This, believe it or not isn’t easy when on tour. If one is doing a large amount of kn each day, one must prepare the day before. How do we optimise our energy levels for the day of the ride? About eighty percent of our calories should come from complex carbohydrate sources and a small amount of simple sugars. Some examples are, wholemeal spaghetti and fruit. These are the foods that our bodies are storing for energy. On the day of the ride we don’t want to run out of energy, so the day before we must eat well. Losing weight is by way of calorie deficit over calories consumed. So if we expend more calories than we have taken in, we will lose weight. If this exercise happens on a daily basis then each day will become harder as the days go by, e eventually leading to bonking, not being able to ride anymore. The body says ‘enough is enough.’ To regain your energy levels your body is crying out for food. Now you have to scoff like max, putting back the calories you have lost. Result, weight on, weight off.
Cycling can be done to lose weight weight but a carefully prepared plan needs to be configured and actioned and this isn’t always possible when on tour daily. The simplest way of attempting to lose weight on the road is to be aware of what is being consumed. In this instance no calories are to come from junk food. To lose weight, we must eat. If we dont eat our bodies store far in order to prevent starvation.
OK, so you are hellbent on losing weight by cycling. If you can cycles fifty miles daily with ease, then make each day a thirty mile day without a pits stop and cut back on your calories. And if you usually have a day off every seven days, now have a day off every ten days.
Listen to to your body and your cravings and act upon them. Don’t look for a set of scales, judge your weight by how your clothes fit you. Losing weight slowly is the key to long term success.
The Epileptic Goat 