As a cyclist you're probably already aware of the advantages of carrying less fat. Not only will your health be improved, your longevity increased but you will also be able to ride faster over rolling terrain.

Weight loss is one of the main aspirations for people when asked what they would like to change about their health or appearance.

The established methods of losing weight are
Increasing your energy output and therefore increasing caloric expenditure
Suppressing your appetite
Increasing your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
Maintaining your lean body mass at the expense of fat

3500 is the magic number
At the foundation of all weight control programs is that fat loss happens when the number of calories spent over a given period is greater than the number consumed. The net deficit which is covered by calories taken from the body's fat reserves results in weight loss. How much weight loss can be calulated by one pound of body fat equates to 3500 calories.

Riding your bike will assist in increasing calorie expenditure in two ways. Firstly you will burn calories due to the effort of riding your bike while you are doing it. You can work this out for yourself - watches such as the Garmin devices will calculate this according to your heartrate, the exercise duration and your weight. Secondly regular exercise will increase the amount of calories you consume at rest - your BMR. So even when you are resting or sleeping you will still be burning extra calories. In fact your increase in BMR can maintained with as little as 30 to 40 minutes of exercise 3 to 4 times a week with the effect even more pronounced in older athletes.

Check part2 for more details on the intensity levels that work best for promoting fat burning and discover the carbohydrate/protein/fat content of your meals should be.

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Filed under: Weight Loss • cycling

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