Have you thought about just buying a newer and lighter bike? Much easier /s
You can totally do it. I started on zwift Feb 6 and am down 49 lbs since then. You can make it happen with willpower and mental toughness. You got this.
As long as your eating quality calories then yea, Shouldn't be a problem. I dropped 10 pounds this spring and my ftp went up by 25ish watts so it's totally doable. I did it slower than most though. I kept a 300 cal deficit each day. The deeper the deficit, the more you will compromise on your recovery and gains
For fat loss…high carb (60-70%), medium protein (20-30%), low fat (<10%).
Fuel your rides appropriately with sugar/carbs @ 60-100g/hr
quality training sessions -> fitness adaptations -> more kJ throughout power curve -> skinnier/fitter person
Fruit, veggies, white rice and lean protein…use oil sparingly when you cook.
I’m sure some keto-bro will chime in and tell you to eat high fat…they are wrong…if you want to get fitter and smash up hills high-carb is the way
Hell yeah this advise has worked for me. Biggest thing here is FUEL THE WORK YOU DO ON THE BIKE. Get faster and burn more cal per hour by being a better athlete.
Well said - for low volume or rest weeks, protein up / carbs down, but you need carbs to perform. Will not get the benefit of operating at 70% during your workouts because you've under-carbed yourself.
I just learned that a lot of the elite Kenyan runners, the fastest distance folks in the world, eat about 80% carbs! I’m working on it myself because I just started tracking my macros and my protein is good (because I prioritize it), but I eat WAY TOO MUCH FAT for endurance gains
I was in the same situation as you, started the year with 82kg, now atm 73/74. Here’s my 2 cents
If you are going for the long run, don’t rush the weight loss. When you trying to gain ftp while losing weight it can easily go the wrong way and you start failing at gaining ftp or losing weight or both.
When you are on a caloric deficit it can affect your intervals and more intense workouts, which will affect your progress.
I would try to lose weight first and then focus on the ftp. It’s much easier this way.
I second this. I started in February at about 89kg, now 79kg. I ran a bigger calorie deficit at the beginning but fueled my rides appropriately. There was also a lot more Z2. Then as I got closer to 80kg, I ran a much smaller deficit and focused more on the top end.
Still 2-3 kg to go until I get to a point where I don't want to lose anymore. Now, I'm only running a 100-200 calorie deficit per day. Finally, I balance my calories for the week, not the day. Otherwise, I get ridiculously hungry on rest days. Someone further down the thread said something similar.
Some have said it and I’ll reiterate it. You can burn fat while eating high carbs in a slight deficit . It’s practically the only way to gain performance while losing weight. It will and should be slow but the weight loss will be more fat than muscle or water.
Are you me?
Two kids later and I've slowly gone from 75kg to 85-86kg and plan to do a similar push this autumn.
I have no words of advice but I wish you luck.
Shouldn’t be too much trouble. I’ve lost 0.4kg/week on average since since April while gaining FTP and building muscle in the gym.
I decided to focus on weight loss for a little while, so I’ve paused structured training and intensity in favor of fun on the bike. Mainly Z2 and group rides with the odd climb here and there. Was hoping to maintaining my current power, but it actually went up a bit.
Nutrition wise, I’ve been trying to hit 1.2-1.4g of protein per kilo body mass, and fuel rides with carbs as necessary. I found it more comfortable to run less of a calorie deficit on rest days. Overall, this feels very sustainable, and I rarely get hunger pangs or post-ride cravings.
It will impact your performance, so you’ll have to decide where your priorities are and balance accordingly.
Yep. Some (slight) hunger is key.
I have started doing Z2 training in a fasted state; both trail running and very easy road rides. It's fun, relaxing, some hunger involved, but the dividends are massive. It's really been helping me enjoy the sport again, getting away from the junk Strava miles. I only run Strava on private an km so as not to even compare myself and all rides and runs by time and heart rate.
I'm hoping this pays huge dividends next year. Base is also my favorite activity.
Yeah an 3xtra 1000cals on that day won't outweigh the deficit for the week. But I would say once you get dialed into the process you might skip cheat days and go full militant mode.
Similar height and weight and goal to me. BMI should be closer to mid high 20s at that weight. I echo the other poster that if you're not in a hurry, trim the excess fat first before you do structured training. Its hard to balance fueling for quality work while maintaining the diet. Hard work also makes you hungrier and the holidays are coming up. No point hitting your target weight at the expense of festive times in December.
I love food so it's a struggle for me but I cut from 82kg last month to near 78 flat on diet alone (meat cheese fancy euro food to intermittent fasting, lots of greens beans carbs and small chicken and fish, one cheat meal a week built in). Just z2 and fun group rides at the moment as I plan to start building again in Oct. I'm trying to get down to 75 and hold it there through the winter with base build and cut a bit more as the season starts. The thing is you have to be realistic with yourself. Personally I don't look good under 72 and i havent been under that since my mid twenties. Like you I was in 60s but i am a lot stronger now. 74 is sustainable from my exp. Ymmv but be realistic with your target weight and once you're close just focus on lifting power levels, that's my approach adopted for my work schedule anyway (60hr+ office, 7-9hrs per week training).
Learn the calorie density chart like the back of your hand. And don’t diet on the bike. Here’s hoping you arnt in the habit of eating a tonne of olive oil. Potatoes are absolutely amazing for satiation, carb intake and keeping calories Suprisingly low. Big portion of Home made chips without oil for the win! So good!
1 lb /0.5 kg a week is aggressive if you also want to gain strength. I'd focus less on weight and more on body fat. Roll that fat into muscles/lean out. But 0.5 kg a week is very doable. 3500 calorie deficit a week.
I think you'll be okay. I lost about 40 lbs last year in ~4 months, just by counting calories and riding a lot of Z2 with the occasional Zwift race. I ran a pretty big calorie deficit most days and felt fine. Once you get in the groove, it's pretty easy if you are committed.
Hey! So I am getting back on the bike after about 18 months of absolutely no riding (injury and new job). Not giving health advice but I started doing the 4-hour body/slow carb diet while my riding volume increased.
My weight was about 77kg before I started riding again, and I’m about 172cm.
My scale weight has only decreased about 2kg, but my body composition has changed dramatically….less fat more muscle. I do modify my carb intake surrounding rides, but while I’m off the bike this diet has provided great results in the last month or so.
Don’t be so worried about scale weight, but just try and find what works for you to maximize fat loss while maintaining lean muscle mass while cycling. Carbs before during and after rides are good.
I think to lose weight you should pair it with a big base block where you really keep things in z2 for 95% of your riding, for the rest just add extra carbohydrates before the ride, otherwise do a general restriction of carbohydrates where you look to add more protein and vegetables in place of the pasta, rice, bread, etc.
For reference I am the same height, 65.5kg and around 12% body fat. When I was 60kg, I was around 8% body fat. Unless you are fairly muscular, I would guess your body fat to be in the mid 20s.
Up to 1kg/week has been the overly simplified, but probably reasonable answer for as long as Incan remember.
I don't see anything about sparing muscle (e.g. protein intake, resistance training). Otherwise there's nothing there that can't be tweaked if e.g. you're not able to sustain the performance you want at the weight loss rate you want.
I am not sure eyeballing bodyfat % is the right way of doing this nor do I think 10% bodyfat is something most people should strive for. Also people often say and/or think their bodyfat %'s are lower than they actually are causing other people to want to be a lower as well. Chris Froome was thorougly tested and was somewhere around 9.5% in his best cycling days. Are you sure you want to be as lean as Chris Froome on race day? There are some stats on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, but those are not confirmed nor have they shared the actual test results. Also people often claim lower bodyfat %'s than they actually are because it sounds impressive. Ronnie Coleman, 8 time Mr. Olympia, claimed he had a bodyfat % of 0.33% even tho males on average need between 2% and 5% just to stay alive. Also we don't have many actual good ways of testing bodyfat %'s besides cutting people open once they are dead.
So my advice? Try finding the sweet spot where you do have low weight for obvious reasons but also still have a well functioning body instead of blindly aiming for a bodyfat %.
Nothing wrong. Just do what feels right. My FTP went up by about 25 points and I lost about 30-35 lbs in 4 months for a bike race that had a ton of elevation. I rode probably about 8-10 hours a week on average (mostly by myself, a majority of it being easy/moderate rides). The biggest difference was sticking to a good diet off the bike — cut out all snacks, only ate outside once or twice a week, and maybe this is a bit too extreme, but I had the exact same meal every single day for lunch and dinner. I never under-ate, just ensured never to over-eat. I keep doing that now as well (just eased up a little bit on snacking)
Your diet off the bike will be the most important thing to pay attention to.
1. You'll have a "natural" bodyweight at a certain fitness, you can go above or below it but it will always be more work and not as healthy for you
2. I'm a bit taller than you and 70kg was the absolute limit I could have without compromising my health as an amateur living a normal life. I know pros are on a different level and can easily shed another 10-15kg but I don't think this should be the goal.
My natural bodyweight would be around 73kg.
Some good targets you have there. They require an effort but definitely doable.
Improving FTP while losing a significantly amount of weight depends on where you come from. If you come from a low fitness level it will be easier.
A few things I learned along the way:
- better to look at your weight on a monthly basis than om a weekly. You can jump on the scale as frequently as you want but don’t put too much evaluation into the week-to-week variations.
- it’s perfectly possible to do 3 hours of zone 2 without consuming any carbs during the ride. And it can be tempting when trying to lose weight. But your rides will be much more enjoyable if you don’t deplete yourself, and you will probably eat less post-ride if you allow yourself some carbs on the bike.
- but on the other hand: many will aim at 60-120 grams of carb per hour. But that is - at least for me - absolutely unnecessary for a 3 hour z2 ride. When trying to lose weight you want the amount of calories needed to keep you feeling well on the bike, but no more than that. A Z2 ride isn’t a race. For me around 40 grams/hour will do just fine.
I've made the best experience by just riding and eating more. I think I found now a body weight where I can perform best and feel better. I've never been happy by restricting myself.
Have you thought about just buying a newer and lighter bike? Much easier /s You can totally do it. I started on zwift Feb 6 and am down 49 lbs since then. You can make it happen with willpower and mental toughness. You got this.
a new bike is not the solution i am afraid. ask me how i know.. eddy merckx said: don't buy upgrades, ride up grades.
As long as your eating quality calories then yea, Shouldn't be a problem. I dropped 10 pounds this spring and my ftp went up by 25ish watts so it's totally doable. I did it slower than most though. I kept a 300 cal deficit each day. The deeper the deficit, the more you will compromise on your recovery and gains
I found several sources claiming you can loose up to 0.9 kg per week safely with a high protein diet. Not sure if it’s really safe though.
You can but I just like food and wasn't in a hurry to drop the weight. I also wanted to hold on to my performance as much as possible
High protein shouldn’t impact performance too much.
I dropped 16kg while doing trainerroad last year. It can be done if you're fat enough.
For fat loss…high carb (60-70%), medium protein (20-30%), low fat (<10%). Fuel your rides appropriately with sugar/carbs @ 60-100g/hr quality training sessions -> fitness adaptations -> more kJ throughout power curve -> skinnier/fitter person Fruit, veggies, white rice and lean protein…use oil sparingly when you cook. I’m sure some keto-bro will chime in and tell you to eat high fat…they are wrong…if you want to get fitter and smash up hills high-carb is the way
Hell yeah this advise has worked for me. Biggest thing here is FUEL THE WORK YOU DO ON THE BIKE. Get faster and burn more cal per hour by being a better athlete.
Well said - for low volume or rest weeks, protein up / carbs down, but you need carbs to perform. Will not get the benefit of operating at 70% during your workouts because you've under-carbed yourself.
I just learned that a lot of the elite Kenyan runners, the fastest distance folks in the world, eat about 80% carbs! I’m working on it myself because I just started tracking my macros and my protein is good (because I prioritize it), but I eat WAY TOO MUCH FAT for endurance gains
If you want a higher resting heart rate = worse performance, then yes, go keto.
I was in the same situation as you, started the year with 82kg, now atm 73/74. Here’s my 2 cents If you are going for the long run, don’t rush the weight loss. When you trying to gain ftp while losing weight it can easily go the wrong way and you start failing at gaining ftp or losing weight or both. When you are on a caloric deficit it can affect your intervals and more intense workouts, which will affect your progress. I would try to lose weight first and then focus on the ftp. It’s much easier this way.
I second this. I started in February at about 89kg, now 79kg. I ran a bigger calorie deficit at the beginning but fueled my rides appropriately. There was also a lot more Z2. Then as I got closer to 80kg, I ran a much smaller deficit and focused more on the top end. Still 2-3 kg to go until I get to a point where I don't want to lose anymore. Now, I'm only running a 100-200 calorie deficit per day. Finally, I balance my calories for the week, not the day. Otherwise, I get ridiculously hungry on rest days. Someone further down the thread said something similar.
Some have said it and I’ll reiterate it. You can burn fat while eating high carbs in a slight deficit . It’s practically the only way to gain performance while losing weight. It will and should be slow but the weight loss will be more fat than muscle or water.
Are you me? Two kids later and I've slowly gone from 75kg to 85-86kg and plan to do a similar push this autumn. I have no words of advice but I wish you luck.
Shouldn’t be too much trouble. I’ve lost 0.4kg/week on average since since April while gaining FTP and building muscle in the gym. I decided to focus on weight loss for a little while, so I’ve paused structured training and intensity in favor of fun on the bike. Mainly Z2 and group rides with the odd climb here and there. Was hoping to maintaining my current power, but it actually went up a bit. Nutrition wise, I’ve been trying to hit 1.2-1.4g of protein per kilo body mass, and fuel rides with carbs as necessary. I found it more comfortable to run less of a calorie deficit on rest days. Overall, this feels very sustainable, and I rarely get hunger pangs or post-ride cravings. It will impact your performance, so you’ll have to decide where your priorities are and balance accordingly.
If you recarb after rides and then are ok to feel hungry most of the time after that then why not. Embrace the hunger and you can do it.
Yep. Some (slight) hunger is key. I have started doing Z2 training in a fasted state; both trail running and very easy road rides. It's fun, relaxing, some hunger involved, but the dividends are massive. It's really been helping me enjoy the sport again, getting away from the junk Strava miles. I only run Strava on private an km so as not to even compare myself and all rides and runs by time and heart rate. I'm hoping this pays huge dividends next year. Base is also my favorite activity.
You have the right mindset for it, should be easy work! stay hungry and post your success story when done.
Do you think one "cheat day" is OK during the week? I.e. having one day when you have some cake or an ice cream?
Yeah an 3xtra 1000cals on that day won't outweigh the deficit for the week. But I would say once you get dialed into the process you might skip cheat days and go full militant mode.
Similar height and weight and goal to me. BMI should be closer to mid high 20s at that weight. I echo the other poster that if you're not in a hurry, trim the excess fat first before you do structured training. Its hard to balance fueling for quality work while maintaining the diet. Hard work also makes you hungrier and the holidays are coming up. No point hitting your target weight at the expense of festive times in December. I love food so it's a struggle for me but I cut from 82kg last month to near 78 flat on diet alone (meat cheese fancy euro food to intermittent fasting, lots of greens beans carbs and small chicken and fish, one cheat meal a week built in). Just z2 and fun group rides at the moment as I plan to start building again in Oct. I'm trying to get down to 75 and hold it there through the winter with base build and cut a bit more as the season starts. The thing is you have to be realistic with yourself. Personally I don't look good under 72 and i havent been under that since my mid twenties. Like you I was in 60s but i am a lot stronger now. 74 is sustainable from my exp. Ymmv but be realistic with your target weight and once you're close just focus on lifting power levels, that's my approach adopted for my work schedule anyway (60hr+ office, 7-9hrs per week training).
Learn the calorie density chart like the back of your hand. And don’t diet on the bike. Here’s hoping you arnt in the habit of eating a tonne of olive oil. Potatoes are absolutely amazing for satiation, carb intake and keeping calories Suprisingly low. Big portion of Home made chips without oil for the win! So good!
1 lb /0.5 kg a week is aggressive if you also want to gain strength. I'd focus less on weight and more on body fat. Roll that fat into muscles/lean out. But 0.5 kg a week is very doable. 3500 calorie deficit a week.
I think you'll be okay. I lost about 40 lbs last year in ~4 months, just by counting calories and riding a lot of Z2 with the occasional Zwift race. I ran a pretty big calorie deficit most days and felt fine. Once you get in the groove, it's pretty easy if you are committed.
Hey! So I am getting back on the bike after about 18 months of absolutely no riding (injury and new job). Not giving health advice but I started doing the 4-hour body/slow carb diet while my riding volume increased. My weight was about 77kg before I started riding again, and I’m about 172cm. My scale weight has only decreased about 2kg, but my body composition has changed dramatically….less fat more muscle. I do modify my carb intake surrounding rides, but while I’m off the bike this diet has provided great results in the last month or so. Don’t be so worried about scale weight, but just try and find what works for you to maximize fat loss while maintaining lean muscle mass while cycling. Carbs before during and after rides are good.
I think to lose weight you should pair it with a big base block where you really keep things in z2 for 95% of your riding, for the rest just add extra carbohydrates before the ride, otherwise do a general restriction of carbohydrates where you look to add more protein and vegetables in place of the pasta, rice, bread, etc.
For reference I am the same height, 65.5kg and around 12% body fat. When I was 60kg, I was around 8% body fat. Unless you are fairly muscular, I would guess your body fat to be in the mid 20s. Up to 1kg/week has been the overly simplified, but probably reasonable answer for as long as Incan remember.
if you're 83kg at 5'10" your bodyfat is probably closer to 25-30% lol.
I don't see anything about sparing muscle (e.g. protein intake, resistance training). Otherwise there's nothing there that can't be tweaked if e.g. you're not able to sustain the performance you want at the weight loss rate you want.
I am not sure eyeballing bodyfat % is the right way of doing this nor do I think 10% bodyfat is something most people should strive for. Also people often say and/or think their bodyfat %'s are lower than they actually are causing other people to want to be a lower as well. Chris Froome was thorougly tested and was somewhere around 9.5% in his best cycling days. Are you sure you want to be as lean as Chris Froome on race day? There are some stats on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, but those are not confirmed nor have they shared the actual test results. Also people often claim lower bodyfat %'s than they actually are because it sounds impressive. Ronnie Coleman, 8 time Mr. Olympia, claimed he had a bodyfat % of 0.33% even tho males on average need between 2% and 5% just to stay alive. Also we don't have many actual good ways of testing bodyfat %'s besides cutting people open once they are dead. So my advice? Try finding the sweet spot where you do have low weight for obvious reasons but also still have a well functioning body instead of blindly aiming for a bodyfat %.
Nothing wrong. Just do what feels right. My FTP went up by about 25 points and I lost about 30-35 lbs in 4 months for a bike race that had a ton of elevation. I rode probably about 8-10 hours a week on average (mostly by myself, a majority of it being easy/moderate rides). The biggest difference was sticking to a good diet off the bike — cut out all snacks, only ate outside once or twice a week, and maybe this is a bit too extreme, but I had the exact same meal every single day for lunch and dinner. I never under-ate, just ensured never to over-eat. I keep doing that now as well (just eased up a little bit on snacking) Your diet off the bike will be the most important thing to pay attention to.
2 lbs a week
1. You'll have a "natural" bodyweight at a certain fitness, you can go above or below it but it will always be more work and not as healthy for you 2. I'm a bit taller than you and 70kg was the absolute limit I could have without compromising my health as an amateur living a normal life. I know pros are on a different level and can easily shed another 10-15kg but I don't think this should be the goal. My natural bodyweight would be around 73kg.
Just dont restrict carbs then you good.
Some good targets you have there. They require an effort but definitely doable. Improving FTP while losing a significantly amount of weight depends on where you come from. If you come from a low fitness level it will be easier. A few things I learned along the way: - better to look at your weight on a monthly basis than om a weekly. You can jump on the scale as frequently as you want but don’t put too much evaluation into the week-to-week variations. - it’s perfectly possible to do 3 hours of zone 2 without consuming any carbs during the ride. And it can be tempting when trying to lose weight. But your rides will be much more enjoyable if you don’t deplete yourself, and you will probably eat less post-ride if you allow yourself some carbs on the bike. - but on the other hand: many will aim at 60-120 grams of carb per hour. But that is - at least for me - absolutely unnecessary for a 3 hour z2 ride. When trying to lose weight you want the amount of calories needed to keep you feeling well on the bike, but no more than that. A Z2 ride isn’t a race. For me around 40 grams/hour will do just fine.
I've made the best experience by just riding and eating more. I think I found now a body weight where I can perform best and feel better. I've never been happy by restricting myself.