cycling for weight loss + diet help

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xxwake4lifexx

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After giving all this some thought, I've decided to focus on cardio right now for weight loss. This is my most important goal for the time being. I don't care as much about defining my muscles at this time. I'm sure doing some light weight exercises though would help. I got really ritual with cycling a few months ago until I had to repair a broken derailleur. That took like 2 weeks at the LBS and then I didn't get back into cycling again. When I was riding it was honestly the best thing for me. I was eating healthy and riding almost every single day for at least an hour. I set goals and even wanted to participate in my first century months down the road. Sadly I didn't achieve any of these goals and am back where I started. So here's to making a change!

Currently:
20 yrs old
6'1 (maybe 6 ft)
230lbs (got down to 218 when I was cycling before)

Goals = I'd like to make a short-term goal of losing 30lbs. First I'd like to hit 215lbs and then make it down to 200lbs. Like I mentioned before, I'm most concerned with losing weight and improving my health. These are my plans for now so please let me know what you think.

Mon/Wed/Fri - Cycling (I usually ride at least 10 miles, most I've gone was 21 and that was a lot of uphill, killed me haha)
Sat or Sun - Running with a friend (probably not too much since I'm still getting in shape, but a start nonetheless)

In addition to this should I do light weight training with what I have at home? Simple things like push-ups, pull-ups, crunches? If I should, how many days a week should I do them and should they be done pre or post-cycling workout?

Another thing to mention is that I'm eating much, much, much healthier now. I've already got my grocery shopping list ready and I'll be picking up some things this week. I'll be following the basic regimen of 5-6 small meals throughout the day.

Also I used the formula on this website to calculate my rough BMR and I'm not sure if I should consider myself 'very light activity' or 'light' activity. Most days consist of me sitting at my computer typing school work or surfing the web, walking around the college campus between classes, and I also work (but that's mostly just walking around. I work at Sears as a salesman.) The rough BMR came out to

light = 3188 calories
very light = 2732

Which one do you think would fit me better?

Thanks so much for the advice. I tried to make this as specific as possible. :rolleyes:

Edit: BTW for anyone who's cycling, I do have a cyclocomputer. Its a Cateye. What should I aim for on average speed?
 
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You can definitely go "light activity" and maybe even medium activity.

I would recommend that you focus on time and effort. Try to go for at least 30 minutes / ride for the first couple of weeks and incrementally increase that afterwards. Keep your effort within your ability so that you are willing to continue.

A couple of suggestions:

1. See if you can find a saturday riding group. Most cities have them and they have riders of all skill levels. You can develop camaraderie and a higher level of motivation.

2. Sign up for a group ride. I think the shortest they have is 25 miles, so you may to build up to this. But, this would be a good motivator as well.

I think most of your issues are motivation and if you turn that corner, you'll be on your way.

Good luck!
 
Resistance training is best done post-cardio. You'll be good and warmed up. Remember that weight training helps in weight loss as much as, if not more than, cardio. Building muscle will cause your metabolism to run higher around the clock, even when you're not exercising. It also improves your health in innumerable ways, which you state as one of your goals.

Three times per week would be a reasonable schedule. Core-type exercises like crunches can safely be done every day.

Hope this helps!
 
Both of your replies helped me. I thank you for that!

Today was day 1 of actually eating very healthy and following a concrete regimen. For the first time in my life I actually counted calories. I don't know if its a good thing or not, but what I did learn is that I used to eat empty crappy calories and that's why I was hungry.

I ate a breakfast, snack, lunch, and dinner. In total I consumed just under 2,200 calories for the day. You think that's a fair amount? I'm actually surprised at how much I could eat and feel full.

:cheeky:
 
First off, congrats on making the decision to get in shape and eat healthy. Eating properly and exercising regularly is what you'll need to reach your goals.

Great advice above about finding group rides. You'll be amazed at how much further you'll ride when you have people there with you. With a little luck, you can find some people on those weekend rides to ride with during the week as well.

If you don't have a bike trainer, a lot of times you can find a used one which will allow you to ride indoors while watching TV on days when weather doesn't permit.

Don't worry about average speed. There are a lot of variables that factor into speed (wind, terrain, riding solo vs group, how many times you have to start and stop, etc.). Instead, go off of time and perceived effort.

Most importantly, enjoy yourself. Pick new routes to go so you see something new each time. Gradually build your distance, as well as your frequency. As mentioned above, 3 days a week of full-body strength exercises will be good for you as well.
 
If you decide you put yourself down as light activity then 2200 calories isn't enough, if you decide you're medium activity it's definitely not enough. The advice I was always given by one of the top nutritionalists in the UK is that you should eat about 500 calories less than you required daily amount for steady, consistent weight loss without fear of piling it all back on later.

As for weights I'd definitely say yes. As mentioned they'll speed up your metabolism, plus if you're only exercise is cycling you might have toned legs but they'll put the rest of your body to shame. You might not be interested in aesthetics but upper body weights will also help your cycling. If you're cycling in the morning then try weights in the evening or vica versa, but I would recommend one full day of complete rest per week if you do decide to do both.
 
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