Easter Sunday, Weight Loss and Shoe Testing

It's Easter Sunday and a very sunny and beautiful day in south eastern Massachusetts. I am starting the day out with some banana and chocolate chip pancakes that my wife just made, so I can have plenty of energy on today's ride. As delicious as these are, I am trying to be very mindful of what I eat, because I am still trying to drop considerable weight prior to the Etape du Tour.
I started this endeavour at 220 lbs on October 6th just after I returned from a long anniversary trip to Napa Valley and San Francisco. Yesterday I weighed in at 190 lbs and still think I have a long way to go. Everything I have read about cycling in the high mountains all gets back to the same basic principal.......power to weight ratio! That means to be as light as I possible can be without losing any of the power or muscle in my legs. Obviously the lighter you are, the less weight you need to propel up the mountain.
As an avid fan of the Biggest Loser I thought I would utilize the Body Bugg tool that the contestants wear in order to monitor my calorie burn. This device sits on your arm, underneath your clothes and can tell how many calories you are burning. The goal was to burn 1000 more calories each day than I consumed. For the first 3 months it was easy, my body was burning calories like crazy, just by fitting in 1 workout a day, then came 198. When I hit 198 pounds the weight loss just stopped, and I couldn't jump start it for anything. I stayed at 198 for a couple of months until.......the shoe test.
For the last year I have been testing running shoes for Nike, it is something simple that anyone can do just by applying online. They send you a pair of shoes, you log your miles online and send them back 6 to 8 weeks later. A few weeks ago Nike sent me a pair of shoes, I was little nervous thinking that I wouldn't have time to run in them with all of the bike riding I was doing. So each morning I would get up and run 4 miles, log in my training, and save the bike ride for after work. Low and behold, the extra aerobic workout has boosted my metabolism to the point of dropping 8 pounds in a couple of weeks. I will continue this process until I hit my next plateau. My goal is to get to 175 lbs by the time I ride the Etape.

Kyle