When I took up cycling to work in 2014 it had been a while since I'd realized that my body wasn't what it used to be. As a teen there was no run or hike too long and I was never too sore to try again the next day. I was scrawny. Never really tracked my weight. Never had to. Ate like an animal.
Then in my 30's I found myself with recurring back pain; nothing serious, but annoying. Every flight of stairs ended with heavy breathing, which may be common but isn't normal. It was enough motivation to get moving.
Fast forward to the beginning of 2017, when I had been riding for long enough to have developed a bit of discipline and lungs. Back pain was gone, but my BMI was still hovering around 25: overweight.
How did this happen? Scrawny kids can't be overweight! It's amazing what ten years of inactivity and the sedentary lifestyle will do to you. Amazing and terrible! To top it off it was frustrating to now be much more active than at any time in the past decade and still oscillating between 175 and 180 pounds, which isn't healthy at 5'9". The previous year, 2016, was the first time I heard a doctor talk to me about the need to mind my cholesterol. In 2017 I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Is it really all downhill from 30?
Eventually I had had it. I love eating and hate the concept of dieting, especially for weight loss. But I had to do something! So in July I marked 178 pounds as my starting weight and decided to take a step, and it worked! That step led to another, and that one to another. Yesterday I started the day at 159 pounds. I've dropped 10% of my weight in the last 5 months.
I've detailed the steps that led up to it. Each step developed over a month or so. I don't think I would have succeeded doing it all at once.
Friday, December 22, 2017
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Why so quiet?
The short answer is that I've actually been trying to stay active and warm weather made it easier.
Went on several rides over the summer; nothing much more challenging than the usual. Also went off road a few times, including outside the United States in an underpowered Dodge Journey. Here's the map:
Being more active has started paying dividends, including improved cardiovascular capacity and some weight loss. Since I don't get tired as much now I've been walking five miles to work about once a week for a while now. The weight loss I'll detail in its own post.
As the weather is now colder I'll likely have more time to post on progress. Here's a couple from last week, for now.
Went on several rides over the summer; nothing much more challenging than the usual. Also went off road a few times, including outside the United States in an underpowered Dodge Journey. Here's the map:
Being more active has started paying dividends, including improved cardiovascular capacity and some weight loss. Since I don't get tired as much now I've been walking five miles to work about once a week for a while now. The weight loss I'll detail in its own post.
As the weather is now colder I'll likely have more time to post on progress. Here's a couple from last week, for now.
Monday, November 20, 2017
Step 4: To eat, or not to eat...
By this point in the process I was motivated. I was finally being both active and seeing results in terms of weight loss. Now I was counting pounds in the high 160's for the first time in maybe 10 years! But when I dropped soda on Step 3 a couple of things happened that threw a wrench in the works.
First, since I was getting most of my hydration with exercise and not filling up with soda during meals my stomach didn't feel as full.
Second, my brain realized I was loosing weight kicked off a cycle that made it crave fat. I'm not a doctor but when I read about it I learned that it has to do with survival. If the body notices reserves diminishing it will make you want to replenish them.
Bottom line: I was VERY HUNGRY VERY OFTEN!
A few months back during my physical, my doctor recommended I increase my intake of low-calorie foods. And I definitely felt like increasing all my intakes. So I went for it. Since I was hungrier than usual I started eating a lot. But I didn't want to throw all that progress away, so I became selective about what I gorged on. Turns out huge salads were the key.
Leafy greens take up a lot of space and don't contain the stuff that hurts weight loss goals. On top of that they're cheap and promote good gut bacteria. So a TON of greens, with nuts, a reasonable portion of chicken or ham, and a non-dairy dressing became a regular part of my lunches.
First, since I was getting most of my hydration with exercise and not filling up with soda during meals my stomach didn't feel as full.
Second, my brain realized I was loosing weight kicked off a cycle that made it crave fat. I'm not a doctor but when I read about it I learned that it has to do with survival. If the body notices reserves diminishing it will make you want to replenish them.
Bottom line: I was VERY HUNGRY VERY OFTEN!
A few months back during my physical, my doctor recommended I increase my intake of low-calorie foods. And I definitely felt like increasing all my intakes. So I went for it. Since I was hungrier than usual I started eating a lot. But I didn't want to throw all that progress away, so I became selective about what I gorged on. Turns out huge salads were the key.
Leafy greens take up a lot of space and don't contain the stuff that hurts weight loss goals. On top of that they're cheap and promote good gut bacteria. So a TON of greens, with nuts, a reasonable portion of chicken or ham, and a non-dairy dressing became a regular part of my lunches.
Result
Kept the one pound a week loss rate. Dealt with the hunger problem; not gonna lie, it took will power on top of the salads.
I had been taking a probiotic to help with the Irritable Bowel Syndrome. When it ran out I stopped taking it and my gut was stable. From then on: more and bigger salads before anything else!
Crossed into the low 160's!
Monday, October 16, 2017
Step 3: Liquid Sugar
What's a combo? And yes, I hate myself for asking and for answering. A combo is a meal where I pay a little more to eat a lot more. Namely I get a meal plus two items that don't provide much in terms of nutrition but tell my brain to be happy. We're talking fries and a drink. I got rid of the fries in Step 1.
Step 3 was about getting rid of soda. Not forever. Not for good. But for better. At work I get soda for free. With a burger I get it because it's easy. I never get it because I need it. If I need hydration I can have water. If I don't like water... well I love water.
I quickly realized that I get soda not just because of the combo, but because it's there. So my rule became: No soda on weekdays.
Step 3 was about getting rid of soda. Not forever. Not for good. But for better. At work I get soda for free. With a burger I get it because it's easy. I never get it because I need it. If I need hydration I can have water. If I don't like water... well I love water.
I quickly realized that I get soda not just because of the combo, but because it's there. So my rule became: No soda on weekdays.
Result
Still loosing about a pound per week. Dropping soda didn't feel that difficult. Found myself drinking less overall and for some reason feeling hungrier more often. I could snack. Oh no...
Monday, September 11, 2017
Step 2: How do you like them apples?
Apples are cheap and ubiquitous in the United States. I'm pretty sure they can be found almost globally. Chances are, if you own a computer, you have access to apples. Find one. Eat it.
As is the case with most people who overeat habitually my body was used to big portions. So after dropping the fries it happened that sometimes after a double cheeseburger my body thought I was still hungry.
Solution? Eat an apple. Eat two. For about a month I had between two and three apples a day as my body started getting used to the fact that I wasn't ordering fries or other sides I didn't need.
After a month of Step 2 the daily reading on the scale was consistently indicating a loss of about a pound per week. Could I keep it up?
As is the case with most people who overeat habitually my body was used to big portions. So after dropping the fries it happened that sometimes after a double cheeseburger my body thought I was still hungry.
Solution? Eat an apple. Eat two. For about a month I had between two and three apples a day as my body started getting used to the fact that I wasn't ordering fries or other sides I didn't need.
Result
Apples fill me up, help regulate my digestion, and do it in a healthier way than most stuff I eat just because I can and not because I choose to.After a month of Step 2 the daily reading on the scale was consistently indicating a loss of about a pound per week. Could I keep it up?
Monday, August 14, 2017
Step 1: Hold the Fries
This simple step kickstarted my whole process. I'm not ever starving. I don't need the fries. Think of the last time you went out for burgers with a group of people. You can bet fries will be thrown away! Don't order them!
My policy was: I won't order them. I'll try to not touch them. And if my kids leave any (which they will), and I feel like it, I might pick on a few. There's no sense in torturing myself.
Keep in mind that I'm not saying that you shouldn't eat fries. For me it was realizing that I could stop eating something that I didn't need to eat in the first place.
I was already weighing myself every day and I didn't notice a big change. But after a month I had dropped almost four pounds. A measurement error? Perhaps. Got a new scale with a digital gauge.
My policy was: I won't order them. I'll try to not touch them. And if my kids leave any (which they will), and I feel like it, I might pick on a few. There's no sense in torturing myself.
Result
By not ordering fries there has been more money in my pocket, less food wasted, and I'm eating less food that I didn't need to begin with.Keep in mind that I'm not saying that you shouldn't eat fries. For me it was realizing that I could stop eating something that I didn't need to eat in the first place.
I was already weighing myself every day and I didn't notice a big change. But after a month I had dropped almost four pounds. A measurement error? Perhaps. Got a new scale with a digital gauge.
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Ruin the Rodeo
A few days ago a coworker, who strives to stay in remarkable shape, bought a new mountain bike and suggested we take a trail during lunch. I'd done this with him last year and I knew it would be a challenge keeping up with him, but he's always a good sport about it so I agreed. The selected trail was Ruin the Rodeo.
It wasn't a smooth start. When we got there, my front tire suffered from performance anxiety. I hadn't gotten it off the rack and it was already flat. This was a tube I'd patched 4 times already, and the failure was where I least expected it: on the inside of the wheel.
5 minutes and a new tube later we started the ascent. But instead of going up the regular route my coworker went for the challenging Corkscrew. I made it up that section eventually after pushing my bike for a dozen feet in the middle of it. Then I had to catch my breath for a few minutes. I could feel my heart working overtime to keep up.
The rest of the climb was demanding but doable. I didn't stall much and was able to maneuver through the narrow path the rocks and vegetation allowed. In all it was a 4-mile ride and the descent was definitely worth it!
It wasn't a smooth start. When we got there, my front tire suffered from performance anxiety. I hadn't gotten it off the rack and it was already flat. This was a tube I'd patched 4 times already, and the failure was where I least expected it: on the inside of the wheel.
5 minutes and a new tube later we started the ascent. But instead of going up the regular route my coworker went for the challenging Corkscrew. I made it up that section eventually after pushing my bike for a dozen feet in the middle of it. Then I had to catch my breath for a few minutes. I could feel my heart working overtime to keep up.
The rest of the climb was demanding but doable. I didn't stall much and was able to maneuver through the narrow path the rocks and vegetation allowed. In all it was a 4-mile ride and the descent was definitely worth it!
Friday, April 28, 2017
Riding for a Year, 1700 Miles
A year ago I bought a new bicycle. Nothing fancy; just a step up from the run-down department store bike I'd owned for almost a decade. The reason is that over the summers of 2014 and 2015 I slowly started to build momentum to commuting by bicycle and I soon was asking more from my old bike than what it was capable of providing.
Over those 2 seasons I grew confident in traffic, learned to fix a flat and did it many times over, started riding the majority of the weekdays instead of a single time a week, and brought my commute time from 40-something minutes to 24. My old bike didn't like going over 20mph. It would complain by wobbling the front wheel and I was never really able to get it in true. So I got a new bike, which I've been riding for the past year:
With the new bike, and improved consistency and confidence during my commute I decided over the course of 2016 to see how far I'd get by pushing myself to keep riding as summer gave way to fall and winter. So I rode through fall, and found myself in the dead of winter, still riding. And eventually May was around the corner again.
1700 miles later, it's been a fun year full of great experiences!
Over those 2 seasons I grew confident in traffic, learned to fix a flat and did it many times over, started riding the majority of the weekdays instead of a single time a week, and brought my commute time from 40-something minutes to 24. My old bike didn't like going over 20mph. It would complain by wobbling the front wheel and I was never really able to get it in true. So I got a new bike, which I've been riding for the past year:
With the new bike, and improved consistency and confidence during my commute I decided over the course of 2016 to see how far I'd get by pushing myself to keep riding as summer gave way to fall and winter. So I rode through fall, and found myself in the dead of winter, still riding. And eventually May was around the corner again.
Monday, April 17, 2017
11 Miles on Foot
It seems that my cycling habits need to improve. I spend too much time up from the saddle and I don't stretch. Ever.
To top things off I almost never walk, so recently the tendons that run down to my heel started asking for some TLC, and they did so in the form of pain.
Over the weekend I noticed that walking carefully helped a lot, so I decided to start walking more often and to become disciplined with my stretching. Both are currently a work in progress.
Today I walked to and from work— instead of cycling— and as expected it took me a while. About a total of 3 hours and 11 miles. I had done one-way in the past so I knew what to expect when I got to work: fatigue, a sense of accomplishment, and above all, an urgency to pee. What I didn't know was that the return trip would enhance all of these symptoms and extend the recovery period by about 18 hours.
Still, it was worth every step.
To top things off I almost never walk, so recently the tendons that run down to my heel started asking for some TLC, and they did so in the form of pain.
Over the weekend I noticed that walking carefully helped a lot, so I decided to start walking more often and to become disciplined with my stretching. Both are currently a work in progress.
Today I walked to and from work— instead of cycling— and as expected it took me a while. About a total of 3 hours and 11 miles. I had done one-way in the past so I knew what to expect when I got to work: fatigue, a sense of accomplishment, and above all, an urgency to pee. What I didn't know was that the return trip would enhance all of these symptoms and extend the recovery period by about 18 hours.
Still, it was worth every step.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Multimodal for Errands
Today I had some errands to run a couple of towns over and decided to make things work between my bicycle and the train. It was a fun and productive day.
Monday, March 27, 2017
A Mouthful of Spring
Just as the rain suddenly washes away the snow and makes everything turn green, and calves and lambs and other sorts of tiny animal clones start popping up on fields, storms are preceded by unusually warm weather here in Utah. So as the temperatures hover around 40ºF rides start becoming very pleasant. Once I'm warm things are easy going and the largest puddles aren't half as hard to navigate as the tiniest ice patches. I can stop worrying about surviving the ride and focus on just enjoying it or making good time.
Except today. Late the previous day, before the storm, some rancher had driven his herd to the field across the road. I didn't see it, but it wasn't hard to tell judging by the layer of mostly dry cow dung paving that portion of the road as I rode by. Harmless, really, and part of the experience.
Then came the wet afternoon ride. The temperature was comfortable and the winds were low. The rain wasn't bothering me at all. But that patch of manure on the road— now rehydrated— caught me off-guard. See, I've splashed slush, mud, dirt, and in the worst of cases they all taste pretty much the same. This does not. I'm not partial to the taste of spring.
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
One Hour Forward, Five Degrees Behind
Last week the weather was perfect for a bicycle commute. It was over 35 F in the morning and around 60 F in the afternoon. It was so good that I put my cycling gloves away as they were no longer needed.
On Sunday Daylight Saving Time kicked in and we rolled the clocks forward by an hour. Today's commute was painful. Every mile or shifting started to hurt the tips of my numb fingers. I found myself stopping about every mile to warm up my hands, and since I was avoiding high speeds to decrease the wind chill I wasn't producing that much heat anyway.
The big difference? Last week I started my ride about half an hour after sunrise. This week I started it about half an hour prior. So in terms of the seasons rolling the clock forward by an hour rolled my commute temperature back by about 2 weeks.
Gloves are back out and I hope to put them away again soon.
On Sunday Daylight Saving Time kicked in and we rolled the clocks forward by an hour. Today's commute was painful. Every mile or shifting started to hurt the tips of my numb fingers. I found myself stopping about every mile to warm up my hands, and since I was avoiding high speeds to decrease the wind chill I wasn't producing that much heat anyway.
The big difference? Last week I started my ride about half an hour after sunrise. This week I started it about half an hour prior. So in terms of the seasons rolling the clock forward by an hour rolled my commute temperature back by about 2 weeks.
Gloves are back out and I hope to put them away again soon.
Monday, March 6, 2017
Walked It!
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| Google Fit stats of my walk to work. |
I had been meaning to do this for a while but it's not at all practical since it takes 3 or 4 times the time I spend if I cycle the same distance. Nevertheless it felt great to get it done and I hope to be able to do it at least once a month, if not more often!
One of the advantages of walking to work is being able to take in the view in better detail. This time it meant ice all over. On some portions of the way the whole ground was covered in a thick layer that made progress slow.
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| View from the bottom of an icy hill. |
Walking is one of those activities almost anyone can enjoy and few people ever do to its full extent. I highly recommend it!
Monday, February 27, 2017
Sleet Stings
In part to relax my muscles from the Saturday run I decided to cycle to work in spite of a Winter Storm Warning being in effect. The wind and precipitation forecast didn't look particularly bad during the times I'd be riding. I'd faced worse winds, temperatures, and moderate rain. So I thought it'd be fine.
Well, I had never ridden in sleet.
It started hitting a few minutes into my ride and the wind blew it into my face until I got to work. Of all the days not to wear my ski mask! It felt like a barrage of tiny bullets on my face; hard enough to be painful and annoying, but not enough to cause any real damage. Where it was safe I found myself wrapping my left arm around my face much like you'd see a stereotypical Count Dracula hide his face behind his cape.
When I finally got to work it looked like snow had only fallen from the front of my bike.
It sure wasn't a pleasant ride, but it was a good experience to have, and at least it wasn't hail!
Well, I had never ridden in sleet.
It started hitting a few minutes into my ride and the wind blew it into my face until I got to work. Of all the days not to wear my ski mask! It felt like a barrage of tiny bullets on my face; hard enough to be painful and annoying, but not enough to cause any real damage. Where it was safe I found myself wrapping my left arm around my face much like you'd see a stereotypical Count Dracula hide his face behind his cape.
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| Image from http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/File:The_Count_cape_cover.jpg |
It sure wasn't a pleasant ride, but it was a good experience to have, and at least it wasn't hail!
Sunday, February 26, 2017
Running is not Cycling
Yesterday I had a chance to go on a quick run. Ended up running about 5k in around 30 minutes and I was happy with the results, since I hadn't gone on a run in over a year.
It was a rough start, since I'm used to cycling with eye protection and the wind in my eyes was stinging at first. Also I didn't know what to expect in terms of temperature. It was around 30 F outside and I dressed as I would for a ride, but once I was warm I learned that there wasn't enough airflow to keep me cool, so I started sweating and shedding layers, fast.
Today my body has reminded me that running, unlike cycling, is a moderate impact activity. My arms, shoulders, back, and feet are sore. Also my left knee is feeling the weight of compensating for achy feet. 5k is too much if you haven't run in a while.
On the plus side my cardiovascular capacity seems to be OK. No heart attack. But I really need to incorporate some running into my weekly routine to work what cycling doesn't.
It was a rough start, since I'm used to cycling with eye protection and the wind in my eyes was stinging at first. Also I didn't know what to expect in terms of temperature. It was around 30 F outside and I dressed as I would for a ride, but once I was warm I learned that there wasn't enough airflow to keep me cool, so I started sweating and shedding layers, fast.
Today my body has reminded me that running, unlike cycling, is a moderate impact activity. My arms, shoulders, back, and feet are sore. Also my left knee is feeling the weight of compensating for achy feet. 5k is too much if you haven't run in a while.
On the plus side my cardiovascular capacity seems to be OK. No heart attack. But I really need to incorporate some running into my weekly routine to work what cycling doesn't.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Commuting Through the Desert
So, the snow has been melting. It seems that I've been riding past an animal carcass on a daily basis. More than ever I'm reminded that I live in a desert.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Why I Cut Through Parking Lots
Today, while riding home from work I was hit by a car. With that bit of info there's a lot of ways you can imagine it went, and since I'm writing this you can infer the driver didn't kill me.
Accidents happen. It's not uncommon to see cars pulled to the side of the road during rush hour, the drivers filling out forms to the light of a patrol car. But when a collision happens between a car and a cyclist the risk isn't even close to even. The driver is cocooned in a metal bubble while the rider is prone to bounce around and pop. Like a bubble.
That's why I cut through parking lots.
Normally inside a parking lot cars go at a fraction of the speed. Less speed translates to less momentum and easier emergency breaking. That was the difference today between me landing gently on the hood of a car being brought to a sudden stop, with only a bruised ankle to show for it; and being flung in the air at bone shattering speeds if I'm lucky, or run over if I'm not.
Bike needs a little work. Happy there was nothing more to it.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Getting Nowhere, Fast
There were a couple of slushy inches of snow on the ground. Progress was slow, but very rewarding.
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Friday, January 6, 2017
Tuesday, January 3, 2017
First Commute in Deep Snow
Last night a storm hit and the conditions were finally perfect to find out if I'd be able to make it to work on my mountain bike in spite of the snow, ice, and cold. This was pretty much what I'd been excitedly and fearfully anticipating since I set a personal goal to keep commuting by bike as far into the Winter as my mind and body would allow. Up until now I had been gradually facing the cold and the darkness, but never a thick layer of snow.
Things weren't terribly bad in terms of what Winter can bring. But considering that the first thing I saw when I hit the road was a pickup truck being recovered from a crash against a lamppost on the side of a 25 MPH street, keeping the bike upright was going to be a challenge.
Plows were already making their rounds and traffic was slow, but what little maintenance the trails get hadn't started yet so I decided to take my chances on small roads. This would have normally been fine, but in this case the shoulders were covered with what the plows had removed from the street. There was no room to ride away from cars.
Being careful meant going slow, and a slow pace makes for little body heat. A new factor today was the maiden voyage of my Topeak EXP bag. The lack of a backpack and the slow pace started translating to numb fingers.
On top of the extra caution the uphill portions were especially difficult because traction wasn't steady and a couple of times I had no choice but to dismount and drag my bike up a hill. This made for very slow going. The silver lining was that the climbs eventually caused my core temperature to rise enough to offset the unforeseen cold.
Any given day this ride takes me 30 minutes. Today it took an hour fifteen. But I made it in one piece and without a fall.
There was no more snowfall during the day, and eventually someone did clear the trails, so aside from being on the lookout for patches of ice the ride home was straightforward. Not bad for my first January commute by bicycle. With any luck I'll be able to make it through the rest of Winter.
Things weren't terribly bad in terms of what Winter can bring. But considering that the first thing I saw when I hit the road was a pickup truck being recovered from a crash against a lamppost on the side of a 25 MPH street, keeping the bike upright was going to be a challenge.
Plows were already making their rounds and traffic was slow, but what little maintenance the trails get hadn't started yet so I decided to take my chances on small roads. This would have normally been fine, but in this case the shoulders were covered with what the plows had removed from the street. There was no room to ride away from cars.
Being careful meant going slow, and a slow pace makes for little body heat. A new factor today was the maiden voyage of my Topeak EXP bag. The lack of a backpack and the slow pace started translating to numb fingers.
On top of the extra caution the uphill portions were especially difficult because traction wasn't steady and a couple of times I had no choice but to dismount and drag my bike up a hill. This made for very slow going. The silver lining was that the climbs eventually caused my core temperature to rise enough to offset the unforeseen cold.
Any given day this ride takes me 30 minutes. Today it took an hour fifteen. But I made it in one piece and without a fall.
There was no more snowfall during the day, and eventually someone did clear the trails, so aside from being on the lookout for patches of ice the ride home was straightforward. Not bad for my first January commute by bicycle. With any luck I'll be able to make it through the rest of Winter.
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