A superior resource for all things cycling is the Global Cycling Network or GCN. They have a Youtube channel that has over 1,000 top-flight videos on everything to do with cycling. One such video lists ten things you can do to get more fit and feeling better on your bike. You can either go to the link and watch the video yourself, or simply follow along as I've taken the liberty of listing each of the items below. To do it justice, you should read the list using a British accent or watch the video. The narrators have such an accent and are therefore very credible. ;-)
10 Ways to Lose Weight
Whilst Cycling
1. Try
Pre-Breakfast riding – Early morning ride will encourage the body to burn
fat. Ride doesn’t have to be long or
intense. 30-60 min of riding is ideal
for a commute. Follow the ride with a
healthy breakfast. (Oatmeal, a banana
and an orange.)
2. Save
energy bars for racing and use natural (homemade) products for training – Don’t
need as many calories in short (less than 2 hour) training rides.
3. Use
Electrolyte drinks (nuun) instead of an energy drink (Gatorade)
4. Plan
out your rides at least one week in advance – And stick to the plan! Five, one hour rides allow for more weight
loss that one 5 hour ride each weekend.
(Tues, Thurs, Sat) Make a plan
that’s achievable and that progresses gradually.
5. Cut
sugar from tea and coffee – Shouldn’t be a problem. I don't drink either.
6. Remove
high calorie drinks from your diet – Starbucks – hot chocolate – milk – ice cream. (Ice cream may not be a drink but if you think about it, it's just frozen cream.) They also list alcohol as a no-no.
7. Eat
whilst riding to avoid a post ride binge – “If you’ve never blown up on a ride
then you’re not a proper cyclist.” Bring snacks that can keep your stomach
happy. Bring a banana, applesauce
packet, nuts/raisins.
8. Increase
your commute – Take the long way home once or twice a week. You don't have to do this every day but adding 10 miles to your ride home once or twice a week will burn more calories and get you out of a commuting rut at the same time.
9. Don’t
drop your calorie intake excessively – If you try to drop your intake to 1,000 calories, you won't have enough energy to get through the day let alone ride. It’s not sustainable. You don’t want to crack. These diets don't end well.
10. Reduce Calories late in the evening – Larger breakfast,
medium size healthy lunch, moderate to small dinner. Eat just enough to get you to midnight. Wake up hungry so you want to eat that good
sized breakfast in the morning.
There is more to making the tour than simply cutting ice cream but following even a few of these should make you feel much more energized when you're nearing the top of a climb or outsprinting your friends at the end of a 50 miler. You should also be able to knock off a couple of your PR's on Strava because we know that's really what it's all about.
