Calories, Biking & Basal Metabolism

If you want to lose weight in the most scientific way, you'll need to know two things -- your basal metabolic rate and the number of calories you burn doing a particular activity. For example, biking generally burns more calories than walking, but fewer calories than running. Once you understand your basal metabolic rate, you'll be able to develop a biking routine and diet plan that help you lose weight at a comfortable pace.

  1. Calories and Weight-Loss

    • It's easy to believe that if you burn 100 calories while exercising, you'll burn 100 calories of fat, but the reality isn't so simple. If you eat more calories than you need, you might not lose any weight at all with exercise. If, however, you're only eating enough calories to sustain your weight, you'll need to burn 3,500 calories for every pound you want to lose.

    Understanding Basal Metabolism

    • Your basal metabolic rate is the minimum number of calories you need to sustain your current weight. Because heavier people need more energy to move their bodies, they generally have higher basal metabolic rates. Your activity level also plays a role, because you'll need fewer calories if you spend your day sitting than if you run several miles each day. According to WebMD, a 30-year-old woman who weighs 120 pounds has a basal metabolic rate of 1,502 if she's mostly inactive. But if the same woman becomes extremely active, she'll need 2,378 calories per day.

    Calories Burned Cycling

    • The number of calories you'll burn cycling depends upon your weight, the intensity with which you cycle and how long you cycle. For example, a 125-pound person will burn 210 calories in 30 minutes cycling at a moderate pace on a stationary bike, while a 185-pound person will burn 311 calories doing the same routine. Knowing your basal metabolic rate can help you calculate how much time you'll need to spend cycling to lose weight and whether you'll need to cut calories from your diet to maximize your weight loss.

    Other Exercise Routines

    • If you're doing other workout routines, calculating only the calories you burn cycling will give you a misleading result. For a more accurate figure, you'll need to add up all the exercise you do and the calories you burn, and then subtract this figure from the total number of calories you eat. If you're seeking rapid weight-loss, consider adding running, circuit training and similarly intense routines to your workout.