how good is cycling for weight loss?
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It's a great way to lose weight, I'm losing between 0.5 - 1.0 Lbs. a day now and I love getting on my bike and getting an intense workout for about 2 hours, I used to run but I had some trouble with my back so I switched to biking and I love it now, can't imagine stopping!0
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Take on a really big hill. Keep riding up that hill until you have conquered it. Then find an even bigger hill and repeat. My weight hasn't been this low in 10 years. I biked all through the winter, and I eventually conquered that hill. It took months to be able to ride to the top without stopping, and months more to feel like I wasn't going to pass out once I reached the top.
I rode that hill yesterday, and I wondered when I had gotten so strong. I zipped right up and just kept on going.
I have my eyes set at a 16% grade over 3 miles (5km) for my pinnacle. I'm not to that level... yet. One day I hope to be able to ride that hill. 0 -
its not just good,,, it is great,,, I go every day, and it works wonders.0
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It is a great exercise and so much more enjoyable than the treadmill. I've lost most of my weight with diet and cycling.0
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I have a cheap $150 wal-mart mountain bike that I ride about once a week or more. It's not the only thing I do, but it definitely clears my head and is some of the best cardio you can do. If anything I'd put rowing above cycling, but unless you're cool with the concept 2's at the gym or have a few thousand dollars to toss around and live on the water it's definite alternative.0
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The key to choosing an exercise is choose one that you enjoy so you will stick at it.
BUT buy a heart rate monitor, because MFP grossly overestimates calories burnt. I did an 80 minute bike ride today at an average of 24 kms/hr and my heart rate monitor said I used 704 calories, MFP estimated double that. So if you are eating all your exercise calories, an HRM is an important tool.
GG0 -
Take on a really big hill. Keep riding up that hill until you have conquered it. Then find an even bigger hill and repeat. My weight hasn't been this low in 10 years. I biked all through the winter, and I eventually conquered that hill. It took months to be able to ride to the top without stopping, and months more to feel like I wasn't going to pass out once I reached the top.
I rode that hill yesterday, and I wondered when I had gotten so strong. I zipped right up and just kept on going. I have my eyes set at a 16% grade over 3 miles (5km) for my pinnacle. I'm not to that level... yet. One day I hope to be able to ride that hill.
That sounds like just the challenge I need! There is this hill I go up everyday and I remember the first day I went up it I thought I was going to pass out but now I go right up it every day without fear. I hope you get to the top of your hill someday, you sound like a very intelligent lady, glad you enjoy biking so much.0 -
Hopefully " TheBinYin ' will throw up a link to his win....
it's in another group, so rather than have the op have to join... i'll cut and paste...
Me in August 2011 before I started riding the bike a bit...
Me last week...
Cycling's a great way to burn some extra calories, it's non-impact (providing you don't fall off of course), and the passing scenery provides enough interest to keep you exercising far longer than most other exercises.
I returned to riding just over 2 years ago, after a long lay-off due to work etc. When I began I was just short of 400lb (397.7lb for the sake of accuracy, or 180.4kg in sensible measurements!). By following the guidelines on MFP I've dropped to 105.4kg in under 2 years.
When I began riding again, my regular riding loop was just under 16km (10 miles) and took me just over 1 hour. For the following hour, I was pretty much unable to do anything more than sit wheezing and gasping before dragging my sorry carcase upstairs for a shower, and a short nap. My typical riding schedule at the moment is 3 days riding with a rest day. Normal daily rides are generally a 50km (30 mile) loop in 115-125 minutes with maybe 6 times the ascent/descent that the initial loop contained. So - I'm going 3 times as far on twice as hilly terrain and going 50% faster... that's quite an improvement in riding ability - it's not spectacular by the standards of "proper" cyclists, but it's an improvement that I attribute mainly to losing the weight - 75kg is not to be sneezed at...
Best of all, I can cheerfully go out on a Sunday morning, ride for 70-80 miles in 5 hours, arrive home, and still be perfectly functional after a shower and a bowl of pasta
Wow! Great job man.0 -
Hopefully " TheBinYin ' will throw up a link to his win....
it's in another group, so rather than have the op have to join... i'll cut and paste...
Me in August 2011 before I started riding the bike a bit...
Me last week...
Cycling's a great way to burn some extra calories, it's non-impact (providing you don't fall off of course), and the passing scenery provides enough interest to keep you exercising far longer than most other exercises.
I returned to riding just over 2 years ago, after a long lay-off due to work etc. When I began I was just short of 400lb (397.7lb for the sake of accuracy, or 180.4kg in sensible measurements!). By following the guidelines on MFP I've dropped to 105.4kg in under 2 years.
When I began riding again, my regular riding loop was just under 16km (10 miles) and took me just over 1 hour. For the following hour, I was pretty much unable to do anything more than sit wheezing and gasping before dragging my sorry carcase upstairs for a shower, and a short nap. My typical riding schedule at the moment is 3 days riding with a rest day. Normal daily rides are generally a 50km (30 mile) loop in 115-125 minutes with maybe 6 times the ascent/descent that the initial loop contained. So - I'm going 3 times as far on twice as hilly terrain and going 50% faster... that's quite an improvement in riding ability - it's not spectacular by the standards of "proper" cyclists, but it's an improvement that I attribute mainly to losing the weight - 75kg is not to be sneezed at...
Best of all, I can cheerfully go out on a Sunday morning, ride for 70-80 miles in 5 hours, arrive home, and still be perfectly functional after a shower and a bowl of pasta
excellent work and thanks for sharing great inspiration 0 -
i love cycling, so much more than running. there's nothing i enjoy more than taking off on my bicycle, on a 12-15 k cycle to a pretty destination, and the same distance back. it doesnt even feel like exercise half the time i do it because i enjoy it so much. however, in terms of weight loss, if i do a cycle like this, say, three times per week, how good is this for weight loss? what has everyone's experience been of cycling, specifically in terms of weight loss.
Cycling is one of the best workouts to lose weight for those very reasons (easy, enjoyable, accessible). I lost maybe 45 pounds through 6 non-consecutive cycling months with a coordinated change in eating habits. As much as I love cycling, I have to emphasize proper diet. I've tried just diet and just exercise. Ultimately, the sum of the two is greater than the parts.
Another way to put it: It's better to spend 1 hour a day on planning a proper diet and exercising a 1/2 hour than say 2 hours just exercising.
Cycling burns 600-1000 calories/hour depending on intensity/speed (faster = more wind resistance = more calories burned). Over 20 mph you start to approach 900-1000 calories/hour. Obviously, not downhill. So it's very achievable to (dangerously) burn a pound of fat in a day. Very common for me to burn 2000-2400+ calories from cycling alone in a day.
Keep in mind the primary determinant of how much weight/calories burned is time, not speed/intensity. Riding 14-16 mph for 2 hours is far superior to riding 16-19 mph for one hour.
Bicycling feels easy for a few reasons. Bicycles are the most efficient human-powered vehicle at 99% efficiency (power transfer from pedals to wheels). Gearing reduces this a bit as a transmission does in a car, however. Bicycling mitigates the shock/stress on most of the body usually experienced in running (when done properly).
Comparable cardio is swimming and running. They both have their pro's and con's. However, it doesn't matter which form of cardio you choose. Choose the one(s) you enjoy the most because that means you'll keep doing it. That's what matters (and diet).0 -
Wow wish I can burn 600-1000 calories an hour - it's more like 350 for me even if I tried to ride "faster" @>30km" - I guess I'm a snail :ohwell:
How are you only burning 350 calories an hour at >30 kph? For the average person that's moving at 8 km/h. Even a brisk walk at 5.5 kph would burn more.
Unless you meant to say your total ride is only 30 kilometers? What method are you using to measure your calories?0 -
I find even when I push it hard (for me hard is an average of 28km/h at an average cadence of 85-90) I burn at about 450-550 Calories per hour according to my Garmin HRM.Wow wish I can burn 600-1000 calories an hour - it's more like 350 for me even if I tried to ride "faster" @>30km" - I guess I'm a snail :ohwell:
Just back from a 95k ride pace was low (average of 25km/h) as there was a lot of climbing (1000m). I averaged 420 calories/ hour.
I've never managed to get my average burn higher than 500 calories/ hour and I ride about 800km a month at an average of about 27km/h.0 -
And again - Last sundays ride - 86.8km @ 23.2kph average and 471m ascent (so admittedly pretty flat) - 3h45 and 2198kcals - call it 586kcal/hour... and that's from someone 1.85m and around 107kg... kcals from a New Leaf Calibrated Garmin 800 coupled with powermeter on the bike...0
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Cycling burns 600-1000 calories/hour depending on intensity/speed (faster = more wind resistance = more calories burned). Over 20 mph you start to approach 900-1000 calories/hour. Obviously, not downhill. So it's very achievable to (dangerously) burn a pound of fat in a day. Very common for me to burn 2000-2400+ calories from cycling alone in a day.
Keep in mind the primary determinant of how much weight/calories burned is time, not speed/intensity. Riding 14-16 mph for 2 hours is far superior to riding 16-19 mph for one hour.
As others have noted, I also have some trouble with these numbers. Not sure how the calories burned are being recorded but without a power meter and HRM pretty difficult to get solid numbers. There are a number of things that affect burn rates, some you can control and some you can not control.
I just got back from doing intervals. 22 minutes to get to the course, 3 X 15 efforts with a 15 min rec between efforts. Then noodled home. It shows I burned 1348 kcals for the entire ride (2:10 total time). I looked at the interval laps and the burn rate for the 15 min efforts was 225 kcals or about 900 per hour extended. I do NOT think this is accurate today. The weather was really hot (37 C) and windy. So the HR had drifted up higher than usual and that impacts the calculation.
I'm using a new Quarq feeding a ANT+ Garmin 500. All the electronics are dialed in correctly. Can you burn 1000 kcals an hour ?? Maybe - but it is not sustainable at our level. What I continue to read is the fixation on burn rates and perceived calories that can now be eaten back. I'm pretty well convinced that most of us still eat too much, even with our rides. You just don't need the amount of calories you think you do because we over estimate the actual burned calories.
Normally I try to keep out of these exchanges. Sometimes my love of the sport gets the better of me. Lots of good info around here and lots of bad info too. The challenge is knowing the difference.0 -
Cycling burns 600-1000 calories/hour depending on intensity/speed (faster = more wind resistance = more calories burned). Over 20 mph you start to approach 900-1000 calories/hour. Obviously, not downhill. So it's very achievable to (dangerously) burn a pound of fat in a day. Very common for me to burn 2000-2400+ calories from cycling alone in a day.
Keep in mind the primary determinant of how much weight/calories burned is time, not speed/intensity. Riding 14-16 mph for 2 hours is far superior to riding 16-19 mph for one hour.
As others have noted, I also have some trouble with these numbers. Not sure how the calories burned are being recorded but without a power meter and HRM pretty difficult to get solid numbers. There are a number of things that affect burn rates, some you can control and some you can not control.
I just got back from doing intervals. 22 minutes to get to the course, 3 X 15 efforts with a 15 min rec between efforts. Then noodled home. It shows I burned 1348 kcals for the entire ride (2:10 total time). I looked at the interval laps and the burn rate for the 15 min efforts was 225 kcals or about 900 per hour extended. I do NOT think this is accurate today. The weather was really hot (37 C) and windy. So the HR had drifted up higher than usual and that impacts the calculation.
I'm using a new Quarq feeding a ANT+ Garmin 500. All the electronics are dialed in correctly. Can you burn 1000 kcals an hour ?? Maybe - but it is not sustainable at our level. What I continue to read is the fixation on burn rates and perceived calories that can now be eaten back. I'm pretty well convinced that most of us still eat too much, even with our rides. You just don't need the amount of calories you think you do because we over estimate the actual burned calories.
Normally I try to keep out of these exchanges. Sometimes my love of the sport gets the better of me. Lots of good info around here and lots of bad info too. The challenge is knowing the difference.
I appreciate you all weighing in (hah) on that. I'm currently only using Endomondo via smartphone to track my workouts paired with a Zephyr bluetooth HRM strap (after an appropriate update, changed phones). No powermeter until I get that Cervelo S5 out of my head. Money, money, money...
Might be a bit relevant to consider I'm from the States as well. Our "average" weight and thus "average" calories burned is going to run higher than it might across the pond. Still, that wouldn't be applicable to me since I run on the whippet end of the weight spectrum. Gives me significant pause for just that reason - eating back calories. I just broke a 1 month weight plateau and I wonder if that is why (I stopped doing full calorie eat-backs).
I'm certainly not suggesting calorie burns over 1000/hour are sustainable. I tend to keep my average pace at 25-32 kph (not lately) and it's tough for 2-3 hours. Staying above an average 32 kph (without drafting) is hellish. And that's 86km with a mere 152.4m ascent. I'm guessing I may be lucky to burn 800 calories/hour at that intensity (which Endomondo tends to agree with).
I appreciate the responses. I'll probably spend the next 2 hours digesting this thread before adjusting my calories burned downward. Or buying a powermeter
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Take on a really big hill. Keep riding up that hill until you have conquered it. Then find an even bigger hill and repeat. My weight hasn't been this low in 10 years. I biked all through the winter, and I eventually conquered that hill. It took months to be able to ride to the top without stopping, and months more to feel like I wasn't going to pass out once I reached the top.
I rode that hill yesterday, and I wondered when I had gotten so strong. I zipped right up and just kept on going. I have my eyes set at a 16% grade over 3 miles (5km) for my pinnacle. I'm not to that level... yet. One day I hope to be able to ride that hill.
This!! For me its all about the hills-) Returned from a holiday with my girlfriend last may and decided i had enough of keeping my t-shirt on when its 30 degrees so i decided to take up cycling to try and get myself back in shape , year later i'm 11 1/2 stone down from 14 1/2 .
As others have mentioned here its what you eat which is in my opinion the single most important factor i changed my diet completely going from take away pizza's to everything being cooked from scratch, fresh healthy food( oh yeah i can cook now aswell) .
I remember my first outing on my road bike (after switching from mtb) i felt like i was going to pass out trying to get up a hill i conquered on my mtb , i actually pedaled to a stand still and fell off still attached to my clips -) Not one to quit i tested myself on small hills until i could do hill repeats on 10-12 % climbs now i have my eyes on a 20% just a few miles from me, think i have a little more training to do before i manage that one
Eat well and enjoy your bike0 -
it's not spectacular by the standards of "proper" cyclists,
You are a PROPER cyclist!!! You ride your bike, you love it. What more is there to cycling?! :-)0 -
Like other posters on here, cycling along with very sensible (watching everything) eating has enabled me to lose almost 30 lbs in 5 months. I have not been this low in weight in about 40 years! Yes - cycling works!0
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Everyone has already said it, you have to eat right, I rode a lot before my crash in May, had major reconstructive surgery on my arm. Almost lost 1/2 of it. gaining strength daily and can't wait til I can get back on the bike............0
