Getting into shape.

[bigmoe5067 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bigmoe5067]

maybe consider training yourself to prefer another milk, like almond, soy, or coconut. your preferred tastes are not set in stone. just like an athlete has to repeat a specific motion a certain number of times to internalize the technique ( i think it something like 60 times a day over 3 weeks), the same can be said about your taste buds. it usually takes eating a food 15 different times on different days for a food to become preferred. so that means it will only take 15 times of not enjoying your replacement before it becomes preferred to the previous.

of all the options i would suggest almond milk

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

I must be doing something right because 6 hours today didn't feel like much and i made sure I took my 15 minute break to unwind. Even with all the lifting I did today it didn't wear me out. When I got home that hip thing happened for a split second, but that was all.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

More lifting all day, lower back definitely sore, but I really think I am getting used to everything, even if today I was chugging along slowly.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

I looked and my stomach and thighs seem to be a little thinner and I feel a little lighter and stronger today, even with some soreness still from the lifting of work. The way I stand straight up everything feels less, could just be me though. Today wasn't the best food choices, but we ran out of salad and healthier choices really quickly this week.

Weather is starting to warm up, but a lot of rain this week so I have a few question to any of you cyclists, but first a bit of a story.

Later this year I intend to bike 90-100 miles in September right before my birthday in October. It will be going to my childhood home about 45 miles away from myself. I did it last year when I was going through personal problems with my past and was dealing with suicidal thoughts and needed to face my past so I could finally move on.

It took me 12 hours total, got lost for about 30 minutes, my rear break broke and that took 30 minutes on the side of the road, an hour at my grandparents that lived nearby to rest, plenty of walking on some of the roads, and breaks included. I know it wasn't the fastest, I only gave myself about 1 1/2 months of prepping to get used to it and only got up to 13 miles a day right before I did it. The first 10 miles only took me about an hour, but after that it got progressively worse, probably because my break was broken through half of it until I got it finally fixed trying to take it slow down hills.

I think I took a little too much with me. Had plenty of snack type food, trail mix, bars, energy drinks, sports drinks, water, and anything extra I could bring with me. My back pack probably weighed about 25 lbs.

I found a much better route this time with more sidewalks and passing by more relatives houses to take breaks. My bike isn't the greatest, just a $75 bike I got from Wal-Mart 3 years ago after my old one broke beyond inexpensive repair.

I want to do this next bike trip in under a day.

Finally the questions.

How do you folks train yourselves for such a trip?
Any tips for making it easier? My toughest moments seem to be anything up hill with wind higher than 10 mph going against me.
Is a new bike in order? I easily weigh 275 (I really need to get my weight checked so I can finally know) so I need something sturdy that won't break.
Any before, during, or after tips for something like this?

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

I now have proof that I lost weight, in that the water was not dripping off of my stomach, but going down me like anything else while I was showering today. Yep, I have odd ways of proving I have lost weight without a scale.

[TheSnitch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TheSnitch]

That's great man! Scales are about weight, not fat loss. Inches lost is more important, if you have a tailors tape for girth measurements, do your thighs, hips, stomach, chest, calves and arms - write them down and then see where you're at in 3 months.

I notice when I lose weight my hands get more square.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

Closest thing I have is measuring tape. Nothing around my waste seems to be any looser although my thighs seem to be a little thinner.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

Definitely going to feel something tonight. I was lifting plenty of 20 lb. bags of soil and 40 lb. boxes of bottled water. Definitely getting a strong back there, although I really do need to lift with my legs more.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

Haven't really done much this week, just work, work, and more work with plenty of lifting and moving around. When I stand straight up and no sucking in of my stomach there is clearly a thinner difference, but not by much. I would have to be I have lost 5-10 pounds so far. When I start getting paid I am buying a scale.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

I think I am finally getting used to work. Nothing to complain about for once, pain wise, which is surprising considering for the last two weeks my right ankle has hurt immensely after each day at work.

Now I just need to figure out a way to exercise enough to make a 90 mile bike ride in about 4 months.

[TheSnitch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TheSnitch]

I think I am finally getting used to work. Nothing to complain about for once, pain wise, which is surprising considering for the last two weeks my right ankle has hurt immensely after each day at work.

Now I just need to figure out a way to exercise enough to make a 90 mile bike ride in about 4 months.

What bike ride are you doing?

[pterodactyl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pterodactyl]

I once rode 70 miles in one day. It took 10 hours. This was also on a mountian bike and mostly on a gravel path but still. You have to think about, not just your conditioning, but also if your body can handle being on that saddle for such a long time and also how your back, shoulders, elbows, and knees are going to react to being in that position.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

What bike ride are you doing?

A bike ride that I did last year, just doubled. Last year when I was in a bad place I tried biking to my childhood home, 45 miles away, in the middle of the night, in all black, on the freeway at 2:30 in the morning. I was caught by the cops 12 miles into it and they took me back home.

This year I want to do the same trip, but bike all the way back. I have decided I want to at least bike there every year before my birthday. I did it last year to get over my past, because that place haunted me so much that I even gave it a crooked smile with crazy teeth that was always laughing at me. When I got there it changed the way I thought about what happened to me and my family 20 years before then.

I once rode 70 miles in one day. It took 10 hours. This was also on a mountian bike and mostly on a gravel path but still. You have to think about, not just your conditioning, but also if your body can handle being on that saddle for such a long time and also how your back, shoulders, elbows, and knees are going to react to being in that position.

My ride took me 12 hours (counting the 1 hour at grandparents for a rest, the multiple breaks, my rear break breaking and trying to fix is for 30 minutes, getting lost for about 30 minutes, and having to walk for 5 miles for part of it because of the lack of sidewalks or bike lanes). 45 miles in 12 hours is pretty slow, my bike isn't the best, just some $75 one I got at Wal-Mart 3 years ago, and I only gave myself about 6 weeks to train for it. Just a simple mountain bike and mostly on roads and sidewalks.

My biggest problem is going up hill when the wind is over 10 mph. It just wears me out quickly for some reason.

I did learn recently that my bike is not the right fit for me or that I need to raise the seat some, but with my weight it usually just goes back down. Looks like I should invest in one that fits me and can handle my weight from a place that actually knows a thing or two about bikes rather than Wal-Mart.

[Dontrike Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dontrike]

Noticed last night that my chest is smaller (that doesn't sound quite right). My man boobs are definitely not as large. While my exercising has been from work solely my change in eating habits have helped greatly, although I must admit with my recent depression I wasn't watching quite as good as I should have been.

[TheSnitch Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close TheSnitch]

Noticed last night that my chest is smaller (that doesn't sound quite right). My man boobs are definitely not as large. While my exercising has been from work solely my change in eating habits have helped greatly, although I must admit with my recent depression I wasn't watching quite as good as I should have been.

Sweating is an essential part of being a human being. Most people get grossed out by someone who is sweaty, unless they're in workout clothes and look buff. But, when it comes down to it, sweat is what transfers a lot of excess salt and other things your bowels and bladder can't get rid of, in addition to helping the skin stay clean.

Keep your sheets clean, and shower before bed (if you don't after work), this will help you from getting back, chest, face acne from all the sweating you do at your job. A lot of what your noticing is probably your body losing excess salt due to a lack of intake and thus excess water, in addition to the weight loss your experiencing from having a deficit in caloric intake.

Most folks sit in air conditioned rooms all day long and very rarely sweat. With a physical job I bet you'll notice your skin glows a little more and you will certainly start to notice the weight loss.