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@almac68
i pretty much neglected my health from 20 to 34.. this changed in 2002 after about six months going to the gym
in my first year competing in sprint distance triathlons (2003) i lost about 15kgs in weight..
when i started training for an 8 day tour of the alps (2007) i lost 20kgs over 6 months..
ten triathlons, four marathons, two alpine tours later, i am now hovvering between 78-85kg between summer and winter.. is there a generalisation when it comes to weight?? we are all different sizes and have different metabolic rates for burning glycogen / fat..
if you want to do this properly, i'd recommend getting a cheap HR monitor and work within a comfortable range.. it is your heart and lung capacity which need to improve first.. record every sunday morning 'resting heart rate' when you wake up, establish your maximum HR.. then maintain 60% - 80% workrate on the bike, when it gets too comfortable start to up the distance or the pace, or add some gentle hills.. the HR monitor is a good measure for this if you what to see progress.
it will take time, there are no short cuts. it will be tough to begin with, but it won't be long before you start to feel the benefits. group training rides are a great incentive. and read some good reference books like 'complete gude to endurance training' by Jon Ackland, also think about nutrition and recovery.. it's all there.. and explains alot about the science in sport and training modules, but more importantly how this all effects you emotional, mentally and physically.
another book i found inspirational was called Aerobic written by a US pilot trainer in the 1960s.. a time when proper exercise in america was unheard of, nobody had ever seen the nordic skiing machine, and when gyms only had free weights..
eventually you will abandon the HR monitor and start listening to your body when you go out on longer and longer rides, there will be no stopping you.. within a year you could make a 100miles in one ride.. and you never forget your first century ride it is a great achievement..
good luck people, and enjoy it