Why Cycling More Won’t Help You Lose Weight After 40 (And What Actually Will)

Newsletter (#144)

If you’re over 40 and trying to lose weight through cycling — but the scales haven’t budged — you’re not alone.

I speak to so many riders who think the answer lies in doing more — more miles, more turbo sessions, more long weekend rides. It feels logical, right? Burn more calories, lose more weight.

But here’s the thing… for most cyclists over 40, riding more isn’t the problem — it’s the focus. Too many put all their energy into getting the perfect training plan and not enough into what really moves the needle when it comes to fat loss: your nutrition and daily habits off the bike.

And I get it. When you’ve got a big goal coming up — maybe a sportive, a PB, or an FTP target — it’s natural to obsess over training structure. You start reading about zone training, balancing strength work, managing fatigue, and fitting it all around your job and family life.

That’s all great if you’re chasing performance. But if your goal is fat loss, that same mindset won’t get you the results you want.

Why cyclists over 40 struggle to lose weight

The problem is that most riders treat weight loss as a side effect of training, not a skill to develop.

They’ll assume the extra miles automatically translate to fat loss — “I’ve burned 3,000 calories on my ride, so I can eat what I want.” And while that might feel justified after a long ride, it’s exactly what keeps them stuck.

Once the big event ends, the training volume drops, but the eating habits stay the same — and the weight creeps right back on.

That’s because they’ve spent all their effort fine-tuning their training zones, but not a single week tracking what or how much they’re eating.

If that sounds familiar, here’s the reality: the same precision you bring to your training needs to be applied to your nutrition. You wouldn’t guess your FTP, so why guess your calories?

You need to:

• Track your calories properly — not just estimate.
• Understand portion sizes and daily calorie needs.
• Pay attention to habits like snacking, alcohol, and weekend eating.
• Stay consistent long enough for it to stick.

How to finally make it work

Here’s the process I recommend — it’s simple, but it works:

Step 1 – Focus purely on fat loss (first 3–4 months).
Keep riding, but only for health and enjoyment. Make your number one goal to lose weight through consistent nutrition habits.

Step 2 – Maintain your new weight (next 4 months).
Once you’ve hit your goal weight, focus on holding it. Learn what maintenance feels like. This phase builds long-term success.

Step 3 – Then chase performance.
Once your weight is stable, ramp up your cycling volume and intensity. You’ll finally be in a position to benefit from your lighter, leaner body — not just for a few weeks, but for good.

That’s the difference between temporary results and lasting change.

Wrapping it up

At the end of the day, if you’re over 40 and serious about losing weight, you’ve got to stop seeing cycling as the only tool in your toolbox. It’s brilliant for fitness, endurance, and mental health — but it won’t do the heavy lifting when it comes to long-term fat loss unless your nutrition matches your effort.

When you finally start giving the same attention to what’s on your plate as you do to what’s on your power meter, everything changes. Your energy improves, your body composition changes, and you stop chasing that temporary “event weight.”

If you want to break that cycle — to actually see lasting results both on and off the bike — then it’s time to put your focus where it really counts.

And if you’d rather not guess your way through it, that’s exactly what I help cyclists do in my Cycle Lean One-to-One Coaching.

You’ll get a full assessment of your nutrition, your training, and a plan that works for you — built around your lifestyle, not someone else’s. We’ll track your progress every step of the way and make sure the hard work you’re already putting in finally delivers the results you want.

👉 Apply for Cycle Lean One-to-One Coaching here:

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

1. The Cycle Lean Blueprint: This comprehensive, all-in-one product is everything you need to shed kgs and ride faster.
2. The Cycle Lean Collective: Get ready to transform your fitness journey with our new and improved monthly membership program.

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