bikerjp

Just wondering if anyone who started cycling to lose weight managed to lose the spare tire. I've lost weight, but after nearly 2 years of cycling the spare tire is still hanging around. Does it ever go away?

Homebrew01

Eat less, especially the junk.

Aeolis

Calories in vs calories expended. Eat less, excersise more. If you want to lose weight and be healthier than eat better.

bikerjp

I know the math. As I said, I've lost weight. I suspect I'll eventually lose the spare tire too but I'm curious how long it took others. Seems a much slower process - though I've not dedicated any special efforts outside of riding and watching what I eat.

carpediemracing 

It won't go away just because you're riding. Trust me on this - there are a lot of fat fit fast people out there on the bike. I just had this conversation with a friend and former teammate that had emergency intestinal surgery. He shed 25 lbs in a couple weeks and expected to lose another 10-15 lbs. He's worried he'll be too weak. I told him that this was ideal for bike racing - if I could it that's what I'd do - screw the weakness, shedding the weight will more than make up for it (and for him he was carrying most of that weight in his upper body). Once he sheds the weight he'll be so much better when he starts to train.

In 2009 I went on my first and really only diet ever. I shed about 30 lbs, going from a race weight of 180-200 lbs down to 155-160 lbs. It's not like I didn't train - in 2008 I was basically a full time racer (let's put it this way - I wasn't working, I didn't want to work, and I wasn't looking for a job) from Jan-Aug and I was still 185-190 lbs at the end of the year. I think I rode about 450 hours that year but I'm not sure of that number. A normal year for me is about 150-200 hours.

It sucks because you have to diet. I can't diet and train with any intensity. When I dieted in the fall of 2009 I'd be exhausted after 30 min on the bike. After dieting from mid Oct to mid Dec I started to eat a bit more so I could ride. I stopped losing weight but started getting back some riding fitness (and eventually gained about 3 lbs). I had a great year in 2010, even with 20% less power (FTP and max). I was much more competitive, had an absolute blast on the bike.

(I was dieting because I had my first ever bad crash in Aug 2009 - ended up in a wheelchair for a bit, then a cane for a couple months, couldn't ride until October or so, and I decided wtf I'll just diet then if I can't ride.)

I've gained back most of that weight in the last two years. It totally sucks. Shelled all the time, not sprinting well, etc.

hhnngg1

The fat seems to go away faster if you run (gasp). While calories burned are calories burned, the weight bearing nature of running makes you work a lot harder with the extra flab. Not so much for cycling, where you actually don't get a huge penalty from weight.

Jed19

I hear ya. What about those who can't run anymore? I have a titanium rod running from my right hip to about 3.5inches above my knee, and I have not even bothered to run or play tennis since then. I do find the elliptical machine at the gym good for some cardio though. I do agree that running is the best bang for the buck for burning fat, thus losing weight.

bikerjp

I've never really enjoyed running but tried to add in a few runs a week for this purpose. Unfortunately, it just leads to injury and pain. Probably too heavy at 200lbs to have running be kind to the body regardless of what kind of shape I'm in. Snowshoeing in the winter really burns calories but those trips are few and far between. Cycling is the easiest for me to do consistently.


I was hoping this wasn't the case. I feel like I'm getting trimmer and was hoping that eventually I'd reach trim.

BykOfALesserGod

Do you do other exercises to address the spare tire?

peckma

Not just eating less - drinking less. Be honest about the intensity of your rides. I dropped 25# in about a year by 1) increasing frequency and intensity of riding (average about 100-125 miles/week) and 2) Riding early on Saturday mornings. Means I go to bed early on Friday night with no alcohol, or at most 1 beer.

But, I can say the last 10# has still hung around. Is it worth giving up an occasional steak and choco chip peanut butter ice cream?

MikeyBoyAz

Someone needs to climb hills more. There is a wee bit of a penalty there


Also, for the record calories in != calories out. Complex carbs are MUCH better for you and will cause you to loose weight much faster... no more sugar treats and bleached processed flour... this will take the tire off. Keep up the protein, vitamins and greens... fruit w/o fruit juices (bottled juices) speeds things up too. Stop drinking milk, that will help. Last: get in the habit of some sort of cleansing methodology; I drink about 1oz of Aloe Vera / honey / lemon... this helps your liver dump waste (toxins) it is holding onto and give it a chance to process fat/glycogen for your energy. That's about it.

rumrunn6

I was able to acheive a significant level of body transformation including losing the sideward waistline buldge.

If this is important to you, then you might consider a body transformation plan. a transformed body comes as a result of a multi pronged approach, not by just taking up 1 sport and not by just losing weight. I would elaborate but it really needs to addressed in training/nutrition.

I spent 5 years and made great progress transforming myself, then I suffered a significant dibiltating emotional trauma and lost all motivation which resulted in a significant backslide which I am starting to reverse.

Increase muscle mass throughout your body with multisport cross training combined with appropriate and "timed" nutrition. Increasing muscle mass does not come from simple exercise, not even from multisport cross training. There specific techniques to apply to gain muscle. For example with weight training, a 5x5 program.

bikerjp

Not a lot but I do some core strengthening stuff. Just not religiously.

This is where I'm at. The last 10lbs don't seem to be going anywhere and I'm not really willing to give up everything I enjoy. I was hoping that given enough time the calories burned being higher than calories in would eventually eat away at the fat.

bikerjp

Thanks. I do much of this already so that might mean I'm on the right track. Could probably cut out a bit more sugar but life's no fun without cookies. Might have to give that Aloe cleansing a try as I've not really explored that.

gregf83 

Correct. If you want to lose weight calories in needs to be less than calories out.
They may or may not have more nutrients but if you eat too many you won't lose weight. If you eat less than you burn you will.

BykOfALesserGod

You should try incorporating regular core/tummy/abs exercises into your fitness routine. It will tighten your body up. You might even enjoy a regular gym routine after you get results.

When faced with the temptation of a freshly baked pastry, I eat half of it to sate the craving

miles.lowry

Take a walk, running is way to intense for me, my knees won't take it. When I was walking about 2 miles a day (1 miles with the dog and one without) I was shedding weight (I was eating better too). Then I had foot surgery, the doctor just recently gave me the go ahead to do waht I want but now I am going to get the other foot fixed (another 6 months on my a$$).

bikerjp

I wonder if these would help at all...

https://www.kangoo-jumps.com

Nachoman

Agreed. That last ten is difficult. But I know exactly what I need to do to lose it.
I'm already eating pretty healthy and exercising quite a bit.
All I have to do is cut out beer and my mid-afternoon snacks and I"m there. But that will never happen.

pallen

I dropped 35lbs pretty fast when I started riding regularly, but then leveled off. I want to lose another 20 (the last of the spare tire), but has been painfully slow. Your body gets used to an increase in activity after a while and still finds a way to hang onto the fat. At this point, it seems like I have to get pretty radical on calorie restriction and stick with it religiously for weeks before I start to see any progress. Its frustrating because it effects my riding.

MindProbe

Out of all the exercise options I've ever tried nothing kicked my butt like this, for $2.57

https://www.walmart.com/ip/17299074?a...l5=pla&veh=sem

gundom66

Any of you tried some core exercises along with eating healthy on top of your cycling and running routines?

krobinson103

Seven months of cycling every day and a long ride every weekend has removed all trace of any body fat that I once had. I sold my car and motorcycles and left myself with 2 bikes as my sole means of transport. When you have to ride everywhere it becomes easy to lose fat. Lost 25kg to reach 85kg (191cm tall) and went down from 38 inches to 31.5 inches at the waist. I didn't even do much about diet either. Just ride 50km everyday and 160-200km in the weekend.

I also don't drink alchol at all (hate the stuff - have since I was young). I try and eat 4-5 smaller meals every day rather than larger ones. I find its nessecary since my metabolism has speeded up a lot.

MikeyBoyAz

No, you missed the point... balancing calories (or reducing intake) is the WRONG thing to do. Eating 2000 kCal in Sugar will NEVER let you loose weight... the same 2000 kCal in red beans + rice WILL. What I mean is STOP counting calories and start reducing the carbohydrate intake that is starch/sugar (fiber is still OK)

MindProbe

I think a lot of people fall into the compensatory-eating pit. "I just rode 50 miles, so I can eat a half gallon of ice cream".