By Coach David Ertl, Ph.D.
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In Pedal Off the Pounds, USA Cycling Level 1 Coach David Ertl eschews diet book gimmickry for the hard truth, detailed nutritional and dietary knowledge, and a proven approach to weight loss for cyclists – whether weight loss alone is your goal, or whether losing weight and simultaneously training to improve cycling performance is your goal.
Losing weight through exercise alone, without changing your diet, is difficult and time-consuming, he points out in the prologue. Losing weight by changing your diet, without increasing your exercise, is equally difficult. But when you combine a reduced-calorie diet with increased energy expenditure, weight loss becomes manageable and noticeable. And cycling is the ideal calorie-burning activity, he says.
Coach Ertl has laid out the 34-page eBook in a simple and practical order.
Chapter 1, What To Eat: Basics of Nutrition for Healthy Weight Loss and Cycling, includes a discussion of what you should be eating to assist with weight loss and weight management, being healthy and having energy for cycling and life. It is packed with bedrock nutrition information about the building block elements of our diet, fully explains the key terms and concepts (carbohydrates, Glycemic Index, glycogen, protein, fats and oils) and the roles they play in our diet. It tells you what types of foods to avoid, and which to eat for healthy weight loss.
Chapter 2, When and How Much To Eat: How to use Hunger to your Advantage, talks about how much and when you should eat. It provides some tips about eating enough to provide the energy you need for your daily activities and for your cycling, yet still allowing you to shed some pounds at the same time. It discusses hunger, something many books on weight loss tend to avoid. But Coach Ertl tackles it head-on and discusses how you can use your appetite to your advantage.
Chapter 3, Eating for Weight Loss and Cycling Performance, discusses when to be eating which foods in order to balance the need for energy for cycling with the desire to lose weight. This can be tricky but you will get some guidelines to help weave your way through these seemingly contradictory objectives. It discusses the number of calories you can burn while cycling, the role of duration and intensity, and whether to ride in the fat-burning zone.
Chapter 4, Example Training and Eating Plans to Maximize Weight Loss and Performance, contains sample weekly diet programs combined with cycling training to help you visualize how to put the two together to maximize your success at weight loss. One sample program focuses on weight loss only as the primary goal, while the other focuses on weight loss while training to improve cycling performance – clearly demonstrating the different needs and approaches for each.