Lots of Cycling and Very Poor Nutrition - Need Help!

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dl000062
dl000062 Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
I have been cycling roughly 1.5 hours a day and burning about 1,500 calories. I eat a very reasonable breakfast (bowl of bran flakes and a banana) but by lunch time a feel famished and eat very poorly. Does anyone have any suggestions for how I might curb my appitite or suggestions for foods I could eat at lunch or at other times to help me be more balanced?

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  • jcmartin0313
    jcmartin0313 Posts: 574 Member
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    If you are working out that much you need to think of food as fuel. You are likely malnourished and your body is screaming "feed me". You can decide if you want to use carbs or protein for energy and people on here will fight about that but either way you need to be eating 5+ small meals and each mean needs to fuel you in some way either through complex carbs or protein stores. Skip the simple carbs except during a workout session where they get burned up quickly.
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    I wouldn't consider a bowl of bran flakes and a banana a reasonable breakfast. I need some meat or eggs. That's too much carbs, which spikes my blood sugar and then leave me so hungry just a couple hours later.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    How many calories are you eating / burning?

    When I mountain bike for 1.5 hours I burn about 900 extra calories. Without biking I burn about 2500, so this brings me over 3000 for a biking day. I try to eat at least 2500 on biking days. If I bike in the morning I have a big carby breakfast (yesterday I had cereal and an English muffin with jelly).
  • Sahara0815
    Sahara0815 Posts: 55
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    I think the biggest thing I can suggest is more fresh fruits & veggies, which are filling, and breaking your food up into several small meals a day. I talked to a nutritionist and my doctor recently and they both agreed, limiting yourself to one or two big meals a day (we all do it occasionally, but shouldn't on a regular basis) is not good. They said eat 4-5 meals a day with the bulk of the meals during the day rather than the evening. And don't forget the water, that is uber-important! I wish you the best of luck ... wish I was as into cycling as you are ... WOW!!!
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    If you are burning that much you need to be eating that back. Some bran flakes and a banana aren't doing that! Your diary isn't public so I can't see what else you are eating but you should be eating close to 3000 calories on the days that you bike. The normal daily allotment, I don't know your info so I'm going to say 1800 as a guess, plus 1200 of the 1500 you are burning with the bike ride!! A good mix of about 40% carbs and 30% protein and fats.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I wouldn't consider a bowl of bran flakes and a banana a reasonable breakfast. I need some meat or eggs. That's too much carbs, which spikes my blood sugar and then leave me so hungry just a couple hours later.

    They are burning off the carbs with the bike riding.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    How many calories are you eating / burning?

    When I mountain bike for 1.5 hours I burn about 900 extra calories. Without biking I burn about 2500, so this brings me over 3000 for a biking day. I try to eat at least 2500 on biking days. If I bike in the morning I have a big carby breakfast (yesterday I had cereal and an English muffin with jelly).

    What Rae said!
  • dl000062
    dl000062 Posts: 5
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    I am sitting in an office at a desk for the majority of the day (about 9 hours) so I suspect I am not burning too many calories. The more small meals throughout the day sounds like a very good idea to start getting on the right track. I probably need to plan my food better and not decide at the last minute to eat a full size salad from Wendy's, a baked potato and medium frosty!
  • dl000062
    dl000062 Posts: 5
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    I am a male - 5'11" 225 lbs. I have not been posting my food as regularly as I need to in order to make any sense of my diet!
  • Mellie289
    Mellie289 Posts: 1,191 Member
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    They are burning off the carbs with the bike riding.

    To clarify, that is JUST carbs. I'm talking about for me personally, I need something with protein (meat or eggs) along with my carbs in the morning or I am hungry like the OP. It's not just a question of how many calories burnt off, but the type of food. That's all sugars.
  • jcmartin0313
    jcmartin0313 Posts: 574 Member
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    Planning is essential but do not go crazy about it at first. I am lucky that we have a kitchen so I keep oatmeal and protein powder which I alternate depending on if it is a workout day or not. I take 2 to 3 snacks, usually a protein bar, some nuts and then something like a fibre bar and then I have lunch. I try to bring my lunch but I readily admit I go out. Again, I try to plan my higher calorie meal days for workout days. Simple things like microwave rice and chicken, chicken sausage, etc are easy.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    My breakfasts are around 600kcal, because I burn that before I leave the house in the morning... If I was going to bike I'd probably aim for 1000kcal or so.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I am a male - 5'11" 225 lbs. I have not been posting my food as regularly as I need to in order to make any sense of my diet!

    At your size and weight, your base calories even in a deficit to lose a pound a week would be about 2200 to 2300. Add a 1500 calorie burn to that and you are at 3800 and still in a 500 calorie deficit. Only eat back 1000, so eat 3300 and you are at a 1000 calorie deficit. Even with your sedentary job, your TDEE will be around 2800 to 3000 at your size. You need tobe tracking your calories better to make sure you are getting adequate nutrition!!

    As far as eating multiple small meals, if that helps you to get adequate nutrition, great! Other than that, there is no benefit to nutritional timing. If it help nutritionally or helps with satiety and works for you, do it! But metabolically, all recent research indicates that when you eat make little difference in a 24 hour period. You just need to be eating. I'm 5'9", 198 and I did a trail ride yesterday. Burned just under 1400 according to my HRM. Ate my scheduled 1800 plus almost 1000 more.
  • jcmartin0313
    jcmartin0313 Posts: 574 Member
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    Well there may not be any actual benefit to timing, but I perceive less hunger if I eat more often as I think most people do.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    Well there may not be any actual benefit to timing, but I perceive less hunger if I eat more often as I think most people do.

    I agree with the first part of your statement but not the 2nd. If you percieve less hunger if you eat more often then it has a satiety benefit for you. But not nessesarily for most people. If I eat more often, then I want to eat more and more and more. Some of us are like that also. It's great that it works for you and others like you but that would not be most people. That is a logical fallacy that is called generalizing from specific anecdotal expereince without a proof source. Glad it works for you. It may well work for others. It's does not apply to most people. It applies to some. It is a matter of preference.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I used to get the same issue when I was cycling a lot daily. I would be famished on getting back and eat really unhealthy things, but I didn't tend to eat much before I set off. Best thing is to have a decent breakfast with a balance of carbs and protein, and to if possibly take some nuts or wholefood bars or some bananas with you in a bag of some kind, and to have something high in protein when you are done cycling, such as eggs, nuts, fish, greek yoghurt, a protein shake etc.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
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    I used to get the same issue when I was cycling a lot daily. I would be famished on getting back and eat really unhealthy things, but I didn't tend to eat much before I set off. Best thing is to have a decent breakfast with a balance of carbs and protein, and to if possibly take some nuts or wholefood bars or some bananas with you in a bag of some kind, and to have something high in protein when you are done cycling, such as eggs, nuts, fish, greek yoghurt, a protein shake etc.

    Agreed! When I am going for a ride I do a protein shake with a banana and milk. About 600 calories. Then more fruit when I get back.

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