The Two Best Habits to Lose Weight (Based on Science)

Learn the new science-backed way to lose weight with cycling and the surprising truth about why cycling alone might not lead to weight loss-and what simple yet powerful habits can transform your weight loss journey.
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[@lembuabraxas2918]

I lost 40lb after I started riding again over 2-3 years with no diet change. Still had a good amount of belly fat and man boobs though. Four months ago I stopped eating all refined sugars and carbs. That took care of the last 20lb and I no longer look like I need a bra. Edit- I'm 65yrs.

[@wadesellers7748]

Use smaller plate, smaller fork/spoon and eat slowly. I also drink large glass of water prior to the meal.

[@GravelRacer1]

Strength training is key as well. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn. Don't just focus on legs, do full body.

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

As a cyclist you train your legs permanently anyway. So if you do additional weight training at all, it should be for the upper body. Most beneficial are strong core and back muscles as they'll make your position on the bike more stable and relaxed.

[@Thezuule1]

@@einundsiebenziger5488 weight training is a different stimulus to riding the bike though. Runners do weight training for the same reason cyclists do.

[@thankyoujesus2836]

The more muscle you have the heavier you are and the hungrier you are and the more energy it takes to do things.

[@JanDeBaere314]

I am at a negative 1000 kCal on a daily basis (including expenditure through sports) and I am loosing 0.5 to 1 kg per week (1.1 to 2.2 lbs). I am keeping this up now for one year and lost 40 kg (88 lbs). It is hard, but it works! I have another 20 kg to go i.e. another 6 - 9 months. Pure willpower, that's it!

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

congrats, man, but that is extreme. now find something more sustainable.

[@liamodonnell5931]

Congrats! Once there the temptation to “go back” is even worse! Sustainable is key - but wow great job!

[@TheGridmon]

I switched to a smaller spoon for breakfast. It effectively slows me down and helps manage portion size

[@zed5129]

Challenge accepted!

[@andrewmorris5014]

@@zed5129 Honestly, I first switched to a slightly smaller spoon. But now I use a teaspoon unless in a hurry. Maybe you need one of those little toy plastic spoons they used to put in sherbet packets ;)

[@orangeorphan]

Counting calories is the most effective thing I’ve tried. It really does work. I’ve dropped 7 pounds in just a few weeks since I started counting calories, and it’s not even difficult. It’s actually interesting and makes me think differently about how and what I eat.

[@draugmithrin]

NSNG works for me (eliminate all processed sugars and all grains from your diet). I eat mainly meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, Greek yogurt, nuts and non-starchy veg.

[@putrid.p]

Extreme calorie counting is a bit like training in Z5 all the time, whilst sensible eating habits is like high volume Z2

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

You do not have to necessarily count calories, just watch what kind of food you're eating. Reduce processes food and prepare your own food as often as possible. What helped me was just skipping sweet (AE: candy). Like smokers have their cigarettes, I ate (sometimes multiple) chocolate bars, packs of cookies etc. after dinner. At some point I realized, I don't even really like the taste, it's just a habit. I went on cold turkey for a month, not eating any sweets at all and with the same amount of workout I lost 6 kg (14 lbs) during that time and kept my new lower weight ever since. No need for cult-like extreme diets such as vegan or keto, just eat proper food!

[@andrewmorris5014]

This makes good sense. I also went cold turkey and just cut out chocolate which was my weakness. For others it could be coke or sugary milk drinks, or any highly processed sugar loaded food. After a while (a month or so) your palette changes and fresh fruit and even vegetables start to taste amazing. If you go back to sugary things they taste bad at first but you can re-acquire the habit quickly enough.

[@andrewmorris5014]

PS For me to make the health change permanent. I think I need to permanently cut-out or make very occasional the use of sugary/processed foods. This isn't too easy when you rock up to the counter and see a lot of pastries at the end of a hard ride. But the longer you do it the easier it becomes. Also, I do have the occasional one, but very rarely (like once a month or two). Funny thing.. this kinda mirrors my diet as a kid in the 70's where treats even coke was very rare. Almost everyone in the general population was thin then.

[@nekekaminger]

This is really interesting because it 100% reflects the experiences I have made trying (and succeeding in) losing weight over last years. Changing my diet did wonders while being more physically active, while definitely helping me feel more healthy, did pretty much nothing in changing my weight. Here's an additional, easy to do trick that helped me a lot to actually put the "eat less calories" into practice: Shop smarter. You cannot compulsively eat what you didn't buy in the first place. The most important thing here is to always go grocery shopping after you just had a meal. Passing the sweets aisle without putting anything in your basket is so much easier when your stomach is full. And whenever you are about to put something in your basket that you know you probably shouldn't be eating, just take a moment to ask yourself if this will really contribute to your happiness. And if you feel like it will, go ahead, this is not about torturing yourself. But do this even for things that actually were on your shopping list, it helps building a habit. You will find yourself deciding that you don't actually need to buy this to feel good right now more and more frequent without needing to put in a lot of willpower.

[@ryanS593]

I’ve always had a fast metabolism. But recently as I’ve gotten older it’s slowed down. I made a lot of the adjustments you just mentioned into my life about 2 months ago and have lost 9 pounds of weight. I’ve kept processed foods at a minimum and kept an eye on everything I put in my body. I already feel more energetic and lighter up the climbs. These methods really do work. It just takes staying consistent.

[@damianwalker5804]

Portion size may help but content of macro nutrients, food groups ratios are key.

[@andrewhighfield3338]

Really enjoying your straightforward content and approach to training👌

[@semiprocycling]

Thanks @andrewhighfield3338

[@davej3736]

Am I the only one whose parents taught them “small bites, wait between bites”? That was the 50’s and 60’s…did that fade away with the advent of ubiquitous fast food and “super sizing”?

[@mreese8764]

Don't forget strength training. It makes you maintain or grow muscle mass, increases metabolic rate, and keeps you awake over the day in a caloric deficit. 3g Leucine every 2 hours with >7g whey protein will keep your muscle mTor active and reduce appetite. Get some extra protein (7g) and leucine (3g) before and after endurance exercise (cycling) and every 20 minutes during the exercise to protect the muscle mtor (you want to lose fat and not muscles). During strength training safe time by training with "heavy negatives" (get you muscles exhausted in the extension phase and not only contraction) but don't overdo it during a caloric deficit because the muscles won't recover well. So, 1 set of drop sets with heavy negatives at the end should suffice for each muscle group during a cut. If you're too sore, more than 1 day, reduce intensity.

[@_b0h4z4rd7]

Great video, it's always good to know that there are simple answers. Could you provide more information about the food one should eat per week. What kind and what amount of vegetables and fruits per week are suggested?

[@Karan19880]

I have a question. So I am a cyclist, so I eat 2500 calories in a day and I cycle for 3 hours, where I burn 1500 calories. So do you think I am in a calorie deficit? Because we also normally burn calories around 1800 or 2000 just by living, so seeing that, am I on a calorie deficit?? And if not, just tell me how to be on calorie deficit and burn more calories than eating because burning 2500 calories is very difficult. And can you please tell me how many calories you burn in a day? That would really be helpful if you answered because I am just learning things.

[@semiprocycling]

@Karan19880 This is a very broad estimation to give you a starting point, but if you’re calorie counting, you typically want around a 500-calorie deficit at the end of the day for sustainable weight loss. So, if you’re burning 1800-2000 calories just by living and an additional 1500 calories from cycling, that’s about 3300-3500 calories burned in total. To achieve a 500-calorie deficit, you’d aim to eat roughly 2800-3000 calories in a day. Adjust based on your specific goals and how your body responds. But why not try eating right for your cycling and then the tips in this video? If you're monitoring regularly you'll be able to adjust and it will be easier in the long run to maintain.

[@zippy1981dotnet]

I've been counting calories fo three weeks and its been working for me. However, I have ALWAYS been repulsed by the idea of eating slower. I am a person that is always in a rush, and slowing down my mastication honestly ruins the pleasure of eating for me.

[@McGregis]

Ok, so I will share my approach with you, that got me back on the bike again and worked for ME very well. I used to have quite high FTP 300 W till injuries occurred (broken collarbone) and some life changes that kept me off my bike. Anyway, I gained 27 kg on my base weight of 78 kg in very short time. I remember regulating weight when I was in shape was no problem but when you loose 60% of your FTP and form (not longer doing 100 km rides daily) its not that simple Z2 is something where you barely move.... The only thing that got me "fast" back again ware carbs (I got my ftp back to some decent level fast), but weight kept going up..In the past I could regulate my body weight with counting calories, something was wrong. I thought it was my age or something... Anyway. My first approach was just eat less and do more rides, I expected quick results. WRONG.. Then I tried Z2 training, there ware some benefits but still more or less the same, weight kept going up. BTW zone 2 when you are overweight and having only hills around you is impossible. You need flats to do that. Anyway I kept getting over trained very often with no results in weight loss. Then I remembered on my old food diary..When I started cycling years ago I kept food diary for a while (I had 20 kg too much back then) and I mostly ate meat and salads (except breakfast) I ate cereals. That worked for me back then? So I went to extreme and tried keto diet (well almost so called "carnivore" diet in the first week with lots of fat in my meals). I figured there must be something about those ketones or ability to use your own fat, so let's train my body to use fat !!!!!! There you go first 2 weeks 5 kg down and so on and so on.. (I know, some of it was water) but I felt like new. First week I didn't (and couldn't) touch a bike or any sport since body had to switch to "eating" fat AGAIN. I had headache etc. so called keto flu. It was quite difficult to get over it. Then after a week and I half when my body adapted I went on zone 2 rides still no carbs only meat and eggs. (I couldn't do more than zone 2 anyway :) no carbs no power). After 4th week on zone 2 and no carbs power got up again a bit. Then I started introducing small amounts of carbs again into my meals but only on days when I went cycling, always much under expected energy expenditure of a ride adding carbs on a ride. Well that worked very well. Fasting without starving :D Now I'm still loosing weight and feel I have double the power. I can easily do days without carbs and long rides are very enjoyable. There is something about adapting your body to be able to use metabolic system to use fat again. I can do long rides again. I didn't expect such results, keto is like fasting but without starving. Hope this approach finds someone that needs the same radical change.

[@neadster469]

Consistency, movement and water.

[@urouroniwa]

I agree with basically everything here (and I already do all of it), however I'm kind of surprised to see it on this channel. I just burned 2,400 kcal on my bike today. Yesterday was 1,700 kcal. If you are riding significant amounts, this isn't really atypical. If you are riding a couple of hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week, then you have to shovel food in. If I don't eat more than I want, my mood and recovery suffer greatly. No matter how much my body compensates, I can't get by on nothing during the day :-) The odd thing is that while weight loss is actually trivial for me (stop stuffing my face), I personally find it quite hard to manage to lose weight in a controlled fashion. Ideally I'd like to lose about 1 kg a month. Over the course of a year that's 12 kg which is a crap load of weight. But on a daily basis that's only 250 kcal -- a drop in the bucket of my maintenance diet. So my weight kind of bounces around from week to week. I had assumed that most of your viewers (and especially your clients) would be experiencing this kind of problem. While I nothing like a pro, I'm training seriously and I find it weird if people are paying for coaches and not putting in similar kinds of efforts. Perhaps people *still* have problems overeating with that kind of level of activity, but it's definitely difficult for me to wrap my head around.

[@jenHry-ng3pw]

Well you have both real athletes and people who ride twice a week for two hours on a $6k bike trowing around thrash calling themselves "semipro".

[@deanf2259]

@@jenHry-ng3pw They eat far too much on the bike because they think they like the pro's, especially gels or the latte and cake on their 2 hours twice a week. I have lost 12 lbs from a starting weight of by macro tracking, only drink black coffee, green tea and water. My mileage was already very high, 1000 miles a month plus 12 months year. I have replaced oats with greek yoghurt/frozen berries & flaxseed. Cut out bread and eat only real food that I cook and no snacking. I also make sure I hit my lean protein target every day. The simple reality is that is very hard to lose weight, that is lose fat but retain muscle mass. For that reason 90% of people fail. Requires competence, planning, focus, discipline and determination. Very similar to cycling. Not all these fad diets such as keto its complete myth of training your body to burn fat. All nonsense. The only way to lose weight is caloric deficit. You either want to do it or just keep making excuses to why you are still not losing weight.

[@jenHry-ng3pw]

@@deanf2259 i know people who are just clueless and have no idea. For example they don't know what meals contain protein, why they should have it. They only know the number on the scale, if they see it going down, then good, don't think about bf% (half of people dont understand % anyway). It is really difficult con comprehend this level of lack of information. I think basics of nutrition should be thought in schools to give at least a starting point. Most people operat on simple heuristics taken from magazines and ads like margarine good, butter bad, bread bad, pasta good etc.

[@良久薬師寺]

腹八分で，ほぼ毎日サイクリング，3時間やってる74歳． 腹少し脂肪あり．

[@neadster469]

Consistency of movement is the fountain of youth. Way to go sir.

[@TJ-gv4tz]

Have some self control, stop eating all processed food. One ingredient food means no label list of processed chemicals. Consuming sugar is the key to everything. If you do zone 2 riding, you’ll burn fat, not carbs. Gets rid of your visceral quickly. Stay on this plan for 90 days, you’ll be thanking me until you realize you need to buy a new wardrobe 😂

[@WoolyChewbakker]

Spot on. Eat correctly and Zone 2 will win. 😊

[@SteveRuprecht]

Right on. There's a feedback loop with carb consumption and being active. If you replace a lot of fat with carbs you have the energy to do more, the more you do the more likely you'll stay in a deficit. Sure, you won't get the big glycogen/water weight drop at the start but you will see consistent loss over time because you'll have the energy to keep it up. Carbs, consistency, plants, and patience wins.

[@Thezuule1]

A banana is composed of dozens of chemicals most people cannot pronounce. The “chemicals bad” mindset is silly.

[@putrid.p]

​​@@Thezuule1whilst your statement is true, one ingredient foods tend to be less energy dense and more satiating.

[@marklanders630]

I gave up carbs years ago. Running on fat, I never bonk, just keep on running. I don't count calories or track macros I just eat a few pounds of fatty meat a day. My HDL went up and LDL and triglycerides went down. Lost 70 lbs. No longer have high blood pressure or ibs. No longer pre diabetic. Best of all, my chronic back pain is GONE! Follow a proper human diet. There are lots of Drs to follow on the subject of a carnivore diet. Never eat plants. Any plants.

[@andrewmorris5014]

Damian, you've really started quite a thread here - well done! So many of the comments are useful. Hardly feels like youtube :)

[@semiprocycling]

Thanks, @andrewmorris5014. I really appreciate how 99% of the comments on these videos have been constructive and contribute to the discussion. It’s great that we’re all learning together.

[@trialsrob214]

Interesting but curious, why does it really matter if I eat two eggs in two minutes vs two eggs in thirty minutes

[@SwampyDuckRidesAgain3636]

What is working for me is much of what you have described but an anti-inflammatory diet everything cooked from scratch and no UPF. Helps with fatigue too. I did several years ago do a diet with portion control and it was amazing how much I lost doing so about 3 stone!

[@mikecoglione1308]

I gained 15lbs with the birth of our second son we had two little ones and I just couldn't exercise anymore. Picking up alcohol didn't help either. I cut both carbs and alcohol immediately losing about 15lbs. In my mid 30's picked up alcohol again for a few years, packed on 5-10, then quit and started cycling and quit booze for good, losing 10lbs. The last few years in my fitness journey I gained 15lbs and its all muscle. Throughout this whole 15 year fluctuation I described above I still fit in my high school pants. Now I am at my personal heaviest and the waist is the loosest. You cannot out train your eating habits. You are what you eat. The exercise helps sculpt your body but six packs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.

[@sascha6167]

If I cycle and burn 1100-1300 kcl on a single ride, eat normal food about 2500 kcl and drink enough of water. Where did burned kcal goes?? Are my burning kcal fake on my bike computer?

[@Carlos-do2vh]

Balance is everything: LOST 4.5kg in about 10days just sleeping +1hr, only eating candy after going on a ride (and not a hole chocolate bar for fcksake, smthing like a twix or kitkat) and eating more times a day but in decreased portions with food that's doesnt have a massivr caloric density.

[@apair4002]

Everyone has their own body metabolic rate. Either you got great meatbolic rate, medium or low. I am with very low metabolic rate when my age increase. I need to consume very low carbs & sugar, when I go for exercise, I will eat some sugar & carbs but still need to be in calories deficit. My body easily turn sugar & carbs to fat. I am from 38bmi now 25bmi. People got different level of metabolic rate, eat energy based food according to your body metabolic rate & makesure it is balance diet.

[@DennisNowland]

I'm listening to all this, but I know that the elephant in the room is appetite. Why is the weight loss drug working so well ? because it reduces the appetite. It doesn't matter whether you count calories or not but what is not negotiable? is the fact that if you are not in a calorific deficit, you will not lose weight and that is it, just like one and one makes two it is fact

[@jc10747]

Appetite is also about the glucose-insulin-craving system. A glucose spike leads to an insulin drop, which naturally tells your body to get more sugar to get out of the slump….thats a craving. So most inactive people are surfing that wave constantly throughout the day…a sugary breakfast leads to a slump, leads to a snack and then drop, then lunch and drop(snooze), etc. For riders or other athletes, the glucose gel or drink is burnt off while riding….but when off the bike, it’s not burnt off and the drop just adds to the tiredness from the cycling workout….it seems natural to hit the couch in the afternoon, after a big lunch, to recover from the morning’s hard ride, but that “recovery” is also an insulin bonk too. So save anything that devolves into glucose for feeding on the bike, and eat anything veggie as a starter for any meal (hard to do at a Java shop) so that the veggie creates a mechanical barrier that slows down the passage of glucose into the blood and therefore reduces the insulin reaction. Search “Glucose Goddess” to find the research etc.

[@jenHry-ng3pw]

1) eat slowly, because your brain takes 20 min to process you have eaten something. 2) low caloric food, usually high water content, like fruit, vegetable, lean meat etc., not nuts, chocolate, butter etc. 3) avoid highly palatable food, because it is hard to overeat on plain potato and unsalted meat etc. It takes some time to adjust, but after some time even dark secale bread tastes sweet, so you start to perceive the diet as ok. It is basically doing the opposite of what fat people do.

[@andretremblay993]

GLP1 will absolutely help but cycling will 2x improve the result of GLP1 … I lost 80+ pounds with cycling and GLP1.

[@Superdouwe990]

Couldnt they at least put Theory after EREC?

[@StephanieLuff]

2:25 interesting that I started failing workouts when I dropped to 29kcal/FFM (unknowingly, just did the math now)

[@semiprocycling]

Hey @StephanieLuff, I'm glad we have these numbers. It’s really telling that you started struggling when you dropped to 29 kcal/kg FFM-this confirms that it's a pretty critical threshold. 29 kcal/kg FFM is really the lower limit, and as you’ve experienced, dropping to that level can lead to performance issues. The 30-45 kcal/kg FFM range is typically only recommended for short periods during a well-structured weight loss program.

[@19dalton81]

Back from trip around europe, ate like crazy, lost 8kg. Then smoking weed for 10 days gained 4kg

[@haveallbeentaken]

I hear you brother

[@Innogrouphongkong]

Eating carrots with hummus (approx. 87 of them) while watching methods on how to lose weight

[@isokabooks3758]

Super-sized portions

[@bivibikebaggins]

Moved on to keto and fasting along side increasing my cycling and strength training

[@Joiedevivredesilives]

Keto works short time till it starts bunging up your colon

[@bivibikebaggins]

@@Joiedevivredesilives not really and issue if your do it right

[@Joiedevivredesilives]

@@bivibikebaggins I think I found what works for me I was in a walking challenge and started walking minimum 10 miles and upto 35miles and bing bosh bang I am losing weight....

[@bivibikebaggins]

@@Joiedevivredesilives still a young fella then

[@einundsiebenziger5488]

Keto is more of a cult than an actual diet. Or as runner Frank Shorter, Olympic Gold medalist in the marathon put it: "Low-carb is for people who do not want to contract a muscle ever again".

[@Simon-xi8tb]

Just be on your bike 7hrs/day and you will lose weight

[@OGillo2001]

BATMAN

[@onlyfoolriding8223]

Yep, I was riding 6-7 hours a week, but was eating fast food every day during lunch. Guess what? I still put weight on. So, I cut that shit out, rode more, and started eating salads . . . guess what? I lost weight very consistently. Everything is marketing. Just eat less, and eat healthier. It's that simple.

[@johns3106]

Easy…ride a little more, eat a little less.