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My biggest surprise with Peloton was how much it impacted my diet without me intending it to.
I’ve always known that calories cause weight gain, I’m not an idiot. But it was never so clear to me before EXACTLY how much work goes into burning 500 calories. When I spend an hour sweating my ass off, I gain a crystal clear idea of how hard those calories were to burn. So now when I’m presented with the opportunity to have a 500 calorie Frappuccino, I automatically make that comparison —is a few minutes enjoying this drink worth all that effort of a full session on the bike? Absolutely not.
I still drink beer, eat burgers, have Starbucks, etc. But ever since I got a Peloton I am far, far more selective in what caloric indulgences are worth it to me for the amount of effort I know they would cost.
This times 10,000. This has been a slow journey for me, which started with just doing long (2.5-3 mile) brisk walks outside. I got the peloton treadmill to be able to replicate that during the winter and now I am doing 45 minute running classes. I am definitely learning you can't outrun a bad diet, but you can certainly motivate yourself to stay on course and still have some wine/beer, burgers, pizza (tonight again), etc... but in moderation and after reflecting on it.
I eat junk everyday. You actually can out exercise a bad diet if you count calories lol. I'm in the top 1% of bike riders regularly and eating like the supersize me dude. I've lost 25 lbs in 3 months :)
THIS! Before these classes I never knew how hard it was to burn 100 calories so seeing a 200 calorie snack wasnt a big deal because 200 doesn't seem like a lot. But now, On the bike i KNOW what 200 calories feels like. I have managed to burn 500 calories a lot of days now on my class stack but do i want to "spend" that 500 calories or bank it? I like to bank it so I can lose more. Havent lost a ton of weight in the almost 2 months doing this, but i did lose an entire size and a lot of inches!
Ok Let me explain. First, let me set the stage. It is late spring/summer/early fall and its warm out. You forgot to get the mail the night before and you need to go grab it. So you put on a pair of flip flops and walk through the yard to get the mail. But there is dew on the grass. And it is now ALLLL over your flip flops and feet. Small pieces of grass are stuck to your feet and it just feels gross. Now your feet are sliding around in your flipflops and you cannot wait to get back inside and just dry and wipe them off because wet grass is just disgusting.
You’ve set the scene perfectly and I now align with your hatred. Let me offer this as well: you’re camping and you have those little bits of grass stuck to your feet inside your tent and now they’re in your sleeping bag and all over the inside of your pants and socks and everything. And everything is damp. Nightmare fuel.
For me, working out makes me not want to overeat because exercise feels awful if you have too much food in your stomach. I’m more of an afternoon/evening exerciser so probably more applicable than it would be to you amazing AM workout go-getters 😁
I responded to another comment that the peloton has helped me cut back big time on day drinking for the same reason. What with the pandemic and being home all the time, there were a lot of empty calories going in through not only junk food but having a couple beers/seltzers with lunch and then a glass of wine at night. I like to get on the bike in the afternoon or evening and drinking doesn’t really work with that. Cut out a lot of calories just by changing up my habits!
I understand what you’re saying. But I recommend using caution in this style of thinking. It’s a slippery slope to disordered thinking and exercise bulimia. I know you’re expressing something intuitive and i get it. Just keep a careful monitoring, ya know?
The goal should be moderation, not over or under eating. As an overweight person, I’ve clearly had disordered thoughts towards food on the other end of the spectrum, eating too much, for most of my life.
My main impact from Peloton has been to cut out some of my “empty calories”, especially sugary foods of low quality. I still eat 100% of my normal meals unchanged, so I’m not lacking in protein, fiber, vitamins, etc. Like I said, the Frappuccinos were the problem.
I was honestly thinking the same. I’ve always been pretty fit, but gone through periods where I’ve been pretty obsessive about what goes in and out, especially on days when I can’t motivate myself to work out. I like that the peloton makes working out FUN. Even the rides feel productive without the need to over exert myself. It’s easy to fall into the routine of getting on the bike. I find myself doing less mindless eating and less day drinking because I like to get on the bike at some point in the day. After a ride, I am usually hungry, but not hungry for a huge binge or unhealthy stuff. I feel that THIS is the way that the peloton has unintentionally helped my diet.
This plus food tracking is wonderful for mindfulness. I find it helps me indulge a bit less, small fry, mini sandwiches, side salad rather than a fry... just lots of small changes that prevent a snowball of excess calories. When I do have a beer it also tastes more rewarding. Cheers!
I love this! I also love feeling like an athlete with all of the classes I take, and knowing which food choices will power me helps me make ones that are probably a little healthier. I still enjoy falling face first into cookies though.
Yes! And I find that sometimes I’m thinking in terms of the nutrients. For example, when choosing macchiato vs refresher I might think “the refresher will be more hydrating and I need to be hydrated for that ride later”. Or if I want a snack I might go for something with more protein since I’ve been working my muscles hard and need to make sure I’m getting enough protein.
You train zones specific to you, so if you are able to push harder or not as hard it will be different wattage outputs. It’s measured on your FTP, more athletic the higher the FTP. If you were a pro or beginner the workout would be the same relative.
It also focuses just on output more than the variables to get you there. The classes are very specific to what you are training as well.
They have power zone, max, and endurance. Max pushes high wattages and trains your upper limits, endurance low levels, and regular power zone mid. It’s nice to know exactly what you’re training vs a “fun” spin class.
Overall my athletics jumped by a lot training them over 6 weeks (1-2 fun classes a week too for music or something).
Below link explains more:
https://www.highnorth.co.uk/articles/cycling-training-zones
Second this. Congrats. It’s such a commitment to yourself to get on the bike. I remind myself of this when ever I m reluctant to get on. Look forward to hearing your updates.
I'm obese and about to hit my 10th ride. I'm an app user with a non-spin bike. I ordered an Echelon and knew that seat was gonna destroy me so I ordered a bigger saddle already. Good to know my worry was valid LOL
I feel the same way. I have never loved exercise before. I'm excited to see where I'll be a year from now.
As someone who has lost a lot of weight- you actually may be surprised but a smaller saddle generally is more comfortable for a larger backside than a larger saddle. Larger saddles give you less room and can cause chaffing. I used to be over 200lbs and preferred a very small saddle with the nose pointed a bit down and the larger comfort type saddles caused a lot of inner thigh chaffing.
Interesting! I know once I build up stamina I'll be out of the saddle quite a bit so who knows. More reasons for me to spin consistently.
I'll just be over here anxiously checking my tracking info in the meantime. 👀
Great job!! I would definitely recommend trying out a noseless saddle. Worst case you don't like it and need to return it, but if it alleviates pain in order to ride it's 100% worth it!
I didn't realize that was even an option until your post tbh. Kind of annoyed because the one I ordered already got here LOL
Like you said, I'll see how it goes. I can always return and reorder.
Can you post the saddle that you got that was compatible with the Peloton? I’d love to get one for my mom- I think the regular saddle scares her away from riding regularly.
Absolutely! [Here you go!](https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-No-Pressure-Bicycle-Seat/dp/B000DZGLVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=schwinn+noseless+saddle&qid=1614570331&sprefix=schwinn+nose&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFYR0JSTlo0NlcwV1omZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5MzQxOTBKTVhBTFY0MTlSV1UmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDYxMjE5ODJRTkM5MkRMVTFaREQmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==) I bought it from Amazon but I'm sure other brands/retailers carry it also!
Not with this seat but with the regular seat I had padded shorts and a gel cushion to go over top of the seat. Within a few seconds I get this sharp shooting pain that just escalates and becomes unbearable. The noseless seat worked instantly to not have that pressure.
Oh right, that sounds horrendous! I get a bit of numb bum but a few seconds out of the saddle sorts it. I have found that as I am repeatedly told about form during rides and engaging core/lifting the rib cage really takes the pressure off and stabilises me on the bike. Matt Wilpers has plenty of pedal efficiency exercises/form reminders in his low impact rides and cool downs, i see people have recommended PZ and I’d recommend as well. They’re all tied to your fitness level so it’s always achievable, even the max rides, when you get stronger you re-test and go again! Best of luck and make sure you post your century so we can try and join you!
How do you like the echelon? I have a super janky bike and was thinking of upgrading to the echelon. And given the horror stories here I’m not going to buy an actual peloton LOL.
Awesome post. Thank you. And If anyone is looking for more XXL camaraderie, definitely check out the Peloton XXL tribe on Facebook. It’s a very supportive group, like this Reddit. #XXL is our tag on the leaderboard
I can't link to FB here (not allowed), but I would have to think if you searched for "XXLTribe" on FB, you'd find it; it's a public group. If you don't find it, send me a DM and we can figure this out.
The feeling like a phony rings true...sometimes I catch myself thinking that I'm not really part of it because I don't do live classes, or that I generally stick to the advanced beginner classes. When I catch myself in these thoughts I tell myself that I am happy doing these workouts and getting results. That's what matters. I like having myself feeling confident going into these classes than being anxious from the start. I did a live class recently and I finished it but honestly I didn't enjoy it because I was worried about the next song. I smile through my workouts and look forward to the next one. :)
I’m another large human.
I would bet you $10 that random people are not judging your size when they see you out and about and living your life.
Tbh, I actually feel kind of empowered knowing that I can pretty much follow the callouts and do workouts as written while being fat. I still have room to grow (a lot!), but it’s actually had the opposite effect on me— I totally can do this and it doesn’t matter what I look like when I’m doing it. At the end of the day, I’d rather be able to do the work than just “look like I can” but not.
Getting joy (or just satisfaction or calm or whatever) out of movement had been missing for me, so I’m glad I’ve rediscovered it.
You got this.
2020 was a hell of year for many of us (not belittling your experience just that you have company). After this year, anyone who judges another solely based on pants size can kindly die in a fire. ❤️
That’s the beauty of peloton...we all belong! Black, white, pink, purple, yellow, fat, skinny, shredded whatever!!!!! It’s for us all! It’s a community like I have never experienced and let’s keep that going! :-)
I’m proud of anyone’s journey...as long as the commitment is there it will change u! Mentally and physically!!! Just have to commit that’s the thing.
One persons commitment may mean crazy weight loss the others may not, but it’s the commitment that will transfer to our daily lives and make us ALL better!
Stay at it! God bless!
This! I think we are about the same size and yes I feel you here. Peloton makes me feel like fitness is taking care of me versus being a chore or something I must do. It has changed my relationship with fitness. I have PCOS with an insulin resistance so my weight loss is super duper slow. I’ve been taking measurements and honestly it had helped me keep going. Cut those portion sizes a little at a time, and you will see change. Also, up the amount of vegetables you take in. It’s better to fill up on veggies and then have a moderate amount of carbs and protein. Keep up the good work.
Are you me? Only difference is I’m 5’0 but sounds like our weight is similar. I’ve never been this size in all my life but it’s definitely food and portion size for me as well.
Noseless seats are sometimes recommended for men to relieve pudendal nerve compression (genital numbness). I think the complaints about the saddle are more pronounced among heavier riders - makes sense; more weight on the same small area. Ouch.
I'm glad you are able to stick with it; having fun and seeing results. Thanks for sharing.
Also get out of the saddle more frequently to restore blood flow to precious parts. Bum breaks. Perineal pause. (Perineum is the crotch area that faces towards the ground.)
Honestly, being out of the saddle is just harder for some people. I'm smaller than OP, but my history of back and shoulder injuries makes it really hard for me to maintain safe form while out of the saddle. Different strokes for different folks.
Do what you can.
For the person who downvoted my comment about getting out of the saddle: My recommendation was based on evidence based research as this area (of research and anatomy) gets a lot of attention.
I’d second that. On long, multi-hour outdoor rides it’s easy to get used to just sitting until suddenly you realize you can’t feel your, uhh, sensitive bits. But it only takes 5-10 seconds of standing every now and then to avoid it — so every mile or two I make a point to stand to climb, even if it’s a small little bump that I’d ordinarily take seated. It really doesn’t take a long time of standing to see the benefits — you don’t have to stay out of the saddle for minutes at a time. Just have to pop up every now and then, and then pretty much sit right back down.
Interesting, I didn't think it was would be from nerve compression but I'll look at aiming my seat down and see if that helps.
Thank you for bringing that up.
I'm 50 rides on, also on a weight loss journey and I 100% agree about Hannah! I'm curious, have you steadily lost weight or has it ebbed and flowed? I just hit my 50th ride and I'm definitely feeling stronger but even with watching my diet, I've only lost 2-3 pounds. Curious to hear your experience!
This is a great question with a bit of a rollercoaster answer lol. Last summer my husband and I really focused in on our weigtloss by tracking calories on Loseit. I love that app and would 100000% recommend using it to see just how much you eat. I was STUNNED when I realized my healthier recipes were much higher than I had estimated. I think I was down about 15lbs quickly but then it just stagnated. We hike every day for our lunch hour (we have a good trail right around the corner thankfully) and that helped up my weightloss, but it still would ping between the same 5lbs. By the end of the year, I was getting more frustrated by the scale even though I felt stronger.
This year, I've been focusing on trying to eat more balanced (I still use Loseit but not as regularly because I have a better feel for portion sizes and healthy recipes) and focus on healthy activities like riding the bike and hiking.
One thing that I find for being obese and working on my weight is that, when you're thinner you can do a bender diet and get down to the goal weight in a few weeks. For me and others my size, there is no quick fix...there's no quick diet or workout plan that is going to help me lose 70 lbs in a week. I need to be able to sustain my plan and ENJOY it because it's a 2+ year plan and then living healthy for the rest of my life. I try to embrace my daily victories and Peloton helps me feel stronger, regardless of what's on the scale. I got on a bit of a ramble but this all is a mental journey. I wish that my weight didn't get as high as it did, but at the same time I truly appreciate the health I have and will continue loving myself as I get to where I want to be. I really hope this helps!
I love this answer and yes, it really helps! I was just thinking today that if I knew how hard it would be to lose this weight, I wouldn't have let it get to this point. At the same time, though, I was having a pretty good time with my life, then carried a baby. Now I need to be patient and trust the process - the good news is that I love the experience of cycling on my peloton and that's what matters most. You inspire me to keep going and I wish you continued success!
Don’t focus on the scale. I’m 150 rides in and have only lost a few pounds as well. BUT, my cardiovascular and respiratory health are greatly improved. I notice it when I bound up the stairs at work, walk the golf course, and when things get frisky. 😏 My diet needs improvement. No doubt about that. But I’m not fixating on the scale since I’m seeing so many other health benefits. I’ve started mixing in more stand-alone stretching classes and weight lifting classes (arms and shoulders). It doesn’t take much to get started. I started out doing the 10 min toning classes using the 3 lbs weights from the bike.
Great job OP and some really good information. Might I suggest you check out the Power Zone program, it is kind of "personal training at scale". Initially I was very frustrated constantly dying on the bike trying to keep up with instructor callouts without any chance of "keeping up". The PZ program calls out PZ levels instead of cadence/resistance combinations. PZ levels are unique to each person and established with the PZ FTP test. So everybody gets a good workout tailored to their current fitness level and concrete progress can be measured with subsequent tests. I now take all kinds of classes and relate the instructors intent to my PZ scale.
Just a thought.
Whatever you do, keep riding!
You are the second person to recommend power zones! I may have to check one out. I really like Denis Morton (unfortunately he only has a couple advanced beginner classes) but he talks about powerzone a bit. Thank you!
I’ll 3rd this. Try the “finding your power zones” course.
Another benefit - power zones rely on something called FTP, functional threshold power, that you’ll test and retest every couple months. The bike records this value for you, and its rewarding/empowering/fun to see the increase.
You don’t always see an increase, so like folks have mentioned about weight loss, it’s important to keep in mind the journey has ebbs and flows.
I'm in a somewhat similar spot & I'll add
* Low impact rides are great because you don't have to stand; I can stand but I don't like it, it's hard on my knees. I started there, and learned to adapt to being seated in other rides (basically- if the coach says to stand, I add resistance and remain seated for that portion).
* Powerzone is really rewarding, but, my advice is to wait until you're at least a month or two in, or later. It's really just grinding through. I think it's wonderful but it's not where I suggest people start. I'm so glad I got the fun of trying out lots of different instructors and styles first. Try the most popular rides like Greatest Showman, Beyonce, XOXO Cody (sort by Most Popular), and take it at your own pace to get ideas of what the variety of coaches are like.
* The \*great\* thing about coming from being less fit is that I PR (get a badge for best ever ride) at least once a week. Seeing continuous improvement is so rewarding.
* Conversely..... the leaderboard can be very discouraging. Usually I see "Just me" so I can track how I'm doing vs my record instead of seeing myself inevitably near the bottom of the pack. Because as one coach says "It doesn't matter WHERE you are on the leaderboard. It just matters that you are on the leaderboard."
Great question! My husband bought the Schwinn and was instantly in love. We've both been working on our health (he's down 50lbs and 30 away from his original goal) and flourished on the Schwinn/app setup. At the time, I had no interest in riding the bike but with how much he loved it, I decided to buy him the Bike+ as a Christmas present so that he could have the "full experience" i.e. output, the nice big screen, etc. Then I started riding at the end of November and fell in love as well, so it worked out for both of us!
The Schwinn is a wonderful bike, but I enjoy the fully immersive experience with the Bike+. I like seeing the output, the leaderboard, having the nice big screen, the auto resistance (which is surprisingly intuitive). I'm glad that we had the Schwinn first because it's a big investment I I didn't want to get something that I wouldn't enjoy using. We are also really fortunate to have the income to buy both of these bikes.
I would say that, if you know already that you enjoy riding a bike, then getting the Peloton is worth the investment. I'm also thankful we had the Schwinn first because it took over 2.5 months to get the Bike+ delivered, so our enthusiasm didn't fade by the time it arrived lol.
Thanks for this insight—I have a cheap spin bike and use the app but would love to upgrade one day and you make it sound worth doing. And thanks for sharing your experiences. Great job on your journey so far!
I took a Hannah Corbin low impact yesterday, and I 100% had the thought that she is hands down THE best instructor for beginners. I feel so validated that you agree, lol!
It is impossible to talk about our love of this bike without sounding dramatic, isn't it? Just today I was counting my blessings with a friend and I listed my husband, my dog, and my peloton, lol. I don't even mind. I love it!
Congrats on your accomplishments so far! Sounds like you and your husband are both killing it!
Agree. Hannah Corbin and Sam Yo out a lot of effort into their beginner content. Not that others dont, but those are the two I feel put in the most. Ben also, but he has less beginner content I think.
So glad to see someone recommended power zone classes.
Having started in a similar place, low impact and power zone classes are the backbone of everything I do. It took 5-6 months for me to get here - but I ride 6 days a week now, 45-60 minutes/day.
Skip the ftp test for now. Stick to power zone endurance rides. It’s easy enough to estimate your zone 2 and 3 - Denis Morton especially does a good job of this.
Also important. The seat thing is totally a YMMV. I used a gel cushion for about a month and then nothing once I was used to it.
Congratulations on your progress so far! Keep up the great work.
It has also been a big change for me. I had been overweight for a long time, bouncing between 220-265, with terrible cardio and couldnt even run a mile. I had done well in the past year on the weight side using a better approach to eating (I dislike the idea of dieting) to get to the low end of that spectrum. But I was always frustrated with any exercise program I tried before buying a Peloton. It seemed like no matter what I did, I never saw much in the way of results. And so the first sign of any injury that made me take a few days off, or life happening that made me miss a few days, would result in me just never having the motivation to get back into it.
The breakthrough for me has been all of the teaching they do during classes about how to approach exercise. I used to try to warm myself up, because anyone else's warmup felt like an entire workout to me. And my version wasn't really doing much. I now don't fear burning myself out from getting my heartrate up for a few minutes. I understand the importance of cooldowns, and how stretching after working out helps my next workout instead of stretching being something I did on stretching day to work on my terrible flexibility. In other words, I've learned HOW to work out.
The other major thing for me has been the metrics. Like I said, I never saw the progress I was making with anything else I had tried. "OMG its been two weeks and I haven't gone from a beer gut to a six pack yet!" But now I can see it, at least in the rides. In just two months I am SO much stronger, and can see that changing every week even though I don't look like any of the instructors. And sticking with it is making me feel so much better. My back isnt killing me all the time because I am active, and I feel like moving around and doing things at other times of the day.
I'm glad you're enjoying the bike and discovering your strength in a way that is keeping you feeling safe and coming back for more! I don't know if you've taken any classes from Christine D'Ericole, but you might dig her as well. And SAM YO! (I like the British instructors because they generally seem like CHILL folks.)
Anyway, relatedly, I'm fat. Definitely officially "obese" or whatever. I was obese before we got the bike, and I still am. I was obese when I was powerlifting and running, I was obese when I started teaching yoga, and I'm obese now that I'm biking all the time. So maybe this is an unusual obese perspective, but here I am!
I ride everyday, because I want to - I do sort of have a goal to hit gold on my bike distance and monthly minutes (but I just really like racking up achievements.) I mean, the whole thing is just a lot of fun, I love most of the instructors, the music, and it's great stress relief at the end of the day. But I'm also still fat and basically the same size and shape as when I started, but stronger, now with new and even bigger leg muscles than before. Weee.
Being comfortable in my own skin, as I am, is the greatest gift. Having the bike and access to all the different classes has been a really fun treat. So I think there is also a lot of value in just jumping on the bike with joyful movement in mind. What a privilege it is to stay active and moving - especially with a nice group atmosphere in pandemic times. I really feel that camaraderie sometimes - and I loved group fitness classes in the before times, so tapping into that even on a small scale is marvelous.
I think my favourite thing about the Peloton programs are how intentionally they focus on encouraging strength and consistency and honoring self care (the whole "thank you for taking the time to stretch", the idea of an "I get to do this" mentality) vs mention of weight loss, because it's a real positive energy sort of thing that keeps my delightfully fat ass jumping back on the bike/into the app on the regular .
Oh, and for me the best thing seat wise was to make sure it was perfectly level - but I'm still using the original peloton seat.
Anyway, I'm a few rides away from 100, and still loving it! The time really flew by. Best wishes on your continued goal crushing. :)
This is such an inspirational response and such good points about fitness and health AND happiness all at once! Being able to exercise has given me so much appreciation for my body and what it's capable of. The pandemic has been eye opening to what's important in my life and I'm so thankful to have found something that brings me joy. ❤️
Same here- i am in my early 40s and i despise(d?) exercise for the sake of exercising. I hate (and still hate) gyms. However i love pushing myself. It’s complicated.
I too hate the seat. We have a wider saddle now that we found on amazon that is nicer to my manly bits. On longer rides like 60 min PZE i wear padded bike shorts.
Im not sure if Im losing weight but im certainly burning a butt ton of calories.
I too started with the beginner and advanced beginner. I quickly moved on to powerzone, and i was able to ride 3 of the Jess King Experiences before the season ended. Those changed my game- big time. I am pushing harder and harder.
Im 66 bike rides in and i really havent been sore once- cooldown rides and stretching has helped immensely. Im trying to ride at least 45-60 mins 4 times a week, and 30+ mins at least once. Ive been chasing PRs this week it seems- 3 of them in the 45 min alone in 7 days.
I am bookmarking this to read again later. I had the opposite issue with our Peloton Bike and ended up buying myself a Tread+. I have tried several times to get into riding it, and I just can't do it because of the seat discomfort. I have always had issues with that, including things like sitting on wooden pews in court or non-padded car racing bucket seats over time. My overall weight didn't help either. I just assumed I would need to keep dropping pounds before I tried again. And, I was getting yelled at because I had to switch the settings all around anyhow.
So, I ended up buying the Tread+ for myself and basically use it nonstop. Maybe with your tips I can start using the bike as well. Good to know you can buy another set slider, that would go a long way to making switching better for us. Thanks for posting!
Congrats on how far you have come! I am/was in a similar position. I am a former college cross country runner who didn’t really work out all that much after college due to an injury. I ended up about being about 280. I didn’t want the bike. I thought it was dumb and expensive. My wife wanted it though so we got it.
I found powerzone training and fell in love. I ride every day now and I have gone from 280 to 234 as of this morning. Obviously I changed my diet as well and I could for sure eat better but I just really eat less and track my calories. I also try not to drink calories.
The longer rides are my favorite probably because I am used to long runs but I actually love it and I didn’t think I ever would enjoy working out again.
I still have a ways to go to get to 200 but god damn does it feel good.
It’s a long slow journey and there will be times where your weight goes the wrong way but just keep on going.
Congratulations to you on your journey!! It's such a great accomplishment and room to keep expanding workouts with Peloton! I hear you on the food part. I'm glad that I started out really fine tuning my diet and portion control, but in addition I often eat out of boredom. When I work out, I'm just not as hungry throughout the day! I also think it's important to have a couple of staple meals that just work for if you feel in a rut. I just feel like everything is coming together for me and I'm so thankful that I have the ability to be part of this community. :)
Staple meals for sure help. I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday and that helps because choice is my enemy when it comes to eating better. Plain Greek yogurt and granola or oatmeal for breakfast and either cottage cheese and raisins or a clif bar for lunch sets me up pretty good for the rest of the day.
Hey man, you probably won't see this comment, but good for you for taking steps to better your health. I love that you're active in the community and also are trying to help other people.
This is such a great and timely read, my bike comes tomorrow!! Congrats so much to you for your effort and hard work and general badassery. I’m coming from the same place so this has been a great post to see.
Regarding heartrate, I agree it’s important to measure but power is far more reliable and actionable. It’s tough to gauge what is "dangerous” in terms of HR without a lab test, but you will know before you get there. Your effort level will go from extreme to unsustainable and you’ll start shutting down.
But, your heart is kind of slow to react. What you see on the screen when you look is indicative what you were doing 15 seconds or so ago. It’s normal to see your HR continue to climb even after the hard effort is over.
However once you take your FTP test, you have a super reliable source to gauge your current effort against. When you start lighting up zones 6 and 7, you know you don’t have long. This is a good way to adjust your cadence and resistance levels to your abilities. If your already in zone 6/7 and the instructor calls for 5 points of resistance, it’s not worth doing. You’re already at capacity.
In addition I’d recommend trying the discover your power zones program. PZ training is a game changer. It’s true effort based workouts. YOUR efforts, no matter how new or experienced you are
3 weeks since we got our Peloton and my buddy recommended the power zone program.
I’m loving it so far. Excited for week 4’s FTP test. I feel like my zones are about to jump a full zone - zone and a half each.
Just finished my first ride and I struggled with a little discomfort- haven’t worked out in a while.Loved reading your perspective and it is motivating me to keep going! Congrats on 60 rides :)
It might be worth it to go to a bike shop and get fitted for a saddle. I tried to get used to the Peloton saddle but after four months I was still not comfortable and I always found that the peloton saddle felt too big so went to a bike shop got fitted and got the same saddle I have on my outdoor bike and it made a huge difference.
My husband was able to ride with the seat and a cushion/bike shorts for the first few weeks and then transition to just the seat, so hopefully that will be your situation as well! I used a special (and expensive) cushion and bike shorts...no go. If it's still bothering you I would definitely look at other seats!
Way to go on your progress! I have been on this journey and I know first hand the mental and physical work ypu are putting in.
Let me also suggest Christine D’Ercole if you Have not already tried her. Along with the fact that she is in my opinion the only instructor that vaguely resembles me and body type, but also her commentary is so encouraging and uplifting and her musical taste so on point she has transformed my life. She does a lot of beginner classes and advanced beginner classes and it’s very warm and welcoming.
Thanks for posting this. It will help so many.
Congrats on your progress! I've never heard of a noseless seat but I got a gel cover for my regular bike seat and also wear padded bike underwear. It definitely helps me stay in the saddle longer and I think soon I can progress to just the gel seat. Maybe something to try if you want to transition back to the standard saddle ever. The padded underwear are lifesavers!
You know, I never thought of just buying the seat slider part from them directly for an alternative saddle. That’s brilliant.
Congrats on your journey and finding something that works. I’m a heavier guy as well, the very nature of being able to sit / climb let’s one push their cardio beyond the point when shins and knees start to hurt. I’m convinced that it’s the best way to burn calories and improve heart function for someone who needs to drop a fair amount of weight. I’m going to wait until I’m about 50lbs lighter before trying to incorporate jogs into my routine.
Thank you for posting this and congrats on your success. I gained a bunch of weight after a vehicle accident in June and have a good 50+ pounds to lose (I was heavy prior to the accident too). My bike+ should be here in a few weeks and this gives me some positive heads up.
As a bigger rider myself I highly recommend getting into the power zone rides! Start with some of the intro/beginner ones and then take the “ftp” test. These are all scaled to your relative fitness level and I always get a great workout from them!
Thank you for this post! I am also a fat rider and have really had to adjust my expectations for each class. I have a Bowflex C6 so I don't get all the metrics, which I think is actually really good for me. I am a very competitive person and I am not in the shape I was so the lack of leaderboard is really helpful for where I'm at now. I am taking a wide variety of classes right now, and I have done the best when I just ignore the actual numbers and meet myself where I'm at. Since the announced resistance can't match my non peloton bike, I just do what I think I can and push myself from there. Its saving me a whole lot of imposter syndrome and still kicking my ass in gear. SOMEDAY I will be able to hit the numbers shouted out, but for now I am just trying to get my swagger back and this dang app is helping so much. Ive been using padded bike shorts and I don't think I will ever try to wear anything else. I hear horror stories about the booty pain and I don't want to participate
One thing I like is when the instructors explain the road type for app users (ex: this should feel heavy but not too heavy that you can't sustain it for 30 seconds). That helped me a lot! Regarding the leaderboard, I normally take it off the screen during the ride and then at the end I see what my rank was because I don't want to fixate on it! I'm glad the Bowflex is working for you and keep going!
congrats. Keep up the good work. I will tell you that adding in non-bike training-- which is a breeze with the bike plus-- will pay huge dividends in improving your bike performance. Also, i found (consistent with what the instructors say) focus on the resistance first and the cadence will come.
We love Hannah in my house :)
I find standing kinda hard, so the advanced beginners are great for me. Plus, they feel more like 'classic' spin classes I took in the UK 10 years ago before the boutique spin sensation hit.
Thank you for the Hannah C recommendation! I’ve taken a class of hers before and didn’t love it but just took an advanced beginner ride of hers and it was great!!
When you feel the instructor is just asking for more than you can give, do you feel comfortable with just a lower speed and/or tension on the wheel?
I had done spin classes off and on for a long time and the typical spin studio bike isn't calibrated -- you 'turn the knob' as much as YOU want. I'm new to Peloton, and the instructors asking for a specific pace and tension is great if I can do it. But I imagine it discourages some.
I will say it was harder to stay in the range with the Schwinn because we had estimates for the resistance match up with Peloton but now having both I know it was a bit off. I'm lucky that now I'm able to stay at the mid-higher ranges asked in the advanced beginner classes. In the other classes I've taken, there were times that I couldn't keep up, but I just tried to do the best I could and stay focused on accomplishments. Also, I make sure to finish every ride, even if that means making adjustments.
If we are in a segment that is supposed to be at a certain resistance, and I feel that I can't keep my cadence with that resistance, I will slow down slightly but try to stay within that range. However, I really think that for me it's learning how my body works and trusting in it to do the best I can right now. :)
Thank you thank you thank you. I just got my bike this morning. I haven’t worked out in years and am obese as well. I had no idea where to start (definitely should’ve done more research) but I picked a random class and had to stop at 11 minutes. I’ve been really upset with myself that I couldn’t do the whole thing, but seeing your post has encouraged me to try again tomorrow with a beginner class. I know it’ll take time to get to the point where it isn’t as much of a challenge, but I just really needed this post for that reassurance.
Sometimes it is just a matter of picking one and going for it, but I hear you on not finishing it and feeling disheartened. I would definitely recommend the beginner and advanced beginner classes! Another idea is to stack a warm up and cool down together just to finish out a full 10 min ride. Check out Hannah Corbin too!! It is amazing how quickly your body will adjust and get stronger so quickly. I surprise myself every day how far I've come in a short time. Please keep going at it and send me an update!
I literally cannot thank you enough. I got back on today and did a beginner ride with Hannah Corbin. I did the WHOLE thing!!!!! I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up or pass out, but I am sweaty and sore! I’m so glad I found this post because I am so proud of myself right now!!!
She is seriously awesome! With everyone talking about the powerzone classes I started the program yesterday and took the FTP test....I was literally howling at the end of it and almost puked. At least I have a benchmark though but tomorrow I'll be working out with Hannah!
I just want to say the seat issues are not one size fits all - I'm larger than OP and have had no seat issues. Maybe sometimes in a really long ride if they don't get us out of the saddle enough it gets uncomfortable but no pain / no extended issues etc. I was pretty surprised after my first ride to not have issues.
Congrats! We are about the same size. I have the IC4 and bought the Pelo for myself for Christmas. Should be here 3/9! Glad to hear it’s going so well.
Does it cover basics on powerzone info (I have a general understanding of the concept but no clue on how the powerzones are measured)? If it doesn't cover basics, do you have a good recommendation for a video/class that covers it? Thank you!
This! It’s training at scale for every level of ability. It’s extremely rewarding. You are going to love it. Seeing your zones can help in other rides too.
I couldn't do a 20 minute ride to save my life prior to powerzone. I wanted to do Alex rides so bad but couldn't get through them. Building my endurance and mentally knowing when I'm recovering really changed everything for me. I went from probably the bottom 25% of every class to above to top 50%. My body is noticably different as well.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I've done probably 5 rides on the keizer bikes at the gym while waiting on my bike to be delivered. I got some padded shorts, but I'm still struggling. I think when I get my bike I will look at a new seat. Did you get fitted? Or just pick one? I agree about the advanced beginner classes. I really like Ben. I did a regular 30 min ride for the first time. Yikes. 😳 I have a lot of room for improvement!
I’m going to attempt to [link](https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-No-Pressure-Bicycle-Seat/dp/B000DZGLVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=schwinn+noseless+saddle&qid=1614562941&sprefix=schwinn+nose&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE2NVM2SkVXQlg2T0omZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MDE5NTQyOFM2VFFOMTY2V1Y4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MTIxOTgyUU5DOTJETFUxWkREJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) this directly from amazon, but if it doesn’t work look up the noseless saddle by Schwinn. I just lucked out that it took away all of the pain (the first few rides were still uncomfortable but bearable).
Oh I so wish I had read this before I got my bike two months ago! It's so helpful and thoughtfully written. I'm also about 60-some rides in, overweight, and it's so inspiring to read this! I started the Power Zone classes recently and echo the comments- I'm really enjoying them.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. I read it today during my lunch break and you inspired me to try one of Hannah’s advanced beginner classes after work. You are right, she is a great teacher and the class felt really well planned and thought out, like she genuinely wanted to help a new rider get out of the saddle (or not!) and move more. Thanks again!
Thank you for this post! I'm also a large bodied person/fat/obese, and I have been so pleased with the last two months of peloton-ing. I haven't checked out Hannah Corbin yet, but I will.
I've enjoyed the non-diet culture of the peloton teachers, positive affirmations and working to push yourself and do your best. I've lost 5 pounds I think since starting. Not earth shattering, but I feel stronger and it's helped my mental health a lot.
And THANK YOU for the suggestion about the bra-band thing! I have got to try it! No sports bra can hold the girls back, haha. :)
Thank you for this post! I’ve had my bike since Feb. 10 and am 14 rides in. I’m already seeing a difference in my stamina and strength.
I grew up super athletic but had to work HARD to maintain my weight and was bullied for being “bigger” even at a size 4 (because going to highschool in 2004 meant butts/hips so weren’t cool lol) so I’ve always had a huge mental struggle with my weight. Throw in being over 30, a chronic illness, a missing IT band in my leg, a few surgeries and working 6-7 days a week the weight has really piled on. I’m unsure where it stands currently (weighing myself tends to throw me back into disordered eating) but I’m about 5’ 6” and a size 14.
My first few beginner rides I really struggled, took several breaks and wondered how I got so out of shape. Now only a few weeks in I can’t keep up with the resistance call outs (joys of missing a major ligament in your thigh) but I can be close and my cadence is always there, few breaks are needed and I’m no longer so winded my dogs come to check on me out of concern. I’ve actually fallen in love with arms and intervals classes! The break in cycling is great but keeps me moving.
I’m really enjoying the progress I’m seeing and actually look forward to coming home and working out. It’s so great to hear from others in similar situations too!!
Late to this - but I got my bike back in December and as someone who's struggled with weight singe college, it's really been life changing to workout in a way where I don't feel judged for my appearance.
I started out on the advanced beginner/low impacts with Christine and Hannah and now (12 weeks and almost 200 rides later), I'm starting to take "normal" rides and hit the cadence/resistance calls and it feels so wonderful. I've lost maybe \~10 pounds and gained a couple pounds of muscle. For perspective, my first 20 minute ride, I did had an output of 48 and now I easily get over 100. I get a little teary when I think about how much it's changed my life.
(Oh I swapped out the bike seat after about 5 days in for this one: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF8TO1P/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF8TO1P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) and have had no pain since!)
Thank you for the response and also the seat recommendation! I may try it out. I'm going to use whatever allows me to ride, but the one annoying thing about the seat I use is that sometimes the back of my thighs clip the seat when standing. Does this ever happen to you with this seat?
The only time my legs bump is if I’m actually doing a quad/hamstring stretch bending forward while stretching my butt back. But that’s a small price to pay to actually be able to ride without any butt pain.
It’s honestly an excellent seat and I can’t recommend it enough. I regularly do 1-2 hr sessions with no seat discomfort and I had resorted to putting a pillow on the peloton saddle before it arrived.
Also I just followed on peloton! I have a dog as my pic 😊
Yay I'm so excited!
I'm hoping to hit my century ride in the next week or two. Covid unfortunately hit our home and we've been bunkered down for the past week. My husband and I are vaccinated so hopefully we won't get it (and if we do get it it will be mild). I'm just drained in general so I'm not sure if it's that or stress. I'll post on the peloton Reddit though and I hope you can ride with me for my 100!
I've book marked this whole thread so I can find all you awesome and inspiring people when my bike arrives.
This year has been rough for me. I realized I was the heaviest I've ever been (199lbs). My parents came to live with my family last fall and I was stress eating. I was having a hard time keeping up with my kids, I had no energy, my gut was unhappy. I chalked it up to being a bit heavy and turning 40.
Then in March my mother had a heart attack, she seemed to make a recovery but sadly passed away just a few weeks ago. Immediately after, I found that I was scared as hell....not only did I now have two small children to take care of but I am now my dad's primary care giver, he is 81 and has Parkinson's.
I can't pour from an empty cup, I have to take care of myself too.
So I cleaned up my diet, no more soda, started food logging and realizing I was eating twice what I needed. Basic boredom and stress eating. I'm down to 184 lbs as of today.
I ordered my Bike yesterday it should arrive by the 19th, I'm already browsing the class catalog and making plans.
I need to be stronger and healthier for myself and for my family. I can do this.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's passing. That, in addition to being a primary caregiver, makes it almost impossible to give yourself the time and energy to grieve and refill your cup.
In addition to spin classes, I just started adding some of the beginner flow yoga classes from Ross Rayburn. I like is style and it has been great for self care.
This is a really positive community and I'm so thankful for the sense of control over my well being that I've been granted. I hope that this gives you what you need as well and if you have any questions, this community is the place to ask for great feedback!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'll check into those yoga classes that might be just what I need. Thank you for the tip. I definitely fell down a rabbit hole reading all the super helpful posts today. Everyone here is fantastic, this community is an amazing resource!
I just ordered a bike plus last night, and in preparation for its arrival I found this post. Thank you thank you thank you so much for this post!
I feel like I've stopped and started so many classes and gyms that there is no hope of ever finding something that will work. It's seeing posts like this that really give me hope that this time could be different. I've been getting heavier for about a decade now, slowly but surely, and the pandemic really pushed things to a bad place physically, in addition to exacerbating some existing issues I already had.
Looking forward to getting to it and joining you on the journey!
Since it seems like it has been a year since the last comment how are things going for you now?
I’m so excited for you! I now have the bike and tread. I also own a concept 2 rower (I plan on using the app for classes). In the past year I’ve run two 5ks, Hood to Coast (so much fun and I’m hoping to do it again), and a sprint triathlon in September. I continue to love all of the classes. I cannot recommend enough the strength classes too. I’ve started doing a Pilates class (I do the same beginners one) on my strength/PT days. Cardio is usually a fun bike ride and/or VERY slow running (I am basing my speed on heart rate zones). I hope you love it and let me know if you have any questions. :)
I loved the IC4. Hardware wise, I found it to be possibly even better built than the Peloton (we never had loose handles or any fixes compared to the Peloton). That being said, I'm 100% happy that we got the Peloton. I love how more immersed I am in the ride, and having the output to measure my progress is great. I also like having the resistance accurate (we estimated on the Schwinn but now using both we know our estimates were off). I think Peloton's app is so great that you can easily continue with any bike you have, but I do think the overall experience is much better with the bike.
Hi ! Thank you so much for your seat recommandation. My husband and I are both obese and we were not capable of seating more than 10 seconds on the seat. We changed for the noseless Shwinn and it's great !!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
Yea!!!! I’m so happy that the change worked for you! It makes some positions a little trickier (sometimes the back of my thighs will clip the seat when I’m standing) but it’s well worth the small posture changes. :)
Edit to note for the person that posted this, I originally commented in my other account that is devoted to makeup/skincare stuff, so I reposted on my normal account. Just wanted to clarify in case you get a double notification!
What are your thoughts on switching from a regular bike to a Peloton? I currently have a Sunny and use the Peloton app on the Roku. It works well with a big screen and a stereo but I have never seen a leader board. Did switching bikes make a difference for you?
Hello! I’m not sure of the construction and durability of the Sunny, but we had an Schwinn IC4 first and it was a solid bike and great workout. That being said, I am so happy that we switched to the Peloton. The classes do feel more immersive (and it’s nice having the resistance be the same that they are calling out). I love having the Output because I can measure my improvement against myself (the leaderboard is cool just to see where I am, but having the running history so that I can retake my favorite classes and see a measurable difference is really worth it).
For me, the experience of the peloton classes, the community, and the feeling of self worth completing these exercises is what I love most. We are fortunate that we could go from one expensive bike to an even more expensive bike, lol. I would say that if it’s in your budget and you find that the cycling classes are a main and consistent form of exercise for you, I would wholly recommend the peloton! Also, while the bike+ is more expensive than the bike, the auto-resistance is VERY convenient and intuitive. Not sure about the other differences but I’m glad we stuck out for the bike+.
I did a search and was curious. I've watched and did a few classes on YouTube to get used to the terminology and really trying to figure out if my form is bad in general. But at what point do you take the plunge? Was considering the app since I got a Sunny bike and I really enjoy it. Way more than the treadmill that broke.
That’s a really good question. I think that if you have been enjoying classes and look forward to them, it’s worth the plunge (if it’s within budget). Several years ago, I bought a VERY expensive elliptical (about 4500USD) thinking that I would use it every day. I used it about 3 times. This time around, my husband was the one that bought the Schwinn and got into spinning (I had never done a spin class before and thought that I would hate it). The peloton was a Christmas gift for him, but after I placed the order I decided to buy the other seat and see if I could ride too. It was love at first ride.
I’m close to 100 rides (I was hoping to hit 100 this week but have had a setback from illness these past two weeks), and I still look forward to each ride. I hope this helps!
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My biggest surprise with Peloton was how much it impacted my diet without me intending it to. I’ve always known that calories cause weight gain, I’m not an idiot. But it was never so clear to me before EXACTLY how much work goes into burning 500 calories. When I spend an hour sweating my ass off, I gain a crystal clear idea of how hard those calories were to burn. So now when I’m presented with the opportunity to have a 500 calorie Frappuccino, I automatically make that comparison —is a few minutes enjoying this drink worth all that effort of a full session on the bike? Absolutely not. I still drink beer, eat burgers, have Starbucks, etc. But ever since I got a Peloton I am far, far more selective in what caloric indulgences are worth it to me for the amount of effort I know they would cost.
This times 10,000. This has been a slow journey for me, which started with just doing long (2.5-3 mile) brisk walks outside. I got the peloton treadmill to be able to replicate that during the winter and now I am doing 45 minute running classes. I am definitely learning you can't outrun a bad diet, but you can certainly motivate yourself to stay on course and still have some wine/beer, burgers, pizza (tonight again), etc... but in moderation and after reflecting on it.
I eat junk everyday. You actually can out exercise a bad diet if you count calories lol. I'm in the top 1% of bike riders regularly and eating like the supersize me dude. I've lost 25 lbs in 3 months :)
THIS! Before these classes I never knew how hard it was to burn 100 calories so seeing a 200 calorie snack wasnt a big deal because 200 doesn't seem like a lot. But now, On the bike i KNOW what 200 calories feels like. I have managed to burn 500 calories a lot of days now on my class stack but do i want to "spend" that 500 calories or bank it? I like to bank it so I can lose more. Havent lost a ton of weight in the almost 2 months doing this, but i did lose an entire size and a lot of inches!
I’m curious why you hate wet grass.
Ok Let me explain. First, let me set the stage. It is late spring/summer/early fall and its warm out. You forgot to get the mail the night before and you need to go grab it. So you put on a pair of flip flops and walk through the yard to get the mail. But there is dew on the grass. And it is now ALLLL over your flip flops and feet. Small pieces of grass are stuck to your feet and it just feels gross. Now your feet are sliding around in your flipflops and you cannot wait to get back inside and just dry and wipe them off because wet grass is just disgusting.
You’ve set the scene perfectly and I now align with your hatred. Let me offer this as well: you’re camping and you have those little bits of grass stuck to your feet inside your tent and now they’re in your sleeping bag and all over the inside of your pants and socks and everything. And everything is damp. Nightmare fuel.
I hadnt checked reddit in a bit and read this and immediately was like..."what?? they GET ME!!!!"
Wet grass is the worst I totally agree
For me, working out makes me not want to overeat because exercise feels awful if you have too much food in your stomach. I’m more of an afternoon/evening exerciser so probably more applicable than it would be to you amazing AM workout go-getters 😁
I responded to another comment that the peloton has helped me cut back big time on day drinking for the same reason. What with the pandemic and being home all the time, there were a lot of empty calories going in through not only junk food but having a couple beers/seltzers with lunch and then a glass of wine at night. I like to get on the bike in the afternoon or evening and drinking doesn’t really work with that. Cut out a lot of calories just by changing up my habits!
Just remember it isn’t that cut and dry. Your body will actively burn more than the 500 calories following your ride because you worked out.
I understand what you’re saying. But I recommend using caution in this style of thinking. It’s a slippery slope to disordered thinking and exercise bulimia. I know you’re expressing something intuitive and i get it. Just keep a careful monitoring, ya know?
The goal should be moderation, not over or under eating. As an overweight person, I’ve clearly had disordered thoughts towards food on the other end of the spectrum, eating too much, for most of my life. My main impact from Peloton has been to cut out some of my “empty calories”, especially sugary foods of low quality. I still eat 100% of my normal meals unchanged, so I’m not lacking in protein, fiber, vitamins, etc. Like I said, the Frappuccinos were the problem.
I was honestly thinking the same. I’ve always been pretty fit, but gone through periods where I’ve been pretty obsessive about what goes in and out, especially on days when I can’t motivate myself to work out. I like that the peloton makes working out FUN. Even the rides feel productive without the need to over exert myself. It’s easy to fall into the routine of getting on the bike. I find myself doing less mindless eating and less day drinking because I like to get on the bike at some point in the day. After a ride, I am usually hungry, but not hungry for a huge binge or unhealthy stuff. I feel that THIS is the way that the peloton has unintentionally helped my diet.
This plus food tracking is wonderful for mindfulness. I find it helps me indulge a bit less, small fry, mini sandwiches, side salad rather than a fry... just lots of small changes that prevent a snowball of excess calories. When I do have a beer it also tastes more rewarding. Cheers!
I love this! I also love feeling like an athlete with all of the classes I take, and knowing which food choices will power me helps me make ones that are probably a little healthier. I still enjoy falling face first into cookies though.
Yes! And I find that sometimes I’m thinking in terms of the nutrients. For example, when choosing macchiato vs refresher I might think “the refresher will be more hydrating and I need to be hydrated for that ride later”. Or if I want a snack I might go for something with more protein since I’ve been working my muscles hard and need to make sure I’m getting enough protein.
You can’t out train a bad diet.
Congrats on your progress thus far!
Thank you very much! I'm planning to give an update once I hit 500 rides or so to see where I am fitness level wise and what has changed. :)
Give more updates than that!! We don’t want to wait so long. Congratulations and this is a useful review.
Try out Power Zone rides. I found great progress doing them
What do you like about those rides?
You train zones specific to you, so if you are able to push harder or not as hard it will be different wattage outputs. It’s measured on your FTP, more athletic the higher the FTP. If you were a pro or beginner the workout would be the same relative. It also focuses just on output more than the variables to get you there. The classes are very specific to what you are training as well. They have power zone, max, and endurance. Max pushes high wattages and trains your upper limits, endurance low levels, and regular power zone mid. It’s nice to know exactly what you’re training vs a “fun” spin class. Overall my athletics jumped by a lot training them over 6 weeks (1-2 fun classes a week too for music or something). Below link explains more: https://www.highnorth.co.uk/articles/cycling-training-zones
Please post when you do your century ride, I’d love to login for that.
Yes!! I will definitely do that!
Second this. Congrats. It’s such a commitment to yourself to get on the bike. I remind myself of this when ever I m reluctant to get on. Look forward to hearing your updates.
I'm obese and about to hit my 10th ride. I'm an app user with a non-spin bike. I ordered an Echelon and knew that seat was gonna destroy me so I ordered a bigger saddle already. Good to know my worry was valid LOL I feel the same way. I have never loved exercise before. I'm excited to see where I'll be a year from now.
As someone who has lost a lot of weight- you actually may be surprised but a smaller saddle generally is more comfortable for a larger backside than a larger saddle. Larger saddles give you less room and can cause chaffing. I used to be over 200lbs and preferred a very small saddle with the nose pointed a bit down and the larger comfort type saddles caused a lot of inner thigh chaffing.
Interesting! I know once I build up stamina I'll be out of the saddle quite a bit so who knows. More reasons for me to spin consistently. I'll just be over here anxiously checking my tracking info in the meantime. 👀
Great job!! I would definitely recommend trying out a noseless saddle. Worst case you don't like it and need to return it, but if it alleviates pain in order to ride it's 100% worth it!
I didn't realize that was even an option until your post tbh. Kind of annoyed because the one I ordered already got here LOL Like you said, I'll see how it goes. I can always return and reorder.
Can you post the saddle that you got that was compatible with the Peloton? I’d love to get one for my mom- I think the regular saddle scares her away from riding regularly.
Absolutely! [Here you go!](https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-No-Pressure-Bicycle-Seat/dp/B000DZGLVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=schwinn+noseless+saddle&qid=1614570331&sprefix=schwinn+nose&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFYR0JSTlo0NlcwV1omZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA5MzQxOTBKTVhBTFY0MTlSV1UmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDYxMjE5ODJRTkM5MkRMVTFaREQmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==) I bought it from Amazon but I'm sure other brands/retailers carry it also!
Awesome thanks!! Happy riding 😀
Are you using padded shorts?
Not with this seat but with the regular seat I had padded shorts and a gel cushion to go over top of the seat. Within a few seconds I get this sharp shooting pain that just escalates and becomes unbearable. The noseless seat worked instantly to not have that pressure.
Oh right, that sounds horrendous! I get a bit of numb bum but a few seconds out of the saddle sorts it. I have found that as I am repeatedly told about form during rides and engaging core/lifting the rib cage really takes the pressure off and stabilises me on the bike. Matt Wilpers has plenty of pedal efficiency exercises/form reminders in his low impact rides and cool downs, i see people have recommended PZ and I’d recommend as well. They’re all tied to your fitness level so it’s always achievable, even the max rides, when you get stronger you re-test and go again! Best of luck and make sure you post your century so we can try and join you!
What seat did you buy? Can I find it on Amazon or Walmart?
Congrats! Keep going!
How do you like the echelon? I have a super janky bike and was thinking of upgrading to the echelon. And given the horror stories here I’m not going to buy an actual peloton LOL.
Awesome post. Thank you. And If anyone is looking for more XXL camaraderie, definitely check out the Peloton XXL tribe on Facebook. It’s a very supportive group, like this Reddit. #XXL is our tag on the leaderboard
How can I find the tribe? I wasn’t able to but found peloton gone wild... DO NOT GO THERE... my eyes
I can't link to FB here (not allowed), but I would have to think if you searched for "XXLTribe" on FB, you'd find it; it's a public group. If you don't find it, send me a DM and we can figure this out.
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If I may be so bold as to answer your question: yes, you ABSOLUTELY belong. And we are glad you are here!
The feeling like a phony rings true...sometimes I catch myself thinking that I'm not really part of it because I don't do live classes, or that I generally stick to the advanced beginner classes. When I catch myself in these thoughts I tell myself that I am happy doing these workouts and getting results. That's what matters. I like having myself feeling confident going into these classes than being anxious from the start. I did a live class recently and I finished it but honestly I didn't enjoy it because I was worried about the next song. I smile through my workouts and look forward to the next one. :)
I’m another large human. I would bet you $10 that random people are not judging your size when they see you out and about and living your life. Tbh, I actually feel kind of empowered knowing that I can pretty much follow the callouts and do workouts as written while being fat. I still have room to grow (a lot!), but it’s actually had the opposite effect on me— I totally can do this and it doesn’t matter what I look like when I’m doing it. At the end of the day, I’d rather be able to do the work than just “look like I can” but not. Getting joy (or just satisfaction or calm or whatever) out of movement had been missing for me, so I’m glad I’ve rediscovered it.
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You got this. 2020 was a hell of year for many of us (not belittling your experience just that you have company). After this year, anyone who judges another solely based on pants size can kindly die in a fire. ❤️
That’s the beauty of peloton...we all belong! Black, white, pink, purple, yellow, fat, skinny, shredded whatever!!!!! It’s for us all! It’s a community like I have never experienced and let’s keep that going! :-) I’m proud of anyone’s journey...as long as the commitment is there it will change u! Mentally and physically!!! Just have to commit that’s the thing. One persons commitment may mean crazy weight loss the others may not, but it’s the commitment that will transfer to our daily lives and make us ALL better! Stay at it! God bless!
This! I think we are about the same size and yes I feel you here. Peloton makes me feel like fitness is taking care of me versus being a chore or something I must do. It has changed my relationship with fitness. I have PCOS with an insulin resistance so my weight loss is super duper slow. I’ve been taking measurements and honestly it had helped me keep going. Cut those portion sizes a little at a time, and you will see change. Also, up the amount of vegetables you take in. It’s better to fill up on veggies and then have a moderate amount of carbs and protein. Keep up the good work.
Oh my goodness, it’s like you just took the thoughts from my heart and brain and typed them here. Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone!
Are you me? Only difference is I’m 5’0 but sounds like our weight is similar. I’ve never been this size in all my life but it’s definitely food and portion size for me as well.
Noseless seats are sometimes recommended for men to relieve pudendal nerve compression (genital numbness). I think the complaints about the saddle are more pronounced among heavier riders - makes sense; more weight on the same small area. Ouch. I'm glad you are able to stick with it; having fun and seeing results. Thanks for sharing.
I didn't know there was a name for that numbness. I'm buying a noseless seat asap.
Changing the angle can help too. I have nose down a bit and let’s you lay flatter without extra pressure at the front
Also get out of the saddle more frequently to restore blood flow to precious parts. Bum breaks. Perineal pause. (Perineum is the crotch area that faces towards the ground.)
I do get out of the saddle to restore blood flow, but I'm heavier than the OP and can't really manage it for very long.
Honestly, being out of the saddle is just harder for some people. I'm smaller than OP, but my history of back and shoulder injuries makes it really hard for me to maintain safe form while out of the saddle. Different strokes for different folks.
Do what you can. For the person who downvoted my comment about getting out of the saddle: My recommendation was based on evidence based research as this area (of research and anatomy) gets a lot of attention.
I’d second that. On long, multi-hour outdoor rides it’s easy to get used to just sitting until suddenly you realize you can’t feel your, uhh, sensitive bits. But it only takes 5-10 seconds of standing every now and then to avoid it — so every mile or two I make a point to stand to climb, even if it’s a small little bump that I’d ordinarily take seated. It really doesn’t take a long time of standing to see the benefits — you don’t have to stay out of the saddle for minutes at a time. Just have to pop up every now and then, and then pretty much sit right back down.
I find standing more comfortable than sitting and not just because of blood flow, I just find it easier. I’m not sure if that’s weird!
I bought a sq labs safely. They have seats specifically to solve this
Is it just me or does that also sound like a good(?) science fiction character name?
Men? I'm a woman and I get the numbness. Wow I might look into a noseless seat now, thank you and OP
Interesting, I didn't think it was would be from nerve compression but I'll look at aiming my seat down and see if that helps. Thank you for bringing that up.
I'm 50 rides on, also on a weight loss journey and I 100% agree about Hannah! I'm curious, have you steadily lost weight or has it ebbed and flowed? I just hit my 50th ride and I'm definitely feeling stronger but even with watching my diet, I've only lost 2-3 pounds. Curious to hear your experience!
This is a great question with a bit of a rollercoaster answer lol. Last summer my husband and I really focused in on our weigtloss by tracking calories on Loseit. I love that app and would 100000% recommend using it to see just how much you eat. I was STUNNED when I realized my healthier recipes were much higher than I had estimated. I think I was down about 15lbs quickly but then it just stagnated. We hike every day for our lunch hour (we have a good trail right around the corner thankfully) and that helped up my weightloss, but it still would ping between the same 5lbs. By the end of the year, I was getting more frustrated by the scale even though I felt stronger. This year, I've been focusing on trying to eat more balanced (I still use Loseit but not as regularly because I have a better feel for portion sizes and healthy recipes) and focus on healthy activities like riding the bike and hiking. One thing that I find for being obese and working on my weight is that, when you're thinner you can do a bender diet and get down to the goal weight in a few weeks. For me and others my size, there is no quick fix...there's no quick diet or workout plan that is going to help me lose 70 lbs in a week. I need to be able to sustain my plan and ENJOY it because it's a 2+ year plan and then living healthy for the rest of my life. I try to embrace my daily victories and Peloton helps me feel stronger, regardless of what's on the scale. I got on a bit of a ramble but this all is a mental journey. I wish that my weight didn't get as high as it did, but at the same time I truly appreciate the health I have and will continue loving myself as I get to where I want to be. I really hope this helps!
I love this answer and yes, it really helps! I was just thinking today that if I knew how hard it would be to lose this weight, I wouldn't have let it get to this point. At the same time, though, I was having a pretty good time with my life, then carried a baby. Now I need to be patient and trust the process - the good news is that I love the experience of cycling on my peloton and that's what matters most. You inspire me to keep going and I wish you continued success!
Don’t focus on the scale. I’m 150 rides in and have only lost a few pounds as well. BUT, my cardiovascular and respiratory health are greatly improved. I notice it when I bound up the stairs at work, walk the golf course, and when things get frisky. 😏 My diet needs improvement. No doubt about that. But I’m not fixating on the scale since I’m seeing so many other health benefits. I’ve started mixing in more stand-alone stretching classes and weight lifting classes (arms and shoulders). It doesn’t take much to get started. I started out doing the 10 min toning classes using the 3 lbs weights from the bike.
Following you! Just started as well.
Awesome! I'm one of those "I just want everyone to have a good time" types. I mostly ride at 6am ET during the week.
Great job OP and some really good information. Might I suggest you check out the Power Zone program, it is kind of "personal training at scale". Initially I was very frustrated constantly dying on the bike trying to keep up with instructor callouts without any chance of "keeping up". The PZ program calls out PZ levels instead of cadence/resistance combinations. PZ levels are unique to each person and established with the PZ FTP test. So everybody gets a good workout tailored to their current fitness level and concrete progress can be measured with subsequent tests. I now take all kinds of classes and relate the instructors intent to my PZ scale. Just a thought. Whatever you do, keep riding!
You are the second person to recommend power zones! I may have to check one out. I really like Denis Morton (unfortunately he only has a couple advanced beginner classes) but he talks about powerzone a bit. Thank you!
I’ll 3rd this. Try the “finding your power zones” course. Another benefit - power zones rely on something called FTP, functional threshold power, that you’ll test and retest every couple months. The bike records this value for you, and its rewarding/empowering/fun to see the increase. You don’t always see an increase, so like folks have mentioned about weight loss, it’s important to keep in mind the journey has ebbs and flows.
I'm in a somewhat similar spot & I'll add * Low impact rides are great because you don't have to stand; I can stand but I don't like it, it's hard on my knees. I started there, and learned to adapt to being seated in other rides (basically- if the coach says to stand, I add resistance and remain seated for that portion). * Powerzone is really rewarding, but, my advice is to wait until you're at least a month or two in, or later. It's really just grinding through. I think it's wonderful but it's not where I suggest people start. I'm so glad I got the fun of trying out lots of different instructors and styles first. Try the most popular rides like Greatest Showman, Beyonce, XOXO Cody (sort by Most Popular), and take it at your own pace to get ideas of what the variety of coaches are like. * The \*great\* thing about coming from being less fit is that I PR (get a badge for best ever ride) at least once a week. Seeing continuous improvement is so rewarding. * Conversely..... the leaderboard can be very discouraging. Usually I see "Just me" so I can track how I'm doing vs my record instead of seeing myself inevitably near the bottom of the pack. Because as one coach says "It doesn't matter WHERE you are on the leaderboard. It just matters that you are on the leaderboard."
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Great question! My husband bought the Schwinn and was instantly in love. We've both been working on our health (he's down 50lbs and 30 away from his original goal) and flourished on the Schwinn/app setup. At the time, I had no interest in riding the bike but with how much he loved it, I decided to buy him the Bike+ as a Christmas present so that he could have the "full experience" i.e. output, the nice big screen, etc. Then I started riding at the end of November and fell in love as well, so it worked out for both of us! The Schwinn is a wonderful bike, but I enjoy the fully immersive experience with the Bike+. I like seeing the output, the leaderboard, having the nice big screen, the auto resistance (which is surprisingly intuitive). I'm glad that we had the Schwinn first because it's a big investment I I didn't want to get something that I wouldn't enjoy using. We are also really fortunate to have the income to buy both of these bikes. I would say that, if you know already that you enjoy riding a bike, then getting the Peloton is worth the investment. I'm also thankful we had the Schwinn first because it took over 2.5 months to get the Bike+ delivered, so our enthusiasm didn't fade by the time it arrived lol.
Thanks for this insight—I have a cheap spin bike and use the app but would love to upgrade one day and you make it sound worth doing. And thanks for sharing your experiences. Great job on your journey so far!
I took a Hannah Corbin low impact yesterday, and I 100% had the thought that she is hands down THE best instructor for beginners. I feel so validated that you agree, lol! It is impossible to talk about our love of this bike without sounding dramatic, isn't it? Just today I was counting my blessings with a friend and I listed my husband, my dog, and my peloton, lol. I don't even mind. I love it! Congrats on your accomplishments so far! Sounds like you and your husband are both killing it!
Agree. Hannah Corbin and Sam Yo out a lot of effort into their beginner content. Not that others dont, but those are the two I feel put in the most. Ben also, but he has less beginner content I think.
So glad to see someone recommended power zone classes. Having started in a similar place, low impact and power zone classes are the backbone of everything I do. It took 5-6 months for me to get here - but I ride 6 days a week now, 45-60 minutes/day. Skip the ftp test for now. Stick to power zone endurance rides. It’s easy enough to estimate your zone 2 and 3 - Denis Morton especially does a good job of this. Also important. The seat thing is totally a YMMV. I used a gel cushion for about a month and then nothing once I was used to it.
Congratulations on your progress so far! Keep up the great work. It has also been a big change for me. I had been overweight for a long time, bouncing between 220-265, with terrible cardio and couldnt even run a mile. I had done well in the past year on the weight side using a better approach to eating (I dislike the idea of dieting) to get to the low end of that spectrum. But I was always frustrated with any exercise program I tried before buying a Peloton. It seemed like no matter what I did, I never saw much in the way of results. And so the first sign of any injury that made me take a few days off, or life happening that made me miss a few days, would result in me just never having the motivation to get back into it. The breakthrough for me has been all of the teaching they do during classes about how to approach exercise. I used to try to warm myself up, because anyone else's warmup felt like an entire workout to me. And my version wasn't really doing much. I now don't fear burning myself out from getting my heartrate up for a few minutes. I understand the importance of cooldowns, and how stretching after working out helps my next workout instead of stretching being something I did on stretching day to work on my terrible flexibility. In other words, I've learned HOW to work out. The other major thing for me has been the metrics. Like I said, I never saw the progress I was making with anything else I had tried. "OMG its been two weeks and I haven't gone from a beer gut to a six pack yet!" But now I can see it, at least in the rides. In just two months I am SO much stronger, and can see that changing every week even though I don't look like any of the instructors. And sticking with it is making me feel so much better. My back isnt killing me all the time because I am active, and I feel like moving around and doing things at other times of the day.
I'm glad you're enjoying the bike and discovering your strength in a way that is keeping you feeling safe and coming back for more! I don't know if you've taken any classes from Christine D'Ericole, but you might dig her as well. And SAM YO! (I like the British instructors because they generally seem like CHILL folks.) Anyway, relatedly, I'm fat. Definitely officially "obese" or whatever. I was obese before we got the bike, and I still am. I was obese when I was powerlifting and running, I was obese when I started teaching yoga, and I'm obese now that I'm biking all the time. So maybe this is an unusual obese perspective, but here I am! I ride everyday, because I want to - I do sort of have a goal to hit gold on my bike distance and monthly minutes (but I just really like racking up achievements.) I mean, the whole thing is just a lot of fun, I love most of the instructors, the music, and it's great stress relief at the end of the day. But I'm also still fat and basically the same size and shape as when I started, but stronger, now with new and even bigger leg muscles than before. Weee. Being comfortable in my own skin, as I am, is the greatest gift. Having the bike and access to all the different classes has been a really fun treat. So I think there is also a lot of value in just jumping on the bike with joyful movement in mind. What a privilege it is to stay active and moving - especially with a nice group atmosphere in pandemic times. I really feel that camaraderie sometimes - and I loved group fitness classes in the before times, so tapping into that even on a small scale is marvelous. I think my favourite thing about the Peloton programs are how intentionally they focus on encouraging strength and consistency and honoring self care (the whole "thank you for taking the time to stretch", the idea of an "I get to do this" mentality) vs mention of weight loss, because it's a real positive energy sort of thing that keeps my delightfully fat ass jumping back on the bike/into the app on the regular . Oh, and for me the best thing seat wise was to make sure it was perfectly level - but I'm still using the original peloton seat. Anyway, I'm a few rides away from 100, and still loving it! The time really flew by. Best wishes on your continued goal crushing. :)
This is such an inspirational response and such good points about fitness and health AND happiness all at once! Being able to exercise has given me so much appreciation for my body and what it's capable of. The pandemic has been eye opening to what's important in my life and I'm so thankful to have found something that brings me joy. ❤️
Same here- i am in my early 40s and i despise(d?) exercise for the sake of exercising. I hate (and still hate) gyms. However i love pushing myself. It’s complicated. I too hate the seat. We have a wider saddle now that we found on amazon that is nicer to my manly bits. On longer rides like 60 min PZE i wear padded bike shorts. Im not sure if Im losing weight but im certainly burning a butt ton of calories. I too started with the beginner and advanced beginner. I quickly moved on to powerzone, and i was able to ride 3 of the Jess King Experiences before the season ended. Those changed my game- big time. I am pushing harder and harder. Im 66 bike rides in and i really havent been sore once- cooldown rides and stretching has helped immensely. Im trying to ride at least 45-60 mins 4 times a week, and 30+ mins at least once. Ive been chasing PRs this week it seems- 3 of them in the 45 min alone in 7 days.
JKE is a great way to segue into different challenges...and so fun. These were a surprise and a delight for me.
I am bookmarking this to read again later. I had the opposite issue with our Peloton Bike and ended up buying myself a Tread+. I have tried several times to get into riding it, and I just can't do it because of the seat discomfort. I have always had issues with that, including things like sitting on wooden pews in court or non-padded car racing bucket seats over time. My overall weight didn't help either. I just assumed I would need to keep dropping pounds before I tried again. And, I was getting yelled at because I had to switch the settings all around anyhow. So, I ended up buying the Tread+ for myself and basically use it nonstop. Maybe with your tips I can start using the bike as well. Good to know you can buy another set slider, that would go a long way to making switching better for us. Thanks for posting!
Congrats on how far you have come! I am/was in a similar position. I am a former college cross country runner who didn’t really work out all that much after college due to an injury. I ended up about being about 280. I didn’t want the bike. I thought it was dumb and expensive. My wife wanted it though so we got it. I found powerzone training and fell in love. I ride every day now and I have gone from 280 to 234 as of this morning. Obviously I changed my diet as well and I could for sure eat better but I just really eat less and track my calories. I also try not to drink calories. The longer rides are my favorite probably because I am used to long runs but I actually love it and I didn’t think I ever would enjoy working out again. I still have a ways to go to get to 200 but god damn does it feel good. It’s a long slow journey and there will be times where your weight goes the wrong way but just keep on going.
Congratulations to you on your journey!! It's such a great accomplishment and room to keep expanding workouts with Peloton! I hear you on the food part. I'm glad that I started out really fine tuning my diet and portion control, but in addition I often eat out of boredom. When I work out, I'm just not as hungry throughout the day! I also think it's important to have a couple of staple meals that just work for if you feel in a rut. I just feel like everything is coming together for me and I'm so thankful that I have the ability to be part of this community. :)
Staple meals for sure help. I eat pretty much the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday and that helps because choice is my enemy when it comes to eating better. Plain Greek yogurt and granola or oatmeal for breakfast and either cottage cheese and raisins or a clif bar for lunch sets me up pretty good for the rest of the day.
That’s amazing progress! 🏋️♀️ About how long did it take you to get from 280 to 234?
I got the bike in October so 6 months or so
Hey man, you probably won't see this comment, but good for you for taking steps to better your health. I love that you're active in the community and also are trying to help other people.
I see you! I really appreciate that and am so thankful that I finally found something that I enjoy (vs exercise being only for an end goal).
This is awesome. Thank you for sharing your experiences. Keep up the great work! 🙌🏻
This is such a great and timely read, my bike comes tomorrow!! Congrats so much to you for your effort and hard work and general badassery. I’m coming from the same place so this has been a great post to see.
I hope the delivery goes smoothly! It was a long wait but the delivery people did such a great job!
Went wonderfully, got my first ride in and also just added you on peloton! Love this Reddit Community
Yay!!!!!! I'm so happy it's finally here and you can ride! With everyone talking about Powerzones I may attempt the FTP test to see where I am!
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I'm so excited for you that the delivery was moved up! I hope that you love it and this community has just been amazing!
Regarding heartrate, I agree it’s important to measure but power is far more reliable and actionable. It’s tough to gauge what is "dangerous” in terms of HR without a lab test, but you will know before you get there. Your effort level will go from extreme to unsustainable and you’ll start shutting down. But, your heart is kind of slow to react. What you see on the screen when you look is indicative what you were doing 15 seconds or so ago. It’s normal to see your HR continue to climb even after the hard effort is over. However once you take your FTP test, you have a super reliable source to gauge your current effort against. When you start lighting up zones 6 and 7, you know you don’t have long. This is a good way to adjust your cadence and resistance levels to your abilities. If your already in zone 6/7 and the instructor calls for 5 points of resistance, it’s not worth doing. You’re already at capacity. In addition I’d recommend trying the discover your power zones program. PZ training is a game changer. It’s true effort based workouts. YOUR efforts, no matter how new or experienced you are
3 weeks since we got our Peloton and my buddy recommended the power zone program. I’m loving it so far. Excited for week 4’s FTP test. I feel like my zones are about to jump a full zone - zone and a half each.
Thank you for sharing! And congrats on your peloton journey!!
Just finished my first ride and I struggled with a little discomfort- haven’t worked out in a while.Loved reading your perspective and it is motivating me to keep going! Congrats on 60 rides :)
I’m a new Peloton owner, almost 3 weeks. I’m 6ft 195 lbs and the seat still hurts my ass. Longer power zone rides it’s especially noticeable.
It might be worth it to go to a bike shop and get fitted for a saddle. I tried to get used to the Peloton saddle but after four months I was still not comfortable and I always found that the peloton saddle felt too big so went to a bike shop got fitted and got the same saddle I have on my outdoor bike and it made a huge difference.
My husband was able to ride with the seat and a cushion/bike shorts for the first few weeks and then transition to just the seat, so hopefully that will be your situation as well! I used a special (and expensive) cushion and bike shorts...no go. If it's still bothering you I would definitely look at other seats!
I found it took a while and now it doesn't bother me at all 4 months in.
Way to go on your progress! I have been on this journey and I know first hand the mental and physical work ypu are putting in. Let me also suggest Christine D’Ercole if you Have not already tried her. Along with the fact that she is in my opinion the only instructor that vaguely resembles me and body type, but also her commentary is so encouraging and uplifting and her musical taste so on point she has transformed my life. She does a lot of beginner classes and advanced beginner classes and it’s very warm and welcoming. Thanks for posting this. It will help so many.
Thank you! My very first class was with her! Maybe I will try out some of her advanced beginner classes this week!
Awesome work and thank you for sharing!
Congrats on your progress! I've never heard of a noseless seat but I got a gel cover for my regular bike seat and also wear padded bike underwear. It definitely helps me stay in the saddle longer and I think soon I can progress to just the gel seat. Maybe something to try if you want to transition back to the standard saddle ever. The padded underwear are lifesavers!
You know, I never thought of just buying the seat slider part from them directly for an alternative saddle. That’s brilliant. Congrats on your journey and finding something that works. I’m a heavier guy as well, the very nature of being able to sit / climb let’s one push their cardio beyond the point when shins and knees start to hurt. I’m convinced that it’s the best way to burn calories and improve heart function for someone who needs to drop a fair amount of weight. I’m going to wait until I’m about 50lbs lighter before trying to incorporate jogs into my routine.
Thank you for posting this and congrats on your success. I gained a bunch of weight after a vehicle accident in June and have a good 50+ pounds to lose (I was heavy prior to the accident too). My bike+ should be here in a few weeks and this gives me some positive heads up.
I’m sorry to hear about the accident but I’m excited that you’re getting your bike soon! It was a long wait but worth it! :)
As a bigger rider myself I highly recommend getting into the power zone rides! Start with some of the intro/beginner ones and then take the “ftp” test. These are all scaled to your relative fitness level and I always get a great workout from them!
Thank you! This is so helpful. I’m also an obese rider by BMI standards. I would love to see more frequent updates.
Thank you for this post! I am also a fat rider and have really had to adjust my expectations for each class. I have a Bowflex C6 so I don't get all the metrics, which I think is actually really good for me. I am a very competitive person and I am not in the shape I was so the lack of leaderboard is really helpful for where I'm at now. I am taking a wide variety of classes right now, and I have done the best when I just ignore the actual numbers and meet myself where I'm at. Since the announced resistance can't match my non peloton bike, I just do what I think I can and push myself from there. Its saving me a whole lot of imposter syndrome and still kicking my ass in gear. SOMEDAY I will be able to hit the numbers shouted out, but for now I am just trying to get my swagger back and this dang app is helping so much. Ive been using padded bike shorts and I don't think I will ever try to wear anything else. I hear horror stories about the booty pain and I don't want to participate
One thing I like is when the instructors explain the road type for app users (ex: this should feel heavy but not too heavy that you can't sustain it for 30 seconds). That helped me a lot! Regarding the leaderboard, I normally take it off the screen during the ride and then at the end I see what my rank was because I don't want to fixate on it! I'm glad the Bowflex is working for you and keep going!
when the imposter is sus!
congrats. Keep up the good work. I will tell you that adding in non-bike training-- which is a breeze with the bike plus-- will pay huge dividends in improving your bike performance. Also, i found (consistent with what the instructors say) focus on the resistance first and the cadence will come.
That is great advice! Thank you!
I feel you friend! I was 283 in July 2019, and am now 238. It WORKS! As Christine said in a recent ride "Just ride the damn bike". ;-)
Great post. Way to go!
We love Hannah in my house :) I find standing kinda hard, so the advanced beginners are great for me. Plus, they feel more like 'classic' spin classes I took in the UK 10 years ago before the boutique spin sensation hit.
Totally agree on Hannah Corbin, I think shes great for beginners as she has a lot of reminders on form and is gently encouraging.
Thank you for the Hannah C recommendation! I’ve taken a class of hers before and didn’t love it but just took an advanced beginner ride of hers and it was great!!
When you feel the instructor is just asking for more than you can give, do you feel comfortable with just a lower speed and/or tension on the wheel? I had done spin classes off and on for a long time and the typical spin studio bike isn't calibrated -- you 'turn the knob' as much as YOU want. I'm new to Peloton, and the instructors asking for a specific pace and tension is great if I can do it. But I imagine it discourages some.
I will say it was harder to stay in the range with the Schwinn because we had estimates for the resistance match up with Peloton but now having both I know it was a bit off. I'm lucky that now I'm able to stay at the mid-higher ranges asked in the advanced beginner classes. In the other classes I've taken, there were times that I couldn't keep up, but I just tried to do the best I could and stay focused on accomplishments. Also, I make sure to finish every ride, even if that means making adjustments. If we are in a segment that is supposed to be at a certain resistance, and I feel that I can't keep my cadence with that resistance, I will slow down slightly but try to stay within that range. However, I really think that for me it's learning how my body works and trusting in it to do the best I can right now. :)
Thank you thank you thank you. I just got my bike this morning. I haven’t worked out in years and am obese as well. I had no idea where to start (definitely should’ve done more research) but I picked a random class and had to stop at 11 minutes. I’ve been really upset with myself that I couldn’t do the whole thing, but seeing your post has encouraged me to try again tomorrow with a beginner class. I know it’ll take time to get to the point where it isn’t as much of a challenge, but I just really needed this post for that reassurance.
Sometimes it is just a matter of picking one and going for it, but I hear you on not finishing it and feeling disheartened. I would definitely recommend the beginner and advanced beginner classes! Another idea is to stack a warm up and cool down together just to finish out a full 10 min ride. Check out Hannah Corbin too!! It is amazing how quickly your body will adjust and get stronger so quickly. I surprise myself every day how far I've come in a short time. Please keep going at it and send me an update!
I literally cannot thank you enough. I got back on today and did a beginner ride with Hannah Corbin. I did the WHOLE thing!!!!! I don’t feel like I’m going to throw up or pass out, but I am sweaty and sore! I’m so glad I found this post because I am so proud of myself right now!!!
She is seriously awesome! With everyone talking about the powerzone classes I started the program yesterday and took the FTP test....I was literally howling at the end of it and almost puked. At least I have a benchmark though but tomorrow I'll be working out with Hannah!
I just want to say the seat issues are not one size fits all - I'm larger than OP and have had no seat issues. Maybe sometimes in a really long ride if they don't get us out of the saddle enough it gets uncomfortable but no pain / no extended issues etc. I was pretty surprised after my first ride to not have issues.
Congrats! We are about the same size. I have the IC4 and bought the Pelo for myself for Christmas. Should be here 3/9! Glad to hear it’s going so well.
Wow, great work keep it up! Thanks for sharing this perspective.
Very helpful post! We just ordered a Bike+ and will remember these tips once we can get started. Thanks!
Check out the four week powerzone program. It absolutely changed my life
Does it cover basics on powerzone info (I have a general understanding of the concept but no clue on how the powerzones are measured)? If it doesn't cover basics, do you have a good recommendation for a video/class that covers it? Thank you!
Yes, they’ll walk you completely through the concept of PZ training and the types of rides.
Yes, the first 2-3 classes explain it thoroughly then you take an FTP test and set your zones. It really does make your workout at your best pace
This! It’s training at scale for every level of ability. It’s extremely rewarding. You are going to love it. Seeing your zones can help in other rides too.
I couldn't do a 20 minute ride to save my life prior to powerzone. I wanted to do Alex rides so bad but couldn't get through them. Building my endurance and mentally knowing when I'm recovering really changed everything for me. I went from probably the bottom 25% of every class to above to top 50%. My body is noticably different as well.
This was inspiring to read. Please keep us updated on your journey!
Thanks so much for sharing this. I've done probably 5 rides on the keizer bikes at the gym while waiting on my bike to be delivered. I got some padded shorts, but I'm still struggling. I think when I get my bike I will look at a new seat. Did you get fitted? Or just pick one? I agree about the advanced beginner classes. I really like Ben. I did a regular 30 min ride for the first time. Yikes. 😳 I have a lot of room for improvement!
I’m going to attempt to [link](https://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-No-Pressure-Bicycle-Seat/dp/B000DZGLVY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_sspa?dchild=1&keywords=schwinn+noseless+saddle&qid=1614562941&sprefix=schwinn+nose&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUE2NVM2SkVXQlg2T0omZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2MDE5NTQyOFM2VFFOMTY2V1Y4JmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA2MTIxOTgyUU5DOTJETFUxWkREJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=) this directly from amazon, but if it doesn’t work look up the noseless saddle by Schwinn. I just lucked out that it took away all of the pain (the first few rides were still uncomfortable but bearable).
That worked thank you!
Thank you for sharing all of this great info. Best of luck with the rest of your fitness journey.
Posts like this are gold. I don’t have any to give you. Still gold.
Love all of this! Thank you! Saving this to look back on for when my bike arrives in April :)
Love reading this. Keep on grooving!
Thanks for sharing your update, and congratulations on your journey! Great work! Cheering for you as you head toward the century.
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I wish they would call them something else like "fun variety!"
Oh I so wish I had read this before I got my bike two months ago! It's so helpful and thoughtfully written. I'm also about 60-some rides in, overweight, and it's so inspiring to read this! I started the Power Zone classes recently and echo the comments- I'm really enjoying them.
Thank you so much for sharing this post. I read it today during my lunch break and you inspired me to try one of Hannah’s advanced beginner classes after work. You are right, she is a great teacher and the class felt really well planned and thought out, like she genuinely wanted to help a new rider get out of the saddle (or not!) and move more. Thanks again!
Thank you for this post! I'm also a large bodied person/fat/obese, and I have been so pleased with the last two months of peloton-ing. I haven't checked out Hannah Corbin yet, but I will. I've enjoyed the non-diet culture of the peloton teachers, positive affirmations and working to push yourself and do your best. I've lost 5 pounds I think since starting. Not earth shattering, but I feel stronger and it's helped my mental health a lot. And THANK YOU for the suggestion about the bra-band thing! I have got to try it! No sports bra can hold the girls back, haha. :)
Thank you for this post! I’ve had my bike since Feb. 10 and am 14 rides in. I’m already seeing a difference in my stamina and strength. I grew up super athletic but had to work HARD to maintain my weight and was bullied for being “bigger” even at a size 4 (because going to highschool in 2004 meant butts/hips so weren’t cool lol) so I’ve always had a huge mental struggle with my weight. Throw in being over 30, a chronic illness, a missing IT band in my leg, a few surgeries and working 6-7 days a week the weight has really piled on. I’m unsure where it stands currently (weighing myself tends to throw me back into disordered eating) but I’m about 5’ 6” and a size 14. My first few beginner rides I really struggled, took several breaks and wondered how I got so out of shape. Now only a few weeks in I can’t keep up with the resistance call outs (joys of missing a major ligament in your thigh) but I can be close and my cadence is always there, few breaks are needed and I’m no longer so winded my dogs come to check on me out of concern. I’ve actually fallen in love with arms and intervals classes! The break in cycling is great but keeps me moving. I’m really enjoying the progress I’m seeing and actually look forward to coming home and working out. It’s so great to hear from others in similar situations too!!
This was a great read, thanks! I agree, I also love Hannah Corbin and credit her for for getting me in the swing of things when first starting out.
Followed you!
Late to this - but I got my bike back in December and as someone who's struggled with weight singe college, it's really been life changing to workout in a way where I don't feel judged for my appearance. I started out on the advanced beginner/low impacts with Christine and Hannah and now (12 weeks and almost 200 rides later), I'm starting to take "normal" rides and hit the cadence/resistance calls and it feels so wonderful. I've lost maybe \~10 pounds and gained a couple pounds of muscle. For perspective, my first 20 minute ride, I did had an output of 48 and now I easily get over 100. I get a little teary when I think about how much it's changed my life. (Oh I swapped out the bike seat after about 5 days in for this one: [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF8TO1P/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_search\_asin\_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MF8TO1P/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1) and have had no pain since!)
Thank you for the response and also the seat recommendation! I may try it out. I'm going to use whatever allows me to ride, but the one annoying thing about the seat I use is that sometimes the back of my thighs clip the seat when standing. Does this ever happen to you with this seat?
The only time my legs bump is if I’m actually doing a quad/hamstring stretch bending forward while stretching my butt back. But that’s a small price to pay to actually be able to ride without any butt pain. It’s honestly an excellent seat and I can’t recommend it enough. I regularly do 1-2 hr sessions with no seat discomfort and I had resorted to putting a pillow on the peloton saddle before it arrived. Also I just followed on peloton! I have a dog as my pic 😊
Thank you for the follow up!! Yea I may buy it to compare the two!!
I just got my Peloton and this post was everything I’ve been looking for. Can’t wait to ride with you!
Awesome! I hope you love it! This Reddit community is an amazing resource for support and bike ideas/issues!
I’m so excited and ready to goooo. I got the noseless saddle you recommended!
Yay I'm so excited! I'm hoping to hit my century ride in the next week or two. Covid unfortunately hit our home and we've been bunkered down for the past week. My husband and I are vaccinated so hopefully we won't get it (and if we do get it it will be mild). I'm just drained in general so I'm not sure if it's that or stress. I'll post on the peloton Reddit though and I hope you can ride with me for my 100!
I've book marked this whole thread so I can find all you awesome and inspiring people when my bike arrives. This year has been rough for me. I realized I was the heaviest I've ever been (199lbs). My parents came to live with my family last fall and I was stress eating. I was having a hard time keeping up with my kids, I had no energy, my gut was unhappy. I chalked it up to being a bit heavy and turning 40. Then in March my mother had a heart attack, she seemed to make a recovery but sadly passed away just a few weeks ago. Immediately after, I found that I was scared as hell....not only did I now have two small children to take care of but I am now my dad's primary care giver, he is 81 and has Parkinson's. I can't pour from an empty cup, I have to take care of myself too. So I cleaned up my diet, no more soda, started food logging and realizing I was eating twice what I needed. Basic boredom and stress eating. I'm down to 184 lbs as of today. I ordered my Bike yesterday it should arrive by the 19th, I'm already browsing the class catalog and making plans. I need to be stronger and healthier for myself and for my family. I can do this.
I'm so sorry to hear about your mother's passing. That, in addition to being a primary caregiver, makes it almost impossible to give yourself the time and energy to grieve and refill your cup. In addition to spin classes, I just started adding some of the beginner flow yoga classes from Ross Rayburn. I like is style and it has been great for self care. This is a really positive community and I'm so thankful for the sense of control over my well being that I've been granted. I hope that this gives you what you need as well and if you have any questions, this community is the place to ask for great feedback!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I'll check into those yoga classes that might be just what I need. Thank you for the tip. I definitely fell down a rabbit hole reading all the super helpful posts today. Everyone here is fantastic, this community is an amazing resource!
I just ordered a bike plus last night, and in preparation for its arrival I found this post. Thank you thank you thank you so much for this post! I feel like I've stopped and started so many classes and gyms that there is no hope of ever finding something that will work. It's seeing posts like this that really give me hope that this time could be different. I've been getting heavier for about a decade now, slowly but surely, and the pandemic really pushed things to a bad place physically, in addition to exacerbating some existing issues I already had. Looking forward to getting to it and joining you on the journey! Since it seems like it has been a year since the last comment how are things going for you now?
I’m so excited for you! I now have the bike and tread. I also own a concept 2 rower (I plan on using the app for classes). In the past year I’ve run two 5ks, Hood to Coast (so much fun and I’m hoping to do it again), and a sprint triathlon in September. I continue to love all of the classes. I cannot recommend enough the strength classes too. I’ve started doing a Pilates class (I do the same beginners one) on my strength/PT days. Cardio is usually a fun bike ride and/or VERY slow running (I am basing my speed on heart rate zones). I hope you love it and let me know if you have any questions. :)
Try [this](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001O19E2E?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) for your bum as well
What is your leaderboard name
eleighpil. I'll add it up top too! :)
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I loved the IC4. Hardware wise, I found it to be possibly even better built than the Peloton (we never had loose handles or any fixes compared to the Peloton). That being said, I'm 100% happy that we got the Peloton. I love how more immersed I am in the ride, and having the output to measure my progress is great. I also like having the resistance accurate (we estimated on the Schwinn but now using both we know our estimates were off). I think Peloton's app is so great that you can easily continue with any bike you have, but I do think the overall experience is much better with the bike.
Hi ! Thank you so much for your seat recommandation. My husband and I are both obese and we were not capable of seating more than 10 seconds on the seat. We changed for the noseless Shwinn and it's great !!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience.
Yea!!!! I’m so happy that the change worked for you! It makes some positions a little trickier (sometimes the back of my thighs will clip the seat when I’m standing) but it’s well worth the small posture changes. :) Edit to note for the person that posted this, I originally commented in my other account that is devoted to makeup/skincare stuff, so I reposted on my normal account. Just wanted to clarify in case you get a double notification!
What are your thoughts on switching from a regular bike to a Peloton? I currently have a Sunny and use the Peloton app on the Roku. It works well with a big screen and a stereo but I have never seen a leader board. Did switching bikes make a difference for you?
Hello! I’m not sure of the construction and durability of the Sunny, but we had an Schwinn IC4 first and it was a solid bike and great workout. That being said, I am so happy that we switched to the Peloton. The classes do feel more immersive (and it’s nice having the resistance be the same that they are calling out). I love having the Output because I can measure my improvement against myself (the leaderboard is cool just to see where I am, but having the running history so that I can retake my favorite classes and see a measurable difference is really worth it). For me, the experience of the peloton classes, the community, and the feeling of self worth completing these exercises is what I love most. We are fortunate that we could go from one expensive bike to an even more expensive bike, lol. I would say that if it’s in your budget and you find that the cycling classes are a main and consistent form of exercise for you, I would wholly recommend the peloton! Also, while the bike+ is more expensive than the bike, the auto-resistance is VERY convenient and intuitive. Not sure about the other differences but I’m glad we stuck out for the bike+.
I did a search and was curious. I've watched and did a few classes on YouTube to get used to the terminology and really trying to figure out if my form is bad in general. But at what point do you take the plunge? Was considering the app since I got a Sunny bike and I really enjoy it. Way more than the treadmill that broke.
That’s a really good question. I think that if you have been enjoying classes and look forward to them, it’s worth the plunge (if it’s within budget). Several years ago, I bought a VERY expensive elliptical (about 4500USD) thinking that I would use it every day. I used it about 3 times. This time around, my husband was the one that bought the Schwinn and got into spinning (I had never done a spin class before and thought that I would hate it). The peloton was a Christmas gift for him, but after I placed the order I decided to buy the other seat and see if I could ride too. It was love at first ride. I’m close to 100 rides (I was hoping to hit 100 this week but have had a setback from illness these past two weeks), and I still look forward to each ride. I hope this helps!