Effective Strategies for Weight Loss Through Cycling and Diet
As a cyclist looking to lose weight, you have to pay extra attention to your diet. While cycling is an excellent form of exercise for weight loss, the bulk of your success will come from the kitchen. In this article, we will discuss five essential diet tips to help you promote weight loss while cycling.
Table of Contents:
Keep fuelling your training
Increase your protein intake
Spread protein intake across the entire day
Choose less energy-dense meals
Conclusion
Keep fuelling your training
It may be tempting to cut out pre- and post-training nutrition to accelerate weight loss, but this approach can do more harm than good. Not only will you lose more muscle mass compared to a less extreme calorie deficit, but you'll also experience lower quality training due to reduced muscle glycogen stores. Additionally, you may suffer from disrupted sleep, increased irritability, and lower motivation. To avoid these issues, aim for a calorie deficit of around 500 kcal and focus on consistency rather than trying to rush into a huge, unsustainable deficit.
Increase your protein intake
To lose fat and spare as much muscle as possible, you need to increase your protein intake. Aim for 1.5-2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. If you find it challenging to count grams of protein, try to keep your protein intake the same when you reduce your portions and only cut back on carbs and fats. Protein also helps you feel full, making it easier to stick to your weight loss diet.
Spread protein intake across the entire day
Eating a decent portion of protein with every meal is crucial for maintaining muscle mass while losing weight. Muscle synthesis happens throughout the day, so if you only give your body protein once or twice a day, you're likely to spend a lot of time in a catabolic state, breaking down muscle. To avoid this, build your breakfast, lunch, and dinner around protein-rich foods such as eggs, meat, dairy, legumes, nuts, and seeds. And choose high-protein snacks too. Protein bars and protein powders can come in handy in this regard.
Choose less energy-dense meals
To reduce your calorie intake, opt for foods that are not very energy-dense. While energy-dense foods are great for fuelling a ride or replenishing glycogen reserves after a race, they make it easy to eat a lot of calories at once. You're likely familiar with the fact that candy, cakes, chocolate bars, and chips make weight loss harder, but some otherwise healthy ingredients can also be very energy-dense. Pay attention to your intake of these foods and try to limit them as much as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you're a cyclist looking to lose weight, you must pay extra attention to your diet. To promote weight loss while cycling, focus on keeping your training fuelled, increasing your protein intake, spreading your protein intake throughout the day, and choosing less energy-dense meals. Remember that weight loss is not a sprint, and consistency is key. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to achieving your weight loss goals while enjoying the benefits of cycling.
