Stationary Cycling-Am I Doing it Right?

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senorpepino

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So I have a stationary bike and want to know if my process of exercise is the best for weight loss.

Some background on myself. I'm a male in my late 20s, 6ft, 233 lbs. I started out at 250 lbs. Recently had bloodwork and a physical done. My doctor told me that my cholesterol is through the roof and that I have a year to shed 50-60 lbs by the next annual physical. I've been eating right-until I'm full-and have been exercising everyday on the stationary bike.

I try to burn 3500 calories a day in two intervals. So that is 1750 calories per 'bike ride'. Once right after work and once about an hour after dinner. Each ride tends to average about 19 miles and I maintain an average heart rate of 115-125.

Opinions on what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong would be appreciated. I want to perfect this as I don't like to waste time when it comes to exercising and losing weight.
 
senorpepino said:
So I have a stationary bike and want to know if my process of exercise is the best for weight loss.

Some background on myself. I'm a male in my late 20s, 6ft, 233 lbs. I started out at 250 lbs. Recently had bloodwork and a physical done. My doctor told me that my cholesterol is through the roof and that I have a year to shed 50-60 lbs by the next annual physical. I've been eating right-until I'm full-and have been exercising everyday on the stationary bike.

I try to burn 3500 calories a day in two intervals. So that is 1750 calories per 'bike ride'. Once right after work and once about an hour after dinner. Each ride tends to average about 19 miles and I maintain an average heart rate of 115-125.

Opinions on what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong would be appreciated. I want to perfect this as I don't like to waste time when it comes to exercising and losing weight.
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Where do you get that 1750 kcal number? From the stationary bike? Sorry, but it is nearly impossible that you are burning 1750 kcal / hour. 750kcal is much closer to the true number, based on your existing condition and size and workload (60% - 65% of max heart rate).

Regardless of how many kcals you burn per hour, you did not get to 233 pounds overnight and you won't get to 175 pounds overnight as well. You gradually built up to 233 and you should plan on gradually, albeit more quickly, getting back to 175.

Keep doing what you are doing, determine your basal metabolic rate, eat less than you burn and you will achieve your goals by losing 1 - 2 pounds / week and you can be where you want to be by the end of the year. If you can increase your workload so that you are maintaining a heart rate of 134 (70% of max heart rate) or even better, 144 (75% of max heart rate) that will help your weight loss and your cardiovascular conditioning even more. Although these are standard workload levels, run these numbers by your physician.
 
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Thanks for the reply, man. I can easily go at the 144 heart rate. I've actually lost the 17 lbs in the last three weeks. 10 of those pounds were most likely water weight.
 
The "average" man burns 400-600 calories (no BMR included) in a hour indoor cycling class (women burn 300-400) - not sure where that 1750 number comes from.

If you are otherwise healthy, and the doctor has cleared you to exercise, don't tie yourself down by heartrate numbers. Everyone is VERY different in what range they can work at. If I held myself back by HR numbers, I would NEVER get a good workout. When I indoor cycle, I work at 90-100% of where the "standards" say I should be. Just make sure your resistance is at a 'reasonable' level, and work hard -- just getting on a bike at a low resistance and pedaling won't burn the calories you want.

Are you doing any lifting, or only cardio?

Like g8r80 said - you didn't put the weight on overnight, you can't expect to get it off overnight. A clean diet, with the addition of exercise should help those cholesterol numbers significantly (if it is not only hereditary).

Good luck!
 
It's great that you've lost that weight but you have to lose it SLOWLY. It's not healthy to just suddenly increase your work rate and it's dangerous, causing both injury and ill-health. And sitting on a bike for an hour at a constant heart rate is one of the dullest things ever (I've done a 3 hour workout on a turbo, so dull). Try and mix it up a bit.
 
there's really no point in digging up old threads like this, blindside. The person posting the question has either gotten their answer or is no longer at the forum.
 
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