Originally Posted by
unterhausen
I never quite understood how cycling can be considered not to be weight-bearing. Sure, nothing in your upper body gets much of a workout.
Bone density loss in pro cyclists is well documented. Cyclists do not see the vertical impacts of running or jumping or even the steady burden of simply holding ourselves vertical against gravity. I have my bone loss pointed out every time I get an X-ray.
That said, when I do one specific bike workout regularly I can fell my body getting stronger and more resilient. Hilly fix gear rides. (Plus they are a huge incentive to keep my weight down.) When I'm riding the fix gear in hills I can feel the continuous chains of muscle from my glutes and abs to my hands.
For me, the secret to eating to stay a decent weight is to practice enjoying feeling a little hungry. Trim down serving sizes. 1 1/2 sandwiches instead of two. Thin sliced bread. I recognize that I have to keep downsizing the rest of my life, that the metabolism I had even when I was 50 is long gone.
Skinny guys with pot bellies? If I let myself go and ate that much, I'd be one. I can not pile on the muscle on my legs and arms. Doesn't matter how much I ride or lift. Small gains, yes. But if I put on 30 pounds of gut, you'd never notice those gains.
I have to recognize that my reality is that I should weigh less every year. That I can do all in my power and I am still going to loose muscle mass. That with less muscle, it is my responsibility to this body to not add to the load those muscles need to support.
Ben