Arent you over it

[Big JD]

wake up!!!!

put on 10kgs in the last 3 months- commute for 2- 3 days a day in the car.

cant stop eating

cant find time to exercise and sit on my ar$e in front of a computer everyday.

when I do ride- its great but it wrecks me for days- sore legs, knees and lower back. I am overweight, over age and generally over it

got to make some changes and fast- its depressing.

 

[casnell]

Entering something works for me. Join us in a team for the Wombat 24 in December!

 

[indica]

got to make some changes and fast- its depressing.

Buy a brand new boutique bike.
That always inspires.

 

[SF Trailboy]

put on 10kgs in the last 3 months- commute for 2- 3 days a day in the car.

cant stop eating

cant find time to exercise and sit on my ar$e in front of a computer everyday.

when I do ride- its great but it wrecks me for days- sore legs, knees and lower back. I am overweight, over age and generally over it

got to make some changes and fast- its depressing.

JD I was there two months ago.

In the last 2 months I have entered 2x 50km races (with mates) and bought a trainer. I have 3 kids under 8 and am really struggling to find time to ride. I have 2 sufferfest videos which I do both each week, makes the trainer fine and at least gives me some exercise the the hour of spare time that I have. I then do a couple of 1.5hr rodes rides at 4:30am in the morning. Yes getting up at 4:30 sucks but its the only time when no one is effected and I am not worried about shite going on at work or home.

My wife has seen the effort I am making and she is very greatful and is pushing me out the door to get in the bush at least once a week for my real love mountain biking. I have gone from 106kgs back to 100kg.

Unfortunately I cant clean up my diet but I am trying to work on that now. One thing at a time they say... Dont overwhelm yourself with everything that needs to be done or you will fail them all. Pick one and concentrate on it and when you have it working pick another one.

Good luck mate - I got out of my rut and you can too - it just wont be easy but it will be worth it...

 

[ClintC]

JD - I am having a similar problem to you. Being time poor with work, wife and small child taking up the majority of my time. Throw in an injury or two and I think i'm done with mountain biking for a while. Like you expressed the love for it is still there and e-riding is still fun but the hassle involved from every direction is dulling the desire to spend 4-5 hours to get to the trails and spend enough time riding to warrant the drive and then packing up and head home as quickly as possible just makes for a somewhat stressful event.

So i'm selling the mountain bikes (For now) and just picked up a Cyclocross bike (Specialized crux expert red disc) to be used for commuting duties and being a bit more flexible than the road bike when picking where to ride. Where as before I was spending 1.5 - 2 hours to get to and from the trails I can just leave my house and have an enjoyable ride in the same amount of time with a few simple sections of off road riding to keep me sane. They are seriously fun bikes and probably the most versatile bike I have ever owned.

My advise is figure out the main aspect you enjoy about riding and hold on to that idea. I'm close to leaving the garmin at home or in my jersey and going back to just using a watch on my wrist to tell me how far I long left I have to ride.

 

[ClintC]

Dont overwhelm yourself with everything that needs to be done or you will fail them all. Pick one and concentrate on it and when you have it working pick another one.

Very much this!

 

[pharmaboy]

put on 10kgs in the last 3 months- commute for 2- 3 days a day in the car.

cant stop eating

cant find time to exercise and sit on my ar$e in front of a computer everyday.

when I do ride- its great but it wrecks me for days- sore legs, knees and lower back. I am overweight, over age and generally over it

got to make some changes and fast- its depressing.

Wow, 10 kegs! Might be hard on clothes I would think.

Things that help me ride -
making a time with a friend to ride - rule no 1 - never let someone down
Deciding ill ride before I get home, and making a mental note that I can get in, changed and out in 6 minutes ( stops me sitting down and getting time to change my mind)
Habit - you can do anything for 7 days - after that it starts to become a routine that you do.
Time - a 10 minute ride, doesn't seem worth it if that's all the time you have - but it adds to the habit.
Visiting - when wife wants to go to someone's house, leave slightly earlier and ride there.

Weight - not necessarily related to exercise ( surprisingly).
Usually there is a snack you eat that you eat between meals - I let the wife know not to buy it - in my case it's a cereal.
Beer - buy mild beer - self limit a time to start and last beer of night - I don't leave beer in the fridge - it has to be put in the freezer ( I only ever put 2 in ) - beer is my excess calories - it might be different for you.

BTW, a fit fat person lives longer than a skinny unfit one and fitness adds more to life expectancy and quality of life than anything else apart from smoking cessation.

Exercise also improves outlook.

ATM, my one rule I'm trying to live by, is never going 2 days without some sort of ride

Important question though - how far from some sort of riding are you?

 

[Big JD]

Wow, 10 kegs! Might be hard on clothes I would think.

Things that help me ride -
making a time with a friend to ride - rule no 1 - never let someone down
Deciding ill ride before I get home, and making a mental note that I can get in, changed and out in 6 minutes ( stops me sitting down and getting time to change my mind)
Habit - you can do anything for 7 days - after that it starts to become a routine that you do.
Time - a 10 minute ride, doesn't seem worth it if that's all the time you have - but it adds to the habit.
Visiting - when wife wants to go to someone's house, leave slightly earlier and ride there.

Weight - not necessarily related to exercise ( surprisingly).
Usually there is a snack you eat that you eat between meals - I let the wife know not to buy it - in my case it's a cereal.
Beer - buy mild beer - self limit a time to start and last beer of night - I don't leave beer in the fridge - it has to be put in the freezer ( I only ever put 2 in ) - beer is my excess calories - it might be different for you.

BTW, a fit fat person lives longer than a skinny unfit one and fitness adds more to life expectancy and quality of life than anything else apart from smoking cessation.

Exercise also improves outlook.

ATM, my one rule I'm trying to live by, is never going 2 days without some sort of ride

Important question though - how far from some sort of riding are you?

Yeah not far from the Yarra trails

 

[Cypher]

put on 10kgs in the last 3 months- commute for 2- 3 days a day in the car.

cant stop eating

cant find time to exercise and sit on my ar$e in front of a computer everyday.

when I do ride- its great but it wrecks me for days- sore legs, knees and lower back. I am overweight, over age and generally over it

got to make some changes and fast- its depressing.

erm. I don't think mountain biking is your problem...nor is it the solution.

Key points from this thread:
you are not enjoying things that you once enjoyed,
you've put a lot of weight in a short period of time
you are over eating (I see this as you are either not sleeping well or you are comfort eating/compensatory eating)

I know this will sound like a rebuff/rebuke, but please go see your doctor and get a referral to a psychologist (if you can afford it, they are so much better) or a counsellor. It sounds like you are slowly falling into a mental illness (it happens! sometimes it is like a flu - you can't avoid it). You are not morally deficient if this is the case.

I developed an anxiety disorder after the birth of my first child (not pleasant!). My partner said to go and see the doctor. At the time it felt like he didn't want to have anything to do with my problems, but it was starting to become a problem. Because I caught it at the mild stage it was a lot easier and quicker to treat - no drugs (not that there is anything wrong with taking appropriate medication, just an indication of how much simpler it is if you catch illnesses early)

It is not normal to put on that amount of weight in a short period of time. Also losing enjoyment in your normal life activities and hobbies is also not a good sign.

I understand that you think there are good reasons for your weight gain (commuting by car, sitting in front of the computer). But go back and re-read your comments. You need to change some things and going mountain biking is not going to cut it.

So go and get it checked out. At the worst you will only have wasted a bit of time at the doctors waiting room and maybe $200 at the psychologist. At the best you will regain your enjoyment in your life and that is priceless.

Men are usually terrible at looking after their mental health. Why not be a trend setter?

 

[moorey]

Hate to say it, but this ^^^, big fella. It's been the elephant in the room.
I struggled with similar issues after first kid born and shit happening at work. Put on weight, didn't enjoy the usual things, diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I was also on a riding hiatus at the time. I got help and just accepted that things were pretty average, but would improve.
They did, I found the bike love again and haven't looked back. Diet was crucial, as was exercise and friends/family.
I'm as big a jerk now as ever I was. Maybe bigger. :second:

 

[Cypher]

Most people I have talked to who have treated their mental illness actually find going to the psychologist reasonably pleasant (if a little inconveniencing). I quite enjoyed my CBT therapy. (of course you need to find a psychologist that you get along with - most are quite professional though so not too hard)

I think the worst part is the initial recognising that you need something a little more to help you - owning up to the fact that you are not enjoying life and it doesn't seem to be getting better by waiting it out.

 

[DeBloot]

Have you considered spin classes at the gym
I know all the reasons not to go- gyms are boring, painful, full of wankers - whatever

Fact is that you can smash yourself for 45 minutes and doesn't matter if it's dark, cold and raining outside - so 1 hour + travel time and you're done
If you are in the city you will have lots of nice girls to look at, and someone up front geeing you up to push yourself harder than you ever would on your own
2 of these a week (and some other exercise as well), and it will make your life more enjoyable as you will get fitter

I'm 50 and it's only exercise and work that stop me indulging in all the bad things I love so much (had plenty of counseling, so I've faced my demons :spy
I don't often look forward to the gym and sometimes don't feel like a ride - quite often I'd prefer to stay home and get out of it to be honest
But I exercise because I never get home and think 'oh, I'm sorry I did that'
But when I give in to my desires and stay at home and get out of it I think 'well that was pretty fucking pointless'
I try and remember this when I really don't feel like it (note that this is different to your body saying it's time to rest)

It's all in your head - as Cypher says, if you need help to shift the headspace there is nothing to lose except the jaded outlook

You seem like a nice sort of guy JD, and you're not alone in your struggles for sure - it's the smart ones who get help if they need it (well, I'm not that smart, just had good advice)
You just need to make a start - whether it be counseling, spin sessions or riding to work
And keep your eye on the prize - health and longevity (not weight loss - that is a by product)

 

[slowmick]

JD - the people above have some great advise and a whole lot of personal experience it seems in these matters. i hope that you can find your way to a brighter place with any of there suggestions.

Just be sure if you choose to ride you aren't be the only rider out there in the cold and the rain not happy with their fitness or weight.

days are getting longer every day now - we are over the hump.

and if you can find out the secret to stopping the comfort eating let me know.

 

[Big JD]

yes the big black dog and I are on a first name basis, is it that obvious. Smart bunch
thanks for the thoughts gang- you are a lovely gang
small steps and dont change everything at once as I would fail the lot.

Need an exercise routine for starters- everyday- start this evening.

Slow Mick are you in Melbourne- anyone on the North/ East want an exercise buddy?

 

[casnell]

yes the big black dog and I are on a first name basis, is it that obvious. Smart bunch
thanks for the thoughts gang- you are a lovely gang
small steps and dont change everything at once as I would fail the lot.

Need an exercise routine for starters- everyday- start this evening.

Slow Mick are you in Melbourne- anyone on the North/ East want an exercise buddy?

You're more than welcome on our Hans rides or the evening rides when they happen! I think we may be a bit early, usually 8 under the Burke rd bridge this time of year most Saturdays and Sundays.
What sort of exercise are you thinking? I find yoga a fabulous headspace.

 

[pharmaboy]

Winter is a bit shitty in more ways than one . Another bit of gratuitous advice I read recently, is either do something or make something - this simple rule goes someway to making and keeping us happy.

You are right JD about just doing one thing - only one change per couple of weeks is enough to keep moving forward. And fuck me, if it's not a first world problem - I listen to Richard Vidlers podcasts on ABC, and some of the shit that other people have had to deal with and come through - gives me some perspective sometimes.

 

[Cypher]

And fuck me, if it's not a first world problem...

I have it reliably that people in famine and war zones can also complain about what seems to be totally inconsequential stuff.

The problem with 'first world problems' is you can start to feel bad about feeling bad - it can become a vortex (a bit like when you have insomnia you worry about getting enough sleep which leads to more insomnia - so have been there!).

As long as it is not out of proportion, then I think it is fine to indulge in a bit of 'first world problem' whinging. 'Positive thinking' can be just as damaging as being stuck in the sadness vortex. And having tried it, being (or trying to be) permanently 'grateful' (for life/everything) is exhausting!

 

[Norco Maniac]

yes the big black dog and I are on a first name basis, is it that obvious.

hearing you - it's a daily struggle for me, has been most of my life.

riding helps. magnesium supplements help the soreness as does glucosamine/chondritin.

i hate to say it but i'm off to a psychologist again myself, my big stack at States in February has put me in a very bad hole that i can't seem to climb out of.


good luck mate, keep talking to people.

 

[pharmaboy]

Fair call cypher . While I'm sure we have all suffered a little from jealousy from time to time, surely we all suffer equally from a little schadenfreude also

There is also a little bit of an expectation problem with exercise, I know that on occasion I've thought going for a ride will sort me out, but it didn't help, which sort of disappointed me more. It's not some panacea, but just a step in the right direction. On that front, I do remember getting significant feel good from going out one day, taking a saw and clearing a tree from a trail - same for trail days as well. So maybe to the above I should add, do, make or give?

 

[slowmick]

I am in Melbourne JD. Out near the base of the Dandenongs in Boronia. You up for showing me around some of your trails (Yarra Trails / Smiths Gully / Plenty Gorge)?

Mostly fire roads with the odd bit of single track out near me.