# Has anyone ever lost weight cycling?



## SJDude (Oct 29, 2009)

In the last few years I've been gaining and gaining weight and can't seem to do anything about it. This year is especially frustrating. Since Jan 1, I've ridden almost 1000 miles on 4 different bikes. I put in a dozen days snowboarding, worked out at the gym a handful of times, and every time I step on the scale, my weight has gone up. 10 lbs since Christmas.

I've virtually eliminated raw sugar, cut back on booze, kept riding regularly, and no good news on the scale. I've eaten garbage a few times, given in to cravings here and there, but I feel like I eat well, sleep well, and exercise effectively.


Has anyone ever lost weight cycling?


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## cerebroside (Jun 25, 2011)

Lost 27 lbs in the last ~6 months. You are eating too much and cycling too little.


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## S​​usspect (May 12, 2017)

SJDude said:


> Has anyone ever lost weight cycling?


The answer is yes, of course, but everyone is different. In my case, I never lost weight cycling until I also cut my calories to recommended levels (less than 2k a day, for me). When I ride, then I can eat more.

I found that losing weight has done more for my cycling (speed and stamina), than cycling has done for my weight.


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## Phillbo (Apr 7, 2004)

I find the more I ride, the more I eat so it's a balancing. I feel age has had ore to do with any weight gain I've experienced in teh last few years. My weight never fluctuates more than just a couple pounds.


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## Forest Rider (Oct 29, 2018)

It's always tough to learn the balance of diet with exercise. Sounds like you have done a good job cutting out the wrong foods. Maybe consider portion size, if you haven't already.

When you are riding (sounds like you do a lot), make sure you focus on the but burning zone of heart rate. To low of HR and it won't do well, too high of HR and it won't burn fast as effectively.

If you are doing all that you are doing, and gaining weight, perhaps a visit to the doc to run tests is a good idea. Seems unusual to eat appropriate "good food", and exercise and still add to the scale. It does not sound like it is based on your actions, necessarily. 

Age could be against you. You may have an abnormally slow metabolism. Could be you need additional nutrients.


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## Shredmonkey (Jan 24, 2013)

What are your current stats?


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## kerns bbo (Feb 17, 2015)

Ounces are lost on the bike, pounds are lost in the kitchen. 

If you want to loose weight you need to eat well and in proper portions. To generalize: if you buy your groceries from the center isles only you're not eating well. If you finish meals at a restaurant you're eating too much. Obviously these insights have flaws and exceptions but apply to most.

Don't get me wrong, we are all allowed to indulge, drink beer, and enjoy some ice cream. But... your baseline needs to be set and the other stuff needs to be respected.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Me too. The more I ride the more I eat. I have to watch and restrict how much I eat in order to lose weight. I find it a bit trickier than simply losing weight without substantial exercise. It's always way easier to eat it than to burn it off.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

So, you’ve ridden less than 7 miles per day this year. 

Not to “mileage shame”, but methinks you’d have more luck burning that weight off if you rode a bit more.


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## Shredmonkey (Jan 24, 2013)

I should clarify and add a couple of things. Id ask if you’re at a weight that you have been at before for some time? I know it’s really hard to breakthrough weight plateaus going either up or down. 
Here’s some recommendations at face value. 
1. If you look at the science cardio is generally not that effective at burning calories for weight loss unless you’re adding in lots of elevation gain in the mix. It has many health benefits mostly for endurance training. 
2. Hit the gym more often for heavy weight training. Seek help if needed. Start light and be safe. The squat rack or smith machine is all you need. Do sets of deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, Romanian deadlifts, and assisted pull ups. Shouldn’t take more than an hour. IMO this should be the foundation of an athletic humans routine. This will burn more calories during and for the next 24hrs than multiple hrs of cardio. Stick to a good diet and you won’t gain weight just strength. More muscle mass = more calorie burning 24/7. 
3. Myself and many others have had great success with intermittent fasting for weight loss. Seems hard but gets easy quickly. Careful if you have blood sugar issues. Slowly start pushing breakfast back later until you only eat two meals. I only eat from 12pm-8pm. Less hungry than when I ate breakfast. 
4. Try to do your cardio while fasted so you get the added benefit of fat burning. 

Good luck.


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## Miker J (Nov 4, 2003)

Shredmonkey said:


> I should clarify and add a couple of things. Id ask if you're at a weight that you have been at before for some time? I know it's really hard to breakthrough weight plateaus going either up or down.
> Here's some recommendations at face value.
> 1. If you look at the science cardio is generally not that effective at burning calories for weight loss unless you're adding in lots of elevation gain in the mix. It has many health benefits mostly for endurance training.
> 2. Hit the gym more often for heavy weight training. Seek help if needed. Start light and be safe. The squat rack or smith machine is all you need. Do sets of deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, Romanian deadlifts, and assisted pull ups. Shouldn't take more than an hour. IMO this should be the foundation of an athletic humans routine. This will burn more calories during and for the next 24hrs than multiple hrs of cardio. Stick to a good diet and you won't gain weight just strength. More muscle mass = more calorie burning 24/7.
> ...


Hmmm.

Depends. In my late 20 and early 30 when hitting the gym a lot and riding modestly I weighed close to 190# and was fairly lean. Pretty much stuck to squats, deadlifts, presses, chins, and rows.

Now at 48 I bike a lot more and lift a lot less but still do the same exercises - and now weigh about 170# after a hard week of riding. Body fat is a lot less now.

That said, hitting the weights is a great way to loose fat, but not necessarily weight.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Shredmonkey said:


> I should clarify and add a couple of things. Id ask if you're at a weight that you have been at before for some time? I know it's really hard to breakthrough weight plateaus going either up or down.
> Here's some recommendations at face value.
> 1. If you look at the science cardio is generally not that effective at burning calories for weight loss unless you're adding in lots of elevation gain in the mix. It has many health benefits mostly for endurance training.
> 2. Hit the gym more often for heavy weight training. Seek help if needed. Start light and be safe. The squat rack or smith machine is all you need. Do sets of deadlifts, squats, bent over rows, Romanian deadlifts, and assisted pull ups. Shouldn't take more than an hour. IMO this should be the foundation of an athletic humans routine. This will burn more calories during and for the next 24hrs than multiple hrs of cardio. Stick to a good diet and you won't gain weight just strength. More muscle mass = more calorie burning 24/7.
> ...


Please cite ANY scientific literature to support the 1hr lifting > 3hrs cardio.

If you are burning more calories from one hour of lifting than multiple hours of riding, you aren't riding very hard.

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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

You can't exercise your way out of obesity. As long as you can eat more calories in 10 minutes than you can burn in 1 hour on your bike, weight loss is about calorie intake, not how many calories you're burning.


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## Shredmonkey (Jan 24, 2013)

Le Duke said:


> Please cite ANY scientific literature to support the 1hr lifting > 3hrs cardio.
> 
> If you are burning more calories from one hour of lifting than multiple hours of riding, you aren't riding very hard.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I think you're missing the most important part of what I was saying. It's the hours or possibly days after intense weight training where it becomes more beneficial than cardio alone. 
Weight or High intensity interval training is better at increasing your resting metabolic rate therefore increasing the amount of calories you burn long after the actual workout. You might be surprised how many calories you burn even when you're sleeping in this higher metabolic state.

Not going to get in a scientific pissing contest here but there is tons of data out there on this. Here is one article after a "cardio vs weight training" search.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323922.php

Nothing against cardio and luckily mtb is super fun. It's just not the best tool in the tool box for weight loss.

Honestly I had the best success with the fasting thing. Lost like 10 lbs a month for three months without consciously changing anything else.

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## matto6 (Dec 28, 2013)

I've never successfully lost weight by exercising a lot. I get hungry and eat more.

Exercise for health. Control weight with your diet.

One thing that has helped me lose weight is to eat less at night. Caloric demands are light while you sleep. If you go to bed with a belly full of food it gets stored as fat. If you go to bed with an empty stomach you'll burn fat while you sleep. 

Take on calories earlier in the day when your body needs the energy and can use it directly rather then storing it. Definitely don't be hungry while exercising.


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## Lone Rager (Dec 13, 2013)

Le Duke said:


> So, you've ridden less than 7 miles per day this year....


I feel mileage isn't usually the best metric to measure workout load as there are too many variables. For roughly equal intensity, I cover ~2x the ground on a road bike than I do on the mtb. On the trainer it's zero real miles and some arbitrary virtual miles. Hours is a more universal measure, but of course you need to figure in intensity too.


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## Crennie (Feb 20, 2019)

Phillbo said:


> I find the more I ride, the more I eat so it's a balancing. I feel age has had ore to do with any weight gain I've experienced in teh last few years. My weight never fluctuates more than just a couple pounds.


This is my finding as well "you can't out exercise a questionable diet".

For me, I have to have my diet restricted and on track for there to be an impact because the heavy workout days will undoubtedly lead to more food consumption. If I cut the junk as a rule of thumb then my weight loss is due to diet, and the exercise is a healthy perk that benefits from it.

This has been my personal experience with cardio as well as weight lifting efforts.

Of course it all gets a little harder as we gain "experience". Your metabolism decreases, so I have to be even more strict with what I consume. For me that means more veggies and less empty carbs.

YMMV


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

I lost about 25 lbs over the last 6 months. Riding about 150 miles a month and making sure I was burning more calories than I was eating. Apple Watch to keep track of calories burned and My Fitness Pal app to keep track of calorie intake. Worked for me.....


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

80+ pounds one summer. Need to do it again because somehow I managed to find it again


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## Nubster (May 15, 2009)

Le Duke said:


> Please cite ANY scientific literature to support the 1hr lifting > 3hrs cardio.
> 
> If you are burning more calories from one hour of lifting than multiple hours of riding, you aren't riding very hard.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I can lift with intensity for 1+ hours 3-4 times a week and not lose a pound. IMO....if you are lifting hard and not GAINING weight you're doing it wrong.

However...if I ride...say 40-60-ish moderately difficult miles a week...I can lose 3-5 pounds a week. Sometimes more.


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## squeakymcgillicuddy (Jan 28, 2016)

Cuyuna said:


> You can't exercise your way out of obesity. As long as you can eat more calories in 10 minutes than you can burn in 1 hour on your bike, weight loss is about calorie intake, not how many calories you're burning.


Yep. The more I ride the more I eat.

I recently cut oil and alcohol to near zero and lost a bunch of weight.


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## offroadcmpr (Apr 21, 2012)

The few times I've lost a lot of weight it's definitely been when I cut calories, not exercised more. I wouldn't worry too much about what you eat as opposed to how much. I think a lot of the reason people lose weight by cutting certain foods out of their diet is not because those items were "bad", but because by cutting those things they decreased their total calorie intake. A calorie tracker app would be very helpful at first, you may find that you are eating a lot more than you think. Snacks and drinks can add a lot of calories very quickly. 

Like others have said, riding a lot will often make you want to eat even more. It's too easy to burn 700 calories riding, and then go and eat a 1500 calorie meal as a "reward" right after. It may sound counter-intuitive, but you may want to try riding less if you have a hard time controlling your apatite. I find that I can ride up to a hour without having to eat anything differently. Anything more than that and I need bigger meals or else my body doesn't recover well.

Other than that there are little things that you can do to keep yourself more active. For example instead of sitting down in a office room with my manager for our weekly meeting, we walk around the building a few times. It's easy to do and doesn't take any time.


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## S​​usspect (May 12, 2017)

offroadcmpr said:


> It may sound counter-intuitive, but you may want to try riding less if you have a hard time controlling your apatite. I find that I can ride up to a hour without having to eat anything differently. Anything more than that and I need bigger meals or else my body doesn't recover well.


I agree with everything you said in the larger post, but I never think about this issue in terms of "I should ride less". Riding is good for us on a whole bunch of levels. I look at it like this: if I ride and burn those 700 calories, and then eat a 1500 calorie dinner (I usually don't eat that much), well then that's like I didn't ride at all and ate an 800 calorie dinner. I'd rather ride.

I actually find it easier to keep my calories lower than my burn rate on the days I toss in 1000 calories burned with a good ride.


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## Daydreamer (Aug 27, 2018)

Any time I want to drop a few pounds I just up my exercise. Either biking or running and then pay attention to what I eat to make sure I don't use the exercise as an excuse to pig out. Also complement the biking and running with weight lifting. 

In the end it's all about energy in vs. energy out. If you expend more calories then you take in you will loose weight. I find it a lot easier to burn more calories thought exercise then I do trying to cut enough calories to loose weight while doing nothing.


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

How can you NOT lose weight with regular cycling?

Unless, of course, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. It’s very simple...don’t ruin your good work on the bike by eating it all back.

Other factors come into play, such as tracking/managing your calorie input/output, strength training, etc, but the net of it all is calories in and out.


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## rynomx785 (Jul 16, 2018)

waltaz said:


> How can you NOT lose weight with regular cycling?
> 
> Unless, of course, you are consuming more calories than you are burning. It's very simple...don't ruin your good work on the bike by eating it all back.
> 
> ...


Thread ended....


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## KingOfOrd (Feb 19, 2005)

I've been gaining weight since I started ebiking


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## waltaz (Oct 14, 2004)

Train Wreck said:


> I've been gaining weight since I started ebiking


But this thread is about cycling...

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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

Some good points. I'd add or agree with especially:

-Try not to eat after dinner. Fast from dinner to breakfast and make that interval at least 12 hours.

-Avoid overcompensating for riding by eating too much more. Of course you'll need more calories but if you prep for the ride by eating and staying hydrated before, eat during the ride especially if it's a longer ride, and have a recovery shake or something after the ride you'll feel much less hungry and be less likely to overcompensate for burning 1000 calories during your rise by eating 2000 calories after your ride. 

-Go to the gym and lift weights more often, especially squats and deads in different variations including 1-leg.


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## offroadcmpr (Apr 21, 2012)

S usspect;14118559 said:


> I agree with everything you said in the larger post, but I never think about this issue in terms of "I should ride less". Riding is good for us on a whole bunch of levels. I look at it like this: if I ride and burn those 700 calories, and then eat a 1500 calorie dinner (I usually don't eat that much), well then that's like I didn't ride at all and ate an 800 calorie dinner. I'd rather ride.
> 
> I actually find it easier to keep my calories lower than my burn rate on the days I toss in 1000 calories burned with a good ride.


I agree. Riding is going to be good for you no matter what. And I would rather be slightly heavier and in good riding shape than lighter but out of shape. But if you are trying to lose weight you have to be careful to not overcompensate while eating, you need a caloric deficit. Most people should be able lose weight and get in better shape at the same time though so it's a win-win.


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## Sid Duffman (Oct 5, 2015)

A lot of people mentioning 'calories in/calories out.' While this is true from a purist standpoint, in reality, it's not that simple. The majority of the 'calories out' is your basal metabolic rate (the energy used to keep you body and brain functioning), not how much you exercise. 

Because your body adapts to changing conditions, what you eat and when you eat it will have a substantial effect on your basal metabolic rate. With chronic calorie restriction, you metabolism will slow, you will feel sluggish, and your body will aggressively try to store any excess calories. This is why diets based only on calorie restriction do not work for weigh loss in the long term (they work in the short term, but the weight is usually regained).

To keep things extra simple, try to 
1) eat real foods, avoiding refined sugar/grains (sweets, white bread, white rice). 
2) eat in a time-restricted window, for example, between 10am and 6pm. It's a little hard at first, but quickly becomes a very easy routine to follow.


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## matto6 (Dec 28, 2013)

Sid Duffman said:


> A lot of people mentioning 'calories in/calories out.' While this is true from a purist standpoint,


It's actually not true at all.

It's calories in = calories stored + calories expended.

If your body decides to store calories like crazy (medical disorder, the time you eat your meal, etc) you can end up getting fat while being weak and low on energy at the same time.

It's critical to focus not only on calories in, but also on minimizing factors that result in fat storage.


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## Bills (Jun 13, 2009)

Lots of good information in this thread. I have finally realized at my age I don’t get away with all the bad diet stuff like did before. Used to always be able to bounce right back into shape after falling off the wagon, now it just doesn’t happen. Gonna have to force it.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

matto6 said:


> [Calories in / Calories out is] actually not true at all.
> 
> It's calories in = calories stored + calories expended.
> 
> If your body decides to store calories like crazy (medical disorder, the time you eat your meal, etc) you can end up getting fat while being weak and low on energy at the same time.


I think the two equations are compatible, with yours differing by explicitly referencing the "stored" element while it's implicit for others. Then you unpacked the "storage" element a bit, which is great, but both are ultimately "in vs. out" equations, right? Your equation could be rewritten IN-OUT=STORED (or LOST).

Where I thought you were going with your post is pointing out how absorption is not factored in. Fewer calories are absorbed when eating nuts vs nut butter, cold oatmeal vs. fresh, sugars in fermented foods vs other sugars, undercooked veggies vs cooked, etc. Plus there are individual absorption variances.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

SJDude said:


> This year is especially frustrating. [...] my weight has gone up. 10 lbs since Christmas.
> [...]
> but I feel like I eat well, sleep well, and exercise effectively.


I personally hate the idea of counting calories, but it might serve you. Not to regulate your calorie intake, but to identify where in your diet you may be unknowingly consuming more calories than you realize.


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## jeremy3220 (Jul 5, 2017)

Trying to exercise the weight off doesn't work very well. Unless you're bodybuilding or training for an ironman, it's going to come down to reducing calories.


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## matto6 (Dec 28, 2013)

Ryder1 said:


> I think the two equations are compatible, with yours differing by explicitly referencing the "stored" element while it's implicit for others.


When people say "calories in = calories out", the key question is: how do they define "out"?

The implication is usually that out = what you burn. Your daily energy needs.

And if that's how you define out then the equation is not true. Calories can be stored before you have a chance to use them, and then you find yourself out of energy for your daily needs. It's a clear example of calories in > calories "out"/burned

A metibolic disorder is an extreme example of this (you keep gaining weight while you have no energy), but there are examples in healthy people as well - like going to bed on a full stomach. That food is getting stored. Tomorrow YOU will need energy and it will be unavailable (the rate of burning fat is too slow) so you're hungry and eat more and more.


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## Sid Duffman (Oct 5, 2015)

matto6 said:


> When people say "calories in = calories out", the key question is: how do they define "out"?


I'll probably regret getting into these semantics, since you and I are saying the same thing, but I don't think anybody claims that "calories in = calories out." When people talk about calories in and calories out, they are implying that if you take in more calories than you use, the excess will go to weight gain (or loss). Or to put in an equation form:

In - Out = weight gain. Or you could call weight gain "stored," and you would have the same equation that you gave earlier in the thread.

Of course, as has been pointed out multiple times in this thread, this equation is not as straightforward as it seem when applied to a constantly changing biological system.


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

matto6 said:


> When people say "calories in = calories out", the key question is: how do they define "out"?
> 
> The implication is usually that out = what you burn. Your daily energy needs.
> 
> And if that's how you define out then the equation is not true. Calories can be stored before you have a chance to use them, and then you find yourself out of energy for your daily needs. It's a clear example of calories in > calories "out"/burned


That can definitely happen, and if more food is consumed than burned, the excess will be stored. Nobody's arguing that in=out for all people at all times, just that in vs. out (i.e. energy intake vs. energy expenditure) is what ultimately determines gain/loss.



matto6 said:


> A metibolic disorder is an extreme example of this (you keep gaining weight while you have no energy), but there are examples in healthy people as well - like going to bed on a full stomach. That food is getting stored. Tomorrow YOU will need energy and it will be unavailable (the rate of burning fat is too slow) so you're hungry and eat more and more.


I basically agree but explaining factors that mediate fat storage still doesn't change the overall equation, they just explain it.

Maybe I'm missing your point?


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

Sid Duffman said:


> With chronic calorie restriction, you metabolism will slow, you will feel sluggish, and your body will aggressively try to store any excess calories. This is why diets based only on calorie restriction do not work for weigh loss in the long term (they work in the short term, but the weight is usually regained).


Are you confident there are no strategies that solely use calorie restriction and lead to long-term, significant fat loss (>50 lbs)? I know it has a bad reputation, but there are people (anecdotal, yes) who change their diets, lose a lot of weight, and keep it off. I ask because I haven't reviewed the science, and whatever science there is probably iffy - those studies would be very hard to do well.

One idea I recall was using cycles, such as: when weight loss stops, increase your calories for a couple weeks (bring metabolism/hormones back up), then restrict calories again.


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## S​​usspect (May 12, 2017)

Ryder1 said:


> Are you confident there are no strategies that solely use calorie restriction and lead to long-term, significant fat loss?


I used this "strategy", if you want to call it that, lost weight and kept it off.

Basically I was 30 pounds overweight because I constantly ate 800-1000 more calories than I needed. I ate healthy food, just too much of it.

January 2018 I "restricted" my calories to what I actually need (used an app called chronometer to figure it out). I lost 30 pounds in 9 months and I've kept it off for 9 additional months. I don't feel "sluggish", and I'm faster on my bike. Sometimes during the day, or going to bed without a snack, I feel a little hungry and I embrace that. If I find I need food to function, I eat it.

I don't think of this as "restricting", I just quit overeating. And lets be honest, whether we realize it or not, most of the weight problems in this country come from simple overeating.


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## agreenbike (Jul 6, 2017)

1. Yes I lost several pounds (10? 20?) riding my MTB at a steady pace on flatter gravel trails. I never lost weight doing real MTB riding though because I always eat before I ride so that I have energy.

2. I lost 10's of pounds of weight from exercising, so yes its possible. The worse shape you are in, the easier it is. Losing those last 5 pounds is a lot harder than being sedentary and obese, getting off the couch, and dropping 10's of pounds, at least for me.

3. With losing weight by exercising, I've always plateaued though. First I lost a boatload of weight just by walking and gradually increasing the distance I walked, but then I didn't lose any more weight. Then I bumped up the intensity and started biking, and slowly bumped up the miles I rode. Once I hit a plateau there too, I started to run and increased my miles and speed. Eventually I got too skinny and had no muscle so I kind of let my self go and now I need to lose weight again. That no muscle thing is probably why you should also do some weight lifting and eat your protein while cutting weight.

4. Try intermittent fasting, I think it really works. I only lost a few pounds with it because I only narrowed my eating-window slightly, but going for a 16 hour fast/ 8 hour eating window (time-restricted eating) has worked for a lot of people and you can find plenty of examples on the internet of people who have cut massive amounts of weight from doing it. I think there's even a thread about it here on these forums. Like exercising though you gradually need to narrow your window over time to get more and more results. The point is that just changing when you eat can cause you to burn more fat and lose more weight.

5. I never count calories to lose weight but if you are truly serious about weight loss you probably want to be sure you are eating a few 100 less calories per day than you are burning off by walking and just living life. If I would have done it I would have got better results I think, but I'm too lazy to do it. 

Edit: I think intensity is key too when exercising. You may notice that if you go super hard when biking, your heart rate will remain elevated for several hours after you ride, but if you just walk or don't push that hard then your heart rate returns to normal pretty quickly. Biking faster and harder may help you cut weight.


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## SJDude (Oct 29, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies and side discussion. Lots of food for thought here. I'm about 5'11" and back up to almost 100 Kg, or 220 Lbs again. My record weight 2 years ago was 221 Lbs, so nearing the peak of the yoyo again which I know is extremely unhealthy for the heart long term.

For sure 7 miles a day isn't enough, although if it were 7 every day it would probably be more beneficial than days of sedentary work, and big days to make up the average that I do.

I haven't been doing near enough weights, and I haven't been using the calorie tracker at all so there may be some glaring errors I'd realise if I looked objectively.

Something I have noticed recently is my max heart rate has come down by 20 beats in the past few years. At 43 I should be able to push close to 180 BPM (and I used to) especially with my level of fitness, but lately I get winded and have to back off the power at around 160. I thought maybe I've been over training a bit since nicer weather finally started showing up.

Again, thanks for the input and by all means please keep sharing what works and what doesn't for you personally.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Initially? Yup!

But, now I don't ride as much as I'd like.

Plus, I've got my Winter coat on.

Come Spring/Sumner, I'll get back to fighting weight.

I loath riding in the wet/cold.

'Born to ride!'


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## Ryder1 (Oct 12, 2006)

SJDude said:


> For sure 7 miles a day isn't enough, although if it were 7 every day it would probably be more beneficial than days of sedentary work, and big days to make up the average that I do.


Frequency is key. The only time I lost a chunk of weight from cycling is when I was riding very often, sometimes multiple times a day (commuting to/from work). I also just feel so much better if I don't let multiple days go by without getting active. One day off max.

Even if it's just a 15-minute interval session, or 30 minutes of lifting - makes a big difference to me. Grab a heavy dumbbell and do some sets of goblet squats. At the gym, alternate some push/pull compound movements (e.g. press/row), keep your rest times down (no phone!), and you can be done in no time. Leave feeling exuberant, not drained.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

I ride a lot and ski a lot but I’ve never lost weight doing either. In fact, I usually gain a few pounds by the end of ski season. I’ve deduced that the reason is because both activities involve cameraderie and post-ride or apres ski celebration, which typically means eating rich and drinking alcohol. 

On the other hand, I easily dropped 30# running because running is boring and painful and afterwards you just go home and have a kale smoothie. No joy. Boom, 30# down in one season.


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## matt.s67 (Nov 4, 2016)

You can exercise all you want, whether it's lifting, cardio, interval training, whatever. No matter how much you exercise, you can always eat more than your body is burning and end up in a caloric surplus. I struggle with this, as the more active I am, the more my appetite increases. It's way easier for me to eat cleaner and less calories overall when I'm not exercising like a maniac.

I lost 64lbs 13 years ago and have managed to keep it off + build muscle, but it hasn't been a cakewalk. Keeping it off is 100x more difficult than losing it, because your body will fight you tooth and nail, every step of the way.

The best advice I can give is to monitor your food intake. Log what you eat on something like MyFitnessPal - without knowing exactly what's going in your body, you're throwing darts at a wall. The other thing is to not focus on exercise to burn calories. You need to focus on creating a caloric deficit in the kitchen, not on the bike.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

I lost 15lbs in less than a month doing a lot of “cardio”...




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## sapva (Feb 20, 2017)

Lots of people have lost weight cycling. But cycling alone is not an especially good way to loose weight. If you get into the calories in vs calories burned race with aerobic exercise, eventually the scale will always win. When you put all your eggs into the aerobic metabolism basket, you're essentially teaching your body to retain as much fat as possible so you can burn it later. Works great as long as you keep increasing the miles and decreasing the calories. But then life happens and you inevitably go off the rails.

Try balancing out the rides with equal amounts of anaerobic exercise. If the other exercise if fun, more likely that you will stick with it. Also make sure you have a realistic workout plan. You should be doing something every day, preferably more than once a day. A three hour ride once a week is much less effective than 20 minutes three times per day.


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## mLeier (Oct 17, 2017)

I lost 50 lbs and my husband lost 35 lbs (he is 40 years old, 6', and now weighs 190 lbs) through a combo of mountain biking in the summers, fat biking and x-country skiing in the winter, and Keto. We try for a minimum of 10 km/day and 100 km/week. We had been biking and skiing before starting Keto and weren't losing weight (well, I wasn't anyway) and really needed the Keto to kick start it all. When we started that, the weight literally fell off and has stayed off easily even though we drink again now and are no longer strict with our eating. Both of us feel waaaaay better, stronger, and have so much more energy when we cut out carbs and eat this way though, so we stick with it for the most part. We also found Keto to be super easy and flexible as we didn't count or track anything, never went hungry and never felt deprived as there are substitutes for (almost) everything.


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## Galeforce5 (Jun 7, 2013)

I have definitely lost weight riding. For years, I was a couch potato until I met my now wife, who put an end to that.. First, a lot of walking, and then I met a local group of guys that were riding three times a week together, and I bought a decent bike, and started riding with them. To give you an idea. I was 235 pounds on a 5'.11" frame. I am broad shouldered and large chested, but I was also a size 40 pant. Fast forward-I do high speed walking 3-5 miles three times a week, mountain bike about 60 miles a week, and I do old style high school calisthenics. My weight is now about 190, only because I have been indulging myself with some bad food choices, particularly carbs, which I put an end to about a week ago. I really should be somewhere between 178-182 pounds which is ideal for my body shape. 

A couple of ideas for you:

1. Try and start walking. As much as I love to ride the trails (and I do!), I find that high-speed walking works other muscles, ditto for the calisthenics;
2. Consider your diet. In my case, carbs-bread, potatoes, crackers, pizzas, beer, alcohol seems to have a huge impact on my weight, and a general feeling of bloat;
3. Are you tracking your workouts? I use Endomondo, which I find keeps me honest about how much exercise I have really done;
4. Are you eating healthy? A lot of veggies, salads, quality proteins, etc.?;
5. Have you considered a paleo diet? I recently started a modified paleo diet which allows for some items like rice, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, etc. which I like to eat about 3 hours before my trail rides. It is working well for me;
6. Have you considered going to a nutritionist? Sometimes getting blood work and having a consult with a professional can be of great help.

All in all, based upon what you described, it sounds to me like it's diet related. Think about what you are eating, especially in the carb department. If you look on the web, there are literally thousands and thousands of sites offering different diet theories. I went with the semi-paleo because it made the most amount of sense to me, seemed like it was based on good old common sense, and works well with my body type. Maybe this, or something similar would work for you. Good luck!


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## sapva (Feb 20, 2017)

Galeforce5 said:


> 1. Try and start walking. As much as I love to ride the trails (and I do!), I find that high-speed walking works other muscles, ditto for the calisthenics;


Don't know why so many people overlook plain old walking and body weight exercises. It's the easiest thing to do for anyone at any fitness level, anywhere, anytime with no equipment needed. You don't need special clothing or walking shoes, and you don't even need to walk very fast for it to be effective. Great for active recovery as well.


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## Hambone70 (May 8, 2019)

I lost 20 pounds, biking regularly (love the Arizona Trail!) and eating sensibly. The last 15 pounds I want to lose is kicking my butt! I'm running out of energy on rides, and feeling more tired and hungry.

Anyone using the Maffetone Method for training? Although it seems to be aimed at runners, I don't see why it wouldn't benefit cyclists.


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## Nat (Dec 30, 2003)

sapva said:


> Don't know why so many people overlook plain old walking and body weight exercises. It's the easiest thing to do for anyone at any fitness level, anywhere, anytime with no equipment needed. You don't need special clothing or walking shoes, and you don't even need to walk very fast for it to be effective. Great for active recovery as well.


Hiking burns calories like mad. Strapping on a 20# pack and spending the day cruising through the mountains will work you.


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

riding was part of my 150lb weight loss journey....the most important thing riding did for me was motivate...I wanted to lose the weight so that I could ride better....changing my eating habits was the largest factor in my weight loss though


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## sapva (Feb 20, 2017)

Nat said:


> Hiking burns calories like mad. Strapping on a 20# pack and spending the day cruising through the mountains will work you.


Definitely does. It's the combination of weight and cardio. And best part is you'll be having too much fun to count the calories or miles.


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## Arebee (Sep 13, 2012)

str8edgMTBMXer said:


> riding was part of my 150lb weight loss journey....the most important thing riding did for me was motivate...I wanted to lose the weight so that I could ride better....changing my eating habits was the largest factor in my weight loss though


That's awesome, congrats! Becoming a better rider was my motivation as well to lose weight.

I only lost 20 lbs, (225 to 205) but I cannot believe how much of a difference that made for me on the trails. I don't get winded like I used to, and I'm doing 10-12 mile rides and feeling great at the end instead of cramping up and feeling like I'm going to collapse after 7 or 8 miles.

I started over the winter so I wasn't riding very much, and I'm still only riding about 4-5 times a month, so I attribute my success to a change in eating habits. I stopped eating sweets, cut back on the pasta and bread (very hard for an Italian) and I cut out the 1 or 2 "after work" beers.

It really is a mental battle for me. My line of thinking has always been, if I'm hungry, make a sandwich; left over chicken or steak, throw it on a roll with cheese. The beer mentality was tough as well. Without even thinking, I found myself walking to the basement fridge when I got home every night. Watching a game, crack a beer. It really takes discipline to get yourself out of that!


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## tubbnation (Jul 6, 2015)

I lose a ****-ton of weight cycling... 

As I'm cycling 90-100mi/weekly, my concern isn't about losing weight, it's about keeping enough weight on.


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## A/C in Az (Jan 14, 2019)

It seems you aren't being consistent in your exercise. 1000 miles in 6 months may not be enough and going to the gym a handful of times sound like it's a once every couple of weeks thing instead of a steady 2 or 3 day a week routine. I found I got my best recent weight results when I used an indoor trainer every day for a minimum of 10 minutes every day (I usually ride it for 30, but set 10 as a minimum for days when I didn't have time for 30) and did a basic 10 minute workout on the home gym, also as a minimum. The extra fat came off quickly and stayed off easily.


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## targnik (Jan 11, 2014)

Beer is my Kryptonite o_0

Sent from my Nokia X6


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## MattMay (Dec 24, 2013)

Time to take up chess. Chess masters struggle to keep their weight UP (yes you read that right). They're burning 6000 cals a day mostly sitting still. Weird metabolic phenomenon according to this:

https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/27593253


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## Gray-Sama (Jun 6, 2019)

Definitely! I never really took note of how much weight I lost (constantly checking my weight made me very anxious in the past so I just stopped doing it unless very necessary) but friends have mentioned I've lost weight. Plus I can now comfortably wear some of my clothes that have a tighter fit. Hope you'll be able to figure out what to do!!!


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## Vin829 (Mar 29, 2019)

20lbs in 2 months. Went from 175 to 155. Just mountain biking 4-5 times a week and tracking what I ate. 5’9 and 46 years old.


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## AshBorer (Oct 2, 2018)

I lost 160lbs by dieting alone. Picked up mountain biking last spring after I got close to my goal weight because I wanted to improve overall health and fitness, not just weight. Have more or less maintained my current weight (180lbs) all season despite wanting to drop to around 170... my apetite has increased drastically since i picked up mountain biking.

*Losing weight is 90% diet and 10% exercise. You're still eating too much. Track your calories.* Yes, you can lose weight while mountain biking, but that weight loss will mostly be a result of dietary changes rather than the exercise. If your goal is weight loss, its SOOOO much easier to eat a bit less than to bike more.


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## JimmyAsheville (Oct 21, 2018)

Just go on the ABCD diet. No Alcohol ( maybe one beer after a hard ride), Bread, C (cake/cookies/candy/chips), and finally no Dairy, especially cheese. Worked wonders for me. But go ahead and eat some candy this Thursday. Not only will your weight drop, but so will your lab numbers.


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

Yes. I lost 10lbs over 2 years 

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## neilingle (Feb 26, 2008)

matto6 said:


> I've never successfully lost weight by exercising a lot. I get hungry and eat more.
> 
> Exercise for health. Control weight with your diet.
> 
> ...


This isn't true I'm sorry to say. Fat loss is about total calories in vs total calories out. Nothing to do with what time or what you eat. Calories are the law


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## dave54 (Jul 1, 2003)

I have a friend that lost 200 pounds of ugly fat by bike riding.

He was riding so much his wife left him.


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

dave54 said:


> I have a friend that lost 200 pounds of ugly fat by bike riding.
> 
> He was riding so much his wife left him.


ba da...pshhhhh

he'll be here all week!!!


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## gat3keeper (Jan 24, 2015)

I started biking weighing 78 kilos.

Now I'm 72 or 73 kilos in less than 2 mos.

I bike 120+ km per week with diet of course. I use mtb on the road by the way.


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## BeginnerToWhistler (Jan 11, 2020)

I’ve lost about 30 pounds over the past 12 months. For only the last five months I’ve been cycling on a regular basis. Ultimately my weight loss is pretty consistent (about a half pound per week) because I watch carefully my intake vs. output, regardless of exercise routine or even if I’m exercising at all.

I’m certainly not a fitness expert and would never pretend to be. I still eat a lot of the same garbage I always have. But I do know that there is no getting around thermodynamics - energy in vs. energy out, calories in vs. calories out.

If weight loss is your goal, your primary modality should be monitoring your calorie intake and calorie output. Burn more calories in a day than you eat, and repeat that daily, and you WILL lose weight.

Like I said, I still eat a lot of the same junk I’ve always eaten. I just eat a lot less of it, watching carefully to make sure I’m not consuming more than I am burning off. Some days I do eat too much, but my overall trend is consuming less calories than I burn.

Beyond that, exercise and diet are more about your LEVEL of fitness. When I started adding regular exercise to my life I started noticing additional health benefits like increased stamina, healthier heart rate, increased strength, and just a better feeling, almost “looser” body. If I were to eat healthier foods than I do I’m sure I’d see additional benefits.

But weight loss, regardless of anything else, is just thermodynamics - energy in vs. energy out.


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

BeginnerToWhistler said:


> I've lost about 30 pounds over the past 12 months. For only the last five months I've been cycling on a regular basis. Ultimately my weight loss is pretty consistent (about a half pound per week) because I watch carefully my intake vs. output, regardless of exercise routine or even if I'm exercising at all.
> 
> I'm certainly not a fitness expert and would never pretend to be. I still eat a lot of the same garbage I always have. But I do know that there is no getting around thermodynamics - energy in vs. energy out, calories in vs. calories out.
> 
> ...


it is funny that it does really boil down to "burn more than you bring in", but people seem to make huge science projects out of it.

I tend to lose the most weight when I am the least focused on it. When I am just simply eating less and burning more. I have never done or even paid attention to any fad diet, or diet program, but after having my heart attack, I really studied about how food interacts with our body on a micro level, and that changed the way I thought about intake. I probably am closest to a Mediterranean diet now...or Paleo. I don't really like carbs, so there is not much carbs in my diet...lots of bunless sandwiches, and rarely eat pasta or rice.

Sadly, I grew up in the early 80's, in the big fast/processed food blitzkrieg, and that got me onto a path of really bad habits that i fight everyday now.


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## geocolumbus (May 31, 2021)

Weight is regulated 100% by diet. Exercise is good for shaping and toning the body. If you try to lose weight by exercising more, you'll just be hungry and either gain weight or be miserable. To focus on losing weight, track your food and consume less calories than you burn in a day. I wouldn't waste time on exercise during this period. Once your weight is where you want it, slowly add exercise back in but watch out for a "hunger over reaction".


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## davec113 (May 31, 2006)

geocolumbus said:


> Weight is regulated 100% by diet. Exercise is good for shaping and toning the body. If you try to lose weight by exercising more, you'll just be hungry and either gain weight or be miserable. To focus on losing weight, track your food and consume less calories than you burn in a day. I wouldn't waste time on exercise during this period. Once your weight is where you want it, slowly add exercise back in but watch out for a "hunger over reaction".


Nope. It's both but the saying you can't outrun a bad diet is true, imo.

It depends how much exercise you're talking about. Going for a walk to burn a couple hundred calories may not do much but long rides training for enduro racing, absolutely. It can become a challenge to cram enough calories down at times.


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

I can absolutely guarantee you that you can lose weight, while eating trash food, through cycling. 

Is it harder? Sure.


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## Crayefish (Apr 4, 2021)

On an easy XC ride with my girlfriend (she rented a bike for the day) she commented that she didn't think that cycling was a very good form of exercise because she didn't feel tired (like she would when running)... I had to point out that one needs to actually pedal hard to get out of breath, otherwise it doesn't work


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## DennisT (Dec 29, 2019)

You absolutely can lose weight with only exercise. I do it every year.  My mountain biking is intense and frequent enough that I'll be about 10-20 pounds lighter by the end of the season. Then winter comes. Le sigh. Snowboarding is fun, but not nearly as useful for burning or keeping weight off.


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## bikeranzin (Oct 2, 2018)

Crayefish said:


> On an easy XC ride with my girlfriend (she rented a bike for the day) she commented that she didn't think that cycling was a very good form of exercise because she didn't feel tired (like she would when running)... I had to point out that one needs to actually pedal hard to get out of breath, otherwise it doesn't work


Yes, cycling is a terrible workout for most people because it's so easy to faff around and not actually exercise. It's the difference between running and a leisurely walk, but far less apparent because you're traveling relatively fast.


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## Crayefish (Apr 4, 2021)

bikeranzin said:


> Yes, cycling is a terrible workout for most people because it's so easy to faff around and not actually exercise. It's the difference between running and a leisurely walk, but far less apparent because you're traveling relatively fast.


Indeed. Where as I have the opposite problem... I can't sit on a bike and keep my HR under 160. Just feels wierd to not be pushing hard! (not literally pushing of course... haha)


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

bikeranzin said:


> Yes, cycling is a terrible workout for most people because it's so easy to faff around and not actually exercise. It's the difference between running and a leisurely walk, but far less apparent because you're traveling relatively fast.


Why don't they ride faster then?

This is like saying running (at 10:00/mi) is a terrible workout. Try running faster. It's harder, I promise.

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## bikeranzin (Oct 2, 2018)

Le Duke said:


> Why don't they ride faster then?
> 
> This is like saying running (at 10:00/mi) is a terrible workout. Try running faster. It's harder, I promise.


You're missing the point. It's obvious if you're walking versus running. But you can certainly noodle on a bike on many types of terrain for 20-30 miles without ever really doing much work.


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## gat3keeper (Jan 24, 2015)

I guess consistency is the key and depends on your location.

For example, here in south east asia, you can bike the whole year.. even in rainy season, it's very rare to rain 7 days a week so you have at least 1 or 2 days to bike.

I've been following some youtube vloggers and you can see that they are very fit now compare to when they are starting. These people are very consistent in cycling, doing some long distance trip, 100km - 150 km per day for 3-4 consecutive days. Not all people have the luxury of time to do this but I still believe that if you cycle consistently, there's no way you will not lose weight.

And oh, if you just cycle 10-20km per week... your body will get used to it. Until you are not tired anymore. So add more km each time, go uphill, or try to sprint from time to time. Need to burn your fat and you will feel it.


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## streem26 (Apr 14, 2016)

It was slow at first, but about six weeks in I was watching the fat melt off my body. I also kept my calories under 1500 daily and tried to balance my meals with more vegetables, less carbs, no red meat, almost no sugar outside of fruits and vegetables. It's all key to weight loss; food diary, exercise, sleep, etc. Just picking up a physical activity won't cut it.


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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

streem26 said:


> It was slow at first, but about six weeks in I was watching the fat melt off my body. I also kept my calories under 1500 daily and tried to balance my meals with more vegetables, less carbs, no red meat, almost no sugar outside of fruits and vegetables. It's all key to weight loss; diet, exercise, sleep, etc. Just picking up a physical activity won't cut it.


Agree.

Weight gain/loss is 90% how you eat and 10% the rest.


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

plummet said:


> Agree.
> 
> Weight gain/loss is 90% how you eat and 10% the rest.


Agreed. But body shape and weight loss are not the same.
Muscle weighs more than fat, so if we exercise without changing our diet, it’s possible to replace a bit of the fat with muscle, thereby appearing thinner. 
Meanwhile, you’re right, plummet. I’m going tangential, not arguing. 

In January of this year I decided to lose 20-25 lbs.
My GF had recently gone from about 115# to 105# so I asked her secret.
She suggested I write down everything I eat.
EVERYTHING.
She said just keep a list and don’t let anything past your lips without writing it down.
I told her that wouldn’t work for me cuz I don’t care as much about what the list says as I do about enjoying lots of good food.
In the end, I was wrong.
After keeping the list for a week or so, I found I actually did begin to care about what I was eating.

Between January and April, I lost 20#.
I quit keeping the list after 180 days.
The eating habits I formed have stayed with me.
Now I weigh myself each morning on a digital scale but I no longer write down everything I eat.
Happy to report this is enough — I’m maintaining my 20# lighter self.

My bike riding habits didn’t change during the process. I formerly rode a lot and I still ride a lot.
But I would not have lost the weight without changing my intake.
=sParty


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

^^
Exactly. You need to change your habits.

Watch what you eat, how much you eat, cut out as much sugar as you can.

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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

And most people would benefit from drinking more water.

The brain will tell you, you are hungry, when many times you are thirsty.

If you drink more water throughout the day, you will also snack less.

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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Shark said:


> And most people would benefit from drinking more water.
> 
> The brain will tell you, you are hungry, when many times you are thirsty.
> 
> ...


Well just drinking water alone, rather than all the other flavored crap we shove down our throats. While humans were intended to eat a variety of things in nature, nuts, meat, veg, etc., they were only intended to drink water, not coffee, soda pop, kool-aid, milk (as an adult), or any of the other stuff we have figured out how to turn into liquid form...


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## OldMike (Apr 30, 2020)

IME it's almost 50/50. 
If I eat the same and exersize (4 - 5 times/wk @ 1hr). I'll drop a little (3 lbs/month).
If I eat properly, but don't exersize I'll drop the same 3lbs/month
Combine both and pow, I can easily drop 6-8lbs/month.


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Jayem said:


> Well just drinking water alone, rather than all the other flavored crap we shove down our throats. While humans were intended to eat a variety of things in nature, nuts, meat, veg, etc., they were only intended to drink water, not coffee, soda pop, kool-aid, milk (as an adult), or any of the other stuff we have figured out how to turn into liquid form...



Disagree, humans were definitely intended to drink coffee. Otherwise why coffee beans?


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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

You can’t make me give up my coffee!!!


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

J.B. Weld said:


> Disagree, humans were definitely intended to drink coffee. Otherwise why coffee beans?


Addicted?


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Coffee is mostly water.

I stopped adding sugar in mine a year ago.

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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Jayem said:


> Addicted?




Happily addicted.


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## C619V (Mar 8, 2021)

“And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made; and then made coffee” 


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## rod9301 (Oct 30, 2004)

bikeranzin said:


> Yes, cycling is a terrible workout for most people because it's so easy to faff around and not actually exercise. It's the difference between running and a leisurely walk, but far less apparent because you're traveling relatively fast.


For me, 160 lbs, an easy ride still burns 300 cal ab hour. 

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## plummet (Jul 8, 2005)

Just for the record. I dont do refined sugar, alcohol or caffeine.......


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## Nocturnalnature71 (May 29, 2021)

Posted this in another section, but it seems relevant to the OP's question.

280lbs starting weight
175lbs current weight
Shooting for 165lbs

Exercise consists of resistance training 4 days a week and a mix of mountain/road biking 3 days a week.



http://imgur.com/Qlxxtdl




http://imgur.com/zlMtPmq


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## DeoreDX (Jul 28, 2007)

I started at 203 last December. Currently at 158-160 depending on when I weigh myself. I maintained a 1500 calorie diet. I mainly did it by skipping breakfast, "grazing" by eating low calorie mini meals during the day then mostly eating whatever I want just keeping an eye on portion control at dinner. I guess you could say I was intermittent fasting but it was more of a way to cut calories than anything I ever read about fasting. If I eat breakfast I get hungry at noon. If I skip breakfast and just drink coffee my hunger goes away mid morning and I still get hungry at noon so I just save the calories. Now that I cut a lot of fat I'm turning my attention to more proteins and weight training during the winter months.


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## RMCDan (Feb 28, 2008)

plummet said:


> Just for the record. I dont do refined sugar, alcohol or caffeine.......


If it works for you, great. But, coffee and tea are unequivocally good for you when consumed in reasonable quantities at appropriate times (i.e., <300-400 mg/day and not late the day when they'll impact sleep). The scientific data on this is abundant and overwhelming.


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## tick_magnet (Dec 15, 2016)

For me, I tend to lose weight when doing lots of endurance rides. If you are doing multi-hour rides, even if you are not going into the red zone with your heart rate, it's rather hard not to loose weight. You have less time to eat so getting sufficient calories actually becomes a problem.


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## matt4x4 (Dec 21, 2013)

Its all about knowledge and what you are eating, and excersize is a part of any weight loss protocol. I watched a few vegan youtube channels and they seem more into saving the planet and animals, but I know vegans and they arent like that at all. All about balance, can't have to much of one thing so I think a diet like the Keto diet isnt a life long diet, its just a tool to lose a ton of weight real fast by burning ketones instead of glucose sugar. Anyone with large amounts of belly fat is insulin resistant so a Keto diet can be helpful but people also lose weight on Paleo diet or Vegan diet, heck you can lose weight on the Bread Diet


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## Gray Lobster (Feb 22, 2021)

I don't have time to drive 100 km a day, let alone to cycle. My knees are not that healthy. I took some yoga classes and my trainer told me that I need to suppress my natural testosterone production. I didn't know how to do that. As I've figured out, the mechanisms of binding to androgen receptors depend on the compound itself. But the bicycle is too difficult for me, I preferred the treadmill. It puts more strain on my knees and joints, but I like it. I used to do the same amount of exercise on a basic bike and stick to cycle of 6 to 8 weeks, but it's not the same. A real bike is better, but it doesn't help as much as or strength training.


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## remanaz (Oct 1, 2021)

I have lost a lot of weight over the past year. How much, couldn't say as I do not own a scale. Last year at this time I was down from size 46 waist to a svelte 44. Lol just kidding on the svelte. Anyway I am now in 34s. I see 32s in my future still. 

How I did it was completely without exercise. Seriously none. I only got back into biking when I joined this site recently. I was having a tooth pain issue. I traced it to sugar. I was eating donuts candy ice cream you name it. Not wanting the pain I cut out those kinds of foods. I still eat frosted flakes and othe cereals with sugar but less now. 

Anyways, as a result of cutting out most of the processed sugars, I started loosing weight. This motivated me to keep working to loose it. I stuck to the almost now processed sugars and kept loosing weight. Eventually I hit a plateau and had to look at my diet again. I then swapped out my start of the day Mt dews for coffee and I was back in business. I won't give up the suds completely but I continued to reduce my intake of them. The weight eventually hit the next plateau so back to my diet to see what I needed to change again. 

What I learned and am trying to convey is that if you have fat then look at what you are putting in that is known to contribute to fat building and ask yourself can you reduce or eliminate it. If it is beer then cut down the beer to loose weight. If it is carbs cut the carbs. Basically find the source and remove it. 

Oh and BTW fwiw I am 48 years old. This is not an easy task for people my age but I was able to do it by identifying the root causes of the fat I was carrying. I now want to exercise and do so by choice not to loose weight. I am actually wanting to build my muscle back.


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## mikephibbs (9 mo ago)

It was for weight loss that I purchased the smart scale. Some people don't even understand how they work, but I finally figured it out. It is known that different tissues in the body have different resistance to electricity. By determining the level of the body's resistance to current, smart scales draw conclusions not only about body weight, but also about the percentage of body fat, the percentage of muscle mass, the composition of bone tissue and other indicators. In total, smart scales give 10-15 different results, depending on the model. So this is a great purchase for you.


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## dundundata (May 15, 2009)

I was definitely at my leanest when riding most everyday.


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## LosaHilly (5 mo ago)

Cycling is a great way to lose weight.


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## SandrMilky (5 mo ago)

I think you need to see a specialist who will prescribe you the right diet. In general, I agree that the exercise bike is a substitute for a cardio workout. When a friend of mine decided to lose weight, she sought help from a nutritionist. She was prescribed a diet and was advised pills https://purerawz.co/product/stenabolic-sr-9009/ to help pump excess fat into muscle. My friend doesn't like going to the gym, so she decided to replace the gym with biking. She lost 10 pounds in a couple of months and isn't going to stop, that's pretty cool.


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## wfl3 (Dec 30, 2003)

Susspect said:


> .......
> *
> I found that losing weight has done more for my cycling (speed and stamina), than cycling has done for my weight.*


Ditto

It took an injury before it really clicked for me, but the key for myself was separating weight loss and fitness.

Diet for weight control, exercise for fitness.


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## Hibikealot (Oct 14, 2021)

You should be able to lose weight by MTB....I have and it is easy.
Just ride and don't stuff down calories like crazy and you probably will too.....if you don't you aren't pushing hard enough or your not eating proper food and portions.....get those dialed and you should be good to go.
Ymmv.


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