should fit cyclists eat when they are hungry?

I am 5'8 and 162. I cycle 120 to 150 miles per week. I used to be 203lb. I want to be 154lb and I have always had a habit of eating late at nite which would be bad i know if i were overweight but what about now? should i eat whenever i am hungry? The foods i choose to eat are what i consider healthy. fruit, complex carbs ect.

David,

If you are 162, I presume that means years old and still cycling, I would be inclined to not change anything!

my uneduated opinion would be absolutely yes! if you are hungry and aren't trying to lose weight then eat a small amount to curb your hunger. i know i can't go to sleep with a rumbling stomach.

When your body is hungry, it wants you to eat. When your body is thirsty, it wants you to drink water.

Only you'll know the difference between a crave and hungery though. I rarely have the feeling of hunger or "fullness" due to constantly consuming small portions of food every 2 hours. I'm 6'-6'"1 and weight 170lbs.

I imagine you have the same small complex of staying fit since you just lost so much weight? I have the same issue from time to time, because I went from 225lbs to 170lbs.

Dropping that extra weight sometimes means you need to eat more! 154lbs isn't easy for a 5'8" man to reach when he used to be 203lbs. Gonna take proper eating and training. You can't just starve yourself to get to your made up goal. If you do that, you'll put the weight back on instantly! Remember, being healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet. Don't change anything you'r'e not doing now and you'll stay fit for years to come. Do some reading on my other posts and you'll get some info. I'm relatively new to cycling, but I know a fair amount about proper diet and nutrition.

Don't foget to put cheat days into your diet too! Your body needs that sometimes.

there is always one isn't there.

From my very layman understanding ,if you ate small nutrious meals only when you are hungry,you would never have a weight problem.My proplem is snacking on chips,chocs,and pastry's when i'm not hungry.I then just add an extra ride to my weeks regime and hey i'm not over weight.

Now thats exactly what I wanted to hear. If I cycle 150 miles a week I could eat the whole world! Maybe not that extreme, but if I want I could eat late at nite and once or twice a week eat a pizza/cheeseburger right?

YES!

I eat right up to the point before I go to sleep. Your body will enjoy having food to burn through the night.

And a pizza/cheeseburger is fine dude!

As long as you're not sitting on your **** all week, that food will burn off like nothing.

You certanily should eat !

If I don't eat enough before I go to bed I will wake up during the night and not be able to get back to sleep unless I get up and eat something.

i try to avoid a big meal before bed but if im hungry i will def. eat something.
the pizza/cheeseburger would be even better if it was home made instead of from mcdonalds or pizza hut. then you are eating something(pretty) healthy as you know theres no added fats or salt in it.
im just like nickDavid I'm relatively new to cycling, but I know a fair amount about proper diet and nutrition.
keep eating and eating healthily and you will lose the weight you want, but remember youve lost an amazing amount already -well done- the last bit is always the hardest to get rid of, it will go slowly and naturally so dont worry to much about it.
also try having a little bit of protein with your dinner as it will fill you up for longer so you might not be hungry just before bed.

Go to bed early & get up early , get on your bike and go for a ride .If you ride moore you won't have to worry about "how much you eat" .
I'm 5'7, 141 lb & ride about 300 to 350 miles a week,i need to eat a lot to keep my energy up for long and hard climb and training sessions,Musher

Stop eating 2-3 hours before sleeping. If you must have anything raw like veges or fruit. If can can eat and get away with eating late great.

I always eat when I am hungry, I don't eat if I am just bored, like grazing which is the worse thing. I dont keep sweets, cookies, desserts softdrink etc.. in the house.

Being hungry is your body telling you it needs nourishment so feed it, Your choice of food fruit, vegies, meat, complex carbs is good. I consider anything refined like crisps, deep fried food, stuff loaded with sugar cookies etc..taboo. The exclusion food/supplement bars when riding.

If you don't eat muscle atrophy can also occur.
I think it comes down to choice of food that is important and not how much you eat.

1) Balance of food
2) Don't skip meals especially breakfast. If I'm running late too bad I sit down and eat first.
3) Take lunch to work that way you make sure its healthy and eat it.
3) Develop good eating habits, I mean good clean nourishing food.
4) Don't be a total food snob.. 1 Day a week eat whatever you like and enjoy it. this is usually a night I eat out with friends etc.

It al becomes routine after a while and its not too hard.

These are purely suggestions, you decide whats best for you.

Yes! It is so important to listen to your body. I think sometimes we get a little too mechanical about eating (eat this much at this time) rather than listening to our bodies.

I am just getting into biking, but have been running for years. My best runs are first thing in the morning. If I eat dinner at 6pm and feel hungry a few hours later, but ignore it, when I wake up in the morning for a run, I won't have any energy. I eat a snack before I head out the door, but I can't eat a full meal.

You really have to do what works best for you. But don't ignore the hunger. You will be more successful keeping your weight under control if you learn to give your body what it needs, when it needs it.

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Heather Hamilton

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Hey bro, you've been misled. This used to be an old diet that people thought was great. You're actually doing harm by starving your body for that long. I'm living proof that eating RIGHT before bed is good! Think about it, if you're eating properly, then starving yourself for the 8 hours of sleep PLUS an additional 3 hours? Your body burns alot of fuel during sleep, so you need food to be good during those hours.

While is sounds like the wrong thing, eating every 2 hours right up to the point of bedtime is the way to go and lose weight (as long as you're following an excercise routine)