I did my first post a couple of weeks ago, hoping to inspire at least one person. The reception was better than expected. So today, I want to share a bit more about my health and weight loss journey of cycling regularly on Zwift.
It’s been a rewarding, eye-opening experience, and I learned a lot along the way that might help others who are trying hard to shed some weight or event just thinking about trying it.
Here’s some key take away that worked for me…
1. Set Small, Achievable Goals
It’s easy to get demotivated when you think about the long-term goal (losing X kg). Especially the first days when your butt hurts so much and you can’t do more than 13 km without feeling like dying.
What helped me was breaking it down into smaller weekly or monthly goals. For example, I set weekly goals like completing 5 rides or riding 10 hours and made sure to reach those consistently. I also had non-scale goals like completing every Zwift route, which is a daily motivation for me to collect all those badges.
These small goals kept me motivated and gave me a sense of accomplishment.
2. Fuel Your Rides Properly
One of the biggest mistakes I made early on was under-eating because I was too focused on cutting calories.
It didn’t take long to realize this was counterproductive. I felt like shit before, during, and after my rides. My performance started to dip after 3 weeks.
Riding burns calories. Your body needs the right nutrients to keep up.
Once I started focusing on what I was eating instead of just how much, I noticed big improvements in both my energy levels and weight loss progress.
I balanced my meals.
Pre-ride snacks, like a banana or protein shake, became a staple for energy.
3. Leverage the Power of Community
I thought cycling was a solitary activity, but the Zwift community changed that for me. Participating in group rides and races kept me motivated, and, most importantly, made it fun. Having people to ride with gave me the push I needed on days when I felt less motivated and seeing someone passing me in a race always makes my legs go faster. I love competition a little bit too much!
Plus, receiving kudos and seeing others’ progress on Strava pushed me to keep improving!
4. Consistency Over Intensity
At the start, I was overwhelmed thinking I had to be super fast to see results.
I quickly learned that consistency mattered far more than intensity.
Rather than going all out every ride, I focused on showing up every day or as often as possible, even for shorter rides. Some days were easy recovery rides, others were harder efforts, but the most important thing was that I stayed consistent. The hardest part of a habit is often just starting the action, so just sitting on the saddle was a good way for me to make sure to stay consistent.
5. Track Your Progress and Celebrate Small Wins
Strava is my best friend for tracking progress.
I log every ride, and it became a habit to review my stats afterward. It wasn’t just about calories burned or distance covered. It was about noticing improvements in my Watts, RPM, and elevation. Seeing even minor improvements kept me going. Whether it was hitting a new PR on a route or losing a kg, acknowledging those victories made the larger goal seem more achievable.
6. Embrace the Ups and Downs
There were days when I didn’t feel like riding, or when the weight didn’t come off as fast as I had hoped.
But I learned to embrace those moments and not let them derail my overall progress. I realized that the journey is rarely linear. There will be highs and lows, and that’s okay.
What’s important is to keep showing up and not let a bad day or a missed ride turn into a bad week. Progress is built over time, and setbacks are just a part of the process even if this is hard for a mind to assimilate .
7. Having a Reliable Partner In Crime
This might be the part that looks like a forced ad placement from my girlfriend, but it is not, I swear.
I had the chance to start this journey with my girlfriend. Without her, I don’t think it would have been possible. To have someone around you to give you the extra motivation you need to accomplish your goal is mandatory in my case.
When I was in my lows, she was there to remind me to jump on the saddle and make the kms number grows bigger. Shootout to her!
I hope this helps anyone starting their fitness journey. Feel free to ask me anything or share your tips to our amazing community!
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