Trying to lose weight

I spent another cold ride outside yesterday with Bryce and Alex. Low intensity, base building rides can be slow but it makes for good conversation and a chance to look up at the mountains and enjoy the ride. We rode up along the east bench however so we stayed out of the smog and in warmer temperatures.

Aside from the base building workouts, I'm spending the winter trying to lose some weight. This has always been tough for me. First, I love to eat. I have a taste for fast food that is hard to curtail. I also love gas station food. Its like fast food, only greasier and much better tasting! Second my wife makes some pretty amazing baked goods in her free time. The raspberry sour cream crumb cake and the hot fudge pudding cake are my all time faves! Not only that, I think I have some genetics to battle. I am naturally heavy. Even in the best shape of my life I've had a little chub around the middle. So, what to do?

Well, this winter I've taken a new approach. Not just counting calories, but trying to look at food and eating in an entirely new way. I've been reading, and putting into practice, Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald.

I topped out this winter at 186 lbs. and my goal is 175 lbs. 11 pounds doesn't seem that big a deal, but for a guy who likes to eat, it might as well be 100 lbs.

I must say though, that just being on the bike has been a life saver in terms of weight. In June of 2006, when I bought my first road bike in many year, I tipped the scales at 225 lbs! I really didn't put that much though into what I was eating. Just putting in the miles was burning the calories I needed to drop some pot belliness. But now we're talking about getting down to "racing weight". More discipline will be required.

The 3 things that have helped the most so far:
1) Mindful eating, or just simply thinking differently about food.
2) Taking my lunch to work. This keeps me from having to hunt something healthy to eat at my lunch break.
3) Eating a better breakfast. I'm including more filling foods, such as eggs and oatmeal.

We'll keep tabs on this and post some insight the book gives me and also be as honest as I can about my progress.

Soundtrack for the evening: pure country.