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You’re in the depths of your training plan as you cycle for weight loss and have watched the number on the scale decrease—until, all of a sudden, it’s no longer dropping. Just like that, it may feel like all the progress you’ve made as a cyclist has gone down the drain.
Don’t hit the panic button just yet, though. Hitting a plateau is a very normal part of the weight loss process as your metabolism slows down over time, but you can work past it by focusing on finding long-term success—and continuing forward with cycling as a significant part of your health routine.
Sure, breaking through stalls in your weight loss progression may seem easier said than done. But with the right mentality and approach, you can push past barriers—and discover value in your journey beyond the number on the scale. “The scale is one data point, but it is in no way indicative of all the progress and adaptation that a program like this can offer you,” explains expert Kate Baird in Cycling for Weight Loss.
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Learn how to navigate the ups and downs of your health transformation with our new Cycling for Weight Loss guide, packed with expert advice on developing a movement routine, embracing healthy habits, and sticking with a sustainable training plan. With stories and tips from cyclists like you who turned to riding to transform their lifestyles, you’ll learn how to measure your headway with weight loss subjectively, and make cycling a regular part of your exercise regimen.
One of the best ways to work around plateaus? Stop letting the scale ruin your day. That’s because numbers don’t necessarily tell the full story of your progression—and seeing fluctuations in your weight is normal. As our program explains, focusing on how you feel on the bike rather than how many pounds you’re dropping each week can shift your perspective, giving you a more holistic picture of your path to weight loss.
Plus, plenty of factors impact your weight loss, everything from your starting weight to your genetics (which our complete guide breaks down in depth). Letting patience persist over frustration can help you embrace cycling as a means for creating healthier habits—and not just a version of you that weighs less. “If you have a long-term goal to lose 20 or 30 pounds, that’s fine. But that might take you a year, a year and a half. It might even take you two years,” explains Namrita Brooke, PhD, RDN, in our full program. “It really depends on how much you have to lose, and how present you can be during that process, and how patient you can be.”
Let cycling help you find consistency and purpose as you build a stronger you. Explore our Cycling for Weight Loss guide to see how you can pedal toward your health goals, and fall in love with cycling with the support of our training plans and expert-led programs available to Bicycling members.
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Ashley is Editor of Content Hype at Hearst’s Enthusiast & Wellness Group. She is a former collegiate runner at UNC Asheville where she studied mass communication. Ashley loves all things running; she has raced two marathons, plus has covered some of the sport’s top events in her career, including the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials and multiple World Marathon Majors.