Cycling to Get Fit and Lose Weight

For most of my adult life I've enjoyed cycling for leisure - very much a tourist type cyclist. Even my bike of choice (Dawes Super Galaxy) is a tourist bike so speed has never been my thing.

The last few years have brought about a reduction in cycling and and increase in weight due to arthritic knees and now a heart conditon.

My breathing is now back to where it was before last June so I have decided to get back cycling. This time, I thought I would treat myself to one of thsoe Garmin Cycling Computers and a Heart Monitor Chest Strap.

Yesterday, I undertook my first ride, and according to all the evidence, I burned up some 900 calories in a 90 minute ride covering some 13 miles at under 10mph average speed. I am a tad wary of that figure at the moment and need to do some research - because if accurate, it means I have a little wiggle room with my efforts to lose the excess weight via a calorie controlled diet!

Well, about 900 calories

It is not me saying i can enjoy another 900 calories worth of food and drink, merely that i can afford to eat 50 more calories than the daily limit if the much better option presents itself for 50 calories more!

The real question has to be:

Is this an accurate figure? Seems an awful lot to me - but then I've never had need to monitor my heart or my calories for most of my adult life.

[Hidden]

Hi ho SuffolkLad,

Good on you! 10 calories a minute sounds about right. All calorie estimates are just that - rough estimates or good guesses. Losing weight is difficult (for me anyway!) and exercise is good for all sorts of reasons not least of which it makes you feel better and is great for your heart.

I'd carry on cycling and if you lose weight - great - just don't overdue the donuts

Richard - also an avid cyclist/cross trainer/dog walker/with arthritic knees and AF who can't seem to lose weight (but I don't really care)

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for the reply.

Good to know...

Have no desire to eat an extra 900 calories worth of food for sure.

Pretty much adds up to having Alpen for breakfast instead of Porridge or having some air fried chips or a baked potato WITH olive oil spread...

Simple things like that - though i suppose once a month it would allow me to enjoy an extra treat such as Chocolate or Victoria Sponge at a tea room or similar

[SpiritoftheFloyd]

That sound about right. I can burn 200 calories in 20 minutes walking at 6.8 kpm on a treadmill, so 900 in 90 minutes looks like a good figure

[oggy0]

I've been cycling and taking part in triathlon for years using various Garmin devices and find the calorie burn to be a little 'optimistic' but not too far off. Obviously everyone is different and as you're not planning to eat back every calorie I wouldn't worry and just enjoy getting back out there on your bike and feel slightly less guilty tucking into a slice of post ride cake.

For reference, in my last events before my DCM diagnosis last year Garmin says I got through 830calories in a hard 50min run with average HR at 175 and max of 194, and 7700 calories in a 13hr Ironman with average HR around 150bpm and maxed at 170...I had a good go at replacing many of those calories the following day

[roadrunner12 in reply to oggy0]

How can you get your hr up that high ? I have been told to keep around 115 which is impossible cycling up hills. Frustrated as hell, my situation is 2 hour bike ride though I had a sugar depletion collapsed cpr and a stent

Any help to be able to ride the Alps again will be appreciated

Jim

[oggy0 in reply to roadrunner12]

Hi, those figure were from June/July before my diagnosis and before any medication. I’m now on Bisoprolol and ramipril so my max won’t be as high any more and I haven’t pushed to see what I’m capable of. I’ve been told no more “extreme” races but not been given a HR limit. I guess I’ve been lucky as I was monitored annually due to family history so my cardiomyopathy has been caught really early and I don’t have any major symptoms yet.

In terms of training though if you can build leg power off the bike in the gym or on the bike with very low cadence intervals (50rpm ish) in a difficult gear on flat roads or spin bike it will really help on the hills. You should be able to keep a lid on your heart rate doing it this way. Be patient and you’ll gradually get stronger and then be working at a lower % of your max effort when you do go up hill in easier gears. Weight obviously makes a difference as well as does gearing on the bike.

I hope you manage to conquer those Alps again...something I’d love to do myself one day!

[NorthantsSteve]

As other hearties have commented - I think my device is a little optimistic in terms of calories burned. I measured my input/output in terms of calories for a while (taking in less than I burned) and found I put on weight. Continuing to exercise as much as I can and want and eating sensibly (adapted Mediterranean) and I can lose/stay same weight. If you’re doing this sort of exercise daily I would have thought a 50 calorie increase in food wouldn’t be the end of the world.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

I have a step counter which is quite pessimistic. The energy used is a function of weight. If you are 12 stone I would regard it as optimistic but if 17 then pessimistic. The best thing is to weigh yourself regularly.

[Speakeazi]

I can see that my Garmin is a little over generous at some points. So I regard it as something to encourage me to keep moving rather than as an absolute measure.

[benjijen]

I wear a fitbit and often wonder about accuracy as well. I now just use it as a guide as I feel as long as I'm using the same device it should give me consistent information even if it's not 100% correct. I gave up weighing myself months ago and rarely count calories, just eat fresh food and very occasionally a bit of processed food creeps in! Cardiac rehab 3 times a week and walking. So far am down 2 dress sizes so only 1 more to go. Good luck with your cycling.

[gppablo]

you have to take into account that is not only the calories that you burn whilst exercising, but regular exercise increase metabolism that means that even resting you burn more calories that a person that do not exercises.

Also 900 calories is quite a lot if you do that twice you are talking about almost an extra day of food.

[Hidden]

Thank you all for your comments.

I am on 3 days of gentle walking with another bike ride due tomorrow.

As has been said, I am taking it slowly and trying to get myself fitter and healthier in a way that is maintainable.

My weight at that point was 21 stone - it is much heavier tahn i lke, but if i can get back to 17-18 stone i will consider that an achievement. For the record, I've never done light. I can show you pictures of myself with the same body size and Princes Harry & William and I struggled to squeeze under 17 stone.

That said, at tht point I was able to comfortably ride 20 miles in an hour, undertake a 6 hour bike ride around Suffolk followed by a game of Indoor Cricket (thin kSquash if you've never seen or played it).

As for the calories - I am definitely not eating to replace what I have apparently burned off.

Yesterday involved a 4 mile walk earning an almost 600 calories of which almost none were replaced.