What kind of meal plan/cyclist diet are you guys on here? As in what does everybody try to stick with for foods during breakfast, lunch, supper, pre, and post-workout. Any gels, snacks, or drinks you guys use on long rides as well?
Your Meal Plan
- Thread starter Benlikestobike
- Start date
I eat what I want. Nobody's paying me to be on a constant diet and quality of life is important. Only critical aspect I keep track of is making sure my daily energy expenditure meets or exceeds energy intake - the rest is just fluff...I do try to keep the fat down, the carbs up, and the protein moderate...ymmv.
I've changed my entire diet. I eat my biggest daily meal is in the mornings, a good 800+ calories of meat, veggies, and rice/noodles/potatoes, or some dish I make. Sometimes I'll make it the night before to save time. The word "breakfast" literally means "to stop not eating". That's what you're doing, breaking your fast, because you haven't been eating for eight hours. Nobody eats in their sleep except sleepwalkers or people on feeding tubes.
I get a huge influx of energy right after sleeping which makes me less hungry throughout the day, and I end up only needing three very small meals to keep up my energy - lunch, dinner, late evening (2 hours before bed). I no longer see any sense in the common attitude of small breakfast, medium lunch and big dinner, it's completely counterproductive.
Try it. Along with a renewed fitness regime (running 20km total in 3x/week, cycling 100-150km 2-3x, plus weights and swimming) and better food (less fat, more fruits and vegetables) I've dropped about 6kg and 8cm off my waist in five months.
The combined work and changes in eating have also made me far less tempted to eat junk because I'm never hungry, or if I do, my body can process the calories. Never deprive yourself - always allow yourself one piece of junk food per day so you're never tempted to gorge, just try to keep it small (e.g. one doughnut).
And to anyone who says, "I don't have time to cook!" I say you're lazy. Make a week's worth of large meals on the weekend and freeze them to eat over the next five days. There's no excuse for not eating healthy.
As for drinks, I use energy drinks if they're affordable, but water usually. After exercise, I usually reach for grapefruit juice - it tastes like hell, but I find it puts back my energy much faster than other juices and without the excess sweetness.
I get a huge influx of energy right after sleeping which makes me less hungry throughout the day, and I end up only needing three very small meals to keep up my energy - lunch, dinner, late evening (2 hours before bed). I no longer see any sense in the common attitude of small breakfast, medium lunch and big dinner, it's completely counterproductive.
Try it. Along with a renewed fitness regime (running 20km total in 3x/week, cycling 100-150km 2-3x, plus weights and swimming) and better food (less fat, more fruits and vegetables) I've dropped about 6kg and 8cm off my waist in five months.
The combined work and changes in eating have also made me far less tempted to eat junk because I'm never hungry, or if I do, my body can process the calories. Never deprive yourself - always allow yourself one piece of junk food per day so you're never tempted to gorge, just try to keep it small (e.g. one doughnut).
And to anyone who says, "I don't have time to cook!" I say you're lazy. Make a week's worth of large meals on the weekend and freeze them to eat over the next five days. There's no excuse for not eating healthy.
To get off that bunny trail, I only use energy bars on long rides (60km+). Here in Taiwan, they're three times the price you'll pay in Canada or the US, otherwise I'd eat them more often and for snacks at work. Most commercially made ones have a good carb/protein/fat/calorie balance and don't leave you feeling bloated. If you don't want to buy those bars, you can do just as well with a combination of foods: a piece of bread or a half a bagel, carrot sticks and a banana.
As for drinks, I use energy drinks if they're affordable, but water usually. After exercise, I usually reach for grapefruit juice - it tastes like hell, but I find it puts back my energy much faster than other juices and without the excess sweetness.
Oh that was really helpful for me, tomorrow onwards I'll surely follow this beneficial diet plan.
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