Why You Are Cycling 100 Miles a Week and Still Not Losing Weight
Last Updated: October 6, 2025
I get this question a lot: “I’m putting in serious miles every week. How come the scale isn’t moving?”
I’ve been there. During one of my highest-mileage months, I was riding almost every day — yet my weight barely changed. The truth is, endurance cycling burns calories, but it also boosts appetite and efficiency. If you don’t track both sides of the equation, the deficit disappears fast.
1. You’re Eating Back What You Burn
Even moderate rides can torch 500–1,000 calories, but it’s shockingly easy to replace that with an extra snack or two. Cyclists often reward themselves post-ride — a “recovery” meal that can be twice what’s needed. The fix? Track what you eat, at least for a week, and compare it to your actual burn.
I learned that lesson the hard way on a 500-mile tour I rode in a single week. When I got home, I actually weighed more than when I started. It made no sense until I did the math — I’d been filling bottles with full-calorie Gatorade from convenience stores all week. Between that and the big meals after each day’s ride, I was drinking and eating back every bit of my deficit. Now I stick with zero-calorie Gatorade powder and hydration add-in drops that replace electrolytes without the sugar. Sometimes the fix really is that simple.
2. You’re Riding Easy, Not Hard
Those long, steady rides in Zone 2 build endurance, but they don’t always drive fat loss unless paired with intensity. Sprinkle in short, high-effort intervals — hill repeats or tempo sections — to nudge your metabolism higher. Variety keeps your body guessing.
3. You’ve Become Too Efficient
The fitter you get, the fewer calories you burn for the same pace and distance. It’s great for performance, not so great for fat loss. To break that plateau, mix up your terrain or try new routes with rolling climbs and variable efforts.
4. You’re Underestimating Calories In, Overestimating Calories Out
Most fitness trackers inflate calorie burn. And if you log your food loosely (“about a cup,” “roughly a tablespoon”), you might be off by hundreds of calories a day. Precision counts more than perfection — weigh and log for a week to see what’s really happening.
5. You’re Gaining Muscle or Retaining Water
Leg training and glycogen storage can mask fat loss on the scale. If your clothes fit looser but the number doesn’t drop, you’re probably losing fat but gaining or holding something else. Use a smart scale to track body composition instead of chasing the raw number.
Gear That Helps You Stay on Track
- Budget: Elete Electrolyte Add-In — stay hydrated without sugary drinks.
- Mid-Range: RENPHO Smart Scale — track fat, muscle, and trends over time.
- Premium: Browse all cycling nutrition products — recovery powders, hydration tabs, and gels.
6. You’re Rewarding Yourself Too Often
“I rode 40 miles today — I earned this burger.” That mindset kills progress. The ride doesn’t cancel out junk calories; it just justifies them. If you want visible results, keep food choices simple and consistent — high protein, low sugar, plenty of water.
7. You’re Not Tracking Honestly
You don’t need to log food forever, but you do need an honest week or two of data. Every handful, every sip. Apps like MyFitnessPal can sync with bike computers and smart scales to keep it easy.
Bottom Line
Cycling is an amazing tool for fitness and longevity — but weight loss comes from managing intake. If the scale won’t budge, tighten your calorie tracking before you tighten your chain. Ride because you love it, eat with purpose, and the fat loss will follow.
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