Do you think being lean and healthy is impossible to achieve? Yeah, so did I until I actually experienced it for myself. Now, I’m never going back to how I used to be.
Everyone has different definitions of lean and healthy. Many of the people around me considered me to be healthy and “average sized” at 5’ 10” and 212 lbs. I ran marathons and rode century rides for years between 190 lbs and 210 lbs. From an outside perspective, I suppose I hid the fat well, always wearing loose clothing and draping my shirts just right to hide my waist line. On the inside, however, weight and health was always a battle for me and I felt hopeless.
I hated the feeling of my stomach and hips billowing over my pants. I remember constantly adjusting my shirt and slacks to drape my form. I was completely uncomfortable in my clothes and never wanted to go anywhere socially. I just wanted to stay home in my sweats and be miserable. But I knew that if I gave up on running and riding, I would be in much worse shape.
Back in 2008 I made a commitment to get lean and healthy through exercise and eating right. Despite my hectic work schedule, I pushed through to complete two months of riding 200 miles per week. That’s 1600 miles in two months. Nothing changed. Not a single pound. So, knowing that I had a thyroid condition and on medication, I visited my endocrinologist. There I got more bad news, I was diagnosed as borderline insulin resistant, on my way to become a diabetic. How could I work out so hard, eat so well, feel so bad and be so unhealthy? After all, it was only four months since my last half marathon and for the past two months I put in a ton of miles on the bike.
That was my melting point. I gave up. Sure I continued to ride and run but I never let myself feel any false hopes of ever being thin.
Two years ago I started riding an iBike Dash+Power cycling power meter and blogging about my riding experience. Between the iBike Dash and a very strict diet, I managed to lose almost 15 lbs. That was a huge step for me. It sincerely gave me hope again that I’d have a body to match my competitive mind. My family rallied around my cause and at the suggestion of my daughters’ naturopathic doctor, we gave up gluten and dairy. That was a great suggestion. Off came another 12 lbs within two and a half months. Unfortunately, however, that’s where my weight loss hit a plateau. I hovered around the 185 lb mark for a long time. For me it had always been a tug of war with my waistline.
Sure, that was quite a difference from 212 lbs but I still wasn’t where I needed to be. I was almost 24 percent body fat and scared that I’d need to take more medication in the future. That seemed to be where my body wanted to stop.
It was clear that I wasn’t going to make progress unless I found a nutrition program the worked for me and a fitness plan that delivered results not just mileage.
A friend told me about a nutrition program and how he had lost 80 lbs in 4 months. One of his friends lost 107 lbs in 5 months. I saw the before and after pictures, just like mine above, as proof. I was amazed but very skeptical. I though it may work for others but it probably won’t work for me.
We all come to a point in our lives where we need to make a decision. At that time, my choice was either to scoff at the program and dismiss it away with some clever excuse or, take a long, hard look at myself and make a commitment to get healthy. I chose the latter and am so deeply thankful for doing it.
After one month, I dropped 26 lbs and haven’t looked back!
It was about that time that the iBike POWERHOUSE came out. Coach Allen’s programs were the fitness program I was looking for, incorporating my love of riding with the expertise of exercise science to deliver true results. Three weeks in to my new nutritional program I received my POWERHOUSE and hit the streets with the iSlim program. What an awesome tool! It took me through workouts – the right workouts — without me having to think. Every morning I’d wake up, have breakfast, and hit the road for 45-60 minutes. I was burning 800 calories and getting stronger every morning! What a way to start the day.
I’ve continued to ride, run and be healthy, thanks to the nutrition program I followed and to iBike for making it easy to train.
If you aren’t living the life you wish you could because you are carrying around extra weight, you’re not alone. I was there. Though it may be hard to believe (it was for me) losing the weight was quick and it came off really easily.
Now I find that the key to success in keeping the weight off is through the healthy habits and exercise routine I’ve built.
Do you have questions? I’d be happy to share my experience with you.
Thank you.
