Today I finally got off my butt and out on my bike. I’ve been meaning to but I seriously struggle to get out the door. I’m trying to work on my self-efficacy over the next few months and especially on holding myself responsible for my own life and decisions. Part one of that journey: starting my weight-loss journey by getting out on my bike more often.
I haven’t been out on my bike since 2017!! Whilst I was out on this ride, I finally had time to myself to just think. So here are a few things I learned on todays’ bike ride:
1. I’m a lot slower than I used to be and that’s okay.
The last time I was out on my bike was last year, and back then I was almost a stone and a half lighter than I am now. It clearly made a difference! I’ve not been active in a longtime and I definitely don’t have the stamina I had. Last summer, I was averaging between 15 and 30 miles per bike ride and was quite upset that I couldn’t even reach 10. What surprised me was how quickly I got over the upset of feeling slow and turned it into a positive. I realised this is day 1, and that it’s okay to have a crap starting point as I want to get better! I can’t wait to see the progress I make by the end of the summer. I doubt I’ll be riding an Audax any time soon though!
2. I really love cycling.
Once I got about a mile in I could finally enjoy my ride as I’d navigated myself away from the roads, houses and suburban parts of the route. It felt so good to whizz about, following the curves of the Tyne and just enjoying it! I love that feeling when you try something and realise how much you love it, and I felt that again getting back on the bike. I always forget how much I enjoy the freedom it gives me!
3. I felt motivated.
I got home, had a bath and I felt absolutely PUMPED. It got to 11pm last night and I’d got back from the shops and I was still pumped. I didn’t have a nap and just got on with my day once I’d been on the ride. What I loved is the motivation and pumped feeling stayed with me all day after that. I got SO much done once I’d done the hardest task on my list! I was so tempted to scoff the crisps and chocolate I had, but I knew it wasn’t worth it and I didn’t. I loved the feeling of mental clarity I had after the ride and I’m hoping to keep this up so I can continue feeling motivated!
This motivated mood got me thinking about my long-term plans and goals (That’s going to be another blog post!) and I made myself a list of things I want to do along my weightloss journey.
4. Cycling is going to be a key ingredient in my weight-loss plan.
Cycling has an amazing way of burning calories but also fat. Every route can be a challenge if you do it right, and even I can get out for a couple of hours at a time. Most of my rides are at least 500 calories and the majority of them are between 1000 and 1700. On the days I do them, I feel on top of the world! I can eat pretty much anything and feel confident that I’ve burned it off! So even if I have an extra snack I feel great! I’m hoping that my incorporating more cycling into my lifestyle, not only will I get out more and explore, but it will help speed up my weight loss journey.
5. Breaking up the route into segments is key.
Whenever I get tired during the route, I always say to myself “just get to…” over and over again and eventually I get myself home. I’ve always felt this is such a defeatist attitude to have, as I don’t have the positive mentality that I can do the route in one go. However, I’m slowly learning that if it works for the Pro’s , it will work for me and that it’s okay to break a difficult route up into smaller segments.
What motivates you to work out? Do you have any hints and tips for motivating me to get out the house?
Thanks for Reading!
Shay x
