Biggest loser
- Thread starter Patrick
- Start date
iman29
Well-Known Member
Give yourself some leeway you had some stuff come up that clearly hindered any way to regularly excercise.
If walking is a good start then do that 2x a day for 20-30 minutes if possible. Or 10 min 3 times a day. Small steps (see what I did there).
Comes back to basics and common sense. Don’t cut out everything at once just small changes like more water less other drinks. Don’t go back for second helpings. Pause during meals and don’t watch TV or the phone while eating.
You been here before you know what to do.
Just do it.
This is pretty much exactly the strategy I use to lose weight. Trying to lose before training resumes in January.
xc62701
Well-Known Member
Time to get back to work. Saw my highest weight ever and don't want to continue in that direction. I've done the weight loss before but I'll get into it again. Time to start calorie counting and getting back into my consistent rides. Family/work/grad school has been giving me lots of excuses. Now I need to do this for me.
Over the Bars
Well-Known Member
Anybody ever do one of those in body scans ? They happen to be doing walk ins for them at the gym the other day and I'm not sold on the accuracy.
I do one once a month as reference...I've had a few posts referencing them.
I do them the same protocol every time which I think makes them more consistent. Midweek, 7 am, pre-breakfast, post bathroom, pre-workout. You absolutely can mess with the results depending on how you ate/drank and worked out that day.
Are they Dexa accurate? Hell no. Are they pretty dang close? I think so. They're at least something to work off of.
Over the Bars
Well-Known Member
Gotcha just curious what others thoughts on them were. I guess I can do one every 3 months for free.
xc62701
Well-Known Member
Calorie counting/no beer/exercise every day this week: - 8 pounds. I know that the start is always enticing while dropping water weight(hop water). Hoping to keep this going for a while. Going away next weekend for a riding trip and Mexico for the winter break. Hoping to stay motivated to be in better shape for those.
Starting Weight (August 30th): 189.2 lbs
Current Weight: 182.1 lbs
Didn't realize my last scan was the day before my broken collarbone. All things considered, not too bad. Increase in fat% due to being out of the gym is expected. Plenty of work to do, picking the next 2 months to drop down to 170lbs feels like hard mode which I'm super about. Without fail every year I usually put on about 15 lbs and balloon up to 200 lbs this time of year. Being able to start my training plan at a competitive weight will be huge.
Current Weight: 182.1 lbs
Didn't realize my last scan was the day before my broken collarbone. All things considered, not too bad. Increase in fat% due to being out of the gym is expected. Plenty of work to do, picking the next 2 months to drop down to 170lbs feels like hard mode which I'm super about. Without fail every year I usually put on about 15 lbs and balloon up to 200 lbs this time of year. Being able to start my training plan at a competitive weight will be huge.
Starting Weight (August 30th): 189.2 lbs
Current Weight: 181.7 lbs
Diet has been spot on but I started creatine loading a week ago for the winter. Will be super happy if I stay flat for another week while water retention adds some weight.
Current Weight: 181.7 lbs
Diet has been spot on but I started creatine loading a week ago for the winter. Will be super happy if I stay flat for another week while water retention adds some weight.
1 - how much do you really expect to gain? 2 pounds maybe?
2 - why are you not using creatine all year round?
3 - do you have anything that shows loading versus just 5-10g per day is actually beneficial?
3a - to clarify how much creatine is "loading" considered?
1. Yeah, 2-4lbs is pretty normal, last time was around 2 I think. Hard to tell what's actual creatine water retention vs normal bodyweight fluctuations from diet etc.
2. Laziness mostly. I just didn't bother to re-buy after I ran out over the summer. I seemed to recover a bit better when I was taking it.
3. None that I've seen in the research. Just personal preference of how quickly you want to increase the creatine stores.
3a. When I say loading, I'm talking about just taking 5g a day and letting everything come up over the next 3-4 weeks.
It is awesome creatine is so insanely studied. This article has a bunch of commonly answered questions about it:
Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? - Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
Supplementing with creatine is very popular amongst athletes and exercising individuals for improving muscle mass, performance and recovery. Accumulating evidence also suggests that creatine supplementation produces a variety of beneficial effects in older and patient populations. Furthermore...
jissn.biomedcentral.com
Yes it is. To be clear, I have been using it for a bit and I think it helps at some level. I round up my scoop so maybe more like 7-8g depending on randomness I guess. There has been some research that "may" support improved cognitive function when you take in the 5-10g range per day. I have not gone full send on the 10g. But I do round up.
FitmanNJ
Well-Known Member
I seen as much as 20g per day recommended by researchers doing studies on cognitive effects. No contraindications reported (other than that which has already been reported...).
Johnny Utah
Well-Known Member
Thought I would check in as it has been some time.
The past few years I started to feel like turd but blamed it on the fact that I had a lot going on. Riding got painful, I was fat, sleeping went downhill. Not something I expected in my early 40’s.
Over the summer I was pretty sure shoulder surgery was going to be needed prior to the spring of 2026 and started to research doctors. Riding a rigid bike in Allaire was beginning to have two day pain after. Rather than ride trail I rode my gravel bike, but many sections with no hands on the bars to save my hands and shoulder from pain.
I felt like I was starting to feel way older than I thought I should at this age, and it was depressing. I felt defeated.
One day while at a customer’s/friend that brews my favorite beer we got on the topic of health as he offered me a pour but I noted I was passing as beer was making me feel really uncomfortable after a few instead of warm and fuzzy. I discussed some of my other symptoms. He asked - “have you been tested for gluten allergies, because my wife had all that and it stopped when she cut gluten”
No, I had not.
7/3/25 - I had a few Coors Banquettes and a fire in my backyard and started researching gluten allergies and what the side affects could be if gone untreated. That evening, I told myself it would be worth a try to cut gluten with the end goal of avoiding surgery. Knowing cutting gluten would be such a shock; as bread, pizza and beer were my roommates, I thought I should go all in and knock out refined sugar and processed foods too.
In 125 or so days I am down to 203 from 225. The weight does not matter to me anymore, as the pain has gone away. My body feels like I am twenty five again. My skin looks younger. The mobility in my joints is insane. My mental focus at work in addition to sleep are the best they have ever been.
Counting calories is somewhat in, the as the goal is 185, but staying off gluten, processed food and refined sugar are the biggies and continue to be as I believe that is what is making me feel better.
My wife and I did a two week road trip south for our ten year anniversary in late September, with seven days in Key West. My only cheat came in the form of a single scoop ice cream serving on three nights. Zero booze - pretty sure after that I may never drink again.
It was weird at first, in fact Day Three of this I worked trail maintenance at Allaire with @mike_243 and had to leave early and get walked out as I thought I was going to pass out - my guess was my body getting off the sugar I fueled it with. But that passed after a few weeks and I ate fruit and raisins for fuel, sometimes jerky on rides instead of Cliff Blocks and Honey Stingers.
We still are not sure if I have a gluten allergy, as by the time I got to the doctor I had not had gluten for almost two months. Like the doctor said, “even if you didn’t have a gluten allergy, why go back to it if you feel better?”
BTW - the last gluten I willingly put in my body was a Cheesesteak from Geno’s in Philly the night before I started, I can live with that.
EDIT: I wanted to thank all of you for sharing your stories as well as your support. It is easy to listen to the world around us and maybe consider surgery, a shot or just medicating yourself to deal with whatever ails you. This forum and site continue to be a breath of sanity in a wild world - thank you for your inspiration - all of you!
The past few years I started to feel like turd but blamed it on the fact that I had a lot going on. Riding got painful, I was fat, sleeping went downhill. Not something I expected in my early 40’s.
Over the summer I was pretty sure shoulder surgery was going to be needed prior to the spring of 2026 and started to research doctors. Riding a rigid bike in Allaire was beginning to have two day pain after. Rather than ride trail I rode my gravel bike, but many sections with no hands on the bars to save my hands and shoulder from pain.
I felt like I was starting to feel way older than I thought I should at this age, and it was depressing. I felt defeated.
One day while at a customer’s/friend that brews my favorite beer we got on the topic of health as he offered me a pour but I noted I was passing as beer was making me feel really uncomfortable after a few instead of warm and fuzzy. I discussed some of my other symptoms. He asked - “have you been tested for gluten allergies, because my wife had all that and it stopped when she cut gluten”
No, I had not.
7/3/25 - I had a few Coors Banquettes and a fire in my backyard and started researching gluten allergies and what the side affects could be if gone untreated. That evening, I told myself it would be worth a try to cut gluten with the end goal of avoiding surgery. Knowing cutting gluten would be such a shock; as bread, pizza and beer were my roommates, I thought I should go all in and knock out refined sugar and processed foods too.
In 125 or so days I am down to 203 from 225. The weight does not matter to me anymore, as the pain has gone away. My body feels like I am twenty five again. My skin looks younger. The mobility in my joints is insane. My mental focus at work in addition to sleep are the best they have ever been.
Counting calories is somewhat in, the as the goal is 185, but staying off gluten, processed food and refined sugar are the biggies and continue to be as I believe that is what is making me feel better.
My wife and I did a two week road trip south for our ten year anniversary in late September, with seven days in Key West. My only cheat came in the form of a single scoop ice cream serving on three nights. Zero booze - pretty sure after that I may never drink again.
It was weird at first, in fact Day Three of this I worked trail maintenance at Allaire with @mike_243 and had to leave early and get walked out as I thought I was going to pass out - my guess was my body getting off the sugar I fueled it with. But that passed after a few weeks and I ate fruit and raisins for fuel, sometimes jerky on rides instead of Cliff Blocks and Honey Stingers.
We still are not sure if I have a gluten allergy, as by the time I got to the doctor I had not had gluten for almost two months. Like the doctor said, “even if you didn’t have a gluten allergy, why go back to it if you feel better?”
BTW - the last gluten I willingly put in my body was a Cheesesteak from Geno’s in Philly the night before I started, I can live with that.
EDIT: I wanted to thank all of you for sharing your stories as well as your support. It is easy to listen to the world around us and maybe consider surgery, a shot or just medicating yourself to deal with whatever ails you. This forum and site continue to be a breath of sanity in a wild world - thank you for your inspiration - all of you!
Last edited:
iman29
Well-Known Member
That’s a great start! You got this. 👍🏻
serviceguy
Well-Known Member
Congrats on the health improvement, you looked great when we met at Allaire. Kind of doing the same but I can't get off bread 100%, currently limiting it to the weekends. Also intermittent fasting seems to be working.