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@Oliver Schick
Clive, I've known some other people in their 40s and 50s who didn't like their weight when they got into cycling, and their experience was that it took them a while to achieve meaningful weight loss--but when it started to happen, it happened at quite a fast rate and they were subsequently able to maintain it through regular riding. (And these were just commuters and didn't do anything like the long, hard rides that you do.)
Now, everybody is different and I don't know much about physiology, but perhaps you still need to keep building up your power until you can really start reducing your weight. That's what my acquaintances felt--that their 'proper' level of fitness took a few years to arrive, and when it did, they also felt that they could maintain their lower weight quite easily. Smiles all round.
Also, I don't think cycling is likely to be the whole answer. Did you see the weight loss thing in the comic over Christmas? They got four people to use nutritionist advice to reduce weight and it led to weight losses of up to a stone over eight weeks. Just don't lose patience, I'm sure you'll get there!