the same weight. My quality of life has improved greatly.

I just need to keep working to eat better, as my natural inclination is to binge on things I shouldn’t.

Looking Forward to a Mellow Weekend

Bikes

Last Saturday I rode a Century. I rode my bike to work and back 4 out of five days this week (I overslept on Thursday). Most days this week were calling for rain, but I avoided it each time, other than a few sprinkles.

My commuting for the week racked up 140.5 miles on the bike. I’m not doing any big rides this weekend. I may not ride at all. I have a lot of “domestic” stuff to do.

Depression

I’ve had a depression issue for most of this year. It lifted mysteriously on Thursday, May 27th. I’ve been almost giddy ever since until yesterday (the day I didn’t ride) and my mood darkened. I rode again today, and things are well again.

Does riding fix the depression? Is the cause more subtle than that? I don’t know. I do know that it’s hard to get on the bike when I’m depressed.

Diet

I’ve been eating better, other than Wednesday where I went out for lunch, and again for dinner. I overate to the point of discomfort at dinner. I hate it when that happens.

Weight

My weight is still bobbing around between 200 and 210. It may linger there forever, but I now know that I must monitor my weight regularly and watch what I eat for the rest of my life. This isn’t negotiable. If I fail to do this, I will gain every pound back.

My goal weight is still 175. It may take a long time to get there. It seemed to be in striking distance at one point, but the loss has stalled.

I watched a speech by a doctor discussing a few things about obesity. I recommend it if you have a spare 90 minutes. The advice he gave was:

Be as fit as possible at your current weight
Prevent further weight gain
If successful then begin weight loss

That’s not the way I did things. I started with the diet, then exercise, now I’m hoping to lose more weight, but trying not to gain more.

When I started this adventure my BMI was about 41. Standard medical procedure for someone like me would have been gastric bypass. I’m glad I didn’t go that route. I rather like having a complete GI tract. My BMI is now about 28, which is still considered overweight, but I would no longer be considered for surgery, and that is a very good thing.

What Now?

I got a bit lazy after losing 100lbs. I started to indulge in the foods I love. I thought I could still do it, because I’d already lost weight, and because I ride my bike… a lot!

Well, that’s not the case. I went two months without weighing myself and gained almost 10 lbs.

I’m back to keeping a food diary. I am weighing myself daily again. I’m making more appropriate decisions about what I eat and drink.

I may have to give up beer. It’s a weakness for me, and I often go to a wonderful food establishment just for the beer. Then, of course, I partake of the food also. I really wanted to go again today. I didn’t. I stayed home and ate sensibly. If that particular establishment is off-limits to me, and I quit drinking beer, it would be easier to stay on track.

Heading Home

I’m at my gate at Dulles Airport. I’ll be home this afternoon.

I’ve made a concerted effort for most of my trip to keep my eating under control. That didn’t stop me from enjoying some great food, but I tried not to overdo it. I’ve also been staying away from beer, at least since Friday.

I did get to visit two museums on this trip. First was the National Museum of the American Indian. Although an enjoyable experience, it doesn’t compare to National Air and Space Museum – Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

I do have new resolve to lose weight. I don’t want to be “The Fat Guy” any longer. I’ll leave you with a picture of an SR-71 Blackbird, one of my favorite aircraft.

On Weight

Weight is just a number. The number means something different to everyone.

I’ve been fixated on two numbers. 200 and 175. 175 lbs is my goal weight. 200 is the barrier that I’ve been trying hard to get below and stay below. So far I have failed both of these numbers.

What do I owe to these numbers? Why do I obsess over them? Numbers are hard facts, even if they aren’t the right facts.

I haven’t weighed myself since April 1st. I’ve been trying not to obsess. I have been overeating, and have probably gained a little weight. I’ve also been putting quite a few miles on the bike. Maybe it will balance out, maybe not.

I will start weighing myself again, but not yet. Maybe in June.

Weekly Average Weight for February 6, 2010

My average weight for the week ending 2/6/2009:
207.4 lbs

Down from last week:
3.7 lbs

Down since I started on 10/31/2007:
89.0 lbs

My average loss per 30 days since 10/31/2007:
3.22 lbs

Weight until goal:
32.4 lbs

It’s been months since I’ve posted a weekly update. My weight loss had stalled, so I mostly wrote about bicycle related activities. That has changed. I’m losing weight again. My new diet is working.

I still expect to reach my goal weight of 175 lbs. I hope to reach it before the end of this year. My new diet should make it easier to maintain than my previous low-calories diet.

Lifestyle Change – Redux

After re-reading my previous post about the year in review, I realize the problem.

I started a true lifestyle change back in 2007. The changes were drastic, but effective. I lost weight, and got much more fit. The changes centered around eating sensibly and getting exercise.

I realize that although I’m still much healthier and fit than I was when I started, my eating habits have slipped gradually back to horrible. Overall, I’m still doing well due to the exercise I get but I need another lifestyle change.

I’m considering a six-day diet. A strict low-carb diet six days per week, then eat what I want on the seventh. This will allow me to lose weight, yet still go out with Kristy for dinner, or have a beer or three.

The low-carb, high-fat, high-protein diet is a bit controversial, but will be easier to fit-in with Kristy’s cooking habits. It’s also similar to what I was eating during my best period of weight loss.

I still need to track everything I eat, and weigh regularly. Both of those things mostly disappeared for the month of December.

2009 In Review

What a wonderful/busy/crazy/happy/stressful year it’s been.

Weight

chart-montly-weight-2009

I (mostly) lost weight through the first half of the year, but mostly gained it all back in the last half. I’m still happier with my weight than I was in 2007 or 2008 though. I need to have the self-control that I did in 2008 again.

Bike Mileage

Month	Miles
01-2009	277.8
02-2009	263.3
03-2009	192.4
04-2009	290.9
05-2009	452.0
06-2009	542.2
07-2009	371.3
08-2009	199.6
09-2009	298.9
10-2009	436.1
11-2009	443.9
12-2009	91.6

Month	Nermal	Oria	Nermal	Oria	Total
All 2008	712.8	1,525.8	712.8	1,525.8	2,238.6
01-2009	927.6	1,588.8	214.8	63.0	277.8
02-2009	1,004.9	1,774.8	77.3	186.0	263.3
03-2009	1,068.5	1,903.6	63.6	128.8	192.4
04-2009	1,359.4	1,903.6	290.9	0.0	290.9
05-2009	1,501.0	2,214.0	141.6	310.4	452.0
06-2009	1,769.0	2,488.2	268.0	274.2	542.2
07-2009	1,953.6	2,674.9	184.6	186.7	371.3
08-2009	2,024.9	2,803.2	71.3	128.3	199.6
09-2009	2,104.0	3,023.0	79.1	219.8	298.9
10-2009	2,417.5	3,145.6	313.5	122.6	436.1
11-2009	2,765.5	3,241.5	348.0	95.9	443.9
12-2009	2,857.1	3,241.5	91.6	0.0	91.6

I didn’t make my goal of 5000 miles. I knew I wouldn’t fairly early. I did ride 3,860 miles for the year, which beats the previous year of 2,238.

Month by Month Review

January 2009
- Biking irregularly due to weather and ice storm
- First RCCS ride
- Rode 277.8 miles
- Average weight of 216.5 lbs
February 2009
- Gave up the idea of living car-free in the near-term
- I assumed (wrongly) that I’d hit my goal weight by August
- Rode 263.3 miles
- Average weight of 208.2 lbs
March 2009
- I met Kristy
- Rode 192.4 miles
- Average weight of 204.6 lbs
April 2009
- My car died – spent two weeks without one before buying my truck
- Kristy and I were engaged
- Kristy left the state for a few months
- Rode 290.9 miles
- Average weight of 206.6 lbs
May 2009
- Rode the 60-mile Tour de Cure
- Set a new weekly mileage record of 186.1
- Rode 452.0 miles
- Average weight of 203.3 lbs
June 2009
- Weight was under 200 lbs for a while
- Set a new weekly mileage record of 201.9
- Rode 542.2 miles
- Average weight of 202.0 lbs
July 2009
- Kristy came home
- Went to West Virginia with Kristy to meet some of her family
- Rode 371.3 miles
- Average weight of 201.8 lbs
August 2009
- Managed a 20-mile ride in Michigan while traveling
- Almost sold my recumbent
- Business trip to San Antonio – Too much good food
- My daughter came to live with me
- Rode 199.6 miles
- Average weight of 208.4 lbs
September 2009
- I married Kristy in Florida – managed to bring bikes and get in some riding too
- Finished The Ride to Conquer Cancer – I enjoyed the achievement, but I’m not really sure I want to spend the (fund-raising) time to do another charity ride
- Rode 298.9 miles
- Average weight of 212.4 lbs
October 2009
- Kristy left again for work
- Rode 436.1 miles
- Average weight of 209.7 lbs
November 2009
- Went mountain biking for the first time
- Rode 443.9 miles
- Average weight of 209.8 lbs
December 2009
- Kristy came home
- Spent Christmas in West Virginia
- Kristy left again
- I’m gaining weight again, it’s going to take work to get back down
- Rode 91.6 miles – holy crap! what happened here?
- Average weight of 215.2 lbs – wow back to January weight

Overall

I’m happy with what I’ve done for the year. I met a wonderful woman, fell in love, and got married. Looking back at my posts from the past year, many of them seem rather negative. I guess it’s easy to focus on the times when things aren’t going as planned. Things usually don’t go as planned, but work out alright anyway.

That doesn’t mean I give myself a pass on not losing the weight and keeping it off. I very much intend to achieve my goal weight of 175 lbs, and stay there. I’m hoping I can do it before December of next year.

Happy New Year everyone!

Things Change

I re-read a previous post “Shifted Priorities“, and realize I was in the middle of a mistake at the time.

I had talked about the fact that I ride for fun rather than weight loss. I was dreaming of buying a new bike, though I have two perfectly usable ones.

Since then, my mileage is way down, and my weight is up. I can make excuses about being busy, but the truth is that I haven’t been trying hard enough recently.

I do spend a lot of time thinking about bikes. I spend more time thinking about bikes than riding them. I have spent very little time thinking about my eating habits recently. I haven’t been tracking my calorie consumption or my weight very regularly.

This has led to a 20 lb weight gain over the last five months. So, I lost 100 lbs, but gained 20 of it back. That is frustrating. I feel like the “Fat Guy” that I used to be.

Not Totally Negative

I did ride to work yesterday. Then I ran some errands around Clarksville Indiana by bike. I traveled Eastern, Lewis & Clark, Greentree, and Veteran’s Parkway. I have never considered riding those non-bike-friendly-roads until yesterday, but it wasn’t as bad as I imagined (even with holiday shopping traffic), and I had a good time.

My ride terminated at Feeder’s Supply where I bought 50 lbs of pet supplies, and waited for my wife to pick me up in the truck. I had 32 miles for the day, not bad for simple utility cycling.

Now What?

Ride more, eat less! I need to start carrying around paper and pen to write down everything I eat. I normally track it on my computer, but if I’m not near a computer, it may not get recorded. I need to track it even I don’t have time to calculate the calories. I need to hold myself accountable.

I briefly considered posting everything I eat here, but that would truly make this a (more) boring place. 🙂

I need to post here more often. Writing about my weight loss attempt keeps me focused. It keeps my goals at the front of my consciousness.

Merry Christmas everyone! I’ll try to keep my snacking on sweets to a minimum.

Shifted Priorities

I started bicycling to lose weight. It stands to reason that I ride to lose weight. That used to be the case.

Now I ride because I enjoy it. It’s a way to relieve stress, keep me fit(ter), and still allows me to play with gadgets. My gadgets are now mechanical instead of electronic.

I’ve realized that my weight loss has become secondary to riding a bike. I’m disappointed that I can only ride one day (tomorrow) out of my three-day work week next week due to other obligations.

I only managed one ride in the last week, a 50-miler with Tim. I even pretended to be on a single-speed, by not shifting (for most of the ride anyway). Tim was riding his QuickBeam, which is a beautiful single-speed bike, but I’m not currently looking to have a dedicated single-speed bike.

Why am I up at midnight now, when I have to get up at 5:30 to prepare for the ride in? I’m planning and scheming in my head. I’m trying to figure out how to come up with the money for my next bike. It’s a sickness. 🙂

Why a new bike? Why a Surly LHT?

I want to start touring. I hope to ride to Michigan next year.
Touring bikes make great commuter bikes.
The Atlantis is too expensive.
I carry a lot of stuff on my commute. I’ve been ridiculed for how much I carry. A touring bike can carry more.
I’m not convinced I need a recumbent, and I rarely ride mine now.
My current upright bike, Nermal, is a low quality bike, with a lot of money put into it. I have more upgrades I want to do, but should probably put them on a new bike.
Upgrades?
- Better rack
- Wider tires
- Front rack
- Dynohub lighting system

A quality bike like this is one I can have for the rest of my life. It’ll cost some money, but nothing compared to my used truck.

Don’t get me wrong. I still want to lose weight. I’m still watching what I eat. I still hop on the scale nearly every morning. I just want to ride a bike even more than I want to lose weight.

Car-Free Future?

My wife and I had a discussion the other day about being a one-car household. The idea is to get rid of her car, and she would drive the truck. I could ride my bike to work most days, or carpool with her when I need to. If she’s out of town for work, I would have the truck if I need it.

The only problem with this is my laziness. I drove to work on Monday and Tuesday. I did ride yesterday and today, but when I shower in the morning, I’m trying to come up with reasons to not ride the full commute.

My new route has made the commute less stressful and my recent lack of weight loss are both good motivators, but I’m guess I’m a generally lazy person. Only having one car available could give me another reason to ride my bike.

I still have a long-term goal of selling the house, and moving closer to work, then I could truly never drive again. In the meantime I need to be less lazy.

Going to Stop the Weight Gain

I’ve gained weight pretty steadily from early July to early October. That has stopped. I have forced myself to get my eating under control again. I’m riding to work more often (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday this week so far). I’m tracking my calories again.

I had really intended to be at my goal weight by now, but I’m almost 34 lbs away from it.

My foot pain is gone. My shoulder is mostly just a minor nuisance. I can and will keep riding, and lose the weight.

I haven’t been posting weekly and monthly updates, because they were bad news. I haven’t been posting as much in general for a variety of reasons.

I have felt better this week than I have in a while. I’ve been terribly busy, but I’m squeezing in time to ride my bike to work and back. It’s a huge stress-reliever, and the key to my weight loss.

I need to go back and re-think my goals soon. My target weight isn’t changing, but many other things will.