Cycling tips for weight loss: Great tips for heavy riders

If you’re looking to shed those extra pounds through biking, it might be a good idea to go through our cycling tips for weight loss.

We’ve put together a quick guide to help you bring those numbers down by improving your riding.

Most people have different reasons to cycle, but two common factors are better fitness levels and weight loss.

But beware! A couple of bike rides a week doesn’t give you carte blanche to scoff everything in sight.

Cycling tips for weight loss: Introduction

It’s actually a common mistake; on a high from all the exercise, some riders are hell-bent on eating as much as they can.

They might not be aware that this is totally counterproductive to what they’re trying to achieve.

It is essential to follow an appropriate eating method to remain healthy and ride strong.

This is the only way to get the most out of your ride to weight loss.

If it sounds too overwhelming, we’ve looked into it.

Here are some tips for overweight cyclists to slim down from cycling for long-lasting fat loss results:

Finish your ride with a bang

Research studies have actually revealed that post-exercise oxygen consumption can promote fat burning.

The way to push your body into better fat-burning mode after an easy (or long) ride is to push yourself further at the end.

Fat burning will continue after you’ve finished, and your body will continue to consume oxygen.

Focus on staying hydrated: Cycling tips for weight loss

Some bikers wear more than they need to keep up their body temperature and increase sweating.

This might help you lose a few pounds, but it isn’t a good idea in the long run. You’re only losing weight because of dehydration.

Dehydration is bad news if you’re a cyclist.

Instead, take off those extra layers if the temperature is somewhat modest and keep your body hydrated.

Higher water intake burns more calories.

Crank up the veggies and the lean protein

Vegetables and lean protein (chicken or fish) need to be a staple of any serious cyclist’s diet plan.

Ditch the dietary supplements and get most of your vitamins and proteins from food.

Food is easier to absorb, and giving your body the proper nutrition means feeling miles better.

See where we’re going with this? You feeling better means you’ll ride longer and burn more calories.

And stop those junk food cravings (and your sugar addiction) in their tracks, thank you very much!

Eat less (because less is more!)

Now, we’re saying that you should follow healthy eating guidelines, but there’s no need to forgo all your favorite foods just because they might not give you the proper nutrition.

Ditching the chocolate or beer will only worsen your cravings and lead to a bingeing session.

Restrict rather than eliminate treats.

Reward yourself every so often and remember: Do it in moderation.

Eat more frequently during your bike ride

New cyclists tend to avoid food during a ride because, let’s face it, it’s a little tricky to organize.

But it seems that keeping your appetite in check can actually enhance performance, especially on long trips.

As a side note, another tip about longer rides: Invest in decent equipment:

• A good and comfortable bicycle saddle, for example, is crucial.
• Discover the best bicycle saddles for people with a slightly larger size.

It also stops you from overeating later on. Eat earlier, and you’ll be less hungry when you’re home and you won’t overindulge. Neat.

Stay away from dietary supplements

Yeah yeah yeah, we’ve all seen the ads. Those shiny ads offer a quick fix to weight loss.

Long term? It’s not happening and here’s why:

Together with the bad stuff, vital fats and other essential minerals are frequently flushed out, reducing performance.

Limit your gluten intake

Indulged in too much gluten and feeling lousy? You’re not alone.

Many people experience feelings of discomfort when they’ve overeaten.

You shouldn’t go through an allergic reaction to start restricting your gluten intake, which is really just processed wheat.

You’ll be surprised at the benefits of that.

Choosing to limit gluten will automatically decrease your intake of processed foods like bread and pasta.

You might think that this has nothing to do with your cycling performance, but try it out.

For example, look for gluten-free energy bars or go for fruit such as a banana or an orange.

Cycling tips for weight loss: Final tip on your morning routine

Consume breakfast before your morning ride.

There’s nothing like a big, healthy breakfast to kick start your metabolism.

If you skip it, you’ll be missing out on filling your fuel reserve and forcing your body to hold on to those fat reserves rather than burning them.

Forcing the body into starvation mode triggers your metabolic procedure to store what it may need later (and this means storing fat).

Tip: Read our related article Can you lose belly fat by cycling? for more information about losing fat around your waist.