Posted on December 30, 2009 by Dave W

Both dieting and cycling can be classed as heavyweights in their own right. Here we put them head to head, toe to toe.

For anyone trying to lose weight for whatever reason, embarking on a diet or fitness regime can be daunting.

The main reason people chose to lose weight is for health and not appearance.

It is well documented, that being overweight increases the chances of health problems and even death.

Obesity is now acknowledged as the primary risk factor in coronary heart disease which can lead to heart attack.

According to the American Heart Association, type 2 diabetes is twice as likely in a person who has gained between 11 – 18 pounds, as opposed to someone who has not.

Some cancers have been associated with being overweight and obese.

It is not surprising then that so many of us try to lose those excess pounds.

Let’s take a look at the pros and con’s of both dieting and cycling in our quest to shed those extra pounds.

Round 1

Dieting

 Pro…. Losing weight will benefit your health.

Con…. Losing weight too quickly can hinder your health.

Cycling

Pro…. Is extremely good for your health.

Con…. It makes you sweat.

Round 2

Dieting

Pro…. You will feel energized when you lose weight.

Con…. It can weaken your immune system as you may not be consuming enough essential nutrients.

Cycling

Pro…. Cycling regularly can give you fitness levels of someone 10 years younger according to the National Forum for Coronary Heart Foundation in the US.

Con…. You can look weird in lycra.

Round 3

Dieting

Pro…. Healthy diets can lower cholesterol levels.

Con…. Quite a lot of diets out there are far from healthy.

Cycling

Pro…. You can lose weight just peddling. A lot of people start of by running, and this can be a huge burden on an overweight persons frame. Let the saddle take the strain and you can peddle your fat away.

Con….If it rains, you get wet.

Round 4

Dieting

Pro…. Your self esteem will improve when you reach your target weight.

Con…. Your self esteem will hit rock bottom when you don’t reach your target weight.

Cycling

Pro…. You can burn fat after your ride has finished. Sports physiologists believe the body’s metabolic rate (its ability to efficiently burn calories and fat) is increased during a ride and remains so for several hours.

Con….On occasion may require a lot of effort.

Round 5

Dieting

Pro…. A diet can be relatively easy to fit into your daily routine.

Con…. Some diets call for major lifestyle changes and are extremely hard to do.

Cycling

Pro…. You can get the whole family involved, join a club and meet likeminded people who can offer you the wisdom of their experience.

Con…. Wind and rain can be responsible for bad hair days.

I could go on, but I think at this point the corner man in the diet camp will have thrown the towel in.

In conclusion, a combination of a good, healthy, balanced diet and regular cycling would be overall champion.

Cycling can be done by almost everyone and is a great means to lose weight and gain fitness.

If the weather is not good enough to go out, you can always use an indoor cycle.

Most gyms will be equipped with stationery/spinning bikes and lots of people use them at home.

In my opinion, getting out and about on your bike is best, but don’t dismiss indoor training, which, sometimes can be the only way to keep those peddles moving.

Lose Weight, Get Fit, Cycle!

Please note the opinions in this article are the authors own, and do not wholly or partially represent any medical or professional opinions.

If you are considering a fitness/weigh loss regime, or are considering increasing your activity, you should first consult your medical professional.

Dave W

Cycling-For-Fitness

Related Posts

• Diet and Exercise Tips For the Endomorph Body Type If you tend to put on fat quite quickly when you are sedentary and muscle up fairly readily when fit, you are probably an endomorph. This somatotype is known to be wide and strong, but naturally soft and somewhat rounded in appearance. Though you cannot change your bone structure (without......
• Men Health And Fitness Tips It has been just recently reported by the researchers of World Health Organization (WHO) that thousands of men have been indulged in chronic obesity particularly in the regions of United States of America. Moreover it has been investigated by them that masses of people have been indulged in obesity in......
• How to Get Fit and Keep Fit by Cycling For Fitness People never used to look to an activity such as cycling for fitness as a robust fitness regimen, but times have changed. Those who used to think that cycling was just a leisurely activity have a lot to learn as this can be one of the most intense and......
• Use Intensity Cycling For Better Muscular Gains Over the years, there have been countless numbers of people getting exercise with the use of weights and weight machines in an effort to increase strength and muscle size. They know that training with resistance is the only way to accomplish this goal. All too often however, after a certain......
• Three Week Diet & Fitness Plan Nutritious eating and moderate exercise yield a physically healthy human body. Eating and exercise must occur in a sustainable manner so as to become a regular part of life. A three-week plan for gradually implementing these principles into your life can show you that after the plan ends, your......

Related Websites

• 22 Tips for Weight Loss pt 1 Here is a quick no nonsense guide to what you can to in order to get healthy and lose weight. This is part 1 in a 5 part series. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5) 1 - Dietary control and exercise are the foundation for healthy,......
• Quick Tips for Healthy Weight Loss pt 3 Here is a handful of quick tips that will help you achieve healthy, natural and permanent weight loss. 1 - There is an old adage when it comes to diet and weight loss that says no pain, no gain, but this really should not apply when it comes to your......
• Is Juicing a Healthy Diet Choice? We have all seen the local smoothie or health food shop on the way to work or on a night out on the town, but most of us have never bothered to step inside and see what it's all about. If you were to stop in one of these places,......
• Weight Loss with Flavorful Foods One of the major problems these days with weight loss diets is that the foods that need to be eaten on a daily basis are usually bland. This is very important because some people fall out of their diet regime due to the fact that they crave tastier foods (which......
• Are You Skinny Fat? (ie: if thin people don't exercise they aren't healthy) Do you know what it means to be skinny fat? Just because you are not obviously visually overweight, that does not mean that you are healthy by any means. There are many people that appear to be thin and healthy, but......