Last Updated on 14 September 2026:
If you’re reading this, it is probably because you need to, or think you need to, lose some weight. Learning how to lose weight by cycling is not simply about riding harder or eating less: the right approach depends on your available training time, performance goals and relationship with food. When you first start structured training, some initial weight loss may be easier to achieve, but it becomes harder as you get lighter and place more pressure on losing more.
Covered in this blog:
- The methodology behind losing weight while cycling training
- High intensity
- Low intensity
- Moderate (threshold) intensity
- Nutrition
- Periodised nutrition
- Calorie deficit
- Mentality
- Stress is the reason you’re struggling to lose weight
- My top tips for burning fat through cycling training
The methodology behind losing weight while cycling training
I’m going to cover the three main methods I would use with my clients in order to help them lose fat weight. The biggest factors I would use in determining which method to utilise with a client would be the time they have available and any other goals they might have.
High intensity
A methodology to lose weight that involves a lot of high intensity training has been popularised by other forms of fitness such as spin or classes like Zumba. They are primarily performed at a very high intensity, maximal, and aim to burn a lot of calories during the workout and where individuals might experience an increased period of higher calorie burn throughout the hours after.
I agree with this for certain cyclists in a certain way. If you have a lot of time available, I would likely recommend you focus on a polarised approach to your training. A minimum of 10 hours per week, but ideally more than 15, and you could easily see weight loss. Of course, you are only spending a small amount of time at high intensity, the rest you spend at low intensity, with very little, if any, time spent at a moderate (threshold) intensity.
Why would I not recommend using this method for those with less than 10 hours per week? Simply that it is unlikely you will see consistent and longer term weight loss, or performance gains, from spending a higher proportion of your time at a higher intensity, where you will likely struggle to recover adequately. Nor will spending so little time at low intensity have much benefit either.
Low intensity
You’ve probably heard “if you want to burn fat, you need to train in the fat burning zone”. While not untrue, there are some limitations behind this. The biggest of which is simply that you do not burn that many calories cycling at a low intensity, especially for short periods of time.
If you have more than 15 hours per week to train, then you will probably be able to burn enough calories to see sufficient weight loss, but this might be detrimental to overall cycling performance.
I very rarely use solely low intensity training with clients, they have to have a specific reason for this as there is significant value in having a small portion of training at a higher intensity. 80:20 in favour of low intensity balances the right amount of training for both weight loss and performance gains.
Moderate (threshold) intensity
This is probably the most suitable method to use for the modern day amaetur cyclist. If you have less than 10 hours per week, and you want to lose fat weight, a threshold based approach to your training is what I would recommend.
Not only is a threshold based approach to your training a wiser move from a performance perspective, when you have limited time, but it will actually burn the most calories too. Some might believe that a higher intensity approach burns more calories, but you simply don’t burn many calories when you are recovering – which you are doing a lot off too when training at high intensity. Overall, you always burn more calories from a more sustained effort.
There are reasons I wouldn’t use this method with some cyclists who have less than 10 hours per week, the biggest is their approach to nutrition, for example, a cyclist on the keto diet is unlikely to be able to fuel this sort of training, which relies heavily on glucose/glycogen/carbohydrates for fuel.
I might also opt for another method with cyclists who struggle with overconsumption. Anyone with a history of over eating, rapid weight gain, or addiction, might struggle with the cravings for carbs that this method sometimes brings on. This is symptomatic of training at this intensity while also aiming for a calorie deficit.
Nutrition
This will be a brief look at the key components of nutrition when trying to lose weight with cycling. Of course, this might be something you are restricted with. As mentioned above, you might be on a specific diet, for example, keto or vegan, which might make certain food groups or macro-nutrients harder to isolate.
I’m also going to breeze over protein. Provided you are eating 20-30% of your calories from protein – the more calories you eat the lower your percentage from protein – your body will be supported enough to lose weight. If you are doing this, and not losing weight, your problem is likely elsewhere.
I’m also going to breeze over micronutrition. I’m a huge fan of plant based fueling. Flooding your body with enough nutrients is one of the biggest keys to unlocking the fat loss door. It goes without saying that eating healthy is not just the key to cycling performance gains, it is the key to weight loss too.
Periodised nutrition
One of the big mistakes cyclists make when fueling is eating the wrong macro to fuel the training they are doing. Matching your nutrition to the methodology you use is the most effective way to ensure that your body is ready to release its fat stores for fuel.
For cyclists who use a threshold approach to their training, fueling with a diet rich in carbohydrates is wise. These carbs provide the necessary fuel to recover and will be fundamental in long term weight loss. We do want this to be a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix.
For cyclists who use a polarised or low intensity approach, I would recommend looking closer at fueling and perhaps engaging in a diet higher in fats and lower in carbs. This will help encourage fat burning, reduce hunger cravings, and shouldn’t negatively affect high intensity training (if completed), due to the relative short periods of time where carbs (glucose) is used to fuel muscles.
Calorie deficit
Regardless of how you train and what you eat, you will need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. While it is a little more complex than burning more calories than you eat, the fundamentals are true.
A common mistake cyclists often make is being in deficit every day. This won’t promote long term weight loss and there will likely be a frustrating plateau which will be hard, if not impossible, to overcome. I often recommend only being in deficit on certain training days. Usually, I would recommend eating more than a cyclist burns on recovery or rest days. This balance should help you lose weight over a longer period.
The mentality it takes to lose weight by cycling
If you are a regular reader of my work focused on the mentality behind training and racing, you will know just how big an emphasis I place on spending time training your mind. The same is true for weight loss. The most common reason cyclists (everyone) don’t lose weight while training is simply they fixate too much on it. It is a bit of an oxymoron, but in order to lose weight, you need to stop wanting to lose weight so badly!
Stress is the reason you’re struggling to lose weight by cycling
Stress isn’t just the killer of cycling performance, it is the weight loss killer too. We are hardwired to hold onto sources of fuel and breakdown muscle at times of stress. It is really only the last 50 years or so that we (most of us) have an almost unlimited source of food. Before that we would have periods where we would eat less and periods where we would eat more.
While we might no longer be stressed about where our next meal is coming from, stress still exists. The problem is our body can’t tell the difference and is still reluctant to shed a valuable fuel source, favouring ways in which to bring down energy expenditure instead. Simply put, at times of high stress, your body is more likely to break down muscle than it is to break down fat.
To combat this, focus on the same mentality training I advise for improving cycling performance gains. It is mainly free, very time effective, and well worth the minimal effort.
My top tips to lose weight by cycling
- Use the most effective training methodology that works for your time availability and other goals
- Match your nutrition to your training
- Eat the right amount of protein and plants
- Be in calorie deficit most, but not all, of the time
- Try not to fixate on losing weight
- Relax
Summary
Use the training method and nutrition approach that you can sustain, and keep the focus on becoming a healthier, better-fuelled cyclist rather than chasing a quick fix. If you would like help applying this to your own training, Book a Free Consultation.
Further reading
If you’d like more information to help you with losing weight by cycling, here are some studies I used for this blog.
- A relevant systematic review or position statement on exercise intensity, fat oxidation and total energy expenditure. Supports the distinction between using a higher proportion of fat during easy riding and creating sufficient overall energy expenditure for weight loss.
- NHS healthy weight-loss guidance. Supports the fundamental role of an energy deficit while providing a measured, safety-conscious framing.
