Nutrition advice for daily commute (30 miles per day)

simon_e

prawny wrote:

What do people think of banana chips from holland and barret?

Why not buy a pack and find out? They're usually very nice, though most are coated in sugar. Sometimes you can find chewy sun-dried ones such as these ones made by Tropical Wholefoods (who also make my favourite fruit bars).

lost_in_thought

defdaz wrote:

lost_in_thought, just read your post properly - if you're having a bit of a dip after your carby meal try mixing in something with a bit of fat in it to help drop the GI Index of the meal - this'll make it release more slowly from your stomach and give you a gentler rate of glucose release into your blood and hopefully you won't rise and crash so bad.

Daz

Hmmm, thanks for that... I'm in the same boat as the OP, trying to drop fat as well as regain full fitness, so it's generally lower GI carbs as opposed to, you know, white bread or something. I will try adding some fat though, thanks for the advice!

dac73

defdaz wrote:

simonaspinall hit it right on the head, great post.

dac, I'd recommend that you concentrate on getting your fitness levels up first before worrying especially about dropping the fat as you're effectively trying to do two opposing things at the same time - getting fitter requires good nutrition whilst losing fat requires a calorie deficit, making it hard to supply the nutrients and energy your body needs to recuperate and adapt to your exercise.

Once you're getting through the weeks commute and feeling great by Sunday then I'd start to focus on getting lean. After exercise you have a 'golden window of opportunity' - insulin and other hormones etc. try to push nutrients into your poor old muscles in order to kick start the recuperation period and you can make the most of this by getting a large portion of your diet in at these times whilst limiting the chances of any of the food being stored as fat.

Caffeine, for all it's negatives is a fantastic diet aid (especially when mixed with ephedrine and aspirin - see the ECA stack) as it inhibits carb metabolism and boosts fat metabolism - this is more useful to you once you enter your fat burning period, not your fitness increasing period which you're currently in, though you should weigh this against the mental alertness plus if you're a bit tired or groggy before your ride home.

As simon said don't neglect water - its the most important nutrient bar none and if you're dehydrated you won't be recuperating or operating at your most efficient.

So -

Water water and more water
Try to improve your fitness before confounding your efforts with fat burning
Lots of carbs and protein after exercise to maximise the golden hour
Try to make sure you have some glycogen (carb) reserves before cycling - i.e. the banana or whatever an hour or two before cycling - or a good meal.
Take a mega-vit/min tablet and vit c and a mega vit-b complex (improves carb usage) daily.
Don't neglect protein - you need it to rebuild your muscles (muscles damaged during exercise and amino acids used during exercise need to be replaced)

HTH, you're doing great!

Daz
BSc. Nutrition, Physiology and Biochemistry! lol

Thanks defdaz, sounds like more good advice!

I'm appreciate what youre saying although, I've found it a little difficult to find out how much I should be eating. I am also trying to find "healthy" energy sources rather than things like cakes, chocolate etc - these are my vices!

I also love double expressos so the caffeine, at least, is not a problem. However, I also have a teason of sugar which probably not a good thing. I'm sure energy-wise it's fine but I could get that from an apple ... with vitamins etc etc...

I'm kinda hoping the fat burning thing will take care of itself IF I can keep up with the 200-250kms a week. Time will tell!

vorsprung

Here's my dietary regime

6am up, make tea. Drink 2x mugs. Feed chickens. Big bowl Museli
730am 15 mile ride to work
845am arrivee at work. If it's a "training" commute (ie I went fast up the hills ) have 50g of maltodextrine in water. In anycase more tea
11am a couple of rice cakes
12 noon lunch. Either..a tin of tuna, a sandwich or a tupperware of leftovers. Plus apple, plus banana
3.30pm another banana
5pm 15 mile ride home
6pm dinner of some sort. meat n 3 veg

I currently weigh 82kg but want to be under 80kg for the end of May

georgio15

RedAende wrote:

georgio,

How much exercise do you do, girl I train with now looks anorexic, I am worried about her, I know she does eat, seen her scoff a massive lunch recently, but think she needs to adopt your diet, 3 hrs a day in gym for her + cycling.

i train 2 hours a day on a monday wednesday friday and sunday.

on tuesdays thursdays and saturdays i train in the order of 4 hours a day.

simon_e

Have now tried Aldi's organic cereal bars. A box of 8 x 25g costs £1.55 - less than 20p each. Being organic, they're not allowed to pad it out with any old cr@p.

Apple flavour has 91 kcal per bar, with 18.7g carbs (of which 7.2g sugars) and 1.2g fat.

Quite chewy but nice enough, sweet without being sickly. Very good value. I would happily carry these alongside the Tropical Wholefoods fruit bars, banana and raisins I normally eat on longer excursions.

ArroyoDave

dac73 wrote:

G'day,

I've just started cycling a little extra per day - (2 x 15 miles) and I'm finding I'm lacking in energy by the time I cycle home in the evenings. I was previoudly cycling 10 miles a day less and was ok.

I am looking for ideas to help me feel a little more energetic.

My daily routine is:

5:45 Wake up
6:00 Double expresso for Breakie
6:30 15 mile commute to work
8:00 Porridge with 1/4 banana and syrup for breakfast + double expresso
11:00 Chicken/Ham and salad sandwich
13:00 Another sandwich
17:00 15 mile cycle home (with aching legs!)
19:30 Dinner - usually meat and veg Or a pasta meal

I'm easil drinking a few litres of water per day and have just changed my habit of snaking on sweets to snacking on nuts.

I'm 35 years old and weigh 105kgs - I'm currently losing weight (yay!).

I was going to start by trying a banana at 16:00 to give me a burst but am worried about the extra calories I'm eating, however, I could be tire because I'm not eating enough - any thoughts on that?

All advice is welcome!

Cheers.

Cut out the 19.30 meat and veg dinner and replace it with a protein recovery drink,especially if you go to bed early as your bodies metabolism starts slowing down at night and for fat lose this is not good.
If you get peckish have a piece of fruit.
Then watch the weight fall off!