Cycling for Weight Loss and Fitness

[pooks]

Some years ago I was swimming at a fitness center. I wasn't a good swimmer, but just kept moving, switching strokes every lap, just moving, determined to stay in the pool for a minimum of 20 minutes per session.

Even though I wasn't chalking up much distance in laps, I was losing weight an improving my general body tone and fitness.

It occurred to me today -- is there any solid info about this re: cycling? For example, does a beginner who has to work like hell to ride a few miles get the same benefit as an accomplished cyclist who covers a bunch of miles in the same length of time?

[Veronica]

No idea - but I really upped the ante this year with training for double centuries. I only lost 4 pounds, but I dropped half a clothing size. That's what I call it when my size tens fit too loosely, but only some size 8s fit right.

And I am hungry almost all the time. Dinner was two hours ago, I'm ready for more food. Or is it boredom...

V.

[Duck on Wheels]

One thing that might help is a heart rate monitor. You burn fat most efficiently, or so they say, in the endurance zone. A half hour a day in that zone should begin to help, and yes, as you get stronger that becomes "harder" work -- but it shouldn't feel harder. I know I lost some weight last time I was on sabbatical, just hiking and biking up and down hills to get to the office, do the shopping, etc. This sabbatical year I'm in a place with fewer and smaller hills, so I've added more gym workouts, spin class, longer bike rides. My weight hasn't dropped much, but when I went out to do one last shopping round last week I discovered I've dropped one dress size.

[pooks]

I've never used a heart rate monitor. What do I need to know about them before I buy one?

[latelatebloomer]

Hi, Pooks - I've gone from "obese & sedentary" to "fit & muscular apple" and the heart rate monitor really helped - I haven't ever used it riding on the road, but all the time in spin classes at the gym. I could target my workout for cardio training OR fat-burning. Without the monitor, it was really easy to get "pumped" and go too high during the workouts when I wanted to burn butter. At the gym everyone pretty much uses Polar - I picked up a Reebok monitor at a big-box store and it never worked right and now I have a Polar, too. The monitor is great, but it was important to have a good trainer who could watch me and readjust my target numbers as I became more fit. Because I was still a big woman, most trainers assumed I still had a low fitness level and had me doing WAY too little. So yes, treat yourself to the monitor and learn more about your body!

Regarding your distance question, I think it's trying to compare apples and oranges, and that is NOT to put down the beginner's miles at all - I'm still a newbie myself. I think those beginning miles/laps the toughest you'll ever do. When you're beginning the awesome journey of fitness, you make all kinds of new demands on your body and psyche. It takes a lot of energy - and not just the caloric kind. Why compare your workout to another's? I believe a 300lb woman can go to the gym, work out with good focus, and have a better, higher integrity workout than the seeming athlete next to her who is being sloppy.

[mimitabby]

When I first started riding as an adult, I completely ran out of steam long before the exercise had done me much good. It wasn't because i wasn't eating or drinking enough, my muscles just couldn't do the work. It took a while before they were built up enough to get me far enough down the road to really do much good.

[donnambr]

Total non-athlete chiming in here. I started riding to work every day the second week of April. I began at about 200 lbs. I ride minimum 35 miles a week. I think I can get as high as 50-60 miles a week. I do not own a car, so I run a lot of errands on my bike. After a month of this, I hadn't lost any weight, but went down a whole dress size above the waist, and a half size below the waist.

So it's been a little over 2 months now. I have no idea how much I weigh, as I don't own a scale. I'll try to go over a friend's house to check in the next day or so. I think I'm now down one size below my waist and a size and a half above. I try not to think in terms of weight, but rather how many clothes fit again, what is my blood pressure, how energetic I am feeling, etc. If I can mosey my way down to 160, that would be nice. I'm 5'8" and truly big-boned. My head, hands, and feet are very large for a female, so my frame looks better with something on it. I had cancer when I was 18 and lost weight. At 145, people thought I didn't look healthy.

I generally try to ride at a moderate pace in the morning, and somewhat more intensely after work. I try to challenge myself on some of the icky hills when I can. I have an "endometriosis route" to work that I ride for about 3-4 days a month that is super easy. I'm really not trying too hard other than be unwavering about the consistency. Rain or shine, I at least ride to work Monday-Friday.

All in all, I think I'm getting pretty good results for not such a great effort. It amazes me that more women don't try this.

[brok]

I've never used a heart rate monitor. What do I need to know about them before I buy one?

A basic heart rate monitor that give total exercise time and time in training zone is really all that is necessary on a monitor. I us the Polar A3 - that is also what I purchased for my students to use during physical education. There are lots of monitors that provide more information, but to me some of it is overkill (calories burned, etc). This monitor is pretty basic, but gives me/them the info we need about our exercise session.

[pooks]

So I went to pick up an odometer/computer and a heart rate monitor. And the guy tells me the difference between "this" computer and "that" computer is that "this" one also does cadence.

I look at him. Wait for him to tell me why I'm supposed to care about cadence and, oh, by the way, what it is.

He explains most helpfully that it tracks how many revolutions that I'm pedaling.

"You know," he points out, "how if you're just cruising, you're not getting any workout at all? Well, this helps remind you that you need to be pedaling!"

So of course I bought it.

I just paid somebody MONEY to monitor how often I'm doing the FUN PART so that I can STOP DOING IT.

What's wrong with this picture?

(I did say health and fitness, didn't I? Careful what you ask for....)

[mimitabby]

"You know," he points out, "how if you're just cruising, you're not getting any workout at all? Well, this helps remind you that you need to be pedaling!"

So of course I bought it.

I just paid somebody MONEY to monitor how often I'm doing the FUN PART so that I can STOP DOING IT.

What's wrong with this picture?

(I did say health and fitness, didn't I? Careful what you ask for....)

Boy, i can relate to that. I can remember going on early rides with my husband and thinking, the only time i am having fun (ie not working) is when I am not pedalling, like going down a gentle hill..

And here he was squalling because going over 9mph was too much work for me. And it WAS too much work for me. My little tiny muscles weren't used to it..
that was before I pedalled all the way to Portland (200 miles in two days)
There is hope.

[pooks]

Well, at least it gave me something to blog about!

I don't know how people with REAL hills cope when they're first getting started. Especially if they're carrying extra weight!

[Duck on Wheels]

So I went to pick up an odometer/computer and a heart rate monitor. And the guy tells me the difference between "this" computer and "that" computer is that "this" one also does cadence.

I look at him. Wait for him to tell me why I'm supposed to care about cadence and, oh, by the way, what it is.

He explains most helpfully that it tracks how many revolutions that I'm pedaling.

"You know," he points out, "how if you're just cruising, you're not getting any workout at all? Well, this helps remind you that you need to be pedaling!"

So of course I bought it.

I just paid somebody MONEY to monitor how often I'm doing the FUN PART so that I can STOP DOING IT.

What's wrong with this picture?

(I did say health and fitness, didn't I? Careful what you ask for....)

If it's any consolation ... sometimes a faster cadence is EASIER. If you're struggling with an incline or a headwind, or even just getting bored on the flat road, try going into a lower gear and increasing your cadence. All of a sudden you'll discover (as I did when I tried this advice) that you're actually going faster and ... having fun doing it.

[pooks]

Thanks for the advice!