I am a 54 year old long haul, female rider who gained a ton of weight while being on the road for 92 days in 2013 and although I had lost some of that weight, I found I put it right back on during my 50 day trip in 2014.
If I want to stay in the saddle into my 80's and beyond, I need to find a way to deal with my weight while on the road. I want to maintain a healthy weight for my frame. That is not 180 or 160 pounds.
I wear a size four and half ring, I am extremely fine boned, and 5' 8" so my ideal weight is 135 pounds. I have 18 pounds left to remove to get to my ideal weight once again.
Although it is not yet motorcycle season where I live in Grande Prairie, Alberta, I was on a road trip to the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Motorcycle Shows for the last three weeks. And yes, I was in a CAR!
When I left for this trip, I wanted to ensure that I stayed in the good habits I have gotten back into over the previous 2 months, the ones that have seen me go from size 14 riding jeans to size 10 in 60 days.
Attending the motorcycle shows creates a set of circumstances not unlike riding, where in falling into bad habits becomes very easy.
You get up early in the morning as the shows start at 10 AM, usually you are up to as much as a half hour or more away from the venue, then there is the whole getting there early enough to find parking thing!
The evenings can be even more difficult because you are so tired from being on concrete all day that any thought of working out is fleeting to say the least.
During riding season I get up early to deal with cameras and writing and then spend all day in the saddle and all evening spending time with fellow riders, eating late and not getting to bed until very late. And man do you pack on the weight from this kind of routine.
I would need some self discipline if I was going to stay in this healthier routine! I would need to keep my eye on the prize so to speak. I want to be a size 5/6 again, I want to feel good and be energized.
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| Greer Childers Gym Bar |
I start my mornings off with my usual coffee and a fruit smoothie that my sister in-law got me hooked on. Afterwards, using the Miracle Ball and various isometric stretching exercises, I stretch my body and warm it up, then I put in a fast and hard 15 minutes with the gym bar and then followed that up with a few more stretches to cool down. The results for me have been utterly amazing.
I dropped another 2 jean sizes while on the road and am now wearing size 8's! In 90 days I have lost 6 jean sizes.
I have more energy, my skin and hair are healthier than they have been in a long time.
And my eyesight is improving!
You read that right, my eye sight is improving.
I stopped in to Hope Optical where Dr. Balisky tested my eyes.
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| Miracle Ball |
My right eye, my weak eye, has improved so much that my prescription was cut in half and I can now see the TV in our house, menu and all, clearly without having to use my glasses which are for distance. Cindy Koszegi, optician and owner of Hope Optical was only too happy to make the new lower prescription for me!
I have been thrilled with the results and have had many people ask me for the recipe for this smoothie that I have been taking every day. I have changed nothing else about my diet in order to obtain the weight loss. The exercising I have been doing is about toning up as I loose the weight.
Here is the smoothie recipe I am using:
In my Magic Bullet - which I intend to take with me on the road this summer, I put:
1 Banana
1/2 cup blue berries
4 strawberries give or take depending on their size (to change things up I will also use raspberries or blackberries) 2 Tablespoons of Greek Yogurt - I prefer the Greek Gods Honey Yogurt2 Tablespoons of Flax Oil
1 Tablespoon of Hemp Oil
1 measure of liquid Calcium with Vitamin D
1 Tablespoon of Liquid Magnesium (To aide the body in absorbing the calcium)
1 measure of liquid Glucosamine with Chondroitin
2 Small slivers of Ginger
1 Scoop of Webber's Super Greens
1/4 cup or so of Acai Juice
I mix it well, usually for 1-2 minutes and enjoy the heck out of it. This recipe is for one serving.
This is the recipe the way I like it, it's not for everyone, and even if you are lactose intolerant like I am, there is such a small amount of yogurt in this smoothie, that I am fine with it, but again, it's not for everyone.
You can substitute milk, water or other juices that you like to suit your taste.
If you find you are having a bad stomach day, you can substitute pineapple for the strawberries, the bromelian in the pineapple does a good job of settling things down.
The costs of purchasing the ingredients for the smoothie can vary drastically.
As a small business person, I try supporting the small businesses where I can, BUT, the cost of the Webber All Greens for a 300 gram tub is $69.95 at most drug and health food stores.
The exact same brand but 450 grams in size is $24.95 at Costco. That's pretty hard to turn down!
The Liquid Glucosamine and the Liquid Calcium are also considerably cheaper at Costco than the health food stores, and aren't as readily available in drug stores.
The Flax and Hemp oil are about the same price in all stores.
The Acai Juice I have only been able to find at Costco.
The Greek Gods Yogurt is $9.95 for two big tubs at Costco compared to $5.19 on average for a small tub at SaveOn and their affiliated stores.
The fruit and ginger is comparable in price at most grocery stores.
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| Saddlebag Cooler from Harley-Davidson |
I know that I will have to give up some clothes in order to pack some of the supplies I will have to carry but I am fine with that, I'd rather feel good, healthy and energetic and have to do laundry more frequently!
I know there will be challenges and that I will have to exercise a degree of discipline to stay on track, but I believe it can be done! I turn 55 this year and I intend to be riding well into my advanced years, so learning how to manage my weight while on long road trips will be vital to my goals and dreams.
I hope that this article helps those who ride long haul and are of a certain age to discover ways to stay healthy while on the road.
If you have tips or hints for staying healthy while riding for 30, 60 and 90 days at a time, I would love to hear them and share them with others. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa but sharing those tips and ideas will hopefully help others find ways to stay in the saddle for many years to come!
Have a great day and if you are fortunate enough to live in a region where you are riding, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
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