Age 43
Hometown Culver City, California
Weight lost riding 100 pounds
The truth was easy to overlook. Nina Mosby had a busy life: a pregnancy and then the joys and trials of new motherhood—when, she says, she ate like she was still eating for two—and the end of her marriage. She worked long but sedentary hours. (Related: A Workout for Every Time Crunch) Eating on the fly, she grabbed Quarter Pounders and Astro Burgers. But the bubbly Mosby didn’t dwell on her size. “After a while,” she says, “you stop taking pictures and don’t acknowledge the weight gain.”
(Learn how to Build a Better Diet for weight loss)
Nine years ago, Mosby couldn’t work or giggle away the truth anymore, and the truth was that she weighed 265 pounds. She looked in a mirror and asked, “Where did I go?” After a few faltering attempts at weight loss, she went on a ride in 2006 with her son, sister, and nephew on the California boardwalks. She pedalled a Diamondback mountain bike she’d excavated from her garage. The kids pushed her to go to Venice Beach and then Santa Monica—18 miles (28.9 km) in all—and something clicked. “I realized, I like this,” she says. “It reminds me of being a kid again.” (Search: Best Cycling Destinations in Canada)
She brought the bike for a tune-up, and saw a flyer for the California Coast Classic, an eight-day, 525-mile (844.9 km) ride. “Like the brochure said, I wanted to take the ride of a lifetime,” she says. Mosby vowed to train for the 2008 edition. She also promised herself that if she made it to 200 pounds, she’d buy a new road bike.
Turn your bike into a powerful weight loss tool and Ride Your Way Lean!
She struggled at first. “The Ballona Creek Path is 20 miles (32.2 km) round-trip,” Mosby says. “I did it twice a week. Any hill or distance put before me was a challenge, so it took me an hour one way.” But people cheered her on: “I would get a lot of, ‘You got this! You’re doing great!’”
That helped her persevere, and she gradually got stronger and lighter. Soon Mosby bought her new bike, a KHS Flite 900, and gained enough fitness to take part in the coastal ride. Her weight has fluctuated a bit: She dipped to 148, rose back to the 170s after dealing with a medical issue, and expects she’ll settle at 165. In 2011 Mosby started She Cycles 2, a no-drop cycling group for beginner women. “I don’t claim to be a licensed coach,” she says, “but I want to share my knowledge with others.”
Video: Mountain Biking 101
Her life is as full as ever, but now she likes what she sees when she stops in front of a mirror. Where did she go? The answer these days is often simple enough: on a bike ride.
If you’re inspired to try cycling for weight loss, follow our Guide to Having Your Best Year Ever!
What she’s Learned
Ensure your comfort. “I tell everyone in my club to get a bike fit. Don’t just buy a bike for the colour!”
“I always plan a treat for myself—but not food. Something that will help me with a goal, like getting a new bike when I hit 200.”
Use a food diary to keep yourself honest. “I’ll see that I ate a bag of chips earlier and think, Oh, I can’t eat another bag of chips.” (Learn how to choose the right foods—avoid these Top Food Label Lies.)
As a beginner rider, it’s important to feel like you belong. Mosby’s club sells jerseys in size XXXL because “you have to look the part to be the part.”
