does cycling really make you lose weight?

alocacoc

hi

Im going to cycle to work and the outcome of this question wont change that

but it got me thinking when they say walking and cycling will burn off loads of energy! and the pounds will fall off......

I know two people who have cycled to work for years quite far there and back aswell
but theyve never looked any different physique wise. infact if you were to see them with just shorts on you wouldnt think they did what they did..

I cant imagine they eat loads one guy has sarnies for dinner

I also know this girl who walks miles each week and you wouldnt think it


I know a couple of people who dont excersise, eat, drink what they want smoke what they want and when they have there good health test done by the doctor its spot on!!

your thoughts

bclark

Cycling burns calories and is a very good form of exercise. Like all forms of exercise you need to balance that with a healthy diet etc too if you are to lose weight.

If people you know are cycling to work and not losing weight then there could be any number of reasons. How far is the journey? Do they do any other exercise other than cycling to work and back? Do they put enough effort in while cycling, I see so many people cycling on the lowest gear possible so they have to put virtually no effort in.

Hintza

Depending on your build it could actually put weight on (fat into muscle).

freakybacon

"I know two people who have cycled to work for years quite far there and back as well but theyve never looked any different physique wise. infact if you were to see them with just shorts on you wouldnt think they did what they did."

Thats cos they have cycled to work for years! If they were to stop and keep up the same food intake then you would see a difference!

"I know a couple of people who dont excersise, eat, drink what they want smoke what they want and when they have there good health test done by the doctor its spot on!!"

Thats life. Some people are like that.


Been doing a 10-mile round commute 2-3 times a week when the weather has been good, and have dropped a stone(but cut back on beer a bit too!). Whether I can keep this up during the winter months remains to be seen. Cost wise- its not much cheaper- what I have saved in petrol costs I now spend on extra food and trinkets for the bike!

The bicycle is a strange vehicle whose passenger is also its engine.

tomstickland

Forgetting what you might look like, you will end up a lot fitter.

Volcano

It's fairly simple maths= if you consume more calories than you burn, then you'll put weight on. The point of exercise is that you increase the amount of calories burnt, while maintaining your original intake of food which results in you losing weight (as well as improving your heart/lungs, speeding up your metabolism etc).

I know a couple of people who dont excersise, eat, drink what they want smoke what they want and when they have there good health test done by the doctor its spot on!!

They'll always be exceptions, but they don't prove the rule. Things like lung cancer take time to develop and as of yet, there's no test to see if you have a predisposition to lung cancer from smoking or heart disease from excess fat consumption etc.

thescouselander

I dont think cycling does make you lose weight. My other half is trying to get me to lose a bit and has encouraged me to cycle to work more - I actually got slightly heavier.

If you want to lose weight I have found racket sports to be pretty good - something like squash or badminton seems to work well for me - since they are indoor sports you can do them over the winter too.

motorguy

thescouselander wrote: »

I dont think cycling does make you lose weight. My other half is trying to get me to lose a bit and has encouraged me to cycle to work more - I actually got slightly heavier.

If you want to lose weight I have found racket sports to be pretty good - something like squash or badminton seems to work well for me - since they are indoor sports you can do them over the winter too.

Cycling burns energy, therefore will make you lose weight, however initially you may put a slight amount on as muscle weighs more than fat.

Cycling or any form of exercise works best with a calorie controlled diet.

thescouselander

pgilc1 wrote: »

Cycling burns energy, therefore will make you lose weight, however initially you may put a slight amount on as muscle weighs more than fat.

Cycling or any form of exercise works best with a calorie controlled diet.

It might be down to the fact its only 5 miles to work - I'm barely warmed up by the time I get there - I probably need to ride a but further.

fozzeh

I nearly gave up hope when I read the title to this thread...but yes, the kind of weight you're looking to lose will be lost if you cycle as oppose to drive to work if you do it right. Bclarks post is a pretty good basis to start with.
I'd love to go into somatotypes, muscle density/types, individual BMR's and aerobic thresholds...but Match Of The Day has just started

Doozergirl

You have to imagine what those people would look like if they didn't cycle to work every day.

Also, as one of those people who for almost all of my existance has been able to eat whatever I want without putting on weight, that doesn't make me healthy. I can sit smugly eating chocolate and not doing as much exercise as I should and still be slimmer than most, but I could still end up with a chronic illness as a result of not being healthy enough.