Beginners Diet

Sicario

Please forgive me if this is in the wrong section! And forgive me if this is covered 20 times over, I've had a quick check and nothing recent appears?!

I cycle 11 miles a day, round trip. 5.5 to and 5.5 miles from work (occasionally I'll add an additional 10 miles coming home). But typically I'm cycling only for 20-25 minutes each way so hardly a big trip
At weekends I do 60 miles or so. So I would say I am a beginner. But I don't want to be.

I think what is holding me back is my diet :?:

Currently I get out of bed at 7:30 and I am out the door at 8am.
When I get to work I shower, eat a banana and have 500ml of water.

I then won't lunch until 1-2pm when I'll have either

• Beans on Toast
• Cottage Cheese, Tomato, Black Pepper and Spring Onion in a roll
• Pasta (white) with a tomato sauce

Now I know this is not doing me any good. So I have a question...

Would it be better to continue not eating before a ride (given the little time I give myself!) and have the following for breakfast...
Banana, chocolate milk (What UK brand? Is Yazoo any good?!) and a yoghurt

And for lunch have a jacket potato (no idea what filling as I hate tuna!) or continue to have cottage cheese / pasta.

In regards to meat I only eat chicken (ex veggie, I know, don't ask!)
I hate all sea food
I eat any fruit and any veg.

Would someone like to share their diet and when and when not to eat in regards to their ride?

alihisgreat

If you're cycling In the morning and doing it as a fair intensity then it raises your metabolism for the rest of the day..

So its best to start off with something like porridge, or cereal + a banana so you have plenty of energy and you should burn through it before lunch.. then eat what you need at lunch, perhaps having a small snack mid-morning if required.

If you eat too little and have too big a calorie deficit your body actually slows down your metabolism.. so you need to find the right balance for yourself of what, when, and how much to eat so that you can maintain a good metabolism and energy levels.

ShutUpLegs

Sicario wrote:

I think what is holding me back is my diet :?:

What are you trying to achieve :?:

thiscocks

I would say eat more in the morning as your body will be needing it to help recover from the ride. I eat cereal before I ride in the morning (can't understand why anyone would ride without somesort of breakfast beforehand) . I have milk when I get in to work then whatever to eat when I start feeling hungry (which is soon and often!).

What your eating is good (don't know why you think its doing you no good?) , id just spread it out more through the day with other snacks if your still hungry.

P.s. I would be eating my arm off if I rode in with no breakfast and didn't eat properly until 1!

DavidJB

Christ I wish I ate as much as you I'd be a rake!

7am - Big bowl of fruit and fibre
8.30 - Cereal Bar
11Am - Banana
12pm - Lunch (wrap (tuna/ham/cheese)) + snack bar + apple
3pm - Apple
5pm - Fruit
7pm - Dinner + yoghurt / desert

+ grazing on nuts/seeds all day!

I do about 220 miles a week which is intense training miles.

Edit: may have the odd cake or 4

StillGoing

Wrong foods. Carbs are great for providing energy but you want to lose weight. That means cutting down the carbs, increasing the protein and eating good fats. Protein fills you quicker meaning you eat less while unused carbs get stored as fat. The process of breaking down carbs is also detrimental to losing weight. Another important factor is to eat regularly. You need more than the three meals a day to lose weight. Sounds odd but its true. Plenty of small nibbles stops you feeling hungry and less likely to succumb to the temptation of having something quick that will be of no use. Aim to lose no more than 2lb a week.

You also need to vary your exercise. Doing the same thing works for a short while until the body gets used to the exertion. Throw in a bit of weight training or swimming or running. Weight training is useful as it promotes good core exercise when done with a Swiss ball and continues to burn fat for a long time after training by repairing muscle. You won't bulk up either, only people who supplement training with other substances bulk up. There are varying schools of thought on exercise intensity. Your moderate HR zone promotes fat burning but only works while you're exercising. Your long Sunday ride of say 3 hours is ideal at this pace. Z4 and Z5 while hard work don't burn as much fat, but will keep your metabolism raised for much longer as it repairs the muscles you've stretched whilst working training. Use your commutes to and from work to train in these zones. Remember the importance of rest days too.

If you can, go and see a nutritionist and a fitness trainer. They can advise on diet to achieve your goals and the type of exercise to help speed it along.

styxd

Carbs are great for providing energy but you want to lose weight.

Where does he say that?

To me, your diet looks shite. Barely any vegetables or fruit or meat or nuts or anything natural really.

wiganwarriors

Hi gents. Totally agree with Philthy pay an expert £20 for there knowledge. But always take food on board soon as, so it can kick start your metabolism. And make sure the pasta is of the brown variety, the white variety contains refined flour and really has no dietary goodness in its makeup and as a high glycemic index which basically means it enters your blood stream quicker therefor increasing the bodys sugar hormone(fat storage) The same goes with white bread. And concentrate more on your proteins and try not to eat 2 hours before bed maybe a casein shake to prevent catobolism during sleep and eat little and often as philthy as already pointed out.
Good luck

StillGoing

styxd wrote:

Carbs are great for providing energy but you want to lose weight.

Where does he say that?

To me, your diet looks shite. Barely any vegetables or fruit or meat or nuts or anything natural really.

Ok forgive me for interpreting diet as literally diet and not as nutrition. With your reference to fruit and nuts your talking balanced diet which is of course essential to balance your weight. However there are foods to avoid if you are trying to lose weight.

To the OP; a fasted ride can work, but when it fails, it can fail big time. You'll end up eating more than you need.

Go see a nutritionist.

styxd

Ok forgive me for interpreting diet as literally diet and not as nutrition. With your reference to fruit and nuts your talking balanced diet which is of course essential to balance your weight. However there are foods to avoid if you are trying to lose weight.

What are you on about?

Go see a nutritionist.

Or just use some common sense and educate yourself.

monkeydan

philthy3 wrote:

...while unused carbs get stored as fat.

Not true. Fat gets stored as fat, de novo lipogenesis (creation of fat from carbohydrates) is possible but very rarely takes place. However if total calorie consumption is greater than expenditure, the carbs will be burnt preferentially for fuel and the fat will be stored. Carbs are not the enemy for people undertaking exercise!!

philthy3 wrote:

Another important factor is to eat regularly. You need more than the three meals a day to lose weight. Sounds odd but its true.

No it's not :-) Given equal calorie consumption, there is not a single study which shows meal frequency having an effect on weight loss or metabolic rate. It takes several days of semi-starvation for metabolic rate to slow. That said, the point you make below is a good one.

philthy3 wrote:

Plenty of small nibbles stops you feeling hungry and less likely to succumb to the temptation of having something quick that will be of no use.

True dat

To the OP - you said that you think your diet is holding you back, but you don't say from what. Unless you specify what you want to improve then it will be difficult for anyone to advise you properly.

Sicario

styxd wrote:

Carbs are great for providing energy but you want to lose weight.

Where does he say that?

Exactly.

I don't need to lose weight.

I am 6 foot and 11 stone.
I've a lovely stomach, thighs like an Ox.

I just need energy

It isn't so much I need to get in shape (although I wonder how club racers get those immense calfs!) but more the fact I wonder if I am doing myself damage by running on low fuel all the time.

Sicario

monkeydan wrote:

To the OP - you said that you think your diet is holding you back, but you don't say from what. Unless you specify what you want to improve then it will be difficult for anyone to advise you properly.

Apologies.

I am not well known for being clear and to the point :oops:

I just want to be able to cycle "properly". ie Do 50 miles in a sitting and know that what I have eaten is doing me good.

For example, having a McDonalds isn't going to be good for me after a ride, nor is a fruit salad.

So what shall I eat consistently to ensure my body is getting the right "bits" it needs?

styxd

Cycling 11 miles per day doesnt require anything special, other than a healthy, balanced diet. Just make sure you eat enough calories to account for it.

When doing more miles (50) it would probably be worth eating a decent breakfast (porridge is usually a goodun) before hand, and taking a banana with you (if you feel you need it). Then have something straight away when you get back to help you recover (milk with chocolate in it?)

Aside from this, just eat plenty of chicken/eggs/fish for your protein and lots of veg/fruit/legumes/beans (not heinz baked beans!) for carbs and some nuts if you fancy. The amounts you'll have to work out for yourself, but probably around 2500k worth per day.

Dont eat anything processed, if it isnt natural and/or you havent made it yourself then dont bother with it.

Of course you dont have to do this, but it seems like the dead obvious way of doing things.

monkeydan

styxd wrote:

Cycling 11 miles per day doesnt require anything special, other than a healthy, balanced diet. Just make sure you eat enough calories to account for it.

When doing more miles (50) it would probably be worth eating a decent breakfast (porridge is usually a goodun) before hand, and taking a banana with you (if you feel you need it). Then have something straight away when you get back to help you recover (milk with chocolate in it?)

Aside from this, just eat plenty of chicken/eggs/fish for your protein and lots of veg/fruit/legumes/beans (not heinz baked beans!) for carbs and some nuts if you fancy. The amounts you'll have to work out for yourself, but probably around 2500k worth per day.

Dont eat anything processed, if it isnt natural and/or you havent made it yourself then dont bother with it.

Of course you dont have to do this, but it seems like the dead obvious way of doing things.

This

t.m.h.n.e.t

philthy3 wrote:

Carbs are great for providing energy but you want to lose weight.

He doesn't

That means cutting down the carbs, increasing the protein and eating good fats.

No it doesn't.

Protein fills you quicker meaning you eat less while unused carbs get stored as fat.

Eh nope. Protein helps you feel full,not quicker.

The process of breaking down carbs is also detrimental to losing weight.

Nope

Another important factor is to eat regularly.

Yes

You need more than the three meals a day to lose weight. Sounds odd but its true.

It isn't. The only reason to split food up into many meals (ie 5-6 a day) is if you struggle to eat large portions or enough calorie dense foods in one meal.

Plenty of small nibbles stops you feeling hungry and less likely to succumb to the temptation of having something quick that will be of no use. Aim to lose no more than 2lb a week.

Grazing does more harm than good. Usually indicative of low blood sugar levels.

You also need to vary your exercise. Doing the same thing works for a short while until the body gets used to the exertion.

Then you work harder,longer or harder and longer.

Throw in a bit of weight training or swimming or running. Weight training is useful as it promotes good core exercise when done with a Swiss ball and continues to burn fat for a long time after training by repairing muscle.

Perhaps.

You won't bulk up either, only people who supplement training with other substances bulk up.

Totally incorrect. How you train effects your body composition now what you supplement or inject.

If you can, go and see a nutritionist and a fitness trainer. They can advise on diet to achieve your goals and the type of exercise to help speed it along.

In your entire post this is the only credible piece of advice given.

Sicario

Lets not argue now people.

Don't want to turn a perfectly good topic into a sour fest

There are lots on contradictions, there is no split 50/50 with people here everyone seems to say lots of different little things.

All the info is helping and more is welcome so thanks for the contribution so far.

Perhaps BikeRadar should sponsor a qualified nutritionist to give us the do's and don'ts

redvision

read this book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Racing-Weight-M ... 679&sr=8-1

i was having big issues with diet. used to practically starve myself (despite doing plenty of exercise) because i was desperate to lose weight and (naively) thought this would work. BUT the weight would never go and i was constantly tired.

Bought and read racing weight and its a real eye opener. It provides a brilliant insight in to nutrition for athletes (any sports).
By gaining a better understanding of how the body works and needs to be fuelled i have managed to finally hit the weight i targetted and seem to have far more energy throughout the day. Have been able to push harder in training as well, and recover faster.

bike radar mentioned it a few weeks ago:
http://www.bikeradar.com/road/fitness/a ... ing-28026/

StillGoing

There are varying views on diet and nutrition. Fact. Just as some will say working in the Moderate HR zone is better to burn fat others will say working in the high intensity zones is better. (That isn't saying that the OP is trying to lose weight, that has been accepted as my misinterpretation of his thread. Live with it.) What works for one might not work for someone else which is why a nutritionist is the best bet.

To the nay sayers who have taken my post as bumph. By saying protein fills you quicker, do you not suppose by that it is meant that you don't need as much of it before you feel full? By carbs turning into fat do you not think the relevance is that if you don't use the carbs you take in it adds more overall weight? As the storage of unused carbs turns into sugars and insulin reaches capacity, what is left over gets stored as fats. As for more than three meals a day, that is reference to eating many small meals during the day to stop yourself feeling hungry and avoid eating crap as a means to quickly restore energy. Again though, it may not work for everyone though it is a technique used by bodybuilders to lose weight quickly before a competition.

Some of the racing snakes on here may be able to just ride and have a cyclists physique more naturally. Some of us have to use varying techniques. None of us is right or wrong. It's what works for the individual that matters.

Good luck to the OP.

styxd

What are you on about though? You're just spouting confusing nonsense!

He wants to know what he should be eating with regards to his day to day routine and cycling. Ive given him some ideas, why dont you?

Telling him not to eat carbs when he rides a bike is a bit rediculous!

klep

styxd wrote:

Dont eat anything processed, if it isnt natural and/or you havent made it yourself then dont bother with it.

This is all you need to know.
Use common sense

t.m.h.n.e.t

To the nay sayers who have taken my post as bumph. By saying protein fills you quicker, do you not suppose by that it is meant that you don't need as much of it before you feel full?

What?

By carbs turning into fat do you not think the relevance is that if you don't use the carbs you take in it adds more overall weight?

This is a very rare process and weight isn't gained in this way. Weight is gained as explained below. Excess carbs are stored in the liver and muscle tissue as they are easy for the body to access,the fat you consume along with these carbs pretty much goes straight to fat cells,because the body loves doing that. Think about it, this is why carb loading before big events works.

As the storage of unused carbs turns into sugars and insulin reaches capacity, what is left over gets stored as fats.

No it doesn't. Insulin controls the uptake of glucose (which is created when carbs are broken down by salivary amylase) By letting your insulin levels get too low (example: office workers slumped over their desks at 3pm craving chocolate and sugary coffee) you are more likely to crave and/or binge. This is followed by insulins other job. Taking the sugary shit you binged on straight to fat cells. It's a survival response,one that you can control.

This response is why recovery drinks contain lots of sugar. Spike your blood sugar - insulin sucks the sugars and proteins into tired muscle for a bit of R&R.

As for more than three meals a day, that is reference to eating many small meals during the day to stop yourself feeling hungry and avoid eating crap as a means to quickly restore energy. Again though, it may not work for everyone though it is a technique used by bodybuilders to lose weight quickly before a competition.

Really it's a way to consume lots without completely killing your digestive system. Happens to favour bodybuilders who often time protein intake and large amount of calories while bulking. The process before a comp is known as "cutting" which simply isn't the same thing.

Ringo 68

I know you can get very technical about diets and losing weight but I just want to add my experiences.

I have gone from close to 14 stone to my current weight of 11 stone 8 pounds in less than a year simply by reducing portion sizes, very little snacking, hardly any bread and no full sugar fizzy drinks.

And of course riding my bike, on average about 70 miles per week.

wiganwarriors

Just be smart with your food choice, you can eat whatever you want within reason and within an half an hour of a training window this is the period where food will be digested and not stored as fat. Maybe your portion sizes are to big. Eat nuts or died fruit inbetween your main meals or have a protein shake.Loosing weight is probably 80% diet and 20% exercise. so a calorific deficit is the obvious solution imo.

blackhands

philthy3 wrote:

There are varying views on diet and nutrition. Fact. Just as some will say working in the Moderate HR zone is better to burn fat others will say working in the high intensity zones is better. (That isn't saying that the OP is trying to lose weight, that has been accepted as my misinterpretation of his thread. Live with it.) What works for one might not work for someone else which is why a nutritionist is the best bet.

I think that one of your problems is that you don't always express yourself clearly. For example what do you mean "better to burn fat" do you mean burn fat in preference to carbohydrate (ie a higher proportion) or do you mean burn more in absolute terms. There is a difference. The science is that at lower intensities you burn a higher proportion of fat, but at higher intensities you burn a lower proportion of fat. However, with high intensity exercise you will burn more fat even though it is a smaller proportion of the total fuel used There is no dispute about this, and the rule applies to everybody - individualism doesn't come into it.

It might be helpful, if you are going to make definitive statements that you let us know why you are qualified to do so.

thiscocks

styxd wrote:

Aside from this, just eat plenty of chicken/eggs/fish for your protein and lots of veg/fruit/legumes/beans (not heinz baked beans!) for carbs and some nuts if you fancy.

What's wrong with baked beans? Just because we ride bikes doesn't mean we have such strict diets! Even pro cyclists wouldn't be sticking to purely natural diets like you suggest.

styxd

What's wrong with baked beans? Just because we ride bikes doesn't mean we have such strict diets!

Baked beans. What isnt wrong with them! Packed full of sugar and other crap. My body's a temple, Id never dream of eating them.

t.m.h.n.e.t

styxd wrote:

What's wrong with baked beans? Just because we ride bikes doesn't mean we have such strict diets!

Baked beans. What isnt wrong with them! Packed full of sugar and other crap. My body's a temple, Id never dream of eating them.

1/20th of a 100g serving is sugar. That is 5g in a 100g serving What?

styxd

If you're only eating 100g of baked beans then you're not doing it properly!

keef66

I love baked beans on toast. Waitrose beans, obviously, but still beans on toast. Mmmmm!

styxd

I think the best bake beans are these, cos they've got sossidge in em aswell