Ask Me Help Desk - Biking... Questions

Biking... Questions

All right, I started riding about two weeks ago. Everyday I do about 5.4 miles of relatively flat riding (In NY, so as flat as it gets). On saturdays I try to do 2 rides. I can do the ride in about 25 minutes on average.

I weigh 205 at 6' and I used to be about 175, but over the last 2 years I stopped most activity. I would like to get back to that weight of 175. Easy questions are, should I try to do a longer ride, if so how long, and what is a reasonable way to break down a good diet.

My main purpose is to drop weight, but I won't do a low/no carb diet because, well, I don't want to give up bread. So any recommendations on good diet ideas would be helpful. I would much prefer some basic rules rather than a diet laid our for me, meal by meal.

JC

Cycling 5.4 miles in 25 minutes on flat ground is hardly breaking a sweat.

The secret to losing weight is to burn more calories then take in. It's that simple. So you need to figure out how many calories you normally take in and how many calories you normally burn and make sure the burn is higher.

This site:
http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/calorie.htm

Gives you some tables on the calories consumed from different actives. A 30 hour on a bike at 10Mph buns less that 300 calories. If you do some research you should be able to find figures on average calories for your foods and other activities.

I'm a active cyclist. I cycle with a club so I generally do rides in the 25-40 mile range at a pace of 10-14 mph. Since you live in NYC you might want to consider joining the Five Boro Bike Club:
www.5bbc.org

Which runs day trips on weekends in the city.

For me bicycling is more then just exercise. It's a way to get out and enjoy the outdoors, interact with people and keep my body in better shape.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

Cycling 5.4 miles in 25 minutes on flat ground is hardly breaking a sweat.

The secret to losing weight is to burn more calories then take in. Its that simple. So you need to figure out how many calories you normally take in and how many calories you normally burn and make sure the burn is higher.

This site:
http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/calorie.htm

gives you some tables on the calories consumed from different actives. A 30 hour on a bike at 10Mph buns less that 300 calories. If you do some research you should be able to find figures on average calories for your foods and other activities.

I'm a active cyclist. I cycle with a club so I generally do rides in the 25-40 mile range at a pace of 10-14 mph. Since you live in NYC you might want to consider joining the Five Boro Bike Club:
www.5bbc.org

Which runs day trips on weekends in the city.

For me bicycling is more then just exercise. Its a way to get out and enjoy the outdoors, interact with people and keep my body in better shape.

I agree about the duration of the ride being short unless you are working very hard and your heart rate is really moving.

One of the best things that got me back in shape a few years ago was active hiking, as in up hills, across rough terrain. The pace wasn't fast, but I'd go for a couple hours at a time and I'd really labor sometimes breathing.

Same with biking. I used to do shorter rides, about 30-60 minutes, due to time issues... but after a few weeks of getting broken in, those short rides were done at probably 85% ability. Again, labored breathing and increased heart rate.

Studies show that 30 min of walking or running at a level that gets your cardio pumping can be just as beneficial as 1 hour. Obviously an hour would burn more calories.

So you need to do a few things. Make sure you are WORKING when ridining, even if its periods of hard work, then rest, then work... also length of time for rides probably need to go up. If you're just getting back into things take your time, get broken in. but have goals of longer, harder rides.

As for diet, try limiting proportions and drinking more water. Diets that cut out major food groups often require you to stay off those foods, and that's just not always easy or even a good idea. Slowly cutting down proportions can be very helpful... we're so used to eating greater quantities than needed. Hydration can also stave off hunger, and eating several times a day instead of 3 bigger meals can also help.

My guess is you'll see more results from exercise that gets your heart going for longer periods than you'll see from major diet changes. Obviously cutting back empty and excessive calories is impt, but getting your metabolism fired back up is also impt.

I agree with both Scott and kp2171. I am an avid mountain biker myself, and I average about 20 miles on a ride. Biking is good for endurance and general cardiac health, but like swimming for example, it's not the best exercise for burning fat... unless you are going uphill and/or over various obstacles for about 15-20 min with no break. Riding on a flat surface is not generally much of a workout, unless you are very out of shape. As the others said, you need to get your heart rate up to a certain point and keep it there for about 20 minutes in order to burn fat. Running or jogging is a good activity for this, as kp2171 says. If you don't like running, find some other activity which you really enjoy that will get your heart really pumping for about 20 minutes a day. Myself, I normally do about 30 minutes of kickboxing daily for my aerobic workout, plus about 30 minutes of pilates for muscle strength. Biking is more of a fun activity for me, to get fresh air, be out in nature and be with friends.

I like bread too, but I limit my portions, and I choose multi-grain and whole grain breads and cereals rather than white bread. I also eat flavored rice cakes in place of potato chips, and cook with brown or wild rice and whole wheat pasta.

Quote:

Originally Posted by orange

Myself, I normally do about 30 minutes of kickboxing daily

Aha! That's how you keep those kids in line :D

Scott<>

P.S. Couldn't resist!

Also remember that cycling does squat for your stomach muscles, you'll need some cross-training to take a layer off those and to firm them up.

Signed,
NK (long time roadie)

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

Aha! That's how you keep those kids in line :D

Scott<>

P.S. Couldn't resist!

LMAO! That's true for now, while they're little haha. But the kids are both in karate so pretty soon it won't work anymore! :D

All right

I etended my rides, the last two were 50 minutes and hour and 20 (I don't know why, just kept going). But it is on flat ground. Also I have already cut my diet down as much as possible. I do lots of 'sprinting', I guess, during my rides but they have been closer to 10-12 miles. I knew it wasn't far enough, but I also found that periodic stretching helped relax my legs.

One thing... Doing situps builds muscle, doesn't losing weight in general make all the fat go. What I mean is working out my abs is going to take away my gut? I mean I do work my chest and abs, but not to lose weight. Maybe I am crazy but I am asking a serious question.

Plus weighed myself I am down to 197.. The first number was an estimate, last time I had weighed in.

I am going here -- www.5bbc.org

Sounds good. All, any advice is great.

JC

I was reading a article recently that indicated that fat around the waist is the last burned by activity. So losing the love handles takes time and effort.

Another point, exercise also builds muscle which can add to weight. So you might see more toning and less loss in the begininng.

Hi, JC,
The average, normal, person needs around 2,000 calories a day (24 hours) to neither gain nor lose weight.
You can add up the calories you eat/drink in a day, see what you are actually taking in. Small paper-back Calorie books are available at Food Stores, Drug Stores, Rite Aid, etc; or also Calorie counters are available online.
If you see that your intake is more than 2,000 calories a day, then cut back on something, or the type of food, to bring it down below 2,000 a day.
It won't be long before you notice a weight decrease!
I do wish you the best, and good luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc105

All right

One thing... Doing situps builds muscle, doesn't losing weight in general make all the fat go. What I mean is working out my abs is going to take away my gut? I mean I do work my chest and abs, but not to lose weight. Maybe I am crazy but I am asking a serious question.

When you lose weight, you are losing fat, yes. But if you're not building muscle at the same time as you're losing the weight, you are also losing water and possibly muscle mass. So it's always good to do muscle strengthening exercises as you're losing weight. Plus it makes you more toned, and the more muscle you have, the more quickly and effectively you will burn fat.

Working out your abs won't *exactly* take away your gut fat, as spot reducing doesn't usually work. But it will build muscle in your gut area and thus you will be able to burn more fat in general.

Quote:

Plus weighed myself I am down to 197.. The first number was an estimate, last time I had weighed in.

That's awesome... so you are almost 10 pounds lighter ! I'm sure you will reach your goal if you keep working at it, good luck!

What do bikers do when it rains a couple days in a row? NY is set for 2-3 days of rain...

I will of course be working out, but I am really trying to keep on a constant cardio schedule. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.

JC

Hi, JC,
Rain jackets are good to wear if you want to continue during those days.
I use to be a bicyclist many years ago; rain or shine.
Now that I'm much older, 64, I prefer shine!
Best of luck.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jc105

What do bikers do when it rains a couple days in a row? NY is set for 2-3 days of rain...

I will of course be working out, but I am really trying to keep on a constant cardio schedule. Anyway, thanks again for the advice.

JC

I used to have a wind trainer in the basement for winter and rainy days but it's oh so boring. Cross-training is indeed your best bet - you can really never go wrong with cross-training, it gives you an all-around athlectic body versus one that is dedicated to one sport.

Yeah I agree with NeedKarma about the importance of cross-training. Weather-wise it's pretty much impossible to bike every single day. Biking in heavy rain is miserable, not to mention it can be dangerous as the roads become slick and its harder to brake. Some people bike every day, even in bad weather, snow, etc, but I think those people are biking more for transportation purposes.

I don't know if this is just a northern Canadian thing, but because we often have snow here for 7-8 months of the year, we have indoor biking. It's NOT a stationary bike; people bring their regular bikes to a large indoor arena / track, and ride around the track. Access to the track is included in the city leisure pass membership, so it's quite affordable. You might want to inquire if you have something similar in NY.

Great idea, I will look into it, although I have kind of resolved to not spending any money on weight loss. I like the idea of just me and my motivation, no cash to keep me moving. I won't buy diet plan food or crap like that. In my opinion they are all just scams for the fat...

Anyway thanks again for the replies. Any info on weight loss in general is much appreciated. I feel as though I am doing well but I am not losing weight fast enough for my liking. I'm an instant gradification kind of guy.

Beer?? Any particular suggestions on how to get drunk with low carbs/calories? Alcohol is an option. Not an alcoholic but I am 22 and definitely not dead yet.

New weight, 193.5!

Slow and steady. I have been watching my diet and eating under 1500 calories with very few carbs.

Another 10 pounds and I am half way there.

JC

Awesome! Actually you are losing weight at a steady pace. Some people only lose one pound a week or less than that.

189 --- and going down.

Its really not hard people, only real tough part is I do enjoy giving myself the munchies (hint hint) and those are the hardest cravings to stop lol.

Ride EVERYDAY if possible.

Great going? I'm curious, have you been doing any club riding? Thinking of riding in the 5 Boro Bike Tour?