Riding for weight loss

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Aaronjoy

Regular
Location
Oxfordshire
Hello again guys and gals,

Recently I've been putting a fair few pounds on and my fitness has taken a slight hit, my old geared bike has had it's day and it's been replaced by my single speed trek 48x18.

My aim is to drop some weight and get serious about my training again this coming week, is there any particular training method to lose weight on a single speed or is it generally get out and ride? I suppose I'm lucky because around here there is some good flat routes and there's many hills to tackle if I wanted.

Tips I'm after is ride duration, intensity, average speed to look at for the gear I've selected.

Many thanks.
 
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Slick

Guru
Everybody tells me you can't exercise away a bad diet, as its 80% diet and only 20% exercise. Less in more out, easier said than done, I know. Good luck.
 

S-Express

Guest
Best bet for losing weight is to alter your diet. Cycling will get you fitter, but don't rely on it to get the weight off on it's own.
 
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Aaronjoy

Aaronjoy

Regular
Location
Oxfordshire
I think a diet change is a must for me, I easily put on weight, I struggle to lose and in the past I've had to drastically change it to lose weight.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Cycling by itself will not shed the pounds. I made 2 small changes to my diet and I saw the difference in 2 weeks. I stopped eating biscuits, my comfort food. I also stopped eating anything after 6pm.

I went from nearly 90kg to 76kg in 3 months.
 

Soltydog

Legendary Member
Location
near Hornsea
What Steve said ^^^ Last year was my biggest ever in terms of cycling, over 10k miles & I lost 2 stone, but that was with small changes to diet too, although cycling every day I did find that I could let my diet side of things slip & get away with it, but my diet has slipped further this year (mainly drink :blush:) & my mileage has dropped, approx 6k this year & I've put nearly a stone back on :sad:

I'm no expert when it comes to training plans, I just ride to how I feel & want to, but last year I was doing some high intensity hour sessions, pretty much flat out & averaging 20mph (on a geared bike) This year my riding has been a little more relaxed with only the odd occasional fast session, gone back to just enjoying it rather than busting a gut every ride :okay:
 

Slick

Guru
Cycling by itself will not shed the pounds. I made 2 small changes to my diet and I saw the difference in 2 weeks. I stopped eating biscuits, my comfort food. I also stopped eating anything after 6pm.

I went from nearly 90kg to 76kg in 3 months.
What kind of weight are we talking about here?
On average, in your geared bike, how far you cycle?
I suppose it depends on your current level of fitness and weight, but I pretty much did as the advice above and am slowly dropping the lbs. I reckon the biggest single thing you can do is reduce your sugar intake.
 

MrGrumpy

Huge Member
Location
Fly Fifer
Cycling by itself will not shed the pounds. I made 2 small changes to my diet and I saw the difference in 2 weeks. I stopped eating biscuits, my comfort food. I also stopped eating anything after 6pm.

I went from nearly 90kg to 76kg in 3 months.
its that simple and i should follow it myself :tongue: I do a lot of cycling but weight does not shift, not a fat lad at the back but 6ft and 15 stone , however I`m also finding with age, losing the lbs is not as easy as say 10-15 yrs ago !
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Re ..
Tips I'm after is ride duration, intensity, average speed to look at for the gear I've selected.

I always say "less is more". For me rides up to 90mins are great for working on fitness and leaving me feeling i could repeat the next day. I like SS training as it makes you work thru the whole cadence range. From grinding to twiddling.
Avoid "binge" training. Set youself a routine that you can keep for a long term and by that i mean for the next 20-30 + years.

Good luck
Keith
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
its that simple and i should follow it myself :tongue: I do a lot of cycling but weight does not shift, not a fat lad at the back but 6ft and 15 stone , however I`m also finding with age, losing the lbs is not as easy as say 10-15 yrs ago !

I agree with that. I'm 58 and getting the weight to start shifting was the hard part.

Along with stopping the biscuits and not eating after 6pm, I drank lots more water, lots more. I also took up a challenge to ride 22km every day for a month. The cycling in itself did not help me to lose weight. But while I was on the bike, I wasn't laying on the sofa.

I am now at 78kg, its my winter coat. ^_^

I hope to get down to 74kg in the Spring. I was 20 the last time I weighed 74kg. But you need to change your eating habits to keep the weight off otherwise you just end up at square 1 and that is depressing and being depressed helps the weight to take hold again.

Its a life style change but it does not have to be a massive, complex change.

I think everyone has some kind of comfort food which is not good for them. Biscuits, beer, crisps, chocolate. If you can start by cutting that out completely then cutting other things out is quite easy. I still like Burger King and the occasional biscuit and I certainly dont starve, I just eat different things. Nice things.
 
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Aaronjoy

Aaronjoy

Regular
Location
Oxfordshire
What kind of weight are we talking about here?
On average, in your geared bike, how far you cycle?

Well I haven't been seriously training for a few years now, at age 25 I've hit an all time high of 110kg and my best weight I've been is 79kg at age 18 and ideally I'd like to get that back. I was about 100kg before I dropped to 79kg so it is doable but with hard work.

Im planning to go out a few days a week for 90 mins each time on varied terrain. I'm starting tomorrow as my shift pattern will allow me to get out whilst still light. My 18t freewheel will arrive later this week to make my bike 48x18 instead of 48x20 as it currently stands.

My diet has been the worst recently and I find my will power is non existent.
 
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