how much food to take on board?

Mccrear
Mccrear Posts: 256
edited June 2011 in Commuting general
i am currently commuting 17 miles a day and generally doing 20/25 miles at the wknd, andi have to say i am really enjoying it. However i am a bit plumper than i want to be so i was wondering if anyone could advise how much should i eat? should i be fuelling for the cycles that i am doing, or having less than most as i want to burn more calories and lose weight? ive found a couple of times that the end of the cycle is really hard on my return leg of the cimmute. But my wknd cycle which is one long run is always fine as i eat more to cover this. any tips/ experience would be great

Comments

  • will3
    will3 Posts: 2,173
    in my experience -

    given the amount of riding you're doing (which isn't that much really) and the fact that you are more plump than you would like, I would suggest not eating any more to cover your addional excercise.

    I used to do that kind of commute. It made me hungry and I put on weight.
    Now I do more than twice that and it still makes me hungry but I lost weight.

    I don't mean to be unkind by saying that 20/25 miles isn't much, but, well it isn't really. If you want to lose weight, I'd look at building up to twice that.

    £0.02 supplied
  • The Rookie
    The Rookie Posts: 27,812
    As you were already plump, you were already eating more than you needed for 'life' without cycling, good chance the cycling will correct that out, when I cycle (13mile round trip) I take one extra Muesli bar to work and have a couple of biscuits with my cup of tea when I get home, so maybe 2-300 calories more than I would have without cycling.

    Simon
    Currently riding a Whyte T130C, X0 drivetrain, Magura Trail brakes converted to mixed wheel size (homebuilt wheels) with 140mm Fox 34 Rhythm and RP23 suspension. 12.2Kg.
  • fatherted
    fatherted Posts: 199
    What do you eat Monday - Friday ?
  • Mccrear
    Mccrear Posts: 256
    well last week (from memory)
    mon:
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm tea chicken curry (homemade and tomato based)

    tues
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm fresh fish wedges and peas

    wed (play 5s and 7s football on wed nights)
    7am break fast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch large portion of pasta, 2 bits of fruit, yoghurt and a biscuit
    4pm a filled roll
    9pm scrambled eggs

    thurs
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm chilli

    friday
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm ttea homemade pizza with salami
  • cloggsy
    cloggsy Posts: 243
    Weightloss is a simple concept; eat less, do more, but perhaps easier said than done sometimes...

    I have found calorie counting has really helped me. I use the 'MyFitnessPal' app on iPhone and online (see info below!)
  • fatherted
    fatherted Posts: 199
    Mccrear wrote:
    well last week (from memory)
    mon:
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm tea chicken curry (homemade and tomato based)

    tues
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm fresh fish wedges and peas

    wed (play 5s and 7s football on wed nights)
    7am break fast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch large portion of pasta, 2 bits of fruit, yoghurt and a biscuit
    4pm a filled roll
    9pm scrambled eggs

    thurs
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm chilli

    friday
    7am breakfast cereal/porridge
    11am snack fruit/museli bar
    1pm lunch rolls/sandwich or soup 2 pieces of fruit, a youghurt and biscuit/mueli bar
    7pm ttea homemade pizza with salami

    Thats not far off what I would be eating during the week , plus a few beers and 1½ bottles of wine.
    My commute is about 13 miles each way and I do about 50/60 on a club run.
    I swim for about an hour one evening a week.
    I'm 1.90m and 80kg

    Maybe make sure the snacks you are eating don't have too much sugar or fat in them.
    Soreen is a good source of energy ready for the journey home.and/or banana.
    btw , if i'm making sandwiches i don't normally use butter or spread.

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