Foods?

[Gaz Vickers]

Probably another daft question, But what foods are best to eat on the day of Bike rides? i.e On a working day when i am up from 7:00a.m, i will have a cereal type bar at 8:00, then something like Burger & a few chips for dinner 12:30p.m, then at 6:00p.m i've been doing about 7 miles on the Bike. see http://app.strava.com/rides/20950157

Then once preparing and making Tea 7:30 something like Chicken with stir-fried peppers/onions and mushrooms and savoury rice.

Should i be eating more, or different foods?

 

[Pauluk]

Some say that ideally your larger meal should be at lunchtime with a lighter meal at night. I think most people (me included) have the larger meal at night.

I would cut down on the burger and chips and go for a healthier option. A wholemeal sandwich and a piece of fruit would be better. I would also eat a bowl of serial with skimmed milk rather than a bar and a piece of fruit like a banana.

If you were doing 30 miles+ then you would need to think more about your food and drink intake. With the 7 miles you are doing I don't think what you are eating is a short fall. What's your weight like?

 

[Gaz Vickers]

Some say that ideally your larger meal should be at lunchtime with a lighter meal at night. I think most people (me included) have the larger meal at night.

I would cut down on the burger and chips and go for a healthier option. A wholemeal sandwich and a piece of fruit would be better. I would also eat a bowl of serial with skimmed milk rather than a bar and a piece of fruit like a banana.

If you were doing 30 miles+ then you would need to think more about your food and drink intake. With the 7 miles you are doing I don't think what you are eating is a short fall. What's your weight like?

I am roughly just over 11 stone, fairly slim. The weight is in my beer gut! i am hoping to up the mileage to more 15 or so...

 

[Pauluk]

Well if you're not over weight I would cut out the burger and chips and improve your breakfast.
Stir fry, chicken and rice - reasonably good.

 

[Gaz Vickers]

Well if you're not over weight I would cut out the burger and chips and improve your breakfast.
Stir fry, chicken and rice - reasonably good.

Cheers for the advice. I will opt for a salad on brown bread! lol

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Muesli in the morning with Goji berries, Omega 3 sprinkle from Holland and Barrett with Oat/Almond or Rice milk!

I still eat quite a lot of red meat, especially after a ride but eat lots of fish, green vegetables, granary wholemeal bread and as little processed meat as possible. Lots of pasta is a good energy food but can be a problem weightwise.

Drink lots of water and when you start doing longer rides, make sure you get some recovery formula together - a shakey with natural whey protein, spirulina powder, again with one of the non-dairy milks above.

Good luck and listen to your body...

 

[Gaz Vickers]

Muesli in the morning with Goji berries, Omega 3 sprinkle from Holland and Barrett with Oat/Almond or Rice milk!

I still eat quite a lot of red meat, especially after a ride but eat lots of fish, green vegetables, granary wholemeal bread and as little processed meat as possible. Lots of pasta is a good energy food but can be a problem weightwise.

Drink lots of water and when you start doing longer rides, make sure you get some recovery formula together - a shakey with natural whey protein, spirulina powder, again with one of the non-dairy milks above.

Good luck and listen to your body...

Well it all sounds good, although i have no idea what you have just said! lol
I think i will just improve on my breakfast, then mid morning maybe have a bit of fruit. Or am i better having fruit mid afternoon as i ride my bike just before my evening meal? Or is there anything to snack on which is full of energy but not fattening?

 

[Sandra6]

I find eating cake half way through a ride improves performance
There are many others on this forum who will agree.

 

[Gaz Vickers]

I find eating cake half way through a ride improves performance
There are many others on this forum who will agree.

lol, unfortunately i'm not much of a cake lover!

 

[Gaz Vickers]

[QUOTE 2025225, member: 259"]Gaz, to be honest, on that mileage I wouldn't be worrying about my diet at all. Enjoy your burger and chips and enjoy your cycling as well![/quote]
What i'm kind of asking is, would i need to alter my diet in order to help me to more miles in saddle? Are there certain foods which help and certain foods which hinder??

 

[KateK]

I think you just need to concentrate on the exercise for now Gaz, I didn't really start to run into energy problems until I was doing about thirty miles, and that was because I wasn't eating anything on the ride.
As your distance increases your appetite will pick up, and you will probably need to look at what you eat in terms of general nutrition so that you don't just increase the number of burgers you eat; Carbohydrates: rice, pasta, oats, bread give you energy for and during a ride. Protein eg meat, fish, eggs, cheese, pulses, nuts etc helps build and repair muscles, though most sedentary people need less than they think. Vegetables and fruit give you vitamins and minerals, chemicals that your body needs to work efficiently. Fats are important too but again we mostly get enough of those without noticing, unsaturated fats such as olive or sunflower oil are better for you than saturated fats such as dairy or meat fat. There is a nutrition wheel (or plate) that gives you the proportions of each if you google it.
In terms of hinder: a large portion of oily protein, like a kebab, will sit in your stomach like a brick... but you know that already I expect.

 

[Gaz Vickers]

I think you just need to concentrate on the exercise for now Gaz, I didn't really start to run into energy problems until I was doing about thirty miles, and that was because I wasn't eating anything on the ride.
As your distance increases your appetite will pick up, and you will probably need to look at what you eat in terms of general nutrition so that you don't just increase the number of burgers you eat; Carbohydrates: rice, pasta, oats, bread give you energy for and during a ride. Protein eg meat, fish, eggs, cheese, pulses, nuts etc helps build and repair muscles, though most sedentary people need less than they think. Vegetables and fruit give you vitamins and minerals, chemicals that your body needs to work efficiently. Fats are important too but again we mostly get enough of those without noticing, unsaturated fats such as olive or sunflower oil are better for you than saturated fats such as dairy or meat fat. There is a nutrition wheel (or plate) that gives you the proportions of each if you google it.
In terms of hinder: a large portion of oily protein, like a kebab, will sit in your stomach like a brick... but you know that already I expect.

Thanks for that. It definately makes more sense to me.

 

[tadpole]

I cycle 8 1/2 miles to work and 9 miles back, I have either toast, or a sandwich before I leave, then cereal at 9am, Lunch is a mass of salad with a small amount of protein, chicken or cheese, or fish,
Smallish snack at 4pm and then a normal evening meal. I cycle fairly fast and don’t coast on the down slopes. I burn 1300 calories a day, something you’ll need to take into account when you plan your meals.

If when you do your ride quicker and or go for longer rides, you may need some kind of "recovery food", I'd suggest Pilchards on toast with mustard and tomato sauce

 

[martint235]

Good luck and listen to your body...

^^^ This. I find my body is pretty good at telling me what it needs. Sometimes it will be stodge (pasta), sometimes it'll be fish and chips, sometimes chocolate and sometimes a bag of crisps.

At 7 miles I wouldn't worry about it too much but you're not going to burn off a burger!

 

[Gaz Vickers]

^^^ This. I find my body is pretty good at telling me what it needs. Sometimes it will be stodge (pasta), sometimes it'll be fish and chips, sometimes chocolate and sometimes a bag of crisps.

At 7 miles I wouldn't worry about it too much but you're not going to burn off a burger!

haha, i know that, but at the minute, its all my legs will allow me to do! lol. My last 3 rides have gone, 10.3km to 10.7km to 11.3, So slowly getting further! ha