Cycling to lose weight

[harrow1977]

Hi

I have been cycling to work and back (about 11 miles each way) for a couple of months on and off. According to Strava, I am burning about 400 calories a day doing this, which is good

One question - am I correct in that to actually lose weight cycling I need to to get myself into a sweat, that is I need to push myself harder and harder? Simply ambling along at a relatively normal pace is not going to help?

 

[400bhp]

Calories in < calories out.

Best to go onto health & fitness subforum and ask on there.

 

[harrow1977]

Thanks didn't see that forum!

 

[harrow1977]

Hi

I have been cycling to work and back (about 11 miles each way) for a couple of months on and off. According to Strava, I am burning about 400 calories a day doing this, which is good

One question - am I correct in that to actually lose weight cycling I need to to get myself into a sweat, that is I need to push myself harder and harder? Simply ambling along at a relatively normal pace is not going to help?

 

[ianrauk]

Cut out the crap food and the booze. 11 miles is a good mileage. Keep cycling and eat healthy.
That's all you need to do.

 

[jay clock]

11 miles each way will be a lot more than that. It depends on your weight and the bike weight, and how fast you go, but I would guess you are burning 1200 to 1400 per day. Any exercise will help burn calories off. Cycling harder will be harder because of the wind resistance (20mph is much more than double the energy needed to do 10mph)

As for sweating, I have to go very slowly not to sweat. How long is 11 miles taking?

 

[vickster]

40 calories per mile my rule of thumb - 20 miles = 800

 

[jowwy]

11 miles each way will be a lot more than that. It depends on your weight and the bike weight, and how fast you go, but I would guess you are burning 1200 to 1400 per day. Any exercise will help burn calories off. Cycling harder will be harder because of the wind resistance (20mph is much more than double the energy needed to do 10mph)

As for sweating, I have to go very slowly not to sweat. How long is 11 miles taking?

12/1400 is way to high an estimate

Im 17st and i worked out after a lot of riding and anylisis that i burn approx 40calories per mile. Using that figure abd eating healthy helped me lose over 4stone last year. Then my partner became ill and 2stone went back on through not riding.

 

[Blurb]

I think to get fitter you need to be always pushing, but to lose weight you "just" need to do the work. i.e.If you cycle 11 miles in 60 minutes or 11 miles in 50 minutes, you'll burn broadley similar calories. So weight-loss-wise you achieve roughly the same, but the harder you work the fitter you'll get.

On a bike/rider total of about 100kilos I factor 40-50 cal a mile at an average 15ish mph.

I do the same mileage but generally push myself and I'm in my late forties and am fitter than I was 20 years ago. I wasn't overweight when I started but still lost 15% of my weight because of cycling and eating better/smarter. It's amazing how much fat the human body has hidden within it.

 

[MichaelO]

Calories in < calories out..

Not entirely useful when someone first starts cycling - I burnt far more calories than I was taking in when I started cycling...and my body shape changed, but the scales stayed pretty much the same as they did before. Weight alone isn't always the best measure.

 

[MrGrumpy]

I was about to post the very same, your experience is same as mine.

 

[uclown2002]

You're surely not suggesting you are gaining muscle at the same rate as you're shedding fat, as a result of riding a bike a bit?

 

[Thomk]

Hi

I have been cycling to work and back (about 11 miles each way) for a couple of months on and off. According to Strava, I am burning about 400 calories a day doing this, which is good

One question - am I correct in that to actually lose weight cycling I need to to get myself into a sweat, that is I need to push myself harder and harder? Simply ambling along at a relatively normal pace is not going to help?

How "on and off"?

 

[400bhp]

Not entirely useful when someone first starts cycling - I burnt far more calories than I was taking in when I started cycling...and my body shape changed, but the scales stayed pretty much the same as they did before. Weight alone isn't always the best measure.

What's the title of the thread?

 

[Cubist]

You're surely not suggesting you are gaining muscle at the same rate as you're shedding fat, as a result of riding a bike a bit?

Someone who has led a totally sedentary lifestyle will soon pack muscle on if they're exercising. For a large person riding a bike is serious exercise to start with, and leg muscles in a mesomorph will absolutely balloon.

It ain't the same for some skinny regular cyclist on an efficient road bike.