weight loss and biking

[LiquidFeet]

I hate to confess this, but I'd like to lose weight. And I'd like to so it by cutting down calories and BIKING.

So here's my question. I have a mountain bike, but I have no pretentions.

Should I ride the bike on the roads, many miles, many hours? This gets my heart rate up to a steady pump and it stays there for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Or should I ride the trails for the same 2 to 2 1/2 hours and get that heart rate up to really REALLLY pounding, then relax, repeat. That's the way the trails around here in New England work -- rocks and roots for a short but strenuous uphill, then relax, then repeat.

Anyone got any advice? I can do both. Both are fun. I'm tired of NOT LOSING THE 10 LBS I want to lose. I want to be efficient. In the past I've used running, and boy does that work. But.....

Now I've got a bike. And I don't want to run any more.

[Triskeliongirl]

I am a firm believer that the best exercise is the one you'll do, so do whichever you'll enjoy the most!

[Jiffer]

I manage my weight by portion control, not exercise. The more you exercise, the more "fuel" (i.e. food) you need. The less you exercise the less fuel you need. So, you have to listen to your body's hunger and fullness signals, which change depending on your level of exercise.

I know this sounds simplistic, but it's scientific and it works for me. Having said that, I do understand that a lot of people use exercise to manage their weight and it works for them. So, hopefully you'll get some advice from some of them.

Just last night Dh and I were at a neighbor's house and this very subject came up. She was commenting about how she can't lose weight. When I said, "Eat less food." She said, "I love food too much!" She's a runner, which doesn't help you since you are switching to cycling, which I HIGHLY approve of, by the way! SO much more fun! :D ... Anyways, he suggested adding one 90 minute run. Not sure where that number came from. She said she does two 60-ish minute runs a week and one 90. He thought adding one more 90 minute run would make a difference.

I think with any exercise, it's all about burning fat for an extended period of time. It makes sense that the harder you work, the more fat you burn, but I'll let other people respond to that. I will say that the more intense the work out, the more famished you will be, so be careful how much you eat! ;)

(BTW ... I lost about 60 lbs by "eating less" and not exercising at ALL. The not exercising part is not healthy, and I do now, but the point is it wasn't the exercise that helped me lose weight. It was less food. Not low fat, low sugar, diet food, yadda yadda. Just less food. I've kept it off for about 8 years now.)

[cinnamon_toast]

I just switched from running to cycling and I have found the weight loss to be profound - mostly because I like biking a lot more and have a harder time finding excuses not to ride. I can bike after a big meal, I can have a glass of beer at 4 and ride at 7, I can ride at 6 in the morning. All of those would have been excuses for me as a runner. Anyway - I would ride as much as your schedule allows and track your progress on the scale. I try to go for an hour at minimum, but do what you have time for. And as the OP suggested - watch your diet as well. Good luck!!

[solobiker]

I can't say that I have lost any weight. I have been doing quite a bit of riding latley and have gained about 5 pounds. I know you may say it is muscle, which granted some of it may be. However my waist has gotten bigger too, what's up with that?? I haven't changed the way I eat and I eat fairly well. My pants are now tighter in my thighs and waist. Bummer, oh well, I still enjoy the riding:D

[RolliePollie]

Good luck losing the weight! Here's my experience with cycling and weight loss so far: I've only lost about 5 pounds since I started riding 5 months ago. But I've lost INCHES!!! About 2.5" off my waist, 3" off my hips, and 1.5" off each thigh. My calves are much more muscular and my thighs and butt are a lot firmer! I figure the 5 pounds is actually more like 10 because I know I've gained a lot of muscle. Although I could stand to lose about 10 more pounds, I am so darn HUNGRY from riding that I haven't been able to get myself to eat less. Plus I figure my body needs those extra calories for fuel. I'd rather eat enough so I have energy on the bike than try to restrict my calories and not be able to make it up the hills. Also, I LOVE it that I can eat just about anything I want and NOT gain weight! I'm riding between 75 and 100 miles a week right now with lots of hills, and I'm not worrying about any weight gain. But I'm also not really losing any.

I lost 40 pounds a couple of years ago by drastically cutting calories and walking 3 miles, 4 or 5 times a week. I thought I'd drop weight like crazy on the bike, but I'm not disappointed that this is not happening. I am more fit than I've ever been before, my body is looking more toned, and I've finally found an exercise that is FUN!

[Grog]

Get off the scale and ride!!! Who cares about losing weight? You want to feel good, look healthy, fit well in your clothes (makes you feel more confident, and is less expensive than buying new ones!!), and be fit.

Hide the scale. It's not making you happier nor is it making you healthier, and it could actually tax your fitness and health if you try to reduce your weight as your body needs more energy. This doesn't mean that you need to eat like an ogre, and all that the others have said applies, but honestly numbers on the scale don't mean much.

[Mr. Bloom]

LiquidFeet, you'll do great.

You can get a lot of conflicting advice, so find what works for you. The ladies on this forum were extremely helpful to me (yes, I'm a man) with advice and encouragement. Today, I eat as much food as I've ever eaten, but the quality of what I eat has improved drastically.

I encourage you to write down everything you eat while you learn new habits - It's an eye opening experience. This will help to 'reprogram' your understanding of food.

Check out my 360 blog at the address below to see what I did over the first three months of this year...not to do it "my way", but rather to see the evolution of my thoughts and practices over a fairly short period of time. It is a lifestyle and attitude change.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.