This Mom Found Fitness and Friendship Riding Her Peloton
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below."
Name: Suzanne Huegle
Age: 42
Hometown: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
Occupation: Custom Home Builder
Time Cycling: 7 months
Reason for Cycling: To become the strongest, healthiest version of myself, and for my daughter!
From a young age my weight was something I was always aware of. I typically ate healthy food and was always involved in competitive sports—ice hockey was my number one! I still always struggled with feeling “chubby” or comparing myself to others and women in fashion magazines.
That led me to try every fad diet and training program you can imagine, which caused my weight to constantly fluctuate. Between the stresses of running my own businesses, breakups, friends that never seemed to gain a pound, and unrealistic expectations I saw in the media, I started making unhealthy choices with my nutrition and fitness. It was the “all or nothing” mentality which led to yo-yo dieting.
My life changed in July 2019 on my 40th birthday when I decided to begin my journey to become a single mom by choice. It was blood, sweat, tears, and very costly. But after two years, two full rounds of IVF, two surgeries, and two double embryo transfers, I got pregnant with my daughter. I was three months pregnant when COVID hit the world, and I found out I had a high-risk pregnancy.
I was diagnosed with placenta previa, which occurs when the placenta completely or partially covers the opening of the uterus, so I was not able to exercise or over exert myself until after delivery. I ended up needing to have a cesarean section delivery, and I was 289 pounds the day I delivered my daughter, Blakely.
Once we got home from the hospital and our new life together began, I started to heal. When I was ready and able, I started walking a few blocks at a time and worked my way up to two to three hours a day walking. We did as many day nap walks as possible as I pushed her in the stroller. We walked and walked, and it definitely helped get rid of some weight, but I ended up hitting a wall with my weight.
Although I was the happiest I had ever been in my life and enjoying motherhood, deep down, I was not happy with myself physically, and I had lost a lot of my strength. I couldn’t do simple things like get up off the ground easily or by myself. I would get out of breath walking up stairs. I knew I had to do something for myself and Blakely to be the healthiest, happiest mother and role model I could be for her.
I started to see posts on social media of friends that had a Peloton bike. They looked like they had a lot of fun. I loved the happy, positive energy, so I reached out and got some information and did some research. I loved the fact that I could use the bike at home so I could work around the baby’s sleep and nap schedule and not have to miss out on any time with her during the day with traveling back and forth to the gym. I also wouldn’t have to worry about childcare.
So on December 1, 2021, I got my Peloton and began my fitness journey. I was 42 and weighed 220 pounds, and was ready to change my life.
I started with one 20- or 30-minute class a day. It was so much fun and I quickly connected with so many amazing people that were so helpful and supportive. The best part was I actually started to really love how I felt mentally and physically. I was clear headed, happy, in control, and getting stronger. It took a few months, but I started to really see results in output and how my clothing was fitting.
I use the Power Zone Pack app to track rides and get detailed graphs of my rides, and I joined and completed an eight-week power zone challenge on it that really helped build strength and endurance. I also completed a Pelofondo (a long-distance event for Peloton riders) and rode 100 kilometers in one day as a challenge for myself.
I have continued to incorporate power zone rides in my current cycling schedule, three times a week minimum. I now ride seven days a week. Monday through Friday I ride twice a day at 6 a.m. while the baby is still sleeping, and again at 6:30 p.m. when she is in bed for the night. Saturday, I do one long ride 60 to 90 minutes for endurance, and Sunday is my active recovery day. At 6 a.m., I do a 45-minute light and easy ride.
I also adjusted my diet along the way. At the beginning of my weight loss journey, I decided to cut out all sugar and a lot of carbs. I quickly learned that for my body type, I need carbs, healthy fats, lots of protein, and healthy sugars from fruit to maintain energy levels to train hard and recover.
Now I eat to fuel the machine. I have half a banana and some oatmeal before a ride, and I take electrolytes while riding. I eat a lot of lean protein, including eggs, fish, lean beef, lean pork, steak, chicken, and I eat as many green veggies as I can. For fruit I always have bananas, berries, apples, oranges, and cantaloupe. And for carbs I like sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa. My healthy fats are coconut oil, MTC oil, avocado, ghee, real whipping cream, and nut butters. Mom life gets busy, so I meal prep and try to plan ahead as much as possible. I am finally not on a diet! No calorie counting, just enjoying healthy, delicious real whole foods that make me feel happy and satisfied.
What keeps me motivated every single day is knowing I’m getting up to work on making myself the healthiest version of me for my daughter. I have a dear friend, Robert Torino, in New Jersey who gets up every single day with me and clips in at night to ride, supports, coaches, and listens to me. Even on the days it’s hard or we are exhausted, we grind it out together!
Cycling has dramatically changed my life in the best way possible! Joining the Peloton community and being so welcomed with open arms was a game changer mentally. I have so many new friendships, support, and guidance every single day, and I always have people to hold me accountable and remain consistent.
I have lost over 150 pounds postpartum since August 24, 2020. And I’m down 85 pounds since I started using Peloton.
This has truly been the most difficult but rewarding journey. I now have my health, strength, and confidence on and off the bike. Most importantly, I can now (at almost 43 years old) keep up with a very busy toddler who is non-stop all day.
My advice to others would be that slow progress is better than no progress. Stay positive and stay consistent. Give it time—nothing happens overnight. Don’t compare yourself to others. We all have different body types. The only person you should try to beat is the person you were yesterday. You are in charge of your happiness, and you can do hard things. Once you get going, the hardest part will be knowing when to dial it back and take recovery days. All the small choices you make each day add up to serious change. You deserve this, and you can do it!
These three tips have made my cycling journey successful:
1. Keep it consistent
Consistency is key! It leads to habits which lead to lifestyle changes. This all impacts your everyday productivity and performance. Your fitness is 100% mental. Your body won’t go where your mind doesn’t push it.
2. Dial in your nutrition
You need the right healthy fuel for your body type and enough of it to sustain intensity when training or on long rides. Carbohydrates, healthy fats, fruits, and vegetables are all important to build muscle, increase speed, and output for quicker recovery. Lots of water through the day and electrolytes while riding are great to keep you hydrated.
3. Train your core
I focus on core training five times a week. When your core gets weak, you lose power transfer from your upper body to your lower body. That makes you less stable in the saddle and you can’t push maximum power into your pedals to go fast.
Suzanne’s Must-Have Gear
→ Le Club Women’s Signature Cycling Bib Shorts: No one wants a sore bottom or saddle sores. And these are the best fit for women! Everything stays in place while riding.
→ Nuun Electrolyte Drink Tablets: Proper hydration is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle! This has been a game changer. While riding, I sweat a lot.
→ NEENCA Knee Brace: I was having some pain on the inside of my knee with heavy resistance or very fast speed training. I now have two sleeves every ride and my knee pain is gone. The braces give me extra support and stability and they’re very comfortable. I like the gel pad around my knee for extra support.
→ FITCRUNCH Protein Bars: These are high in protein and low in sugar. It’s like eating the most delicious chocolate bar. Hands down this is the best-tasting bar I have ever had!
We want to hear how cycling changed you! Send your story and submit your photos to us via this web form. We’ll pick one each week to highlight on the site.
You Might Also Like
