What is the Most Effective Way to Lose Weight for Cycling? The Science

Losing weight is easier said than done especially as you get leaner. Could manipulating carbs, fat, and protein ratios be the answer? I dive into the science to find out and give you an example of a day of eating to facilitate weight loss and optimal performance on the bike. Thanks for watching!
Pre, during, and post ride nutrition video: • Complete Cycling Nutri...
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The studies I used in this video:
academic.oup.com/ajcn/article...
academic.oup.com/ajcn/article...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...
www.sciencedirect.com/science...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.nature.com/articles/nutd2...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2...
shapeamerica.tandfonline.com/...
www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/1...
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Carmichael Training Systems, Inc, their sponsors, and/or partners.

[@DylanJohnsonCycling]

For those who want more guidance with their training, I've got training plans available here: www.trainingpeaks.com/coach/dylanjohnson#trainingplans

[@joshc1821]

Your basically telling everyone to follow a almost vegan diet. Coach Tom Bell said exactly the same in an article he wrote but people got mad when he used the word 'vegan'. People don't like facts when anyone talks bad about their diets.

[@brauljo]

@@joshc1821 Problem is that being vegan involves more than just not eating animal products, if it's just a diet for health or performance, then it's just plant-based.

[@koreystephens]

I got triggered by the “CAHB THE FAK UP” reference.

[@serhiikhrapin5024]

404 :(

[@ManeITA1979]

Error 404: "Uh Oh! It looks like that page got dropped from the peloton."

[@demacherius1]

I do a high Fat high Carb diet. I mostly eat pizza and Burgers. Now my downhill times are Amazing !

[@anracingrsr1]

I heard, when you leave your helmet off and put on a cap backwards, that would make for some great aerodynamical gains.

[@matthewk3233]

Eating full fat dairy products has been shown to help lose weight since it makes you feel fuller, so the pizza might be helping you :)

[@demacherius1]

@@mikeqiu2426 That doesn't sound right ...

[@mikeqiu2426]

@@demacherius1 haha it's science baby

[@polyrhythmia]

@@mikeqiu2426 If only we could ride in a vacuum...

[@vaibhavkohli12]

Summary- "eat more whole plant foods, especially fruits and vegetables and less processed foods" "eat enough to feel satisfied, stop fixating on calorie counting and nutrients ratio"

[@Miv51miv51]

You reminded me of something. I watched "Yo Elliot" over at Strength Camp's video a number of years ago on "Easiest fat loss Method". Basically, lean meat, vegetables(preferably greens), drink water and simple exercise every day(his advice was an hour walk every day). You WILL lose weight ;-) ofcourse as Dylan mentions in this video. The ability to keep it off might change that diet.

[@KrazyKrzysztof]

@@Miv51miv51 you forgot healthy whole grain foods and beans/lentils for good carbs. meat and veggies alone are trash(at least the meat part is).

[@williamboler8709]

@@KrazyKrzysztof no, vegan. You are promoting non science.

[@KrazyKrzysztof]

@@williamboler8709 ok link me to your science then

[@leilaleila4874]

Thank you. You saves me so much time 😂😂

[@WheelersAtLarge]

Brilliant, thank you... I laughed when you used 70kg as the example of a heavy cyclist 😂

[@brettfralish2516]

I must be the "Fat Bastard" of cyclists at 110kg

[@WheelersAtLarge]

@@brettfralish2516 You and me both but still out there having fun 👍

[@cohensylvester5191]

I’m 45 kg but I’m 14 lol

[@n9n9n9n9n9n9n9n9]

@@brettfralish2516 that’s where I am too!

[@colmheeney8193]

🤣😂I'm 114 kg

[@zachcordell3961]

As a dietitian, I am thankful for your fact based presentation of information that’s not gimmicky. Well done! Subscribed

[@awesomeattic]

One thing that has helped me is to remember, it's okay to be hungry. You don't need to be feel full 24/7.

[@x88868]

People think they're going to die and the world will end if they eat less than 3 times a day. Disgusting gluttons.

[@torontogonzo]

I have this fight all the time - no fad diets, eat unprocessed whole plant foods and it works without a lot of thoughts. Love your video, especially how you provide support too.

[@scottfrisby4510]

You cut right to the facts. No B.S. Best nutrition vid/info I have seen. Thanks, Dylan!

[@StevieOnHisBike]

I was just about to say something very similar. Now I don't need to :)

[@dougfromsoanierana]

Yes. Phil Gaimon did a similar cycling diet video but your presentation was tons better and more detailed.

[@n1sm0r]

Super impressed with the quality of your videos. Evidence based, straight to the point, and gimmick free. Love it! Subscribed!

[@markozivanic5813]

This is pure gold. I can't confirm nor deny that our Military (Army) is still feeding its soldiers by the diet chart from the 70s, 2500 calories a day based diet, mandatory meat, vegetables, carbs and glass of milk of course.

[@erik_midtskogen]

Whoa. A mandatory glass of milk? So what do/did non-European people do about lactose intolerance?

[@EdgePereira]

That ENVE logo caused a glitch in my brain. I got to watch it again not looking at it 😂😂😂

[@andreassoderstrom4281]

Always informative and I really like that you cement the information with solid sources. Thanks for all the relevant content!

[@kchall5]

Durianrider is backward hat Dylan's spirit animal.

[@plusbonus1165]

Don't mention that idiots name . Please .

[@brauljo]

@@plusbonus1165 Lmao why you triggered?

[@plusbonus1165]

@@brauljo I find him to be an unpleasant and manipulative person.

[@_dv.99]

Context?

[@mmarealtalk5054]

@durianrider was right

[@dndlab1]

Easily one of the best nutrition videos I've seen in a long time!! Excellent work

[@herbscoot5562]

Great stuff dude. You put a lot of work into this video. Thank you.

[@Oslerian]

Yet another high quality, evidence based presentation. Thank you so much!

[@todd5963]

One of the best nutrition vids on KZbin! Nice job 👍

[@TrailFeatures]

This explains... so much. Been trying to burn off some weight I put on. Started off on just eating more healthy, lost a pound or two. Started counting calories and watching carbs, lost 4lbs! But my performance tanked and I was so hungry all the time. Lost focus and have put back on a couple pounds. I’ve been told a plant centric diet is what I need, but this video helped me connect all the dots. Another great knowledge bomb!

[@pookelywoo3954]

Great video, consistent with other things I’ve read from reputable sources which is always comforting!

[@poochie8208]

Great video. As the slow crawl back to race weight starts, following the terrible holiday feast season, this video comes at the right time. I have started eating oats instead of my usual lumberjack plate breakfast and it is amazing how satiating a bowl or 2 are, keeps you going all morning. Surprising how science keeps vindicating my grandma's advice of "..more vegetables on your plate and put that fried chicken down"

[@rjahn3000]

Info is spot on thanks, I lost 90 Lbs on a WFPB diet I'm 61 and riding a mountain bike again after many years.cheers!

[@PedroGringo]

Thanks Dylan! That was awesome. Entertaining and informative.

[@paulmcneil7468]

great video...thanks for doing all the research and putting it a great format

[@JonathanDeroko]

I'm a newer (2years) recreational weekend club rider, and I really enjoy these videos. Thank you Dylan.

[@moodtherapist]

GREAT video! Many thanks, just what I needed. Ride on!

[@Nobleazure]

Thanks for the refresh, I need this. Always the best videos. Tom Bell just behind you.

[@DwyerGreen]

Great work on vid, excellent channel, and happy to see the references to science.

[@lynnjeffrey9183]

This is the 3rd vid of yours that I have clicked on and received a scientific answer to my question. LOVE that. subscribed and liked. Thank you

[@paulshannon3969]

Thanks for the no nonsense approach. I’m an older (over50) recreational rider and think I’m going to try to incorporate a more wfpb type eating plan. I like the fact of not having to weigh food count calories and monitor macros. Thanks for the video and keep up with the content

[@remifjelldal7299]

finally a diet/nutrition video that isn't terrible advise. Makes you even more credible! Kudos!

[@BalancedMentality]

Calorie Counting was one of the best measures for me to lose weight. It is not about restricting your calories, but getting an overview of all the things you are eating over the day and bringing you awareness about very calorie dense foods. The measurement and tracking itself brought me losing fat, because it brings selfs decipline. "Oh now I need to write down that I ate that whole back of sweats?" :) So my suggestion, if you never did, count calories for a while, but don't set any target about how much calories to eat, just track and watch.

[@KevinRDoveton]

Knowing that eating a big slice of cake or a few cookies is going to take me an extra hour of cycling to burn off really gives you a bit of perspective

[@David-jh2jl]

I was having problems losing weight, with calories restriction. Than i watched your video and it was a gamechanger, especially because now i don't feel empty anymore on hard training rides. Thanks Dylan!

[@philipmay3875]

A voice of sanity. Thanks Dylan.

[@rickjansky1560]

as always, SPOT ON!! Thank you!

[@johnguillaume5919]

Simple, practical advice. No gimmicks or hacks. Thank you. What you share about energy dense foods is spot on. Veggies and fruits are the best answer.

[@MrYoungkimba]

Thanks Dylan. I really enjoyed this video. I’m soon to be 52 and got the shock of my life when someone snapped a photo of me climbing the Galibier. I looked like shit! Made me come to terms that my diet hasn’t been great lately. I appreciate the info in this video and you taking the time to make it.

[@gustavomorse4225]

Good work! Love it! Thanks for your work!

[@RGCastro7]

Great information, Dylan. Thank you.

[@claudiahuskamp4864]

Thank you for this - needed it!

[@tashaalfano3175]

No nonsense as always, thanks for the great content!

[@fv1239]

Great video Dylan, Excellent advice. Your typical diet looks great and a good template.

[@daniel_001]

This is great. Finally a balanced look at the subject. Thanks

[@syrus3k]

Another excellent video, straight to the point with the science.

[@TheCroatianPimp]

Excellent and informative video as usual Dylan. Thank you!

[@PettyBlue1]

Love the science approach. Respect. Cycling and running made me learn about the power of carbohydrates. The results don’t lie. Also aggree about not counting calories. While we can calculate some things using height and weight measurments, we know very little about the body’s actual day to day needs for immune system, stress reduction, mental work, menstrual cycle etc. which may change every single day.

[@DutchCarnivore]

Unfortunately, it is bad science. Look into those studies, it's mostly epidemiological, based on small numbers (N=18, N=800, come on...) and could almost be cherry picked based on the abstracts/conclusions sections only. Oh, and then there are a lot of confounding factors. For example, weight loss in an obese person is fundamentally different from weight loss in a metabolically healthy person.

[@scarybear356]

Love your work! Thank you

[@tjoh4605]

Great info. Thanks Dylan!

[@RiordanJohn]

Super concise, and on the money! Thank you so much!

[@heavydam]

Best nutrition video out there, congrats! :)

[@NCmtnborn76]

Thorough video. Great attention to detail.

[@andyneary6448]

Brilliant video! Thanks a lot.

[@johnnym8rix]

Just watched again. Superb video. It was enough for me to get off a three year strict keto diet about six months ago I found this video when I was questioning why I was getting dropped on the hills when I thought I was relatively fit. Going back to carbs made me a hillclimb ninja lol. Thanks Dylan.

[@CyclingChefDiane]

Really love your videos and science based content! Been binging your content all day. Subscribed. :) My only gripe would be the "eat until satisfied" advice - this works well if you have experience listening to your body/needs, but when adjusting diet, especially from processed foods, it is very easy to over/under eat. I think this is where calorie counting shows real benefit in that it allows people to understand the calorie : sustenance balance when adjusting eating habits. Personally, I lost weight many years ago only by paying attention to calories and learning how much I need to eat. Now for years I have followed the same "until satisfied" approach-- however as I increase training my weight seems to be jumping down/up as I have lost the balance of how much fuel my body needs. What a journey!

[@shannonparker7404]

Thank You! Just stumbled upon this. Very informative and science based. Bravo

[@mikemellone7337]

Great piece, very informative.

[@tyhigby4345]

Good stuff! This video was loaded with value

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Training nutritionists who know something parrot the advice given here. It's great to hear the explanation for why. Excellent video. Top notch delivery as well.

[@angelcarlson9899]

Nice work! Thanks for this

[@E1evenDegrees]

Thank you 🙏🏾 this video is such a gem 💎 lots of good information

[@murphy02041966]

hey - grateful for the information and simplicity.....

[@martinaxe6390]

I started seeing a nutritionist doctor last fall, and so much of this echoes my discussions with her. I have gout, so high fat diet is out of the question for me. Another thing she clued me into was that protein slows the absorption rate of carbs. Seeing a nutritionist and customizing a diet has been a huge help in weight loss.

[@rustyelder]

Great information - thanks for the channel.

[@larrytanzo4761]

Very helpful info! It was great how you showed your typical day of meals. I recently have switched to a mostly plant based diet and it is real close to your meals. Tasty and beneficial! Cheers!!

[@rudyroach2825]

Nice video Dylan! Thanks. I'm plant based, but I need to clean it up! Good to see how far you've come since your Virginia days.

[@superstrada6847]

Nice shirt,, and bike stem. 🤔 Didn't take ENVE long to jump on board the DJ train! Excellent video as usual.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[@emmamemma4162]

I recently found this channel and I was scared to watch this video. But I was actually pleasantly surprised by you pointing out that fighting hunger is not sustainable and that no-one should be constantly counting calories. From my personal experience, leaving out liquid calories and focusing on getting more fruit and veg has been hugely successful. Not only is it an easy way to get to/ stay at a healthy weight, it's also much safer than traditional diets in terms of developing eating disorders and weird attitudes to food in general.

[@paul1340]

A very helpful video. Thank you.

[@paulmelde919]

Dylan, you really discredited some very common dietary belief systems that are out there with this one! Great work and thanks!

[@keithgordon702]

Another good one Sir, thank you.

[@paulhirst1182]

Great content, thank you very much

[@masher1042]

Great evident based info! Thanks.

[@mavknight211]

Thank you again! You are very helpful to my cycling journey.

[@johnbouttell5827]

Dear Dylan, I found your video very helpful. Thank you.

[@jimbledon10]

Great video Dylan.

[@carlosmotta6537]

Great video, I’ll give it a try!

[@josephcampolattano9676]

Very thorough good stuff!

[@jayswavely1830]

Good video! Thanks.

[@peterkempf5422]

Great video for anyone looking for a sensible approach to weight loss and training.

[@jasondelarosa5457]

love these evidence based findings, one of best cycling videos out there.

[@jthepickle7]

Approaching cycling and being overweight/out of shape/unfamiliar with cycling is a difficult subject. Falling in love with bicycling will solve the above. A fit, experienced cyclist will put his/her weight on the pedals. "My seat sucks" or "My hands fall asleep." are a result of NOT having your weight on the pedals. The seat and handlebar are there NOT to be used to rest your weight. They are merely guides to be used once in a while. The pedals are there to be stomped upon, wrenched upward, yanked backward and attempted to be pulled right out of the crankset! "My feet hurt" is not often heard. Be cruel and then nice to yourself. Set goals in miles, not calories, not time spent...only miles. Set aside 'enjoyable miles' and 'excruciating miles' . In time the two will become one. Love to all.

[@marksmithWLC]

Brilliant! Simple! Effective! Dylan this....!

[@dweyhrauch09]

FWIW I'm a pediatric cardiologist that works in preventive cardiology (metabolic health) alongside dietitians that specialize in weight management, and this was spot on.

[@BananaChipzzz]

LOL.. Loved the DurianRider trolling :)

[@DietmarDyck]

🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌🍌

[@KipsanBeck]

Yeah nah carb the ffff up

[@geg_otmopo3]

But this is literally what Harley advises 😂

[@Malte1878]

🤣

[@industryrule-4080]

DurianRider is such a racist prick. Deserves the trolling.

[@Meerkat184]

Great video Dylan insightful and informative as always. I know you are an advocate of incorporating gym work into your training plans and I'm wondering what are your thoughts on protein intake based on this. While nutrition and fuelling is important is it not also important to ensure a substantial protein intake to maximise results in the gym or even intense interval sessions?

[@thepassionofthegoose5472]

I cycle to keep fit for motorcycling, mostly supermoto which is the motorcycling equivalent of cyclocross. Even with a motor there is a measurable difference in 5kg of body weight when on-bike, especially in an offroad scenario. We're also weight nerds when it comes to our machines, so dropping body weight is a free way to lesson the load on the motor, especially when you're wearing crash armor, etc. Thank you for another fantastic video. I've been sending your stuff to all my riding buddies, so there might be some petrolheads in the comment sections. We're (mostly) good people. Stay well.

[@jetflatline2664]

Hi, I'm not trying to lose weight but switch to a super-low-fat diet to deal with gall bladder issues (because I'm old, not lazy!), all of your citations are really helping me plan my diet for the future.

[@YakirGabay]

Perfect video, well done.

[@tobywhitehead7488]

It's true, and it's the best no-bull video I've seen. Low calorie density is the holy grail!

[@DanielaAngulo]

Man haha I entered this video and thought "yes, Dylan is my guru. If I had to be coached by someone, it would be him". Then you start with the video and I def confirmed my initial thought.

[@hugobrown2516]

great video!!!

[@poochie8208]

Backwards hat dylan eats hamburgers and fries to lower his FTP down to 9.384 watt/Kg, because otherwise winning would be too easy

[@patthecat6491]

Being raised on a meat and potato diet my entire life, it's been quite a chore transitioning to this kind of diet. A few months ago, after your first video on this subject I made a concerted effort to follow these guidelines. While I have not been perfect, I have lost 8kg in the 3 months since I started, so I'm convinced of the effectiveness, but old habits die hard!

[@815donalduck]

Nice race numbers dude!! 💯 🏆 ❤️ 🚴

[@lassemaja8382]

Great video Dylan. I did kind of a high carb high protein intake during my recent weight loss. I went from 111kg to 86.5kg in 150 days, reducing my caloric daily intake by 1000 calories. I skipped processed food and ate alot of potatoes, chicken, fish and meat low on fat, broccoli, cottage cheese, quark, bananas, apples and other veggies. I think the most important ingredients to weight loss is determination and the will to change your lifestyle.

[@johevideos]

Your videos are so good 💪🏻🚴‍♂️💨

[@tubbytoast2]

Man when said what u have for breakfast I felt really hungry , so I went and had 3 bowls of home made museli and every piece of fruit I had in the house 💥😁💥

[@robertdulany6811]

so one piece of fruit

[@mrsmartypants_1]

I have to call myself out and admit I was Hat Backwards Dude today:( As an over-the-top meat eater I so wanted to believe the Paleo/keto BS. Unfortunately I value rational thought and scientific knowledge and your presentations are always stellar. Really appreciate your straightforward, concise, no nonsense interpretations of study results. I have a long slow transition in front of me but I know I will be rewarded with significantly better performance on my beloved mtb’s. Thanks.

[@JakeandOwen]

Great Channel!!! I like that your like the Jeff Nippard for cycleing

[@michaelbouwkamp6200]

Dylan! I've enjoyed your videos. I'm curious to get your take on bike position - I like your scientific approach and think this would make for an interesting/insightful topic.

[@alanlionsgaffer431]

Good stuff man. I need to implement badly! See You at The Flow House at Unbound w Jonas!