How to lose weight riding a bicycle?

In the following article on Merkabici we will talk in detail about a very controversial issue among cyclists and we will explain in a simple way how it is possible to lose weight while riding a bicycle.

Anyone who starts riding a bicycle is going to do it for their reasons that may be different from one person to another, but anyway there is something that applies to everyone equally and that is that their health improves significantly.

Lose weight riding a bike

Think seriously about how much time you can realistically spend cycling. Commit to spending that time cycling, no matter what.

Also, think about whether cycling at least part of the time is feasible for you. It's a great strategy because you have to spend time traveling anyway.

If you can ride your bike even a couple of times a week, you'll burn extra calories twice a day (because once you work out on a bike, you often have no choice but to ride your bike to get home again!)

The problem is that many cyclists who are just starting out overindulge as they feel good about exercising and this is counterproductive to weight loss.

Don't go out and bike for two hours the first day, then you will find that you are too tired (and too sore!)

This is so because although the higher the caloric burn then it is understood that the greater the weight loss will be, one of the mistakes that are usually made is to eat without taking into account how much is eaten and what is eaten.

Many times, more calories are consumed than are expended and weight loss is something that does not manifest itself and even, in some cases, what is seen is weight gain. In order to obtain the best results in this field while cycling, it is extremely important to take care of nutrition and stay healthy in order to ride a bicycle in the best and most intense way possible.

The important breakfast to lose weight while riding a bicycle

First of all you have to have a good breakfast before going out to ride a bike. This kicks up the metabolism and there are two main consequences of this.

In the first place, it is possible to incorporate the energy and nutrients that are going to be consumed during the activity.

Secondly, it is possible to make the body consume fat once this fuel begins to run out, that is, an unwanted effect is avoided that is natural when the metabolism is not optimal, which is that of fat storage.

The second point to consider is not to dress too warmly with the aim or idea of ​​sweating more and thus burning more fat since this does not work in this way.

The big problem with this is that in the first instance you notice a loss of weight but this loss is the result of the elimination of fluids that can consequently lead to dehydration.

Covering up more and sweating does not burn fat directly, but as an immediate result, fluids are lost. It is best to do the activity conscientiously and frequently to eliminate fat but always keep in mind to consume liquids.

When it comes to consuming liquids, one of the best options is to consume water, but there are also very good sports drinks that provide sugars (energy) and salts (which retain liquids), but this is described in another article.

These are the two main points to achieve weight loss in cycling, although there are several more points that are of equal importance.

The important thing is to be clear that to lose weight riding a bicycle there are no magic solutions or immediate solutions, but losing weight is the result of cycling frequently and with considerable intensity, that is, in a way that represents effort but that do not become something excessive.

Complementing the physical work with good nutrition the result is the much desired weight loss.

Determine the type of training to follow

The first thing is to be clear about the type of training to follow. You have to see which training modality will be the most appropriate to achieve your goal of losing weight, since you have to determine the type of intensity that will be followed, since depending on it, you will end up using fat or glycogen as fuel.

It should be borne in mind that you start to lose fat from exercising with 60 and 75% of your maximum heart rate, so if you want to reduce the amount of body fat you have without losing muscle, you should always work without exceed that percentage, since if it is exceeded, you will already be using other energy sources.

The diet

Of course, diet should not be forgotten when losing weight with cycling, since food is as important as training itself. that is done and a varied diet should be sought.

It is important that the amount of carbohydrates consumed is taken into account because even though it is a great fuel they can also end up causing excess weight.

It should always be borne in mind that the time to eat carbohydrates is in the morning or during noon, but not at night unless you have just had a hard workout or the next morning you have a tough competition.

Both proteins and foods that have a low glycemic index such as vegetables, legumes, fruits are good options to induce the body to burn fat.

Importance of Iron in the cyclist's diet

Rest is key

And although the diet to follow and the training are important, the rest that is done is no less important. Rest at least 8 hours a day is key to stabilize your basal metabolism.

This also helps to avoid hormonal ups and downs that can lead to considerable weight gain. This will also help the body to assimilate all the nutrients that have been ingested.