How much cycle to lose weight

Off you go. But wait. What type of riding you do will affect the ratio of fat to carbohydrate you burn. An RER of 1. The harder you go, the greater the contribution from carbs. But you also have to be careful because any excess consumption of carbohydrate results in lipogenesis whereby, during the process of breaking down carbs, sugars are laid down as fat. There is another way. Just pootling to work and back. You can lose weight more quickly by cycling harder.

When cyclists talk of fat burning, they mean going for longer, lower intensity rides. Spending just as many hours in the saddle over the course of lots of shorter rides will get the same job done.

The harder you ride, the hungrier you become. Make a packed lunch or prepare something nutritious you can stick in the microwave. If you want to get fitter faster and lose weight by cycling , here are some tips. The most time-efficient way to get in more cycling miles is to extend the rides that you're already doing, such as your daily commute. Pre- and post-ride activities like getting changed, getting your bike out, or having a shower are already accounted for, so an extra half hour on your bike will cost only an extra half hour of your time.

Your normal route to work is doubtless quite direct, deviating here and there to make it quieter and more pleasant. Don't abandon this route. It's ideal to use in the mornings or whenever time is tight. Instead, literally go out of your way to create one or more additional, longer, less direct routes.

Do this once or twice a week, or even on every journey home, and you'll clock up more miles with minimal extra effort. When you're cycling, going around hills is often quicker than going over them, and it's certainly easier, so these are the routes we tend to choose for regular journeys.

However riding uphill is a great way to get fit faster , precisely because it's harder. Increasing the frequency that you cycle means more miles on the bike too. If you currently cycle to work two, or three, or four times a week, add another day. If you cycle to work every day, go for a ride on one of your days off. Look for opportunities to use your bike for other trips - not just riding to work. Need to pop into town? Go by bike instead of driving or taking the bus. How about doing the weekly shop by bike?

Get a childseat and take your pre-school child places. The extra weight makes you work harder. Fitness instructors call this hypergravity training! More time on the bike isn't the only way to get fitter; the other is to increase the intensity of your ride. Cycle harder. You'll want to commute in cycling gear for this, and ideally have a shower to use at work, as you will sweat.

A smartphone or GPS-enabled computer is useful as you can log rides, upload them to a website such as strava. A word of warning if you're going to push yourself when you're commuting: the safety of you and every other road user is paramount. This is training, NOT a race.

Don't try to ride at speed through congested streets or on shared-use paths. If biking to work starts to bore you, consider doing long weekend rides in the country side instead. Also, start to think about whether you are ready to join a local cycling group , which will motivate you to keep going, and make it more fun. This will only work if you are extroverted. The nice thing about cycling is that you can do it alone, if you are an introvert.

Plan some rewards for your hard work. For example, give yourself a reward when you have ridden your first miles. And the first … and so on. Pick a reward you like that will not actively sabotage your goals! For example, reward yourself with a puppy when you hit 1, miles. That way, you will have to start doing some walking as well! My dogs cause me to go for a walk every single morning, which is a very good thing.

If you need any more motivation to start losing weight by cycling, watch this heart-warming video about how Phil Jones, once morbidly obese, saved his own life by cycling. I hope this post helps you on your way to achieving your personal weight loss goals with cycling. No matter what happens, cycling will make you healthier, stronger, and fitter. Good luck! Hi Joe Fantastic information and real life stories. I will need to reread this series of articles when l need to remotivate during my down times.

I can already see that these proven strategies do work Cheers Adrian. Your email address will not be published. Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Garmin Edge vs. Garmin Edge Plus vs Garmin Edge Wahoo Bike Computers Garmin Edge vs. Garmin Edge Plus vs. Cheap Garmin Edge vs. Comments Hi Joe Fantastic information and real life stories. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Loading Comments Email Required Name Required Website. Top 10 Tips to Lose Weight Cycling. Did you enjoy this post or find it helpful?

This is something you can set up using a heart rate monitor and a bike computer. Commuting by bike can have a huge impact on weight loss. High-intensity interval training sessions will help improve your cardiovascular fitness, making your body a more efficient calorie-burning machine. Either swap these for two or three of your regular rides or, if you feel up to it, add them on top or combine them by adding a high-intensity session at the end of a moderate ride. Sleep is the unsung hero of weight loss.

Studies have shown that people who get six to eight hours of sleep a night are much more successful at losing weight and keeping it off, and also tend to be less stressed. While cycling is great for weight loss, it does put stress and strain on the body, particularly if you are new to it. Cross-training will help balance out the leg-heavy muscle workout you get from pedalling, and flexibility work will stretch out those muscles and tendons, preventing injury, aches and pains.

Free weights, pilates, swimming, Zumba and boxing are all great for cross-training, giving you a stronger core which will benefit your cycling. Pilates and yoga are good choices for flexibility work. All of these help build muscle, and the more muscle you have the more efficient your body will be at burning calories. If you think of your body like an engine, then you want to keep it topped up with fuel and running at a steady rate throughout the day.

Wadsworth recommends eating small amounts of good food every three to four hours, it will help you maintain a stable metabolism, burn fat consistently and ensure your energy levels are stable so you have enough oomph at the end of a day at work to hop on your bike.