Cycling more - but not losing weight?

London_Nick

Ok, what am I doing wrong?

Cycling 4 to 5 times a week now (12 mile round journey to work) and have been doing so for the past three months. I haven't lost a single kilogram though! I thought cycling gets you fitter and leaner? Fitter I am, but not leaner

Agent57

Are you putting on muscle? (probably not through cycling, but maybe you're doing something else as well) Is your diet shit?

London_Nick

Nope, nothing else in my life/diet has changed, that's why I'm a little bit perplexed!

R_T_A

Don't get disheartened - sometimes weight is the last thing to change.

Has your waist line or body shape changed?

fearby

Cut down on carbohydrates and you will lose weight. Omit bread for a few weeks if you can.

Applespider

Definitely not allowing yourself an afternoon cake or an energy drink since you've earned it?

Also depends on how much you've got to lose - if it's not that much, then it's going to be slower to go. Also, contrary to the first question, are you eating enough? If you'd already trimmed your diet down before you started, and presumably are now burning a couple of thousand extra calories, might be worth checking that you've not cut down too much?

arthur_scrimshaw

I started a similar commute distance to you two years ago, for the first 6 months there was no change in weight then it started falling off, lost 3 stone in 18 months. Weight loss has slowed up recently but still gradually coming off. No other changes to lifestyle (other than riding a lot at weekends now as well as the commute) Body shape changed a lot, 4-5 inches off waist, my xxl Endura luminite jacket is now like a sack on me, just ordered a large size Endura Stealth for the winter to replace it.

Agent57

Applespider wrote:

Also, contrary to the first question, are you eating enough?

I don't think that's contrary at all. Eating too little is just as much a shit diet as eating too much, or eating crap foods.

sc999cs

I wouldn't judge things by weight, I'd look at how your clothes fit now? (Basically +1 to everyone above).

cjcp

+1 for avoiding bread. If I avoid sandwiches at lunch and have lentils and stuff for lunch, and have salad/rabbit food for tea, by the end of the week, I feel slimmer.

Avoid empty calories, too. Like chocolate and alcohol. I can't believe I'm telling someone to avoid chocolate when I hardly practice what I preach, but there we are.

tailwindhome

London_Nick wrote:

Nope, nothing else in my life/diet has changed, that's why I'm a little bit perplexed!

You are eating more than you think.

OR You were eating too much before, the cycling is preventing you from putting on weight

OR You aren't cycling hard enough or far enough. Cycling is an efficient way of getting around under you own steam. A 6mile each way journey is probably not enough to have an effect on your weight

You could try riding to work on an empty stomach, that's supposed to burn the calories. Just don't eat too much when you get there.


(Not sure I buy into the gaining muscle theories..I mean how big are peoples legs getting?)

Zachariah

I've been losing a fair bit of weight despite stuffing myself with sandwiches, but then I started out at the higher end of the BMI for my height (187cm,was 94kg, currently at 90 and falling).

I can't often go for long rides, but I try and thrash it when I do. On my commute I have mini intervals, making sure I hit at least 20mph on each straight (which is a fair rate on a 44/18 SS carrying lunch and a 2kg lock on the pannier). All I can say is this is working as a weight-loss programme for me. Also, there is no such thing as a flat where I live.

nich

Go faster, harder, longer

It takes time if your not dieting. I eat just as I did before, probably a bit more. It's taken 5 months to lose 6 pounds, and my diet is not that healthy :oops:

I'm pretty sure the actual weight loss has only happened in the last couple of months, but my waist size has gone down gradually over that period.

Sadly still got the belly.

Anyway, it's not all good. Got to spend money on a new belt soon, plus my shorts I got not so long ago which were too big, will shortly be way too big!

coopster_the_1st

TailWindHome wrote:

(Not sure I buy into the gaining muscle theories..I mean how big are peoples legs getting?)

Remember before hand there may well have been a layer of fat over the legs, so with cycling, you have burnt off the fat and have grown muscle but your legs could still be the same size. Also, there is buttocks and calf's as where fat can be lost and more built.

Me, I lost some fat off my legs, but have grown more muscle to replace it so trousers are loser around the waist but tighter around the thighs and calf's.

Zachariah

Your trousers are tighter around the things, eh?

Anyway, to the OP - cycle harder! You may only be doing a few miles, but you can do it faster! Or put weights on. Get a computer if you don't already have one and work on beating your PB.

dilemna

To the OP. 12 miles round trip isn't anything. The major factor in your battle against weight is food or the quantity of food you are eating. You are obviously still eating too much of the wrong food. Either cut down or exercise harder and for longer. Why not add 10 miles to your commute so you are riding 15-20 miles one way or do some running or swimming? Simples.

cjcp

It's worth varying the speeds of your commute.

I'm not convinced that balls-out all the way every day is the best (alhough I don't deny it's great fun. ), in the same way no-one trains balls-out all the time.

So, try doing fat burning, pootle rides. You could do these in the morning after ard, fast rides home the evening before.

Other suggestions include:

1. extending your route a couple of times of week. These will increase your calorie burn; and

2. skip breakfast until after your commute. I've read that exercise before you eat in the morning helps with the weight loss.

deptfordmarmoset

London_Nick, maybe you weren't actually overweight in the first place - you don't actually say this is the case, you only leave it implied. So how many pounds or kilos do you believe you'll need to lose before you become lean and fit?

Personally, better fitness is the aim and weight has never been an issue for me. In fact, I got quite concerned this weekend when I discovered I had lost over 2 kilos in just less than 2 weeks, which struck me as being too much too quickly because my weight has stayed pretty much stable while I've gradually been increasing my average miles per day and average speed on the bike.

Lycra Man

London Nick,

I was in the same position as you until about three months ago. I started a new job last April with a 15 mile commute, and despite the commute and added Audax rides every 4-6 weeks, I wasn't seeing any change in my weight. All last year I didn't see any change. Finally I have lost a stone (15 in January, 14 now).

So I would say stick at it. Assuming you are enjoying your riding, weight loss could be seen as a bonus. Although I expected to see results sooner. I have got impressive legs though, even if I say so myself.

Lycra Man

sundog

cjcp wrote:

It's worth varying the speeds of your commute.

I'm not convinced that balls-out all the way every day is the best (alhough I don't deny it's great fun. ), in the same way no-one trains balls-out all the time.

So, try doing fat burning, pootle rides. You could do these in the morning after ard, fast rides home the evening before.

Other suggestions include:

1. extending your route a couple of times of week. These will increase your calorie burn; and

2. skip breakfast until after your commute. I've read that exercise before you eat in the morning helps with the weight loss.

I'd go with this, 'interval' training is usually the best fat burner.

Sprint hard for a minute then go easy 3-4 minutes and repeat

London_Nick

I'm not overweight, I just want to lose my beer-gained (small) middle tyre. I guess I need to do weights or some crap to lean up my stomach!

tailwindhome

London_Nick wrote:

I'm not overweight, I just want to lose my beer-gained (small) middle tyre. I guess I need to do weights or some crap to lean up my stomach!

[Crazytalk]Maybe cut out the beer[/Crazytalk]

I have no stats to back it up but would guess that there are more calories in a pint than you are going to burn in a 6 mile commoute

SBezza

6 mile commute even at full bore is likely to burn less than 200 calories, it will take an age without a change in diet/lifestyle to lose the weight.

SimonAH

London_Nick wrote:

I'm not overweight, I just want to lose my beer-gained (small) middle tyre. I guess I need to do weights or some crap to lean up my stomach!

Try doing the plank a couple of times in the evening too - tightens up the stomach muscles really well (which, correct me if I'm wrong) cycling isn't very effective at.

How many middle aged shaven legged roadies do you see out there with stringy tendony obviously strong legs, and a bit of a belly fighting the lycra?

HamishD

SimonAH wrote:

London_Nick wrote:

I'm not overweight, I just want to lose my beer-gained (small) middle tyre. I guess I need to do weights or some crap to lean up my stomach!

Try doing the plank a couple of times in the evening too - tightens up the stomach muscles really well (which, correct me if I'm wrong) cycling isn't very effective at.

How many middle aged shaven legged roadies do you see out there with stringy tendony obviously strong legs, and a bit of a belly fighting the lycra?

Wise words mate.

Or try: swimming, horizontal dancing or the such like . . .

roger_merriman

London_Nick wrote:

I'm not overweight, I just want to lose my beer-gained (small) middle tyre. I guess I need to do weights or some crap to lean up my stomach!

MTBing I don't mean ride around RP but at north downs/swinley it uses your upper body, partially on a hard tail.

on and get to buy more bikes! ;-)

mudcovered

cjcp wrote:

It's worth varying the speeds of your commute.

I'm not convinced that balls-out all the way every day is the best (alhough I don't deny it's great fun. ), in the same way no-one trains balls-out all the time.

That sounds like the way to me. With commuting its very easy to get stuck in a rut speed wise when commuting even if your fitness is improving. As I discovered last week. I was very late on Friday so I really put the hammer down on my ride to work. Took 5 mins off my normal ride time and averaged over 18mph instead of my usual 16. Didn't feel noticeably more tired or fatigued the day after which suggests I could probably do a couple of commutes like that in a week. This would probably benefit my speed and overall fitness.

Don't know about the weight loss. I managed to loose 3stone (and most of my belly) by riding more regularly (25mi per day 4days a week instead of 2), starting Ashtanga Yoga classes (good for the core strength) and a little bit of portion control (actually weighing the amount of pasta and rice I ate instead of guessing how much I was eating). The last of these was surprising as I discovered that I was eating about twice as much (by weight) of pasta and rice than I thought :shock:

Mike

iPete

TailWindHome wrote:

(Not sure I buy into the gaining muscle theories..I mean how big are peoples legs getting?)

My weight went up when I started cycling, roughly 2.5kgs, which was all on my legs!

mikey_748

Coopster the 1st wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

(Not sure I buy into the gaining muscle theories..I mean how big are peoples legs getting?)

Remember before hand there may well have been a layer of fat over the legs, so with cycling, you have burnt off the fat and have grown muscle but your legs could still be the same size. Also, there is buttocks and calf's as where fat can be lost and more built.

Me, I lost some fat off my legs, but have grown more muscle to replace it so trousers are loser around the waist but tighter around the thighs and calf's.

Had a "summer" where the only change has been an increase in duration and effort on my commute - it's 7 miles direct but I try to get at least 1 leg a day of 15 - 20 miles at a higher pace. Only adds 30 mins.

Result has been a derisory loss of 4 pounds but also a body fat reduction of 4% - rough calcs suggest I've lost 8 pounds of fat and gained 4 pounds of muscle. So +1 to all above

Agent57

sundog wrote:

I'd go with this, 'interval' training is usually the best fat burner.

Sprint hard for a minute then go easy 3-4 minutes and repeat

Or go with Tabata; sprint *hard* for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Repeat x8, rest a minute, then repeat.

tailwindhome

OP

What age are you?