Weight loss

Has anyone else found how good zwift is for weight loss. I used to race bikes,in the 80’s and 90’s, quite seriously, but haven’t done any regular training since,however, due to a serious arm injury, i bought a swift trainer and programme to keep fit as i couldn’t ride on the road until my arm was rebuilt
So from October 2023,riding zwift for an average of 5 hours per week,i have already lost 12kg,2 stone
, and i like a beer or two regularly if im honest,but even so,the weight still drops off. Im thinking zwift aren’t making the most of the product they have,if others are finding this too. Just a thought.

My opinion is if weight loss is the focus then the diet itself is more important than the 5 hours on the bike, so I would think Zwift would need to be careful about focusing on weight loss as cycling’s primary goal.

For instance: At 200W for an hour someone will burn something like 600calories (ish?). If you feel hungry after the ride as a result of the ride, then grab a beer and a big snack it’s not too tough to end up with a calorie surplus right after that hour rather than a deficit if not careful.

For longer rides it’s important to fuel during the ride appropriately to avoid running out of energy, so you would actually want to be eating on the bike if going for 90mins+ rides particularly if they are intense.

Not to say you can’t include biking as part of a rounded weight loss plan, just that cutting out junk calories would probably be the more impactful thing vs. 5 hours on the bike per week for most folks.

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Totally agree,my point is,i dont want to lose weight,that was never the intention, but a by-product of zwift,which surely would be a positive thing to recognize for some people, if others are finding their weight also drops off. Im fully aware of the dietry and fluid requirements of cycling,i raced at national level for some years. Thank you for your input.

I don’t believe that any external factor really makes you lose weight and keep it off in the long term: in the end it’s you and the habits you can stick to. Food, exercise, sleep and stress are all important. Zwift can perfectly help with the exercise part. You decide how you want to use Zwift to get there.

Will you keep riding when you reach your goal? Are you enjoying yourself on the bike? Those are the important questions I think.

Much of the information on the internet is aiming at losing weight in the fastest way possible. I tried much of that and bounced back every time. About 6 years ago I just started exercising for the fun of it and that’s what has really worked. I also changed my diet but in a way that works for me.

Lost 20kg over a year and they are still gone. Also still sticking to the exercise and diet. Not fast but durable.

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Youre missing my point mate. Sometimes i wish people would read posts properly before giving a nonsensical reply.

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You seem nice. :man_shrugging:t2::smile:

Totally out of order there.

You’ve posted on a public forum asking for an opinion and have been given a viewpoint that’s relevant to what you’ve posted.
Please respect others as you would wish to be respected.

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Terry, I read your first post again and I’m afraid that I probably still miss the point reading it. From what I understand, you’re asking how good Zwift is for weight loss, so that’s what I tried to answer.
Your post where you said that you don’t want to lose weight came in seconds before I replied so I hadn’t read that yet. Honestly after reading that l, I still don’t fully understand what you’re asking.

People on this forum really intend to help, but commication always includes different people bringing different perspectives. Please be patient :pray:

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Absolutely, yes,i apologise completely, caught me at a bad time. Youre quite right.

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We all have our moments…
Welcome to the forum.