What worked for me...

granted it doesn't work everywhere especially in the wintertime but even better than treadmill + iPod is outside + iPod. just don't crank up your iPod too loud and watch out for bad drivers. BTW, congrats on the weight loss. that's awesome. -Jeff

Great job! Congratulations on the weight loss.

Second the outside + ipod. If outside is THAT bad, then I'd consider treadmill + ipod, although it has to be raining pretty hard (leave the ipod home) or below freezing (which never happens in Houston).

Cutting out fizzy pop is definitely a good idea, for your teeth if nothing else. I for one don't like personal stereo's in public as I am scared of getting mugged.

I went from 190 to 160 in 2 years, and all I gotta say is cycling is the key.

First, understand that weight loss will never be instantaneous - it takes time, and a small weight gain means nothing (you could be holding more water, you could be building muscle, etc). Second, buy a bike. A lot of people I know prefer to jog, but I find it too tough on my aging 25 year old joints. A bike lets you get out there, see more of the city/country. Buy a computer for the bike - nothing like charting progress and setting goals. Reward yourself when you reach goals. Start off with small distances/low average speeds, and work your way up. Buy specific bike gear... being comfortable when riding a bike > stopping short because your crotch is funked up. Don't be afraid to wear bike shorts either - nobody's gonna see your junk when you're pushing hard up that hill when they're walking up it.

Once you build up a base level of cycling fitness... work hard each time, but stop if you ever get sore. Don't bugger your knees. Get sweaty, get exhausted, don't be afraid of hills, work on your breathing, and give'r. Get a gym membership for the off season, and do squats, lunges, and work that upper body hard as well. Forget about leg press machines. Oh, and spinning classes and are usually full of toned, sweaty ladies.

Finally, give up the carbonated beverages, sweets, dining out, and nights of hard drinking.

i just can't imagine that biking is so good for the back. and this coming from an aging 33 year old. plus if you've got an uncomfortable bike seat...ouch!

running was my drug of choice until i got a herniated disc. so during my recovery from surgery, it's short walks. i might try to get back into swimming.

but definitely getting rid of soda is key. i think i read somewhere that if you went from drinking 2 non-diet sodas a day to 2 diet sodas, you could lose 20-25 lbs.

if you're a working stiff, stay away from all the birthday cakes, home made treats, donuts, etc that coworkers are bringing in constantly.

and limit yourself to one fast food outing a month.

this is pretty much how i lost ~25 lbs over 2 years.

-Jeff

It's not clear whether you are suggesting swimming as a way to burn calories, but findings inexplicably show that swimming is a relatively ineffective way to burn calories.

I agree with above posters, sugar (soda, iced tea, some fruit juice, bad carbs / white bread) and big portions are (imo) the biggest contributers to being overweight.

Those things and lack of excercise.

At 19 years old I've always been in good shape. Right now I'm 5'10 155 lbs. 2 months ago I started doing some serious running, 6 days a week for about 1.5 hours. My goal has not been to lose weight but to improve my overall fitness. It has made a big differene! I can't believe how much more energy it has given me. I still drink too much pop though. I've quit and restarted a couple times over the past few years...

Stazy,

I would find it very hard to put in 1.5 hrs. a day running. Oh, I know that many do like that form of exercise. And some running is pretty good for you in lots of ways.

There are many different measures of fitness. Let me suggest something that will maybe get you into a different fitness zone. Add some strength to the cardio/endurance leg work. Look at the workouts on Crossfit.com. The site at Brand X Martial Arts has scaled down versions of the same workouts.

Jeff,

The most important thing with cycling is... bike fit. Sounds that you had a bad experience with that. Good bike fit should mean no back pain and no uncomfortable saddle. Unfortunately most beginners try any old thing and they are immediately put off.

I go on 100+ mile rides (some of them lasting 8+ hours if there are lots of hills) and I can tell you that my back and butt are doing great :-)

I highly recommend cycling as a calory-burning exercise without the jarring of running for example. Just get a good bike fit (the bike store you buy the bike from should be able to help you with it).

I agree... some physiotherapy places also offer programs where they can fit you perfectly, especially if your local bike shop has idiots working there who know nothing about proper bike fit.

A good saddle helps as well... and prevents your junk from being rendered useless in the future.

I need to get things set up properly for next season... knee problems keep my rides to 75 km or less.

sorry to bump an old thread,
but i have to disagree with menimageconsultant about swimming being ineffective. i believe that low-impact exercises, like swimming, is easier to stick to and would eventually be more effective for weight-loss.

congrats everyone!

from the time between march and september i put on about 20 lbs bc i was a director for this student organization and never had time to workout. haha everyone told me it would be the 'co-chair' 15 -- and it was. i look back and realize that i was eating all fast food. it was bad. i though i could handle it bc all my life i've been a runner and had an incredible metabolism. well apparently, it slowed down a bit lol.

starting in september i started lifting everyday and biking everywhere. occassionally running for 20 min too. you best bet that fat has melted off, and the best part is i no longer fit some of my old tshirts, not bc my gut got too big but bc my shoulders and chest have gotten bigger from working out!