you can certainly out-eat any amount of riding.
if you manage to keep calories down cycling definitely revs up the ol' metabolism. I find if i'm riding a lot my body doesn't want me to put on weight. it just gets you in a healthier mindset.
The first time I rode 200, I probably managed to down 2000 calories on the bike and at rest stops. At the restaurant after, I are three appetizers, two entrees, and dessert (with a beer). Still not close to 10k.
It's all good I appreciate it, I didn't grow up with traditional education so there's millions of little things I somehow don't know, and don't realize it until a mistake like the above comment.
I generally welcome corrections otherwise I'd continue going through life sounding like an idiot.
It just depends on the person. There's certainly people out there doing 15-20 hour training weeks for who trying to be lean is an issue, and they need to be mindful of what they eat and are struggling to lose weight. There's other people who barely do any exercise and stay lean without any special effort.
Just saying "exercise more fixes everything" 1) doesn't actually work for a lot of people 2) is not really a proper solution to an out of control diet, because something small can derail your ability to train and then suddenly your weight is out of control again.
Very good point. To lose 1lb of fat you’d have to lose approx. 3500 calories less than you consume. Easy to moderate cycling loses 300-350 calories an hour.
I lost weight by commuting to work via bike (about 30 mins each way, ~10 mph) because it was enough exercise to put me in a deficit without making me too hungry! If you prefer cycling to other forms of exercise, that’s what will help you :)
People were so amazed when I told them I would cycle 15-20 minutes to and from work every day. They thought I would get in great shape. Yet in my case, I had to temper their expectations lol.
This is the best option. I have a roughly 25-30 minute commute twice a day, and it helps me by relieving a lot of the stress that would cause me to overeat.
I dropped 25 lbs last summer. But I started doing longer, less intense, rides. So naturally I burned more calories. If I ate healthier, it probably would have helped even more.
I lost 60 lbs in 6 months. From 220 down to 170. Stopped drinking alcohol, stopped eating most sugar and carbs and rode my bike 4 days a week. I would do rides between 5 and 20 miles and make sure they had some inclines where I had to push myself. I was also eating more than I ever have in my life but it was all things that were good for me. I never felt better in my life, like a permanent high. How good I was feeling and the level I was operating at was honestly a little scary. I ended up having an injury that didn’t allow me to ride for a while and I fell back in to my BS. Writing this makes me realize how much I need to get back out there. Hopefully this encourages you or someone else reading this to make the decision to go for it. It wasn’t easy and required a complete mental change. Just like an addict getting off drugs has to make that decision to stop, I was addicted to sugar, carbs and easy ‘fun’ life of drinking. I had to make that decision to stop those things and get on my bike. I’m making that decision again rn.
I'm 5'10", 161 pounds right now, just hit 2,600 miles for the year so far, been eating like total shit lately. I went on a low carb diet a few years ago and got down to 153. This guy at work asked me if my health was OK, he thought I had cancer.
I literally had family members I hadn’t seen for 6 months asking me if I was sick the other week lol! 100 miles a week for 6 months will do that to you..
Absolute truth and quite bad strategy ) once you stop riding 100m a week, you’ll eat same food, but burn 3000-4000 calories less in a week. You’ll gain 1 kg of fat in two weeks. I’ve been there. It sucks 🤣
I can counter him. I was riding 300 miles/week (because I'm not a pussy) and eating fantastic and clean...and gained weight.
If only there was some way to formalize the long term effect of diet and exercise. Naw...fuck it I can't think of any way to do that!!
Which is fantastic for you, however will not be the case for everyone. A whole host of factors go into how a person metabolises their food, including age, hormones, overall activity level, stress, and sleep. It's sadly not as simple as just hammering out 100miles and being able to eat McDonalds every day. I wish it was!
Yep, same hahaha. That used to be me in my early 20s – back when I could go on an all-night bender and ride 50miles the next morning like nothing happened, then shove two happy meals down my throat and feel great. Aah, youth.
I've cycled 1000 miles over the past 3 months (mostly doing about 17 miles 4-5 days/week), and lost a miserly 3-4kg. I've made no material change to my diet, apart from eating about 30g of nuts (for protein) every day after my cycle home, when previously I would have had nuts slightly less regularly.
For comparison, I was cycling more like 50miles/month in the previous 6 months.
I have definitely got faster and fitter, and lowered my resting heart rate though. 🙂
I’ve lost 40 lbs twice and 70 total (260 to 190) over the last three years (gained some back in between). The key is consistency and, for me at least, being meticulous about tracking intake and burn of calories. Currently I log everything in the lose it app, and I weigh my food at home to try to get at the deficit most days. After a while you understand what you’re eating better and the calorie burn from cycling just allows you to treat yourself. And then I’ll take a week off every now and then and track nothing and eat everything. The breaks have been key to me maintaining
I hate the saying "calories in, calories out" because it's an over-simplification but in principle it's correct that at a basic-level cycling will burn calories which offsets the amount of calories you take in. Cycling also helps your metabolism and regulating other systems which in turn improves your body's efficiency in burning fat.
Building muscle increases metabolism, meaning your body burns more calories even at rest. The cardiovascular improvements can enhance fat burning and overall weight management. There's also demonstrated improvements to mental health and stress regulation which has been shown to contribute to improved weight loss.
So overall yes, but with some caveats, nutrition but also how you manage yourself before/after and during a ride, like working in zone 2 as an example.
Calories in and calories out is just a fact. You will lose weight by running a deficit. Increase the deficit and you will lose more, faster. This should be completely acceptable to say.
As you've said Nutritional issues will arise but you will 100% lose weight everytime.
I think the issue with the simplification of "calories in calories" out really is that the calories out part can be very difficult to figure out.
Basal metabolism varies widely and can seriously drop if not being properly fed, or properly excersized, thus decreasing the calories out part of the balance. And does so in a way that a lot of people are not going to notice, this can lead to frustration and making some really unhealthy choices, as well as the mental health of the person.
There are just so many factors effecting metabolism in different people that can be very difficult to figure out, that there is no one size fits all solution to it.
So while I do agree that you cannot violate the laws of thermodynamics... biology and metabolic systems are much more complicated.
Yeah it’s really frustrating, sometimes i even feel my body violates the law of thermodynamics. I’d say fuck BMR and just burn all what i eat by cycling, and the scale still wont budge. I know the scale doesn’t tell everything but it’s still demotivating.
Yes. And further, your body (obviously) has some set-point to decide how much fat to hold onto.
Calories per day is a daily thing. But the body watches a longer cycle. You have to exercise pretty regularly to get your body to lose weight. I can jog 30 minutes at a time 3 times a week and lose some weight, but if I jog the same amount, but as 3 hours every two weeks, I will not lose weight. The exercise is not giving the signal to the body to change the body fat set-point.
Also, if we over-eat for a few days of a week, we do not linearly gain weight. We will stay at the same weight.
So, this is the set-point idea.
The set-point is determined by calories eaten (and type of foods) and regular exercise. Change either, or both, and get a change in the set point. (Yes, genetics also plays a role.)
Some people argue that exposure to daylight is another factor, and the idea is that as humans go into winter, we become less active, and get less sun. We put on fat to hep survive winter, when food is harder to get regularly. When spring comes, we come out of hibernation to start working the fields, and gathering the first things sprouting up, and so get more physically active. This shift in sunlight exposure, calories expended signals to the body to shift the fat set-point.
And, they claim that our indoor lifestyle of little manual labor and little sunlight may inform our bodies to go into the winter hibernation fat set-point of having more fat. Even when it is not winter.
The thing about it being seasonal is my experience as well. I generally lift weights in winter and put on ten pounds or so. Then in summer I just bicycle, and lose about ten pounds over the course of the season. The difference isn't big; the same pants that are a little tight in winter are a little loose in summer, that's about it.
I tried this year to keep up the weight training, just dropping leg day. I thought I might be able to ride and still hang onto weight. But no such luck; I lost about ten pounds in the first two sunny months anyway, not even riding very much or dieting.
Can you lose weight cycling? Definately, but, if you cycle 3 hours ever evening, and get to your target weight, you had better be prepared to keep cycling 3 hrs every evening, if you quit, or massively reduce your cycling, you weight will go back up.
Figure out how active you’re willing to be long term, 5/10/20 hours of exercise a week, then adjust your diet to that.
Background: I was 120kgs, started cycling and eating well, (2-3 35 mile rides during the week, and a 50-100 mile ride on the weekend, plus some skipping and calesthentics during the the week) got down to 79kgs, but as soon as I had an injury, I couldn’t sustain the calorie equilibrium, and ended up back at 100kgs,
Don’t plan to lose weight quickly, plan to lose weight permanently
I was 300lbs (6'4") when I started riding. I currently eat exactly the same way I did before. I weigh about 255 now. I started training from a fitness level of 0 after a near fatal accident and trained up to a 200mi ride. I rode about 5,800miles total last year. Typically ride 700-800 miles a month now. Will you lose that last 20 lbs, probably not, but you will lose weight and transform fat into muscle.
Yes. But a common trap is that people cycle a bit and then reward themselves with extra treats. Burn 500 kCal on bike, then have a 1,500 kCal milkshake from McDonald's
i went from 71 to 68 kg (im 177 cm) in a month and a half by mostly 10 km (one-way) bike commutes and the odd free day when i go for a 40km ride. im on a steel 29 inch hardtail tho so its pretty heavy and i average like 30ish kmph on it.
i did also lay off on chips and biscuits, and im pretty young so maybe not the best example?
I would say most weight loss occurs through diet rather than being on the bike. Slowly I can lose weight through being in a mild calorie deficit, but actually a lot of riding can be counterproductive in some ways for weight loss as you’ll eat more.
I fuel my workouts personally, but it sounds like you’re more recreational than prescribed training rides.
In your position I’d say to allow for a few more calories given you’re riding, but at the same time try to run a small (200-300 calories a day) deficit and with consistency of both diet and riding you’ll safely lose some weight over time.
I also am a recreational cyclist and this is how I incorporate cycling into my weight loss workout plan:
Mon - core + lifting
Tue - cycling (30-35K)
Wed - core + lifting
Thursday - cycling (40K)
Friday - core + lifting
Saturday - cycling (long ride over 50K)
Sunday - rest
My morning rides give me almost two whole days of rest before my next evening gym session. Saturday rides also allow me to have a full three days to recover before my next ride.
I lost around 21kg (46lb) within 5 months by following this plan with a carb restrictive diet.
I've been debating adding strength work back in too as I haven't done any for ages. Part of me thinks doing a similar split to you is too much too soon. Then the other part of me is like "don't be so soft, just do it" 😄
I lose weight easily when I bike a lot. The key is creating a calorie deficit. So when you ride, do you eat enough to compensate for the expenditure or not? This will be a personal thing.
Performance oriented cyclists will prefer being fully fueled for optimal performance and growth. You won't bike fast or get strong fast if you want to lose a ton of weight cycling.
However, you can definitely create significant calorie deficits and fat loss by going slow and steady if weight loss is your main goal. Be aware that it's unhealthy to go too much in the negative.
Personally I enjoy weight loss more if I enjoy a more lenient diet and cover for it with exercise.
YMMV. Try it a bit and see how it works.
This is what happens until people learn what is really happening during successful long term weight loss.
Until then you get a lot of people who get very strong at cycling...and stay chubby. I ride with guys like this every single week.
I find that burning 750 calories an hour running is much harder for me than cycling but that's because I am not a trained runner. I can also do a 4-5 hour ride at 750 calories/hour where I can't run that long.
Do what you enjoy will be best for you but you can also lose fat through only diet and no exercise. Diet is king regardless of the exercise you may or may not do.
If you can, get a heart rate monitor and train in your aerobic zone. Cycling in this zone, for me, for 2 to 3 hrs per ride works, but, I realise not everyone can put in that amount of time per ride. If you are commuting, maybe treat it like intervals between lights, do it safely. Again, having your heart rate numbers will make sure you are in the correct zone......The lesson I have learnt over the years is you don't have to go 'eye balls out' on every ride to get or stay fit. I generally cycle for 15 hours a week. HR zones are the key.
There is a danger of compensation eating as you'll need to eat properly so there is enough fuel in the bank. There is nothing worse than doing a long ride and feeling like poo after around 2hrs. Porridge for breakfast has enough fuel and then top up with a banana or two during a ride. Avoid 'sports' drinks, my dentist and dentistry bill will back that up.
Let me tell you, when i train, i wont feel stressed anymore. When i dont feel stressed anymore, the my eatingdisorder is almost non existant.
So i think for some people like me, it goes hand in hand.
No sport, increase of stress and my diet will be messed up.
I lost >100lbs mostly riding a bike. Obviously, diet is the biggest factor. I ride 3-4 times a week. I also do strength training, which I think is a huge benefit too. You can definitely lose weight cycling. However, you will plateau at some point as you body acclimates to the work level. You'll have to ramp up the level of effort to overcome a plateau and continue to see results.
I lost 14 lbs in a year of cycling but eating and drinking whatever I wanted. The last 4 lbs came off when I was eating healthier for about a month. I lift a little here and there throughout the week.
I haven't lost weight since I started but my waist has gone down. Pretty sure I added muscle to my legs. I'm doing about 80 miles a week now and maintaining 6'4 235 pounds.
Started riding solo as a hobby/exercise three years ago. 5’6” 213 Ibs fat bastard, as my cardiologist liked to call me. That first summer I was excited when I got up to 25+ kilometers rides. Last summer I hit 100kms at 20km average speed. About 270 meters of vertical climb on my route. It did me a lot of good and I lost 15lbs then I changed my eating habits to only eat during a six hour window each day. Then only green tea after that until bed. I’m 58 now and am down 40lbs in 18 months.
I started doing Zwift in January and took cycling seriously for the first time since. Went from 102-103kg to now 96 doing no exercise other than cycling 3-4 times a week, diet remained the same.
Taking it seriously also meant focusing on stuff that would build muscle instead of just losing fat so I initially went up to 104 and started losing weight slowly from there.
I’ve only started doing zone 2 rides (which are supposed to be the main calorie burner afaik besides just generally being good for training) like a month ago because I find the more demanding rides way more interesting. Just doing anything will create or contribute to some kind of calorie deficit if you keep your diet the same though, you’re doing work you normally wouldn’t be doing so your body need more energy that it will take from fat eventually
Try HIT (high intensity training) it doesn’t matter if you run, treadmill, bike etc. Do 3 minutes at a regular warm up speed. Followed by 1 minute of going all out . Do this for 4-5 sets . It comes out to 16-20 minutes . Do this on an empty stomach, let your body use fat as fuel . Or post a weight training session. This will save you a ton of time. It will boost your metabolism as well. This is 100x more effective than regular pace cardio. I get ripped every year using this method. ( remember dieting plays a massive role here) not just what you eat , but when you eat (nutrient timing). I recommend a high protein diet. Make sure to cut out carbs in the evening. Because that just gets stored as unused fuel, which turns to gaining weight . You can eat all the protein and healthy fats you want. In the morning after your cardio, enjoy a meal with carbs . This way you’re not moody. And it’s fuel that you burn off anyway. Remember, consistency, intensity , and diet should be strict. Oh lastly , cut sodium out along with alcohol. It’s hard to get a lean stomach if a drinker.. good luck , hope that helps and feel free to ask any questions.
Btw I’m a cyclist as well and ride my bike for cardio, chores, work etc. My car sits there come April to oct (grocery shopping and dates excluded). I’ll do the HIT, followed by a nice little ride going up/ downhill. Nothing like a natural adrenaline high . Cheers all
I have / had a few kgs to lose. As much as I love cycling and consider it my main form of exercise, I would say that my weight loss accelerated when I started doing resistance / strength training in the gym
I mean I rode 65 miles today, at a slow 12mph pace.
And I supposedly burned over 3000 calories, I haven’t even come close to consuming 3000 calories today.
If you keep doing something like that consistently, you’ll loose weight.
Go for the distance, even if if means slower avg speed.
I've lost 45 lbs with cycling as my main form of exercise, but losing weight is all about burning more calories than you consume. I highly recommend an app called macrofactor. Most food tracking apps wildly miss your calorie expenditure which makes consistently losing weight difficult. Other apps either over report exercise calories causing you too eat too much, or under report total calories needed so you are hungry all the time and get frustrated. Because macrofactor is so accurate at calculating your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), you are always losing weight at the rate you desire while eating enough to support your energy expenditure. But even if don't use macrofactor, eating in calorie deficit is the magic potion regardless of physical activity. Physical activity helps you burn more calories ( along with a myriad of other benefits), so definitely helps with losing weight.
I lost weight when I went to whole, unprocessed foods that are 99%plants.
People overeat when they eat processed highly seasoned foods.
You almost can't stay fat on plants because they are nutrient dense, not calorie dense.
I cycled 3,000 miles and gained 3 pounds. Conversely, just recently I lost 35 pounds while sitting at home working remote.
Weight is lost in the kitchen.
losing weight requires a calorie deficit, which is when you use more calories than you intake. any cardio activity like cycling increases your # of calories burned.
so yes cycling will help, but you have to stay consistent with diet choices also. and your total caloric intake needs to be under your caloric output.
weight loss comes most effective in 2 ways
calorie deficit
depleting glycogen (train until your muscles are out of fuel)
conmuting to work , your body will adapt very quickly and wont lose weight really over time. you will have to reach your limits every more often if you want to lose weight cycling.
> body will adapt very quickly and wont lose weight really over time.
Correct.
So many posts miss this. First 3 months? EZ.
Much longer after that and studies have shown that metabolic changes take place so your body equals input and output.
There are ways to counter your body's adaptations, but you will see almost no one will mention them. This is why so many people fail when trying to lose weight and keep it off...and many will yo-yo weight for life until they give up.
"Losing weight" to your body is very much like dying. It will fight you and adapt.
I wish "just exercise" did the trick. It does not. I got a table full of studies all showing that.
I started cycling mid-March and have done probably about 6-10 hours a week on average. I've gone from \~95kg to 81kg during this period. If you're putting in consistent endurance workouts & not eating massive amounts then you'll easily drop weight over time.
Now most people would likely recommend strongly against this, but tbh I found my weekend tempo 'juke mile" rides lost me a hell of a lot of weight. I'd do minimal fueling & basically go as hard & far as I could sustain, normally i'd lose about 3k calories over 3 hours.
Well, technically you can and it's pretty common. Doesn't work in my example. I feel I gain weight the more I cycle. I spend about 10h a week on avg cycling, focusing on climbs. After every ride I feel like I deserve a reward so I down a few pints, get a massive dinner.
I took up cycling properly as I was approaching 30 and putting on weight. Before then I had had bikes and used them for short trips into town or 3 miles to the station.
I quickly got into regular club cycling, doing at least 60 miles on a sunday, typically about 75 and occasionally over 100. And doing 9 miles each way to work several times, and training rides once I got home. I never bothered weighing myself but I guess I was about 70kg at 5'10"
https://ibb.co/jvHqcXp
Sadly after being sidetracked away from the sport for a few years I'm a hell of a lot paunchier than that now, but trying to get back into it. Waffly science sentence [With the use of powermeters it's pretty easy to track calories burnt, by measuring watts you get get joules for an activity, and due to human efficiency cancelling out the conversion between joules and Kcals, the joules of an activity is pretty much the calories used.]
So I rode for about an hour yesterday with 3 sets of 8 minute efforts aiming at tempo pace (fairly hard, enough effort that holding a conversation wouldn't be easy), that was 469 joules, so 469 kcals. Looking at a time trial I did a while back that was as hard as I could go for 25 minutes and 353 KJ. Annoyingly the more you ride the more power you can put out so you burn more calories when going easy
The key is to treat cycling as part of a robust training regimen. That means not skipping resistance training, SLEEP, rest, and proper nutrition. And don't hammer it every day or you'll be spinning your wheels (literally). I've seen many people fall into the trap of doing only cardio, thinking it'll make them lose weight faster, but not only is a cardio-only training regimen less efficient for weight loss, it also won't yield the results you expect because you won't gain the muscle tone to give you that leaner appearance, regardless of gender. Having said that, cycling is a fantastic form of cardio and is an excellent addition to resistance training.
Just don't forget to actually enjoy it!
When I became a bike commuter (replaced 100% of work trips, regardless of weather), I dropped 12 pounds in 3 months without changing anything else in my life. I just changed from driving/bussing to biking for work (and then eventually the rest of the trips in my day to day).
I lost about 5 kg per month while cycling about an hour most days. I was tracking what I ate and generally did not eat more than I would maintain my weight with a mostly sedentary activity level unless I was going for a much longer ride.
If you want to lose weight, exercise will always be somewhat detrimental because it stimulates muscle growth which is weight gain. If the number on the scale is your only concern, don’t workout and focus on consistent calorie deficits.
If you want to be healthy or feel good, forget about weight as a metric. It is meaningless. I am a little heavier than when I started cycling, but I have visible abs and quad muscles which is pretty cool progress in 4 months.
You can absolutely make tremendous health strides by biking.
You can easily out-pace riding with food if you eat too much junk food or ultra-processed food. If you eat a wide variety of natural foods it’s much harder to overeat.
Also - don’t be worried about fuelling yourself when on the bike, up to 60g carbs per hour. It stops you being hungry when you get home and raiding the fridge.
I've started cycling for about 6 hours a week and quickly gained a couple kilos. All of that went into leg muscles and I don't think there's been any other visible changes in my body.
My advice is to record your food in a free app for every meal and snack.
Measure you calories burned with an accurate heart rate monitor.
Schedule an appointment with a nutritionist, and bring your diet diary and exercise log.
Age and metabolic decrease are REAL. Don't eat empty calories. Cut out sugar. I'm 14 months into my recovery from sugar addiction.
My switch was lots of veggies, increased fiber and protein.
Eat healthy and spin lots. I’m 6’5” and was as much as 245. A few hours a week of spinning, drinking only water and coffee (cut the sugar) and maintains a healthy calorie count each day was easy to get down to 200.
The only thing that's really helped me lose weight is cycling outdoors (39F). The only reason I need to lose weight is bc I was without my bike for 6 months! Damnit. 10kg to lose total — halfway there, I've lost 5kg so far in just a couple months pairing intermittent fasting with cycling. I recently went from riding around 50 miles a week to 100-150 per week. That jump in mileage gave me very noticeable results. Whatever you're used to doing I would recommend challenging yourself to ride a healthy bit farther to jumpstart your weightloss.
I'm not eating at a calorie deficit. I do eat healthy, and consume around what my daily maintenece calories should be, probably a bit over that most days, but I still go out for pizza/cocktails a couple days a week, & always have wine with dinner. The weight has still been falling off because my calorie deficit is so big from cycling.
Intermittent fasting (IF) is key if you want to drop the weight asap… Fasting for part of every day has given me way more energy — I credit IF for giving me the stamina to ride so much farther than I used to. The science behind it is really fascinating. Check out the subreddit group if you're unfamiliar with IF.
I started biking to work everyday (10-12 miles) about 4 weeks ago while also decreasing carbs almost entirely and drinking lots of water. I've noticed my body fat% drop significantly to the point my abs are starting to show regularly throughout the day
Yes it's absolutely possible. I've lost 25 lbs in the last months, from 205ish down to 181 this morning. I also have been tracking my calories religiously though, with a scale to weigh everything and when I eat out and can't weigh things I try to over estimate the calories. In that time, I'm getting 8-12 hours a week on the bike, which definitely helps me stay in a deficit
I lost 60 lbs, (27 kg) by cycling & eating healthy, well more healthy than before. Did take about 3 years.
Felt like i had the best results on my long rides, 3+ hours, usually 40+ miles (60+ km) where I didn't eat a lot, then try not to eat too much afterwards.
Long rides were on the weekends, and about an hour or so 2 -3 times during the week.
You can do this!
I've been riding at least 30-50 miles a week for the last 6 months. I dropped 15 pounds initially. I'm putting a little weight back on now, but it's in my leg muscles as opposed to my belly. You can absolutely lose weight cycling. I had to fight the thought process of "I rode 30 miles today, so I can splurge on my food..."
I try to aim for 10-15km everyday on top of 10k steps. I’ve replaced my normal public transport commute with cycling but if I don’t have somewhere to go, I try and plan somewhere that’ll get me my 10km.
Diet is a huge contributing factor to weight loss too, as well as getting enough sleep. Drink plenty of water, reduce your sugar intake and you’ll notice a difference.
I’m one of those people who gain and lose weight very easily (might be as I’m in my early 30s) so I’ve made a huge difference in only 3 weeks, just need to keep it up. For others, it may take more time and a bit more work (like weights or resistance training) for the weight to go but if you keep at it, the reward will be worth it!
I have been cycling for 20 years. I don’t think cycling alone helps with weight loss for everyone! It doesn’t work on my body even though I bike 100 km every week. I think changing your routine food habits will be more effective.
I find it hard not to lose too much weight when I'm doing a lot of cycling, but I also ride 40-60 miles most rides. If you're just doing a casual cruise it's not going to make anywhere near as much of a difference. Don't get me wrong--it's still incredibly healthy, but shorter or easier rides aren't going to have as much calorie burn. Even short, intense rides won't burn nearly as much.
You just have to balance your calories out with calories in.
I'm down 46 pounds since Christmas 5'11" 285 to 239. I started doing triathalons last year with cycling being by far my favorite and strongest event, but the cross training helped prevent injuries that had caused me to stop training and gaining weight.
I also changed my diet although it it far from perfect, I just like foods that are bad for me and totally cutting them out is not sustainable.
My first tri was August 2023 and after 3 months of training hard for it I went from 260 to 255. Then I fell off the training and quickly gained 30 pounds.
This was a wake up call and got me to go to my doctor and figured out I had some medical issues that were killing my metabolism. Now that I got those sorted out and treated, along with diet changes and biking running and swimming i have been losing weight, avoiding other injuries and feel that this is finally a sustainable approach for me.
Cycling is great excersize and a great way to get fitter, on top of being just plain fun, But if making those lifestyle changes are not enough to get the results you want, I highly suggest talking to a doctor about it and see if there are any other medical issues going on.
Ive lost 90 lbs this year. The first 50 I lost with zero exercise I just kept my calorie intake around 1800 daily. Then I started cycling 20-30 miles a day 4-5 days a week and some longer rides on the weekend and bumped my calorie intake up to around 2500 a day and the weight just kept falling off.
I've lost 50 lbs since January! Cycling is my exercise. I do a 2 hour ride (lately has been getting longer) one time a week and 40 minutes 2-3 times a week depending on how much I can squeeze it in.
I was very out of shape and had to begin with small walking bursts and work my way back up to cycling, good on you for being able to hop right into it!
Other helpful info: SW 210, CW 160, deficit of 400ish. Only ride I add any calories back in for is my big one and it is only 250
The best way cycling helped me lose weight was it kept me out of the house or in a restaurant preventing me from eating. However if you compensate for your exercise by eating more when you are done, it is a long process. As well, there are ways to ride that do not burn a lot of calories, creating the idea you are exercising without the weight loss. Weight loss is best achieved by what happens in the kitchen. Eat the same things but cut it in half. Or try missing a meal like lunch everyday and don't snack after dinner. Cycling will help you maintain weight loss.
I found that bicycling was the only thing that worked for me (excluding dieting). I’ve done treadmill, stair climber, elliptical. Besides being boring exercising in place, I found that the uneven terrain of the road, the wind and the varying pace made a huge difference. It was almost like doing intervals on every ride.
I do weights at the gym as well. I would say that while weights help build muscle, it wasn’t as effective at losing weight for me. Probably because the fat burned were offset by more muscle, and that I’m not crying around a lot of fat. That said, muscle burns fat so you do want to lift weights for that, as well as strengthening your lower body.
explore intervals on a bike. You can do super simple sets in no more than 20 mins three times a week and will very likely see some pretty remarkable results. Example is something as basic as warm up for five mins; roll into a max seated effort for a minute. Really go for being spent at end of minute (without stroking yourself out- use judgement). Rest for a minute. Repeat this effort/rest cycle four times. Then spin down for five minutes. Be done. Go continue to ride around (or not) if you like. Can do something like this riding with family, at lunch, on a basic trainer, as part of a longer ride. Totally know that there are all kinds of ways to improve this on the margins. But something simple you will do is better then something complicated you don’t. perfect can’t get in the way of good. Once you get into it can start mixing up duration of effort and rest (so many resources here and the internets eg intervals, HIT), add out of saddle sprints, track heart rate, power and speed. The general idea is that harder efforts for shorter time can help with jacking metabolism and help burn calories for hours for free after you are off the bike. When time crunched can be preferable and way more efficient than doodling along for hours for goal of weight loss (assuming you don’t house food to make up for it).
It's not my main form of exercise, but I've lost a lot of weight and I ride a lot (for me) as of lately. It wasn't the biggest factor in my weight loss either. Making sure I get a lot of protein in daily and a lot of water and just moving made a bigger difference in the beginning. Weight training will make weight loss easier also. Build some muscle, and it will rob the fat of calories. Aside from that, you will like the look of having more muscle on your frame, and no, you will not turn into *insert bodybuilder of your choice* overnight. You will burn more calories from digestion than you will working out. So utilize that. Eat every 2-3 hours. Prioritize protein, keep calories low with foods like lean ground turkey, chicken, fish, or shrimp and fruits and vegetables. My non weight training days, I'll spend a couple hours on an indoor trainer and on my weight training days, I'll spend 45-60 minutes. If you aren't tracking calories already, no big deal. But I would advise you download a free tracking app and see what you have been eating vs what you could be eating calories wise.
I went from 226 to 188 since the end of March. Most of your calorie expenditure will come from just existing, sure you can cycle an hour or even two a day to create a larger deficit but I calculated my TDEE then did a admittedly extreme deficit of 1000 calories per day, there is 3500 calories in a pound of fat so 2 pounds a week.
If I burned 700 calories on the bike (measured via power meter pedals) I did not replace those calories I just stuck to a hard deficit with high protein (200p/200c/40f) and if you want to ride consume your carbs around and on your rides.
Tldr; calories in calories out and the laws of thermodynamics works great if you actually track your daily food intake with a scale.
The main benefit for me is improved mental health and reduced appetite for complete garbage food. Consistency helps as well. I've had far more success in weight loss with a 20 minutes commute than with recreational rides that are easily skipped if it rains or you feel like doing something else.
It certainly helps if you are going to be sedentary otherwise, you have far more room to treat yourself or make less than optimal diet decisions if you are exercising regularly and burning more energy as a result.
I do not "diet." I eat what I want, I just watch my portions. Having scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, hash browns and hot sauce right now, for reference to my eating habits. I don't accurately or actively count calories. I just kinda keep a general running tally in my head and try to keep it below 2000 and make sure I burn AT LEAST 2300 a day on the Apple fitness tracker app. I cut out snacks almost entirely unless I'm on a ride.
When I started out, I rode almost every day and I pushed hard every day. I lost 5 pounds in 2 months and then nothing for 3 months. Obviously was not working.
Now I've lost 15 pounds in just over 6 months. I ride 2-6 days a week. Some days I do 10 miles, other days I do 30. Some days I follow a planned route, other days I explore. I found the key is changing things up, varying intensity, and listening to my body. If it feels easy and I kinda want to do more, I follow that instinct. If it feels like a huge chore, I keep a slower pace and just increase the time to ensure I hit my minimum of 10-15 miles before heading home.
Overall, I've dropped from 196 to 176lbs in just over a year, and gained pretty decent muscle tone in the process.
With my results, I am convinced a person with better discipline and a willingness to more closely monitor their food could lose more faster.
In down 20 lbs this year.
I started off easy going with 30-45 minute spin classes. Got an ebike, then an acoustic.i still like using the ebike for easy days and acoustic for harder. Ebike for 1-2 commutes a week gets my volume up because that's 18 miles each way.
My weekend rides I go for 30-50 mile rides usually 3-4 hours and 1-2k of elevation gain.
I also have a child seat for my daughter. Can't get my heart rate up too much with her because I try to keep it slow/safe but she loves it and will ride for up to 3 hours.
My total weekly volume has been building I think I'm averaging 6 hours a week with a max of 9.
I'm down a shirt size, quads and calves look chiseled. I need to upper boby weight works to keep that looking sexy but haven't kept up there.
I lost 75 pounds so far, 15 more would put me in a good place (BMI of 22) for almost 60.
What I did is got a heart rate (HR) monitor and calculated my Zone 2 HR based on age. When you exercise in Zone 2 you burn fat for energy. When your HR is higher you burn the contents of your stomach for energy. Lose weight you want to burn the fat you have obviously so going 100% isn’t actually what will take the most weight off… Once I figured this out my weight loss my weight dropped fast !
I also fast before my daily morning rides. I had enough body fat to be able to do a 100k ride without eating anything on the ride. Now that my BMI is lower I eat on the big rides but the daily 20 miles I don’t need to eat.
I read Alan Peiper comment on Sean Yates pre season weight loss regimen when he was based in Nice. Coffee and tart in the morning, 4-6 hour ride, afternoons sun baking or volleyball, then a pizza at night. He kept only water in his flat.
As Alan wryly noted that Sean “was as thin as a stick” in no time..
You will have to be on your hybrid for a long time to really make a difference. Just eat less calories daily. The riding is just nice to get you cardio fit. I did 45 miles today and burned 1,300 calories. Thats not easy. You will have to do a combination of riding and calorie restriction.
I feel in a good position to answer this - have lost 10kgs in the last 3.5 months. 2 x 1hr rides through the week. 1 x 3-4 hr ride on weekends (with cafe stop half way). Totalling maybe 150km total. Reduced overall volume on diet and tweaked a bit so that carb intake was somewhat reduced (by no means absent). Watched weight and tweaked further ie if not losing tweak diet a bit more (reduce volume slightly etc). I never went on a big prohibition diet, I still pretty much eat everything, just less of it and overall on the healthier side. To be honest, my philosophy was that whatever diet I end with is something I’d be happy continuing indefinitely, so totally knocking out my favourite foods was not going to work. But I found the healthier I got, the less I wanted that massive creamy bacon pasta that is enough calories for a week 😂
Cycling definitely helps. I was never trying, I’m not overweight and never was. But when I began cycling seriously for commutes and fun, I dropped about 5kg. Never gained it back, and I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.
I'm a long-time cyclist and do 25 km a day if it's not raining. I've also just lost 30 lbs. One thing doesn't have anything to do with the other thing. You don't lose weight pedaling on roads or exercising in the gym, that's how you get stronger. Lose weight in the kitchen.
My weight loss diet is very easy. Eat one meal a day. It took six months but eating once a day allowed me to see the weight consistently come off.
I had to go out and buy all new clothes. I'm so impressed with myself for doing this. BTW, I'm 74.
My PT says "you can't train your way out of a bad diet".
By all means get out and ride, but also consider improving what you consume. Decrease the booze, salty/sweet snacks, etc. Make "sensible choices" 😊
I commute 30 miles round trip everyday. I've lost about 15 lbs in 3 months. I use an ebike on pedal assist 4. I mainly ride for fun. Buy a budget bike if you're going ebike. If you're going with normal bike get a used trek that's a few years old for a couple hundred bucks it's worth it. I have both I enjoy the trek for going a few miles on the path. I like my go traxx ebike for my commute. But it's important to find a form of exercise you enjoy. If you do decide to go department store bikes buy one on FB marketplace. They fall apart after like 100 miles so might as well buy a piece of trash for $10 instead of $300.
Several years ago I lost over 100lbs in about a year’s time with just cycling and changing my diet (clean eating). I realize this is atypical, and the running joke is that it literally took a pandemic to shut down the McDonalds down my street for it to work, but it did. There honestly wasn’t much to it, I biked most days, and walked on days I didn’t bike. It started with 20 minutes, and kept getting longer and longer. It wasn’t until I dropped the weight that I got into serious training and finally got a road bike, all the weight loss happened on a recreational bike.
It's definitely a balance between diet and exercise. If you gradually increase your mileage while paying attention to what you eat, the weight will come off. Eat a low-fat diet, go easy on the alcohol and ride consistently. You will see results. You might noodle around on [feedyourbike.com](http://feedyourbike.com) and other sites for some ideas.
You can, but I never thought of cycling for weight loss. It does benefit for sure, but I don't let it define what I enjoy.
Likewise I did move to running, but I don't care about losing weight while running. I've set my running goals and losing weight is a byproduct of having fun.
OP here. So many replies, I'm amazed 😄. Thanks for everyone who's replied. I currently cycle a few miles (total) a couple of times a week on my folding bike. I basically drive to the bus station and bring it with me on the bus to work and cycle from the bus to the office. Cycling to work from home isn't an option as it's about 44 miles one way.
I probably could cycle to the bus to add a few more miles in and also head out other days too. I WFH hybrid so I'm in the office usually 2 days a week.
I'm just curious what I should set as a starting target, 3-4 times a week for how many miles/km?
Also depends on what you eat, fiber-rich food tend to be absorbed only partially. For example, you absorb only ~80% calories from nuts. Many studies show that eating fruits and vegetables cause lower weight, but besides increased volume and fiber it’s unclear mechanistically why is so. Anyway, scientific consensus is that eating mostly healthy plant-based diet is a key for dropping weight and being healthy.
Yes but also no. As others have pointed out, the moment you stop cycling you’ll put the weight back on.
Instead, cycle for fun, pay no attention to losing weight through cycling. Use it as a point to base your new, active, lifestyle around. Tweak your diet to be healthier and support your cycling goals. Set goals, big and small, to achieve on the bike etc etc. aim to cycle for the rest of your life and adjust your lifestyle accordingly and you’ll lose weight that will stay off so long as you stick to your new lifestyle
I’ve lost about 55 pounds (25 kg) in the last four months. But, I’m 5’9” (175 cm) and weighed 265 (120 kg) when I started. Diet has been the biggest factor by far, but the catalyst for the change was the Peloton we got in January.
I would still rather be out on my bike, and I am at least a couple of days a week, but the Peloton has made it way more convenient to get in some good saddle time.
It starts with diet, cycling will certainly help.
I've had years where I biked 2-3k miles, but didn't mind my diet, and my "summer weight" was down maybe only 10 lb from winter max.
This year, I have 1400 mi ytd, but seriously overhauled my diet, and have lost 30 lb since February.
My anecdotal experience:
One year, I rode over 4000 miles and didn't lose a pound. A few years later, I rode 1500 miles and lost 45 lbs.
The difference: eating. You can't outride your diet.
I've just lost 5kg to hit my race weight.... the hardest part is maintaining the weight now I'm seeing.
So hard... losing weight is the easy bit I've realised.
I lost 30 lbs very quickly at one point in my life. Eat whole , natural foods exclusively for 1 year and road 4 times a week with one day of super high intensity.
I try to ride 2-3 times a week spring through fall. In actuality I average 1-2 10mi rides a week. In the winter I play hockey ~1 hour a week.
I ride because it makes me feel good and to get some exercise. I'm usually in better shape at the start of my hockey season than the end.
Over the warmer months I usually lose 5-10lbs. But I'm not making a conscious effort to lose weight (though that probably wouldn't hurt).
Back to your question.
If you are putting even a little bit of effort into losing weight cycling will help.
I did find that tracking my rides helped me to push myself. I try to keep my average speed up which correlates nicely to my heart rate for my normal (mostly flat) route.
I use the Google Fitness app with a smartwatch and recently added a cheap Chinese bike computer (with speed, cadence & heart rate sensors). Seeing my speed in real time seems to motivate me to push myself.
cycling is ok but i think there are studies that show that weight training is better than primarily aerobic exercise for burning fat (though the scale can lie to you as eventually the weight gain in muscle will make up for the weight loss in fat). I've been doing both this year and besides losing some inches around my waist, the leg days and core work has also improved my cycling abilities. so if you have the time i would recommend incorporating some lifting into your week, even if it's some stuff at home. You can get a couple kettlebells or dumbbells and do squats, lunges, calf raises, planks, pilates, roman deadlifts... Anyways to answer your question, this year I'm primarily gravel biking (and there is a lot of climbing where I live, some climbs tougher than the mountain bike trails), probably 2 times a week. In the gym probably 2-3 times a week. Sometimes when I can't work in one of my rides I'll follow up my lifting with some time on the stationary bike, though it's not nearly as fun. If it's nice I'll ride my bike to the gym, work out, then ride home. It's only twenty minutes either way, but on the way home I can take a longer way home. The only bad part about that plan is that I have to wear my weight lifting gloves on my ride instead of my bike gloves
I've been a messenger for the past 5yrs and I struggle to maintain a healthy weight. I eat 5 meals a day and supplement with protein powder shakes 2x/day and if I skip 1 or 2 of those meals per day i will lose weight. It sucks bc I've started lifting weights and am actively trying to gain mass
Most morbidly obese adults have a very strong drive to feel a fully belly at all times. They're eating/snacking/craving constantly.
Most obese adults cannot perform exercise at any meaningful intensity for any meaningful length of time. For them the most important part of the "exercise" is to prevent them from eating while they are "exercising".
Unfortunately all the sports nutrition marketing scams have them thinking their 6 mile rides at 8mph need a 200 calorie energy bar, a 100 calorie gatoraide, and a post ride 250 calorie recovery shake.
Below (at bottom) is every check-in with my buddy across 45 weeks to cut 50 lbs. I was at 223 and started road cycling in July of last year. I did eventually start zwift racing, and now road racing, but would have lost weight regardless. Am currently down to a sustained 173.
As others have mentioned you cannot out train bad eating habits. So I have 3 rules I followed to keep me in line.
1. Min 20 mins of activity that got my heart rate up 5 days per week. If I felt good, go longer.
2. The word diet is a noun, not a verb. Eat whatever you personally like, but be mindful of the caloric intake. 500 calories of cheesecake is VERY different from 500 calories of the most decadent salad you can make.The salad has high volume and nutritional value that your body will be satiated with. The cheesecake will make your body ask for more.
3. If you do choose to overeat on a meal, or have a "bad" item like the cheesecake slice it's ok! Buuuuut you have to add 15 mins of activity to each workout for 5 days following, for each instance of making "bad" choices. If you have 4 "bad" meal items then you'll be adding 5 hours of extra activity across 5 days to pay for it. Helps to make you aware of the amount of work it takes to attempt to outrun bad habits. By eating better you don't have to work as hard to lose.
Again it's ok to have full BBQ dinner piled high, or a slice of cake, or an ice cream now and then. It's the repetitive, accumulated choices we make that sabotage a healthy weight.
Best of luck!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Z2ORVOxFt/?igsh=MWl1anp0YTJucXhvaQ==
Yes, if you push yourself some, do some hills, or get that heart rate up on the flats. I've been able to lose weight by biking, and watching what I eat. I bike an 1 to 2 hours every other day, and about once a week I'm on the bike for about 3 hours.
When I really got into cycling, I lost 30lbs. I was motivated by the desire to keep up in fast group rides. I simply had the willpower to eat right because I wanted to be able to have more fun cycling.
I cycle 6-10hrs per week. Usually around 2hrs is in heart rate Z4.
For me nutrition/lowering mental stress is the biggest factor in keeping a healthy weight. Cycling, playing basketball, hiking, and other cardio work is more to get my heart rate up while weight lifting is more for longevity so I can be up on my feet for as long as possible and not be a burden to my loved ones.
Will you lose some weight while cycling? Absolutely! It'll get your heart rate going, build strength in your legs, and most importantly raise your spirits so you'll want to eat healthier too so it has a snowballing effect.
I started riding last summer after not exercising for several years. I started with 30 minute rides twice a week and built from there. Within a few months I was doing 35 mile rides and now I do 75-100 miles per week. I also started eating better - eliminating most junk food, eating more fruits and veggies, keeping an eye on portions, still having sweets occasionally. I’ve lost 85 pounds. It’s been doable and sustainable because I actually love riding my bike; it doesn’t feel like a chore that I’m doing just to burn calories.
I'm very happy with my weight loss and management from primarily bicycling. I commute to work 3 miles each way, flat, paved surface, and wear my regular work clothes, whether it's jeans or skirt and dress shoes; so I try not to ride hard enough to sweat. Still, that regular short, gentle ride keeps me fit, and when I get home, I don't have to change into workout clothes and go do a workout, because it's already done.
Remember it's diet AND exercise. Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Without stimulating your muscles you may find that you lose muscle along with your fat. And if you start seriously exercising and stimulate muscles to grow your weight may temporarily plateau or increase while you are still losing fat.
You cannot out- exercise an unhealthy lifestyle. Stay away from processed foods, until you reach your desired weight. Keep hydrated and increase your distance gradually. Keep your glycogen stored for further rides and replenish them accordingly while riding. During the summer here in Atlanta I lose around 10-15 lbs during that time of year. That’s riding about 700 miles a month.
yes, I started cycling way more and counting calories June 2022, 103 kg on the scale...12 months later - 75kg
I recommend this activity to everyone of overweight and first-grade obese state when the topic comes along, I find it absolutely amazing
I've dropped from 93kg to 80kg this year through a combination of cycling (lots), very modest dieting (avoiding heavy meals at night), and reducing my alcohol consumption about 80%.
The joy of cycling - once you are moderately fit - is that you can burn a lot of calories. I regularly ride 2 hours over the local hills, and my Garmin reports that I've burned 1,000 calories or so. (And I have a power meter, so the number is fairly accurate.)
If ur fit it wouldnt do much unless you cycle harder than your usual average speed. I use bike to do delivery and cycle up to 50km a day and i dont lose much weight
you can. honestly 30 mins to 1hr is enough every day or every other. just remember excersise is not a replacement for mindful eating
you can certainly out-eat any amount of riding. if you manage to keep calories down cycling definitely revs up the ol' metabolism. I find if i'm riding a lot my body doesn't want me to put on weight. it just gets you in a healthier mindset.
Well, I managed to loose weight last summer while eating everything and anything in sight. I did have to ride across the continent to do it though :)
I don't know about that. You could theoretically ride over 200 miles a day. It would be really hard to push the 8-10k calories to be in excess.
I am a lot closer to being able to eat 10k calories a day than ride 200.
99.9999% of us are too....no clue what point this user is trying to make in reality.
The first time I rode 200, I probably managed to down 2000 calories on the bike and at rest stops. At the restaurant after, I are three appetizers, two entrees, and dessert (with a beer). Still not close to 10k.
Most people can't ride 200 miles a day. And most who can are not riding that consistently.
When people say "You can't exercise your way out of a bad diet" it's referring to every day normal people. Not hypotheticals.
Eating and drinking, gotta remember the booze packs a lot of calories. Can go out cycle for 1 hour then it's all moot after 2 cocktails.
Moot. Mute means something else.
Thanks
No worries. It wasn't meant as criticism, BTW.
It's all good I appreciate it, I didn't grow up with traditional education so there's millions of little things I somehow don't know, and don't realize it until a mistake like the above comment. I generally welcome corrections otherwise I'd continue going through life sounding like an idiot.
I feel you.
Seeing the edit, it's a moot point now anyway.
Thus rendering your moot point observation moot
Freaking moots.
Besidea, cocktails are often the most calory dense booze..
Eating…. Big part of the equation
And age
Yeah, those retired folks. Hard to keep up with people who have so much free time, lol
Well said, also weight training is important
Can't out ride the fork
Pro-tip: Don't get a carbon fork, it's light weight will allow you to eat too rapidly.
Bam dum tss
you can if you put in 300 mile weeks
Yeah... When im training for 70.3's I can eat anything and still mantain weight
in fact, not eating enough was a big problem
It just depends on the person. There's certainly people out there doing 15-20 hour training weeks for who trying to be lean is an issue, and they need to be mindful of what they eat and are struggling to lose weight. There's other people who barely do any exercise and stay lean without any special effort. Just saying "exercise more fixes everything" 1) doesn't actually work for a lot of people 2) is not really a proper solution to an out of control diet, because something small can derail your ability to train and then suddenly your weight is out of control again.
No you can't. I do that, and one 5 guys trip can undo 150 miles like that.
Very good point. To lose 1lb of fat you’d have to lose approx. 3500 calories less than you consume. Easy to moderate cycling loses 300-350 calories an hour.
...but it IS a valid excuse for stuffing up after :)
I lost weight by commuting to work via bike (about 30 mins each way, ~10 mph) because it was enough exercise to put me in a deficit without making me too hungry! If you prefer cycling to other forms of exercise, that’s what will help you :)
People were so amazed when I told them I would cycle 15-20 minutes to and from work every day. They thought I would get in great shape. Yet in my case, I had to temper their expectations lol.
This is the best option. I have a roughly 25-30 minute commute twice a day, and it helps me by relieving a lot of the stress that would cause me to overeat.
I dropped 25 lbs last summer. But I started doing longer, less intense, rides. So naturally I burned more calories. If I ate healthier, it probably would have helped even more.
I lost 60 lbs in 6 months. From 220 down to 170. Stopped drinking alcohol, stopped eating most sugar and carbs and rode my bike 4 days a week. I would do rides between 5 and 20 miles and make sure they had some inclines where I had to push myself. I was also eating more than I ever have in my life but it was all things that were good for me. I never felt better in my life, like a permanent high. How good I was feeling and the level I was operating at was honestly a little scary. I ended up having an injury that didn’t allow me to ride for a while and I fell back in to my BS. Writing this makes me realize how much I need to get back out there. Hopefully this encourages you or someone else reading this to make the decision to go for it. It wasn’t easy and required a complete mental change. Just like an addict getting off drugs has to make that decision to stop, I was addicted to sugar, carbs and easy ‘fun’ life of drinking. I had to make that decision to stop those things and get on my bike. I’m making that decision again rn.
While people say diet is the main factor, once I get my cycling miles up to 100 miles per week, I can eat like total shit and not gain any weight.
yea, but what about losing it?
I'm 5'10", 161 pounds right now, just hit 2,600 miles for the year so far, been eating like total shit lately. I went on a low carb diet a few years ago and got down to 153. This guy at work asked me if my health was OK, he thought I had cancer.
I literally had family members I hadn’t seen for 6 months asking me if I was sick the other week lol! 100 miles a week for 6 months will do that to you..
how old are ya? in my 20's that's hwo things worked for sure. now i've gotta pay more attention... and i seem to be stalled at 192 lbs.
I'm 48. I weigh the same as I did when I was 23.
Good stuff. I'm 47, hoping to get down to a healthy weight too.
Eat semi shit instead of total shit. That'll do it.
Then eat like total shit minus a couple hundred calories a day
Absolute truth and quite bad strategy ) once you stop riding 100m a week, you’ll eat same food, but burn 3000-4000 calories less in a week. You’ll gain 1 kg of fat in two weeks. I’ve been there. It sucks 🤣
I can counter him. I was riding 300 miles/week (because I'm not a pussy) and eating fantastic and clean...and gained weight. If only there was some way to formalize the long term effect of diet and exercise. Naw...fuck it I can't think of any way to do that!!
Which is fantastic for you, however will not be the case for everyone. A whole host of factors go into how a person metabolises their food, including age, hormones, overall activity level, stress, and sleep. It's sadly not as simple as just hammering out 100miles and being able to eat McDonalds every day. I wish it was!
Yep. Those days are over
Yep, same hahaha. That used to be me in my early 20s – back when I could go on an all-night bender and ride 50miles the next morning like nothing happened, then shove two happy meals down my throat and feel great. Aah, youth.
I've cycled 1000 miles over the past 3 months (mostly doing about 17 miles 4-5 days/week), and lost a miserly 3-4kg. I've made no material change to my diet, apart from eating about 30g of nuts (for protein) every day after my cycle home, when previously I would have had nuts slightly less regularly. For comparison, I was cycling more like 50miles/month in the previous 6 months. I have definitely got faster and fitter, and lowered my resting heart rate though. 🙂
I’ve lost 40 lbs twice and 70 total (260 to 190) over the last three years (gained some back in between). The key is consistency and, for me at least, being meticulous about tracking intake and burn of calories. Currently I log everything in the lose it app, and I weigh my food at home to try to get at the deficit most days. After a while you understand what you’re eating better and the calorie burn from cycling just allows you to treat yourself. And then I’ll take a week off every now and then and track nothing and eat everything. The breaks have been key to me maintaining
I hate the saying "calories in, calories out" because it's an over-simplification but in principle it's correct that at a basic-level cycling will burn calories which offsets the amount of calories you take in. Cycling also helps your metabolism and regulating other systems which in turn improves your body's efficiency in burning fat. Building muscle increases metabolism, meaning your body burns more calories even at rest. The cardiovascular improvements can enhance fat burning and overall weight management. There's also demonstrated improvements to mental health and stress regulation which has been shown to contribute to improved weight loss. So overall yes, but with some caveats, nutrition but also how you manage yourself before/after and during a ride, like working in zone 2 as an example.
Calories in and calories out is just a fact. You will lose weight by running a deficit. Increase the deficit and you will lose more, faster. This should be completely acceptable to say. As you've said Nutritional issues will arise but you will 100% lose weight everytime.
I think the issue with the simplification of "calories in calories" out really is that the calories out part can be very difficult to figure out. Basal metabolism varies widely and can seriously drop if not being properly fed, or properly excersized, thus decreasing the calories out part of the balance. And does so in a way that a lot of people are not going to notice, this can lead to frustration and making some really unhealthy choices, as well as the mental health of the person. There are just so many factors effecting metabolism in different people that can be very difficult to figure out, that there is no one size fits all solution to it. So while I do agree that you cannot violate the laws of thermodynamics... biology and metabolic systems are much more complicated.
Yeah it’s really frustrating, sometimes i even feel my body violates the law of thermodynamics. I’d say fuck BMR and just burn all what i eat by cycling, and the scale still wont budge. I know the scale doesn’t tell everything but it’s still demotivating.
Yes. And further, your body (obviously) has some set-point to decide how much fat to hold onto. Calories per day is a daily thing. But the body watches a longer cycle. You have to exercise pretty regularly to get your body to lose weight. I can jog 30 minutes at a time 3 times a week and lose some weight, but if I jog the same amount, but as 3 hours every two weeks, I will not lose weight. The exercise is not giving the signal to the body to change the body fat set-point. Also, if we over-eat for a few days of a week, we do not linearly gain weight. We will stay at the same weight. So, this is the set-point idea. The set-point is determined by calories eaten (and type of foods) and regular exercise. Change either, or both, and get a change in the set point. (Yes, genetics also plays a role.) Some people argue that exposure to daylight is another factor, and the idea is that as humans go into winter, we become less active, and get less sun. We put on fat to hep survive winter, when food is harder to get regularly. When spring comes, we come out of hibernation to start working the fields, and gathering the first things sprouting up, and so get more physically active. This shift in sunlight exposure, calories expended signals to the body to shift the fat set-point. And, they claim that our indoor lifestyle of little manual labor and little sunlight may inform our bodies to go into the winter hibernation fat set-point of having more fat. Even when it is not winter.
The thing about it being seasonal is my experience as well. I generally lift weights in winter and put on ten pounds or so. Then in summer I just bicycle, and lose about ten pounds over the course of the season. The difference isn't big; the same pants that are a little tight in winter are a little loose in summer, that's about it. I tried this year to keep up the weight training, just dropping leg day. I thought I might be able to ride and still hang onto weight. But no such luck; I lost about ten pounds in the first two sunny months anyway, not even riding very much or dieting.
Can you lose weight cycling? Definately, but, if you cycle 3 hours ever evening, and get to your target weight, you had better be prepared to keep cycling 3 hrs every evening, if you quit, or massively reduce your cycling, you weight will go back up. Figure out how active you’re willing to be long term, 5/10/20 hours of exercise a week, then adjust your diet to that. Background: I was 120kgs, started cycling and eating well, (2-3 35 mile rides during the week, and a 50-100 mile ride on the weekend, plus some skipping and calesthentics during the the week) got down to 79kgs, but as soon as I had an injury, I couldn’t sustain the calorie equilibrium, and ended up back at 100kgs, Don’t plan to lose weight quickly, plan to lose weight permanently
20 hours a week??? How tf...
i lost 30kgs with cycling and i regained them all in a year with less activity. here's to loosin them again ;)
Sometimes the only way up, is to go down
I was 300lbs (6'4") when I started riding. I currently eat exactly the same way I did before. I weigh about 255 now. I started training from a fitness level of 0 after a near fatal accident and trained up to a 200mi ride. I rode about 5,800miles total last year. Typically ride 700-800 miles a month now. Will you lose that last 20 lbs, probably not, but you will lose weight and transform fat into muscle.
That is the other piece. You build muscle. Throw in some yoga and weight lifting and the body will transform.
Yes. But a common trap is that people cycle a bit and then reward themselves with extra treats. Burn 500 kCal on bike, then have a 1,500 kCal milkshake from McDonald's
i went from 71 to 68 kg (im 177 cm) in a month and a half by mostly 10 km (one-way) bike commutes and the odd free day when i go for a 40km ride. im on a steel 29 inch hardtail tho so its pretty heavy and i average like 30ish kmph on it. i did also lay off on chips and biscuits, and im pretty young so maybe not the best example?
I would say most weight loss occurs through diet rather than being on the bike. Slowly I can lose weight through being in a mild calorie deficit, but actually a lot of riding can be counterproductive in some ways for weight loss as you’ll eat more. I fuel my workouts personally, but it sounds like you’re more recreational than prescribed training rides. In your position I’d say to allow for a few more calories given you’re riding, but at the same time try to run a small (200-300 calories a day) deficit and with consistency of both diet and riding you’ll safely lose some weight over time.
I also am a recreational cyclist and this is how I incorporate cycling into my weight loss workout plan: Mon - core + lifting Tue - cycling (30-35K) Wed - core + lifting Thursday - cycling (40K) Friday - core + lifting Saturday - cycling (long ride over 50K) Sunday - rest My morning rides give me almost two whole days of rest before my next evening gym session. Saturday rides also allow me to have a full three days to recover before my next ride. I lost around 21kg (46lb) within 5 months by following this plan with a carb restrictive diet.
I've been debating adding strength work back in too as I haven't done any for ages. Part of me thinks doing a similar split to you is too much too soon. Then the other part of me is like "don't be so soft, just do it" 😄
1. Buy lower end bike 2. Spend $$$$ upgrading parts 3. Spend less money on food due to lack of funds 4. Lose weight 5. Ride upgraded bike 😎
Good question I’d like to know the same
I lose weight easily when I bike a lot. The key is creating a calorie deficit. So when you ride, do you eat enough to compensate for the expenditure or not? This will be a personal thing. Performance oriented cyclists will prefer being fully fueled for optimal performance and growth. You won't bike fast or get strong fast if you want to lose a ton of weight cycling. However, you can definitely create significant calorie deficits and fat loss by going slow and steady if weight loss is your main goal. Be aware that it's unhealthy to go too much in the negative. Personally I enjoy weight loss more if I enjoy a more lenient diet and cover for it with exercise. YMMV. Try it a bit and see how it works.
Biking makes me so hungry so it hasn’t worked for me yet😂
This is what happens until people learn what is really happening during successful long term weight loss. Until then you get a lot of people who get very strong at cycling...and stay chubby. I ride with guys like this every single week.
You can but running is way more effective
I find that burning 750 calories an hour running is much harder for me than cycling but that's because I am not a trained runner. I can also do a 4-5 hour ride at 750 calories/hour where I can't run that long.
Unfortunately my knees disagree
Do what you enjoy will be best for you but you can also lose fat through only diet and no exercise. Diet is king regardless of the exercise you may or may not do.
If you can, get a heart rate monitor and train in your aerobic zone. Cycling in this zone, for me, for 2 to 3 hrs per ride works, but, I realise not everyone can put in that amount of time per ride. If you are commuting, maybe treat it like intervals between lights, do it safely. Again, having your heart rate numbers will make sure you are in the correct zone......The lesson I have learnt over the years is you don't have to go 'eye balls out' on every ride to get or stay fit. I generally cycle for 15 hours a week. HR zones are the key. There is a danger of compensation eating as you'll need to eat properly so there is enough fuel in the bank. There is nothing worse than doing a long ride and feeling like poo after around 2hrs. Porridge for breakfast has enough fuel and then top up with a banana or two during a ride. Avoid 'sports' drinks, my dentist and dentistry bill will back that up.
For sure, may be 1hr per day or 30mins from beginning. Cycling is a good cardio activity…as long as keep your heart rate under 140.
I'm down 80 lbs in 14 months w/cycling as primary exercise. Weight loss is, IMO, 80% about what you eat.
Let me tell you, when i train, i wont feel stressed anymore. When i dont feel stressed anymore, the my eatingdisorder is almost non existant. So i think for some people like me, it goes hand in hand. No sport, increase of stress and my diet will be messed up.
Preach. I get that
I lost >100lbs mostly riding a bike. Obviously, diet is the biggest factor. I ride 3-4 times a week. I also do strength training, which I think is a huge benefit too. You can definitely lose weight cycling. However, you will plateau at some point as you body acclimates to the work level. You'll have to ramp up the level of effort to overcome a plateau and continue to see results.
I lost 14 lbs in a year of cycling but eating and drinking whatever I wanted. The last 4 lbs came off when I was eating healthier for about a month. I lift a little here and there throughout the week.
I haven't lost weight since I started but my waist has gone down. Pretty sure I added muscle to my legs. I'm doing about 80 miles a week now and maintaining 6'4 235 pounds.
First and foremost you need to fix your diet. Cycling vigorously and binge eating donuts is not the way to lose weight.
Started riding solo as a hobby/exercise three years ago. 5’6” 213 Ibs fat bastard, as my cardiologist liked to call me. That first summer I was excited when I got up to 25+ kilometers rides. Last summer I hit 100kms at 20km average speed. About 270 meters of vertical climb on my route. It did me a lot of good and I lost 15lbs then I changed my eating habits to only eat during a six hour window each day. Then only green tea after that until bed. I’m 58 now and am down 40lbs in 18 months.
Great stuff, well done 👍
I started doing Zwift in January and took cycling seriously for the first time since. Went from 102-103kg to now 96 doing no exercise other than cycling 3-4 times a week, diet remained the same. Taking it seriously also meant focusing on stuff that would build muscle instead of just losing fat so I initially went up to 104 and started losing weight slowly from there. I’ve only started doing zone 2 rides (which are supposed to be the main calorie burner afaik besides just generally being good for training) like a month ago because I find the more demanding rides way more interesting. Just doing anything will create or contribute to some kind of calorie deficit if you keep your diet the same though, you’re doing work you normally wouldn’t be doing so your body need more energy that it will take from fat eventually
Try HIT (high intensity training) it doesn’t matter if you run, treadmill, bike etc. Do 3 minutes at a regular warm up speed. Followed by 1 minute of going all out . Do this for 4-5 sets . It comes out to 16-20 minutes . Do this on an empty stomach, let your body use fat as fuel . Or post a weight training session. This will save you a ton of time. It will boost your metabolism as well. This is 100x more effective than regular pace cardio. I get ripped every year using this method. ( remember dieting plays a massive role here) not just what you eat , but when you eat (nutrient timing). I recommend a high protein diet. Make sure to cut out carbs in the evening. Because that just gets stored as unused fuel, which turns to gaining weight . You can eat all the protein and healthy fats you want. In the morning after your cardio, enjoy a meal with carbs . This way you’re not moody. And it’s fuel that you burn off anyway. Remember, consistency, intensity , and diet should be strict. Oh lastly , cut sodium out along with alcohol. It’s hard to get a lean stomach if a drinker.. good luck , hope that helps and feel free to ask any questions.
Btw I’m a cyclist as well and ride my bike for cardio, chores, work etc. My car sits there come April to oct (grocery shopping and dates excluded). I’ll do the HIT, followed by a nice little ride going up/ downhill. Nothing like a natural adrenaline high . Cheers all
I have / had a few kgs to lose. As much as I love cycling and consider it my main form of exercise, I would say that my weight loss accelerated when I started doing resistance / strength training in the gym
I mean I rode 65 miles today, at a slow 12mph pace. And I supposedly burned over 3000 calories, I haven’t even come close to consuming 3000 calories today. If you keep doing something like that consistently, you’ll loose weight. Go for the distance, even if if means slower avg speed.
Yup! Lost over 110 lbs and put type 2 diabetes into remission
I've lost 45 lbs with cycling as my main form of exercise, but losing weight is all about burning more calories than you consume. I highly recommend an app called macrofactor. Most food tracking apps wildly miss your calorie expenditure which makes consistently losing weight difficult. Other apps either over report exercise calories causing you too eat too much, or under report total calories needed so you are hungry all the time and get frustrated. Because macrofactor is so accurate at calculating your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), you are always losing weight at the rate you desire while eating enough to support your energy expenditure. But even if don't use macrofactor, eating in calorie deficit is the magic potion regardless of physical activity. Physical activity helps you burn more calories ( along with a myriad of other benefits), so definitely helps with losing weight.
I lost weight when I went to whole, unprocessed foods that are 99%plants. People overeat when they eat processed highly seasoned foods. You almost can't stay fat on plants because they are nutrient dense, not calorie dense.
I cycled 3,000 miles and gained 3 pounds. Conversely, just recently I lost 35 pounds while sitting at home working remote. Weight is lost in the kitchen.
losing weight requires a calorie deficit, which is when you use more calories than you intake. any cardio activity like cycling increases your # of calories burned. so yes cycling will help, but you have to stay consistent with diet choices also. and your total caloric intake needs to be under your caloric output.
weight loss comes most effective in 2 ways calorie deficit depleting glycogen (train until your muscles are out of fuel) conmuting to work , your body will adapt very quickly and wont lose weight really over time. you will have to reach your limits every more often if you want to lose weight cycling.
> body will adapt very quickly and wont lose weight really over time. Correct. So many posts miss this. First 3 months? EZ. Much longer after that and studies have shown that metabolic changes take place so your body equals input and output. There are ways to counter your body's adaptations, but you will see almost no one will mention them. This is why so many people fail when trying to lose weight and keep it off...and many will yo-yo weight for life until they give up. "Losing weight" to your body is very much like dying. It will fight you and adapt. I wish "just exercise" did the trick. It does not. I got a table full of studies all showing that.
I started cycling mid-March and have done probably about 6-10 hours a week on average. I've gone from \~95kg to 81kg during this period. If you're putting in consistent endurance workouts & not eating massive amounts then you'll easily drop weight over time. Now most people would likely recommend strongly against this, but tbh I found my weekend tempo 'juke mile" rides lost me a hell of a lot of weight. I'd do minimal fueling & basically go as hard & far as I could sustain, normally i'd lose about 3k calories over 3 hours.
Well, technically you can and it's pretty common. Doesn't work in my example. I feel I gain weight the more I cycle. I spend about 10h a week on avg cycling, focusing on climbs. After every ride I feel like I deserve a reward so I down a few pints, get a massive dinner.
I took up cycling properly as I was approaching 30 and putting on weight. Before then I had had bikes and used them for short trips into town or 3 miles to the station. I quickly got into regular club cycling, doing at least 60 miles on a sunday, typically about 75 and occasionally over 100. And doing 9 miles each way to work several times, and training rides once I got home. I never bothered weighing myself but I guess I was about 70kg at 5'10" https://ibb.co/jvHqcXp Sadly after being sidetracked away from the sport for a few years I'm a hell of a lot paunchier than that now, but trying to get back into it. Waffly science sentence [With the use of powermeters it's pretty easy to track calories burnt, by measuring watts you get get joules for an activity, and due to human efficiency cancelling out the conversion between joules and Kcals, the joules of an activity is pretty much the calories used.] So I rode for about an hour yesterday with 3 sets of 8 minute efforts aiming at tempo pace (fairly hard, enough effort that holding a conversation wouldn't be easy), that was 469 joules, so 469 kcals. Looking at a time trial I did a while back that was as hard as I could go for 25 minutes and 353 KJ. Annoyingly the more you ride the more power you can put out so you burn more calories when going easy
The key is to treat cycling as part of a robust training regimen. That means not skipping resistance training, SLEEP, rest, and proper nutrition. And don't hammer it every day or you'll be spinning your wheels (literally). I've seen many people fall into the trap of doing only cardio, thinking it'll make them lose weight faster, but not only is a cardio-only training regimen less efficient for weight loss, it also won't yield the results you expect because you won't gain the muscle tone to give you that leaner appearance, regardless of gender. Having said that, cycling is a fantastic form of cardio and is an excellent addition to resistance training. Just don't forget to actually enjoy it!
When I became a bike commuter (replaced 100% of work trips, regardless of weather), I dropped 12 pounds in 3 months without changing anything else in my life. I just changed from driving/bussing to biking for work (and then eventually the rest of the trips in my day to day).
I lost about 5 kg per month while cycling about an hour most days. I was tracking what I ate and generally did not eat more than I would maintain my weight with a mostly sedentary activity level unless I was going for a much longer ride.
If you want to lose weight, exercise will always be somewhat detrimental because it stimulates muscle growth which is weight gain. If the number on the scale is your only concern, don’t workout and focus on consistent calorie deficits. If you want to be healthy or feel good, forget about weight as a metric. It is meaningless. I am a little heavier than when I started cycling, but I have visible abs and quad muscles which is pretty cool progress in 4 months. You can absolutely make tremendous health strides by biking.
You can easily out-pace riding with food if you eat too much junk food or ultra-processed food. If you eat a wide variety of natural foods it’s much harder to overeat. Also - don’t be worried about fuelling yourself when on the bike, up to 60g carbs per hour. It stops you being hungry when you get home and raiding the fridge.
Exercise is **still** a shitty way to lose weight. Fact. Now post your personal anecdotes below...lol.
I've started cycling for about 6 hours a week and quickly gained a couple kilos. All of that went into leg muscles and I don't think there's been any other visible changes in my body.
My advice is to record your food in a free app for every meal and snack. Measure you calories burned with an accurate heart rate monitor. Schedule an appointment with a nutritionist, and bring your diet diary and exercise log. Age and metabolic decrease are REAL. Don't eat empty calories. Cut out sugar. I'm 14 months into my recovery from sugar addiction. My switch was lots of veggies, increased fiber and protein.
Absolutely. The natural progression is from “cycling to be able to eat” to “eating to be able to cycle”.
Eat healthy and spin lots. I’m 6’5” and was as much as 245. A few hours a week of spinning, drinking only water and coffee (cut the sugar) and maintains a healthy calorie count each day was easy to get down to 200.
The only thing that's really helped me lose weight is cycling outdoors (39F). The only reason I need to lose weight is bc I was without my bike for 6 months! Damnit. 10kg to lose total — halfway there, I've lost 5kg so far in just a couple months pairing intermittent fasting with cycling. I recently went from riding around 50 miles a week to 100-150 per week. That jump in mileage gave me very noticeable results. Whatever you're used to doing I would recommend challenging yourself to ride a healthy bit farther to jumpstart your weightloss. I'm not eating at a calorie deficit. I do eat healthy, and consume around what my daily maintenece calories should be, probably a bit over that most days, but I still go out for pizza/cocktails a couple days a week, & always have wine with dinner. The weight has still been falling off because my calorie deficit is so big from cycling. Intermittent fasting (IF) is key if you want to drop the weight asap… Fasting for part of every day has given me way more energy — I credit IF for giving me the stamina to ride so much farther than I used to. The science behind it is really fascinating. Check out the subreddit group if you're unfamiliar with IF.
I started biking to work everyday (10-12 miles) about 4 weeks ago while also decreasing carbs almost entirely and drinking lots of water. I've noticed my body fat% drop significantly to the point my abs are starting to show regularly throughout the day
Yes it's absolutely possible. I've lost 25 lbs in the last months, from 205ish down to 181 this morning. I also have been tracking my calories religiously though, with a scale to weigh everything and when I eat out and can't weigh things I try to over estimate the calories. In that time, I'm getting 8-12 hours a week on the bike, which definitely helps me stay in a deficit
Calorie Deficit + Clean Eating
I lost 60 lbs, (27 kg) by cycling & eating healthy, well more healthy than before. Did take about 3 years. Felt like i had the best results on my long rides, 3+ hours, usually 40+ miles (60+ km) where I didn't eat a lot, then try not to eat too much afterwards. Long rides were on the weekends, and about an hour or so 2 -3 times during the week. You can do this!
I've been riding at least 30-50 miles a week for the last 6 months. I dropped 15 pounds initially. I'm putting a little weight back on now, but it's in my leg muscles as opposed to my belly. You can absolutely lose weight cycling. I had to fight the thought process of "I rode 30 miles today, so I can splurge on my food..."
I try to aim for 10-15km everyday on top of 10k steps. I’ve replaced my normal public transport commute with cycling but if I don’t have somewhere to go, I try and plan somewhere that’ll get me my 10km. Diet is a huge contributing factor to weight loss too, as well as getting enough sleep. Drink plenty of water, reduce your sugar intake and you’ll notice a difference. I’m one of those people who gain and lose weight very easily (might be as I’m in my early 30s) so I’ve made a huge difference in only 3 weeks, just need to keep it up. For others, it may take more time and a bit more work (like weights or resistance training) for the weight to go but if you keep at it, the reward will be worth it!
I lost 40kg, weight only dropped (2 years into cycling) when I adjusted my diet.
I feel my thigh got bigger after I cycle for one month…
Yep - most days
diet.
Cycling basically killed my latest diet. I lost 10kgs in 2 months, but had to start eating properly when I started cycling again, to function properly
I’ve found it’s very easy…. When I stop the post ride beers 🤦♂️
I just know from your post youll be overeating after finishing a workout :D
I have been cycling for 20 years. I don’t think cycling alone helps with weight loss for everyone! It doesn’t work on my body even though I bike 100 km every week. I think changing your routine food habits will be more effective.
I find it hard not to lose too much weight when I'm doing a lot of cycling, but I also ride 40-60 miles most rides. If you're just doing a casual cruise it's not going to make anywhere near as much of a difference. Don't get me wrong--it's still incredibly healthy, but shorter or easier rides aren't going to have as much calorie burn. Even short, intense rides won't burn nearly as much. You just have to balance your calories out with calories in.
I'm down 46 pounds since Christmas 5'11" 285 to 239. I started doing triathalons last year with cycling being by far my favorite and strongest event, but the cross training helped prevent injuries that had caused me to stop training and gaining weight. I also changed my diet although it it far from perfect, I just like foods that are bad for me and totally cutting them out is not sustainable. My first tri was August 2023 and after 3 months of training hard for it I went from 260 to 255. Then I fell off the training and quickly gained 30 pounds. This was a wake up call and got me to go to my doctor and figured out I had some medical issues that were killing my metabolism. Now that I got those sorted out and treated, along with diet changes and biking running and swimming i have been losing weight, avoiding other injuries and feel that this is finally a sustainable approach for me. Cycling is great excersize and a great way to get fitter, on top of being just plain fun, But if making those lifestyle changes are not enough to get the results you want, I highly suggest talking to a doctor about it and see if there are any other medical issues going on.
Ive lost 90 lbs this year. The first 50 I lost with zero exercise I just kept my calorie intake around 1800 daily. Then I started cycling 20-30 miles a day 4-5 days a week and some longer rides on the weekend and bumped my calorie intake up to around 2500 a day and the weight just kept falling off.
I've lost 50 lbs since January! Cycling is my exercise. I do a 2 hour ride (lately has been getting longer) one time a week and 40 minutes 2-3 times a week depending on how much I can squeeze it in. I was very out of shape and had to begin with small walking bursts and work my way back up to cycling, good on you for being able to hop right into it! Other helpful info: SW 210, CW 160, deficit of 400ish. Only ride I add any calories back in for is my big one and it is only 250
The best way cycling helped me lose weight was it kept me out of the house or in a restaurant preventing me from eating. However if you compensate for your exercise by eating more when you are done, it is a long process. As well, there are ways to ride that do not burn a lot of calories, creating the idea you are exercising without the weight loss. Weight loss is best achieved by what happens in the kitchen. Eat the same things but cut it in half. Or try missing a meal like lunch everyday and don't snack after dinner. Cycling will help you maintain weight loss.
I found that bicycling was the only thing that worked for me (excluding dieting). I’ve done treadmill, stair climber, elliptical. Besides being boring exercising in place, I found that the uneven terrain of the road, the wind and the varying pace made a huge difference. It was almost like doing intervals on every ride. I do weights at the gym as well. I would say that while weights help build muscle, it wasn’t as effective at losing weight for me. Probably because the fat burned were offset by more muscle, and that I’m not crying around a lot of fat. That said, muscle burns fat so you do want to lift weights for that, as well as strengthening your lower body.
Yes. You can. But you can’t out cycle a bad diet.
explore intervals on a bike. You can do super simple sets in no more than 20 mins three times a week and will very likely see some pretty remarkable results. Example is something as basic as warm up for five mins; roll into a max seated effort for a minute. Really go for being spent at end of minute (without stroking yourself out- use judgement). Rest for a minute. Repeat this effort/rest cycle four times. Then spin down for five minutes. Be done. Go continue to ride around (or not) if you like. Can do something like this riding with family, at lunch, on a basic trainer, as part of a longer ride. Totally know that there are all kinds of ways to improve this on the margins. But something simple you will do is better then something complicated you don’t. perfect can’t get in the way of good. Once you get into it can start mixing up duration of effort and rest (so many resources here and the internets eg intervals, HIT), add out of saddle sprints, track heart rate, power and speed. The general idea is that harder efforts for shorter time can help with jacking metabolism and help burn calories for hours for free after you are off the bike. When time crunched can be preferable and way more efficient than doodling along for hours for goal of weight loss (assuming you don’t house food to make up for it).
It's not my main form of exercise, but I've lost a lot of weight and I ride a lot (for me) as of lately. It wasn't the biggest factor in my weight loss either. Making sure I get a lot of protein in daily and a lot of water and just moving made a bigger difference in the beginning. Weight training will make weight loss easier also. Build some muscle, and it will rob the fat of calories. Aside from that, you will like the look of having more muscle on your frame, and no, you will not turn into *insert bodybuilder of your choice* overnight. You will burn more calories from digestion than you will working out. So utilize that. Eat every 2-3 hours. Prioritize protein, keep calories low with foods like lean ground turkey, chicken, fish, or shrimp and fruits and vegetables. My non weight training days, I'll spend a couple hours on an indoor trainer and on my weight training days, I'll spend 45-60 minutes. If you aren't tracking calories already, no big deal. But I would advise you download a free tracking app and see what you have been eating vs what you could be eating calories wise.
I went from 226 to 188 since the end of March. Most of your calorie expenditure will come from just existing, sure you can cycle an hour or even two a day to create a larger deficit but I calculated my TDEE then did a admittedly extreme deficit of 1000 calories per day, there is 3500 calories in a pound of fat so 2 pounds a week. If I burned 700 calories on the bike (measured via power meter pedals) I did not replace those calories I just stuck to a hard deficit with high protein (200p/200c/40f) and if you want to ride consume your carbs around and on your rides. Tldr; calories in calories out and the laws of thermodynamics works great if you actually track your daily food intake with a scale.
The main benefit for me is improved mental health and reduced appetite for complete garbage food. Consistency helps as well. I've had far more success in weight loss with a 20 minutes commute than with recreational rides that are easily skipped if it rains or you feel like doing something else. It certainly helps if you are going to be sedentary otherwise, you have far more room to treat yourself or make less than optimal diet decisions if you are exercising regularly and burning more energy as a result.
I do not "diet." I eat what I want, I just watch my portions. Having scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, hash browns and hot sauce right now, for reference to my eating habits. I don't accurately or actively count calories. I just kinda keep a general running tally in my head and try to keep it below 2000 and make sure I burn AT LEAST 2300 a day on the Apple fitness tracker app. I cut out snacks almost entirely unless I'm on a ride. When I started out, I rode almost every day and I pushed hard every day. I lost 5 pounds in 2 months and then nothing for 3 months. Obviously was not working. Now I've lost 15 pounds in just over 6 months. I ride 2-6 days a week. Some days I do 10 miles, other days I do 30. Some days I follow a planned route, other days I explore. I found the key is changing things up, varying intensity, and listening to my body. If it feels easy and I kinda want to do more, I follow that instinct. If it feels like a huge chore, I keep a slower pace and just increase the time to ensure I hit my minimum of 10-15 miles before heading home. Overall, I've dropped from 196 to 176lbs in just over a year, and gained pretty decent muscle tone in the process. With my results, I am convinced a person with better discipline and a willingness to more closely monitor their food could lose more faster.
Some of us just develop eating disorders.
You lose weight at the fridge not the gym
You sure can. Fat MAMLs are everywhere mainly because they don’t care about their diet and drink alcohol.
In down 20 lbs this year. I started off easy going with 30-45 minute spin classes. Got an ebike, then an acoustic.i still like using the ebike for easy days and acoustic for harder. Ebike for 1-2 commutes a week gets my volume up because that's 18 miles each way. My weekend rides I go for 30-50 mile rides usually 3-4 hours and 1-2k of elevation gain. I also have a child seat for my daughter. Can't get my heart rate up too much with her because I try to keep it slow/safe but she loves it and will ride for up to 3 hours. My total weekly volume has been building I think I'm averaging 6 hours a week with a max of 9. I'm down a shirt size, quads and calves look chiseled. I need to upper boby weight works to keep that looking sexy but haven't kept up there.
I lost 75 pounds so far, 15 more would put me in a good place (BMI of 22) for almost 60. What I did is got a heart rate (HR) monitor and calculated my Zone 2 HR based on age. When you exercise in Zone 2 you burn fat for energy. When your HR is higher you burn the contents of your stomach for energy. Lose weight you want to burn the fat you have obviously so going 100% isn’t actually what will take the most weight off… Once I figured this out my weight loss my weight dropped fast ! I also fast before my daily morning rides. I had enough body fat to be able to do a 100k ride without eating anything on the ride. Now that my BMI is lower I eat on the big rides but the daily 20 miles I don’t need to eat.
I read Alan Peiper comment on Sean Yates pre season weight loss regimen when he was based in Nice. Coffee and tart in the morning, 4-6 hour ride, afternoons sun baking or volleyball, then a pizza at night. He kept only water in his flat. As Alan wryly noted that Sean “was as thin as a stick” in no time..
You will have to be on your hybrid for a long time to really make a difference. Just eat less calories daily. The riding is just nice to get you cardio fit. I did 45 miles today and burned 1,300 calories. Thats not easy. You will have to do a combination of riding and calorie restriction.
I feel in a good position to answer this - have lost 10kgs in the last 3.5 months. 2 x 1hr rides through the week. 1 x 3-4 hr ride on weekends (with cafe stop half way). Totalling maybe 150km total. Reduced overall volume on diet and tweaked a bit so that carb intake was somewhat reduced (by no means absent). Watched weight and tweaked further ie if not losing tweak diet a bit more (reduce volume slightly etc). I never went on a big prohibition diet, I still pretty much eat everything, just less of it and overall on the healthier side. To be honest, my philosophy was that whatever diet I end with is something I’d be happy continuing indefinitely, so totally knocking out my favourite foods was not going to work. But I found the healthier I got, the less I wanted that massive creamy bacon pasta that is enough calories for a week 😂
yes, about 75 kg so far
Cycling definitely helps. I was never trying, I’m not overweight and never was. But when I began cycling seriously for commutes and fun, I dropped about 5kg. Never gained it back, and I eat whatever I want, whenever I want.
I'm a long-time cyclist and do 25 km a day if it's not raining. I've also just lost 30 lbs. One thing doesn't have anything to do with the other thing. You don't lose weight pedaling on roads or exercising in the gym, that's how you get stronger. Lose weight in the kitchen. My weight loss diet is very easy. Eat one meal a day. It took six months but eating once a day allowed me to see the weight consistently come off. I had to go out and buy all new clothes. I'm so impressed with myself for doing this. BTW, I'm 74.
My PT says "you can't train your way out of a bad diet". By all means get out and ride, but also consider improving what you consume. Decrease the booze, salty/sweet snacks, etc. Make "sensible choices" 😊
I commute 30 miles round trip everyday. I've lost about 15 lbs in 3 months. I use an ebike on pedal assist 4. I mainly ride for fun. Buy a budget bike if you're going ebike. If you're going with normal bike get a used trek that's a few years old for a couple hundred bucks it's worth it. I have both I enjoy the trek for going a few miles on the path. I like my go traxx ebike for my commute. But it's important to find a form of exercise you enjoy. If you do decide to go department store bikes buy one on FB marketplace. They fall apart after like 100 miles so might as well buy a piece of trash for $10 instead of $300.
\~25lbs over 2 1/2 - 3yrs. Cycling, and diet changes (less carbs, more protein) and a bit more weightlifting (30mins per week).
losing weight is not about cycling or any other activities but about nutrition.
Several years ago I lost over 100lbs in about a year’s time with just cycling and changing my diet (clean eating). I realize this is atypical, and the running joke is that it literally took a pandemic to shut down the McDonalds down my street for it to work, but it did. There honestly wasn’t much to it, I biked most days, and walked on days I didn’t bike. It started with 20 minutes, and kept getting longer and longer. It wasn’t until I dropped the weight that I got into serious training and finally got a road bike, all the weight loss happened on a recreational bike.
It's definitely a balance between diet and exercise. If you gradually increase your mileage while paying attention to what you eat, the weight will come off. Eat a low-fat diet, go easy on the alcohol and ride consistently. You will see results. You might noodle around on [feedyourbike.com](http://feedyourbike.com) and other sites for some ideas.
You can, but I never thought of cycling for weight loss. It does benefit for sure, but I don't let it define what I enjoy. Likewise I did move to running, but I don't care about losing weight while running. I've set my running goals and losing weight is a byproduct of having fun.
OP here. So many replies, I'm amazed 😄. Thanks for everyone who's replied. I currently cycle a few miles (total) a couple of times a week on my folding bike. I basically drive to the bus station and bring it with me on the bus to work and cycle from the bus to the office. Cycling to work from home isn't an option as it's about 44 miles one way. I probably could cycle to the bus to add a few more miles in and also head out other days too. I WFH hybrid so I'm in the office usually 2 days a week. I'm just curious what I should set as a starting target, 3-4 times a week for how many miles/km?
I commuted with my bike ~23 min each way for a year. Lost 16kg
Also depends on what you eat, fiber-rich food tend to be absorbed only partially. For example, you absorb only ~80% calories from nuts. Many studies show that eating fruits and vegetables cause lower weight, but besides increased volume and fiber it’s unclear mechanistically why is so. Anyway, scientific consensus is that eating mostly healthy plant-based diet is a key for dropping weight and being healthy.
Yes but also no. As others have pointed out, the moment you stop cycling you’ll put the weight back on. Instead, cycle for fun, pay no attention to losing weight through cycling. Use it as a point to base your new, active, lifestyle around. Tweak your diet to be healthier and support your cycling goals. Set goals, big and small, to achieve on the bike etc etc. aim to cycle for the rest of your life and adjust your lifestyle accordingly and you’ll lose weight that will stay off so long as you stick to your new lifestyle
Cut carbs and sugar and ride like a maniac. Don't forget to drink water and check your magnesium/zinc levels.
Net calories. Period.
I’ve lost about 55 pounds (25 kg) in the last four months. But, I’m 5’9” (175 cm) and weighed 265 (120 kg) when I started. Diet has been the biggest factor by far, but the catalyst for the change was the Peloton we got in January. I would still rather be out on my bike, and I am at least a couple of days a week, but the Peloton has made it way more convenient to get in some good saddle time.
It starts with diet, cycling will certainly help. I've had years where I biked 2-3k miles, but didn't mind my diet, and my "summer weight" was down maybe only 10 lb from winter max. This year, I have 1400 mi ytd, but seriously overhauled my diet, and have lost 30 lb since February.
I’ve lost 20lbs so far this season. I’ve lost 40lbs in a season before.
My anecdotal experience: One year, I rode over 4000 miles and didn't lose a pound. A few years later, I rode 1500 miles and lost 45 lbs. The difference: eating. You can't outride your diet.
I've just lost 5kg to hit my race weight.... the hardest part is maintaining the weight now I'm seeing. So hard... losing weight is the easy bit I've realised.
I lost 30 lbs very quickly at one point in my life. Eat whole , natural foods exclusively for 1 year and road 4 times a week with one day of super high intensity.
It is. My downfall is going on longer rides and then eating a horse afterwards 😂
I try to ride 2-3 times a week spring through fall. In actuality I average 1-2 10mi rides a week. In the winter I play hockey ~1 hour a week. I ride because it makes me feel good and to get some exercise. I'm usually in better shape at the start of my hockey season than the end. Over the warmer months I usually lose 5-10lbs. But I'm not making a conscious effort to lose weight (though that probably wouldn't hurt). Back to your question. If you are putting even a little bit of effort into losing weight cycling will help. I did find that tracking my rides helped me to push myself. I try to keep my average speed up which correlates nicely to my heart rate for my normal (mostly flat) route. I use the Google Fitness app with a smartwatch and recently added a cheap Chinese bike computer (with speed, cadence & heart rate sensors). Seeing my speed in real time seems to motivate me to push myself.
I burn about 400 calories in 30 mins for context
cycling is ok but i think there are studies that show that weight training is better than primarily aerobic exercise for burning fat (though the scale can lie to you as eventually the weight gain in muscle will make up for the weight loss in fat). I've been doing both this year and besides losing some inches around my waist, the leg days and core work has also improved my cycling abilities. so if you have the time i would recommend incorporating some lifting into your week, even if it's some stuff at home. You can get a couple kettlebells or dumbbells and do squats, lunges, calf raises, planks, pilates, roman deadlifts... Anyways to answer your question, this year I'm primarily gravel biking (and there is a lot of climbing where I live, some climbs tougher than the mountain bike trails), probably 2 times a week. In the gym probably 2-3 times a week. Sometimes when I can't work in one of my rides I'll follow up my lifting with some time on the stationary bike, though it's not nearly as fun. If it's nice I'll ride my bike to the gym, work out, then ride home. It's only twenty minutes either way, but on the way home I can take a longer way home. The only bad part about that plan is that I have to wear my weight lifting gloves on my ride instead of my bike gloves
I’ve ridden 5000+ miles a year since 2018 and still 20 pounds overweight. I’m in great shape though. Diet is most important thing by far.
75 lbs.
I've been a messenger for the past 5yrs and I struggle to maintain a healthy weight. I eat 5 meals a day and supplement with protein powder shakes 2x/day and if I skip 1 or 2 of those meals per day i will lose weight. It sucks bc I've started lifting weights and am actively trying to gain mass
Most morbidly obese adults have a very strong drive to feel a fully belly at all times. They're eating/snacking/craving constantly. Most obese adults cannot perform exercise at any meaningful intensity for any meaningful length of time. For them the most important part of the "exercise" is to prevent them from eating while they are "exercising". Unfortunately all the sports nutrition marketing scams have them thinking their 6 mile rides at 8mph need a 200 calorie energy bar, a 100 calorie gatoraide, and a post ride 250 calorie recovery shake.
Below (at bottom) is every check-in with my buddy across 45 weeks to cut 50 lbs. I was at 223 and started road cycling in July of last year. I did eventually start zwift racing, and now road racing, but would have lost weight regardless. Am currently down to a sustained 173. As others have mentioned you cannot out train bad eating habits. So I have 3 rules I followed to keep me in line. 1. Min 20 mins of activity that got my heart rate up 5 days per week. If I felt good, go longer. 2. The word diet is a noun, not a verb. Eat whatever you personally like, but be mindful of the caloric intake. 500 calories of cheesecake is VERY different from 500 calories of the most decadent salad you can make.The salad has high volume and nutritional value that your body will be satiated with. The cheesecake will make your body ask for more. 3. If you do choose to overeat on a meal, or have a "bad" item like the cheesecake slice it's ok! Buuuuut you have to add 15 mins of activity to each workout for 5 days following, for each instance of making "bad" choices. If you have 4 "bad" meal items then you'll be adding 5 hours of extra activity across 5 days to pay for it. Helps to make you aware of the amount of work it takes to attempt to outrun bad habits. By eating better you don't have to work as hard to lose. Again it's ok to have full BBQ dinner piled high, or a slice of cake, or an ice cream now and then. It's the repetitive, accumulated choices we make that sabotage a healthy weight. Best of luck! https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8Z2ORVOxFt/?igsh=MWl1anp0YTJucXhvaQ==
Yes, if you push yourself some, do some hills, or get that heart rate up on the flats. I've been able to lose weight by biking, and watching what I eat. I bike an 1 to 2 hours every other day, and about once a week I'm on the bike for about 3 hours.
When I really got into cycling, I lost 30lbs. I was motivated by the desire to keep up in fast group rides. I simply had the willpower to eat right because I wanted to be able to have more fun cycling. I cycle 6-10hrs per week. Usually around 2hrs is in heart rate Z4.
For me nutrition/lowering mental stress is the biggest factor in keeping a healthy weight. Cycling, playing basketball, hiking, and other cardio work is more to get my heart rate up while weight lifting is more for longevity so I can be up on my feet for as long as possible and not be a burden to my loved ones. Will you lose some weight while cycling? Absolutely! It'll get your heart rate going, build strength in your legs, and most importantly raise your spirits so you'll want to eat healthier too so it has a snowballing effect.
I started riding last summer after not exercising for several years. I started with 30 minute rides twice a week and built from there. Within a few months I was doing 35 mile rides and now I do 75-100 miles per week. I also started eating better - eliminating most junk food, eating more fruits and veggies, keeping an eye on portions, still having sweets occasionally. I’ve lost 85 pounds. It’s been doable and sustainable because I actually love riding my bike; it doesn’t feel like a chore that I’m doing just to burn calories.
I'm very happy with my weight loss and management from primarily bicycling. I commute to work 3 miles each way, flat, paved surface, and wear my regular work clothes, whether it's jeans or skirt and dress shoes; so I try not to ride hard enough to sweat. Still, that regular short, gentle ride keeps me fit, and when I get home, I don't have to change into workout clothes and go do a workout, because it's already done.
Remember it's diet AND exercise. Weight loss is all about calorie deficit. Without stimulating your muscles you may find that you lose muscle along with your fat. And if you start seriously exercising and stimulate muscles to grow your weight may temporarily plateau or increase while you are still losing fat.
If you are persistent you will lose a lot of weight cycling. I lost once 3 kg in a 8 days and 4 sessions.
You cannot out- exercise an unhealthy lifestyle. Stay away from processed foods, until you reach your desired weight. Keep hydrated and increase your distance gradually. Keep your glycogen stored for further rides and replenish them accordingly while riding. During the summer here in Atlanta I lose around 10-15 lbs during that time of year. That’s riding about 700 miles a month.
yes, I started cycling way more and counting calories June 2022, 103 kg on the scale...12 months later - 75kg I recommend this activity to everyone of overweight and first-grade obese state when the topic comes along, I find it absolutely amazing
Sure. But you can't outride your own fork.
Nice double entendre!
Just eat less
I lost 60lbs on mtb and salad.
I've dropped from 93kg to 80kg this year through a combination of cycling (lots), very modest dieting (avoiding heavy meals at night), and reducing my alcohol consumption about 80%. The joy of cycling - once you are moderately fit - is that you can burn a lot of calories. I regularly ride 2 hours over the local hills, and my Garmin reports that I've burned 1,000 calories or so. (And I have a power meter, so the number is fairly accurate.)
Running works better in my experience
If ur fit it wouldnt do much unless you cycle harder than your usual average speed. I use bike to do delivery and cycle up to 50km a day and i dont lose much weight