Is cycling effective for weight loss..?

twinsen

I didn't change my diet at all when I started cycling last year. Love food and don't see myself going on a diet.But I still lost 13 kg in three months, cycling 1 to 2 hours every day.

yop

Running I find myself better for the weight loss, but in saying that my legs have definitely become much more muscley from the bike.

I all the duathlon/adventure races I will certainly be hammering the runnings on the bike.

Even after 3hr spins I still don't feel 1/2 as hungry as I do after a 1hr run.

Cookie_Monster

Cape Clear wrote: »

and can loose 2 to 3 lbs on an intense and little hilly 100k spin.

that's just fluid loss though surely, rather than actual fat loss??

yop

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

that's just fluid loss though surely, rather than actual fat loss??

Absolutely fluid. Last year on Gaelforce I checked the weight at home before I left as I was curious to see what I would lose.
Over the full course when I got home I had lost 8lbs during the full days. But it had all gone back on with a few days

Paul Kiernan

If you start cycling an hour a day at a gentle pace (i.e. not panting or sweating like a pig) and change nothing else in your lifestyle you should be about a pound a week lighter.

That's a stone in 3 months and 4 stone in a year!

freewheeling

Evidence that cycling can help lose weight:
http://fatcyclerider.blogspot.com/

kennyb3

yop wrote: »

Absolutely fluid. Last year on Gaelforce I checked the weight at home before I left as I was curious to see what I would lose.
Over the full course when I got home I had lost 8lbs during the full days. But it had all gone back on with a few days

I think you need to have a serious look at your hydration and nutrition strategy so

Harrybelafonte

Paul Kiernan wrote: »

If you start cycling an hour a day at a gentle pace (i.e. not panting or sweating like a pig) and change nothing else in your lifestyle you should be about a pound a week lighter.

That's a stone in 3 months and 4 stone in a year!

After 18 months commuting, longer weekend rides, substantial change in diet (still some carp) 4 stone lost. 18.5 to 14.5. I'm not exactly skinny now, but it feels a lot better.

Once you get to a certain stage though, the ante may need to go up to keep the weight falling, it can get harder the lower you get.

Cookie_Monster

Harrybelafonte wrote: »

(still some carp)

what carp taste like, is it nice? :P

TinyExplosions

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

what carp taste like, is it nice? :P

It can be, though can also be very muddy tasting as they live at the silty bottom of rivers etc. One way around this is after catching, keep them in a tank of fast flowing, clean water for a few days, this should flush their system out a bit

yop

kennyb3 wrote: »

I think you need to have a serious look at your hydration and nutrition strategy so

Why? Its normal to lose poundage over long events, it has always happened to me, especially when you would be either running/cycling/hill climbing for up to 6 hours in my case.

In my case it would be nearly all fluid loss even with an intake of 2 liters of fluid during event and numerous energy bars and gels.

kennyb3

yop wrote: »

Why? Its normal to lose poundage over long events, it has always happened to me, especially when you would be either running/cycling/hill climbing for up to 6 hours in my case.

In my case it would be nearly all fluid loss even with an intake of 2 liters of fluid during event and numerous energy bars and gels.

A whole 2 litres over 6 hours racing? wow.

Id say you need nearly double that

Lumen

kennyb3 wrote: »

Id say you need nearly double that

I think it depends on your definition of "cool". That chart shows only 40% increase in fluid consumption from cool -> hot.

The most I've ever needed is 750ml an hour @ 70kg, in 35-40 degree heat, whereas in normal Irish weather I need barely half that (100% increase from Irish->hot).

kennyb3

Lumen wrote: »

I think it depends on your definition of "cool". That chart shows only 40% increase in fluid consumption from cool -> hot.

The most I've ever needed is 750ml an hour @ 70kg, in 35-40 degree heat, whereas in normal Irish weather I need barely half that (100% increase from Irish->hot).

Totally take your point, was more using it as an example, as really dont think its normal to lose 7lbs of fluid over the course of a race, albeit an endurance one.

Personally i always try come back from a 3 hour ride no more than 2lbs below what i started out at - that usually involves 2*750ml bottles, a sports drink (500ml) and a couple of fig rolls. Again thats just me though.

mloc123

freewheeling wrote: »

Evidence that cycling can help lose weight:
http://fatcyclerider.blogspot.com/

I'll dig this one out again...



Mainly cycling,running and watching what I ate..

unionman

Wow,

Never saw the 'before' picture, have only met you in the 'after' phase although did speak to you about weight loss, and you mentioned how much weight you'd lost. Very impressive.

As for OP's question, in my own experience it hasn't had a huge impact on my weight. Diet combined it certainly makes a difference, if you're counting calories / points or whatever method, cycling will help shift weight, but I've even found walking a more effective weight reduction exercise. One hours brisk walking is a better fat burner than one hour's cycling in my experience, but cycling is still more enjoyable.

Just don't make the mistake I made when I started distance cycling first and eat all around you because you're still 'recovering from a 200km sportive I did...erm..a few weeks ago'.

Denial is a very powerful thing.:o

mloc123 wrote: »

I'll dig this one out again...



Mainly cycling,running and watching what I ate..

frant2

I used to run a bit but the old joints and recovery time restricted milage - I changed to cycling about 2 years ago and it is amazing the difference - A 4 - 5 hour cycle in the hills is not an easy effort but is sooo much easier on the joints than running, Ive lost 2 stone in 1 year.

yop

kennyb3 wrote: »

A whole 2 litres over 6 hours racing? wow.

Id say you need nearly double that

I hear what you are saying but as Lumen says everyone is different, on my Sunday spins which would be near 3 hours, I would take on a very max 1 litre and more than often the 1 750ml bottle (High 5 4-1) mix does me fine.
I do though after the ride take on another liter

I must be a camel

petethedrummer

Worked for this guy: http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pictures/

kennyb3

petethedrummer wrote: »

Worked for this guy: http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pictures/

Full Astana kit - straight red for that!

Icyseanfitz

petethedrummer wrote: »

Worked for this guy: http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pictures/

Amazing

dquirke1

yop wrote: »

I hear what you are saying but as Lumen says everyone is different, on my Sunday spins which would be near 3 hours, I would take on a very max 1 litre and more than often the 1 750ml bottle (High 5 4-1) mix does me fine.
I do though after the ride take on another liter

I'd agree that everyone is different and you need to find what works for you. I took on 3l of water and 1.5l of electrolyte over 6:20 during gaelforce and still finished 2kg lighter. Almost exactly a litre of sweat an hour.

unionman

petethedrummer wrote: »

Worked for this guy: http://theamazing39stonecyclist.wordpress.com/pictures/

I stand corrected (again). Very impressive.

thegalavanter

Fender76 wrote: »

I know that running for example is much more beneficial for weight loss..
I've seens a fair few rotund individuals at sportifs who can kick ass on a bike but they have big beer belly's etc.
So can you be fit but fat...?

Lol I put on weight from cycling. Cycling tones your muscles and muscle weighs more than fat. That combined with the protein bars I take when I cycle I found on my last trip I put on over a stone in weight. I was happy though because I'm a skinny fu*ker

Brenden01

Exercising is very useful in order to lose weight. You need to maintain your food diet along with good nutrients. You can add carrots and food that contains fibers in your diet as these would help you to maintain good health along with losing weight.

neris

i find that I put on weight on the scales when i cycle but its muscle as my clothes are looser and am bit more trim.

TinyExplosions

neris wrote: »

i find that I put on weight on the scales when i cycle but its muscle as my clothes are looser and am bit more trim.

I think that's a very good point too... you should maybe be looking at reducing body fat rather than just going on weight... indeed there was a while there where my weight stayed pretty much static, but I was definitely thinner -get the body fat down and you should hit a weight that's 'comfortable' for your body type imo

MungoMan

My weight dropped from 86kg to 78kg due to cycling this year, without any diet change.

However since my bike was stolen 2 weeks ago, my weight has increased to 79kg

The maths are simple.

Very roughly speaking, 1 hour on the bike burns 800 calories

1kg of fat equates to around 8000 calories

1kg of body fat will give enough energy to power a bicycle for around 10 hours.

For me, I need to cycle about 260km to burn 1kg of fat on a roadbike (providing I don't consume extra calories than normal)


Also worth bearing in mind that cycling increases your muscle size (increase in muscle size weight), and as a result, your metabolism increases (to satisfy the increased muscle mass).

el tel

If you are big fattie I would imagine that cycling might help a little but nothing compared with a strict diet. I personallly don't know anyone who cycles with the purpose to lose weight. I know many male cyclists who lose weight to help them ride faster but that weight loss is attained primarily through other means/exercise/diet. On the other hand, any of the chubber women I know in cycling clubs don't seem to get any lighter. They've all been at it long enough that you'd think any weight loss effect would have well kicked-in by now. Weird thing is, none of the slim girls I know cycle, yet all the girls I know who cycle are portly...must be the bananas and energy gels.

Jawgap

I lost just short of 30kg on the bike. I didn't start out with the inention of losing weight, I started because I was fed up with being stuck in my car commuting.

Once I lost some blubber I realised I was on to something and upped my cycling, bought a better bike, then bought an even better bike! The dietary shift was really driven by the cycling - at a certain stage I think progress becomes dependent on making changes in other parts of your life so I began to pay more attention to nutrition as a means of enhancing my cycling experience.

Now, cycling helps control my weight and keep it where I want it. Last year I broke a rib and had six weeks off the bike - in that time I put on 9 kgs, which to me means I can, within reason, get away with eating almost anything as long as I keep the cycling going......