How to cycle for weight loss

"Daniel Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward weight
loss.

<bunch of stuff snipped>

Daniel,

I see lots of folks who take up cycling for weight loss and never lose
weight. Frankly, it's not exactly the best choice for weight loss because
it's a non-weight-bearing activity and most folks who have real jobs can't
do enough of it, or won't work hard enough at it, to get much benefit.

What I've read and what I believe based on years of observing various
riders, reading tons of stuff, etc. is that you absolutely will not lose
weight if you don't ride with some intensity ... at least a couple of times
a week. There was a long time when the popular theory was that, if you
spent all your time training in a certain, relatively easy, heart rate zone,
you were using fat as your fuel source instead of sugar. Therefore, staying
in that range all the time would make you lose fat. Great theory, but I
never EVER saw that work for anyone.

If you want to lose weight on the bike, you have to work HARD on the bike.
Lots of mile, lots of intervals of intensity, etc.

I don't have a "real" job. I'm self-employed and have a farm. I have a
flexible schedule and can ride alot. I get in 250 to 300 miles per week
pretty much all year round. I don't race, but I do centuries with the racer
folks and turn in sub-5 hour rides regularly. That's intensity for this 48
year old body. I say all that to say this ... even with all those miles and
near-race intensity, if I don't eat right, I gain weight. Carbs like pasta
can be great fuel before a big ride, but most of the time, if you want to
lose, you've gotta discipline your diet. I recommend you look at the Zone
diet and learn its principles. It's not really one of the fad diets. I'm
not a dietician, but the Zone principles seem to make sense ... balancing
your fat, protein and carbohydrate intake to keep your blood sugar at
optimum levels. It's really worked for me.

One last thing. Crosstraining. Bicycling is great, but I find it really
helps to add a second activity when I want to lose weight. For me, it's
just walking. As I said, I live on a farm and I simply walk the property
each morning. It takes about 20 minutes and gets the motor going. For some
reason, the addition of a second activity like this really pushes things
into higher gear for me and I lose weight quickly.

I hope some of this helps. I'm sure I'm going to get flamed 'cuz I'm not
offering any specific data to back up what I'm saying. This is just based
on personal experience and a decade of observation and "study."

Good luck.
Bob C.

Daniel Crispin said:

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward
weight loss. I could buy a HRM but I have already spent 600$ on my
bike this month and would like to stop spending for a while.

How about free? And probably less biased than most, because it's not
selling anything:

http://www.hackersdiet.org

Quoted message said:

Any trick that can tell me I am using the right effort for weight
loss? Someone told me that if I cannot speak without feeling a little
out of breath that is the right zone... is that true?

Not necessarily. Ride. Recover. Ride more.

Quoted message said:

Also I am been trying to pedal faster. I used to pedal slow and hard
but after reading some books I now understand it's a really bad way to
do it.

As long as the pressure on your knees is low, I don't think it really
matters how fast you spin.

Quoted message said:

Last thing... what should I eat before and during training? I love
pasta. I know they contain a lot of calories but that is the food I
like. On the other hand they give lots of carbs so that can't be bad
while training right? Should I eat something different the days I
train?

Read the book above. If you want to lose fat, you need to eat fewer
calories than you burn. In that book, cycling is rated at about 300
calories per hour. The good news is that is probably for what most
people think of as cycling--slow, easy rides on a bike path. Most of
the readers of this newsgroup will burn more.

Quoted message said:

How about during training? I normal bring a Nutribar which is an meal
replacement designed for weight loss.
I has a balance of carbs, fats and proteins. Should I use something with
more carbs?

How about something less manufactured and more grown? Bananas are good.
So are apples. So are fig bars, for that matter. (I have mixed
feelings about the current low-carb fad.)

--
Warren Block * Rapid City, South Dakota * USA

I generally read about 35 calories burned per mile for modest biking, dependent
upon degree of effort, wieght of biker, etc. But, it is a good figure to start
with.

Cadence. Look at your watch while pedaling, when it gets to a "0", start
counting full revolutions until it gets to the next "0". I.e., 20-30, 0-10,
etc. Multiply the revolutions you counted by 6.

While not absolutely accurate, it will give you a good diea.

Over the past 6 years of riding (starting at age 58) my cadence has gone from
about 60-70 to 90-110, and I can get cadences up to 140-150 if I want.

It just takes time and practice.

Use the Zone Diet, or the Body for Life eating plan - they are pretty
comparable, and the BFL is really easy to implement. It takes exercise AND
good eating habits to lose weight.

I bike pretty intensely, getting my heart rate up to about 155 BPM on hills and
acceleration, which is pretty high for someone age 64.

Good luck!

http://members.aol.com/foxcondorsrvtns
(Colorado rental condo)

http://members.aol.com/dnvrfox
(Family Web Page)

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Daniel,

I see lots of folks who take up cycling for weight loss and never lose
weight. Frankly, it's not exactly the best choice for weight loss because
it's a non-weight-bearing activity and most folks who have real jobs can't
do enough of it, or won't work hard enough at it, to get much benefit.

I agree that most people can't devote racer-like hours to training, and that
many people do not possess the intensity to burn lots of calories cycling.
However, weight-bearing has little effect, I think. The reason people don't
lose weight when they cycle is because they are consuming more calories than
they burn. Didn't we have a 100+ thread about this very subject not long
ago?

Quoted message said:

What I've read and what I believe based on years of observing various
riders, reading tons of stuff, etc. is that you absolutely will not lose
weight if you don't ride with some intensity ... at least a couple of

times

Quoted message said:

a week. There was a long time when the popular theory was that, if you
spent all your time training in a certain, relatively easy, heart rate

zone,

Quoted message said:

you were using fat as your fuel source instead of sugar. Therefore,

staying

Quoted message said:

in that range all the time would make you lose fat. Great theory, but I
never EVER saw that work for anyone.

Because they ate too much. It's easy to do---Powerbars, Gatorade, pre-ride
pasta gorge, post-ride beers and pizza. If they ate at maintenance level
calories and rode like you say, they will lose weight.

Quoted message said:

If you want to lose weight on the bike, you have to work HARD on the bike.
Lots of mile, lots of intervals of intensity, etc.

Long slow distance seems to be the rule. Of course, some Poliquin-type
interval training helps, too. But calories are the key. As bodybuilders say,
"great abs are made in the kitchen".

Quoted message said:

I don't have a "real" job. I'm self-employed and have a farm. I have a
flexible schedule and can ride alot. I get in 250 to 300 miles per week
pretty much all year round. I don't race, but I do centuries with the

racer

Quoted message said:

folks and turn in sub-5 hour rides regularly. That's intensity for this

48

Quoted message said:

year old body. I say all that to say this ... even with all those miles

and

Quoted message said:

near-race intensity, if I don't eat right, I gain weight. Carbs like

pasta

Quoted message said:

can be great fuel before a big ride, but most of the time, if you want to
lose, you've gotta discipline your diet. I recommend you look at the Zone
diet and learn its principles. It's not really one of the fad diets. I'm
not a dietician, but the Zone principles seem to make sense ... balancing
your fat, protein and carbohydrate intake to keep your blood sugar at
optimum levels. It's really worked for me.

Good for you. But tricks aside, you cannot escape The Law of Thermodynamics.
If anyone consumes fewer calories than burned, weight loss will occur. The
key is burning fat and not excessive amounts of muscle.

Quoted message said:

One last thing. Crosstraining. Bicycling is great, but I find it really
helps to add a second activity when I want to lose weight. For me, it's
just walking. As I said, I live on a farm and I simply walk the property
each morning. It takes about 20 minutes and gets the motor going. For

some

Quoted message said:

reason, the addition of a second activity like this really pushes things
into higher gear for me and I lose weight quickly.

Weight lifting would be ideal. Growing muscle helps to burn fat. Everybody
should strength train, if for no other reason than to maintain bone density.
I don't want to end up a stick-armed old man with great cardio ability. I
want to end up a strong old man with great cardio ability! :-)

"Gooserider" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Daniel,

I see lots of folks who take up cycling for weight loss and never lose
weight. Frankly, it's not exactly the best choice for weight loss

because

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

it's a non-weight-bearing activity and most folks who have real jobs

can't

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

do enough of it, or won't work hard enough at it, to get much benefit.

I agree that most people can't devote racer-like hours to training, and

that

Quoted message said:

many people do not possess the intensity to burn lots of calories cycling.
However, weight-bearing has little effect, I think. The reason people

don't

Quoted message said:

lose weight when they cycle is because they are consuming more calories

than

Quoted message said:

they burn. Didn't we have a 100+ thread about this very subject not long
ago?

Quoted message said:

What I've read and what I believe based on years of observing various
riders, reading tons of stuff, etc. is that you absolutely will not lose
weight if you don't ride with some intensity ... at least a couple of

times

Quoted message said:

a week. There was a long time when the popular theory was that, if you
spent all your time training in a certain, relatively easy, heart rate

zone,

Quoted message said:

you were using fat as your fuel source instead of sugar. Therefore,

staying

Quoted message said:

in that range all the time would make you lose fat. Great theory, but I
never EVER saw that work for anyone.

Because they ate too much. It's easy to do---Powerbars, Gatorade, pre-ride
pasta gorge, post-ride beers and pizza. If they ate at maintenance level
calories and rode like you say, they will lose weight.

Quoted message said:

If you want to lose weight on the bike, you have to work HARD on the

bike.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Lots of mile, lots of intervals of intensity, etc.

Long slow distance seems to be the rule. Of course, some Poliquin-type
interval training helps, too. But calories are the key. As bodybuilders

say,

Quoted message said:

"great abs are made in the kitchen".

Quoted message said:

I don't have a "real" job. I'm self-employed and have a farm. I have a
flexible schedule and can ride alot. I get in 250 to 300 miles per week
pretty much all year round. I don't race, but I do centuries with the

racer

Quoted message said:

folks and turn in sub-5 hour rides regularly. That's intensity for this

48

Quoted message said:

year old body. I say all that to say this ... even with all those miles

and

Quoted message said:

near-race intensity, if I don't eat right, I gain weight. Carbs like

pasta

Quoted message said:

can be great fuel before a big ride, but most of the time, if you want

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lose, you've gotta discipline your diet. I recommend you look at the

Zone

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

diet and learn its principles. It's not really one of the fad diets.

I'm

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

not a dietician, but the Zone principles seem to make sense ...

balancing

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

your fat, protein and carbohydrate intake to keep your blood sugar at
optimum levels. It's really worked for me.

Good for you. But tricks aside, you cannot escape The Law of

Thermodynamics.

Quoted message said:

If anyone consumes fewer calories than burned, weight loss will occur. The
key is burning fat and not excessive amounts of muscle.

Quoted message said:

One last thing. Crosstraining. Bicycling is great, but I find it

really

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

helps to add a second activity when I want to lose weight. For me, it's
just walking. As I said, I live on a farm and I simply walk the

property

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

each morning. It takes about 20 minutes and gets the motor going. For

some

Quoted message said:

reason, the addition of a second activity like this really pushes things
into higher gear for me and I lose weight quickly.

Weight lifting would be ideal. Growing muscle helps to burn fat. Everybody
should strength train, if for no other reason than to maintain bone

density.

Quoted message said:

I don't want to end up a stick-armed old man with great cardio ability. I
want to end up a strong old man with great cardio ability! :-)

I do core strength work. I believe that's important. Weight training, per
se, can actually result in gaining weight. If the goal is strictly weight
loss, I'd opt for some core strength exercises that don't involve much in
the way of weights. You can do a lot with crunches, pushups, chair dips,
etc.

Bob C.

Warren Block said:

Daniel Crispin said:

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward
weight loss. I could buy a HRM but I have already spent 600$ on my
bike this month and would like to stop spending for a while.

Most of the previous posts have been to the point, but numerically (and
approximately),

Weight loss = (Calories out - calories in) / 3500.

If you push on the bike, rather than just cruising, you might burn 500
calories / hr. But it would still take about seven hours of pedaling to
burn off one pound of fat, assuming no change in diet. This is why you
have to watch it in the kitchen, too, since it is not too difficult to add
back a few hundred calories a day with the pasta, energy bars, etc., etc.
It doesn't take much, unfortunately...

The moral: if you want to be a bit more scientific about it, try actually
adding up the calories. Then you can find out where they came from and
where they went (and if you're not losing weight, why they didn't went).

Cheers, and happy pedaling. At least we have fun while we struggle...

Bicycling is a great way to lose weight! I think most important is to ride
long and steady to lose. I don't use a HR monitor, so I can't help you
there, but there is an effective HR for weight loss, but it is different for
everyone and we would need to know more information about you.

If you like pasta, it will be harder to lose, unless you don't eat that
much. Sorry, that is just the way it is. A high carb diet makes it harder
to lose, it is just the facts. It can certainly be done and is done all the
time, but you need to cut calories, unless you are going to ride very long
distances 4+ days a week. I suggest lower fat if you are going high carb.
If you want to lose faster, then bag the pasta and eat chicken, fish, etc.

JMHO,
Curt

"Daniel Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward weight
loss. I could buy
a HRM but I have already spent 600$ on my bike this month and would like

to

Quoted message said:

stop spending
for a while.

Any trick that can tell me I am using the right effort for weight loss?
Someone told me that if I cannot
speak without feeling a little out of breath that is the right zone... is
that true?

Also I am been trying to pedal faster. I used to pedal slow and hard but
after reading some books
I now understand it's a really bad way to do it. I have no idea what my
current cadence is since my
computer doesn't have that feature but I think I am at around 1.25 turn

per

Quoted message said:

second... that is of course
an approximate... it would mean 75 turns per minute which is close to what
is recommanded... I cannot
see myself pedaling faster, already feels like I am spinning way too fast

😉

Quoted message said:

How do you guys do 100 turns
per minute? Must be a mental issue, the legs don't seems to mind but geez
at a 100 I am not sure I could
even keep my balance hehehe!

Last thing... what should I eat before and during training? I love pasta.
I know they contain a lot of calories
but that is the food I like. On the other hand they give lots of carbs so
that can't be bad while training right?
Should I eat something different the days I train?

How about during training? I normal bring a Nutribar which is an meal
replacement designed for weight loss.
I has a balance of carbs, fats and proteins. Should I use something with
more carbs?

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I do core strength work. I believe that's important. Weight training,

per

Quoted message said:

se, can actually result in gaining weight. If the goal is strictly weight
loss, I'd opt for some core strength exercises that don't involve much in
the way of weights. You can do a lot with crunches, pushups, chair dips,
etc.

True. But someone who is 150 pounds at 10 percent bodyfat is in far better
shape than someone who weighs 150 pounds at 20 percent bodyfat. Weight alone
is not the issue(except for racers). We're not talking about becoming Mr
Olympia. Just general fitness, and nothing works better at building strength
than basic compound strength training exercises. Bench press, military
press, squat, deadlift. Difficult to duplicate with just bodyweight,
especially once one attains a basic strength level. :-)

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Daniel Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward weight
loss.

<bunch of stuff snipped>

Daniel,

I see lots of folks who take up cycling for weight loss and never lose
weight. Frankly, it's not exactly the best choice for weight loss because
it's a non-weight-bearing activity and most folks who have real jobs can't
do enough of it, or won't work hard enough at it, to get much benefit.

What I've read and what I believe based on years of observing various
riders, reading tons of stuff, etc. is that you absolutely will not lose
weight if you don't ride with some intensity ... at least a couple of

times

Quoted message said:

a week. There was a long time when the popular theory was that, if you
spent all your time training in a certain, relatively easy, heart rate

zone,

Quoted message said:

you were using fat as your fuel source instead of sugar. Therefore,

staying

Quoted message said:

in that range all the time would make you lose fat. Great theory, but I
never EVER saw that work for anyone.

If you want to lose weight on the bike, you have to work HARD on the bike.

I put on some weight a couple of years ago from a thyroid condition. About
15 lbs, which doesn't sound like much but it was on me! It was largely due
to metabolism. However, I found that I began to lose the weight during the
cycling season, and the best thing I can advise is lots of long rides.
Intensity is good, but if fat burning is the goal, long, steady rides are
best- not necessarily fast, but steady. I began to burn fat, and during the
winter would work out at the gym. I guess the muscle toning and fat burning
kick started my slowed-down metabolism and made me burn energy more
efficiently. I lost all the weight I gained and then some, 20 lbs
altogether. ANd you won't just lose weight, you'll lose inches.I gained and
then lost a pant size.

As for intensity, like hills etc, I think once you build endurance, that
comes easier. Also as you lose weight, climbing is easier. So get those
miles and go for a couple of really long rides a week and you'll not only
lose the weight, you'll keep it off. And when your metabolism is working
faster, you won't gain too much during the winter, unless you totally stuff
your face and do nothing but watch tv for four months.

Daniel Crispin said:

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward weight
loss.

Quoted message said:

Any trick that can tell me I am using the right effort for weight loss?

Ride lots.

If you're looking to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, the
latest diet fad may be more effective than cycling. But if you're willing to
work at it, lose weight gradually, and keep it off (while improving your
overall fitness and energy level) cycling may be the ticket.

There's no magic formula, except that you must burn more calories than you
consume. Daily rides of 10-15 miles are good, but long weekend rides are
where you will really burn calories. Speed isn't the main thing. Yes, a
faster pace will burn more calories per hour, but riding the same distance
at a moderate pace (longer time in the saddle) is almost as good. Don't kill
yourself, but don't loaf either.

Combine a sensible diet (and smaller portions) with regular cycling and you
can't help but lose weight. After a long ride, you metabolism will stay high
for a couple of hours, helping you to burn calories.

Make cycling a life-long habit, not just something you're going to do for a
few months until you reach your target weight. The best way to do that is
make it fun, not something you have to endure. It may help to join a club or
ride informally with a few other people, especially on long rides.

Quoted message said:

Someone told me that if I cannot
speak without feeling a little out of breath that is the right zone... is
that true?

That sounds like anaerobic threshold training, and is an effective way to
achieve fitness. But for weight loss it's all about miles.

Quoted message said:

Also I have been trying to pedal faster. I used to pedal slow and hard

but

Quoted message said:

after reading some books I now understand it's a really bad way to do it.

Initially, a fast cadence won't feel natural. Try for at least 75-80 rpms.
Lower gears and a faster cadence may increase your heart rate, but will be
easier on your legs.

Quoted message said:

Last thing... what should I eat before and during training? I love pasta.
I know they contain a lot of calories
but that is the food I like. On the other hand they give lots of carbs so
that can't be bad while training right?

Pasta is good, just be mindful of what you put on it.

Quoted message said:

How about during training? I normal bring a Nutribar which is an meal
replacement designed for weight loss.

Definitely don't starve yourself while you're riding, but keep the calorie
equation in mind (before, during, and after the ride). Normal food is just
as good (or better) than energy bars. Energy bars can be more convenient.
See what works best for you.

Good luck,
Art Harris

"Daniel Crispin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello,

I am wondering if there is an easy way to dose my efforts toward weight
loss. I could buy
a HRM but I have already spent 600$ on my bike this month and would like

to

Quoted message said:

stop spending
for a while.

Any trick that can tell me I am using the right effort for weight loss?
Someone told me that if I cannot
speak without feeling a little out of breath that is the right zone... is
that true?

Also I am been trying to pedal faster. I used to pedal slow and hard but
after reading some books
I now understand it's a really bad way to do it. I have no idea what my
current cadence is since my
computer doesn't have that feature but I think I am at around 1.25 turn

per

Quoted message said:

second... that is of course
an approximate... it would mean 75 turns per minute which is close to what
is recommanded... I cannot
see myself pedaling faster, already feels like I am spinning way too fast

😉

Quoted message said:

How do you guys do 100 turns
per minute? Must be a mental issue, the legs don't seems to mind but geez
at a 100 I am not sure I could
even keep my balance hehehe!

Last thing... what should I eat before and during training? I love pasta.
I know they contain a lot of calories
but that is the food I like. On the other hand they give lots of carbs so
that can't be bad while training right?
Should I eat something different the days I train?

How about during training? I normal bring a Nutribar which is an meal
replacement designed for weight loss.
I has a balance of carbs, fats and proteins. Should I use something with
more carbs?

Regarding cadence, I typically ride along at about 90 to 95 rpm and that's
common among lots of the racer-type folks I train with. Learning to do that
really transformed my cycling, shaving an hour off my time on some centuries
(over the course of a couple of seasons as I got the hang of the spin
thing).

Some tips ... The spin starts from the hip. Think of the old style
locomotive where there was a big drive wheel connected to the smaller wheels
by beams of steel. That's a bit how you should envision your spin. Your
hip is where the power is that helps drive the pedals. And you need to
learn to drive the pedals in circles. Make sure you're not just mashing
down on the pedals each time a foot reaches the top. You should work to
develop a very smooth pedaling motion where you actually feel power to the
pedal almost the entire way around the pedal revolution.

Get a set of rollers. Learn to ride them (they're like learning to ride a
bike ... you'll have it down in just a few tries). The secret to staying up
on rollers is speed ... kind of a gyroscopic effect. They force you to
develop leg speed. Also, if your pedaling dynamics are bad, they really
cure that, too. You have to pedal smoothly and evenly or you'll be all over
the rollers (and maybe on the floor ... but that's not to scare you off ...
they really aren't hard to learn. Just be sure to set them up in a doorway
at first so you have something to grab if you do start to go down).

As for determining cadence, count your pedal revolutions (each time your
right foot reaches the bottom, for example) for 10 seconds and multiply by
six. Or count them for six seconds and multiply by 10. Or count them for
15 seconds and multiply by 4. Or count them for 20 seconds and ...

Bob C.

curt said:

If you like pasta, it will be harder to lose, unless you don't eat that
much. Sorry, that is just the way it is. A high carb diet makes it harder
to lose, it is just the facts. It can certainly be done and is done all the
time, but you need to cut calories, unless you are going to ride very long
distances 4+ days a week. I suggest lower fat if you are going high carb.
If you want to lose faster, then bag the pasta and eat chicken, fish, etc.

JMHO,
Curt

Just one quibble on the 'if you like pasta it will be harder to lose'. I'm
in complete agreement, but it seems that -some- ppl don't actually have
'carb addiction', and it is really (so say those ppl) a matter of eating
less, moving more and having the will power, or determination to continue
on plan.

OTOH, if you find you eat 'comfort food', and this food is typically pasta,
bread, potatoes, then you -might- be a carb addict. If so, low carb, or
eliminating the cravings should help.

My feeling is when I'm in the right place in my low carb diet, I don't have
any 'cravings' for food. Going through the 'induction phase' was crucial
for my success.

But if you don't have cravings, then any diet will probably work.

-B

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"

AMG said:

If you push on the bike, rather than just cruising, you might burn 500
calories / hr. But it would still take about seven hours of pedaling to
burn off one pound of fat, assuming no change in diet. This is why you
have to watch it in the kitchen, too, since it is not too difficult to add
back a few hundred calories a day with the pasta, energy bars, etc., etc.
It doesn't take much, unfortunately...

Interesting calculation, since many beginner/intermediate bikes seem to
ride about 7 hours a week.

OK, that's over-simplified, but if it translates into a pound loss of fat
per week, that's pretty good.

I lose about 2-2.5 lbs per week during the 'optimal phase' of my dieting,
and then level off to about 1-1.5 lb per week on diet alone.

If you're recomposing and adding muscle to your legs, a wild ass guess, it
seems to me, would show a 2lb loss per week, with maybe 1/4lb per week gain
of muscle, maybe. So a 6-8lb loss of body weight per month, with, hopefully
most of the loss being fat, plus a net gain of 1 lb of muscle per month (if
you're biking hard and are a beginner), gives a final weight flux of minus
5-7lbs per month. This is what I'm seeing. (Note that it's almost
impossible to lose fat and gain muscle at the same time, but it can happen
for beginners.)

As you get closer to goal, naturally, you'll have sticking points and the
rate of fat loss and muscle gain will slow.

Again, just wild ass guessing, off the top of my head, here. ;-p

-B

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"

Marlene Blanshay wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

As for intensity, like hills etc, I think once you build endurance, that
comes easier. Also as you lose weight, climbing is easier. So get those
miles and go for a couple of really long rides a week and you'll not only
lose the weight, you'll keep it off. And when your metabolism is working
faster, you won't gain too much during the winter, unless you totally stuff
your face and do nothing but watch tv for four months.

Winter is training time for the Iditarod Impossible.
http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/Iditarod/update4.htm
http://www.icebike.org
http://www.bikewinter.org

Look for breads and pastas made with whole grain. Check health food
stores.

curt said:

Bicycling is a great way to lose weight! I think most important is to ride
long and steady to lose. I don't use a HR monitor, so I can't help you
there, but there is an effective HR for weight loss, but it is different for
everyone and we would need to know more information about you.

If you like pasta, it will be harder to lose, unless you don't eat that
much. Sorry, that is just the way it is. A high carb diet makes it harder
to lose, it is just the facts. It can certainly be done and is done all the
time, but you need to cut calories, unless you are going to ride very long
distances 4+ days a week. I suggest lower fat if you are going high carb.
If you want to lose faster, then bag the pasta and eat chicken, fish, etc.

JMHO,
Curt

<snip>

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 16:53:09 -0500, Mike Schwab <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Look for breads and pastas made with whole grain. Check health food
stores.

Why? It's still going to spike your insulin. Tch; even the LC people tout
this, but it's still bread.

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"

Sorry, wrong link.
Organizer's site http://www.alaskaultrasport.com/
Photo gallery
http://www.justridingalong.com/racing/iditabike_photo_gallery.php
Story http://www.justridingalong.com/racing/iditabike2004.php
CNN news story http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/14/offbeat.iditarod.ap/

Mike Schwab said:

Marlene Blanshay wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

As for intensity, like hills etc, I think once you build endurance, that
comes easier. Also as you lose weight, climbing is easier. So get those
miles and go for a couple of really long rides a week and you'll not only
lose the weight, you'll keep it off. And when your metabolism is working
faster, you won't gain too much during the winter, unless you totally stuff
your face and do nothing but watch tv for four months.

Winter is training time for the Iditarod Impossible.
http://www.ultimateiditarod.com/Iditarod/update4.htm
http://www.icebike.org
http://www.bikewinter.org

With the whole grain bread / pasta, the sugar is consumed with the fiber
and is absorbed slower.
With the white bread, the sugar is absorbed very quickly.
This difference wass measured by having testing persons eating a
quantity of food then testing their blood surar.

This is from Dr. Arthur Agaston's book South Beach diet.

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/
http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Badger_South said:

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 16:53:09 -0500, Mike Schwab <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Look for breads and pastas made with whole grain. Check health food
stores.

Why? It's still going to spike your insulin. Tch; even the LC people tout
this, but it's still bread.

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"

Before you go and cite some 'South Beach diet' or something, "Whole grain"
bread -still- spikes insulin, and in some people, just as strongly as white
bread.

If I were to start eating whole grain pasta and bread, I'd quickly
re-acquire my 'carb addiction'. So to suggest this to those on LC is
specious at best and purposefully misleading at worst.

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 18:02:30 -0500, Mike Schwab <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

With the whole grain bread / pasta, the sugar is consumed with the fiber
and is absorbed slower.
With the white bread, the sugar is absorbed very quickly.
This difference wass measured by having testing persons eating a
quantity of food then testing their blood surar.

This is from Dr. Arthur Agaston's book South Beach diet.

http://www.southbeachdiet.com/
http://www.glycemicindex.com/

Badger_South said:

On Sun, 06 Jun 2004 16:53:09 -0500, Mike Schwab <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Look for breads and pastas made with whole grain. Check health food
stores.

Why? It's still going to spike your insulin. Tch; even the LC people tout
this, but it's still bread.

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"

-Badger
"World's most dangerous City Bike Path Rider"