Calorie deficit and recovery foods balancing - need suggestions

robertw486

Simple concern - finding the right balance to recover from exercise while wanting the benefit of maintaining a calorie deficit.

I've turned to some high nutrient sources, but after a hard exercise I find myself having to "graze" all day. This makes me feel bloated somewhat (and I normally have limited time for sitting around eating!) and I'm looking for suggestions.

I've been doing OK on my macros and have found foods to help me adjust for where I'm lacking and get things closer to a balance by the end of the day.


Yesterday I ended up with a 1.200 calorie deficit (2000 calorie) goal, and feel fine today. But I feel like I ate all day after my bike ride. The recovery eating seemed as taxing as the ride! Yesterday is an extreme example for me, but even with 1500-2000 calorie workouts I feel the same often.

If anyone has some good suggestions on how to get a lot of nutrition with less eating, I'm all ears. Even with some protein/nutrition bars, Greek yogurt, etc..... I feel like an eating machine some days.



I'm also still learning what a reasonable calorie deficit is for me. Are there any good calculators to help with this? On a low activity day it's not a concern, but for me finding that balance of recovery to feel fine the next day is harder after I work out and burn more calories. I don't want to be wiped out the next day, but I want the exercise to help with fat burning and stay down on overall calories too.

oneluckiegirl

Kudos to YOU, Robert, for finding a physical activity that allows you to "play" and burn some calories!
Well, having done 4 Ironman events and a plethora of half distance, I think I can give you a few choices for recovery. I've had multiple "fails" on the recovery nutrition, so maybe that will be more helpful!!
Not to lecture, but a 1200 Cal deficit is definitely a bad thing. I get it, that occasionally there's just not time to get in all of the calories, but when you go into that kind of deficit, your body starts burning muscle as fuel.
Generally recommended is a 500cal a day deficit. Depending on how much weight you want to lose, and given your gender, I wouldn't go much less than 15-1800 cal/day for a guy, that's cutting it pretty lean.
If you've got your macros down and well calculated, then that's a HUGE benefit.

Another question is: what are you in-taking on your rides calorie wise, and what kind of carbs are they? You mention protein bars: I've found they actually put weight/fat on. Eat real food.

I've found that my gut is sensitive to most protein powders, but Twin Labs has one that is just whey. Post workout recovery: I mix it with a frozen, Pre sliced banana, 8oz coconut water, 2 cups of fresh baby spinach, maybe a splash of almond milk.
The banana and the coconut water gives it flavor, sweetness and a nice ammount of potassium and magnesium.

Another thing is to add (or find a recovery drink that has it in there) BCAA's. They've been shown to reduce muscle soreness. Ashley Conrad (Clutch Body Shop) has a great one that is palatable at Bodybuilding.com. And for me doesn't cause bloating...
I'm not "endorsing" any products, these are things I've tried, and worked for me. Also, there is a PLETHORA of GREAT information on nutrition at that website. It's all free, they make their money by selling supplements. So don't get caught in THAT trap! But the authors of the articles know their stuff. And are the "A" list of trainers, bodybuilders and fitness models.

My DON'T list:
Ice cream and pnut butter after a long ride does NOT constitute a recovery meal!! Nor does Beer and Pizza!!
A bag of BBQ potato chips is not the optimal sodium replenisher either.
Just because my friend can eat hotdogs and Oreos on our 5 hour training rides, doesn't mean I should try it, unless I want to abruptly end the ride in the middle of nowhere after I've been dropped of the back of the pack during a thunderstorm in the mountains!!

There are some great recipes for pre, post, and training nutrition in a book by the guys that developed "SKRATCH" hydration mix. Some worked well for me, others were way too heavy in fat and carbs. They were developed for pro cyclists riding various tours. I believe it's called "The Feed Zone".

As for yogurt and the like, I realized that there is a TON of sugars (lactose) in dairy. (Oddly, none in whey protein powders). I've found that my 2 a day habit of cappuccino and my "cottage cheese is my protein" we're sabotaging my efforts BIG TIME! I cut those out, except for special occasions, and have had better success. As they say "Ab's are made in the kitchens, not the gym!"

I know this was "wordy", I hope it helps.

Keep the rubber side down!!!

Deb

oneluckiegirl

One other really important thing that I did not mention: rest and recovery! I neglected those when I was training so hard, and I must say that rest and recovery is probably the number one thing that you can do!

mikestobbs1

Nuts
Eggs
Beef

robertw486

Deb,

With all the questions I have right now, wordy is a good thing. Thanks so much for all the advice. I'll try to address everything you asked, and it raises another question I had coming!

I usually don't eat, or eat very light before biking. That said, I usually bike in the neighborhood of 15-25 miles, well hydrated, and then eat recovery food when I return. Yesterday I set out with a goal of riding 50+ miles, so I took in about 1000 calories before and during the ride. Morning coffee, an energy bar (Probar, fairly balanced), and a banana before leaving. A Powerbar and a Cliff bar (both leaning more towards carbs/sugars and lower in protein and fat) and watered up good at a short halfway point break, then hit the road for home. Over the course of the ride I drank the better part of a gallon of water (and some weak tea with minimal sugar).

I haven't tried protein powders, and the protein bars I've used are usually used for post exercise or if I'm "behind the curve" on protein intake during the day. Your idea sounds good, and has less sugar than a yogurt/banana/peanut butter (just a little!)/milk smoothie I've made as a recovery food.

I'm still learning the basics, but from my understanding BCAA's would be of more use as my body fat goes down leaner and I'm moving more towards muscle building/maintaining vs the current mode more focused on fat burning. (Keep in mind being new to most of this I always stand to be corrected!)

Points taken on the yogurt and cottage cheese and sugars. Sugars is the one place I've struggled more on nutrition, and one of my reasons for looking for alternate high gross protein sources.

I do fairly well on rest and sleep during recovery. I often bike a couple days in a row, but limit other physical strains and get a good nights sleep usually.


And to the last point, that you addressed and I skipped over, the calorie deficit question. This has been a source of confusion for me since there seems to be a lot of conflicting information. I've read countless articles, many that conflict. The power lifter types say lift heavy, recover well and avoid any protein shortages. The aerobic exercise types say do enough to not lose muscle, avoid protein shortages, and do all the aerobic exercise you want. The "total fit" body types echo similar with a balance of the previous two approaches.

So for now, in my state of confusion (or lack of certain knowledge really) I'm leaning towards the later, balancing the two somewhat, but with my exercise primarily towards aerobic type activities. And I'm HOPING that my current calorie deficit isn't making me lose any muscle. My thought train being that I'm still heavier than desired, and still have a body fat level of about 24%, which even at my age is considered moderate. And from my understanding, it takes a fairly large calorie deficit to start burning muscle, as long as your fat levels are up, and protein intakes are good.

My aerobic exercise (mild walking and moderate biking) shouldn't be intense enough to stop me from burning fat at these fat levels, and unless I was riding real hard for extended periods hopefully isn't triggering muscle decay. This is also part of my reasoning for my normal rides often being on no food or light food.... I want my body burning more fat for now. Yesterday being a harder ride, I felt I needed those 1000 carb biased calories to get me through the ride with some energy left.





But as I've said, I'm wide open for correction by you and those like you that are obviously more well informed on the whole picture than I am. I'd rather give myself more time to reach my goals than do something stupid that is harder to correct later if that's what it takes. I know I want to build back more muscle after my weight loss phase, but I certainly don't want to be losing any of my current muscle mass if it's easily avoided.




Mikestobbs1,

Thanks for the thoughts. I do use nuts and eggs as much as I can, but the fat levels in both limit my options for the foods that surround them, especially now with me wanting to limit excess fat intake. As for beef and lean pork, as a family we don't eat a lot of meats. Though they are protein rich, I don't expect my wife and daughter to adjust their meals based on my protein needs. So to some extent I'm looking for "stand alone" type things I can add to a meal that might be too deficient in certain areas for what I'm trying to do.

robertw486

Bumping for input.

The high protein recovery foods I'm finding through searches some, but I still have concerns with the short term calorie deficit question.

If I cheat my weight just slightly the calorie goals and math are simper, so I'll do just that.

Maintenance caloric intake 2500 calories

Weight loss of 1 lb per week intake goal 2000 calories

So this puts me at a 500 calorie a day or 20% deficit. Day to day this isn't an issue, and I'm usually fairly close to this being slightly below or above. On days I don't exercise it's generally not a concern, and I can keep my macros reasonable and adjust. Most input I've seen is that 20%-25% is considered a moderate deficit and remains healthy.


BUT..... what is a healthy and/or safe deficit when looked at for a single day event, or if needed when looked at through a week? My concern is more with staying healthy through my weight loss phase vs losing weight faster.

Does the occasional day of a 1000-1500 calorie deficit really hurt anything if I stay on my nutrients and protein goals? These are most likely to happen after a day with an additional 1500-2000 calorie burn from exercise.

extra_medium

Protein bars don't put weight on unless they put you over your calorie limit, just like any other food.

What's most important is that over time you maintain a safe deficit level, the occasional day of a large deficit won't hurt apart from maybe you not feeling your best.