Bike and Food Nutrition

[ShawnoftheDread]

I eat all the time now, too, but I’m still losing weight so I consider it another bonus of bike commuting.

[Tim Kelley]

3 hours sounds about right for me!

I found that eating more whole foods, with an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and proteins (lean or otherwise), did a great deal for making me feel satiated.

[KelOnWheels]

Eating 30% protein 40% carbs 30% fat?
Getting enough calories?
Recommended grams of protein daily = kg body weight x .8.
If you’re eating a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein & fat you will be hungry!

[consularrider]

@RESTONTODC 23670 wrote:

HELP! Lately, I’m getting hungry ever 3 hours and have to eat something. I already have 5 meals per day…..

Sounds like you have morphed into a hobbit. I especially like the second breakfast after I get to work.

[KelOnWheels]

@consularrider 23678 wrote:

Sounds like you have morphed into a hobbit. I especially like the second breakfast after I get to work.

Second breakfast is the best. Next to elevensies

[RESTONTODC]

@KelOnWheels 23676 wrote:

Eating 30% protein 40% carbs 30% fat?
Getting enough calories?
Recommended grams of protein daily = kg body weight x .8.
If you’re eating a lot of simple carbs and not enough protein & fat you will be hungry!

Thanks. It’s hard when I’m eating out all the time. I need to watch out the percentile.

[KelOnWheels]

It can be tough to get enough protein.

Fortunately I have become allergic to all forms of food so I can pretty much only eat meat & veggies & fruit. :p

(I am still deeply in denial about my dairy allergy so that I can have ice cream. And cheese.)

[Greenbelt]

I eat like a baby: If I don’t get fed every 2 or 3 hours, I start to cry.

[txgoonie]

I’m hungry all the time, too, but that only happens when I’m being active enough, so I’ll take it!

Unfortunately, in order to figure out if your nutrition is on point you really have to start recording everything you’re eating. Then you can do an analysis of whether you’re getting enough calories and the right breakdown of carb/fat/protein. I started doing that on Training Peaks, and it was pretty illuminating.

Also, pay attention to glycemic index. If you’re constantly hungry, then make sure the carbs you’re eating don’t get burned up super fast. E.g. a lower GI option like oatmeal is preferable to sugary cereal or a bagel.

And drink lots of water. It’s good for you! And tricks your stomach into feeling full. Most people live their lives in a state of constant dehydration.

As far as the siren song of the Italian Store, ain’t no energy gel gonna cure that

[pfunkallstar]

I’ve started doing the protein shake routine after my commute home and try to get a nice stack of oatmeal (nuts, berries, whatever) down as soon as I get into work. Nevertheless, sometimes you just need to snack. Listen to your body, plow down some hearty stuff or some fruity stuff, wash down with water, repeat. Personally, after a LOT of trial and error, I have figured out that I need right around 2,600 – 3,000 calories a day to feel healthy and not lose weight – but I’m a big fidgeting mess so your results may vary.

[Dickie]

I’ve been working hard on getting the balance right this year and still struggle. I agree with many of the posts here, you should start by tracking your nutrition. I started using FitDay in January to log everything I put in my body and it was very illuminating. Getting the balance between protean/fat/carbs is not as easy at it may seem and it doesn’t take much to tip the scale the wrong way. I also pay attention to when I eat. As soon as I am finished riding I try to eat some form of carb and protean, generally in the form of a fruit smoothie or low fat chocolate milk. Once I am showered and cleaned up I will concentrate on a real and more balanced meal. The other thing to remember is as you become more active you metabolism kicks into high gear and stays active far after you have finished working out. I found this out when my weight loss continued past my goal and I suddenly found myself needing to go in reverse and pack on a few pounds.. the teeter tottering is not healthy. Short of shoveling pizza in my face I have to constantly find ways to eat enough to satisfy the cravings and yet put the right food in my body that helps my riding… throw in a heart condition and it becomes a real challenge but it can be done. Track your for, if only for a few weeks, it should give you a good stating place.

I stopped riding behind the Italian store, it was just killing me!

[jopamora]

Beer and donuts are the only reasons I ride.

[PotomacCyclist]

I usually try to include some protein and fiber in every meal or snack. Foods containing fiber usually contain complex carbs too (whole grains, fruits and vegetables).

Fats are important, but focus on the healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) found in nuts, coldwater fish (like salmon, sardines and mackerel), avocados and olive oil. Those are vital for general health. But you don’t need that much saturated fat. Try to cut down on that type of fat.

It also helps to go into long rides already fueled. Of course you have to balance out your fuel needs with any stomach problems that might be caused by eating too soon before you ride. Gels and carb chews are OK for longer rides but some people like to include some protein on long rides. (I usually don’t do that, but I have eaten Clif bars before on really long rides.) Try to replenish your glycogen supplies (the sugars that are stored in your muscles and liver) as soon as possible after tough or very long rides and workouts. Your body is more efficient at restoring the glycogen supplies in the immediate post-workout period. In this limited time window, sugar that you consume will be stocked as glycogen. It doesn’t set off the insulin response that happens when eating sugar while sedentary. (The insulin helps to convert the sugar into body fat.)

You probably don’t have to worry too much about restoring glycogen supplies after short rides. It only becomes more important after the really hard workouts or the long rides.

Besides all this, your daily and weekly intake will have to approximate your calorie expenditure. Maybe you just aren’t eating enough. The only way to determine this is to chart out how many calories you’re burning and how many you’re taking in. If you calculate this out, keep in mind that your body will be burning calories throughout the day, not just when you’re riding. You won’t burn as many calories while sitting in a chair or sleeping, but that takes up most of your day, if you work in an office. Something to do with calculating basal metabolic rate. I looked into this once many years ago when I wanted to get a sense of how many calories I was burning during the day. I tried counting calories in and out, but the process became so tedious that I couldn’t stick with it for more than a couple days. It did help though. Even those 2 or 3 days of counting helped me to get a feel for calorie intake/expenditure and how it all works.

[Dirt]

I eat 3 main meals per day and 3 sub meals per day. In between that, I’ll have a fruit or veggie as a snack 2-3 times per day. That has me eating something about every 2 hours. If I’m going to a nice dinner with humans where it is embarrassing for me to eat more than one entree, I pre-dine by eating close to a full meal before leaving the house.

I generally try to eat healthy stuff and most often succeed. Every now and then I get ice cream or cookies or something.

If I’m trying to lose weight, I stop eating at 7pm. I end up eating virtually the same number of calories for the day, I just eat them early in the day. Going to bed really hungry SUCKS! It throws everything off. It is, however extremely effective in weight loss for me.

[vvill]

The smell of burgers from BGR and the pizza from the Italian Store gets me as well! Especially after doing that Rosslyn hill on the Custis.

I usually eat and drink a lot every day. I need to stop eating so fast though, that’s the main thing that causes me to eat too much in a meal. I’m fortunate that my weight never varies too much but as I get older I’m sure my metabolism will slow down.

I usually have a quick bite before heading out on my morning commute, and then I eat breakfast ~8am, lunch/elevenses ~11:30am (great for beating the lunch rush crowds), sometimes a snack before my afternoon commute, and then dinner ~5:30pm. Often I’ll snack on something around 8/9pm as well since by then the kids are usually in bed and I can take out the cookies/chips/etc and only set a bad example to myself.

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