This is about my experiences while cycling, losing weight, getting fit - healthy and other events in my life. I am a 59 year old single male cyclist, runner, ham-radioer, photographer, gamer, golfer, astronomer, tango student, artist, nerd in search of the perfect ride and run.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Year one - One year summary
Today is the last day of my first year of my fitness and weight lose program. One year ago tomorrow I signed up for Jenny Craig's program and started my fitness and weight lose. I started out at 410 pounds and today I weighted in at 351 pounds. I had wanted to make it to 350 but I am pleased with what I have done. So that is 59 pounds for the year or 4.92 pounds a month, or 1.13 pounds a week or 2.6 ounces a day.
My BMI has gone from 50.6 to 43.3 - I am not sure if that is good or poor - I am sure it is too high but I really do not know what a good BMI should be for me - what is important to me is it has gone down - If I understand it correctly the 50.6 means half my weight was fat - how bad was that. My present of body fat went from 50.2 to 40.7 I am not sure how this is different from the BMI but it is also down which is good.
Another thing that to me is notable with regard to my fitness is that I have decreased the amount of insulin I take each day by 256% and I am no longer having problems with swelling in my lower leg for which I was required to wear compression stockings.
My weight lose has really slowed down for the last six weeks in spite of my increased efforts for the last two weeks to kick it. I still look really fat to myself and even through others have told me they can see a change it is hard because I am not seeing changes. As I notes in an earlier blog I did find out where the fat was coming from and I was pleased to see that but it also means that when I look at myself with or with out a mirror I can not see much change.
I am walking between 6500 and 8700 steps a day most days but that is still short of the 10000 Jenny recommends - something for me to work on. I fell sure that as we go through winter my riding mileage will drop but I do plan to ride as much as I can at least on weekends when I can ride during the warmer part of the day also one can walk at almost any temperature as long as it is dry. I want to not only preserve the fitness I has achieved but to continue to improve it - I have heard this can be difficult but that is my goal.
One other thing I have just begun to notice in the last two weeks or so is that my weight lose or improved fitness or most likely both is have an effect on my cycling speed - I did the 75 miles routes both days at the MS Tour for Cure and was pleased and a little surprised I could do both days. The several rides I have done since then have been really different for my - it is almost like I have someone else's legs and stamina. My general pace has increased from about 17 mpg to 20 plus mph and there for my average speed has increase from 13 - 15 mph to 16 - 18 mph and these are on routes with some hills. I still depend on the Bionx to help me climb hills but at 19.5 mph it is not helping and the fact that I can pedal at or above 20 mph for long stretch of flat to slightly rolling terrain it just such a achievement for me. Ten months ago when I was trying to start riding 5 miles with the Bionx would put me in my recliner for a 2 hour nap.
I never compare myself with other cyclist - I my opinion any cyclist who rides is better than I am and I will feel that way until I can give up my dependence on the Bionx and ride more or less the way I do now or better with out it - may be in another 50 to 60 pounds. So when every I talk about what I have done I am just talking about compared to how I was - I do so enjoy riding and riding with other cyclist from any of the several group of cyclist I am associated with.
Looking forward to the next year and getting thinner and fitter.
My weight today was 351 pounds.
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1 comment:
Congratulations, Ashby! You're at the first "rest stop" on your long ride. Keep it up!
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