What long rides (and huge caloric deficits) do to your appetite.

Hi, Burton!

That is a really interesting question. I doubt that I have an answer for you, lol, but I'm going to be watching to see what people say!

I'm under caloric restriction, too, and try to eat between 1200-1300 calories a day. I also increase how far I bike by a mile or two a week (I'm old, fat, and new to biking, so please keep snickering to a minimum, lol). What I have noticed on the occasional day when I suddenly jump my mileage or my time significantly isn't that I'm hungry that day; I think the being so exhausted preempts the hunger pangs or something for me. But the NEXT day or the day after that, I will be absolutely ravenous. I'm often a little hungry when dieting, but nothing like that, as you said, with the appetite making me crazy. When that happens, the only thing that helps calm the hunger is protein. I don't know what the correlation is, but carbs don't do it for me when the after-the-increase hunger hits like that.

I guess the reason I brought that up is that I was wondering if maybe you increased your time for a little the days BEFORE you jumped to 1:40, so that maybe it was cumulative? And I'm curious to see whether you'll be raveneous tomorrow after your longer ride today.

Good post; thanks!

i think you guys are eating too few calories.

if you want to shift the weight i'd say you better off adjusting to a healthier all round low fat diet. think o it as a lifestyle change not a diet. having a deficit of 1500 calories is not good for you. you'll just wear yourself down over time.

Burtonator, I don't understand why you are eating so much fat?

What are you trying to accomplish by doing that?

Hi, James!

I hope you're right, because I would love to be able to eat more, lol. But I still need to lose 80 more pounds, and if I don't limit calories to less than 1400 daily, I don't lose weight at all; that's how I got up to almost 300 lbs. I use the term 'diet' occasionally because it's quicker and easier to type than 'new lifestyle health plan' or whatever, but it really isn't a diet anymore, it's just the way Dear Hubby and I eat now and from now on. (He eats a lot more calories because a) he's male and you lucky birds need more and b) he only needs to lose about 30 lbs). When I get to within about 20 lbs of goal, I will start adding calories back in slowly and see how many I need to maintain. I'm eating healthily -- breakfast this morning was oatmeal with whey protein and 1% milk added in, and lunch is deli turkey ham and deli chicken breast on whole-wheat bread, for example -- but I just limit my calories so the scale will go down at least a little bit when I weigh once a week. And if it makes you feel better, if I'm feeling particularly weak or ravenous, I will add in a hundred calories or two of something good for me. And every couple of months I allow myself a 'cheat day' and eat anything I want. Last weekend I went to Sonic and had a hamburger and Frito chili pie. Gosh, it was good, lol. But that kind of thing can only be every couple months if I want to continue losing weight.

It IS one of the reasons I love biking, because it allows me to eat more calories and feel better while I'm trying to get healthy. It's also why I want to be able to do 2-3 hours of biking a day, so I don't have to starve myself to get and stay healthy.

I appreciate the input, though! I'll think of you next time I want to eat a little more at suppertime. [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif[/IMG]

Sierra

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by burtonator [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

So yesterday I did a longer ride... I usually do about 1:00 - 1:15 every morning.

I've incorporated this into my schedule. I'm trying to cut about 5-10 lbs off so I'm under caloric restriction and eat about 1600-1800 calories per day. This usually puts me at 800-1000 calories per day deficit.

Yesterday. I did about 1:40 ..... this just flat out made my appetite CRAZY.

That night I literally couldn't stop eating. I ate like 2500 calories in total... HUGE dinner.

Anyone else notice this ?

I did a longer ride today.. 2:15 ... and I'm going to see what it does later in the day. I've already eaten 1700 calories today. This is fine as I'm at a 1600 calorie deficit. I'm planning on eating 600-800 calories for dinner.

I'm curious if I can keep this constrained.

I think the mistake I made yesterday is that I need to bump up my fat intake ... I kept it fixed at 50g of fat. I'm going to boost this up to 50-80g today.

I train 15+hrs per week with a mix of high intensity stuff and long 6+hr rides. I EAT A TON!!!! But I weigh nothing (120lb at 5,6''😉. I enjoy food, but I eat to ride, so I eat healthily. I love chocolate for example, but if chocolate isn't going to help my riding, I generally forgo it in favor of something that will. But I don't count calories (in or out). I make sure I eat enough before a ride to give me fuel I need to finish strong, and I eat right after I ride to kickstart recovery. If I had a hard workout, I may eat a bigger dinner. But lunch is my biggest meal no matter what. On weekends, I ride in the morning, and a big lunch is my recovery meal. During the week, I ride in the evenings, so I have a big lunch a few hours before I train, and dinner right after is a mix of carbs and protein.

Like sierra, I let myself cheat every now and then and just eat junk and empty calories because it's fun. But I only do this on recovery days and justify it by telling myself that I need mental recovery as well . . . and what's better for that than a box of chocolate!?!?

Calico,

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in occasional cheat days!

Unfortunately, I'm having an unplanned cheat day today, eating the best hot fudge sundae on the planet (I make my own hot fudge, lol) in response to a horrible week. My husband is sick, my best friend is dying of cancer, my son is likely losing his job after his wife already lost hers, it's raining for something like the 140th straight day so I can't destress with a ride, and -- paraphrasing Captain Kirk here -- I have had ENOUGH of it all. I don't know why I think hot fudge is going to make any of it better, lol, but for the 15 minutes it takes to eat it, SOMETHING will be good today.

I will hate myself tomorrow and when I get on the scale on Friday, [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/nonono2.gif[/IMG] but I will be back on the healthy eating plan by then, and will simply acknowledge the weight gain as something I earned all on my own, stop making excuses, and start working to get it off again. We were SUPPOSED to get some sunshine this week.... it would be nice if that comes true in the foreseeable future. But either way, I will be back eating healthily so I can be ready when the time finally comes to get on my bike.... outside, where I actually enjoy it.

Sigh....

Have a good one.

Quoted post said:

Originally Posted by SierraSlim [IMG]/img/forum/go_quote.gif[/IMG]

Calico,

I'm glad to know I'm not alone in occasional cheat days!

Unfortunately, I'm having an unplanned cheat day today, eating the best hot fudge sundae on the planet (I make my own hot fudge, lol) in response to a horrible week. My husband is sick, my best friend is dying of cancer, my son is likely losing his job after his wife already lost hers, it's raining for something like the 140th straight day so I can't destress with a ride, and -- paraphrasing Captain Kirk here -- I have had ENOUGH of it all. I don't know why I think hot fudge is going to make any of it better, lol, but for the 15 minutes it takes to eat it, SOMETHING will be good today.

I will hate myself tomorrow and when I get on the scale on Friday, [IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/nonono2.gif[/IMG] but I will be back on the healthy eating plan by then, and will simply acknowledge the weight gain as something I earned all on my own, stop making excuses, and start working to get it off again. We were SUPPOSED to get some sunshine this week.... it would be nice if that comes true in the foreseeable future. But either way, I will be back eating healthily so I can be ready when the time finally comes to get on my bike.... outside, where I actually enjoy it.

Sigh....

Have a good one.

Slim,

One hot fudge sundae wont wipe out what you have accomplished so enjoy your endulgence.

Life is not easy just as things are looking up we need to deal with difficult things that are out of our control. It sounds like this is a time for you to dig deep and reveal your new found confidence and hold your friends hand in comfort. Keep a positive attitude when listening to your sons employment situation and offer encouragement as he moves ahead. You certainly could offer your writting skills to him and write up a Resume that would grab the attention possible employers. Sometimes the most important thing we can do for friends and family is just be there.

Afterwards when you really feel like getting your frustration out take a ride on your bike.

Dave

Dave, Dave...

You just made me cry, lol.

Thanks for the uplift, friend.

Sierra

Long rides can have the effect of increasd appetite, however, it can also have the effect of reducing your appetite, especially if you really push it hard. I noticed this on my first LD tour. Initially I wasn't too hungry and then slowly my appetite came back.

The most awesome appetite I've ever had was when I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. The reason is because on a hike you are away from towns (unlike on most bike trips) and you must carry your own food, so to keep the weight down you don't carry too much food, so you end up rationing your meals. Just like when I was cycling, initially my appetite was lessened, but after about 3 weeks it hit me hard and I could never get enough food to satisfy my hunger. It's a strange feeling when you are out in the middle of nowhere and you have to ration your meals. After eating I caught myself (subconsciously) looking lolll around for food -- felt a little like an animal. Once I found some Hershey Kisses laying on the ground near a shelter, yes I ate them.

In Gorham, N.H. I ate at an AYCE breakfast buffet, kept going back and back for more and more food. They finally had to tell me it was time to leave because they had to set up for brunch[IMG]/img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif[/IMG] It's an amazing feeling the eat and eat and eat and not get that bloated feeling -- I felt like a freakin' animal.