Monster’s diary

[Truffle Monster]

Mainly writing this for myself but I welcome opinions/feedback.

18 months ago I was 116kg. Today I weighed in at 89. In the first 14 months I lost 6kg. The rest has come off in the last 4 since I reignited my passion for training.

I started out walking every night around the block. Soon the block got bigger, I bought a stationary bike and started paying attention to what I eat; not dieting just eating better and drinking more water then I brought my resistance bands out of retirement, then I upgraded my resistance bands then I started hiking mount lofty.

Fast forward a couple of months and I upgraded my bike and started riding that around the streets. It started off just slow and 7-10km a night. Now I’m doing 20-40km a night at an average 24km/h.

I don’t really have an end goal. I don’t care about weight or bmi or anything like that. Truth be told I’m not actually trying to lose weight per se. I’m just enjoying being active again and in order to be as active as I want I guess I’m going to lose weight.

At any rate as it stands right now cycling is my primary form of exercise with resistance bands and hiking mount lofty on the weekends my secondary and tertiary forms.

I started a thread on cycling here but I figured it really belongs here instead.

This is the thread
https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/cycling-anyone.103434/

From today on however I will be updating this diary not that older thread.

 

[M2M]

I don’t really have an end goal. I don’t care about weight or bmi or anything like that. Truth be told I’m not actually trying to lose weight per se. I’m just enjoying being active again and in order to be as active as I want I guess I’m going to lose weight.
.

I love this!!
<3

 

[Truffle Monster]

I love this!!
<3

It’s a funny thing you only find what you want when you’re not looking for it.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Ok so tonight I ate far too much cheese so put in some extra kms on the bike.

I need to work on my endurance for long climbs. Short climbs are fine; no mater how steep but I really struggle on long even small inclines.

 

[M2M]

Cheese has always been a problem for me - my new goal is to eat cheese like a normal person. Which means if it comes as a slice on something, fine, I'll eat it but I don't add the extra, I don't make eggs with 4 oz of cheese on top anymore, no eating a wedge of brie by myself lol
You know, how normal people eat cheese lol!

 

[Truffle Monster]

Cheese has always been a problem for me - my new goal is to eat cheese like a normal person. Which means if it comes as a slice on something, fine, I'll eat it but I don't add the extra, I don't make eggs with 4 oz of cheese on top anymore, no eating a wedge of brie by myself lol
You know, how normal people eat cheese lol!

I could seriously live on cheese and nothing else and be as happy as Larry. At least I buy low fat cheese so it’s not as bad as it COULD be.

Ah well who cares really?

 

[M2M]

It's truly not our fault!

 

[Truffle Monster]

Gained a little weight the other day; went up to 90.4. Back to 89.9 this morning.

Total loss thus far 26.1kg and I’m feeling good. My legs are a little achy but it’s damn hot here right now so exercising in the heat can explain the soreness.

Overall I feel very fit. I know I’m not at this stage in comparison to 6 months ago it’s amazing.

 

[Cate]

Being so active is so good for you. Even with my recent small in comparison increase in activity, my mental state has lifted a lot. I, too LOVE cheese. I'm glad it's not as hot here in Tassie. Adelaide is such a beautiful place & your rides up Mt Lofty are very impressive in the heat.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Being so active is so good for you. Even with my recent small in comparison increase in activity, my mental state has lifted a lot. I, too LOVE cheese. I'm glad it's not as hot here in Tassie. Adelaide is such a beautiful place & your rides up Mt Lofty are very impressive in the heat.

Oh I’m not riding up lofty. I hike/jog the walking trail and my rides are on the roads. It’s cooler the faster you ride ... until you stop and feel the sweat!

 

[Truffle Monster]

Feeling a bit sore tonight.

Not sure why but tonight’s ride took a lot out of me. I took it easy from the word go but I’m knackered. My elbow hurts too but I’m putting that down to poor positioning

 

[Truffle Monster]

Don’t think I’ll head out on a ride tonight as I’m visiting my father and don’t think I’ll hike mount lofty tomorrow as it’s 41 degrees. Sunday is to be 28 though so I should be able to head out then.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Again far too hot today for anything so I’m heading out very early in the morning for the hike up mount lofty. Will head out for a shorter but hillier ride tomorrow night too.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Well that was an anti climactic ride!

Set off with great expectations. I decided I was doing 60km tonight including a run up Uleybury hill. Well 34km in I was feeling great. No soreness in the legs and the lungs just fine until ... pssssssssssssst flat tyre on the front at 30km/h. Not happy!

Still some amazing views at the top of the hill! The photos don’t do it justice.

Edit: the best photo of the view can’t be uploaded because it’s “too big.”

 

[Cate]

Sucks about the flat tyre, but kudos to you for your steadfast determination. 34k is nothing to be sneezed at. You must be getting so fit!

 

[Truffle Monster]

Sucks about the flat tyre, but kudos to you for your steadfast determination. 34k is nothing to be sneezed at. You must be getting so fit!

Yup but it’s ok. I wanted to upgrade the tyres and inner tubes anyway so this gave me an excuse.

34km is good yeah. The disappointing but was that it was just over half what I wanted to do and I was feeling great.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Just back from my evening ride. Went up Uleybury hill again. It’s a tough ride ... especially when you get to the top and realise your front derailuer is out of alignment and you actually did it in 6th not 1st gear!

Had a very close call with a car tonight. I took off at the lights on the main road (80km/h zone) in top gear so was always going to be a slow take off, my left foot slipped out of the clip so even slower. The light went red before I’d finished crossing. Obviously a car coming from my left hadn’t seen me and rocketed through the intersection. Good thing I was watching him so I could brake and steer out of the way. He missed my front wheel by a couple of inches of that, the only way I could actually stop was to bail and let the bike hit the ground. He then had the ordassity to say I scared the crap out of him! Anyway I’m back now that’s what matters. No one was hurt and it was an accident. No harm no foul.

 

[Truffle Monster]

89.6kg this morning. I seem to get to 89.something then the next day back up to 90.something. I don’t really seem to hold at sub 90 for long at all.

Not sure how but my legs seem to be building muscle mass but I’m losing more body fat at the same time. It could just be (and logically8” it is) that I’m losing fat from my legs so the muscles appear bigger but I wish I’d taken measurements 6 months ago. It’s a bit hard to do that when I never actually intended to lose weight though.

I’m off to pick up a weights bench this morning. Over the years I’ve lost a lot of muscle bulk in my back and I’m starting to see it now. I was once triangular backed. Now not so much. I’m hoping to get that shape on obliques built back up.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Ok so today I bought a weights bench.

I’ve been using dumbbells and resistance bands for years but since I want to work on my back and chest muscles that have gone missing over the years it’s easier with a bench press. I do have a 24 hour gym nearby that is only $13 AUD a week so I thought about going there instead but I don’t like the gym culture these days. I was once a regular gym goer but it just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

 

[Truffle Monster]

Glasses really do make seeing in the rain more difficult!

Tonight’s ride was very windy; kinda a swirling head wind in some parts and a swirling cross wind in others. Funnily enough I never felt a tail wind. It started to rain 20 minutes into the ride which didn’t bother me except for the fact it makes it hard to see through glasses. I tried riding without glasses but then I realised just how blind I really am.

Overall a good ride tonight AND I came across a number of polite courteous drivers! My headlight started to die (battery flat) so I was keeping an extra sharp eye out for drivers but they all seemed to still see me well enough. The light was still working just not as well as it should be. I’ll change the batteries before my ride tomorrow.

Anyway an afternoon resistance training and an evening riding and I’m feeling good!