Biking for Weight Loss

[Swan]

I've lost nine pounds since I took up biking (yay!), but I still weigh (much) more than I'd like to. It'll take another fifty pounds dropped for me to fall back down into just the "overweight" category! Still, slow and steady wins the race if you want to keep the weight off. We've probably all heard about Scott Cutshall by now. He's been such a huge inspiration for me, and most likely for many others as well. I get so pumped whenever I read his story. It makes me feel like I have a chance!

Of course, eating properly is very important -- it's half the battle! Admittedly it's hard for me to do so for reasons that are long-winded but true (no money for a personal diet, a family content with their own slim waists and a packet of cookies, and plently of allergies that consistently go overlooked when someone else does the shopping...). Usually the only things we have around the house that I can eat are tinned vegetables, and lawd knows they are packed full of sodium.

Diets aside though (yes, yes, I know they're very important, but knowing that doesn't help without a supportive family or personal funds), how has weight loss been specifically with your bike? Have you lost any weight? Are you happy with your progress? Have you ever hit a plataeu? I want to know!

[Wasp]

Cycling has definatley changed the shape of my body. My legs are thinner and leaner looking, I have way more core strength, and my arms got thinner. I've dropped 4 dress sizes since June.
Personally, I would stay away from the canned vegetables. Try replacing them with frozen vegs. One tip that's been working for me is making sure at meal times two thirds of the plate is vegetables and the remaining one third protein. Using a smaller plate also helps with portion control.
Good luck in your journey.

[murielalex]

I've definitely increased my fitness, but other than six pounds over many months, I wasn't able to lose any weight with cycling, probably due to the weight training I was doing, the fact that I'm a menopausal woman, and my riding had become training for a few long events, and other than interval training during the week, I was riding 60-80 mile rides on the weekend. I wasn't dropping anything, which my trainer told me would happen. Still, I felt great and looked like I weighed less than I really did. Since being injured six weeks ago, I've really been focusing on diet (only lots of fresh, non-starchy veggies, limited fruit, lean meats and fish in small portions), and I've lost 11 pounds. I'm sure some of that is muscle loss due to inactivity (doc said no exercise except stretching) which makes me sad because I was starting to look good (loving my legs), but I'm hoping to drop at least 10 more by the time I can get back on my bikes.

Keep it up, but lose the canned veggies if you can. Frozen are so much better. Cycling is just great for your health all around, and should inspire you to try out some other new habits. Maybe with the diet, just start with choosing one new healthy habit a week (e.g., no candy this week, or try frozen veggies instead of canned, etc.). Small doable goals are so much easier.

[Catrin]

I've lost about 60-65 pounds since I got my first bike in December, 2010. Some of that was from trying to ride 1,000,000 miles that first year, and since then injuries of one kind or another have taken me off the bike several times - mainly from stubborness on my part to ignore pain (hint to not do that). I've managed to stay active through it all however, and I think that is key. Also diet is even more key - research keeps showing that our food intake plays a larger role than exercise does in the long term. +1 on giving up the canned veggies, frozen is much better for you if fresh isn't an option. Murelalex has a great idea about trying one new thing a week - small steps might take longer to get us there but that are much easier to keep going.

Keep moving, even it is just a walk around the neighborhood, and mix things up for your body. My initial set of over-use injuries were born from my reluctance to do anything outside of riding or spinning class - the body needs to mix things up. Not that you would make that same mistake, I am just plain stubborn...

[shootingstar]

This is tough when living with other family members and not having enough of your own money to buy your own food. You might have to offer to do some grocery shopping after getting agreement on buying with a family budget for vegetables (and fresh fruit).

then offer to prepare the vegetable dishes for yourself or also for family. It's just reality for many people wanting to change their own diet that doesn't jive with other family members. You might consider cutting back on white bread, white rice which is what I've done.

And consider using the bike as transportation..to get to places for errands, work, school. You won't be thinking of it as exercise....but meanwhile it will help control your new found weight loss.

[Pedal Wench]

I think someone else mentioned it, but see if you can go along to the store when the family shopping is done. They might not be getting what you want because they forget or don't want to bother going out of their usual routine. Suggest that you'll pick the vegetables for the week and head to the freezer or produce aisle (which can be cheaper too depending on the season, and when you factor in how much water you're buying in the canned veggies.) If the cost is brought up, say it's MUCH cheaper than blood pressure, insulin, or heart medicines if you don't get your weight under control.

[indysteel]

Swan, I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I just wanted to wish you well on your journey and congratulations on the weight you've already lost.

I'd also second what Catrin said about her overuse injuries. While mine took a few years to manifest, I alsot think I wound up with some problems due to too much cycling and too little other activity (like weight and resistance work). Balance is good, but if you struggle with finding other activities you can participate in, more than anything, just keep moving.

[Swan]

Thanks, everyone! I'm glad to hear about your successes and endeavors. +1 on biking changing the shape of your body! I may be "pleasantly plump", but my butt and legs are pleasantly FABULOUS now.

About taking up the shopping duty: Great idea! I did this once before when I was still new to allergies and pescatarianism, but I fell out of the routine. I'll have to pick it back up! I would bike to the store, but it's 18mi away and I haven't got panniers or anything to tote groceries back in (do they even make panniers fit for long trips with fridge items? that would be great!)

About overuse injuries: I thought I left this behind when the gym closed down, augh... What are some exercises you all do in between to prevent these? I usually do gentle stretching exercises, modified pilates and lunges... should I be avoiding my legs/glutes during recovery periods?

+1s on frozen veggies definitely noted. We do usually get them fresh from our own garden and tin what we don't eat before it all goes bad, then store the jars in the cellar. They're still so salty, though, bleagh. :p I'll see if we can't buy them frozen -- it definitely would be cheaper than insulin and such! I was super healthy physically until I was diagnosed with bipolar. One of the meds has a side-effect of the serious weight gain I encountered, though luckily my blood pressure and heart rate are still textbook perfect. Still, it's a hard punch to my feelings that I've gained so much weight in so little time and can't seem to do the same exercises anymore without really hurting myself. But hey, at least the fruit trees are in season!

[goldfinch]

Instead of canning your own veggies you could blanch and freeze them. That is what we used to do and it was so much better than canned.

[Swan]

Instead of canning your own veggies you could blanch and freeze them. That is what we used to do and it was so much better than canned.

I may have to try that! We certainly have enough room in the cellar freezers.

[Swan]

This is kind of a dumdum question, but whenever I go for extra long or extra fast rides, I notice that my stomach burns as though I've eaten a bunch of spicy food. It isn't painful, just odd. Am I feeling my fat burn off, or is it something else? Scale says I've lost another two pounds since posting this thread, so I'm inclined to think the former... but want to double-check just in case I'm hurting myself without realizing it.

[murielalex]

What are you eating before you ride? Also, depending on how far you ride, are you eating on the bike? I've never heard of a stomach burning before.

[Swan]

What are you eating before you ride? Also, depending on how far you ride, are you eating on the bike? I've never heard of a stomach burning before.

Usually pasta, since I know most soccer players eat that before a match. I snack on carrots and sometimes dried beef strips on longer rides, and of course drink plenty of water along the way. I can't find anything on burning either!

[goldfinch]

Whatever it is, it isn't fat burning off. Maybe try eating something else before you ride, what you are currently eating may simply be disagreeing with you. Also, you might try not eating for an hour before you ride. Exercise, especially when intense, can upset some people's stomachs. Heck, for some people exercise can cause acid reflux. http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/tips/c/can_exercise_cause_acid_reflux.aspx (Though I wouldn't presume to know if that is what is going on with you.)

[Trek420]

Usually pasta, since I know most soccer players eat that before a match. I snack on carrots and sometimes dried beef strips on longer rides, and of course drink plenty of water along the way. I can't find anything on burning either!

The good news for women is that we access and use fat for energy more efficiently then the boys do. So the pre-century, pre-marathon meal for us is not the pasta, garlic bread, super carb-load fest the guys favor. Our men-folk need to build that up but for us a balanced meal is the the best idea. One of my favorite articles on nutrition for cycling from a women's perspective.

http://www.velogirls.com/resources/publications/fuel.htm

[Swan]

Hmmm.. I'm going to have to rule out heartburn and acid reflux since the "burn" is much lower and doesn't try to go up at all. The burn doesn't hurt at all, either. I'll try changing my pre-riding meal and see if that helps. Thanks for all your input!

Edit: I ate something and the burning, churning feeling immediately went away... Googled what hunger felt like and it nailed it on the head! Gosh, I feel so silly now.

[Melalvai]

It's a little astonishing to me that I did lose 30 pounds the first year I started bicycling, because long bike rides make me SO hungry, and I know that I eat a lot more after a bike ride than I burned. Part of it is "I just biked 50 miles I can eat anything I want" mentality, and probably some of it is my post-ride food choices that lead me to feeling hungrier.

I was a little overweight when I started biking and I got fairly fit. This year my commute is too short, and I've been really awful about eating terrible foods, and my pants are getting tight. However, I'm not (much) worried about weight for anything other than cosmetic reasons. I know that if I pack on pounds despite daily bike rides, I'm still maintaining some fitness, like my low resting heart rate, low cholesterol, low blood pressure. That's not to say I wouldn't be healthier if I weren't gaining weight, but I'd be a lot less healthy if I were gaining weight but not biking 3 miles and walking between buildings & up steps every day.

[Swan]

That's actually a good way to look at it, Melalvai, to focus on being fit as opposed to being fat. Good on you! And congrats on those initial 30#s!

Two days ago I went shopping for an outfit with a friend and I was dismayed to see that she picked out size 16s and 14s for me even though IME I'm a size 20... I couldnt fit in the 14s, but wouldn't you know it, those 16s are very comfortable! I came home with two pair of trousers in 16s.. four sizes smaller than before!

[indysteel]

That's great, Swan!! Sounds like you're making great progress!

[Melalvai]

I write a blog for the local newspaper on bicycling and walking, and Swan, you inspired this one.
"Lose weight while biking! (http://www.kirksvilledailyexpress.com/article/20121220/blogs/121229834/-1/blogs01)"

[Catrin]

Biking can be good for the weight loss purposes but I never noticed it.
I focus on cycling and do it daily. I have lost 30 pounds of my weight through cycling.

Olaf , what do you mean by biking? Cycling is biking. English is an odd language sometimes :)

[indysteel]

Olaf , what do you mean by biking? Cycling is biking. English is an odd language sometimes :)

Olaf, in my humble opinon, is a spammer in the making. His/her flurry of posts today have the same ring to them as many of our past spammers. While they touch on the subject at hand, they don't exactly add to the discussion and they're just a bit "off." If I'm wrong, I apologize. I've just seen a lot of posts like this of late...and the admins end up deleting them.

[Catrin]

Olaf, in my humble opinon, is a spammer in the making. His/her flurry of posts today have the same ring to them as many of our past spammers. While they touch on the subject at hand, they don't exactly add to the discussion and they're just a bit "off." If I'm wrong, I apologize. I've just seen a lot of posts like this of late...and the admins end up deleting them.

Yeah, I kind of figured that but wanted to give the benefit of a doubt. English is certainly not the first language...