Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Exercise is everyone's best friend, but do it for the other benefits rather than the weight loss. To lose 1 extra pound you have to burn 3,500 calories exercising...that's a LOT of exercise. The food choices one makes ends up making a bigger impact when it comes to pounds. The non-weight related benefits of exercise are much more important!

I would adapt this recipe:

http://www.marthastewart.com/portal/site/mslo/menuitem.fc77a0dbc44dd1611e3bf410b5900aa0/?vgnextoid=48a1148337fd3110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD&rsc=type_1&autonomy_kw=zuccotto

Just fill i with ice cream instead! This ganache recipe is good as well, makes a nice shiny and firm coating.

I don't remember where I got this recipe, but I make it all the time! I add crumbled feta to mine and sometimes some dried currants but I take out the arugula and use spinach instead (I just don't like arugula).

I'm one of those people that sees no shame in the box. I use them at times, but I always make crucial modifications (like using buttermilk in place of the water the box calls for). When you need a reliable cake quick, they work. I don't believe in packaged frosting though....there's nothing you can do to save it; it just tastes like a fake food product.

Chocolate. Well, and maybe some licorice jelly belly jelly beans, too.

Mashed cauliflower is a favorite around our house. I can't seem to make enough of it. The 50/50 mixture of cauliflower and potato sounds interesting. I may have to give that a try.

http://www.dinnersforayear.blogspot.com

I think a trainer is a great investment. They'll best know how to give you a balance of weights, machines, isometrics and other kinds of resistance work. I like trainers because they instruct, push, and, perhaps best of all, help count reps when you're too dead tired to think.

I love to ride my bike and I think its a great form of exercise. I think the rule of thumb with any exercise is its better if you get a bit out of breath(or your 75% heart rate-measured by going as hard as you can for 10 mins then that heart rate is 90%), then you know you're burning calories.

I try to do strengthening exercises twice a week, especially those for my core. You could get a personal trainer for a short time. I use a mixture of free weights, a stability ball and sometimes machines. Whatevers available to me at the time.

If you ride your bike for longer than an hour at a hard pace you might want to take a snack.

I haven't had those, but I did get a box of Bertie Bott's beans, which had most of those flavors. Black pepper is actually pretty good. Vomit is predictably vile. Earwax is bland but bitter.

The booger ones don't really have a taste, they're just sweet, which must be what attracts little kids.

I think the increased exercise is a brisk step in the right direction. I also agree with the other commenters: Mix in some weight training. It's not a huge calorie burn, based on time, but it makes a big difference in the long run. Also, don't use biking as a centerpiece of your exercise routine. Unfortunately, bikes are efficient machines and they don't really give you the benefit of carrying around your own weight. That said, better to commute on a bike than by cab or subway. I'd shoot for 2000 calories/week of exercise mininum, with closer to 3000 per week if you really want to shed pounds. The benefits of exercise are not just the calories burnt, but also elevated metabolism, time away from food-rich environments, and the sense of well-being and accomplishment that comes from mastering physical challenges.