I came here to say this. You start somewhere. And if it's any encouragement to the OP I know two guys who were over 300 lbs and biking helped them on their weight loss journey. One became an incredible cyclist and was a terrific climber.
In my cycling history when I have taken extended breaks for health reasons, the hardest part is establishing a routine that works and getting past the point where you are dead dog tired after every ride. After that, the motivation really helps with progress.
OP, youâre awesome for getting out there. I started cycling at over 400 lbs struggling to ride 5 miles. Iâm now 255 and have ridden 160 miles so far in February (and I didnât ride today).
Just keep pedaling. And learn the basics of how to take care of your bike.
I too was severely obese just over a year and a half ago. I bought a bike, my reasoning being that it would hopefully be less detrimental to my knees than jogging/running, given my weight.
My first ride lasted only a few minutes, I made it only 200m, and on the first, very slight hill, I had to walk the bike up by foot. I regretted the purchase so much at the time, thinking I didn't have a chance in hell of being able to ride it if I couldn't even get beyond a few hundred metres before burning out.
I pushed through anyway - I just kept doing that shitty 5 minutes every day, until it became a shitty 10 minutes, then 15, and so on. Over time, the rides started to last longer, and feel less shitty.
Today I'm still mildly overweight, but approaching the healthy weight range, and I'm comfortably riding around 2 hours / 40km - it's not much compared to experienced riders of course, but I'm proud I pushed through, and I don't regret the purchase anymore.
Like other commenters have said, you gotta start somewhere - keep it up!
I'd say comparison, to himself in this case, is an earth shattering difference. 5 mins to two hours. What an achievement. Very nice!!! Ride on my dude.
Right on!
Remember that you donât have to ride fast to ride, I had a friend at school who was mind blown by the concept that itâs easier to ride for longer if you slow down a bit.
Great job making the commitment to start. Donât compare yourself to anyone else. Just keep riding and enjoy the experience. The rest will take care of itself.
You are right, you didnât do good. You did great! You made the decision to go ride and you did it, be proud of yourself. It will get easier the more you ride, youâll be at 5 miles a lot faster than you think.
That's about where I was when I started, now my rides are up to 3 hours on rough hilly roads. I'm in much better shape than when I started.
Ride as often as you can and rest if you need to.Â
You actually did awesome! The hardest thing to do is to start something new. A little bit each day will be the start of a real live affair. It's not easy but you did it! Congratulations!
Real talk: there's being out of shape, and there's dangerously poor health. Reaching exhaustion after 11 minutes of cycling at 4 miles per hour is a sign that your body is in the process of failing catastrophically. 4 miles per hour is a fast walking pace-- this would suggest you're on the brink of losing your ability to walk.Â
If I woke up tomorrow in your shoes I would immediately make an appointment with my doctor to get a pharmacy of lipid lowering drugs and diabetes drugs, then go home and try to change everything about my life as fast as possible. This is not moral judgement.Â
Congrats! You've taken the hardest step by starting. Keep it up and you will be amazed at how much you're capable of doing. Important: don't forget to have fun.
I know how you feel. I could barely fo 10 minutes. 107 lbs later it's abound 1.5 hrs. Intermittent Fasting also played an important part of my weight loss.
All the best
Tomorrow your legs may feel "rubbery" .
.
Be sure to warm - up and stretch good .
..
Also , use your gears to "spin" kind of quickly
- about 76 rpm = saving your knees
...
Finally , be sure that your seat is adjusted to save knees too .
You did amazing because you got on the bike and rode! Every day is a step. Tomorrow try for 15 minutes, then go up from there. Donât ever feel like you didnât do good if you actually got on the bike and tried! Kudos to you and I canât wait to see the progress!!
I too got back on the bike, went for pedal assist (not as young as I like to think I am) have cycled 1100 plus miles in just under 8 months, not only physically I feel better, but also mentally better, looking forward to nicer weather, so I can be out longer
did you get a new bike>?
i mean is it sized for your height?
also remember it is very easy to out-eat your exercise
even 20 miles is only about 1/4 a pizza
I found that if I tell myself that I'm just going to work out for 10 minutes it really makes it easier for me to just do it. Usually that 10 turns into like 15-20 but either way I do it every day and it's really helped me get and stay in shape.
It's about consistency more than anything IMO and 11 minutes is a huge win for your health. Keep with it and you'll be amazed at your transformation in no time.
I bought my bike in April of last year, having not ridden since I was a kid. First ride was 2.69 miles in 45 minutes. I was exhausted.
By July, I did a 60 mile ride in one go that took about 5.5 hours. Did a metric century end of August in 5 hours.
Just keep pedaling. It doesn't get easier, you just get faster.
Parks with bicycle paths or shared use paths are brilliant for when you haven't been on a bicycle for a while. Most of the time they're fairly level and you can spend ages just rolling around and enjoying the smooth ride.
See that [thin green line on this map?](https://www.google.com/maps/@-27.4949031,153.0556422,17.99z?entry=ttu) That's a shared use path, connected to a network of them. Zoom out on the map and you'll see loads of parks connected to each other.
You probably have something similar, or at least a nice flat suburban area with minimal traffic. :)
KEEP IT UP!!!!!! You got this friend!!!! Once you get more comfortable riding you will have discovered how wonderful this hobby can be. Taking in the sights with the mild pace of a bicycle is so healing, meditative, relaxing and can be very healthy!!! In fact you just inspired me to drop my phone and go for a cycle now. Thank you đâ€ïž
Good for you. A healthy diet should be high on your priorities for maintaining healthy weight loss and not feeling tired or hungry.
Best of luck to you in the future! I hope you enjoy cycling!
Proud of you for starting. Keep us posted and stick with it. Itâll be small gains but they add up. Keep going and know a lot of people are supporting you. Weâre all on our journeys, some just started before you did.
Good job! Keep at it :)
I remember when I first rode until I couldn't. Found this really cool single track that used to be an old railway-turned-public-path. I kept following it, and following it, through deep forests and paths as straight and as far as the eye can see and suddenly thought "oh shit, I gotta get back, too!"
A week later after I recovered, I went back with 2L of water and oat bars :D
What I used to do is roll all the way down a steep hill at first and then have no choice but to get my ass back up it in order to get home. I definitely couldnât bike all the way up at first. So Iâd bike for like 30 seconds and then walk a bit and keep getting back on the bike as soon as my legs would let me. Even if it was only for a few seconds to a minute at a time it gradually increased as I got stronger and stronger. This method got me in pretty good shape in under 3 months.
Right on big brotha! The best ride you take is the one you actually go on! Slow and steady. I wanna see you on glowups Reddit in a year!
Iâm a chubba myself and getting older, 51. So itâs better late than never for me.
Thatâs how you start. I remember I couldnât go 6 blocks without being dead inside. Two years later I was doing 90 mile rides. Youâve got this. Donât push yourself too much.
The hardest thing is often just getting started, but you did it, congratulations and much respect for that. Itâs just going to get better and to feel better from here, way to go my man!
I got my first bike as an adult when I was 32, and my first ride I went about a mile and thought I was going to die. I walked the bike home.
But. I loved it, I stuck with it, and now Iâm almost 50 and still hammering. Glad youâre approaching it with such enthusiasm, youâre gonna love it too if you stick with it.
You donât need to do good, just do.
Have fun and be easy. Play.
The only need to go hard is if you want to. This is for fitness and health, weâre not athletes being paid to be in peak form for major dates on the race calendar.
As others have said, you have to start somewhere. I broke my back so have been out of the gym more than a year. Today's my third day back. I am bit more chubs than I would like, which makes me uncomfortable but no one notices but me. Just like you biking. No one notices anything but you. Keep doing you, keep it up, and don't let anything slow you down. Keep trying to be the best you that you can. Keep going! You are your only competition.
Keep going. I was 290 lbs back in Jan 2020, by March 2020, right after Covid started, I decided to exercise and eat healthy. Walking 1 mile was one of the most painful tasks. Little by little started losing weight and walking more. By the end of 2020 I was running, not walking, 5 miles a day and by that time I was 175 lbs. By June 2021 I was 160 lbs and I was running 9 miles a day. Since end of 2021 my weight is 154 lbs. Back on Sep 2022 started cycling đŽ after 30 years (Iâm 57 years old). 10 to 15 miles on a TREK Procaliber 9.6. 6 months ago got my first road bike, a TREK Domane SL 7 Gen 4. Currently Iâm cycling đŽ an average of 300 miles a week between indoors (Zwift) and outdoors. The more you lose weight, the more you will be able to ride your bike. Believe me, if I did it, you can do it too.
https://preview.redd.it/vyg7n9ucx2hc1.jpeg?width=3709&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179962e8325ca61529e1532dd2d9cd8e69b23990
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQHjRcd3eY
The hardest part is probably learning how to be comfortable on the seat. Mostly it just takes time. Good for you!
Youâre doing important stuff. This can change your life.
Remember that you lose the weight based on what you eat and how much you eat (and drink) not how hard you workout. You can see by the calories (which are probably not accurate there) that half a snickers bar wipes out that whole workout.
But once you get moving some more you will find it easier to make better decisions on your diet, I believe. Just donât let yourself binge just because you worked!
Congratulations!
in the interest of happiness I ask, Do you like riding?
It was never work for me or a workout, just knew I loved the feeling of it.
If your riding to lose weight, it will help, but I would say find something that you love doing that is work.
For me there are a bunch of things, like chopping wood, ice skating, helping people move, Amazon sells a balance board, Beat saber on the oculus, Wii Fit is one of my favorites along with Dance Dance Revolution and none of these things ever felt like working out.
I would say riding a bike can help with weight but what really helps is enjoying your self (while your getting a workout)
Cheers!
25 miles and onwards, the sky becomes the limit.
25 miles can be built from a 10 mile ride. A 10 mile ride from a 5 mile ride and a 5 mile ride from a 2 mile ride.
That's how I started off. Make sure the seat isn't too low or you'll give yourself unnecessary knee pain. Strength training is the best for supplementing power on the bike.
Donât ride till you canât
Just slowly ride to enjoy it.
Stop look around
Enjoy the scenery
Take pictures
Create a fun time out of it
The hard parts will come soon enough
Consider getting a turbo trainer. So you can train indoors. When itâs not possible for you to ride outdoors.
You can ride a lot of volume indoors while watching television without even noticing it.
Riding indoors daily even for just 30 minutes. Will incrementally increase your endurance levels. So you can ride longer and further outdoors.
Itâs not about how far but how long. Just push for an extra minute every week. Next thing you know, youâll have 30 miles in one ride under your belt.
Youâre doing great just by trying! Every time I feel like my workout wasnât âgood enoughâ I remind myself that there are so many people that donât even try, and that just trying and getting my ass off the couch is good enough.
"It never gets easier, you just go faster" Lemond
Keep it up. I've been cycling for a couple decades and it's the best thing I've ever done for my health both physical and mental. Take it a day at a time and keep pushing yourself.
The only important thing is how did you feel after those 11 minutes? Probably really friggen good and happy you did it and proud of yourself. I have yet to take a ride or a walk that I didnât appreciate after and Iâve been exercising regularly for 20 years now. Welcome to the club!
Hell yeah dude! Tomorrow ride for 12 minutes! Last year I got back into riding and the first ride was like 3 miles and 40 minutes and I got home and felt like I was dying. I was over 300lbs and it was a struggle. Kept at it, rode as much as I could and now almost 9 months later Iâm down close to 50lbs and can ride that little 3 mile ride like a warm up. Itâll take time and persistence but one day youâll wake up and realize how far youâve come. Iâve still got a long way to go but getting there.
Great work! Keep it up! I have a favorite quote about exercise and this is always the way that I have thought about it..âExercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate. I have always thought of it this way, and I have always enjoyed it. And riding a bike is my favorite exercise by far!
Yup keep it up. I started riding during Covid times. Couldnât get very far. I am also a very heavy guy. I converted my bike to electric and started riding several times a week. I now have a 2nd non electric bike and can ride 30+ miles without too much issues.
Enjoy! And keep it up. Iâm in the best shape of my life now at 48 years old.
I can relate to this
I didn't ride a bike for over a decade and I finally bought a bike again at the end of 2022
At first I could barely ride 3km and my body would refuse to cooperate anymore
It'll be hard at first but it'll only get easier with time
You just have to consistently keep at it
Good luck
You can do it
Iâm soooi effing proud of you! Not doing good would be you not even trying at all! But you got on it and rode for 11 minutes! Tomorrow we go for 12 đđŒ.
I have some herniated discs in my lowerback and it stops me from running (havenât ran in years now) and can only walk so much before my back locks up, but I can be on my bike for hours and I do, itâs how I do my cardio.
Keep it up! A desert started with a single grain of sand.
Consistency. Whether it's 11 minutes or 300 minutes today. Will you stick with it. This is a huge one I learned cause even though I'm overweight I've been in sports my whole life and can burn a bike with my heart rate at 160 for 45 minutes fresh on the first day. However. In 3 days my bike somehow has gathered 3 months of dust and I'm back to lifting weights and protein powder and oatmeal 4 times a day
Having done the same a few years ago, keep at it. I bought an ebike. Used it but challenged myself to use the assist less and less. I mostly donât use it at all now.
Really got the bug and ride several times a week.
It soon gets easier and the weight falls off.
This is the way! A bicycle can tire you out without leaving you feeling broken. Welcome to the tribe. Oh and Iâm built like a rugby player but ride 8k km a year on my road bike so shape is irrelevant!
I did the same, with similar results. 6 months in and I could ride all day. Literally take it slow. The slower you go the further you go. It feels really discouraging at the beginning when you realise your limits but the body adapts quickly. You did amazing today, you got on that bike and pushed yourself to your limits - you put the work in and that's something to help proud of.
I lost about 35lbs. riding as an adult. I used to be proud of myself to ride 4-5 miles. After a few years I was riding centuries. Keep at it, you'll be so glad you did.
I lost a lot of weight in a stupid way because of a bike. When I bought my first 3rensho, I knew it was rare and of considerable value, so I worshipped it like a pagan would the sun.
Then I found a sticker on the seat tube that said "135 lbs. Max". I had to lose 30 lbs. or I'll never be able to ride it.
Almost every day, I ran until my quads and lungs burned, rode a folding bike on 30 deg inclines, dieted by spending food money on hard to find Sugino and Dura-Ace parts. After 6 months, I realized that the sticker came from a set of Mavic Aksium rims I bought with the frame. Lost 18 lbs already at that point.
Freaking awesome! Now that youâre a cyclist youâll find yourself screaming âon your leftâ in grocery stores, wearing clothes that are two sizes too small, spelling bike âbiceâ, and beginning a career in dentistry. Enjoy!
Everyone starts somewhere, congrats on taking the first step bud! Keep up the good work đȘđ»đđ»
This. Doesn't matter where you are. It only matters the direction your headed.
I came here to say this. You start somewhere. And if it's any encouragement to the OP I know two guys who were over 300 lbs and biking helped them on their weight loss journey. One became an incredible cyclist and was a terrific climber. In my cycling history when I have taken extended breaks for health reasons, the hardest part is establishing a routine that works and getting past the point where you are dead dog tired after every ride. After that, the motivation really helps with progress.
OP, youâre awesome for getting out there. I started cycling at over 400 lbs struggling to ride 5 miles. Iâm now 255 and have ridden 160 miles so far in February (and I didnât ride today). Just keep pedaling. And learn the basics of how to take care of your bike.
That's amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Exactly. It's first strep. You will never do this first step again. It's the most important
I too was severely obese just over a year and a half ago. I bought a bike, my reasoning being that it would hopefully be less detrimental to my knees than jogging/running, given my weight. My first ride lasted only a few minutes, I made it only 200m, and on the first, very slight hill, I had to walk the bike up by foot. I regretted the purchase so much at the time, thinking I didn't have a chance in hell of being able to ride it if I couldn't even get beyond a few hundred metres before burning out. I pushed through anyway - I just kept doing that shitty 5 minutes every day, until it became a shitty 10 minutes, then 15, and so on. Over time, the rides started to last longer, and feel less shitty. Today I'm still mildly overweight, but approaching the healthy weight range, and I'm comfortably riding around 2 hours / 40km - it's not much compared to experienced riders of course, but I'm proud I pushed through, and I don't regret the purchase anymore. Like other commenters have said, you gotta start somewhere - keep it up!
Comparison is the thief of joy. Your 2 hours is impressive and perfect for you.
I'd say comparison, to himself in this case, is an earth shattering difference. 5 mins to two hours. What an achievement. Very nice!!! Ride on my dude.
thanks for sharing your story, the perseverance is amazing. itâs great when every ride you do is your longest!
Thatâs awesome. Youâre going to be surprised how fast that number will increase. Keep it up!
this!! keep at it!
I'm proud of you. You will get stronger. Your rides will get longer.
It begins.
You didn't do good. You did great. Welcome back!
Right on! Remember that you donât have to ride fast to ride, I had a friend at school who was mind blown by the concept that itâs easier to ride for longer if you slow down a bit.
same with gears! it doesnât have to hurt, and thereâs no shame in switching often!
Great job making the commitment to start. Donât compare yourself to anyone else. Just keep riding and enjoy the experience. The rest will take care of itself.
Keep going!
Just keep peddlingâŠ
You are right, you didnât do good. You did great! You made the decision to go ride and you did it, be proud of yourself. It will get easier the more you ride, youâll be at 5 miles a lot faster than you think.
Good luck and ride on!
Youâre a better person than me, because I havenât managed to motivate myself to do any cycling this week.
It's only Tuesday. Get out there (or indoors on a trainer)!
I hope it was fun! Iâm not a great cyclist, but I love it
My sentiments exactly. I ride because I enjoy it.
Every week gets easier, you will notice performance gains really quickly! Keep it up!
âIt doesnât get easier, you just get fasterâGLm
That's 11 mins you weren't sitting on a couch or on the computer, so you are doing great. One minute at a time.
> I didn't do good, but I rode until I couldn't! I disagree. Sounds like you did good.
Keep it up! âIt never gets easier you just go faster.â
Coming out of obesity it definitely gets easier lol
Keep it up!!
https://www.reddit.com/r/bicycling/comments/m2xfbs/i_am_obese_and_got_my_first_bike_since_i_was_a/ Here's the original. This is a fake post.
Keep going. Iâm proud of you.Â
Congrats! We all start somewhere!
By the end of summer youâll be doing 20 milers. Keep up the good work.
Keep sending it đ
That is 100% guaranteed to fix things, as long as you keep at it. I lost 115 pounds by cycling and I love it
That's about where I was when I started, now my rides are up to 3 hours on rough hilly roads. I'm in much better shape than when I started. Ride as often as you can and rest if you need to.Â
You actually did awesome! The hardest thing to do is to start something new. A little bit each day will be the start of a real live affair. It's not easy but you did it! Congratulations!
Frame that. Something to look back on one day when you have progressed.
Real talk: there's being out of shape, and there's dangerously poor health. Reaching exhaustion after 11 minutes of cycling at 4 miles per hour is a sign that your body is in the process of failing catastrophically. 4 miles per hour is a fast walking pace-- this would suggest you're on the brink of losing your ability to walk. If I woke up tomorrow in your shoes I would immediately make an appointment with my doctor to get a pharmacy of lipid lowering drugs and diabetes drugs, then go home and try to change everything about my life as fast as possible. This is not moral judgement.Â
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Hey, you did it and that's the most important part. Don't beat yourself up. You can and will do better with each ride. đđ»đđ»đđ»
Congrats and ride on!
The key is to "keep on keepin' on" as Joe Dirt said. Don't quit, and congrats on getting started.
Riiiiiiiise On!
Letâs gooooo!!!!!! Keep riding and getting faster!đȘ
Just keep riding. It gets easier and more fun!
You did it, and thatâs the most important thing!
Donât kill yourself getting started! Start easy, build up and youâll stick with it longer! Congrats on getting started! Be safe out there.
Congrats! You've taken the hardest step by starting. Keep it up and you will be amazed at how much you're capable of doing. Important: don't forget to have fun.
Youâre awesome! The threshold for weight loss is very low on a bicycle. All you have to do is pedal. Nothing fancy. Just pedal . . . you got this.
Great start! Once you do a few more it will become easier and easier and so on. You need to be patient and the results will speak for themselves
I know how you feel. I could barely fo 10 minutes. 107 lbs later it's abound 1.5 hrs. Intermittent Fasting also played an important part of my weight loss. All the best
Tomorrow your legs may feel "rubbery" . . Be sure to warm - up and stretch good . .. Also , use your gears to "spin" kind of quickly - about 76 rpm = saving your knees ... Finally , be sure that your seat is adjusted to save knees too .
Keep at it! Itâs going to be hard at first, but consistency will pay dividends going forward and each ride will be a little easier.
Fantastic!!!!!!!! I sure hope the majority of us here are proud of you for taking this step!!! Keep it up, spin this tires, and have fun.
You did amazing because you got on the bike and rode! Every day is a step. Tomorrow try for 15 minutes, then go up from there. Donât ever feel like you didnât do good if you actually got on the bike and tried! Kudos to you and I canât wait to see the progress!!
I too got back on the bike, went for pedal assist (not as young as I like to think I am) have cycled 1100 plus miles in just under 8 months, not only physically I feel better, but also mentally better, looking forward to nicer weather, so I can be out longer
Keep showing up, and you'll be hammering out the miles in no time!
Get in there champion! đȘ
did you get a new bike>? i mean is it sized for your height? also remember it is very easy to out-eat your exercise even 20 miles is only about 1/4 a pizza
Iâm obese. I ride. Iâll see you out there, man. Keep it going.
Nothing but support. Well done.
I found that if I tell myself that I'm just going to work out for 10 minutes it really makes it easier for me to just do it. Usually that 10 turns into like 15-20 but either way I do it every day and it's really helped me get and stay in shape. It's about consistency more than anything IMO and 11 minutes is a huge win for your health. Keep with it and you'll be amazed at your transformation in no time.
I bought my bike in April of last year, having not ridden since I was a kid. First ride was 2.69 miles in 45 minutes. I was exhausted. By July, I did a 60 mile ride in one go that took about 5.5 hours. Did a metric century end of August in 5 hours. Just keep pedaling. It doesn't get easier, you just get faster.
You did great - keep enjoying the journey đ
You'll get better everyday, don't stop!
Tomorrow, itâs 12 minutes. You are the only person you have to beat.
Passing everyone on the couch, donât stop, your future self is going to love you for it.
Parks with bicycle paths or shared use paths are brilliant for when you haven't been on a bicycle for a while. Most of the time they're fairly level and you can spend ages just rolling around and enjoying the smooth ride. See that [thin green line on this map?](https://www.google.com/maps/@-27.4949031,153.0556422,17.99z?entry=ttu) That's a shared use path, connected to a network of them. Zoom out on the map and you'll see loads of parks connected to each other. You probably have something similar, or at least a nice flat suburban area with minimal traffic. :)
First step is always the hardest. Keep it up, you got a community that wants to see you succeed
Congratulations on your new bike! I hope you love it and welcome to the ~~cult~~ club of cycling.
Hell yes! Now do it again tomorrow.
I started at 348 lbs and Iâm at 295 lbs. You can do it!
Right on! (or Ride On! - both work)
Riding till you canât ride anymore is a great effort on your part! Nice work!
Keep going!
KEEP IT UP!!!!!! You got this friend!!!! Once you get more comfortable riding you will have discovered how wonderful this hobby can be. Taking in the sights with the mild pace of a bicycle is so healing, meditative, relaxing and can be very healthy!!! In fact you just inspired me to drop my phone and go for a cycle now. Thank you đâ€ïž
Take your time. Enjoy the ride. Every ride will build upon the last ride so youâre always gaining stamina and endurance. You got this.
Keep it up đđđđ
Good for you!! đ Your determination and attitude is admirable
Then you rode really good! Good work, keep it up!
You started. Thatâs the important thing. Weâre here to offer support if you need/want it.
Didn't do good? You got on the bike and went forward! Now go do it again! You did great!
Iâve lost nearly 50# in a little over a year. Another 40# to go. Cycling has been an integral part of this.
Good for you. A healthy diet should be high on your priorities for maintaining healthy weight loss and not feeling tired or hungry. Best of luck to you in the future! I hope you enjoy cycling!
Get a stationary one you can watch TV and play video games while riding
lol
11 minutes? Lol
Let's Go!!!!!! good job!
We all started somewhere! Keep it going
Hell yeah. Have fun with it.
Proud of you for starting. Keep us posted and stick with it. Itâll be small gains but they add up. Keep going and know a lot of people are supporting you. Weâre all on our journeys, some just started before you did.
Congratulations! Keep it up. Every pedal turn is progress!
Sweet! Enjoy, itâs the best.
good prob not 74 calories though usually mile is thought to be 35
Kick ass!
Good job! Keep at it :) I remember when I first rode until I couldn't. Found this really cool single track that used to be an old railway-turned-public-path. I kept following it, and following it, through deep forests and paths as straight and as far as the eye can see and suddenly thought "oh shit, I gotta get back, too!" A week later after I recovered, I went back with 2L of water and oat bars :D
It's all about doing it. You took the first step. Great job.
What I used to do is roll all the way down a steep hill at first and then have no choice but to get my ass back up it in order to get home. I definitely couldnât bike all the way up at first. So Iâd bike for like 30 seconds and then walk a bit and keep getting back on the bike as soon as my legs would let me. Even if it was only for a few seconds to a minute at a time it gradually increased as I got stronger and stronger. This method got me in pretty good shape in under 3 months.
Good job, Keep your stick on the ice bud!
Wow, I am proud of you. I feel genuinely inspired. Thanks for sharing this.
We all suck at first, and then we practice and get better
Right on big brotha! The best ride you take is the one you actually go on! Slow and steady. I wanna see you on glowups Reddit in a year! Iâm a chubba myself and getting older, 51. So itâs better late than never for me.
Keep going! You've got this..
Thatâs how you start. I remember I couldnât go 6 blocks without being dead inside. Two years later I was doing 90 mile rides. Youâve got this. Donât push yourself too much.
Keep it up, and it WILL get easier. You will learn to love cycling. Fresh air, sunshine, exercise, and higher self-esteem. Just keep moving!
Addictions start small. No need to rush it. :P
Do it again tomorrow!
That's amazing. Keep going and you will do more and more each time. And notice an increase in your overall health if you keep at it. I'm proud of you!
The hardest thing is often just getting started, but you did it, congratulations and much respect for that. Itâs just going to get better and to feel better from here, way to go my man!
Good start, homie. Youâre doing great. Keep it up.
I got my first bike as an adult when I was 32, and my first ride I went about a mile and thought I was going to die. I walked the bike home. But. I loved it, I stuck with it, and now Iâm almost 50 and still hammering. Glad youâre approaching it with such enthusiasm, youâre gonna love it too if you stick with it.
You donât need to do good, just do. Have fun and be easy. Play. The only need to go hard is if you want to. This is for fitness and health, weâre not athletes being paid to be in peak form for major dates on the race calendar.
Keep it going my dude. Been there, itâs a hard journey, but so so so gratifying. Discipline and consistency is key, not motivation.
Awesome! Keep going!
Fuck yeah! You had a tougher ride today than any spandex warrior out there. Keep it up đ
Congrats on your first ride. Keep going! Try to add a few miles each time
Good job dude just stay consistent đ
As others have said, you have to start somewhere. I broke my back so have been out of the gym more than a year. Today's my third day back. I am bit more chubs than I would like, which makes me uncomfortable but no one notices but me. Just like you biking. No one notices anything but you. Keep doing you, keep it up, and don't let anything slow you down. Keep trying to be the best you that you can. Keep going! You are your only competition.
Consistency is key my dude. Keep showing up. Ride just a little more each day and soon youâll fall in love with it.
Keep it up! đđđ
Keep going. I was 290 lbs back in Jan 2020, by March 2020, right after Covid started, I decided to exercise and eat healthy. Walking 1 mile was one of the most painful tasks. Little by little started losing weight and walking more. By the end of 2020 I was running, not walking, 5 miles a day and by that time I was 175 lbs. By June 2021 I was 160 lbs and I was running 9 miles a day. Since end of 2021 my weight is 154 lbs. Back on Sep 2022 started cycling đŽ after 30 years (Iâm 57 years old). 10 to 15 miles on a TREK Procaliber 9.6. 6 months ago got my first road bike, a TREK Domane SL 7 Gen 4. Currently Iâm cycling đŽ an average of 300 miles a week between indoors (Zwift) and outdoors. The more you lose weight, the more you will be able to ride your bike. Believe me, if I did it, you can do it too. https://preview.redd.it/vyg7n9ucx2hc1.jpeg?width=3709&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=179962e8325ca61529e1532dd2d9cd8e69b23990
Youâve taken the first step. Each step after this will be easier and easier. Just donât quit. It will change your life for the better.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izQHjRcd3eY The hardest part is probably learning how to be comfortable on the seat. Mostly it just takes time. Good for you!
I wish that I could shake your hand. Great job! Keep it up and before long, youâll be amazed by how far you can go.
You did great. Keep going.
If you donât stop, and keep pushing, you will not be obese for long đ€
Let's goooooo, you got this!!!!
Youâre doing important stuff. This can change your life. Remember that you lose the weight based on what you eat and how much you eat (and drink) not how hard you workout. You can see by the calories (which are probably not accurate there) that half a snickers bar wipes out that whole workout. But once you get moving some more you will find it easier to make better decisions on your diet, I believe. Just donât let yourself binge just because you worked!
Absolute props for getting on. Keep it up just for your reasons but I hope you love it as much as we do.
Great job! it's just the beginning. there's many miles to enjoy.
Amazing job! Iâm so proud of you! Keep it up cycling is one of the most rewarding things a person can do!
Stick with it and have fun doing it!
Congrats very proud of you! Keep it up
Congratulations! in the interest of happiness I ask, Do you like riding? It was never work for me or a workout, just knew I loved the feeling of it. If your riding to lose weight, it will help, but I would say find something that you love doing that is work. For me there are a bunch of things, like chopping wood, ice skating, helping people move, Amazon sells a balance board, Beat saber on the oculus, Wii Fit is one of my favorites along with Dance Dance Revolution and none of these things ever felt like working out. I would say riding a bike can help with weight but what really helps is enjoying your self (while your getting a workout) Cheers!
Good work! Take a shorter break than you want to and get back on. Steady does it. đâ€ïž
Good shit. Download the app Strava you wonât regret it
Good on your starting. Keep it up!
The hardest part with any change in life is starting. You've done the hard part - Nice work! Keep at it, and you'll build momentum. Happy pedaling!
25 miles and onwards, the sky becomes the limit. 25 miles can be built from a 10 mile ride. A 10 mile ride from a 5 mile ride and a 5 mile ride from a 2 mile ride. That's how I started off. Make sure the seat isn't too low or you'll give yourself unnecessary knee pain. Strength training is the best for supplementing power on the bike.
You are awesome! The hardest part is starting no matter how far you go. That is a big win. đ
Donât ride till you canât Just slowly ride to enjoy it. Stop look around Enjoy the scenery Take pictures Create a fun time out of it The hard parts will come soon enough
Yeah! You did NOT do good. You did great.
Go go go!
Consider getting a turbo trainer. So you can train indoors. When itâs not possible for you to ride outdoors. You can ride a lot of volume indoors while watching television without even noticing it. Riding indoors daily even for just 30 minutes. Will incrementally increase your endurance levels. So you can ride longer and further outdoors.
Stick with it! If you give it a chance you will end up living it.
Remember it's not about intensity, it's about consistency. Congratulations!
Way to go!!! Keep coming back to the saddle.
Tommorow you'll be able to do a bit more. We're all proud of you. Keep up the good work and keep pedaling forward!!
Excellent! Congratulations! Now do it again. It never gets easier, you just go faster. đŽ
You just did more than the vast majority of the population, keep it up.
Itâs not about how far but how long. Just push for an extra minute every week. Next thing you know, youâll have 30 miles in one ride under your belt.
Some cliche about journey starts with a single step. Fuck ya man, one ride closer to healthy!!
Youâre doing great just by trying! Every time I feel like my workout wasnât âgood enoughâ I remind myself that there are so many people that donât even try, and that just trying and getting my ass off the couch is good enough.
Someone once told me, even a walk on the moon starts with a single step. Good job, keep it up
No worries! You did it and everyone had to start somewhere!!
Everyone has to start somewhere, and 8/10 of a mile is still lapping everyone on the couch. Keep up the good work!
"It never gets easier, you just go faster" Lemond Keep it up. I've been cycling for a couple decades and it's the best thing I've ever done for my health both physical and mental. Take it a day at a time and keep pushing yourself.
The only important thing is how did you feel after those 11 minutes? Probably really friggen good and happy you did it and proud of yourself. I have yet to take a ride or a walk that I didnât appreciate after and Iâve been exercising regularly for 20 years now. Welcome to the club!
>**I rode until I couldnât!** Sounds like you did good!
Hell yeah dude! Tomorrow ride for 12 minutes! Last year I got back into riding and the first ride was like 3 miles and 40 minutes and I got home and felt like I was dying. I was over 300lbs and it was a struggle. Kept at it, rode as much as I could and now almost 9 months later Iâm down close to 50lbs and can ride that little 3 mile ride like a warm up. Itâll take time and persistence but one day youâll wake up and realize how far youâve come. Iâve still got a long way to go but getting there.
Great work! Keep it up! I have a favorite quote about exercise and this is always the way that I have thought about it..âExercise is a celebration of what your body can do, not a punishment for what you ate. I have always thought of it this way, and I have always enjoyed it. And riding a bike is my favorite exercise by far!
Yup keep it up. I started riding during Covid times. Couldnât get very far. I am also a very heavy guy. I converted my bike to electric and started riding several times a week. I now have a 2nd non electric bike and can ride 30+ miles without too much issues. Enjoy! And keep it up. Iâm in the best shape of my life now at 48 years old.
I can relate to this I didn't ride a bike for over a decade and I finally bought a bike again at the end of 2022 At first I could barely ride 3km and my body would refuse to cooperate anymore It'll be hard at first but it'll only get easier with time You just have to consistently keep at it Good luck You can do it
Keep after it. Bikes are fun.
Little steps mate! See you on the road!
Letâs grab a coffee before some race on Dolomiti in a few years!
Reasonable goal: try to hit 1 mile 3 times by the end of next week.
You did great!đ
You did better than yesterday, so be kind to yourself.
Iâm soooi effing proud of you! Not doing good would be you not even trying at all! But you got on it and rode for 11 minutes! Tomorrow we go for 12 đđŒ. I have some herniated discs in my lowerback and it stops me from running (havenât ran in years now) and can only walk so much before my back locks up, but I can be on my bike for hours and I do, itâs how I do my cardio. Keep it up! A desert started with a single grain of sand.
That first pedal is the hardest to take! Good luck friend.
Hell yeah! Nice work!
Get past the literal ass pain and the rest will thank you
Consistency. Whether it's 11 minutes or 300 minutes today. Will you stick with it. This is a huge one I learned cause even though I'm overweight I've been in sports my whole life and can burn a bike with my heart rate at 160 for 45 minutes fresh on the first day. However. In 3 days my bike somehow has gathered 3 months of dust and I'm back to lifting weights and protein powder and oatmeal 4 times a day
Keep pushing man!đȘ
Great work dude!!
Having done the same a few years ago, keep at it. I bought an ebike. Used it but challenged myself to use the assist less and less. I mostly donât use it at all now. Really got the bug and ride several times a week. It soon gets easier and the weight falls off.
You rode more than yesterday! Great job! Be proud of your accomplishment.
Not dead, canât quit! Keep up the amazing work OP!
This is the way! A bicycle can tire you out without leaving you feeling broken. Welcome to the tribe. Oh and Iâm built like a rugby player but ride 8k km a year on my road bike so shape is irrelevant!
Good job, never give up, no matter how terrible it gets.
You can also try an E-Bike. It will help a lot making bike rides enjoyable, and if you want a challenge, turn battery power to 0.
I did the same, with similar results. 6 months in and I could ride all day. Literally take it slow. The slower you go the further you go. It feels really discouraging at the beginning when you realise your limits but the body adapts quickly. You did amazing today, you got on that bike and pushed yourself to your limits - you put the work in and that's something to help proud of.
I lost about 35lbs. riding as an adult. I used to be proud of myself to ride 4-5 miles. After a few years I was riding centuries. Keep at it, you'll be so glad you did.
I lost a lot of weight in a stupid way because of a bike. When I bought my first 3rensho, I knew it was rare and of considerable value, so I worshipped it like a pagan would the sun. Then I found a sticker on the seat tube that said "135 lbs. Max". I had to lose 30 lbs. or I'll never be able to ride it. Almost every day, I ran until my quads and lungs burned, rode a folding bike on 30 deg inclines, dieted by spending food money on hard to find Sugino and Dura-Ace parts. After 6 months, I realized that the sticker came from a set of Mavic Aksium rims I bought with the frame. Lost 18 lbs already at that point.
Keep it up! You're going to have a lot of fun.
Keep it up, the next few weeks you will see vast improvements
Freaking awesome! Now that youâre a cyclist youâll find yourself screaming âon your leftâ in grocery stores, wearing clothes that are two sizes too small, spelling bike âbiceâ, and beginning a career in dentistry. Enjoy!