Cycling Diets ?

[Rockinthecasbah]

Does anyone know of any good resources for decent everyday diets for cyclists? Me and Chewi Yeti feel like are diet of crap and fast food is holding us back on some of are more intense rides. What kind of diets ( eating habits ) work well and are obtainable by normal people, other then the tecate diet alot of the loopers enjoy so much.

[allison]

It's half common sense, and half self control (I don't have the self control bit down yet).

Eat breakfast!! Can be easy as instant oatmeal and a banana. Just remember that the oatmeal has sugar, which is carbs, blah blah... Not a ton of protein, but it does fill you up and tastes good. I tried some healthier oatmeal and couldn't eat it. I stick with Maple & Brown Sugar

Many people highly suggest eating 5-6 smaller meals instead of 3 larger ones. This is also something I don't usually do. I LOVE dinner. It's hard to try to eat something small when I want chicken, veggies, and something with carbs (I love carbs. Give me bread and pasta!). You can do meal replacement stuff, but probably also wouldn't hurt to eat something with a bit of protein, calories.. I tried carrots and fat free ranch/onion dip, and also have had cottage cheese (low fat with pineapple). Yesterday I had a Myoplex Lite shake (tastes like crap) and ate less at lunch due to that.

For lunch, salad's... half a chicken breast, turkey sandwiches.. No mayo, and cut back on cheese if you can. Cheese does have protein and calcium, though, so if that's your main source of fat, then I don't think it's a huge problem. Use wheat or whole grain bread. I've cut out white bread from lunches, except when we go to Submarina

I also usually eat an apple as an afternoon snack, but there's no protein, so it's not really a small meal.

Dinner I like to have a boneless/skinless chicken breast (marinated, but not dipped in anything), veggies (corn, asparagus, brocolli) or salad, and sometimes add something like baked beans or Pasta Roni. We also eat the Barilla Pasta Plus about once a week. Sometimes we'll have a can of 98% fat free chili (decent amount of protein) with a bunch of spices.

Many people that try "dieting" fail because diets are tough. Don't go on a DIET. Instead, CHANGE YOUR EATING HABITS! Cut out soda. Drink more water. No dessert. If you eat fast food everyday, stop! It is a pain to make lunch every night, or in the morning, but it's cheaper and healthier. Get some lunch meat, some bread, and there you go. You like more on your sandwiches? Feel free to pick up some lettuce, tomatoes, etc. and add that in (keep the tomatoes or anything else "juicy" in a separate baggy or your bread will get soggy!). You can use mustard and pepper, but try to stay away from salt (sodium) and mayo.

Stop buying sweets. You may crave something unhealthy after dinner, but if it isn't in your cabinets you can't eat it! Along those lines, though... if you deny yourself all the time it may backfire.

Feel like having potato chips? Wait 30 minutes after you crave it. If you still want some chips, limit yourself to a handful.

Hope some of that helps..

btw, some people say to allow yourself one "cheater" meal a week. Don't go all out and eat a pizza, then follow that up with a milk shake and fries.. But if you like going out, get a burger or chicken sandwich.

Something Justin mentioned.. it's healthier in the long run to get like a side of chicken tenders than it is to eat fries. They're both fried, but at least with the chicken you get protein. Fries? Nothing.

[Keith B]

I ate cookies and drank beer for 9weeks and lost 7 pounds. I may go on Oprah to talk about my new diet. I'm calling it the 'Feel Good Diet'

[Rockinthecasbah]

I am definitly a pasta lover I found a few places that have protein gluton free pasta , and of course whole wheat. I love carbs and its all a matter of nto having it around . Its hard when I'm at school 5 days a week and trying to find decent meals, and at work they alays have cupcakes. I think it is defintly a lifestyle change more then a diet and its something I'm going to have to work towardsI think that If i ate healthy my riding would improve alot.

I'd be good at that diet or maybe the beer , cupcakes and mac n cheese diet

[tkblazer]

isn't the mtn biking diet beer and burgers?

[PacMan]

Allison pretty much covered it, but here's my 2 cents:

Eat a sensible breakfast and make sure to eat breakfast everyday. Breakfast sets your blood sugar for the better part of the day, so eat something filling that doesn't have too much sugar. Trust me, you will feel better throughout the day with a good breakfast.

Stay away from cheeses, dressings and sauces as they contain empty calories and fat. Stay away from sugary drinks--non-diet soda, most juices and most sports drinks (Gatorade is filled with sugar). Stick to lean meats and fruits and veggies.

Don't eat late at night (my biggest craving) and drink lot's of water. Try to eat a healthy snack such as fruit in between meals. It will help you to control "pigging out" at meals and will keep your metabolism active and running. The worst thing you can do is skip meals and not eat as your metabolism will slow way down.

This formula helped me drop 56 lbs in 7 months.

[BFloFoxRider.]

well the diet im trying for this whole week before my first week isnt too bad
its been four days and its pretty easy

I've been eating alot of carbs... good for energy and whatnot but with the carbs i also eat some kind of meat, wether it be chicken, fish, steak or something of that sort. while the carbs are god for energy, the meat you eat replaces the muscles you tear when working out or cycling since all your doing is slowly "tearing" muscles and allowing them to re grow
another big thing thats hard for me is soda. i havent had a soda in five days and usually i have 2 or more per day. this helps me cut down on sugar and caffiene so i can grow and be bigger than Jason. ok, so i havent been totally faithfull with this diet...i broke down and ate halfof an abba zabba today but its the only thing you can consider candy that i've had in the past 4 to 5 days
lastly, i was told by my "mentor" (DDB@OCR) not to eat sugar within 48 hours of a race or a long ride... it kills your legs. so i havent added any sugar to my foods and i have watered down all juices ive been drinking the past week. oh and i almost forgot! dont add any excess salt to your food. too much salt isnt good for you... and if you do break down and have to use salt... sea salt isthe best for you.. the morton's or whatever is really bad since its all made. sea salt is more natural.

***... it takes blood to digest food as well as power muscles and it cannot do both very well at the same time

hope this helps!

-Brandon

[Evil Chocula]

I try and do the 5 meals a day thing, and Lean Cuisines are great. Taste a few and find the ones you like, keep them stocked at/near work. They're also preservative free, and healthy. Ralphs has them on sale all the time too.

[Code Blue]

Originally Posted by PacMan

Allison pretty much covered it, but here's my 2 cents:

Eat a sensible breakfast and make sure to eat breakfast everyday. Breakfast sets your blood sugar for the better part of the day, so eat something filling that doesn't have too much sugar. Trust me, you will feel better throughout the day with a good breakfast.

Stay away from cheeses, dressings and sauces as they contain empty calories and fat. Stay away from sugary drinks--non-diet soda, most juices and most sports drinks (Gatorade is filled with sugar). Stick to lean meats and fruits and veggies.

Don't eat late at night (my biggest craving) and drink lot's of water. Try to eat a healthy snack such as fruit in between meals. It will help you to control "pigging out" at meals and will keep your metabolism active and running. The worst thing you can do is skip meals and not eat as your metabolism will slow way down.

This formula helped me drop 56 lbs in 7 months.

This formula helped me drop 56 lbs in 7 months.

Originally Posted by BFloFoxRider.

well the diet im trying for this whole week before my first week isnt too bad
its been four days and its pretty easy

I've been eating alot of carbs... good for energy and whatnot but with the carbs i also eat some kind of meat, wether it be chicken, fish, steak or something of that sort. while the carbs are god for energy, the meat you eat replaces the muscles you tear when working out or cycling since all your doing is slowly "tearing" muscles and allowing them to re grow
another big thing thats hard for me is soda. i havent had a soda in five days and usually i have 2 or more per day. this helps me cut down on sugar and caffiene so i can grow and be bigger than Jason. ok, so i havent been totally faithfull with this diet...i broke down and ate halfof an abba zabba today but its the only thing you can consider candy that i've had in the past 4 to 5 days
lastly, i was told by my "mentor" (DDB@OCR) not to eat sugar within 48 hours of a race or a long ride... it kills your legs. so i havent added any sugar to my foods and i have watered down all juices ive been drinking the past week. oh and i almost forgot! dont add any excess salt to your food. too much salt isnt good for you... and if you do break down and have to use salt... sea salt isthe best for you.. the morton's or whatever is really bad since its all made. sea salt is more natural.

and you want close to an empty stomach when riding... it takes blood to digest food as well as power muscles and it cannot do both very well at the same time

hope this helps!

-Brandon

thanks however I totally disagree with this statement.

and you want close to an empty stomach when riding... it takes blood to digest food as well as power muscles and it cannot do both very well at the same time.

You need to eat somthing if you plan on riding longer than an hour or two

[queenwilhelmina]

[FONT=Verdana]I’ve been studying macronutrient ratios and nutrient timing for years, so I could write a short book about this topic-- but I’m going to hold back! Here are a few thoughts:[/FONT]

• [FONT=Verdana]Buy Gladware or some other tupper-ware and get a cooler bag if you don’t have a fridge at work. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Buy/eat 2% cottage cheese and mix it up with something, my favorites are [/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana]Strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries & Splenda[/FONT]
  • [FONT=Verdana]Cinnamon and Splenda[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]The ultimate oatmeal combination (TRUST ME) is WHOLE oats (not instant), crushed walnuts, a few sunflower seeds (no shells!), and flax seed oil if you have it (buy this from a natural foods store—should be refrigerated!) This combo is super healthy with lots of Omega-3’s and slow-digesting carbs to keep your blood sugar and appetite controlled. And it seriously tastes SO GOOD![/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Protein! If you don’t have the time or appetite to eat 5 times a day, get some protein powder and keep a shaker cup handy. Mix it with water (not milk, trust me) and have a piece of fruit. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]If you’re a burger junky, buy some lean turkey burgers and some whole wheat buns. I’d skip the cheese but if you must, get 2%.[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]On the cheese topic – I try to avoid it most of the time. Get your calcium from broccoli!! [/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Drink lots of water! I drink about a gallon a day. I’d even suggest skipping the diet-soda. [/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana]Try to eat as many WHOLE foods as possible. Keep the processed foods to a minimum. Also remember that lunch meat is a “meat product” that is processed. If you buy lunch meat, get a natural kind and stay away from nitrates!![/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]Like Allison said, you shouldn’t “diet”. You just need to learn to change your eating habits and still have a good cheat once in a while. I usually take about a half hour on Sunday and a half hour mid-week to prepare a couple days’ worth of lunches and snacks. And every morning I just load up my cooler bag and blue ice packs and bring it to work (we have a fridge but I don’t want anyone eyeballing my food!).[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana]That’s what works for me – might be too extreme for some people, but it really does make a difference.[/FONT]

[uno-speedo]

Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.

Keep a track of what you eat, use www.fitday.com (its free).

[DDB@OCR]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

thanks however I totally disagree with this statement.

and you want close to an empty stomach when riding... it takes blood to digest food as well as power muscles and it cannot do both very well at the same time.

You need to eat somthing if you plan on riding longer than an hour or two

To clarify- I told him to eat a pre-race type of meal at least 2-3 hours before a race...you don't want to hit the line with a full gut- for obvious reasons.

YMMV.

[Rockinthecasbah]

Gatorade is definitly one of my weaknesses and now that I think about it i'm sure it has alot to do with the acid reflux during hard rides.

[BFloFoxRider.]

Originally Posted by Rockinthecasbah

Gatorade is definitly one of my weaknesses and now that I think about it i'm sure it has alot to do with the acid reflux during hard rides.

i have the same problem... try just some acid reducer pills from the local pharmacy
the really help
just pop one before you use gatorade

[DDB@OCR]

IMHO-

Eating a sensible and balanced diet is key.

There are plenty of publications on cycling type diets that address many levels of intensity with opinions and such a plenty.

I'm not so sure one diet works for everyone. But there are basics and such one may wish to follow for optimum recovery and next-day performance.

Have fun!

[DDB@OCR]

P/s- this dood kinda knows what's up.... among others.

http://chriscarmichael.com/folders.asp?uid=12

[sdyeti]

I pack my lunch the night before. I am a teacher and our caf. food is a nightmare, so the last thing I want to do is fall to unpreparedness and buy it.

I love water, but it gets sickening after a while with no taste. So I buy caffeine free herbal tea and put one bag in a nalgene bottle. It gives flavor without sugar. Stay away from fake sugar if you can.

The more you think about/plan what you are going to eat ahead of time, the less likely you are to make an impluse decision and eat something that you didn't plan on.

When I crave something sweet (which is all the time) I try to eat Gorp/trail mix. If there are nuts in it, at least you are getting protein and the raisins, etc have natural sugar.

The fresher your fruits/veggies, the better they are for you. We belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture) program in San Diego. It is an organic farm that divides it's crops equally among members each week for less than you would pay for those same veggies at the grocery store. bewiseranch.com

[allison]

Originally Posted by DeeZee

thanks however I totally disagree with this statement.

and you want close to an empty stomach when riding... it takes blood to digest food as well as power muscles and it cannot do both very well at the same time.

You need to eat somthing if you plan on riding longer than an hour or two

Many people say to eat a big breakfast about 3 hours before you ride/race... That, for me, would be way too long. However, you can't expect to eat a huge egg, bacon, toast, pancake breakfast 30 minutes before Vision Quest any more than you should eat half a Clif Bar 2 hours before.

For ME, I like to make instant oatmeal and eat it in the car on the way to rides/races. Then I'll eat a banana about 30 minutes before. For the Bonelli race I'll probably have a shot of Hammer gel 15 minutes before I'm scheduled to start.

Also, I don't drink Gatorade on a regular basis, but I've actually felt better drinking half of one on the way to rides as it seems to make me feel better hydrated than water alone. For those that don't have anyone else to finish the other half, maybe try mixing with water, or saving it for later.

I just got an 8-pack of the Gatorade a.m. for mornings before big rides/races.

[queenwilhelmina]

Originally