Riding, mental health and fat loss.

Some here have been through difficult times but it's good that each of you seems to have positive outcomes.

Never be afraid to ask for help, it's not a sign of weakness it's merely recognising something isn't right.

When frequent posters disappear from here I sometimes wonder whether they've just lost interest and hope it's not anything serious.

I've occasionally had busy periods at work that have felt somewhat stressful (nothing serious) and being on the bike always helps, especially the ride home after work. I am acutely aware that I'm very fortunate and I wish I could help more people benefit from riding a bike or walking in the countryside.

Chapeau everyone, good efforts!

I've had to build back up from lower back surgery in December due to herniated disc, probably cause through over-training for CX race season with inadequate gym work.

Either way, it has required lots of low short low intensity rides, but I've been building up and am now doing 2-3 short midweek rides (usually early morning) at a very easy pace, then a 3-4hr weekend ride or gravel epic, depending on family commitments.

Definitely feeling the benefit fitness wise and tried my first training session again on the rollers last week and felt fantastic afterwards, sometimes it does you good to be dripping sweat all over your stem for half and hour!

Weight loss has been slow, has taken me until now to get back down to my 'normal' 85kg from post-surgery 90kg. I can tickle 84kg depending on what I ate/drank the night before (am learning about the effects of dehydration after a sneaky single malt the night before, but also 'low residue' foods. If I eat badly e.g. a chippie I can sometimes end up lighter the next morning than if I eat well e.g. a health veggy dinner with lots of fibrous veg. A useful technique come race weekends I think!).

One word of caution if looking to lose weight whilst enjoying your riding, I took it too far one weekend doing 100km at a very easy pace (barely left the 34t ring) but didn't eat enough. I was one cranky daddy the rest of the weekend, basically must have been within inches of bonking on the ride but instead just spent the weekend hangry. Not worth it and will fuel longer rides properly from now on rather than trying to use them to burn fat...

I've been struggling in lockdown really. Only mangaed to get out twice due to needing to shield. I've got a pacemaker/ICD and was told last year to not ride on my own as  a safety measure as the ICD shocked me. It's been a pretty rubbish 18 months with the bike really, but I am really looking forward to cycling back to work. 

I've now got an e-bike (it's not cheating) to keep fit and put less strain on my heart. been plotting some longer routes to work rather than a simple point to point for commuting purposes. 

Weight wise I'm not doing too bad, not put a lot on as I've been trying to stay strict knowing I'm not going out.

The last nine months have been pretty tough - my father was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer last October, then he contracted pneumonia in November. In December my better half was diagnosed with bowel cancer. She started treatment in January, dad started his a few weeks later once he was over the pneumonia. Fortunately, my partner finished chemo-radiotherapy on March 11th, just before lockdown, but my dad had his treatment interrupted.

 Obviously all of this has been hugely stressful, so getting back in to cycling had been a real life saver for me. I have got my good bikes out and started riding early in the morning, with a neighbour at weekends and on my own in the week. I have resurrected my old commuter and have got it back into a useable state after 4 years in the shed, and I am starting to feel the benefits - about 5kg weight lost, and space and time to let my brain recover from the stresses of it all. I have been fortunate (as a contractor!) in that I am able to work from home and have been kept on so far, and that has also helped to some extent, but the cycling has been the thing that gets me up and keeps me going when things have been tough.

We found out yesterday that it looks like my partners treatment has been successful, though we have a few years of monitoring before the all clear is official, today I heard that my father has a matter of a (very) few weeks left. It has been a roller coaster, I will be back on the bike on Saturday morning and I will have time to think and time to not think. Thank goodness.

I am not an expert on mental health but I certainly feel 'bright', energized and peppy after a ride, even the commute. After any exercise I feel better. If I were a doctor I would recommend exercise to any patient suffering from depression etc. I wouldn't give them a pill - I would offer to take them to the gym. (Where they could swim, do a class, pull weights, whatever - just use the body, learn how amazing and capable it is)

I miss the gym at the moment. Can't wait to start pumping iron again. I'm beginning to get bingo wings

I have been missing the gym. I had a great routine, being able to get an hour in most mornings while the rest of the household was asleep. I'm a bit soft and the gym is warm and dry over the winter months, I'm usually in peak condition in March. Since lockdown I had good intentions to get out on the bike every day and to run more, but with home working, increased snacking, a new Management, missing the Sunday club ride and other things I soon lost motivation. Sporadic at best. I have put on 3Kg, lost muscle mass and aerobic capacity. Fortunately I don't do Strava or even carry a watch, so I cannot track my physical decline which would only demotivate me further.

It's not all doom and gloom though. I know from experience that 8 weeks of solid effort will get me back in shape. This week I am officially on annual leave, so the recovery has already started. Saturday, 2 hour ride, Sunday, ran 7 miles, yesterday cycled some hill reps. Today afternoon at the park throwing frisbee with the kids. No snacking and eating better.

Edit: Mental health tip. If you are depressed even everyday tasks can seem insurmountable and exhausting. Recognise every achievement no matter how small. Even something as trivial as making a cup of tea or going shopping.

Got barred from my "local" mid August last year for being a bit of a twat, deservedly so, with hindsight and so started the re-invention of my life, having let myself go over the previous decade to the point where I didn't recognise the face staring back at me in the mirror.

I'd ballooned to 329lbs, 23.5st in old money and was suffering from health issues, lymphoedema, obesity and general lethargy and a 30 a day cigarette habit along with a gallon of beer. To say I was a mess would be an understatement.

Shifted the first 50lbs mainly through changing my diet, shock horror, I went vegan, but then found myself plateauing at 280lbs through the depths of winter. Two weeks before lockdown was announced I bought an online special, a Focus Mares CX and haven't looked back. I've always ridden bikes, I own a courier business, but a ruptured ACL 4/5 years ago had really knocked me sideways and I had little confidence that I would ever be cycling the miles I had done at the turn of the century again.

A new longer stem, stronger wheels and decent tyres allowed me to start exploring further afield and within a month the weight was once more starting to shift. I have a cheap belt from my fattest days that I keep puncturing new holes into as my weight declines, so far I've lost 10 inches from my waistline and dropped a further 28lbs, so sitting at 252lbs now, but want to hit 210lbs by the year end.

Many moons ago, in another life I did 11.5 years in the military and have set myself the target of rejoining as a reservist so have added in calisthenics and hope to start running again once I hit 240lbs. The cut off age for re-joining is 52 which is what I am now, so have 8.5 months to cross the line before I become an old has-been!

Lockdown has been both a blessing and a curse, great that the roads are so quiet, but being in the courier industry has meant that I've worked right through the last 13 weeks without a single day off as deliveries have gone through the roof. However, it has let me establish a routine where I ride early, literally up at the crack of dawn, so 4-30am most days and get anywhere between 50 and 100km in most mornings, rain or shine.

Haven't touched alcohol once during lockdown and smoke no more than 7 cigarettes a day now, however the plan is to knock them on the head over the next 13 weeks while continuing to stay on the wagon.

It's been hugely benefitting to be back out on the bike again on a regular basis, I'm riding far, far more at work too and my girlfriend has even got the bug and bought an e-bike to come out on some rides where her work allows.

Still a long way to go though. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror the other day and I still have a pronounced "aerodynamic hump" for a belly squeezed into my lycra, but it's slowly but surely getting smaller

Best thing I've done in years getting the Focus and couldn't contemplate getting into the situation I was in less than a year ago once more.

Quite fancy having a crack at an Ironman before I'm 55!

It's pretty much the only respite for me at the moment. I genuinely don't know how I'd cope without it. I've been riding since 2013, originally commuting to work but for the last two years I've been full-time working from home, and that coupled with the school run has meant saddle time has dropped away. 

That all changed with lockdown. New routine, encouragement from the missus to get out first thing (like 6am first thing). Coupled with the good weather I've never been fitter, if my Strava times are anything to go by. Dropped two notches on my belt. What's undoubtedly helped is that I'm not away for work or popping out for coffee/cake/cheeky Maccys on the school run. A decent breakfast first thing also helps (I always ride fasted, and as we keep chickens have a couple of eggs when I get home).

I'm only doing 60 miles a week, which is less than when I was commuting, but it's at a faster pace - helped by the fact that I'm not riding stop-start in town no doubt. As always, much sharper after a ride and so I can afford the time away from work because I'm more productive when I start. Win-win-win in my books. The only cloud is the return of the wankpanzer and silver van man.