We ride because we love getting out there. Hopping on a bike and going for a long, easy ride or doing something short and fast both have immense health benefits—plus, it’s just so fun. But if you’re looking to lose weight, biking is a great place to start. All you need to take it to the next level is a few expert-back tips on cycling for weight loss and what to do off the bike to support your efforts. Try these tips—and keep on riding.
Cutting calories to lose weight doesn’t always mean you’ll lose fat. Some of your weight loss may also come from muscle tissue which could make you weaker on the bike.
As pioneering diet expert Covert Bailey once wrote, “When someone says that they lost 20 pounds, the key question is: 20 pounds of what?” Some dieters can end up having a higher percentage of body fat even as they lose weight. And don’t forget that muscle burns calories. The more muscle volume you have whole sale bud, the more calories your body can burn—even when you’re just lying on the couch .
To combat muscle loss, make sure you’re eating enough protein and strength training to optimize retaining muscle while losing weight.
It’s not always about how much you eat, but the nutritional balance of carbohydrates, fats, and protein in what you’re eating.
Endurance athletes need extra carbs to fuel their rides, fat to feel satiated, and protein to repair your muscles postworkout. It usually isn’t necessary to make radical adjustments to achieve this balance—small changes work best. For example, instead of eating a huge bowl of pasta, fill half the bowl with pasta, then ladle a lean meat-based sauce on top and add a small salad on the side. You can also try substituting fruit for processed sweets.