Binge Eating

AC20030_1

Evening All. Since starting cycling i find myself binge eating every now and then to the point i am so full it really hurts. Has anyone here had this problem themselves and can give any advise on how to prevent it? I think its a combination of not eating enough before/during/after a ride but as im trying to lose some weight i dont want to eat more than i need. Im also wondering if it could just be rubbish self control cos i go well ott, and just dont want to stop eating! Aside from this i do eat very heathily and get a good combo of low gi carbs, protein, fibre and vits in my meals. Just not sure of the best way to prevent it?? Any experience or ideas much appreciated.

danowat

Smaller, more frequent (try 6) meals, more protien, more self control.

Pseudonym

AC20030_1 wrote:

Evening All. Since starting cycling i find myself binge eating every now and then to the point i am so full it really hurts. Has anyone here had this problem themselves and can give any advise on how to prevent it?

as above - a strong dose of discipline and self-control should do the trick...

t.m.h.n.e.t

Bit of self control.

Herbsman

I used to eat fucktonnes of food when I first started as a cycle courier, and again when I first started training/racing. For me it was a phase that just passed after a couple of months, as my body got used to the increased energy demands. For you It might be the same. Just make sure that what you're eating is very healthy. Eat lots of nutritious stuff with quality fats and minerals in, like avocadoes and nuts. Beans, lentils, mackerel, chicken etc for protein, for carbs stick to brown rice and wholemeal pasta or bagels, plenty of fruit and veg as well. I still eat five or six meals a day now with snacks inbetween but they're not massive and they're fairly healthy.

estampida

so i used to race xc 16-18 years ago and my calorie count was insane, i must have been on 5000 a day easy and as i was experiencing a growth spurt in my teenage years i had moved to unorthodox ways of feeling full and controlling how many meals i would eat as the food bill was unsustainable

Normally would be four or five meals, with an extra loaf of bread and a box of cornflakes
king size snickers and a pint of milk for snack, and a lot of other bits from grazing

a trip to the docs with a concerned parent - took a blood test as thyroid can affect things like this, came back fine.....

so advised just to ride the storm, and i looked like i needed some bulking up, not the advice you need from the doc when racing xc

I found that meals have not really shrunk in size ever, and i am almost 34 now so I could be an exception, but things like a slimfast shake will fill you up until the next meal, and its mainly rice flour so no real calorie or fat again

but you can get funny looks sinking a slimfast with a full on fry up

cyco2

It may help if you have a 1/2 pint of warm liquid with a tea spoon of glucose in it and then don't go anywhere near the food cupboard to allow your stomach to settle. Go for a walk maybe.

AC20030_1

Thanks, some food for thought there (sorry). Going to try adding a bit more healthy fat (nuts) as at the moment i avoid fat at all costs. More protein too as i probably dont eat enough and as my leg muscles are getting bigger i could probably do with more. I do eat 5 times a day already but will try making this 6, with 4 of them being more substantial main meals. Hopefully that will adress it and ill try and see if i can go a week without a big binge!!

danowat

AC20030_1 wrote:

at the moment i avoid fat at all costs.

Bad idea, avoid bad fats by all means, but the body needs some fat to work properly.

Tom Dean

AC20030_1 wrote:

Thanks, some food for thought there (sorry). Going to try adding a bit more healthy fat (nuts) as at the moment i avoid fat at all costs. More protein too as i probably dont eat enough and as my leg muscles are getting bigger i could probably do with more. I do eat 5 times a day already but will try making this 6, with 4 of them being more substantial main meals. Hopefully that will adress it and ill try and see if i can go a week without a big binge!!

More fat, more protein, more meals, more substantial meals?

If you are bingeing because you get hungry, this is the solution!

AC20030_1

Yeah i think the cause is because im not eating enough and enough of the right stuff. Then i binge and instead of stopping when im full i eat and eat and eat which is where the self control will help but i want to tackle it at the root of the problem. Will give it a try anyway and see if it helps (also keeping an eye on my weight so i dont balloon!!).

t.m.h.n.e.t

Rethink your diet a bit
Small meals more often - Protein keeps you feeling full - Don't ditch fat,you need that.

good fats wrote:

Olive oil Canola oil Sunflower oil Peanut oil Sesame oil Avocados Olives Nuts (almonds, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews) Peanut butter Soybean oil Corn oil Safflower oil Walnuts Sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds Flaxseed Fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, trout, sardines) Soymilk Tofu

bad fats wrote:

certain cuts of meat whole dairy icecream lard pastries cookies doughnuts fast foods tv dinners

dehydration can be mistaken for hunger,are you drinking enough? "If your piss is yellow or straw,drink more"


TIP: Drink water before meals,it will fill your stomach enough that you can't over eat

AC20030_1

Yeah im good on the water front thanks. Will make sure the 6 meals/snacks are not too big but i do think in general i need to up my calories in a more consistent manner as at the moment i seem to have very low days (deficit from long rides) and very high days (bingeing). Boosting up on the protein and good fats will help too i think as im probably not getting enough of those.

graham_g

I think that this is less serious than it really sounds. You're obviously just needing to learn how to fuel your body a little better and a key part of this is eating regularly on the bike. If you're new to cycling, there's also an element of the body adapting and it does become amazingly fuel efficient once it has adapted to the new demands put upon it. Don't forget a decent size healthy meal is essential after a long day on the bike for recovery, don't go skimping on food when riding lots as after a few days you will get that 'binging' urge just to make up the deficit!

Muffintop

Herbsman wrote:

I used to eat fucktonnes of food when I first started as a cycle courier, and again when I first started training/racing. For me it was a phase that just passed after a couple of months, as my body got used to the increased energy demands. For you It might be the same. Just make sure that what you're eating is very healthy. Eat lots of nutritious stuff with quality fats and minerals in, like avocadoes and nuts. Beans, lentils, mackerel, chicken etc for protein, for carbs stick to brown rice and wholemeal pasta or bagels, plenty of fruit and veg as well. I still eat five or six meals a day now with snacks inbetween but they're not massive and they're fairly healthy.

+1

I usually find it quite hard to eat straight after a ride but then the next day or so I'm inhailing food like air. Try a protein shake straight after your ride.

Tom Dean

AC20030_1 wrote:

i need to up my calories

Sorry if I wasn't clear in my previous post but this is not the way to lose weight.

AC20030_1

Tom, yes i understand what you are saying but i think i am way under on my calories and after a few days of this i binge. I need to up my calories but still keep intake (slightly) below expendature so i dont yo yo so much. I use a Garmin edge 800 with hr monitor when riding which shows me calories burt but i have feeling the reading it gives is too low (i did a 2hr 49 ride on wed night over 42 miles at an av hr rate of 65%max and its said i burt 1154 calories). I only use this as a guide anyway.

I think as a few have said i just need to give my body some time to get used to it, eat a better balance, more often and control myself when i feel like eating everything in sight

bompington

I find I am much the same, and in my experience, there is no solution - you just have to not eat stuff you feel like eating.

danowat

AC20030_1 wrote:

I use a Garmin edge 800 with hr monitor when riding which shows me calories burt but i have feeling the reading it gives is too low

Doubtfull, they normally way over estimate calorie consumption, I've seen figures of 1000cals for an hours ride, which is way off base.

AC20030_1

Danowat. Yeah i have heard that too but it from what ive read that is because people dont enter their resting heart rate. When you enter that, it dials it in better but think it under estimates.

Pseudonym

AC20030_1 wrote:

i did a 2hr 49 ride on wed night over 42 miles at an av hr rate of 65%max and its said i burt 1154 calories

That's probably grossly over-estimated - I'd be suprised if you burnt any calories at that effort - 65% of max is barely high enough to give you any training benefit at all. At those levels, it's quite possible that you are simply over-eating for the amount of effort you are making.

danowat

My garmin is setup properly, todays ride was an hour at 85%MHR, and my garmin says 1341cals, which is complete balls!, its half that, if that.

Herbsman

Pseudonym wrote:

AC20030_1 wrote:

i did a 2hr 49 ride on wed night over 42 miles at an av hr rate of 65%max and its said i burt 1154 calories

That's probably grossly over-estimated - I'd be suprised if you burnt any calories at that effort - 65% of max is barely high enough to give you any training benefit at all. At those levels, it's quite possible that you are simply over-eating for the amount of effort you are making.

Wait... WHAT?! You use calories just by being alive, whether you're sprinting at maximum effort or lying in bed asleep. How can you not use any calories at 65% of maximum heart rate? It might not give much training benefit but come on, some calories were used.

Pseudonym

ok - that was a bit of an exaggeration, not to mention being physically impossible. But the sentiment remains....

Herbsman

Ok I'll let you off just this once, but next time you're in trouble.