There’s something of an obsession in cycling with weight, whether it’s bikes, wheels, components or body weight.

Waif-like pro cyclists are notoriously fastidious about body weight – or, rather, their power-to-weight ratio – and while that shouldn’t necessarily be a concern to the rest of us, if you’re carrying extra weight then shifting it can go some way to improving your performance on the bike.

Commonly when riders are looking for a quick weight loss solution they look to the latest fad diet or supplement. Fad diets often involve eliminating specific foods or major food groups in a lot of cases, consuming liquid meals, only eating at certain times, perhaps skipping meals altogether and often being in severe energy deficit when still trying to train. These strategies are not only ineffective for long-term weight maintenance but could have detrimental effects on health.

Six things you need to know about… power-to-weight ratio

Rather than choosing a quick fix method that can potentially lead to long-term health problems and leave you under performing in training, set realistic goals and follow an appropriate nutritional programme that will help achieve them and motivation you to train. Although this isn’t a quick fix, creating a small energy deficit while consuming a healthy balanced diet and undertaking a regular training pattern will help stimulate gradual weight loss in a safe, effective and sustainable way. When your desired weight is reached then ensuring your energy intake matches energy expenditure will optimise weight maintenance, helping you stay at the weight you worked hard to achieve.

If fad diets aren’t the way forward, what’s the best way to achieve healthy, sustainable weight loss? Here are five tips to help shed the pounds.