Losing Weight

[zipadeedodah]

If someone goes from eating "normally" (not ultra healthy, but not particularly unhealthy) and doing no real exercise, to eating the same, but cycling 4-5 miles a day, should they lose weight?

[Bob A Job]

There's a very simple dieting equation that all these dieting fads and exercise plans seem to forget

Energy comsumed Minus Energy Used = Energy Surplus/shortfall

In other words if you eat more calories than you burn off you will gain weight. and if you burn more calories than you eat you will lose weight.

This is in terms of fat though, and muscle weighs more than fat. If you are cycling that much i would expect you to burn of fat and tone up muscle. So lose a lot at first and then level off. You would feel healthier, look better, and be causing less conjestion and polution GO FOR IT!

[twiglet4frog]

I agree, at the end of the day it doesnt matter what u eat so long as u are burning off more calories per day than u eat. what most people dont realise is how much calories everything is, and how little exercise they really do.

To prove u can eat anything and still lose weight a woman recently watched the film Super Size Me all about living on Mcdonalds for a month and decided to do the same and show u can lose weight as well. She memorised the calories of every single product they sell and only ate up to the calories per day recommended every day with moderate exercise similar to an hour in the gym a day. She claims she was able to live on only Mcdonalds food for 30 days eating 3 main meals a day and a couple of very small snacks in between and still lost over a stone in weight. Although dieticians claim she wasnt eating healthy enough in fruit and veg they did acknowledge that weight loss would happen regardless the diet provided the body could burn up the calories quicker than u add to the calories again.

[zipadeedodah]

Two very good answers, thanks guys. That's true Bob A Job, I guess it is pretty simple.  The depressing thing is though that I'll often here things like "20 minutes doing such a such burns off the number of calories in one apple...". If our daily intake should be about 1500, then from what I hear it seems like you need to spend most of the day in the gym just to burn those off!

[jmm]

Good on you for giving it a go.  My eating habits are fairly average like yours but l know that if l walk everyday for a distance of 2 miles (35mins) and change my eating habits slightly l can lose about 1 lb per day.  Not only lose the weight but walking does tone every muscle in your body, it is easier although not as quick as cycling but l find it less stressful on my knees. ankles and butt.  Keep it up.