How Far Do I Need To Ride To ACTUALLY Burn Off A Big Mac?

[@gcn]

🍽What food should we try and burn off next?! Let us know 👇

[@fuzzyjaeger9739]

Shish kebab..

[@kpsig]

A full Salami Pizza, finished with a crème broils and an espresso.

[@kirkkiddy]

A chicken Parmo from Teeside

[@verdeboyo]

A vindaloo with extra naga!

[@TheMachoGabacho]

Pizza, because Zwift tracks how many slices you’ve burned, and you should do some science to see how accurate they are.

[@TangibleBelly]

It's always astonishing to me how you can put out ~350 watts on average and still easily maintain a conversation. I'd be wheezing, trying to stop my heart jumping out of my chest lol

[@gordonhenderson1965]

Apparently from earlier episodes it was explained people like Si, (as well as the majority of pro cyclists) are genetically predisposed to supplying huge amounts of oxygen to their muscles. When I hear it put that way, it makes me more at ease with my own ability (which is nowhere near Si)

[@TangibleBelly]

@@gordonhenderson1965 Yeah I've heard about VO2 MAX as well. I read that the average in men is about 40 ml/min/kg while professional cyclists can get up to 88/89. Insane

[@Tom-ol5zz]

right? As soon as im close to 200w I feel like im gonna throw up haha

[@CatManDoSocial]

I was sitting here thinking the same thing. My true 1 hour FTP is 186 watts and I've been a serious rider for almost 30 years. So much of the time I watch videos like these and wonder why I'm such a weak rider. It's nice to hear that I'm not alone.

[@garysladek9110]

Si, 340watts for 50 minutes,in the rain, his response: "Wow, that was good fun." HA!

[@nienkerk1]

It would be cool if you interviewed a nutritionist and trainer from a world tour team and ask them about food and training and how to plan and eat during a training block.

[@gcn]

Great thinking! We'll see what we can do 👀

[@jonathang3087]

I'd dispute "counting calories doesn't work" as a conclusion. It may not be possible to be fully and scientifically accurate, but from my experience counting calories coupled to a calorie target is the only way I can lose weight. Every time I've slipped on that I've got heavier again. This was independent of my fitness levels: I was at the fittest I've ever been after taking up cycling in lockdown, but after I'd reached a weight goal and stopped calorie counting I got slowly heavier again - despite being at my most physically active (I'd got up to cycling 100mi by the end of lockdown and maintained that streak for 18 months). So for me, weight loss and fitness are different: I can't lose weight by just exercising more, I have to do it by also having a calorie target, with any calories from exercise being added on to a baseline (which is 1500 a day if I'm trying to lose, 2000 a day to maintain). Whether or not those numbers are truly accurate is irrelevant in terms of effectiveness, they are the ones I know work.

[@James-rf2ln]

It’s not “devoid of nutrients” it has protein, fat and carbs (literally ALL your macro nutrients)

[@disgruntledtoons]

The upshot is that it takes a gob-ton of aerobic exercise to work off excess weight. I have found that the key to weight loss is to increase the rest metabolism, and the best way to do this is to increase muscle mass, and the best way to do that is through weight training.

[@TimothyFish]

Saying that it is devoid of nutrients is probably inaccurate. The balance of nutrients may not be ideal, but there is a lot there.

[@vinmando824]

Exactly. The "basically devoid of nutrients" comment was an odd thing to say.

[@DanieldelaGarza]

Counting calories is more about the limit you put yourself on a daily basis than the actual amount of calories you burn each day. Maybe it's not mathematically accurate but the effect of controlling your calorie intake is the beneficial part of the process that actually starts to make results as you progress each day.

[@gregfisher216]

Very Interesting Simon !Where does this leave we 70 year old cyclist with bad backs , a bit of a spread and can't afford a power meter ?

[@garycrays6667]

Ride as much as you can and watch what you eat.

[@michaelmappin4425]

Counting calories is the only way I've really been able to control my diet and lose weight long term.

[@Bonky-wonky]

Good to know since I usually end big rides with either a veggieburger and fries or at the kebab shop for a falafelburger.

[@thomas1644]

One thing i've always wondered about this topic: What you are measuring on your power meter and multiplying by 4 is strictly the amount of energy that your body is using DURING your workout. But after a hard ride, its easy to tell that your body is tired, and is still working to recover from your workout for hours or days to come. Does that recovery use a significant amount of energy? Is there a practical way to approximate this? If so, I think it would be fair to include that number in the "calorie counting" thought process.

[@StainFPS]

I’ll make it simple for everybody: 1 hour of cycling at 20kmh/22kmh burns around 500kcal, easy for you, only 2 hours of cycling at touring pace will anihilate that Maxi Best-off menu.

[@rwstavros]

i might have missed it, but it takes more calories to move bigger people the same distance. Now, if a bigger person moves the same distance in the same amount of time, the calorie consumption goes up. For example, a person walking or running a mile requires the same number of calories. The time it takes is obviously faster. Now, me at 255 pounds and 72 years old, consumes a lot more calories than Simon to go the same distance. i average about 22 kilometers an hour. However, i don’t look as eloquent as Simon!!

[@bivani]

I think it is beneficial to have a rough estimate of the calories you put into your body. May be count diligently for a week or two and when you have got a better understandingof your diet, just keep an eye on it. It will help with controlling your appetite for junk food. Specially over 50 it is almost impossible to out train a bad diet.

[@toite3x3ninjah]

This answered so many questions for me. Thank you

[@spaghettibadger647]

"You can't out train your fork" and "abs are made in the kitchen" are maxims in the gym for a reason

[@stuartfrancis519]

Can we get a what Si eats video? As a fellow vegetarian I'm curious how he manages Gluten intolerance as well

[@lukewalker1051]

Interesting, thanks Si. PS. as an American and a fitness nut who may make it to the age of 70 this April due to not eating McDonald's, I can state with some certainty, McDonalds is to be credited for global population control.😉

[@markosz22]

The entire American standard diet can be credited for that.

[@BarkTheAlliedGiant]

I would have liked to see what a caloric estimate model from heart rate, body weight, age, etc. was compared to the actual power put thru the pedals. In the article, you mentioned it could be 40% out. Any chance a video was already made on this subject?

[@keizersoze907]

Wonderful video. I feel the video is more focused on fitness and if you are trying to gain fitness you shouldn’t eat ultra processed foods as this entire process would be a waste of time and effort.

[@jeffduncan02]

Interesting information. But I disagree with one point; from a pure weight loss standpoint, it is absolutely about calories in vs calories out. It's math. Does that by itself address overall health, no. Look up the study where a Dr did a diet of primarily Little Debbie cakes and lost weight because of his reduction in calories. Also his LDL and HDL levels improved over the period as well.

[@wjp555]

Great video. I LOVE it that GCN is based in Bath.

[@michaelmacabata8037]

nice content!! keep it up GCN!!

[@brendanl6492]

Not a single scene of Si actually eating that burger lol

[@frankling9840]

Perfect, i can happily enjoy two bigmacs after the weekly Sunday club run 50mile beasting....

[@philipflanagan1478]

never been in fast food shops or take aways

[@sybreeder86]

US Website: Big Mac is 590kcal by itself French Fries (Medium) 380 kcal Medium Cola 210 kcal data from mcd website 1210kcal rounded up Polish mcd website Big Mac 544kcal by itself Medium Fries 327 In other words calories can cary. I'd stick to highest one.

[@BenSuzi1980]

90% Depends on the genetics so^^ For example i could eat 10 of them and not gain weight lol, i would just not need to eat for 2 days so its balanced basicly ^^ but ur body should tell u usually^^

[@pirotehs]

Is better bicycles better for burning calories? They are better for competition and going faster, further. But riding worse bicycles will require more energy to ride it. No? Put a driver on different bikes, different surfaces etc for an hour and find out when he spent more energy! Flat route or with hills.

[@Akadehmix]

The fact that you didn't have a clue about when McDonalds started serving big macs is enough to tell me how much healthier you are than me LOL

[@iliakus]

what I was wondering, thanks

[@patrickwong4824]

Did you include the calories from the ketchup?

[@humpy125]

To burn those calories an unfit rider that weighs the same as Si only needs to ride the exact same course as Si though.

[@mattszrejter6785]

Great video. I like the new content. 😊

[@ajbcollectables]

I think the message about calories not mattering is dangerous nonsense. The fact of the matter is that whether a person gains, maintains or loses weight depends entirely on the energy balance - calories in vs calories out. Sure, it's difficult to count calories accurately and the actual bio availability of the calories varies from food to food but just because something is difficult and inexact doesn't mean it's not valuable. Anyone wanting to lose weight has to get to grips with that energy balance and put themselves in a calorie deficit, they can use whatever they want from portion control to intermittent fasting to eating only brown foods when the wind is in the west but no calorie deficit, no weight loss. It's that simple.

[@ianball7559]

Do they not sell the McPlant in Bristol?

[@davidburk4062]

Great video Si. I hope that you plan to a follow up video to take it one step further by defining better options of monitoring than caloric intake. There are so many opinions on weight lose and strength training. It would be nice to have something geared towards the beginner/intermediate cyclists

[@worldstallestmidget]

Well a fit rider has to start some where! As long as you’re not in the couch! And I am a fatso!

[@MyUniverseSuckAss]

I have found eating enough calories to match my daily consumption is hard. When in training I go to carb/protein-drinks to fill the missing. Add to that, gaining weight, which I'd like to do, is even harder in combination with cycling. (I'm currently 63kg, 186cm, almost 40 years old). I have set a target of 5000kcal/day, to not loose weight.

[@justinschultz4325]

My non cyclist wife asked me numerous questions during this video. It prompted a nice conversation. Well done.

[@gcn]

Prompting conversation and entertaining 🙌 That's what love to hear!

[@JMcLeodKC711]

The message, as always, is you can’t out train a bad diet

[@joerenner8334]

That isn't a bad diet though. That is worse than a bad diet. No one into cycling and fitness eats shit like that.

[@mcmarshallcluhan6884]

bad take - everyone who exercises does this i.e. they eat more than a sedentary person at the same weight & similar baseline tdee. This 1000 calories is maybe 300 more than what a "healthy" lunch would require, which means that burning off 1000 calories isn't even the task at hand.

[@vgd2]

Um, he literally did out-train it.

[@davezzzz172]

Yes, and it didn't even take him that long.@@vgd2

[@cokebottles6919]

I do out train a bad diet several days a week. It’s a large part of why I love cycling.

[@lukeduke1212]

I lost 25 kg 3 years ago and kept my weight under control by counting calories. Of course its not perfectly precise but its better than nothing. You also have to look up up the calories of your food and knowing is the first step of avoiding and finding better alternatives. In the loosing weight phase I didn't have a power meter so my rule was to not count during the rides. Also don't use any numbers from the Interne just count what you are eating for a month or so to get your personal baseline. Then you can reduce calories.

[@Omar411269]

Fastest weight I ever dropped was with intermittent fasting; one meal a day and I can eat whatever I want and however much I wanted. 50lbs down over 5 months. It wasn't really sustainable long term but, at least for me, calorie counting never got me any results. I was just always starving. With one meal a day my body just adjusted to expecting the big meal at the end of the day and wouldnt bother me any other time. No wonder religious rituals like fasting Ramadan have encouraged it for hundreds of years. Edit: The end goal is to eat less calories than you need. The massive variety of diets and methods are basically how do you distract from the hunger. Some people can just psych themselves into looking at a label and deciding "wow thats more than I thought. no more!" and for them calorie counting might work. I know for me and many others that never worked. I was just starving all the time label be damned.

[@nathanielhough96]

I've come to the realisation that calorie counting can work for some people *mentally*, and would probably work for all people *physically*, at least to lose weight. However as already suggested, what matters is what your mind and body are able to accept. So I rephrase it as "calories in Vs calories out". A person *can* out-train a bad diet, but not everyone can. It's again physical Vs mental - if everyone had a personal trainer telling them to exercise until they'd burned off more calories than they'd eaten, they'd all (probably) lose weight. And this gets to the crux of it - all diets are just a way to reduce the amount you eat Vs the amount you burn.

[@doktorhunggari4415]

If you people would just prepare your own Whole Foods you wouldn't be struggling with obesity. It's that simple✌️

[@Omar411269]

@@doktorhunggari4415 I grew up in North Africa where we only had access to farm fresh whole foods and obesity was widespread so, no, it isn't that simple.

[@spingus7091]

Right --we might not know the actual calories of food items, but tracking the declared values and noting what we eat helps us stay the path of intentional eating. Without having daily caloric/nutritional goals and documenting progress towards them, it's very easy underestimate what we eat or slide in a 'wafer thin' biscuit...

[@LasseDalegaard]

"Counting calories does not work" I'll have to challenge this very binary statement. After trying to lose weight for a year, I started counting calories mid November. I would track my input and use my watch to track calories burned, and kept strictly to a .5kg/week calorie deficit. I didn't change my diet at all, but simply ate less or exercised more so I hit the calorie target. I lost almost exactly a half kilo per week, and now, after a slight Christmas holiday uptick, I'm sitting at 95 kg - 4 kg less than mid November when I started this. Maybe calorie counting doesn't always work, but certainly it sometimes does! I would have loved to see a more nuanced take on this part :)

[@glenni249]

Yeah that was a massive oversimplification with that statement. Sure there's ways to make counting calories ineffective, but ensuring you consume less calories than you use in a day is going to result in weight loss.

[@jzhu623]

How did you control for water weight? My weight can fluctuate between a range of 10lbs within a single day.

[@abedfo88]

You can also intermittent fast as well. Skip breakfast for a similar effect.

[@AdrianWells]

I agree. Counting calories is a reasonable tool for weight loss. Saying it doesn't work is like saying keeping a budget doesn't help you save money.

[@LasseDalegaard]

@@jzhu623 I weigh myself only in the morning, and I've found the fluctuations day to day become relatively low. The most I've seen it fluctuating is 1.5 kg after a big meal the day before. There'll still be small fluctuations, but the overall trend is what matters.

[@Greg41982]

The problem with the simplification of "don't count calories, they don't matter" is that it assumes that people who want to lose weight will be interested/equipped to use all of the different techniques available for health improvement. I've been in cardiology for nearly 20 years now, and I can say that people just don't stay with things that are even mildly overcomplicated. I don't usually tell my patients to count calories, but I do say "eat food, just eat half." I also have a tripartite slogan of "Eat Food, Not Too Much, Mostly Plants." The patients that follow simple advice often lose weight. The folks that track everything on their phones, use apps, read books, make it a pseudo-hobby, do well in the very short term, but unless you really get gritty and grindy, it just doesn't stick. I think that the advice of not counting calories is great advice for those that already have an established baseline and want to do much better, but one walk around town will tell you that those are not the majority of humans currently.

[@jazzcatjohn]

Calorie counting does work. It worked for me. But I stopped counting after three months when my body was used to a certain amount of calories per day. Obviously, there's a lot of other factors to consider.

[@gcn]

Do you think that Calorie counting was a gateway into a more healthy lifestyle for yourself? 🤔

[@jazzcatjohn]

@@gcn Definitely. Early on I realized that I could eat more healthy foods that contain less calories. For instance, instead of snacking on chips like I used to do in the evening before bed, I now eat some grapes or strawberries or something healthy that contains a lot of water that makes me feel full. Eventually, I realized that cutting out white rice and bread, especially on non-riding days made it much easier to lose and maintain weight. I've maintained a healthy lifestyle for about two years now and it all started with counting calories along with riding my bike.

[@bozzie_]

@@jazzcatjohnI think the rub is that GCN is getting to is that people assuming because you Burn X you can Eat X, whereas you should count and maintain your calories of your diet mostly irrespective of the exercise you do, otherwise you’ll be tempted to overeat based on a potential overestimation of calories burnt.

[@TKBedford]

I want a Big Mac now

[@MrRay645]

Counting my calories, not drinking any calories, good food vs junk, and lots of bike riding I went from 248lbs to 174lbs in a little over a year. burn more than you eat (takes counting) and make sure what you eat is good for you. I work outside in the heat and was shocked how many calories I was drinking with in so called sports drinks and juices :O

[@gcn]

It's easy to get wrapped up in calorie intake with the amount of food us cyclists consume - You should always prioritise fuelling over calories, you'll find better long term results if you fuel properly and stay within your limits. We've got some great videos on proper fuelling 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmLRdGmvibeLq6M

[@ChromeLuxx]

I cut out sugar, eat nutritious foods (I’m vegetarian, not vegan) and can eat as much as I please without counting. Try it and what you’ll find is the food is cleaner burning, tastes way better than the salt/sugar/fats rubbish, you’ll feel great and your health will thank you!

[@hberg321]

What do you end up drinking at meals? I let my diet and fitness go completely years ago and would order takeout (Seamless) always with at least two sodas or a 2 litter bottle. That's always high calorie / high fat and salt food and I drank a LOT of soda. I've switched to small-portion, fresh, ready to eat meals now (from Freshdirect) so the food I eat will be MUCH better but I haven't found a good beverage to replace the soda. Wine I think is pretty much as bad as soda in terms of calories but isn't suitable for chugging at the same rate as soda so I would drink *less* of it but two glasses per meal is probably not a good idea. Water is too boring, gatorade just seems weird. Maybe I'll try tea.

[@drucejnr]

@@hberg321mate, get a sodastream and make your own sparkling water at home. Don’t add any juices, syrups, cordials, nothing. Just straight, fizzy water. Trust me when I say this, you’ll get hooked on it in no time. Flat coke tastes terrible, it’s the bubbles that make you enjoy it.

[@clonkex]

Wow, good on you. I'm on a similar journey but using one meal a day since I find it very effective and quite easy.

[@JustJosh07]

Counting calories most certainly works! It’s a very effective tool to use, to try and lose weight. Even if your estimations are slightly wrong, the act of becoming more aware of what foods are calorie dense, and what foods are more ‘calorie friendly’, empowers people to make better decisions. Counting and being more aware of what energy goes in, is VERY effective! It’s when people try to estimate how much energy they’ve expended, and offset that by consuming more energy, is when the wheels come off.

[@Cid0484]

It REALLY bugs me, that their conclusion from "it is not 100% accurate" is "it doesn't work". Nobody knows 100% exact how many calories you are burning in a given day. But if you have a good estimate of how many you have burned and how many you have eaten, calorie counting most CERTAINLY works!

[@craigg9742]

Agreed. Not perfect doesn't mean it isn't useful and doesn't work.

[@alex.pozgaj]

I suppose it was just an "angry comment bait" by GCN, to appease the algorithm.

[@markosz22]

@@alex.pozgaj No, calories alone are the dumbest metric to be used for anything. Your body is not a mechanical furnace that works on "calories in, calories out" in a constant pace. It's a living organism that's influenced by hormones, bacteria, etc.. If you only change calorie intake, your body will adjust to that level.

[@davidf2281]

Agreed that counting calories does work; the problem is that unless you're okay with noting down everything you shovel into your face for the rest of your life, it's not great for maintaining weight loss long-term. I always end up putting the weight back on as soon as I stop.

[@whiskeytuesday]

GCN asking the real questions 🎉

[@stevedouglas3975]

Can only assume that is a sarcastic comment as it should be.

[@gordonhenderson1965]

@@stevedouglas3975 Well there was info in it I can safely say that not everyone knew, so It's not a waste of time.

[@stevedouglas3975]

@@cyclingnerddelux698 why do you say that? Come on, this is a rubbish bit of fluff video. GCN produce some good stuff but a LOT of filler as they're understandably running out of ideas so get things like this.

[@KapitanPisoar1]

And providing some really poor answers...

[@kaidean]

I would disagree about Si's last comment about calorie counting not working. About 3 years ago I decided I needed to lose weight and I started by recording every single calorie I consumed. This gave me an idea of how much I was consuming and then how much I needed to reduce. I then continued to do that making sure I was consuming less calories. The amount was irrelevant, all I needed to know was I was consuming less than I was. 3 years on, I am still very conscious of how many calories I consume on a daily basis. I found that by counting calories reset my mindset about food and I am now a lot more careful about what I eat. One other thing, while I know the amount of calories burnt shown on my watch (even after being on Zwift with a power meter) is not accurate at all, it helps motivate me to push harder and go longer.

[@JohnL9013]

100%. I literally overcame obesity myself by counting calories. It works.

[@thebrowns5337]

most people seem to know he's wrong. At least this channel is consistent

[@lustontranslation]

I have lost 29 lbs. counting calories, so it works for me. 😉

[@tobias834]

@@JohnL9013 I think what was meant was not calories counting does not work at all, but its not a 100%, because 1. tracking your burned calories might be off to 10-20% and eating calories might also be off with 10-20%. So for example, the smartwatch shows 1000 calories burned that might be only 800. And now you eaten a meal which should be 1000 calories, but that might have been 1200. Nonetheless if you plan for a 1000 calories gap for example which would be a loss of 1 kg a week, you still will loose weight ofc as the gap is just that big enough. Planning for 200 calories loss a day might be harder to really hit.

[@muffythevampirelayer]

I agree. It gives a guide and makes one more aware of intake and the need to restrict it if you want to lose weight. I view it like a bank account. The more you put in, the fatter it gets and the more you spend, the less it gets.

[@rogersimmons8788]

If you have ever watched the film 'Falling down' (starring Michael Douglas), you may have been able to follow his example and got the big mac before 11am!

[@MarriedWithBackpacks]

I lost 15 kilos while counting calories and exercising. It may not be the best way to lose weight, but it certainly helps putting a stop on snacking. I think its more a mental game where suddenly you are very aware of what you are eating and thus limit the amount and sort of food you consume. So for anyone getting discouraged about Si saying it's not an effective way of losing weight, take it with a grain of salt. It works, maybe not because the calories are accurate, but it helps because you are thinking about what you consume.

[@randyprovost6068]

Well done video! After 30 + years of medical practice I submit that calorie counting is variably effective depending on patient insight, motivation and other individual factors. I suggest that declaring it ineffective is and oversimplification.

[@z00011001]

Dumb answer.

[@jamesbyrd3740]

It's not an oversimplification. It's just wrong.

[@Madmaverick101]

I disagree with Si in that I do think that counting calories has its place, if only that it makes me conscious of what I'm eating and in what quantities I eat. In that way, calorie counting helps me live with moderation! Thank you for a super informative show, as always!

[@gcn]

If counting calories makes you lead a healthier lifestyle that's awesome!

[@Avioto]

@@gcn Guys you have a massive audience here on KZbin and if you had any sense of responsibility you wouldn't just throw blanket statements out there like "calorie counting doesn't work" and leave it at that. It's quite disappointing.

[@christophernichols4892]

It's definitely a nuanced topic. It's been touted as the be all end all method, but it does have definite limitations. Lots of people have success from counting calories and that is great! It doesn't work for others and that's not an indictment on it as a method, just that it doesn't work for everyone. I'm glad that it works for you!

[@HAILborgir]

Can you turn the message so that when you get better, stronger and faster with cycling, you need to think more about nutrition during ride? Like I'm big tall rider and I have to eat like a horse on fast and long (100+km) rides so I don't bonk out😂@@gcn

[@bobgray1555]

I'm averaging about 350 watts these days but sadly 250 of that is courtesy of bosch 😉. Still, it gets me out there and I love it. As for Macs - don't bother. A healthy diet with exercise is the only way. Love the channel 👍

[@Thezuule1]

Calories in, calories out. It isn’t just a suggestion, it’s the law.

[@lordraiden5398]

I would like to know how much does age and metabolism have to do with this equation?

[@JBR.1974]

if youre going off just poower and not heart rate, surely that isnt an accurate count as the rest of your body/muyscles and working too and therefore bruning calories

[@andrasszabo1570]

Yeah, for almost all people the background operations like having your heart beating, brain operating, glands working, etc. consume the most energy in a day.

[@bobrong9645]

@@andrasszabo1570 Well, yeah, but wouldn't that be true whether you train or not? I suppose if the answer was 12 hours doing nothing (depending on your metabolism, obvs) would be far less interesting on this channel.

[@sebastianiglesias9266]

Counting calories work. The problem is having the ability to count properly.

[@qwerty261]

Counting calories does work. I lose 6kg every hill climb season just counting calories. When I stop counting it goes back on 😊

[@tomtreece4081]

My understanding is that in order to lose weight you must burn more calories than you take in. If that is true, then counting calories does matter.

[@hoser7706]

That is waaaay less time to butn those cslories than I expected. Loved this video!! Had no idea Si was a vegetarian. For long?

[@golfstud88]

Great video and super informative. Si, as a fellow Celiac, would love to see a series around the effects of food allergies/sensitivities on cycling performance. Maybe some tips and tricks for endurance events where we don’t have the luxury of just picking up food wherever.

[@nicosq]

I don't have any food allergies but this would be super interesting!

[@timdechiller20]

As someone with a Celiac girlfriend (cyclist) any food allegies tip/tricks would be very welcome. We need those coffee breaks.

[@gcn]

We'll see what we can do ... watch this space 👀Do you have any go to celiac friendly cycling fuel?

[@timdechiller20]

@@gcn Dates are a good go to. Delicious, but very sticky.

[@golfstud88]

@@gcn Have been fortunate enough to find some gluten free energy gels and Stroop Waffles. Safe bet is always rice cakes though and the occasional banana (if you can stomach it).

[@aliancemd]

The fact that you burn more calories as you get fitter while maintaining your perceived effort is new to me. When I was doing athletics professionally, we did struggle to maintain my weight - my mother was worried and regularly(between big meals) gave me just plain butter on bread to try to add some weight.

[@luukrutten1295]

If its actual butter and actual quality bread its still preferable over big macs. However getting a good honest quality bread ( not this supermarket long shelf stuff ) is no easy feat in some places.

[@donwinston]

Morons, including some doctors, will tell you that you get more "efficient" and burn fewer calories as you get fitter making exercise useless in losing weight. Energy is a function of mass and speed. Has nothing to do with physiology/biology. Calories is energy. Some people whine about this claiming the human body is not a machine. Yes it is.

[@alex.pozgaj]

It was actually said that you are *not* burning more or less calories as you get fitter. A fitter person can output more watts per hour, that's the only reason why it takes less time for a fitter person to burn off the same amount of calories. If a trained and an untrained person both cycle at 100W, their caloric expenditure will be pretty much the same.

[@kooooons]

​​@@alex.pozgaj ...but for the trained person 100W for an extended period of time is outright boring and for an untrained person it's challenging. So at a *similar difficulty level* (or 'percieved effort' as OP said), the trained person will in fact burn more calories.

[@nevilleneville6518]

I've seen a similar thing with professional ice hockey players. They play 82 regular season games in a highly aerobic sport, whilst carrying lots of muscle. Even eating 4 times a day some players will lose 15-20lbs over the course of a season

[@alastairhamilton68]

Always good videos. I’m glad my non returned subscription from GCN+ is being put to good use. I guess we will never see that money?

[@martycurren5350]

I got my refund

[@alastairhamilton68]

Lucky you. I paid in August.... nothing. @@martycurren5350

[@h31sman]

I lost 30+ pounds by counting calories, fasting, & cycling. I also just listened to my body on days I cycled hard. I’d actually be eating much more but weight loss is an iterative process so consistency (in all aspects) is really the key to losing it and burning it. For elite performance, that’s obviously a different story. But hamburgers really get a bad wrap. They’re not that bad for you. It’s a meal filled with protein and carbs. Literally exactly what you need. A McDonald’s burger is not as nutritious as a burger you can make from home, but writing off burgers as bad for you is silly. I keep eating them and keep getting stronger off and on the bike & still maintaining/losing weight despite being at my ideal range.

[@jaked8971]

348w for 51~ mins? Jeez Si is strong

[@Andy_ATB]

Fast - not strong. Strong is lifting weights, not cycling.....

[@Chris.Davies]

Given that a man on a racing bicycle is the second most efficient form of movement on the planet - A VERY LONG WAY INDEED. For those of you wondering what could possibly be No.1 at kilograms carried per kilometre travelled per calories expended, the answer is "a fully laden wide-body passenger jet flying a long haul route".

[@kathysarmcandy1992]

Got a friend that has celiacs, bloody hard at times. I applaud how fit you stay. Inspirational as always. Possibly do a spot on what your specific nutrition in cycling and fitness with the Big C?

[@johnglyn3530]

Yes please as an older coeliac also with dairy and other intolerance I find travel difficult. I carry all my own “snacks” coffee stops are only for simple drinks and eat my own food. I find restricts sportive involvement as very few cater very carefully for coeliacs. You are very impressive please champion coeliacs in cycling a little more👍

[@vipergtsrgt1]

Your Big Mac looks shorter in height than the one we have in the US. I looked up the American version, and ours is 590 calories.

[@astigmatic8978]

Shrinkflation 😕 Ours in Australia is 560 cal

[@Ryan.T89]

I watched a tv show about American vs European food. Apparently a lot of what’s used in American McDonalds to make them bigger etc is banned in most of Europe. That’s why the European stuff is always smaller looking and has less calories.

[@bikeman123]

It's supposed to be 100% beef. Whats the stuff that's banned?

[@Ryan.T89]

@@bikeman123 can’t remember the ins and outs of it, but it was what they added to the beef when it’s being processed and what it’s cooked in. The biggest thing was what way the live stock that’s used for the meet is treated. Farming practices and feeding practices in America used to enhance the beef use substances and methods that are banned in the EU. They also use a significant amount of trans fats added and more saturated fat to it for some reason which they’re not allowed to do in the EU anymore. I think trans fat is actually banned altogether in some EU countries. Their was also something about the ingredients in the bun as well, the US version had nearly double the ingredients and some of the preservatives and flavouring they used where banned in the EU. The one I do remember was the fries, EU versions had 4 ingredients and the US ones had nearly 20 half of which are banned in the EU. If you look it up on KZbin theirs a 30 mins documentary from the UK that explains it all.

[@vipergtsrgt1]

@@Ryan.T89I looked up the ingredients. The US version has a lot more fat and carbs. Both use 100% beef. I think the calorie difference comes down to the cheese and the special sauce. The UK version uses vegetarian cheese vs traditional milk and cream based cheese in the US. The US sauce contains high fructose corn syrup.

[@kippen64]

I lost 45kg without counting calories. This is due to an active job. I can eat what I like within reason and still keep losing weight. Only 2,000 calories per day? It's enough to make me feel hungry. Edited to add that I don't do any formal exercise but do get about nine hours of activity. The bike commute to work and 7.5hrs of commercial cleaning. Could Si please talk about what he eats? I'm a coeliac too.

[@appa609]

The idea that MacDonalds is terrible food is kind of a bad cliche. At the end of the day, its just a hamburger made of bread beef and some vegetables. If you wanta talk ultra processed food it'd be better to look at things like cheetos and twinkies.

[@seraph4581]

Yeah. The problem with mcdonalds is actually just the added sugars and vegetable oil. They're awful for you.

[@lesreed1635]

Riding on Zwift gave me some idea on how far you had to ride to burn a wedge of pizza, a lot more than you think. I know a “ Big Mac” is not a nutritional meal and I make mine worse with their milkshake. I just love the taste. Having one, once in a while as part of a controlled diet won’t do you any harm. I agree with many commentators that watching calories and exercise will contribute to weight loss.

[@stevecochrane5376]

The fitter you are ,the more calories you burn . That is really fascinating. Definity a motivation to simply get fitter and fitter. Thanks Si. A super interesting vid.

[@gcn]

The only way is up 🚀

[@ryoukokonpaku1575]

As they say, you don't get more efficient, you just get a bigger engine. You just use more fuel in exchange for more power.

[@markgunn6680]

But also the heavier you are the more calories you will burn for the same power output

[@porsupuest0]

I would have to say that the final statement that “counting calories does not work” is a gross over simplification and should be retracted as I don’t think that was the purpose of this video at all. I actually think the content was excellent but that statement could be quite a damaging statement for many people trying to lose weight. For context I used to be nearly 23 stone (144kg). Over the course of 18months from Jan 2020 to April 2021, I lost half my body weight (72kg - 11.5st). I did this almost entirely by counting calories. I used my Garmin watch to roughly calculate my daily burn and tried to eat a daily average of 400-500kcal less than that value. The result was clear. Towards the end I added exercise (swimming/biking/running), but that was more about becoming fit, I still stuck to the same calorie deficit throughout. The big take away here is that simply put, if you consume less energy than you burn (even if the calculation is coarse and inaccurate) you will lose weight. Calorie counting can be highly effective to lose weight if it is employed sensibly and consistently. I would agree that it is not an effectual way of managing nutrition/health or even in maintaining an exact weight as the variable noted in this video all play a huge factor. I love GCN content but I must confess that the summary part of this video did frustrate me and I think GCN should be a little more careful of making sweeping statements on such an emotive subject!

[@82vitt]

Working out to be able to eat junk food is never a good idea.

[@9090Glenn]

I closely monitored calories IN - measuring food portions on weight scales - power - distance KM - climbing M - weight - sleep pattern - jogging - walking - over an entire season and attempted to see a direct correlation between the two - you can imagine that lesser exercise and higher caloric meals resulted in weight gain and opposite for more exercise and fewer calories - I kept daily caloric intake to 1925 kcalories for 8 months - and completed 500KM jogging + 4000KM cycling and 250KM walking over that period - what I noticed was that there was not "instant" correlation between these IN - OUT parameters - at times my body would resist weight loss for several days regardless of OUT vs IN and then suddenly drop over successive days with the same OUT and IN - I also monitored several weeks with calorie management alone compared to calorie management with exercise - both lost steady weight but the trend with exercise was sharper and pronounced - it was pretty unforgiving for exceeding daily caloric IN even with the same OUT - so I had to avoid any days of reckless eating for sure but even slightly larger portions were penalised - in short - everyone's body reacts differently to exercise and calories - not only calories but the type of calories you ingest is critical - when exercising I naturally started to crave healthy foods - when not exercising junk food becomes more appealing - the BEST thing you can do is use yourself as a test pilot to see how YOUR body responds - set a calorie intake and HOLD it for months - measuring your food - an extra 100-250 calories mattered for me - and monitor your exercise - I was walking every morning - alternating jogging and riding at night - you need to do minimum 6-12 months and record everything - it is v. discouraging to watch hard workouts go unrewarded but your body has an inherent sense of self-preservation and will defy weight loss which can last over 3-5 days but will then be followed by sudden drops if you stick with it - likewise - your body is trying to maintain itself so will crave and store anything extra you give it - 100-250 calories does not sound like much but your body will store it immediately to resist weight loss - you really have to learn how YOUR body reacts and responds - no two are alike so there is no one size fits all directive - be your OWN guinea pig

[@rnedisc]

I think an important thing to note that when scientific studies say "counting calories is not an effective method to lose weight" is not that it doesn't "work". Technically it absolutely does work. It's simple physics. It probably even works for some people that have the mental capacity for it. A very big part of the problems is that losing weight for humans is largely a mental problem. So that counting calories does not result in significant weight loss over a large data set of humans trying the method. Simply put, counting calories and not eating more than you use works to lose weight, it's just that people are, on average, pretty bad at it.

[@davidf2281]

Exactly.

[@WesternUranus]

"Counting calories doesn't work" Yet another absurd statement to drive up engagement. Unless one breaks the laws of physics, counting calories works fine.

[@magnusbark4886]

As a type 1 diabetic with continuous blood glucose monitoring (CGM), I have learned quite a lot (but not enough) about food during long sessions (sometimes several days). The main takeaway is that French fries are a totally useless source of nutrition: They raise blood sugar little and slowly, but nothing goes into the muscles. Something else I learned is that large amounts of fast food (pizza, kebab platter...) only make you heavy and slow. Another thing I've learned: As long as I'm pedaling, I can stuff myself with lots of fast carbohydrates (soda, candy, cookies) without taking more insulin.

[@ColinHarvey78]

Good, interesting video. I agree that steady state cardio, like cycling, is just about the most difficult way to burn calories and lose weight. The only way to lose weight effectively is a calorie deficit, either by restricting your diet or increasing your expenditure (which is generally harder). So I strongly disagree with your assertion that counting calories is ineffective. When counting calories, yes, it’s not 100% accurate, just as measuring burning calories (through a power meter - you don’t know exactly how many calories your body burns per joule of energy expended) isn’t 100% accurate. So you have to take an average over time. Your body stores energy (e.g. through fat) and uses it as needed, so it too effectively uses an average too. With weight loss, tracking of weight and the look of your body as you reduce body fat and making adjustments as required is the trick to making weight loss through calorie deficit work. Also, increasing metabolic rate is also helpful during weight loss - mainly best done through fitness and increasing muscle mass. On the subject of increasing muscle mass, losing weight alone probably won’t give you the body you’re after - you’ll just end up look emaciated. Much better to work on increasing muscle mass (with associated cardiovascular improvements) as well as going into a calorie deficit. No doubt cycling can contribute positively to that.

[@reubenbryant]

As a newly diagnosed coeliac, just seeing representation within cycling was helpful.

[@ROCKMTHI]

Counting calories is a key component of losing weight. I know I cannot out ride the calories I want to consume. I also know combined with regular exercise less calories is an effective weight loss method. Counting calories is just the method to train yourself to eat less. I am hungry. Do I eat the apple or piece of cake? Thats 80 calories or 300. Its simple math. If you have a calorie deficit day after day your body will burn reserves. You cant gain weight over time with a calorie deficit. It is impossible.

[@paulwestwood3895]

Excellent experiment and now I know why I struggle to lose weight and improve my fitness...I can't put enough power on the peddles whilst eating my Big Mac 😂😂

[@theworkethic]

Why would you even eat something like that in the first place? Weight control starts at what you eat not at how you train. This is an experiment for those chasing their tails around

[@ThisHandleIsAlreadyTaken839]

No, you just eat too many big macs, you can't out train a bad diet

[@fastasasloth]

For a GCN vid, doing well right up until 09:53..... Counting calories doesnt work? Wtaf is he on about? It is the most objective way of trying to achieve a net energy loss to achieve weight loss...

[@oplkfdhgk]

No need to burn it off. It's bulk season baby! 😛

[@KiranMachiraju]

What's this bulk season?

[@petervisser853]

Preparing for that long winter that never comes I guess

[@KiranMachiraju]

@@petervisser853 Ok sir thank you 💐

[@oplkfdhgk]

​​@@KiranMachiraju bulk means eating in caloric surplus to gain a bit more muscle over certain period of time. This is commonly done in winter when people wear more layers of clothing because when people bulk they also gain more fat and that's not something many people want to show. So because of all this winter is called bulk season.

[@SocialHgrenade]

Calories aren't a simply truth but counting calories is a great place to start you journey. Food diary and being aware of what you are eating works. Saying calorie counting doesn't work is too sweeping for a nuanced discussion

[@chrishills7896]

I liked the fact that he pointed out that Calories In are not the same as Calories Burnt and that we are only 25% efficient with a lot of wastage going to heat when we exercise. To burn Fat we really need long exercise times (or keep moving) as we can only burn about 200Cals of Fat an hour. Carbs burnt in exercise should be replaced. We need to eat good Fat (for vitamins etc.) but there is a lot of Fat in a big Mac and Fries - How long a cycle would it take to burn off the Fat in a Big Mac meal?

[@gordn_ramsi]

That surprised me too when I looked it up; always thought humans must be pretty efficient to be able to keep going for such long distances, but that is of course due to efficient cooling more than anything. We are in fact comparable to many machines in efficiency, most cars for example are in the 20-30% range. The savings in carbon dioxide emissions in walking/running/cycling over driving, unlike I thought, has nothing to do with efficiency, but rather the fact that you're hauling about an extra 15x of your body weight when driving. To be fair, cycling is a special case even among human powered locomotion, as it allows very nearly all of the actual work done by the muscles (i.e. the 25% of energy consumption) to be converted into forward motion. In walking there's still a lot of "parasitic work" done and it ends up consuming roughly five times more energy per kilometer compared to cycling (not accounting for the weight of the bike).

[@alex.pozgaj]

I certainly hope that this "counting calories does not work" was just aimed at getting as many angry comments as possible here, and not actually meant seriously. It's a pretty unfair/dangerous method to get the comments though, because it can lead somebody astray. It took me decades of trying out different diets, exactly because of the "counting calories does not work" claims. Finally, 10 months ago, I started counting nevertheless, and I lost 19kg in 9 months. No other means of dieting has ever worked for me as good. So counting calories definitely does work, as will any body builder / fitness enthusiast will also confirm. Yes, it's not 100% exact, nothing is, but within a month or so, you get to fine-tune your caloric tables and find out your expenditure good enough to start seriously losing weight. It also brings you into the "right" mindset and increases the awareness for what you actually eat, and how much of it you put into your body. It's astonishing how little food the body actually needs, vs. how much we all tend to overeat, not even realizing we are doing so. If one is struggling with weight, I can only recommend to start counting. Give it a month of fine-tuning, and most probably you'll see the results.

[@Burke1O1]

Really disappointed to hear you say that counting calories doesn't work. Even if you don't get exactly 1000 calories from a 1000 calorie meal, does not mean you throw the baby out with the bathwater. Counting calories is the most effective way to lose weight. Count calories, weigh yourself every day and put that into an excel. Find your TDEE and eat 500 calories less than that daily and you will lose .5 kg each week like clockwork.

[@ashleyfinn7392]

What a load of rubbish, i lost fuve and half stone by calorie counting.For you to say calorie counting doesnt work is utter garbage.When youve dieted and lost the weight i have,that will qualify you to comment.Good advert for Mcdonalds though,ulterior motives again for this video🤔

[@karelvanoorschot9323]

I didn't knew Si was a vegetartian. Nice! Having people like him, demonstrating that high performance is possible, occasionally mention it will work much better than those pushy types at convincing people to reduce their meat consumption.

[@danmartin9086]

Can't you tell by his gaunt face 😂

[@noName-kn1lx]

Lol good more steaks chicken and pork for us

[@karelvanoorschot9323]

@@noName-kn1lx whatever, I hope one day you realize what horror you're causing for animals and the environment.

[@pedallinraw]

Vegan for better gains 🤗🥰🥳

[@noName-kn1lx]

@@pedallinraw lol

[@Etienne_O]

This video has several claims that aren’t backed by science. There’s a lot of misinformation about nutrition on social media. It’s disappointing to see a channel I like following this trend. Don’t get me wrong, the overall message is good. However, some statements seem to be more opinion-based and don’t quite align with human randomized control trials.

[@colinmckague2656]

I don't think it's fair to say "counting calories is not an effective way of loosing weight". Perhaps it's not the 'most' effective way but it's damn effective if calories are honestly and strictly counted with an understanding of what daily caloric intake an individual requires to lose weight.

[@davidmurray2056]

Food calories are calculated by how much heat is generated when it's dried out and burnt in a lab. Our bodies don't process food by setting it on fire. We are complex biological creatures. A carbohydrate calorie is completely different to a protein or fat calorie to our bodies. You shed some excellent light on the modern view of nutrition and weight management.

[@erek200]

Ummm... Other than protein needed for building and maintaining tissue... The body does essentially burn calories for energy

[@kestralrider313]

Great video, but I will challenge the statement that counting "calories does not matter". There's a lot of youtube videos floating around with similar enticing titles, but within the content itself most are saying that "not all calories are equal". Most scientific studies seem to support this, no studies have suggested the you can get past the fundamental laws of thermodynamics and energy conservation. It might be more accurate to state that the metabolic process is extremely complicated, variable person to person, and includes so many variables that we cannot measure (Cal in our poop?). It is fair to say that you can take any person eating the exact same food every day at a weight maintaining Cal intake you can predict whether they will loose or gain weight as you increase or decrease the daily Cal intake, keeping all other variables constant.

[@danielakerman8241]

We all know how objectively crappy McDonalds is and how bad it is for you. But let’s be honest: we also all know that Si’s favorite part of this video was eating that Big Mac meal!

[@ianlaker9161]

...which in fact he didn't. Watch the whole video.

[@danielakerman8241]

@@ianlaker9161 It was a joke, mate. And I did. What part are you referring to?

[@ianlaker9161]

@@danielakerman8241 The end! When he talks about being vegetarian and using a double for the close up eating shots.

[@jgagnier]

I'm not saying that the Big Mac is a standard bearer for good diet, but it does contain a modicum of vegetables, meat protein and minerals. The rest of the meal is what kills it. Furthermore, even if you do burn off the Big Mac in an hour, that's great, but... you still need to eat *something* for your regular everyday needs. Daily recommended amounts don't take into account that you're going to be riding for a few hours in the afternoon.

[@mountaintruth1deeds533]

You never burn off modern micky dees...those are forever chemicals😳