Two Wheels on the Road to Health

I think my journey to health started five years ago when I stopped smoking.

I managed to give up cigarettes the first time I tried! But it was not easy. It all started when my dentist told me that my gums had become blackened because I was smoking a lot—a pack a day. That scared me and, with little hope of success, I decided to try quitting, and I succeeded. And I did it without pills because when I found out how much they would cost, I thought it would be a waste to spend all that money when I was probably going to fail. Those were the worst weeks of my life. The craving for tobacco was so bad that by eight at night my mind could no longer fight the urge and I had to crawl, broken, into bed and go to sleep. That was the only remedy and the only way I could forget about smoking. I don’t think I’ve ever gone to bed so early or experienced so much anxiety.

So I stopped smoking, but I got hooked on sweets and piled on the kilos. My knees started hurting more and more, especially when I had to go up or down stairs. I developed constant back pain and, to make matters worse, I was immediately out of breath if I had to run for a bus or walk up a slight hill. Since I had succeeded in responding to the great personal challenge of quitting smoking, I decided to go on a diet. I tried all the well-known diets: low-calorie, ketogenic, the tomato soup diet… but none of them worked for me. I was consumed by anxiety. I was obsessed by thoughts of smoking.

Finally, in January 2020, not long before the first COVID lockdown, I decided to make a change in my life. I wanted to take better care of myself. I decided to choose a bike for my present on the day of the Reyes Magos

Finally, in January 2020, not long before the first COVID lockdown, I decided to make a change in my life. I wanted to take better care of myself. Encouraged by my colleagues in the Urban Planning, Environment and Health initiative, who were always talking about the health benefits of cycling, I decided to choose a bike for my present on the day of the “Reyes Magos” (the Three Wise Men). I got the cheapest one I could find, because it had been over twenty years since I had ridden a bike and I had serious doubts about how long my New Year’s resolution was going to last.

The first day I went out on the bike I almost killed myself. The engineers in my house had not screwed on the handlebars properly with the result that the bike was going in one direction and the wheels in another. I fell and got bruises; but I didn’t give up. I started to cycle every weekend from Sant Feliu de Llobregat to Molins de Rei (Barcelona), stopping at every traffic light because I tired quickly. With time, the ride got easier and I started to enjoy it more and more. As I cycled along, I listened to music if I was on my own or chatted with my children when any of them joined me on the ride.

I started to cycle every weekend from Sant Feliu de Llobregat to Molins de Rei, stopping at every traffic light because I because I tired quickly. With time, the ride got easier and I started to enjoy it more and more

Cycling also motivated me to pay more attention to what I ate and I started a new diet. I needed the help of some professionals recommended by a colleague at work. A priori, it was almost impossible for me to lose so many kilos without help. By designing a set of menus, the health professionals taught me to eat more healthily while reducing my calorie intake. At the same time they emphasised the need to avoid snacks between meals. They also taught me not to feel guilty if on some occasion I ate something that was not on the menu. They encouraged me by saying “Don’t worry about it, the next day you just go back on your diet and that’s it!” I went from needing to stick closely to the printed menus to internalising the guidelines and being able to vary the menus myself in an orderly way. Today, the healthy diet has become an integral part of my life.

Today, I am very proud to say that I have lost more than 20 kilos in less than two years. That would not have been possible without the perfect combination of a healthy diet and the physical fitness I was able to attain with my bicycle

The results started to show quickly, and every week I felt better and better. Physically, I went from feeling clumsy and heavy to being able to walk long distances and even run without immediately becoming breathless. On an emotional level, the change has been spectacular. Being healthier has helped me to deal with complicated situations in my life that are difficult to manage. I could have chosen any sport, but I chose cycling because, apart from helping me to build muscle after I lost weight, cycling also improves coordination, which is very important. Besides, the bicycle allows me to go places without polluting the environment and I love the rhythm of cycling, which I can choose depending on how I feel on the day. Cycling also affords me a view of the world around me. My favourite route runs from Sant Feliu de Llobregat to Sant Vicenç dels Horts along the banks of the Llobregat river.

Today, I am very proud to say that I have lost more than 20 kilos in less than two years. That would not have been possible without the perfect combination of a healthy diet and the physical fitness I was able to attain with my bicycle.

So, I plan to continue enjoying my bike as long as my body is up for it!