Cycling to lose weight while taking enough for the ride

[curium]

Hi I weigh 90 kg and I'm 1.86 M tall. I have been cycling for around 6 months now. My cardio-fitness has increased noticeably as I've been commuting to work regularly which is 25 miles round trip. I have also cycled from London to Colchester and Greenwich in SE London to Dorking and can do these long rides at a steady pace.

When doing these rides I take 2 bottles of SIS GO which is a carbohydrate drink with electrolytes and a stick a few gels in my jersey.

I would like to try to get my weight down to between 80-85 kg and I'm concerned that consuming these carbohydrates during cycling is counterproductive but I'm very concerned about cramping as this was immensely painful for me when it happened previously when I rode with just water in my bottle.

Any advice?

Cheers!

 

[IE_Sprinter]

Hi,

Just a quick thought before everyone replies.

The reason you may be cramping without the drinks are most likely due to the sodium and the electrolytes they have. Namely Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium. Most recovery drinks contain electrolytes which aid in the H2O distribution, preventing cramps.

Maybe pick up a bottle of Endurolytes and take two before you ride, and then two after. You can even take two on long rides and take them halfway through the workout.

Beyond that, I am a bigger rider and lost a ton of weight by tweaking my diet not what I ate on the ride. I can tell you what works for me and thats it though, because your body may be different.

I can get through a 2-3 hour ride with one Gel or Bar, and drinking nothing but water on the ride. In fact, I don't put anything in my bottles unless I race. Beyond 3 hours I eat earlier about every hour or so because once the bonk hits thats it of course.

One more option is motor tabs drink replacement. They are much lower in calories and have the electrolytes and sodium to keep you from cramping.

my 2 cnts

 

[seattle]

Read: Racing Weight by Matt Fitzgerald

The book explains how the body performs during work outs and highlights how consuming carbs during exercise is beneficial towards improving performance and losing weight.

 

[daviel]

Just remember the cycling is fine, but losing weight is all about eating.

 

[Tapeworm]

1) Cramping is not solely attributed to electrolytes, magnesium, potassium etc etc. It MAY be a part of the problem, but then it may not be. They haven't worked out what causes cramping 100% of the time nor what "cures" it.

2) Glycogen, whilst exercising, goes straight to the operating muscles.

3) This means you are better off ingesting as much as you can whilst riding to ensure a higher level of effort (and consequently improving the net energy burnt) and trimming what you eat OFF the bike.


By and large people seem to think that skimping on calories ON the ride will result in weight loss. It's completely the other way round. Even if you do a 6 hour ride, thats 18 hours you're not riding. And if you've starved yourself on the ride guess what you body's natural urge will be when you're off the bike....

 

[Notso Swift]

Tapeworm has the best idea for losing weight, and no exercise needed

 

[catapulting66]

^ lol. or eat more junk.


seriously, i really haven't thought of drinking carb loads or eating while biking.my tummy just can't take it, i feel bloated and i feel nauseated. i just have energy drinks, gatorade or other stuff. but when i get home, i know that what i eat will affect my physique, that's where the real challenge is for me.

 

[jedc53]

Long-distance cyclists love to ride all day and then get up the next morning to ride many more miles.Cycling enough to burn only 150 calories does not sound like a very intense work out.If I were you I would skip the energy drink and just have some water after the ride. Either that or burn more calories while you ride.

 

[elapid]

Don't diet on the bike because this will affect your performance. As Tapeworm has said, glycogen from carbohydrates fuels your muscles directly. If you want to diet, then do so off the bike rather than on it. As others have suggested, Matt Fitzgerald's book "Racing Weight: How To Get Lean For Peak Performance" is an excellent resource for the best way to lose weight and maintain performance.

 

[VegaSinclair]

Biking is a good cardio workout for burning fat. But as others have said, I wouldn't risk cramping for not eating carbs on long distance rides. You need the carbs to fuel your muscles. Also to prevent cramping, I've always heard that bananas which contain potassium are good for combating cramps.

 

[Polyarmour]

For a 25 mile trip I wouldn't eat anything. Those gel shots are 100 calories each and your electrolytes might add another few hundred. You need to calculate what you're expending and what you're taking in. Don't assume that because you're doing some exercise you will automatically lose weight, calories need to be kept under firm control.

I once went on a week long mountain bike expedition, riding 10-12hrs per day, hardest thing I have ever done but was I looking to forward to all the weight I was going to lose. I had visions of losing 5kg in one week such was my energy expenditure. Got back home and I'd put on 1kg. Ate way too much.

 

[outrage9]

Hi I weigh 90 kg and I'm 1.86 M tall. I have been cycling for around 6 months now. My cardio-fitness has increased noticeably as I've been commuting to work regularly which is 25 miles round trip. I have also cycled from London to Colchester and Greenwich in SE London to Dorking and can do these long rides at a steady pace.

When doing these rides I take 2 bottles of SIS GO which is a carbohydrate drink with electrolytes and a stick a few gels in my jersey.

I would like to try to get my weight down to between 80-85 kg and I'm concerned that consuming these carbohydrates during cycling is counterproductive but I'm very concerned about cramping as this was immensely painful for me when it happened previously when I rode with just water in my bottle.

Any advice?

Cheers!

For a 12.5 mi ride to work and then another 12.5 home, you shouldn't be eating anything and only need 1 bottle of water to get you there and then refill it to get home.

You could always considering taking the long way home too and get in some more miles, don't take the most direct route. You just aren't burning that many calories riding 25 miles AND splitting that in half by 9 hours, you're barely warmed up when you get to your destination.

 

[Hmmmmm]

Don't diet on the bike because this will affect your performance. As Tapeworm has said, glycogen from carbohydrates fuels your muscles directly. If you want to diet, then do so off the bike rather than on it. As others have suggested, Matt Fitzgerald's book "Racing Weight: How To Get Lean For Peak Performance" is an excellent resource for the best way to lose weight and maintain performance.

+1 ...............If you are going to watch what you eat, do so off the bike, but make sure you stay fueled and hydrated on the bike.

 

[TopCarbon]

like many have said, intake and weight loss are directly related. If you take in more than you burn, you have a net gain on your balance sheet. Varying your workout also helps. 12.5 mile time trial home one day, intervals the next. Compete against your time to go faster. But, if it were me, I would ride to work the long way, and ride the long way home. You really need more miles to be effective.

 

[durianrider]

Im 33, 6ft and 65kg plus or minus 10% and been that weight range for the last decade. It just depends if Im doing more bike racing or kick boxing etc.

As a personal trainer with my main focus on weight loss for my clients, I can honestly say that dieting NEVER works longterm. Sure anyone can starve for a bit but it never works lonterm. Even anorexics that dont die, mostly blow out in the end.

So what works in this western world where 70% of us are overweight? Time and time again we have proven that calories are not calories. Its not as simple as energy in, energy out. If you eat 4000cals a day from fast food you aint gonna look, feel and perform as good if you ate 4000cals a day from a low fat, high carb plant strong wholefoods diet? Everyone knows that but everyone forgets that unfortunately.

My advice to you would be to eat as much of your fav wholefood carbs as you care for. Cut out the oil, animal products and greasy foods that just add 'weight' to the body.You wont find a sumo wrestler that is on a low fat, high carb vegan diet!! Maybe thats a youtube vid I can do sometime..me spreading my plant strong propoganda to some sumo wrestlers that are laughing me out of the training den..

*Eat over 10g of carbs per kg of bodyweight per day.*Keep your fat & protein intake under 10% of total calories.

*Drink enough water each day so your urine is clear. If its yellow or straw, you need to drink more. Aim for at least 10times a day clear urination and a few times a night. Get a fruit juice bottle and wee into that. Thats what the 'pros' do.

*Eat a low sodium diet. Its ironic that the people that cramp the most are the ones that eat the most sodium in their diet...just get any average jim or jane out on a hot day and they are cramps on wheels wait'n to happen.

Now just watch the body blubber and salt retention just melt away from your high carb, low fat healthy diet that ramps up the metabolism and helps you stay motivated for exercise as your glycogen stores are stocked each day. Nothing kills motivation quicker than dehydration and glucose exhaustion..

Remember the more fat we have, the less hydrated we will be as fat requires way less water than muscle. So if we are over fat, we are dehydrated for sure. Be easy on yourself and have big health plant strong feasts each day. Hungry people are low standards people when it comes to what they will shove in their gob.

Sure everyone knows the person that 'eats whatever' but behind closed doors they are on the edge or breakdown sadly. Look at all the longterm health and fitness freaks out there..they are always healthy diet focused..

What we eat is what we are..eat the best to feel the best and eat more to live more.

Your a big guy and trying to eat weight watchers junk will not work. Big wholefood carbs feeds each meal of your fav choices.

Read books by Dr McDougall for great simple tasty recipie and the medical science behind it. Dr Esselstyn has a book called 'heart attack proof' and his son Rip Esselstyn (http://www.engine2diet.com) also worked with Lance to help get him back to health. The solution is simple, so simple that many are shocked at the answer.

The fat we eat is the fat we wear and the carbs we eat is the glycogen we get to stay fit with..just look at how fat and unfit our carb phobic society is...

I know hundreds of people personally that have tried to cut back on the carbs and just lost all motivation for a longterm fitness lifestyle and just blown out big time. I know guys with ripped abs turn into beer guts and the hottest fit chicks become fat and frumpy. Its sad to see. Carb phobia doesnt work longterm but high carb, low fat plant strong eating habits do..

I walk my talk, I stay trim and fit all year round with no stimulants, appetite suppresants, crash diets or other techniques that some of my industry peers unfortunately must do cos their dietary choices fail em.