Why You Gained Weight Even Though You Ride Your Bike

The Climb (#179)

Introduction

One of the most frustrating things I hear from cyclists is this:

“I’m riding every week, but I’m still gaining weight.”

And I get why it’s confusing.

You’re training. You’re sweating. You’re burning calories. You might even be doing long rides at the weekend.

So why is the weight still creeping up?

The answer is usually not a lack of effort.

It’s what happens off the bike.

Cycling Burns Calories, But It Also Changes Behaviour

Cycling can absolutely help with weight loss.

But it doesn’t guarantee it.

That’s because body weight is not just about what you burn during a ride. It’s about your total energy intake and expenditure across the day and week.

Research has shown that exercise often produces less weight loss than expected because people compensate. That compensation may come from eating more, moving less later in the day, or both. One systematic review found that exercise-induced weight loss is commonly smaller than predicted because of energy compensation.

This is exactly what I see with cyclists.

They do a big ride, then feel like they’ve earned the rest of the day.

A bigger lunch.

A few snacks.

A couple of drinks.

A takeaway because they’re tired.

None of these are “bad” on their own.

But they can quietly wipe out the calorie deficit created by the ride.

The Weekend Ride Trap

This is a common pattern.

Monday to Friday, the cyclist is fairly consistent.

Then Saturday comes.

Long ride.

Under-fuelled on the bike.

Home starving.

Eat everything in sight.

Then Sunday turns into a recovery day with more food, less movement, and maybe another café ride.

By Monday, they’re frustrated that the scale hasn’t moved.

The issue isn’t the bike.

The issue is the lack of structure around the bike.

Why Under-Fuelling Makes This Worse

A lot of cyclists trying to lose weight make the same mistake.

They cut fuel during the ride.

They think:

“If I don’t eat on the bike, I’ll burn more fat.”

But what often happens is the opposite.

Power drops.

The ride feels harder.

Recovery is worse.

Hunger increases later.

Then they overeat in the evening.

This is where I always try to separate performance nutrition from fat-loss nutrition.

On the bike, fuel the work.

Off the bike, manage the calorie deficit.

Trying to save 200 calories during a ride can easily turn into eating 800 extra calories later because you’re depleted and ravenous.

Your Desk Job Still Matters

Another thing many cyclists forget is how sedentary the rest of life can be.

You might train for one hour.

But what about the other 23?

If you sit at a desk all day, drive everywhere, and then only move during training, your total daily energy expenditure may be lower than you think.

This is why I often look at steps, daily movement, and work patterns with clients.

Not because everyone needs to hit a magic step number.

But because general activity matters.

A cyclist can be fit on the bike and still very sedentary outside of training.

That makes weight loss harder.

What Actually Works

The solution is not to ride more and more.

The solution is to create awareness.

Start with your normal routine.

Track your food for a week, not to judge yourself, but to understand what’s actually happening.

Look at your ride fuel.

Look at evening snacking.

Look at alcohol.

Look at portion sizes.

Look at weekends.

Most people don’t need a completely new diet.

They need to understand where the extra energy is coming from.

The Simple Fat-Loss Framework

If I was helping a cyclist in this position, I’d start with this.

Fuel all rides over 90 minutes properly.

Prioritise protein at meals.

Eat fruit and vegetables daily.

Track calories for an assessment week.

Use weekly average weight, not one-off weigh-ins.

Create a small deficit off the bike.

Keep hard training days fuelled.

This is simple, but it works.

Action Steps

For the next seven days, track your food without changing anything.

Weigh yourself daily and calculate the weekly average.

Fuel your next long ride properly instead of trying to restrict.

Notice what happens to your hunger later in the day.

Look for one place where calories are creeping in off the bike.

That’s your starting point.

Client Win - Stefano

Most cyclists think you have to choose between losing weight and getting stronger on the bike.

Stefano’s results show that isn’t always the case.

He contacted me because he needed a last minute two month emergency plan to help him prepare for a 1000km race.

Not exactly a small goal.

When he started, he was over 78kg.

Two months later, he went into the race at 71.5kg.

But the important part is that the weight loss was controlled.

He wasn’t just dropping weight for the sake of it.

While losing weight, he also increased his stamina and power at the same time.

That’s what we focused on.

Building the fitness he needed for a huge endurance challenge, while making sure his nutrition supported the work instead of holding him back.

And for Stefano, one of the biggest things was the support.

Being able to ask questions.
Get answers.
Understand his nutrition.
Understand his training.
Understand power.
Clear up doubts when they came up.

Because coaching should be more than just sending someone a plan and leaving them to figure it out.

Stefano had worked with another coach before, someone well known, but said the experience didn’t come close to what he received this time.

After the race, he stopped the plan to recover properly, but he’s already considering starting again because he misses the support, the structure, and the feeling of being at his best.

That’s the goal with coaching.

Not just weight loss.

Not just numbers on Training Peaks.

But helping you feel fitter, stronger, more confident, and properly supported through the process.

Final Thought

If you’re riding every week but gaining weight, don’t assume you’re lazy.

And don’t assume you need to ride more.

Start by looking at what happens around the ride.

Because weight loss for cyclists rarely comes from suffering more on the bike.

It comes from fuelling the bike properly and managing the rest of the day better.

Whenever you're ready, here are the ways I can help you:

1. The Cycle Lean Coaching: Personalised 1:1 Coaching for Cyclists Who Want to Drop 6–12 kg and Add Up To 60 Watts of FTP While Riding 6-8 hours a Week!
2. The Cycle Lean Blueprint: The science-backed 12-week blueprint to cycle leaner, climb stronger, and become the most resilient version of yourself.

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