I also started cycling in 2013, starting at 225 lbs and within 18-24 months got down to 168 lbs, by riding approx. 6k- 8.5k miles per year, with commuting 25 miles per day, and weekend warrior stuff. My loss was mostly attributed to trying to keep up with the cycling group(s) I joined, which meant being at my very best on Saturday and Sunday mornings, which meant no drinking alcohol on Thur, Fri and Sat nights, and also simply watching what and how much I ate. No real diet needed when riding that much. In theory, 100 miles of moderate to high intensity riding burns about 1 lb of fat (3,300 cals.), especially when you do rides of 50+ miles, since your stored glycogen in muscles and liver will be depleted after about 1.5 hrs of riding, and then your body will rely more on fat burn to fuel you.
Last edited by Riveting; 03-29-21 at 09:02 AM.