Riding the bike - too much?

[Cosmin]

2 weeks ago I decided I had to start losing weight so I bought a bike thinking that it should do the trick.
Week 1: I started with 20Km/day and by the end of the week I was doing 35 Km/day. As for the dieting part, I was still eating the same (maybe not really the same, but still a lot) because it's hard for me to start a diet just like that. The results after the 1st week: 2Kg (4.4lb) gone.
Week 2: ~45Km daily, but yesterday I pushed for 5 more Km, then in the evening I went for another 20 so I managed 70Km/day. I started to eat mainly vegetables and drink more water. After the 2nd week: another 3.5Kg (7.7lb) gone making this 5.5Kg (12lb) in two weeks.
I have 33.5Kg (74lb) more to lose to achieve my goal (1.80m and 75Kg).

I'm just curious if my weight losing rythm is good or not? Am I pushing it? Because I heard that a normal weight loss would be ~1-2lb/week, while I'm obviously doing much more.

 

[ToothlessFerret]

That does seem a bit drastic, it is a good idea to aim to lose around two pounds per week, (how I understand it, drastic weight loss can mean losing too much lean body mass, but I'm not an expert) but quick weight loss can occur for some people when they switch lifestyle like this. Its only two weeks, you might consider continuing for a few weeks longer and seeing if your rate of weight loss slows down. Are you male? I also found weight loss very easy, but I don't know if there really is any difference in weight loss ability between the sexes.

Use the weight loss that you have already achieved as motivation to make more changes in your lifestyle for the better. You are probably starting to enjoy that feeling of fitness and well being that comes with exercise. Give yourself a pat on the back, you deserve it - but also look ahead into the long future, make long term changes that are going to make you fitter for the long haul.

As for diet, you haven't told us much about it. The vegetables are a good start! Try and eat healthy and balanced - you know, good variety and proportions of carbs, protein, and good fats. You might want to start tracking these macro nutrients, or / and your calorie consumption. That way you can really tailor your weight loss through both exercise and diet.

Good luck on the journey!

 

[Cosmin]

Yes, I am a male, but I don't know if there are any differences.
I just came back from a 'shorter' ride (just 38Km) and even if I drank 0.75l of water on the way, I still managed to lose almost 1Kg. So this means over 4Kg lost in a week.

My diet consists now of: tuna can, corn flakes with milk, saladas, boiled/baked potatos, boiled chicken, vegetables soup, fruits.

So I guess I won't go as far as 50-70Km/day, but settle for ~30-40 because I'm starting to feel a bit tired and a slight pain in the knees and that probably means to take it easy.
But the truth is that since I started losing weight I really can't stop now because it actually feels great even if I have to make a lot of effort.

 

[Alibran]

As someone else who has recently started cycling, I would say be careful not to overdo it. It's very tempting to go "just a bit further" each time, and before you know it, cycling has taken over your life and you're exhausted.

This is what works for me. I will go out cycling, and as long as I feel fully refreshed and energetic by the beginning of the next cycle ride, I will consider pushing a bit harder. As soon as the same ride starts to feel harder than it did the time before, I know I'm pushing it a bit too hard and it's time to back off a bit. I've also suffered from occasional pain in my knees, and as soon as it happens, I take a rest day and it generally goes away.

 

[corndogggy]

Just don't forget that it's mostly water weight at this point. So, no, it's really not too drastic with that in mind. I've lost 5 pounds in 2 hours before at football practice even while chugging water. Overweight people can potentially lose even more.

 

[jmfischi36]

When I first started losing weight by working out and doing the weight watchers diet, I lost 9 pounds my first week, and continued to lose about 5 every week after that. If you're over weight I think it defintely will come off easier because your bodies not used to it.