Are you cycling to help lose weight

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SlashWannabe
SlashWannabe Posts: 15 Member
in Getting Started
was an avid rider years ago and fell off the wagon, I tried spinning in the winter time but that only made me gain weight and my calves got huge (not defined just larger). How do I get back on track and lose weight?

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  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
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    You lose weight by eating less calories than your body uses. Were you tracking your food intake when you were spinning? We typically eat more in the winter anyway because of holidays and more time spent inside. Spinning itself isn't going to make you gain weight.
  • she_lived_wholly_forevermore
    she_lived_wholly_forevermore Posts: 179 Member
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    I don't think that itself made you gain weight. There had to be something else in play too.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Are you cycling to help lose weight
    No I cycle to improve my fitness, reduce my stress, the enjoyment of riding in beautiful countryside and the challenge of pushing myself to the limit.
    When I'm cutting weight it allows me to eat a load of food but still keep a moderate calorie deficit. As I enjoy both food and exercise that's a win/win.

    BTW - Spinning didn't make you gain weight, you ate too much.
  • SlashWannabe
    SlashWannabe Posts: 15 Member
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    to be truthful I was not tracking my food then so it most likely was too much food, it just seemed strange when I stopped I lost a few pounds and I do not think I was eating any different. Day one has been pretty tough so far but trying not to break down and hit those Klondike bars in the freeze :smile:
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I'm very goal oriented so setting a challenge for myself really focusses my determination - both on the training side and the nutrition side to support my training. Audax events are my thing as I'm too old and slow to compete with anyone but myself! :)
    My weakest point is hill climbing so reducing my weight has a really positive effect on performance.

    How many calories in a Klondike bar? An hour's worth of cycling perhaps? Earn it.
  • Marycycles
    Marycycles Posts: 48 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    I'm very goal oriented so setting a challenge for myself really focusses my determination - both on the training side and the nutrition side to support my training. Audax events are my thing as I'm too old and slow to compete with anyone but myself! :)
    My weakest point is hill climbing so reducing my weight has a really positive effect on performance.

    How many calories in a Klondike bar? An hour's worth of cycling perhaps? Earn it.

    What exactly is Audax cycling? I do a lot of touring are they the same thing?
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,040 Member
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    sijomial wrote: »
    Are you cycling to help lose weight
    No I cycle to improve my fitness, reduce my stress, the enjoyment of riding in beautiful countryside and the challenge of pushing myself to the limit.
    When I'm cutting weight it allows me to eat a load of food but still keep a moderate calorie deficit. As I enjoy both food and exercise that's a win/win.

    BTW - Spinning didn't make you gain weight, you ate too much.

    +1

    Me too! :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,040 Member
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    maryhecker wrote: »
    sijomial wrote: »
    I'm very goal oriented so setting a challenge for myself really focusses my determination - both on the training side and the nutrition side to support my training. Audax events are my thing as I'm too old and slow to compete with anyone but myself! :)
    My weakest point is hill climbing so reducing my weight has a really positive effect on performance.

    How many calories in a Klondike bar? An hour's worth of cycling perhaps? Earn it.

    What exactly is Audax cycling? I do a lot of touring are they the same thing?

    I also do Audax/Randonnering events. It's ultra-distance cycling ... like fast, timed touring.

    The usual distances are 200 km in 13.5 hours, 300 km in 20 hours, 400 km in 27 hours, and 600 km in 40 hours ... including all breaks. There are some shorter "warm-up" distances and some longer distances as well.

    I started doing this in Manitoba, Canada in 2001 ... and have continued riding events just about every year ever since (might have missed one year). These events have taken me all over the world. :)

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