The cycling internet's standard advice on weight loss — 'calories in versus calories out, ride more, eat less' — is, in Anthony's words on the podcast, outdated. It produces the exact pattern most masters cyclists know intimately: drop a kilo, lose 10W, plateau, regain the kilo, regain the watts, repeat. The published research and the World Tour conversations Roadman has had with David Dunne, Alex Larson and Alan Murchison point a different way: fuel the work required, eat enough protein, create the gap on the right days, and let body composition shift rather than scale weight.
'Fuel for the work required' is the governing phrase. On a hard training day or a long ride, you eat to support the work. On a recovery or rest day, you eat closer to maintenance. The body doesn't care about a daily calorie average — it cares about whether each session was supported. A rider who eats 2,200 kcal on rest days and 3,500 kcal on long ride days finishes the week leaner, fitter, and recovering faster than the rider who chains 2,800 kcal across every day. Anthony's own 7kg-in-12-weeks loss came from this exact pattern: more food on hard days, slightly less on easy days, no fasted long rides, no calorie tracking app.
Protein adequacy is the second non-negotiable. The published research for endurance athletes lands at 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day for those losing weight, with attention to per-meal dosing (around 0.4g/kg per meal, four meals a day works for most). For an 80kg cyclist trying to drop to 75kg, that means 130-175g of protein daily — significantly more than most amateurs eat. The protein doesn't 'add' fat loss; it protects muscle while you're in the gap. Without it, the rider losing weight loses muscle. With it, they lose mostly fat. The first scenario costs FTP. The second protects it.
The third pillar is the size of the gap. The Roadman position, anchored in the RED-S literature and David Dunne's podcast conversation, is that the daily energy gap should be modest — typically 200-400 kcal below maintenance on lighter days, with full fuelling on harder days. That produces 0.3-0.5kg per week of loss in most amateurs, almost all of it body fat. Aggressive deficits — 800+ kcal/day — drop weight faster but reliably cost FTP, recovery, and (in women) menstrual function. The Hannah Grant podcast on pro-team chef perspectives is consistent: the riders who lean out for the season do it slowly across 8-12 weeks, never inside two.
Two practical points. First, fasted long rides are a trap for masters cyclists trying to lean out. They feel productive, they bonk you 60km from home, and the body responds by hoarding the next meal. Roadman's position is to skip them — fuel the long ride properly with 70-90g of carbohydrate per hour, recover faster, train better next session. Second, body composition matters more than scale weight. A 75kg rider with more muscle and less fat will outride a 73kg rider who got there by losing both. Track the trend over months, not the number on a Tuesday morning.