Biking and Weight Loss: Myth or Reality?

With summer, the idea of a bike road trip to lose weight is tempting, but what will be the real benefits?

At forty, vacations often shift towards a more contemplative and sporty mode to counterbalance the frenzied pace of daily life throughout the year… and the accumulation of a few extra pounds.

Therefore, combining the useful with the pleasant is a good idea, like a road trip of several hundred kilometers. Everywhere, bike touring routes are offered, but the most relevant ones can be found on our colleagues’ site at France Vélo Tourisme.

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Biking and calories, best enemies?

Without being the top graduate of Polytechnique, to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. Biking, being an endurance sport, allows for the burning of an average of 300 to 800 kcal per hour depending on intensity, terrain, and your starting weight. At a moderate pace, the loss will be about 500 kcal/hour.

As biking is gentle on the joints, you can easily increase the hours of effort without the trauma of running, for example. Finally, 1 kilogram of fat represents about 7700 kcal to burn. In other words, it takes about 16 hours of biking to burn it off. And if you opt for an electric bike, then you can already multiply that number by three!

Come on, just a little more effort, don’t run away.

Scenario Paris-Mont Saint-Michel by bike (435 km)

At 40, you’re not old… but not very young either. Therefore, it’s important to take a few precautions before embarking, carefree, on a multi-day road trip by bike. Especially when you’re no longer accustomed to prolonged and repeated efforts due to desk-bound sedentary life.

Ideally, a little medical check-up is welcome, especially cardiac. Then, it is advisable to alternate more relaxed days or half-days to promote gradual recovery. Before each day, a small warm-up for tendons and joints will be necessary, as well as perfect adjustment in terms of seat height.

During the effort, it’s essential to drink BEFORE you feel thirsty; this is the big secret, but also to eat carbohydrates (whole rice, pasta, oats, fruit) while avoiding fast sugars. And finally, listen to your body: if it tells you STOP, rest and start again a few hours or days later.

A bike road trip between Paris and Mont Saint-Michel will cover a distance of 435 km spread over several days. Assuming a base of 70 km per day, then a little over a week will be necessary, with a caloric deficit of about 2500 kcal per day. Along the way, weight loss will easily reach 3 kg.

And if courage, along with your schedule, leads you back, then the result will be even more beneficial as your body will already be accustomed to the effort. Ultimately, weight loss could reach 7 to 8 kg. Worth it, right?

What diet to lose weight?

The temptation will be strong to “reward” your body after the effort by eating more, but that’s the mistake not to fall into. You must create a deficit between food intake and fat burning. Eating more will require even more effort.

Here is a daily dietary structure to follow:

Breakfast: oats + milk/Greek yogurt + fruit + a few almonds
Lunch: chicken or fish + vegetables + rice or quinoa
Snack: plain yogurt or cottage cheese + fruit
Dinner: omelet or legumes + vegetables + small portion of starchy foods

And of course, no alcohol. Then, brush your teeth, and off to bed!

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