My only trouble on the ride was the gps, it refused to track the route I was doing, on a ride like today’s where I know the route I use it to record the distance just encase, like today I added a little extra loop into the ride. I am not sure what the problem is but I will have to investigate.

I think I have had a fairly good week this week diet wise, don’t think it is as good as last weeks but with two good rides and the possibility of going out riding again tomorrow morning before work thing are looking good. In fact they are already looking very good as I managed to fit in to two pairs of shorts today, one pair I have not worn for 2 maybe 3 years because they were to small (or should that be I was to large??) and the other pair were brand new never worn I bought them some 3 years ago and they have never fitted me. I have a wardrobe full of clothes I have bought and have never fitted, so I might end up with a whole new wardrobe this year albeit about three years behind current fashion……….

One reason for my early morning trip was so I could get back in time to watch the Formula One. I used to watch it religiously but over the years my interest has waned, it just became boring. I thought maybe this year with more teams and no re fuelling during the race it would be more interesting. But to be honest I feel the jury is still out on that one, will have to see how it goes over the next couple of races.

That is exactly like my diet, eat sensibly and I won’t have a problem, start eating all the wrong thing and that is where the problems start. Last week I did a food diary to keep a record of what I ate, doing a food diary helps keep me on the straight and narrow with my eating. The result was a 3.5lb loss tonight, I am happy with that even more so when you consider that included having a Indian meal, cheese on toast and several large cookies (big ones, not the small Maryland type) during the week. So it is not like I am starving myself or on a rabbit food diet. I am going to do another diary this week to keep the good work going and then move on from there.

But I am beginning to wonder if I have reached a point where muscle is developing and as muscle is heavier than fat I am putting weight on. I have two very un-scientific reason for thinking this, one, I am getting lots of complements about how much weight I have lost because people are noticing my loss. Secondly, I put a pair of trousers on this morning and I was surprised by how much I had to pull the belt in to buckle it up. It was not that long ago that I was wearing the belt at the maximum limit.

A part from weight issues I am struggling this week, life is just beating me up at the moment. I was not happy with only being able to do the one ride over the weekend due to the weather, I was even less impressed Monday morning to wake up to blue sunny skies and then it continues on Tuesday and Wednesday as well, I think the weather gods don’t like my earlier post (will they ever get forecast the weather correctly). The weather forecast for the weekend is looking OK (but can we trust it?), sunny but cold with some stiff winds.

Today was my weekly trip to work HQ so I fall out of bed at 5:10am and leave the house by 6:00am. It was nice to see that it was light from around 6:30am and still light up until about 6:00pm, it can only get better over the coming weeks. I have the idea of a route for an early morning ride if I am working from home so I will looking closely at that over the next week or two.

Talking of routes, I travel along the A44 from the A34 to near Broadway. Today I noticed how the local (or county) council had sign posted the bridle ways and foot paths (I have only been travelling along this road for the past 8 years). Some of these little green sign looked to be pointing down some very inviting little trails.

Well I am not going to argue I am going to try and stay on course with the diet this week including the weekend, already have plans for next weekend ride if only to get out and try my rebuilt bike out properly.

It maybe a New year, but it is the same old road works and traffic delays, yes the A338 dual carriageway road works (road works is a very loose term) are back. The county council so kindly stopped them for the Xmas period and then they were unable to restart them due to the cold weather. But at 6:00am this morning they were back 2 miles of carriageway closed off so they can……………………..cut some tree and bushes down. This 2 miles of single carriageway left nearly 5 miles of tail backs in the morning rush hour, I should imagine it was similar tonight’s rush hour. I just can’t believe there is not an easier way for the worked to be carried out. It would not be so bad but the tailbacks from the road works block one of the alternative routes for me to take to work so from the three possible routes I have an option of 1

It is D day tomorrow for my bike, its back to the local bike shop to have a frame swap, can somebody tell me why I feel a little apprehensive??

As I have set myself a target for weight loss I wanted to make sure I got out for a ride this weekend. Now I must admit the cold was not my first concern, my first concern was the ice on the roads and trails etc. Having had a fall on Christmas eve on black ice and already suffering with dodgy knees a fall on ice was the last thing I wanted so I decided on a fairly flat ride to Hurn forest. The downside to this there a large element of road cycling (3.3 miles in one direction) and the road fairly busy single carriageway for some of the route. On the up side to this at least it clear from ice and snow.

Well thankfully the ride went fairly well, we (the wife came on the ride with me) used the pavements where possible, decided I rather risk an icy pavement than an argument with a car! The first section of bridleway is tarmac and that was a sheet ice, over the common the main paths were snow (as in a couple of inches nothing like the foot or so found around the rest of the country) and ice. On one footpath we found our path blocked in the narrowest section by a generator and its fuel tank. Seem the local electric company had to use some generators to provide power so decided the best place to put it was on the narrow footpath. After a quick trample through the undergrowth we were able to continue.

The path through the forest was a simple affair, I knew where most of the major puddles (now ice) were so was able to avoid most of them. In the end we had an uneventful ride to the gate at the end of the forest. Now we had a choice, ride back the roadway, or go back the way we came, we had a little debate about it, wife wanted the road route I wanted to go back the way we came. In the end I used “its my birthday” card (its my birthday so you have to do what I want) and we went back the way we came. I was surprised to find when we got home that the ride had totalled 18 miles (going back the road way is a 16 mile route) no wonder the wife was complaining her knees hurt.

During the ride at no time was I cold, in fact the coldest I was was when I got home and put the bikes away in the shed, it only took 10 minutes but I was bloody frozen.

With the forecast of more snow I was not expecting to ride on Sunday, but the forecasted wind and snow were not to be seen, it certainly was not as cold as the previous day so I opted for a short ride over the local heath. While it is a shorter ride than the previous days ride, it is certainly not flat ride though. There one particular hill which I can normally complete in the saddle, but not today, not when the entire path is covered in 3″ thick ice, so that was a careful walk along its edges. One of the hills I enjoy riding down was also covered in ice from top to bottom with the exception of about 20ft section half way down so again that was another little walk. The rest of the ride was made up of riding through rutted frozen paths and carefully riding over large creaking frozen puddles. I made it safely home without damage to me or the bike, so hopefully the 28 miles of riding will help with tomorrow weigh in.

As I mentioned earlier it was my birthday yesterday, the ripe old age of 50 and I had this thought as I was riding across Parley Common, how many 50 year old’s come out on there birthday in minus 6 degree temperature and rides and bike across there local heathland, answer on a postcard please.

Decided that I will carry an old camera with me when I go out riding, while the mobile phone has a camera it is not the best, I have an old point and shoot digital which I will take with me in future. Would like to carry my SLR but can’t risk damaging it if I fall off.

Fire Trail through the trees

Path across Canford Heath

My bike having a scenic rest

So I have started the new year going in the right direction, I have set my first target 17st 7lb by the May 3rd weigh-in. I make that 17 weeks (or weigh-ins) so I need to average over a pound a week weight loss between now and the 3rd to hit my target, keep your fingers crossed.

I had intended to ride my first organised meeting this coming Saturday (my birthday) but with the impending weather I am not so sure, it is only a short route so the distance is not a problem but I have never ridden the area so I am not sure what the terrain will be like. I think this may be a last minute call on Friday night.

As with most Monday’s it is my weigh in night, the day of reality, when the illusion of the the past weeks diet is confirmed or broken, I think in my case it will be broken, but the bigger question will be by how much.

Not only is it the day most people go back to work it is the day that the battle of the bulge starts in earnest for 2010. And for the first time I have set myself a target, I am hoping to have a weekend away in May this year with some online friends and I have already stated to them that I intend to be 17st 7lbs or lighter by the time we meet. So the line has been drawn I just need to work at it to make sure it becomes reality.

I don’t weigh myself at any time during the week apart from my weigh in night, I did it a couple of times in the early days but there no way to ensure that the scales I used will read the same as those used by Slimming World. Finding out that I have lost weight on my home scales only to find I had gained on the Slimming World scales is very disheartening so I soon gave that idea up.

Today ride (as suggested yesterday) was only a short ride but it take my Xmas break total to over 91 miles. Would really like to do more but really only cycling two days a week make it difficult unless some nice company want to donate me a nice set of light to test…hint…hint

Well I managed to get a picture of my trustee steed today, though I better get a picture of it as it may be going (more on that in a later post). Yes it still has the pretty reflectors, I have a deal with the wife they stay on the bike until they fall off……………boy are they stubborn things!!

So there I was Jan 1st 2010 having my breakfast when I came across a news story on Bike Radar web site about a guy called Clive Chapman, I won’t cover the story here but suffice to say he is the same size as me. Having read his story and visited his blog I found that there are quite a few of us large guys around returning to cycling. A few days earlier I had come across Frank Kinlans web site, he has lost over 7 stone which he achieved with the help of cycling (and diet as well).

These two site got me thinking, my weight loss is not moving a long as well as I wanted (and yes I know that is down to me), and with the thought that I wanted to do something with this blog I decided that I would use this blog to catalogue my weight loss and my bike riding and hopefully this would spur me along. To be perfectly honest I had kept by diet not secret but quiet, although those around me at work had noticed the slightly slimmer me. Not sure why I had kept my diet quiet but sticking it on this blog is making it public and if it helps me lose weight I am not going to argue.

So lets back up a couple of days, I had intended to do as much cycling over the Christmas and New Year holidays as I could, it was my intention to use the cycling to help balance out the extra intake of food over Christmas. Not a perfect system by any means but I wanted to ensure that I did not have a weight gain over Christmas like I had last year. Well I have up to and including today, I ridden on 6 of the 10 days and totalled 84.3 miles and I still intend to ride again tomorrow although this is likely to be a short ride as I normally have wife and son with me. On two of the days I did not ride I went for a walk and totalled 13 miles so I think the exercise side of things is working. I tired to keep my intake of food down, in part this failed as at my last weigh in night I had gained weight.

While Clive is fortunately enough to be able to ride to work I can’t, 240 mile round trip does not make for a good cycle ride, well not at the speed I cycle anyway. So my riding is done over the weekends. In the summer months I intend to get out and do so evening rides which I can’t do at the moments as I have not got any decent lights.

Well I am going to end on a funny, you see I am not the only large arse on my local cycling trail, but at least I don’t block the entire path

Apparently they are Long Horn Shetland Cattle, they are used to control the heathland. They can seem a little imposing stood in the middle of the track and there is you and your mountain bike trying to get past!

Over the past few week I have been thinking that something was needed on this web site\blog. It has been wandering across topics for nearly 7 months just jumping on and off any thoughts I had at the time. But certainly over the last 3 months my interest in cycling and my weight loss has been gaining a bigger share of my writing. So I have decided that I am going to move the focus of this blog (I am now calling it a blog rather than a web site) to my diet and things connected to my diet like my mountain bike riding.

The reason I have decide to head in this direction is because I came across two web site\blogs in the last couple of days, both are about guys who were\are larger than me that have returned to cycling as part of their battle to regain a healthy life style. One the guys has lost over 7st in weight and the other the guy has lost 3 stone. The blogs in question are:

The Massive MTBer

Frank Kinlan

Both these guys are doing or have done exactly what I need to do and from their blogs I have found other who are in exactly the same situation as me. So I am hoping that by focusing this blog on me and my diet it will help me along my route to a healthy life and in doing so, if it helps you then all the better.

I am not intending any major changes to the site, it will for the time being maintain the same layout. I will just tweak a few bit to reflect the change of emphasis the blog will now have.

So before I go to far lets just recap, July 2008 I was at the doctors as I had gout in the knuckle joint of my big toe. The doctor had sent me to have a blood test and I was back to get the results. I had been sat in the doctors chair several time before and told that I should lose weight and if I did not I could become a diabetic, it did not really seem to affect me, it might happen to others but not me. Well the prognosis of the blood test was yes it was gout, but it was the next bit that struck me. While I did not have diabetes the blood test showed signs that I had started to move toward having diabetes, this was my last warning. It was enough to wake me up, I signed up to Slimming World. On my first weigh in I tipped the scales at 21st 9lb, seriously overweight. At my last weigh in I was 19st, I have been down to 18st 9lbs but have slipped over the Christmas period.

Well that is enough from me at the moment, I shall hopefully follow up with more tomorrow and then see where we go from there.

Now I am in two minds at the fact I put weight on, on the one hand it was Christmas and I was not going to starve myself by avoiding all the nice Christmas goodies that were on hand but on the other it was a little more than I had hoped (but nowhere as bad as last years). What has not helped is the fact that I broke my bike and I was unable to ride yesterday or today (more of that later). So this coming week I am going to try to eat sensibly and avoid the sweets, chocolates and cakes etc. which are still hanging around from Christmas and do a bit more riding.

I managed to get a bike ride in on Christmas eve which was a bonus but it did include falling off at walking pace on black ice, I now have a lovely cut on my knee. Managed to get another ride in on Boxing day morning with the wife trying out a new route. Went out for a ride on Sunday on my own, the ride can only be described as a mud fest which included trying to ride up a track where the front wheel disappeared up to the axle in mud. On recovering my bike the pedals and wheel were covered in black gloopy mud. It was also interesting trying ride a cross a field where I was pedalling and not going anywhere, the front wheel stuck in the mud and the rear just spinning.

It was during the cleaning of the bike after the Sunday mud fest that I found a broken spoke on the rear wheel. It was not there on Saturday when I cleaned the bike so it must of happened during the mud fest ride. Not wanting to further damage the wheel any-more I decided not to ride yesterday, but I did do a 5 mile walk instead, lets just say is easier to cycle 5 miles than it is to walk.

I dropped the bike off at the local shop this morning and they quickly replaced the spoke for me so hopefully I will out again tomorrow and Thursday weather permitting. I want to get some miles under my belt not only because of my diet but I want to do an organised ride in 11 days time so I want to make sure I can do more than the advertised 15 miles as it will be in an area I have never ridden and apparently it will include a few hills!!

The GPS and mapping software has been proving useful, part of Saturday’s route came from looking on the OS map and worked very well apart from a river crossing, there was a bridge but it was the 2 foot deep water you had to cross to get on the bridge which proved a problem, result was wet cold feet. Sunday mud fest was another local route I found on the web and with the help of the GPS I was able to check I was going to correct direction, would be handy if they could tell you when the route was flooded with water though…………..

I am slowly getting used to the GPS, the total lack of manuals has not really helped as not only am I learning how to use a GPS and it terminology I am also learning how to use this particular GPS and the mapping software that comes with it. I am not saying that the GPS or the software is rubbish, quite the opposite. I have found the Memory Map Adventurer 2800 and the Memory Map software very good once I learn how to use it.

Not only have I made it harder on the diet front but my intentions of doing a lot of bike riding to help combat the food intake is now under threat on two fronts. First, this weather is a problem, I don’t mind the cold or snow (not that we have any down here) but the freezing icy condition, trying to balance on something just over 1.5 inches wide over a bumpy icy surface is not easy or fun. Add to that I have bike problems. I had problems with the bike since I bought it, then things with the shop got a little strained and after this past weekend where the problem caused some major paint\frame damage I spoke to the manufacturer who basically said it has to go to a main dealer. So I have to contact the shop I purchased it from or another dealer which would involve a 90 mile round trip assuming they want to even look at the bike.

Well I doubt I will write anything till after Christmas day so a Very Merry Christmas to you all.

My next target is not to undo all my hard work over Christmas, last years was a disaster, so this year I don’t intend going down that route again. Apart from eating sensibly I am going to cycle as much as I can over the holiday period to help counter the festive indulgence, the only day I won’t be riding is Christmas day.

My ride distance is getting longer, I am now starting to do a couple of laps of the route I use over local heath to get the distance. Problem is I get bored doing the same lap twice, so I am trying to find two different routes that I can do. I also intend to do some exploring over the holiday period, try and find some new routes and areas to ride. Might even venture a little further afield to see what I can find.

Had a scare yesterday, the overflow was running with water so I had to get into the loft, I was expecting to find a ball valve playing up, unfortunately it was not a ball valve. In fact we (me or the plumber) don’t know for sure what the problem is accept that it not happening today. He gave the system the once over and could not find anything wrong, so now we play the waiting game and see if it happens again, just right for the xmas holidays. Having the plumber round today meant I had to change my week around so it is an early night for me as I have to be up at 5:00am tomorrow.

There is one main problem, they don’t supply manuals, not in paper form not even in electronic form. You get two small quick start guides, one for the Memory Map software and one for the GPS and that is it. I have spent several days scratching my head and looking on there support forum looking for help on how to use their software and GPS unit. They actually state on the support forum that the GPS works out of the box, and I would agree with them switch it on and it works, no annoying requests to install anything to get it working it just worked. But if like me this is your first GPS, switching it on is about as far as you are going to go without reverting to some form of manual to tell you how to plan a route and load maps etc. I have since found a Users Guide (a basic 11 page document explaining the basics) for the GPS which has helped. But I can’t see the logic in not even producing a manual for your product.

Went out riding again today, only for a short ride as my son came with me and my legs were still aching from yesterday. So for an easy ride we went out to Hurn forest. My son decided every puddle was an adventure waiting to be explored and no puddle was to deep. From the very first puddle he headed straight through the middle of it as fast as he could peddle. This picture was taken near the end of our ride. Mind you I am many years older than him but puddles still seems to have that magnetic attraction to me as well!

The wife who took both pictures was not impressed as I made her wet as I raced through the puddle, how unthoughtful of her, no consideration for me as to how wet I got for her photo opportunity!! The wife walked today as she did not feel up to riding, hopefully she will be back on the bike next week.

Finally tomorrow night is weigh in night, just hope that I have lost enough weight this past week to get past that mark which has been haunting me for the past few weeks, its to late if I have not so I will just cross my fingers till tomorrow!!

I just don’t want a repeat of last Christmas, the diet stopped for two weeks, boy did I get a shock when I got back on the scales, I don’t want to be in that position again this year. What I have got going for me is the fact that I am now cycling and have every intention to be out on the bike as much as possible over the Xmas and New Year. Apart from the fact I enjoy it and have many areas I want to try and ride but also the exercise will help with the weight loss.

But apart from eating, there is drinking, I won’t say I have given up drinking as that makes it sound as though I have stopped drinking but I have not had a drink since May and I am not to sure what I am going to do? I have simply just held off drinking to help with the weight loss. All I can say it is going to be an interesting period.

I am going to have to try harder this week and make sure I keep on track over the weekends (normally where I go off the rails). Going to push to hit that 3 stone mark next week and then work hard to keep losing over Xmas. Going to try to go for a bike ride one night in the week at some point, even if it is only a lap around the block, it is all going to helps.

Be keen to hear from you if you are on a diet, how are you going to handle Xmas??

Going to try hard this week to keep to the straight and narrow, I want to hit the 3 stone marker before I get into December and the only way to do that is to be good and eat the correct foods. I wanted to go for a bike ride tonight but 35mph winds and horizontal rain is not my idea on fun let alone exercise. Will keep my eye on the weather and try to escape another night this week. Weekend weather is not looking great so it is more important that I get the eating bit right.

If anybody has any spare will power please send it my way…………….

I am talking about my weight loss, tonight was a weigh in night and yet another loss but I did not get pass my next mile stone but a loss is a loss none the less.

But before I go on, lets roll back some 18 months and a visit to the doctors. I had been told many times in the past by the doctor that I needed to lose weight (not that I needed him to tell me that I already knew). But this time after a set of blood test I was told if I don’t get my weight sorted now I would diabetic soon. The blood test had revealed that I was not diabetic yet…………….but I was well on the way to becoming diabetic, this was my last chance to turn things around before my health took a turn for the worst.

The wife was already a member of Slimming World and her weight loss was going well so it seemed like the place for me to start. It was an un-nerving thing to do as I was publicly admitting I had a weight problem. It was even more un-nerving as I was the only bloke there but I was welcomed, I soon found out that men do join Slimming World although to be fair men are the minority.

Now I am not going to recite what the Slimming World way is, but suffice to say it about food optimisation and as I have lost weight I am not going to complain, its is working for me. If you want more info and where your local meetings are held then www.slimmingworld.com will be the place to start.

While Slimming World is helping me know what I can eat and the quantities I can eat, it is fair to say it is only one part of my weight loss plan. Exercise is a part of my plan, getting the Mountain bike and going out riding is helping (Note, before you try doing any exercise get yourself checked out by the doctor first………….I’m not allowed to run!!). Finally commitment, commitment to make a change to your life for the better, mine came with the health warning.

So back to the present day, I will be the first to admit it is not easy………..hey if it was then nobody would have a weight problem. But one of the things that has bugged me for the last few years is buying trousers. I have been limited to a few shop that sold the larger sizes instead of the entire high street and those that are on offer are not exactly fashionable. I have a wardrobe full of cloths that I have not worn because they were to small but hopefully I will be wearing them soon.

Finally, to date I have lost 2st 12lb, I intend to be at a 3st loss before December and come out the other-side of Christmas still with a 3st loss. Starting the new year 3st lighter than I was 19 months ago will be a good starting point but my weight loss still has a long way to go and it can only get better.

This post is going to be a ramble about anything and everything. It was weigh in on Monday night and I had lost 2lbs. I am now at my lowest weight for a long time, was hoping to push it this week to get a 3lb loss to hit the 3st loss mark but I don’t think I will be able to rely on the cycling this weekend to help, the weather is looking totally pants. I went for a ride last night only a quick ride around the block, set the gps on my mobile phone before I left, got it out my pocket on my return to check how far the ride was and it had failed to work. It is not the first time the gps has failed but I am not sure why. I think the ride was about 4 maybe 4.5miles and I did it at speed, well fast for me anyway and I was bloody knackered when I got back. Apparently 5 miles in 30 minutes is supposed to help with my diet, only Monday will tell.

Talking GPS, her indoors in pestering me about what I want of Christmas, a GPS has been mentioned by her but I am not sure, it really depends on the level of details that I get from the screen\maps. It certainly would be handy for cycling but a handheld GPS is an expensive items, just not sure it would be worth it and give me what (I think) I want from a GPS.

While I have been doing all this cycling the one thing that has suffered is the photography, I have not taken a picture for month. My main area of interest kite flying is closing down for the winter (at least in my area, the look site we can fly one is water logged). The next big event we go to (and that only to take pictures) is the icicles (so named as it bloody freezing on the beach in January) event at Westward Ho! (its the same location the sidebar photographs were taken) towards the end of January 2010. Been the last couple of years for the day, would like to think I can get the camera out before then though. Would like to take it when we go out riding but I think the risk of falling off and damaging the camera\lense is to great. Thinking about going to the MTB centre near Blandford over Christmas\New Year so might do a bit of both, half day riding then half day photography and then half day riding……………..something tells me that won’t work.

The photograph’s I have added bear no relevance to this post what so ever, they are only there to break up my boring writing, the wood scene was taken 18 months ago and the sunset was taken over 2 years ago!

I have decided that I am going to make some changes to this site, while I like the quirky nature of this theme I just feel……………..well I feel I could find something better so I am on the lookout for a new theme.

Well that is enough of a waffle from me, I’m out of here