I can’t be the only person who struggles to lose weight when training, especially when trying to improve power too??
Anyway! Hoping for some encouragement, resources, info on losing fat weight while training for cycling events?
TIA
Hi Beth!
Thanks for your question. I’m looking forward to reading some of the other advice posted, but while we wait I thought you might like to read my take on the subject: https://coachpav.com/cycling-nutrition/how-to-burn-fat-and-lose-weight-by-cycling/
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This is a great question! I too could use some help. I have tried the keto diet, but it was too hard to ride the bike as well. Not sure how anyone does both!
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If there is a magic trick, I have not found it. During hard weeks you bonk if you do not eat enough. If you try to limit the intake even more during easier weeks, there is a huge problem to get back into a proper rythm. The only half way workable thing I had found is to go lean on carbs on the days where you have Z1-Z2 style sessions. But it is a tad challenging to not flat out raide the fridge after going through 3000 calories on one of those longer rides. Mental weakness …
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There’s a balance and it is tricky to find!!
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You are not alone! I tried countless times but it never really work out. However since I am coached by Pav, I have lost some kilos without even trying. One important thing is not only looking at the scales. You will build muscle mass first and your weight might even go up but on the long run it will come down.
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Great point! The scales might not be telling the entire story!
I’ve inadvertently done long rides and had little carbs afterwards and I was completely drained, lacking energy and lethargic for the next 2 days. So I’d say it’s something to be careful with.
I don’t know if you’ve come across the Geraint Thomas Cycling Club podcasts (if not really recommend taking a look/listen - very entertaining and informative, he has great guests). This one with Richie Porte talking about climbing; they both agree that the absolute hardest thing was losing g their weight each year!
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Hi Beth, I have struggled for a long time. In the end I was recommended the My Fitness Pal app. It is basically counting calories. I found that using a power meter was a really good guide to my nutrition needs too which took some of the guess work out of it. Another thing that really helped was fuelling properly during rides so that I wasn’t craving calories by the end of it. I started out at 264lbs and then managed to Everest last year.
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Wow, good for you. MyFitnessPal is a good shout. I too found that using this to track my macros did really help me maintain a calorie deficit. It’s always that challenge of what do you want to achieve - can’t build muscle and strength in a calorie deficit and not going to improve body composition without one!
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I am not sure I agree that you can’t build muscle and strength in a calorie deficit. At least that wasn’t the case for me. I added 100W to my FTP over the same period. It certainly isn’t straight forward. As I said my keys were what I ate (getting sufficient protein) and in ride fuelling.
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Thanks everyone, some awesome feedback here! I will check out MyFitnessPal for sure. I’ll keep you posted on my journey!!
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Hi Beth, As others have mentioned using an app like MyfitnessPal is a good tool to start to understand how you are fuelling yourself. There is no magic bullet and it is critical to remember there is more to the weight the scales show. Your body water can shift day to day by lbs’s so using body measurements to also keep an eye on your body comp, eg waist, chest, neck etc and there are apps to help log and track that info as well like Progress on iOS. The really key to losing weight while still training is not to cut the calories too much and DON’T diet on the bike. You need to fuel your workouts to be able to push to the full extent required and also not be starving when you return and hit every cupboard in the house looking for food. It can help to have a period of reduced/low carb diet while increasing the protein and good fats to train the body to us fat more as its fuel source. Then bring carbs back in say just on training days post workout for example, certainly as you increase the intensity of the workouts. Doing strength and conditioning workouts not just cycling. Building muscle will help increase your calorie burn and remember if you building muscle the scales might not go down. You will loose fat but the new muscle might balance things out and 1 lbs is 1 lbs whether thats fat or muscle.
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Keto has its place but to me its about balance and the body is built to burn both carbs and fats. To me cutting out carbs only results in the body having one of its power stations shut down. Going low carb might be useful to get the fat burning power station up and running again but then reintroducing carbs back in to also keep the carb burning power station up and running. Kept for weight loss seems great at first as from memory for every 1g of carbs 3g of water is required to store it. So going low carb results in the body needing to shred a lot of the water it has to enable the storing of carbs and hence to quick weight loss when first switch to a low carb diet.
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This is excellent advice, thanks Kevin, and welcome 
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This is true, however be very very careful about the extent of the ‘muscle burns more calories’ argument.
I researched this a while ago to see what the science actually showed for this as most of the references are qualitative not quantitive. To quote:
10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest , while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.
So it is correct, however the impact is neglible
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One of the keys to losing weight is listening to your body. Your body knows when it is full, but it takes time realizing that. So, eat slowly and do not eat after dinner.
Techniques for those of us without any measurable will power: During meals, put the fork/spoon down after every bite. Pick it up after you have swallowed the previous bite, when you are ready for the next. This will slow you down quite a bit. Also, go to bed as soon as you can, and if you can’t sleep, well, still stay in bed. Resist the temptation to go to the fridge.
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Great advice! Thank you for posting
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Thank you!! that is really useful and I appreciate it 
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Yep, I’m 215 at 6’1”. I started fasting from 6pm till 11 am the following day. It works I was 255. Only problem I’ve had is on long rides in the morning, I get pretty hungry. And I definitely sleep better.
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