I lost 80 pounds and became a fitness instructor — thanks to one piece of exercise equipment
She’s on a roll.
A New Jersey woman is revealing how she shed 80 pounds and achieved her dream of becoming an indoor cycling instructor. Amanda Hinds, 31, loved the sport but ended up taking an extended break during the COVID-19 pandemic because her gym closed and she lost motivation.
“A little after COVID, I went on vacation, and I couldn’t even walk. My feet hurt just from walking and standing. My athleticism was really bad,” she told Today.com last week. “I went to the doctor, and I saw that I had gained 100 pounds in a year. I couldn’t believe it. I was so frustrated and disgusted with myself.”
She got back in the saddle in June 2021, documenting her weight loss and confidence building progress on TikTok to her 29,300 followers.
She started on her Peloton at 300 pounds and had dropped to 245 by August 2022. “I love cycling! Find something you love and stick with it,” she captioned one TikTok.
According to Harvard University, a 125-pound person can burn 315 calories riding a stationary bicycle vigorously for 30 minutes. That translates to 278 calories for a 155-pound person and 441 calories for a 185-pound person.
Those calorie counts drop between 200 and 300 if the cycling is done at a moderate pace over the half hour.
Hinds took baby steps, focusing on getting through one song at a time until she had enough courage to audition to become a CycleBar instructor. She announced in June 2023 that she had reached her goal.
Now she’s proud to represent “plus-sized women of color” as an instructor.
“I used to think riding here, people that don’t look like me, I maybe won’t fit in, I maybe can’t do the class well… so seeing people see that I am on the podium, so now they feel inspired that they can come to take a class and they feel motivated, less afraid,” Hinds told News 12 New Jersey in February.
The Belleville resident teaches in Jersey City and Montclair, per News 12.
She’s also taken up running, even signing up for a half marathon after being able to run 4 miles at a time.
“If you told me last year I was going to be jogging for an hour, I would not believe you. I’m definitely proud of myself when it comes to my fitness level,” she told Today.com.
Indoor cycling isn’t the only way to drop pounds — others have recently credited a weighted sled and a jump rope for their significant weight loss.
