Is there anything worse than constantly trying to lose some weight and failing? Going through the tiring and annoying strict diets, avoiding sweets, and carbohydrates, and exercising whenever you’re able to can all get a bit tough. On the other hand, you are so motivated by the results you’re expecting, that you keep pushing yourself through this painful process. However, even though you want some great results, you should put your mind and body through so much suffering. Instead, you should treat them gently, and that will pay off in some time. For instance, cycling is a much more humane way to lose some weight and get back your self-confidence and health. Losing weight is a long process, but it isn’t impossible. Here is how cycling can help you achieve the result you want in no time!
Motivation is the key to everything – studying for an exam, getting a job, or writing a book. The same goes for losing weight. You need to be really motivated in order to actually do it. While getting motivated isn't just a common issue, keep motivation is a very serious problem you could have. For instance, if you've already tried various weight-loss strategies and they haven't worked the way you expected them to, you may have lost some of your motivation.
The main reason why people lose motivation so often is that they set unrealistic goals. You can expect a miracle once you start biking regularly. What you can expect is to lose the weight that responds to the time you’ve been riding, the miles you’ve passed, and the performance you are ready to give. All of these things and the nature of your body will affect how quickly you’ll lose weight. Make sure to count them all in once you start setting your monthly, weekly, or even daily goals.
Speaking of time, the best way to keep track of your progress is to look at your weekly performance. This will give you a great insight into how your plan is going and you'll be able to keep things under control. As far as the numbers are concerned, losing 1kg per week will suffice, even though you may be tempted to try more. The reason why you shouldn’t go for more is that you want to get the right weight and maintain it. Unfortunately, the weight you lose quickly comes back even quicker. To avoid that, you’ll want to gradually lose weight. If you do this, you’ll be less likely to put the weight back. The way to lose a kg a week is to spend an hour a day exercising.
The right heart rate is crucial when it comes to losing weight cycling. Burning fat won’t happen unless your heart rate is somewhere between 68 and 79 per cent of your maximum heart rate. If you don’t know how to determine this, worry not. Using a heart rate monitor and a bike computer will help you know what pace is necessary for you to burn some fat. Of course, not everyone has these. If you don’t, you can still achieve the right race with no problem whatsoever. All you have to do is to try and keep up the pace that would leave you out of breath but still keep you able to maintain a conversation. You can bring someone along to your cycling sessions and see what this pace is through an actual conversation. Once you achieve that, keep that pace as it is considered to be a form of base training.
Most people think that they have no time to take on cycling. Even if you have a busy schedule and your days are full of different chores, you could still squeeze in some time for cycling. For instance, if you don’t live far away from your work, why wouldn’t you commute to work. This is a brilliant idea for several different reasons. Firstly, commuting to work reduces your carbon footprint, which makes it an eco-friendly option. The next benefit I that you get to actually breathe some fresh air and spend some time outside before you got to sit in an office for hours. Finally, the best part is that you get your share of daily exercise. If you’re riding for 30 minutes each way, you could lose an admirable amount of kilograms and you could start living more healthily as well.
Even though base training is a great way to lose a lot of weight, high-intensity sessions will be necessary to back it up. These kinds of exercises will be great for your body since they will improve your cardiovascular fitness. As a result, your body will burn calories much more efficiently. You can do this easily.
All you need to do is switch up to two or three of your weekly regular rides for high-intensity rides and you'll be at the top of your game when it comes to staying healthy and losing weight. A high-intensity session means that you should be riding at a pace that makes your heart rate stay somewhere between 70 to 90 per cent of the maximum.
There is something called fasted training. As losing weight usually has to do with the amount of food we eat, it's essential to place the training session strategically around the meals. Fasted training emphasizes the role of food in your weight loss journey and it helps you develop a good routine. Namely, when you do exercise hungry, your body has to use its stores of fat as there is nothing else to burn.
That is why cycling before breakfast is such a good idea. Just after brushing your teeth, get your cycling shoes and get onto your bike. Riding for about 30 minutes before eating will be a great way to use your body’s stores of fat. If you can last riding hungry for an hour, that would be even better, but anything over that would be too much. If you’re going to ride longer than an hour, make sure to eat.
If you want to lose weight in healthy ways, you need to keep acting and behaving in such a way as well. That means that fresh and nutritious food and a good night of sleep are necessary for you to achieve the results you are hoping for. This is especially important if you go through a lot of stress throughout the day and if you have a lot on your mind.
Sleep is great when it comes to handling stress and staying sane. It is also great when it comes to losing some weight. When you don’t sleep enough, you have trouble with your mood. You may feel less satisfied throughout the day and you may feel irritated and hungry often. This can make you just chew more and lose your progress. On the other hand, when you sleep enough, you eat just enough and your muscles have the chance to repair after the exercise.
Keeping track of your progress is essential when you want to do something of great importance. If you feel passionate about this losing weight project, then you should definitely take it seriously. As it was already mentioned, motivation is there to get us to our results. Keeping track of the progress is a big part of staying motivated and focused on your goal. However, keeping track of your progress isn’t always satisfying. You could do great one week and then, the next one, you could feel as if you did nothing. This is completely normal and things like these shouldn’t discourage you. You should approach them maturely and be aware that they happen. Staying positive and checking regularly how you’re doing will make you lose weight efficiently.
Anytime you try something new, you need some time to adjust to it. The same principle applies to cycling as well. If you’re new to it, your body will need some time to get used to it. Until that happens, you may put a lot of stress on your body and muscles. On the other hand, if you add on some cross-training to your routine, you’ll be able to balance things out. While balancing out the leg muscle after all that pedalling is a good enough reason to start this practice, preventing injuries is another pretty good reason to do it. Flexibility work will be essential in preventing aches and pains, as well as injuries, which can often happen while cycling. If you don't know how to start cross-training, free weights or pilates would be great for a beginner, but you could also try swimming or boxing.
When you put your body through some training sessions such as cycling every day for an hour, you earn to think about your body as a kind of machine or engine. Every engine needs fuel to function properly and food is your fuel. You should be aware of how food affects your body as this is also going to be important for your journey to fewer kilograms.
Namely, eating a small amount of food a couple of times throughout the day will keep your metabolism stable. For instance, eating every three to four hours will help you get energized for the training, while also allowing you to burn fat all the time.
You don’t just have to watch how often you eat, you should also watch what you eat. For example, eating sugar and processed food will give you a lot of energy, but they are anything but nutritional. Furthermore, sugar won’t be burnt off immediately, but it will be stored as fat in your body, which is the thing you are trying to fight.
On the other hand, foods rich in proteins will be great for you and your body. Protein will allow your body to build muscle and endure the exercise. Foods like chicken, fish, and beans are full of lean protein and they will be your best friends in your weight loss journey. Don’t forget to include fresh fruit and veggies and you’ll have the diet of a true champion.
Even if you’re really passionate about losing weight and you can’t wait for those perfect results, you still shouldn’t try to rush the process. Changing drastically is never a good thing and you don’t want to cause more problems to yourself just because you’re impatient. You may feel tempted to ride the bike for hours or to eat less than you should, but both of these are unhealthy and bad for you. Your metabolism needs to function and that won’t be able unless there is enough food in the body. Your body also needs energy and strength and you risk losing both of those if you start overworking yourself on the bike (especially if you’re a beginner).
Finally, the most important advice of them all – enjoy the process. Don’t take this as something annoying or impossible. Think of it as something challenging and exciting. Cycling isn’t just losing weight – it’s changing your life for the better. If you’ve never cycled before, you’re about to transform your life and lose some weight along the way.
Cycling is, above all, a fun activity. You get to exercise while seeing some new things, listening to the ocean if you’re riding on the shore, laughing with your friends if you don’t cycle on your own. You can always make cycling more enjoyable and that isn’t even the best part. Cycling will help you build muscle, eat healthier, and sleep better after you sweat for an hour every day.
Cycling can be a therapeutic experience. All of these tips will improve your overall life quality and that is a reason more to enjoy the whole process. You’ll lose be happier in general and you will lose weight. All you need to do is stay consistent and you’ll burn that fat while also having the time of your life!
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