sammymann

Scientific fact. Muscle weighs more than fat.

Bearhawker

I'm not sure I've encountered a bigger generalization than that, having gained three pounds over 3 days with at 12,000+ calorie deficit. lol

leadholder

For me cycling mostly helps me maintain my

Phil_gretz

Any and all physical activity, within limits of your health and abilities, can contribute to weight loss. More important is to understand blood chemistry for indicators and calorie intake and its constituents.

No more sugar in any form.

Limit simple carbohydrates.

Healthy unsaturated fats.

Lean meat proteins and vegetable proteins.

No crappy snacking. No fast foods. No processed foods.

Limit overall calories.

This isn't really that hard. Get your blood work done. Cut out the crap.

Spartacus713

I lost 60 pounds in a year, with cycling as my only exercise. I rode about an hour a day, averaging probably a bit under 5 days a week.

However, I was also eating healthy at the same time. My focus was not on losing weight, but on being more healthy. For me that means a balanced daily meal plan, including meat every day, vegetables every day, grains every day, dairy every day, eggs every day, fruit every day, and also nuts, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and bread periodically but somewhat regularly. Also, no fast food or junk food, and very little processed food. For me, the #1 enemy is added sugar. I avoid it diligently, as it is everywhere.

I monitored my food with the "MyPlate" app, and targeted my sedentary calorie target of about 2,000 calories a day in, while I was burning an estimated 'moderately active' about 2,600 calories a day out. Here is a free calculator for calculating all of this:

Flexible Dieting Macro Calculator

The nutrition is important and you will not lose weight on any exercise if you ingest more food energy than you burn off. And there is no "diet" that will permanently immunize you from putting the weight back on, if you return to your previous, unhealthy habits. The key is to establish a new, permanent, healthy and smart nutrition and exercise paradigm for yourself, and do NOT just pursue this like a short-term fix. It will only last for the short term if you do it that way.

slcbob

When I started commuting by bike (26 mile RT) I used it as an excuse to eat whatever the heck I wanted. I refer to the time that followed as my fit and fat period. Gotta manage both sides of the equation.

I've been seeing a lot of ads on Facebook and in web sidebars for "The Cycling Diet" or something like that. I clicked through but it didn't go to anywhere that seemed to have much substance before they pumped you for personal info, so I stopped. Has anyone here run into something solid there?

jma1st3r

Now how many litres of water is that?

schind1324

Yes cycling can help you loose weight. I took off 15 lbs last spring when I was taken out of the field and had to work from home due to COVID. You need to ride enough to get a good workout in and watch your diet but yes I use cycling to lose weight on a regular basis. You need to mix up your rides do intervals or hills one day and then flats to mix it up and not let you body get use to the same routine.

road195 

I am thankful for all the positive thoughts, and inputs. I have been on the yo yo diet, and other fat burners etc. Time to apply a new better self discipline, principles. This article is worth more than the yearly cost of forum, genuine!

jpdemers

You lose weight when you expend more calories than you take in. Simple as that. No magical diet advice will get you past the unavoidable chemistry and physics of that equation. Cycling is an efficient way of getting from A to B (with fewer calories than walking or running the same distance), so it's obviously not a magic bullet. How hard you work, and for how long, are what matter, as is true of any form of exercise intended to burn calories.

Ignore the "eat this" or "never eat that" garbage advice you get with fad diets (ever wonder why there's always a new one the hucksters want you to try next?) What works is being smart about how much of what goes into your mouth - and, more importantly, STAYING smart, so the weight doesn't creep back. Reading food labels is part of being smart, so you don't gobble down that single serving cup of tomato soup that has 30 grams of sugar in it, or "imitation seafood" that has sugar as the #2 ingredient. (Both of those are real products.)

I've dropped 20 lbs using a pretty decent phone app (Noom) that has me thinking differently about what I eat, and how much of it. (I'm sure there are others - this is what I tried, and it works for me.) A change in thinking and attitude toward eating is essential to permanent weight loss. Anything else can only put you on the yo-yo diet cycle.

Dillon914

All about diet and eating clean or clean ish. Small changes go a long way

Melvang

It might be an unpopular opinion, but Cardio doesn't burn as many extra calories as people think. Weight-loss is best handled in the kitchen. Strength training has a bigger impact on calories out than Cardio of equivalent time during activity. But, cycling will not hurt weight-loss unless you are consuming to many calories for fuel. Weight-loss is calories in< calories out. There is no exception.

road195 

Yes, I have also seen lots of ads for the Cycling diet. When I tried to find out, it seemed to be bogus?

slcbob

This is one of the ads I keep seeing, with different smiling faces and different claims of BIG results. I mentioned in post 85 and road195 in 92.

I don't think there's any there there, but if someone can vouch to the contrary, I'm interested.

I'm tired of being a slug. I'm cutting back on chow, upgrading quality, getting going again on my ergometer, and will be mixing in some miles on the bike soon, too. At this point, just showing up is enough. But a sane and well devised program is a bonus.

Dillon914

Definitely

okoweq

Cycling is probably the most effective way to lose weight provided you cycle enough to burn more than you eat AND you eat healthy food. Because:
- It activates big muscle chains (posterior chain, quads) that require lots of calories, meaning you'll burn a lot per hour of work compared to other sports.
- It's relatively soft on the body (muscles and joints) so you can cycle for long periods of time, and recover quickly so you can ride 3-4 times a week. Even daily depending on how much you ride.
- If you're already overweight, you can cycle without worrying about damaging your joints (like you might do when running) and not be penalized by your weight as you get started.

Dillon914

it helped me recover from injuries and ACL surgery

CoogansBluff

Correct.

Although I think the formula ratio is more like this ... eat less, eat less, eat less, eat less, move more.

unterhausen

I think that ad is b.s., probably had surgery to remove an arm or something. Although the first 10 pounds is relatively easy for most folks. Then just a plateau. I figure if I go on a long ride, that's time away from the refrigerator and junk food. When I ride a lot, I lose weight. I think aiming for a half pound a week is a very good goal. If I did that for 2 years, my doctor would start bothering me about gaining weight. It does take some discipline about not eating high calorie foods for no reason.

10 Wheels

Rode a NY to LA Tour in 2009. 4200 miles in the Heat of the Summer.
Gained 2 lbs.
Another rider a small guy Gained 18 lbs of muscle.

Hottest Day was 112*F

Dillon914

mans eat better food. You can actually eat a lot if it’s veggies and learn protein.

zandoval 

You may not see weight loss, but you should be able to tie your shoes, get out of a chair, or even make it to the refrigerator a little easier. When I am ridding regularly my life is easier even if I don't loose weight.

Dillon914

guess it depends on the person and how much activity they do normally

SpeedyBlueBiker

Last year (19-20) I rode all winter in Bangkok. I'd get up around 6:30am and head out on the bike from my house in the eastern suburbs around 7:00am just after it had gotten light. I would ride between 35 and 60 kilometers almost everyday before it got hot. In seven weeks I lost 22lbs. I didn't really change my diet that much but I did cut out ice cream. Maybe that's what did it! I'm 5'10" and was at 206 dropping down to 184lbs.

EliasGoodman

Obrigado pelo seu comentário. Graças a isso minha amiga emagreceu muito e ficou linda
Currently, you are looking to buy a better bike to continue cycling but do not know which is better to choose? can you give an example?