I put my bike on the bus – at the Portland Bike Film Festival

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

The 11th Annual Portland Filmed by Bike Festival (featuring the best bike movies from around the world) is currently in full swing. Up for a possible award is a very fun (and funny) video made by a group of Vancouver bike riders. If you’ve ever felt challenged, awkward or embarrassed while attempting to put your bike on a bus, you will enjoy this video!

I put my bike on the bus

Posted in Commuting by Bicycle, Cycling Events & Races | 1 Comment

How to avoid spring eye allergies while cycling: Bolle Tactical Goggles

Posted on March 30, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

For years now I have suffered from eye allergies every spring, thanks to my commuter-cycling habit. Every spring for about 15 years I have suffered from sore, red eyes all day long. I get to work feeling fresh and fit – but looking like I haven’t slept for a week. My inflamed eyes are so ugly that I can hardly recognize the bleary-eyed old man who looks back at me from the mirror. Instead of looking like an athlete, I look like I’ve been partying all night!

I have tried a lot of remedies for spring eye allergies – over the counter eye drops, prescription Nasonex, naturopathic eye drops like Similisan … you name it. Nothing worked. None of those remedies provided anything but a little bit of temporary relief. And I kept on looking like I hadn’t slept in a week.

It seemed like there was no way out. I was not going to give up cycling every day, but two hours exposure to spring allergans left me looking and feeling like a wreck.

But last week, I finally found a way to prevent spring eye allergies. It’s simple and effective, and not even very expensive. Basically, I just bought a pair of Bolle Tactical Goggles from Mountain Equipment Coop.

I wear my Bolle Tactical Goggles whenever I cycle, and they provide total protection for my eyes. Maggie says I look like a giant bug, but I really don’t care. My eyes feel great: no more allergic, runny eyes, no more eye pain.

These Bolle Tactical Goggles have anti-scratch lenses and panoramic vision, plus they are very well ventilated at the top and the bottom, which completely prevents them from fogging up. They are comfortable to wear, and in the early spring they are providing some welcome, cozy protection from the cold air. I am not sure how comfy they will be once it gets warmer, but I’m optimistic they won’t be too hot. And of course, once we’re past the allergy season, my Oakley’s will probably be good enough.

I highly recommend Bolle Tactical Goggles to protect your eyes from spring allergies. And they also protect my eyes from wind burn, bugs and dust. However, Bolle Tactical Goggles are only for cyclists who don’t care what they look like, because they do NOT have the cool look you get from wearing a pair of Oakley’s cycling glasses.

I look like a giant bug with the Bolle Tactical goggles, and relatively cool in the Oakley's ... but I'll take the goggles any day ...

However, I have a pair of prescription Oakley’s, and they do not give me NEARLY as much protection from spring allergans. Basically, they don’t do the job at all, but my Bolle Tactical Goggles do. So for me it comes down to a simple choice – I can look good and have sore eyes, or I can look like a giant cycling bug, and have happy eyes.

For me, it’s a no-brainer: Bolle Tactical Goggles are the answer to spring eye allergies while cycling!

Posted in Average Joe Cyclist Product Reviews, Commuting by Bicycle, Consumer Guidance | Leave a comment

The High Cost of Winter Cycling – AND the priceless Health Value

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

Another guest post from my wife Maggie, who has kept cycling through one of the wettest winters in Vancouver’s soggy history. Well done Maggie!

“I did it!  I reached the 2,500 km of cycling mark this past week. I have cycled this winter through some of the foulest rain storms ever, but hey, in Vancouver if you don’t do it in the rain, then you just don’t do it.

But becoming a winter cyclist was quite a learning process. It went something like this.

  1. Get caught in bad weather without proper gear
  2. Arrive home wet to the skin and freezing, with numb hands
  3. Start the expensive process of buying proper winter cycling gear

First I hit a sale and bought two pairs of gloves – one Louis Garneau pair and one Axiom pair. I soon discovered that no matter how much they cost, and what they say on the packaging, there is no such thing as completely waterproof cycling gloves.

Joe has a pair of $60 Axiom gloves, guaranteed “waterproof”, that he was WRINGING out a couple of nights ago, after cycling through a Vancouver downfall. Enough water came out to fill the dog’s water bowl. In fact, every night we dry out our “waterproof cycling gloves” in front of the fireplace.

Axiom and Garneau cycling gloves

Turned out my cheaper Garneau gloves were the hands-down winner (no pun intended), both for keeping my hands warm and reasonably dry. For only $10.00!  Score! Still, they are NOT 100% waterproof.

My regular MEC cycling pants are pretty waterproof, but not enough for a Vancouver winter rain storm. So it was off to Mountain Equipment Co-op  (MEC) for rain pants, long underwear, a Merino wool jersey and a warm cycling hoodie.  Hit a sale but still, Ka-ching!

$250.00! (so I could save money by cycling)

The hoodie was nice and warm, but it turned out it actually absorbed the rain and kept it close (and cold) to my head. So I needed to buy a helmet wrapper with a small visor and neck guard.

$40.00 more …

Hmmm … then I discovered it was a bit of a tactical error to have only one pair of long johns. It was pretty tedious to do laundry every night. Then my Land’s End catalog arrived, tempting me with silk long johns and silk glove liners …

$50.00 more …

Silk is the BEST for insulation. The longhorns don’t look so good after a few washings, but they still work. The glove liners were amazing; they made it easy to remove and put back on my wet gloves. Not so good is that silk is so light that I lost one glove liner in the first month. I will buy these again, but next time I’ll get them in white, because in black they’re incredibly easy to lose. They seem to kind of float away and then blend into the bleak Vancouver winter.

Luckily I already had my trusty waterproof Blundstone boots, and Joe advised me to put plastic shopping bags over my socks for added protection (we have yet to find waterproof socks). By January my poor Blundstones kind of disintegrated, and have now been demoted to garden wear. I found an end of season sale at Ronsons and got some Kodiak boots with Thinsulate lining …

$100.00 more …

I can go snowshoeing in my Kodiaks and my feet stay completely dry. But on a bike, even the Kodiaks are not completely waterproof. I believe this has to do with the velocity of the rain as it hits you on a bike. Regular applications of mink oil really help, but I may have to consider boot wrappers next year.

The MEC merino jersey shrunk every time I washed it.  After three washings it wouldn’t even fit our 12 year old!  Luckily MEC stand behind their products and after a few laughs the manager gave me a store credit. But my second warm jersey cost a little more than the original on-sale Merino jersey …

$30.00 more …

Joe gave me a set of Monkey Lectric lights for my birthday (and a bike to go with them, but that’s another story). Monkey lights are the coolest lights on Earth. I have even had motorists stop to tell me how well they can see me.

But still – $90.00 more …

I started the season with a Gortex jacket that I bought on a half-price end of season sale at Different Bikes  …

$150.00 more …

I’ve since discovered that all Gortex is not created equal, and mine seems better suited to autumn and spring rides. So I’ll be looking to buy a better quality one at the beginning of next winter.

All of that added up to $710.00 in winter cycling gear!

As I added up the high cost of cycling in winter I realized that I would have had more cash in my pocket by riding transit. That’s a little depressing.

But then last week I visited my doctor. She was amazed, and so was I. After years of battling high blood pressure I am now reversing the trend, and it looks pretty certain that I will soon be off my medications. My BP in the doctor’s office was a dazzling 119 over 78! Not only that but my “heart health” index has moved from the caution zone to the green zone, due to the reduced blood pressure and a 20 lb. weight loss. I’m past 50, but I am going to be reducing my medications at a time when many people are increasing them …

Cost of cycling in winter 2012 … $710.00

Health value of cycling … PRICELESS (with apologies to MasterCard)

Until next time … Maggie

Posted in Average Joe Cyclist Product Reviews, Commuting by Bicycle, Cycling & Fitness, Cycling & Weight Loss, Cycling and Health, Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Coming soon: Average Joe Cyclist Guide: How to Eat Well, Lose Weight and Get Healthy with Easy Recipes made from Whole Foods (Low Carbs and Good Fats for Meat Lovers and Vegetarians)

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

I am very happy to announce that my new book will be published by the end of next week! Actually, this time it’s not just my book – my wife Maggie (who sometimes likes to call herself Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist) and I wrote it together. So we wrote this post together to tell you about it.

Maggie and I have both fought against creeping weight gain for years. We have tried the Paleo diet, the Atkins diet, the South Beach diet, Weight Watchers and the LA Weight Loss diet, with mixed results. All of these diets had some positives to offer, and we learned some good recipes from all of them. But we could never stick to any particular diet plan for too long. It just wasn’t practical with time constraints, family demands and … the fact that we both love food!

To make matters worse, we are both the kind of people who naturally put on weight, despite the fact that we have both been athletes since we could crawl. I have been extremely active since I could first hold a ball, yet I remained obstinately chubby. I tried every diet there was, yet over the years, my weight steadily rose. Maggie had the same experience.

Finally we realized that after all those years of trying different diets and recipes, we had all the tools we needed to make a lifestyle shift. We had tried so many diets, and on each diet we tried and tweaked many recipes, experimenting to find a balance between healthy and tasty – and simple to make. Eventually we had developed a collection of yummy, healthy, easy recipes. Each recipe incorporated one of more of the healthy nutritional principles we had learned, but we had tweaked them to make them more practical or tastier. This collection of recipes slowly became our key to healthy living. But we applied the 90/10 rule – about 90% of our food was very healthy, but we did allow ourselves occasional indulgences, such as cream.

We wanted to have a healthy way of eating that was enjoyable enough to be a life style, not a diet.

This approach paid off in a big way. Since 2009 I have lost 60 pounds. I attribute this to two things: becoming a daily cycle commuter, and our diet plan. This two-fisted combo has probably added years to my life. By the time he was my age, my father had Type 2 Diabetes, and he died from diabetes complications within ten years. Five years ago I had high blood sugar and high blood pressure, and I was clearly on my way to following my father’s example. But I turned that around completely, successfully staving off the diabetes for which I seemed to be genetically fated, and also improving my blood pressure so much that I was able to get off my meds completely. Here are my Before and After photos (I also lost a bit of hair along the way, but that was no fault of the recipes!)

Of course I wanted to follow Joe’s example, so I became a cycle commuter a few years later. Combined with our healthy eating plan, this has enabled me to shed 20 pounds in the past year.

We both love good food and want to share the healthy recipes we have perfected over the years. Our recipes incorporate the tried and tested nutritional principles of healthy fats; good carbs or low carbs; minimal wheat; plenty of vegetables; lean meats; and whole foods. Some are gluten-free. They also incorporate a wide variety of cultural influences, including Chinese, Greek, French, Indian, Thai, South African and Cape Malay. There are some classic recipes that have been given a healthy makeover. And there are also many tasty vegetarian recipes (which we had to develop because our youngest daughter is a vegetarian).

Just as this blog is for average people who love to cycle, our new book is written for average people like us, who love to eat (but who would prefer not to display the proof on their hips!) It’s healthy eating for the Average Joe.

These recipes incorporate some of the best principles of every diet we have been on. They are based on good nutritional science, but are tempered with a hefty dose of everyday common sense, recognizing that nobody can be perfect all the time!

The book will be published by the end of next week, and you can be sure I will let you all know!

Posted in Average Joe Cyclist Guides, Cycling & Fitness, Cycling & Weight Loss, Cycling and Health | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Please donate a bike to go to Rwanda … or volunteer some time to fix up donated bikes

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

The Rwanda PREFER Society of Canada is making a call for donated items to any and all who have shown support for PREFER in the past. They will be collecting items in Maple Ridge from now until February 20th, to fill a Rwanda-bound freight container. (They  will gratefully accept donated items or for those who would rather, cash donations, which will go toward purchasing items they do not receive and/or to pay for shipping costs of the container.)

Prefer Society operates a preschool in Rwanda and helps support the community around them. A bicycle is a prized possession in Rwanda and once at the end of its life it is repurposed for use as a cart or other device.

They are gathering good used bikes over the next week to send in a container on February 23rd, 2013.

Russ Carmichael, Director of Operations with the District of Maple Ridge is also looking for volunteers to clean and do some light repairs to the bikes before they send them off to Rwanda.

Please contact Russ Carmichael on 604-465-8461 if you have a bike to donate.

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Check out my new book: How to
 buy the RIGHT Electric Bike

Posted on January 27, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

I am happy to announce that my new book, How to Buy the RIGHT Electric Bike, has finally been published. You can buy it right now on Kindle, at a bargain price.

I wrote this book because of my passion for electric bikes, and my optimism about their future. Every year, millions more people buy electric bikes. In 2010, 27 million electric bikes were sold; by 2011, that number had grown to 30 million. Today, electric bikes are the most successful mass-produced electric vehicles in the world, and it is predicted that by 2025, sales of electric bikes will reach 90 million per year.

So if you’re interested in buying an electric bike, you are not alone. Not only are you not alone – you’re also an early adopter of what I believe will be one of the most significant trends of the 21st century.

After all, electric bikes offer the opportunity to commute for pennies a day, get fit, lose weight, save gas and protect the environment.

However, there is a huge range of electric bikes to choose from, and a good electric bike could cost you more than a thousand dollars. (Some cost as much as $12,000!) With such a lot at stake, how do you decide which is the right electric bike for YOU?

My new book, Average Joe Cyclist Guide: How to Buy the RIGHT Electric Bike will tell you everything you need to know about choosing the electric bike that is right for you.

Imagine cycling to work with the greatest of ease, passing gridlocked cars like they’re standing still, arriving on time and sweat-free, and parking for free! (As I wrote about in one of my most popular blog posts, What it feels like to commute to work on a BionX PL 350 electric bike or e-bike.) When you commute on an electric bike you get to work de-stressed, invigorated and on time – and you have already had a cardio workout before you even start your work day.

Kenbay Electric Bikes get you to work looking and feeling great

Kenbay Electric Bikes get you to work looking and feeling great

An electric bike saves you money, gets you places, and helps you to lose weight and get fit. But it is essential to know enough about electric bikes to make sure you can choose the right one. That’s why I wrote this book!

Why I Wrote the Average Joe Cyclist Guide: How to Buy the RIGHT Electric Bike

I’ve been riding electric bikes for many years, and they have changed my life for the better. They have saved me money, helped me lose 50 pounds, and restored my health. I want other people to enjoy these benefits too, and wrote my guide to meet the huge need for information about how to buy the RIGHT electric bike.

As gas prices, obesity and cardiac disease skyrocket, more and more people are looking for sustainable, healthy and cost-effective alternatives for their transport needs – and more and more people are seeing the exciting potential of electric bikes. Electric bikes make cycling possible for average people, not just the lean, young, fit minority. They offer almost everyone a way to travel without gas and get fit at the same time, at a cost that is almost ludicrously cheap compared to cars – and with the peace of mind of knowing you are not destroying the environment.

But a really good electric bike requires an initial investment of more than a thousand dollars, and sensible people don’t spend that kind of money without thinking carefully about their purchase. A lot of information is required to ensure you spend your hard-earned money wisely and get years of savings, transport and good health from your purchase.

No matter who you are or what your needs are, my new guide includes all the information you need to make a wise decision when you buy your electric bike.

Average Joe Cyclist Guide: How to Buy the RIGHT Electric Bike includes an overview of all the relevant technology, and then bottom lines it down to the nuggets that the average buyer needs to know when choosing an electric bike. With my new book, you can choose to assimilate all of the technology, or just use the bottom line to guide you as you set out to buy the RIGHT electric bike for your own unique needs.

Buy this book now, to help YOU buy the RIGHT electric bike! This book will cost you just a few dollars (not much more than the price of a coffee), but it will ensure that you don’t waste hundreds or even thousands of dollars on the wrong electric bike. Don’t buy your electric bike without it.

Buy it now on Kindle (electronic book, instant download)

Note: you don’t HAVE to own a Kindle – you can download the Kindle Reader to your computer.

How to buy the right electric bike - a Kindle book

Posted in BionX, Consumer Guidance, E-Biking, Electric Bikes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Come Back from a Cycling Injury

Posted on January 17, 2013 by Average Joe Cyclist

A while ago I suffered a really bad injury that put me out of cycling for several months. Just before that injury I could cycle up to about 80 km a day and feel just fine. I was in training to do the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer, and I was confident that I would soon be able to do it quite easily.

Then disaster struck, and my body was set back horribly. For a long time all I concentrated on was getting back normal daily functions, because even the most simple things – like watching TV, showering and walking – were difficult. It was depressing as hell.

But I tried to focus on imagining myself back in the saddle, cycling mile after mile, strong and effortless, like the athlete I used to be.

(And yes, I know I have never LOOKED much like a super athlete, but I sure as hell have FELT like one, and exercised much like I imagine real live super athletes exercise.)

Finally, I was able to get back on my bike. BUT with a difference: to start out, I used my electric bike (a Devinci Sydney retrofitted with an excellent BionX kit, which you can read about here). This meant I could go through the motions of cycling, but use as much (or more to the point, as little) energy as I wanted. Even using the motor at full power, each bike ride exhausted me, and I would lie on the couch afterwards, feeling like I’d been sat on by an elephant, and then had to run away from a ferocious rhinoceros. Not fun, and I am sure I was no fun to be with, lying on the couch and whining loudly.

Nonetheless, I was happy and proud that I was at least going through the motions – my legs were pumping my pedals in a motion that exactly resembled being a real cyclist, even if I was benefiting from a whole lot of help. My mood improved, just because I was getting out there and getting SOME exercise. And of course, I was getting to experience the joy of riding a bike – something I always find joyful, whether its on a regular bike or an electric bike, in the sunshine or in a monsoon-like rain storm.

I took my wife’s advice and took it slow. Truth to tell, even I knew it was smart to take it slow.

I did not try to graduate to a regular bike until the rides on my electric bike ONLY made me feel as if I had been chased by an ELDERLY rhinoceros. Finally I got there, and I started interspersing my electric bike rides with regular bike rides.

On my very first ride on my regular bike, I was passed by an older man on an uphill. He gave me a huge smile and confided, “I don’t usually PASS people.” I looked at him in his full construction gear, including steel-toed boots, riding his rusty, ancient bike. I was riding my slick-looking racer, and was decked out in full, expensive cycling gear from head to toe. Regardless, he passed me with the greatest of ease. Because I am a nice guy, I resisted the urge to shout: “I’m coming back from an injury!” Instead, I forced a smile through my teeth, said “Good for you!”, and let him enjoy his moment of triumph. (I’ll get him one day …)

In short, it was a bit depressing at first. I could do 80 km with ease before, and suddenly 10 km was tiring – and 20 km was killer. But I kept going, inching up my distances, trying to slowly improve without overdoing it.

After a few weeks, I finally started to ENJOY the rides on my regular bike. I found myself standing up in the pedals, feeling exhilarated, feeling like an athlete. It’s absolutely the best feeling you can have with your clothes on.

I’m still not there. I can still only do about two rides on a regular bike per week. But that’s a lot better than when I started. And I can feel my strength growing and my energy increasing. Every day I feel just a tiny bit stronger. And I can feel the joy of cycling rising in my heart again.

The point is, it’s a process. Take it slow, listen to your body, but don’t give up, and trust that you’ll get there. Remember what bought you to cycling in the first place: the love of cycling. You still have that love, and you can and will enjoy it again.

Posted in Average Joe Cyclist Product Review, Cycling & Fitness, Cycling and Health | Leave a comment

Peace, Goodwill and Bikes for All …

Posted on December 24, 2012 by Average Joe Cyclist

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Pan Pacific’s 25th Annual Christmas Wish Breakfast in Vancouver. This is a great tradition, which enables people to donate a (new) toy to the Christmas Bureau, and then share a communal breakfast. The Christmas Bureau passes on the toys to families that are struggling to afford gifts for their kids.

It’s the first time I’ve ever gone, and I was amazed at the number of people eager to donate – it was literally the longest line up I have ever been in. (Apparently nearly 5,000 people donated more than 13 tonnes of toys and $26,000 in cash – makes me even prouder to be a Vancouverite!) There was a great Christmas spirit about it, and next year I plan to take my kids along to share that feeling of giving instead of just taking at Christmas.

Bike donated at the 25th Annual Pan Pacific Christmas Wish Breakfast in Vancouver - just one among thousands of donated toys

But what really blew me away was the generosity of some of the people – most especially, those who arrived wheeling shiny new kid’s bicycles. 

It took me back to my own childhood. Without a doubt, my best Christmas gift ever was the shiny red bike I got when I was about ten years old. It was one of those  iconic Chopper bikes, designed by Alan Oakley, who died in May this year.

Iconic Chopper Bike designed by Alan Oakley

The iconic Chopper bike

Although challenging to ride, it was red, it was shiny, it was a BIKE, and it was MINE.

That Chopper bike shone with the promise of joyful bike rides, and it lived up to the promise. I remember hurtling down steep bush paths on that Chopper, my little brown dog racing behind me – moments that still stand out in my memory as some of the most joyful and exhilarating of my entire childhood.

So my Christmas wish is that every kid who wants a bike this Christmas gets one, and gets just as much joy out of it as I did. And I have resolved that next year, I will be one of those generous people who donate a bike, so that there’s one more kid who gets a bike.

In the meantime, I wanted to say Merry Christmas to you all, and to wish you a year of safe, fun cycling in 2013.

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Average Joe Cyclist Product Review: The Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase

Posted on December 15, 2012 by Average Joe Cyclist

The Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase is my favourite bike pannier. It looks and behaves exactly like a briefcase, but it can be easily attached to your bike rack, thanks to an Ortlieb Quick-Lock system attached to one side. It is very useful for traveling to meetings where you need to take your laptop. Also, it is useful if you want to transport documents or books and don’t want them banging around in a regular pannier. The Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase is also perfect if you commute to work every day and just need a briefcase to transport your wallet, papers and perhaps your lunch.

The Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase

Things I Like about the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase

Adjustable

You can quickly adjust the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase to fit whatever bike rack you have, using a standard bike tool or alum key. And once it’s on, it stays on. I have never had any problem with it falling off.

Quick on and off

The Ortlieb Quick-Lock system enables you to put the briefcase onto your bike quickly, and to release it instantly! Once you reach your destination, the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase has a small handle that you pull in order to instantly unclip the bag from your bike rack – handy if you are running late. And the ability to instantly, effortlessly unclip your briefcase makes you look cool, calm and collected, even if you are sweating like a race horse from your commute. (Or so I tell myself, anyway.)

The entire system is tucked under a flap, so if you need to look sharp, you can zip up the flap and it looks like you are carrying a regular briefcase. This is what it looks like when the flap is not zipped up.

Deuter Bike Essentials Briefcase from side, showing attachments for bike rack

Handy

The Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase has all the little pockets you would expect on a regular briefcase, including pockets for papers, pens, business cards, keys and wallets. This aspect is extremely comprehensive and well thought out. It enables you to organize your stuff and avoid the swearing and sweating that tends to occur when you have to rifle through a ton of stuff in a regular pannier, searching for your keys/wallet/bike lock/banana.

Waterproof

One of the little zips on the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase conceals a bright yellow, waterproof bag that you can quickly pull out and wrap around the briefcase, should you be caught in a downpour. Even without the yellow bag this briefcase is pretty water-resistant, but with the bag it is 100% waterproof, keeping your laptop and documents dry regardless of the weather. Plus the bright yellow color helps you to be visible in the rain.

Quibbles about the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase

The zipper for concealing the clipping-on hardware does not work very well on my bag. And it only fits a very small laptop. As I happen to have a very small laptop, this is fine, but it would be too small for most laptops.

Bottom Line on the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase

If you need a briefcase that you can easily transport on your bike, buy the Deuter Bike Essential Briefcase. It’s great! But only if you have a very small laptop, or if you don’t plan to use it to transport a laptop. If you need to transport a laptop, take your laptop along and check before you buy.

Posted in Average Joe Cyclist Product Reviews, Commuting by Bicycle, Consumer Guidance | Leave a comment

Losing Weight with Cycling AND HCG Drops

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Average Joe Cyclist

Here’s another guest post from Maggie. She is looking very cheerful these days, and it’s all because she’s found a diet that actually works – combining cycling with the HCG Diet Plan! Read on …

“A few weeks ago I wrote a post about reaching 1,000 kilometers as a bicycle commuter.  It was a huge milestone for me and one that I was extremely proud to reach.

That is until I realized that I hadn’t lost a single pound after burning an additional 44,000 calories.

I calculated this by totalling up the number of hours it took me to reach 1,000 kilometers, multiplied this by the average number of calories consumed per hour of cycling, and then divided this by 3,500 calories which is what  you need to burn to lose approximately one pound of weight. By my reckoning I should have lost at least 10 to 12 pounds.  This was depressing because weight loss was one of the goals that got me on my bike in the first place.  I had read many many stories of exceptional fitness and weight loss goals people had reached by cycle commuting and I was sure I would be one of them.

So what went wrong?

One of my work buddies said that maybe I had dodged a bullet and not gained 10 to 12 pounds instead. Hmmm, had my eating crept up?  I thought about it and realized that no, it hadn’t. My eating and drinking habits had remained essentially the same.  Joe and I eat a balanced, healthy diet, drink a lot of water and follow the 90/10 rule to keep life fun. Not only that, but we had both recently decided to take wheat out of our diet and follow a Paleo Diet routine, so there was a huge source of bad carbohydrates that I was no longer consuming.  Joe and I are also moderately to highly active. We walk, hike, swim, cycle and garden, in addition to our cycle commutes.

I’ll confess to being a big fan of the Biggest Loser, and Bob and Gillian too.  However, I cringe when I see people get on the scale after a week of intense training, only to see a 1 to 2 pounds loss, or maybe even no loss at all.  The self-deprecation that ensues is horrible to watch, especially when Bob or Gillian pipe up with “It’s a numbers game.  Calories in, Calories out”  Bullcrap!!!  There is more at work here than math.

What I’ve come to realize is that medications, gender and age are major contributors to metabolism and are just as important as food, water and exercise. So, like the contestants on the Biggest Loser, you sometimes have to take drastic measures to remove stubborn body fat.

I compared stories with another colleague.  She had done an intense boot camp three times a week for one year, and she also did not lose a single pound. Clearly our post-40’s metabolisms had decided to pack it in. So what could we do?

My colleague told me that she had starting using HCG drops and the HCG Diet Plan, and was losing 1-2 pounds a day.

Best of all, the weight loss was coming from the stubborn body fat accumulations, not from muscle.  The basic theory of the HCG Diet Plan is that you take drops and reduce your calorie intake drastically (to just 500 calories a day). The homeopathic HCG drops are supposed to optimize fat loss, suppress appetite, enhance metabolism, maximize fat loss, reduce cravings for food between meals, reduce body fat, increase slim muscle mass, and reset the hypothalamus so that the extra weight problem is solved for good. Apparently they achieve that by convincing the body that you it is pregnant. (And this applies regardless of your gender.)

I don’t fully understand it, but what I do know is that Canucks anthem singer Mark Donnelly used HCG drops and lost 172 pounds in about a year. The HCG theory has been around since the 1950’s, so this is an old fad, not a new one. Critics refer to HCG drops as dangerous and irresponsible, but I have researched and cannot find anything dangerous about them. It does seem to be hazardous to eat just 500 calories a day, but I have not done that. I am definitely NOT eating 500 calories a day – not even close.

Although I don’t understand how the diet words, I just call the HCG drops a miracle. After years of being unable to lose weight, it is suddenly dropping off. I have been on the program for 9 days and have lost 7 pounds – all from my mid-section – which is where I need to lose it.  I am on a restricted diet but it is for a specific time period and then I will slowly start increasing my calories until I find my proper level or consumption.

This is a win-win-win solution for me because I’ve already done the hard work, which is getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. Now, I just need to see and feel results fast. And so far, I am. I’ll keep you all updated on my progress!”

Posted in Cycling & Weight Loss, Mrs. Average Joe Cyclist | 4 Comments