Was kinda hoping to drop a few pounds riding my bike. I am only riding 30 miles/day but still thought I would drop some weight. I have been riding for 4 months. got on the scales and have not lost any weight. Oh well

Have you changed your diet at all? Even still, you should be seeing some kind of changes i.e. more muscle and maybe your clothes fit better. Scale weight is deceptive. Try going by inches.

Pete
http://www.viovio.com/anthropete

Have you changed your diet at all? Even still, you should be seeing some kind of changes i.e. more muscle and maybe your clothes fit better. Scale weight is deceptive. Try going by inches.

Pete
http://www.viovio.com/anthropete

I agree about also using inches. I have seen my weight go up a little over the last year or so, but my waist size has pretty much stayed the same. You may be losing fat and gaining muscle and not seeing much of a weight drop.

Also, reducing calories is a must to lose weight. There is really no way around the need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight.

Start measuring your food/calorie intake and I guarantee you'll have results. Guessing how much to eat is not a great way to go about losing weight. When I want to shed pounds, I use a diet program that counts my calories. There are many out there to choose from, the one I use is from healthtech found HERE (http://www.healthetech.com/balancelog/). It can usually be found on ebay for a fraction of the price healthtech sells it for.

It still amazes me how much of a calorie deficit you need to lose weight. For me, eating 1600 calories a day to lose a pound a week peaty much means I'll be hungry all day. I just accept that as what I have to do to lose weight.

A good website with some great tips on losing weight.

http://www.fatlosstips.com/

Do you wear a HRM-intensity is a key ingredient to weight loss on the bike.

1. burn more than you eat and you lose, eat more than you burn and you gain.

2. There is a 15 billion dollar industy devoted to find shortcuts to this, but we are still the fattest country in the world.

3. See number 1.

Now riding at lower intensity will burn more fat, higher intensity will burn more glycogen (sugar) but if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.

Keep riding your 30 miles a day, try and eat no more than what you ate before you started riding. Or if you can, cut back a bit from that.

Note, its simple, I didn't say its easy.

See now there is the problem-simple but not easy.

Now riding at lower intensity will burn more fat, higher intensity will burn more glycogen (sugar) but if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.

Keep riding your 30 miles a day, try and eat no more than what you ate before you started riding. Or if you can, cut back a bit from that.

Note, its simple, I didn't say its easy.

Lower intensity does not burn more fat! Lower intensity burns a higher percentage of fat compared to carbs, but since you're burning fewer calories than at higher intensity, your total fat burn is lower. I'm not sure how fast you are riding, but you should raise your intensity at least into the aerobic level. Very high intensity levels are great for your fitness, but they can make you feel more hungry (if you have a weak will) and they can make recovery more difficult (if you ride hard every day).

I agree that the key to losing weight is to eat less.

Low hr, slow paced long rides will shed the pounds, try 50 or 60 miles (or what ever works out to be 3-4hours long), keep your heart rate pretty low though. Maybe go to a fitness / nutrition center to find out your optimal fat burning HR zone and get a hr monitor. And also have them asses your diet. I made a couple of switch's in mine that really helped out (my gf is a nutritionist), veggie hot dogs(taste exactly the same only no fat), whole wheat breads and buns(so it's not just empty calories). Fat free yogourt instead of ice cream. Lots, LOTS of water. Special K cereal bars for snacks instead of chocolate bars. I eat some raw spinach every now and then aswell. Turn off the deep frier and bake or barbecue. And even read the labels at the corner store, some products that might taste close might be very different in terms of nutritional content.

well you get the ideal... gl...
btw, i've droppped 17 lbs since march, and i'm not really trying, i just wanted to lead a healthier life, the fat just kinda diasapeared as a result.

I've lost ten pounds in about 5 months. I used to be and still am a runner, but now I cycle on the weekends. Since I can last a lot longer on the bike than running, I think that, overall, I burn more calories. Another important factor is that I've changed my diet slightly - I try not to stuff myself at dinner and I don't snack after 8 pm.

Keep it up. 30 miles/day sounds like a good program.

Now riding at lower intensity will burn more fat, higher intensity will burn more glycogen (sugar) but if you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight.


True, but that's not the whole story.... :)

Read on.

So why then do so many fitness and health experts recommend walking for weight loss? One reason is that people don't want to hear that they have to work hard so they figure some activity is better than none. Another reason is that the body burns more fat for fuel when exercising at an easy pace, however, the total amount of energy used is so small that you end up burning off little body fat. That's also why when you choose the "fat burning" program on your treadmill or bike it has you exercise at any easy level. Yes, you're burning fat, but so little that you'd have to exercise at that easy pace for hours and hours each day.

http://menshealth.about.com/cs/fitness/a/walking.htm

Lower intensity does not burn more fat! Lower intensity burns a higher percentage of fat compared to carbs, but since you're burning fewer calories than at higher intensity, your total fat burn is lower. I'm not sure how fast you are riding, but you should raise your intensity at least into the aerobic level. Very high intensity levels are great for your fitness, but they can make you feel more hungry (if you have a weak will) and they can make recovery more difficult (if you ride hard every day).

I agree that the key to losing weight is to eat less.

This is true. You can burn fat efficiently with low intensity workouts, however you have to train your body to burn fat at low intensity (which may take months) and just because it's efficient, doesn't mean you burn more.

I'm not sure how true it is, but I've read that for the first 20 minutes of exercise in the aerobic zone, you will burn 20% fat and 80% carbs. From 20 minutes to 40 minutes, you'll burn 50% fat and 50% carbs. After 40 minutes, you'll burn 80% fat and 20% carbs. All of this makes sense, but I'm not sure how accurate the numbers are. You actually burn fat most efficiently through aerobic exercise if you do it long enough. Sooner or later you have to burn up all the available carbs.

i imagine that's why variety is a good part to any excersize program, long "easy" ride, still keeping your hr around 65% max(so you should break a sweat). Then mix in some shorter moderate inensity rides with a strong steady pace. And finaly hilly days are great cause they're like "off" .."on"..."off" ..."on" high intensity days.

It still amazes me how much of a calorie deficit you need to lose weight. For me, eating 1600 calories a day to lose a pound a week peaty much means I'll be hungry all day. I just accept that as what I have to do to lose weight.



Try eating 5 small meals rather than 3 larger ones and stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed. Divide your 1600 calories into 320 calorie meals (or 300 this one, 340 the next, etc). This pretty much means you'll be eating every 2-3 hours. You're not as likely to get hungry during the day, but if you do get hungry, you're not that far away from your next meal. You will be hungry before you go to bed, but you shouldn't be eating before bedtime anyway.

Eat well before your ride.

Keep hydrated.

Outside of riding - avoid all snacks. If you must, eat a pickle.

Reduce the amount of meat you eat (fish and pork are better than beef). Replace with greens. No butter or salad dressings.

Eat your main meal in the middle of the day, so you have energy for the day.

Eat a small dinner.

Avoid breads, chips, french fries, and other fatty foods.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are okay.

As studies have started so surface on the subject of intensity of exersise how hard you ride is very important for many reasons.

True, but that's not the whole story.... :)
Read on.

http://menshealth.about.com/cs/fitness/a/walking.htm

"So why then do so many fitness and health experts recommend walking for weight loss? One reason is that people don't want to hear that they have to work hard so they figure some activity is better than none."



If someone is sedentary and they start a walking program then they're exercising more therefore they'll lose weight.

That doesn't mean athletes will lose weight if they ditch their training program and start walking instead ;)

I say watch what you're eating and most importantly watch how you're training. Get a HRM and don't pay any attention to it the first few times you're out doing your thing - then compare what you're actually doing to what you're supposed to be doing in terms of staying in your appropriate zones and adjust. I think you're in for a pleasant surprise. Finally, as others have said; you might be gaining muscle which weighs much more than fat does. Perhaps get yourself a scale that measures body fat. They're not very accurate but it'll at least show you if you're getting fatter or leaner with the same weight.

Try eating 5 small meals rather than 3 larger ones and stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed. Divide your 1600 calories into 320 calorie meals (or 300 this one, 340 the next, etc). This pretty much means you'll be eating every 2-3 hours. You're not as likely to get hungry during the day, but if you do get hungry, you're not that far away from your next meal. You will be hungry before you go to bed, but you shouldn't be eating before bedtime anyway.

I'm already eating 6 small meals a day. I'm also eating nutrient dense food as opposed to calorie dense foods. I find that eating a 300 calorie meal only satisfies my hunger for about 15 minutes. :(



If someone is sedentary and they start a walking program then they're exercising more therefore they'll lose weight.

That doesn't mean athletes will lose weight if they ditch their training program and start walking instead ;)


I'm not sure you read the whole article. It talks about fat loss in comparison to intensity. Not just walking to lose weight. :)

I find that eating a 300 calorie meal only satisfies my hunger for about 15 minutes. :(

Think of it this way: If you are hungry you are losing weight. If not, you're not.

I'm already eating 6 small meals a day. I'm also eating nutrient dense food as opposed to calorie dense foods. I find that eating a 300 calorie meal only satisfies my hunger for about 15 minutes.

It takes some getting used to. Eventually you won't be hungry as often. You also have to schedule out your meals and stick to your schedule as closely as possible. If you go too long without eating, then yes 300 calories will not fill you up very well.

Eating 5 or 6 meals per day is a very good strategy because it keeps your metabolism higher than eating more less often.

Is that 30 miles a day once a month? 4 months of 30 miles a day?! and zero wieght lost? You should go see a Dr. and get the bad news out of the way.

Lance Armstrong consumed on average 10,000 calories per day during the TdF and still lost weight. Use that for inspiration.

i was waitting for someone to pull that out, the average trainning cyclist burns 5000 cals a day, according to the american olympic trainning center, i think only wrestlers burnt more.

Train to ride fast and the weight loss will come as a by-product.

I eat NO animal products period and it's a fact that dead animal flesh is condensed calories. I have no problem droping a few pounds any time I wish. Eating whole grains brown rice, no processed foods like flour, etc... and foods that take longer to digest will slow down insulin production and reduces fat production as well. If man made it, don't eat it. ;)

I am only averaging 20 mph so that is my problem.

I am only averaging 20 mph so that is my problem.

20mph average for 30 miles a day after 4 months. Are you sure?
:eek:

You need to control your calorie intake. Check out this plan:
http://www.richardsimmonsstore.com/foodmover.html

I've used it. It works. There is no "fad diet" here. Its all about portion control.

I have the same problem and I am pretty sure its about my diet.

I am now orienting to an automated tracking system that would keep track of my daily nutritional intake. Do you know a good online tracking system ? Thank you.

Hi everybody.
I recently began to have daily 30 min biking exercises. My problem is that immediately after I finish all my daily sets, I feel the urge to empty the fridge. :) Do you think I should go ahead and eat something or just wait for the exact hour of my next meal ? I read somewhere that athletes eat a lot of food after they finish their daily routines but I am afraid of getting fat ... :(

I don't know why walking gets such a bad rap. Sure, it's low intensity, but that's part of its appeal. It's easy, requires little or no preparation or equipment, and done right, can be a very effective part of a weight loss program. It also (gently) strengthens core muscles in ways that bicycling can't.

To the OP -- you cannot eat to satisfy hunger and lose weight at the same time. If you're serious about losing weight, you're gonna feel hungry. Learn to enjoy that feeling.

I read somewhere, (bicycling.com???) that the first hour after your ride you are burning the most calories, so refrain from eating at least until the hour is up. So far, I have noticed a difference and really I am not very hungry right after a ride anyway, the heat sometimes makes me a little queasy.

Also I read where lots of guys drink sports drinks while riding. Wouldn't you just be replacing the calories you burned on the ride with the sports drink negating the effect of the ride. Just thinking.

Sometimes that may be all that can get you home. :p

Also I read where lots of guys drink sports drinks while riding. Wouldn't you just be replacing the calories you burned on the ride with the sports drink negating the effect of the ride. Just thinking.

If you don't replace calories on a long ride, you will bonk, which is at best unpleasant and at worst very dangerous. If you're only riding an hour or two, then you can skip the calories.

I read somewhere, (bicycling.com???) that the first hour after your ride you are burning the most calories, so refrain from eating at least until the hour is up. So far, I have noticed a difference and really I am not very hungry right after a ride anyway, the heat sometimes makes me a little queasy.

Your body is burning a lot of calories during a ride. In the first hour after a hard ride, your body is refueling. If you want to do another hard ride tomorrow, eating in the first hour is a good idea. If you don't eat then, you will feel very sluggish in the second of two hard back-to-back rides.

Try eating 5 small meals rather than 3 larger ones and stop eating 3 hours before you go to bed. Divide your 1600 calories into 320 calorie meals (or 300 this one, 340 the next, etc). This pretty much means you'll be eating every 2-3 hours. You're not as likely to get hungry during the day, but if you do get hungry, you're not that far away from your next meal. You will be hungry before you go to bed, but you shouldn't be eating before bedtime anyway.
If you stop eating after a certain time at night, isn't there a risk of going into starvation mode before going to bed? Or does our metabolism slow down so much during sleep anyways that going to bed while hungry won't make a difference?

"Train to ride fast and the weight loss will come as a by-product."

Exactly! The weight-loss should NOT be the goal, getting into shape and getting FASTER is the key to weight loss. New research has shown that it's really calories/hour that you burn that makes a difference in weight loss. More calories/hour, more hours working out per day, combined with ingesting less calories than you burn will result in weight loss.

You can't make all-or-nothing, black & white, yes/no qualitative statements that slower burns more fat. It really depends upon what you mean by "more", it may be a higher percentage of fat as a total amount burned, but in shear numbers of calories per hour or per workout, it DOES NOT burn more fat... in most cases. What we want is data and it really depends upon your condition and level of fitness. In general, the higher the fitness-level and higher the VO2-max and AT-threshold, the higher-percentage of fat and total # of fat-calories you'll be burning at any given effort and power-output. Yes, higher fat% burning may not equal higher fat-calories burnt and vice-versa. It really depends upon your level of fitness and condition. Let's compare a beginning-rider vs. an elite athlete:

BEGINNER
50% max-HR = 500 Cal/hr = 75/25% fat/carbs = 375 fat-calories/hour
65% max-HR = 650 Cal/hr = 50/50% fat/carbs = 325 fat-calories/hour
80% max-HR = 800 Cal/hr = 25/75% fat/carbs = 160 fat-calories/hour

ELITE FIT ATHLETE
50% max-HR = 750 Cal/hr = 80/20% fat/carbs = 600 fat-calories/hour
65% max-HR = 1000 Cal/hr = 75/25% fat/carbs = 750 fat-calories/hour
80% max-HR = 1250 Cal/hr = 65/35% fat/carbs = 813 fat-calories/hour
90% max-HR = 1400 Cal/hr = 25/75% fat/carbs = 350 fat-calories/hour

Basically, the more fit you are, the more fat/hour you can burn at a higher pace. Your energy and cardiovascular systen is more efficient at converting fat to glycogen for burning, without resorting to anaerobic fermentation and phospho-creatine at high-effort levels.

If you can find it, Chester Kyle, chief-scientist at the OTC in Colorado wrote up a series of papers called "Cycling Science" back in the '80-90s that had instrumented testing on Olympic athletes measuring tonnes of data on physiology, quite interesting stuff... Also look up Dr. Edmund Burke.

So are you saying:
"I ride 30/day (210/wk) averaging 20mph"
OR
"I can last up to 30 miles in one day, I do it once a week"

There is a big difference between riding 30/wk and 210/wk...

What's your typical schedule of a day?

Also, the question nobody asked: What do you currently weigh?

If you're 5'0", 200lbs and you start riding 210/wk, you'll start losing weight.
If you're 5'7", 110lbs you won't lose weight because those "vanity pounds" drop but you gain muscle.

If you gain more muscle mass than you lose in fat mass, you won't see weight loss but you will be in a much better health situation.

I have the same problem and I am pretty sure its about my diet.

I am now orienting to an automated tracking system that would keep track of my daily nutritional intake. Do you know a good online tracking system ? Thank you.

You can download a free, fully functional 30-day trial version of my WeightWare software (www.weightware.com). It's designed to help with weight loss, without the tedium of calorie counting, via a "daily weigh-in" combined with some advanced statistical analysis (out motto - "We do the math, so you don't have to").