Eating enough to counteract the cycling!

[Auntie Helen]

Hi folks,

I'm enjoying cycling immensely since I took it up 9 months ago after a move to the countryside. After the first couple of months I realised it might be affecting my weight (I'm a woman, was size 18) so started to track my exercise and food consumption.

I first tracked my weight on 22nd July. Since then I've lost 14.4kg (two and a quarter stones) so the weight loss hasn't been particularly fast but I'm already comfortable in a size 16 and feeling so much better in myself.

However I've been upping my mileage quite considerably and tracking calorie burning on my Garmin GPS. I tend to burn 1000-1600 calories per day at the moment, aiming to eat net 1200-1500 calories. What this means is that I actually have to eat almost 3000 calories most days. And I'm actually finding this hard, short of eating junk!

Does anyone have any recommendations for savoury-type foods I can eat during the day? I don't fancy nuts or seeds or raisins, unfortunately. I'm a bit worried I'll be at the doughnuts (just ate two!) if I'm not careful.

Also should I be increasing the amount I eat for breakfast (currently 2 weetabix with sugar, about 230 cals) or lunch (bread, soup, ham, yoghurt) rather than eating a great deal in the evening (which I currently do; usually some kind of roast with lots of trimmings, followed by popcorn in front of the TV, then maybe banana and ice cream later on, and perhaps cereal before bed)?

 

[jay clock]

Personally I go for extra carbohydrate like Weetabix or other healthy cereals. You soound like you are doing something right, but I must say I would have thought that 14kg would equate to more than 1 dress size down?

 

[Auntie Helen]

I'm tall (5 foot 9) so that 14kg was spread over a fairly large frame. I've previously weighed 18kg less than I do now and was a size 14 so I think I'm always going to be heavy, particularly with cycling muscles.

I think Lee's right, I need to eat more during the day, I'm just a bit worried I'll eat to counteract a cycle ride that then won't happen for some reason and I'll feel a right bloater!

 

[jay clock]

sorry, I also prefer my main meal in the evening. Breakfast, All Bran plus Fruit and Fibre, Lunch, low fat cereal and lots of fruit, plus Weight Watchers yog, dinner, low fat and healthy but it is my biggest meal.

Snacks - Special K choc chip cereal bars by the ton! I aim to do 800-1000 cals of exercise per day (swim, bike or run, or possibly 2 or more of those) and to have a net intake of about 1800. I was 90kg, down to 84, aiming for 78 (I was 105kg 5 years ago!)

 

[Cathryn]

I quite like 'eat natural bars'. About 200 cals each but relatively healthy,

 

[Stig-OT-Dump]

Don't be tricked into thinking that the calories burnt through exercise are extra to teh full amount of calories you would burn during a rest day.

In its simplest form, say your metabolism needs 2,400 calories during a rest day - that'd be 100 calories an hour you're burning. If you go out for 2 hours and burn 1000 cals, that's only 800 extra compared to what you would've burned if you'd stayed at home. It might be that you don't need to eat as much extra as you think, and that's why you're finding it hard.

Personally, my snack of weakness is M&Ms (the peanuts), fruit, and a flapjack or cereal bar when I get into work.

 

[Auntie Helen]

The food tracking programme that I use on t'web takes into account how many cals I burn resting and so tells me to knock 90 per hour off the amount that the Garmin logs. The fact that the weight is coming off lets me think I'm doing it right, it's just getting harder and harder (now I'm increasing my daily mileage) to eat enough. I LOVE peanut M&Ms so perhaps that's an idea!

 

[jimboalee]

As has been said on another thread, Garmin calorie counter is way, way away from reality.
The Garmin kCal figures are applicable to 'laboratory conditions' of 16ish Deg C and attire reminicent of a cycle race.

If you are dressed up warm, you will not be suffering as much windchill as Garmin thinks you are.

You are a recumbent rider? Your windchill will be even less.

Halve the Garmin kCal estimate and you won't be far wrong.


My early career was in 'Harsh environment' testing of motorcars. After 8 years of formulating the thermal efficiency of a cyclist, based on Thermodynamic principles I studied at Uni' for a career which became Vehicle test equipment design, I have total confidence my worksheets calculate suitable calorific requirement for my 300km + Audax rides.

The proof of the pudding, as all multi-stage racers will testify, is repeatable body composition each morning of the race. Weight, Fat% and hydration content.

The difficult part of planning my Land's End to John O'Groats was finding the campsites. The nutritional requirement bit was a doddle.

 

[jimboalee]

BTW stig-OT-dump. If you calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate from first principles using Body surface area, you will find 1800 kCals per day is a good estimation, + 600 for normal activities - Walking etc, = 2400.

I am 13st 10lb. 5'9". My Body surface area is just under 1.8 sq metres.

My BMR, which I would need to consume if I were bed ridden in hospital, is 1740 kCals per day.
I ride 25 miles each day commuting - 55 mins each way, and I treat myself to 60 extra calories each 12.5 mile trip. Which means the treat is less than my BMR.
I eat about 1800 +/- 200 kCals per day and maintain my weight. My Bodyfat % is steady at about 19%. Too much. It should be 15%.

I should reduce my cals per day by 200 now to lose that excess Bodyfat in prep for a year of 200km Audax rides.

If I ate 2400 every day and cycled 25 miles, I would put on bodyfat.

 

[Morrisette]

Hi Auntie Helen,

I also like to eat the biggest meal at night - not that late, about 7pm. If I stuff my face at lunch I tend to feel dopey in the afternoon.

If I'm going to ride all the way to work (15 miles) I have an extra banananananana for breakfast (so altogether 2 bits of toast, smoothie, cup of tea, and banana) and a few nuts and some water on route (salty pistachios, as these seem to stop me getting cramp - bizarre but true).

No idea how many calories that is, but it seems to work! Doesn't seem to be a lot of extra food/calories really - I have never worked it out - you've got me interested now....

 

[jimboalee]

What do the other six dwarfs think about that?

 

[Morrisette]

What do the other six dwarfs think about that?

Groan.

Actually sleepy sometimes gets involved too...

 

[srw]

As long as you don't start fainting or conking out on long rides, you're eating enough, whatever the machines and the tables tell you. They're all based on average values, which may not be representative of you.

It sounds to me as if you're doing just fine. Start worrying if you drop on average more than a kilo a week, or if you start putting weight back on.

 

[jimboalee]

The problem starts when - for really long rides ( AUK randos ) you MUST feed well for two days previous.

If you have a mishap and can't ride, you have eaten four day's worth of carbs, so will put on fat reserves weight if you can't work it off.

If you do ride, you will feel 'full of beans' for the first two hours. DON'T assume you will last all day. Eat BEFORE you feel hungry.

This is where Jimbo's amazing spreadsheets come in.
I have eaten carbs ( and counted them ) for 48 hours before a Rando 300.
I know how long they will last, and how much more I need to eat on the ride - and when.

Although I should have comsumed enough for four hours riding, I stuff down some cakes at the first control after three hours.

I'll add this link.
www.northlan.gov.uk/leisure+and+tourism/sports+activities/cycling/nutrition+for+common+rides.html

 

[Auntie Helen]

This is all very interesting food for thought folks, much appreciated.

I seem to be getting it right at the moment (have done over the last six months as have lost weight steadily) but I'm doing so many extra miles now that I am struggling to eat back what I feel I should. Not that that's a problem today as I have just pigged out on biscuits!

Anyway I'll keep an eye on things but at the moment I'm willing to trust my Garmin's very rough calorie consumption figures as coupling them with eating a certain number of calories is still allowing me to lose some weight. When I get to the point when I want to stop losing, however, I may have to reduce my mileage!