Daily training for weight loss.

BikeyBradshaw

Hi all.

New to the forums so just wanted to get a first post in and say hi as well as pick all your wonderful brains for advice.

I've recently picked up a road bike with my brother as he had a major health scare with his heart and its kinda inspired me to get my ass into gear and lose weight.

I'm currently weighting about 16 and a half stone which is appalling since until a few years ago I was slim and fit.

Anywho enough of the boring life story, I want to shift some of this weight and improve my riding.

At the moment I'm riding 4-5 days a week. Majority of the week I'm managing 12-13 miles as the route I'm riding gets incredibly hilly as I leave Sheffield into the peak district.

I know this is more to do with the route though because I've being out with my brother and done 20-30mile rides closer to his home.

Am I likely to see a weight loss from this daily 12-13 miles or do I need to go further? Obviously I'm pushing myself a little further each time but I'm talking about 20miles daily etc.

Over the past 4-6 weeks I don't seem to have lost any weight but I have noticed a change to my legs which appear to be more muscular so perhaps the lack of weight loss is down to muscle building.

If you can decipher this rambling, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

16mm

Hi,

Good you're on the bike, and the peaks too. Lucky you:-)

There are two sides to weight loss. Make sure you're eating sensible, and not eating extra to compensate for the exercise.

Ride as much as you can, and don't overeat. If you've recently put on a lot of weight from overeating, then you may be used to eating a lot more than you need.

sagalout

Losing weight is 90% diet.

Cycling will help to reach a calorie deficit, but it really comes down to eating a clean diet. Cut out the junk, takeaways and beer for starters

In six weeks if you were eating healthily and exercising you should have lost at least 6 pounds. If you haven't lost anything you're probably eating too much.

Cycling is excellent for improving fitness and general health though

BikeyBradshaw

Thanks for the replies so far guys.

Obviously to get to this stage the diet was pretty crap. For a while though I would have thought my diet was better. I rarely drink and I eat a varied diet so I guess its just going to be time.

I'm going to start pushing myself a bit further I guess. When I usually stop and turn around I might have a 5 minute breather and then try and go further and see how I do. Just worried that if I go to far I won't be coming back up the damn hills. :P

sagalout

Honestly its diet. If you're eating healthily then its probably portions sizes. You could lose 1 -2 lbs a week without cycling at all.

FWIW, I was also 16.5 stones 2 years ago. Got down to 12st 2 now. Took a complete change of lifestyle, diet and portion control. Keep a food diary for a month to see where the calories are going.

BikeyBradshaw

Cheers Sagalout.

Its nice to know people have being in the same position as me before and that all this is doable.

I'll start reducing my portions as well and the idea of a food diary also seems useful. I've tried online solutions for that before but never got on with them so think I might just start a handwritten one which I can update easily.

Getting a turbo trainer for my b'day in next week so should be able to put 45min-1hr in on that in a morning before I go to work.

ut_och_cykla

reduce portion size, don't eat extra just 'cos you're cycling. As your cycling improves you will be able to go further - steady progression and regular exercise will help with weight but the key is the food intake - as others have said

bexley5200

hi bikey i have been cycling for 15 years and have just had a year off,eating the same i have put on 41/2 stone i have been on a low fat diet for a month losing 20lb i now do 20mins on the turbo 1/2 hour brisk walking i think that weight loss is 80 per cent diet 20 per cent exercise and with a little comitment and time you will be flying up them hills good luck craig white age 49

timmyflash

There was a brief period of 8 months BC (Before Cycling) when i took up kickboxing. Towards the end i was managing about 6 to 7 hours training a week. Would get the bus home and regularly indulge in some skanky chicken cottage on the way back and eat and drink what i wanted. Although to be honest it wasn't excessive. This was the fittest and best shape i've ever been in. Got down to about 10 stone 3 (am now over 12) and even had a bit of definition. Ahhh those were the days. Anyway, if i had the motivation, i'd rather up my exercise rather than watch what i eat... diets suck. I'm hungry right now.

May not be much of an opinion, but i think you can eat like a fatty and still lose weight (not as fast) if you're doing enough exercise. Just have to be realistic about what it takes to shed the pounds (i.e. a lot).

simon_e

Good luck with your efforts. You'll be surprised at what you can do if you really put your mind to it.

I'd agree with sagalout. IMHO lots of water, good sleep patterns, fresh fruit & veg, nuts seeds and unprocessed food. Go easy on sat.fats and sugars (whether choccy or hidden in processed foods) and don't fill up with starchy carbs - spuds or pasta.

An extensive discussion in a recent thread on weight loss:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12726771

BikeyBradshaw

Wow thanks for all this input guys and support.

I've being eating smaller portions which I feel is making a difference. Beans on toast? I now just have half a can of beans.

Things like that don't seem a lot but in the past week I've lost 3-4lbs.

My turbo trainer arrived this morning as well so I'm going to start putting some effort into that. Grabbed the Fight Club Sufferfest video so had a crack at that today. After the progress I made on the road that made me feel unfit again but I'll get there :P

derosalover

HI
I use suffer fest vids too they are great.
Not sure if you are much of a drinker but the way i lost 2 stone last year was by stopping drinking. I had the odd shandy on a pub visit and survived on low cal tonic w/ agostura bitters + alcoholic free becks. Also started every day with a fresh fruit smoothy i made with one of those hand blenders before my morning work out and a bowl of cereal after....... :P

sagalout

BikeyBradshaw wrote:

After the progress I made on the road that made me feel unfit again but I'll get there :P

hehe, dont worry, no matter how fit you are, doing intervals will (if you're doing them properly) make you feel like you're going to puke!