Calorie Counting..?
- Thread starter tinajoy
- Start date
I think I eat way too much for a cyclist. I decided to start counting calories. I keep thinking that just because I cycle a LOT (200-300 miles per wk) that I can eat all I want. I eat way too many fat calories and refined sugars. But when I'm cycling I often get this "empty stomach" feeling and rush to eat something, anything, from my bike bag! But I think what is happening is that I'm not really deplete of calories but that all the muscles that are working hard is causing acid reflux and my stomach is giving me this "empty" or "burning" sensation. I would love to shed this extra 10 pounds I have been carrying up all the hills!
Sara
"Live is much like riding a bicycle. If you don't stop pedaling you won't fall off."
Sara
"Live is much like riding a bicycle. If you don't stop pedaling you won't fall off."
I haven't gotten around to actually writing down the total number of calories. I am concentrating on eating 1/2 the amount I had been putting in my mouth. I also am choosing more healthy foods that aren't so calorie laden. Like: no salad dressings, no fried foods, cream sauces, no pies and cookies. My husband and I eat out several days a week at restaurants and we are now sharing meals. Or I just chose a soup and tossed salad. I love vegtables but just haven't been chosing to cook or eat them. So I'm trying to eat more of those now. Yes, it is boring and not nearly so fun and exciting to eat like this way -- but I am just so sick of this extra weight. For my height and body build (5'4" med frame) I could lose by eating about 1,400-1,500 calories/day. I am considering joining Weight-Watchers. That would motivate me to actually write down the amounts I'm eating. I just started this a week ago, so here's hoping the scale will show some results. Only thing is I wonder how much muscle mass I'm gaining from all the biking. Muscle weighs more than fat -- but it does take up less room. So if the scale doesn't necessarily show a drop the real thing to me is how much looser my clothes will fit.
>>>tinajoy said:
I'd just like to mention a few things that might help you...a few years ago I began watching what I ate not to lose weight, but to treat a medical condition I have (which is aggravated by fatty foods and too much food in one sitting.) I never counted calories because my focus was not weight loss.
I was advised to cut my meals into 5 or 6 smaller ones, spaced out every 3 hours, and limit fat grams. By doing that I stopped the GI problems I was having AND lost a tremendous amt of weight too. It was a win-win situation you could say. When you space meals out like that, you avoid hunger pangs too.
But if counting cals is your bag, remember that fat has 9 cals per gram, while carbs have only 4.
Actually things are looking good for me I've been eating 1820 cals a day and that sounded like to much to me. But I weighed in this morning and I've lost weight...........I guess the woman who wrote the book I read and got the calorie count from knew what she was talking about.HellonWheels said:
Hey, while we're on this subject........
I, too, am trying to just lose about 10-12 #'s. Before cycling, I went on a low carb diet for 6 months and lost 40#'! I was amazed. At first, it stayed off even though I increased my carbs a little (back up to about 60 grams per day). I have slowly, but surely, put some of the weight back on. I increased the amount of food I was eating to ride longer distances.
So, now I am back to low carb eating for a few weeks to kick start the losing again. I am reading the South Beach diet book and it's helping me to choose better carbs when I need some glycogen for riding.
If we stay away from white flour, white sugar, potatos and rice BUT eat the fruits, whole wheat pasta, soy flour products, brown rice, sweet potatos and other "non-white" carbs, will that enable us to keep riding? I am struggling with this because I find I can only ride about an hour without running out of fuel. I feel like I've ridden 50 miles instead of 13! and I am done at that point for the rest of the day.
So.........if you're trying to lose weight, and just cycling won't lose weight for me, will this approach work? If so, when do you eat the carbs? Constantly, or only an hour or so before a ride?
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO confused about this subject and no one that I ride with is on the same diet I am.
Kim in TN
I, too, am trying to just lose about 10-12 #'s. Before cycling, I went on a low carb diet for 6 months and lost 40#'! I was amazed. At first, it stayed off even though I increased my carbs a little (back up to about 60 grams per day). I have slowly, but surely, put some of the weight back on. I increased the amount of food I was eating to ride longer distances.
So, now I am back to low carb eating for a few weeks to kick start the losing again. I am reading the South Beach diet book and it's helping me to choose better carbs when I need some glycogen for riding.
If we stay away from white flour, white sugar, potatos and rice BUT eat the fruits, whole wheat pasta, soy flour products, brown rice, sweet potatos and other "non-white" carbs, will that enable us to keep riding? I am struggling with this because I find I can only ride about an hour without running out of fuel. I feel like I've ridden 50 miles instead of 13! and I am done at that point for the rest of the day.
So.........if you're trying to lose weight, and just cycling won't lose weight for me, will this approach work? If so, when do you eat the carbs? Constantly, or only an hour or so before a ride?
I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOO confused about this subject and no one that I ride with is on the same diet I am.
Kim in TN
>>>>tinajoy said:
I've heard MANY cyclists and other athletic ppl say the same after trying a low carb diet. Thing is, I debate Atklins devotees elsewhere on the net, and they SWEAR that eating lowcarb gives them MORE energy. They're either lying through their teeth OR they are not physically active (weight loss dieters are notorious for being exercise-phobic.)
Chris Carmichael has a new book out which is really excellent based on what I've been reading about it. As you know he is LA's coach, and he said he wrote the book partly to clear up the confusion that lowcarb diets have generated even amongst athletic and other active ppl. I['d recommend getting his book! I have a pre-publication copy on its way to me.
In the beginning of the low-carb diet, I felt totally wiped out! However, that changed after a week or so, and I am restricting carbs pretty low and still have lots of energy (ride regularly for 15-20 miles with my 2 yo in his trailer which is a lot for me - more than I rode pre-low carbing).HellonWheels said:
I'd love to see the Carmichael book. See, low-carb was the LAST resort for me. I tried regular low fat and low cal, then a zone-type approach, I logged everything I ate, walked and cycled, and STILL was stuck for almost 2 years until I tried low-carbing. I will eat this way forever if I have to!
Everyone needs to find what works for them I guess. I would love to read the Carmichael book.......as well. The key for me seemed to be getting my heart rate up to almost Max......using intervals, when I started doing this the pounds started to drop a little......but for me, I needed carbs in order to work hard enough to really get my heart rate up.....and I don't feel so worn out all the time.....now I look forward to workouts..Karenemt said:
There is a site that I have found to be a very useful tool in keeping track of both calories (and carbs) consumed and calories burned. It also gives you an idea as to nutrients consumed and lots of other info. I "discovered" the site from a post on another thread here, but don't remember which it was. The site is www.fitday.com It can also be used to keep track of miles/ or hours you ride, and calories burned.
I have found it helpful and thought someone else might benefit from it as well. It can sometimes seem a little time consuming depending on how exact you enter your daily foods, but it was an eye opener to me to actually see what I was eating when I actually kept track of it, and how fun it is to subtract those calories with a little.....or lot..... of riding!
I have found it helpful and thought someone else might benefit from it as well. It can sometimes seem a little time consuming depending on how exact you enter your daily foods, but it was an eye opener to me to actually see what I was eating when I actually kept track of it, and how fun it is to subtract those calories with a little.....or lot..... of riding!
I'm low carbing to control diabetes--about 80 to 100 grams of carbohydrate a day. I've recently gotten back into bicycling, and live in a hilly area. I can ride an hour and a half before breakfast and not feel low energy. I've gone as far as two hours after a light breakfast without feeling I was running out of fuel. I haven't built up to go further than that yet. Does it just vary from person to person?
I was very dubious about low carb, but it is wonderful not to be hungry all the time. I've still got some weight to lose, but it is coming off even though I'm not restricting how much I eat.
Pam
I was very dubious about low carb, but it is wonderful not to be hungry all the time. I've still got some weight to lose, but it is coming off even though I'm not restricting how much I eat.
Pam
pam_in_sc said:
80 - 100 carbs per day isn't really a low carb diet. Usually to lose weight most programs limit you to 30 or 40 depending on gender and to maintain 60 to 80.
I am testing the WW Flexpoints diet right now. I just can't seem to get the low carb thing to work for me again like I did last year at this time. I had a pancake with syrup today......... thought I'd choke on it!
What's the WW Flexpoint Diet?? Could it be the body adapts to whatever we do and after a while we just need to switch things up a bit?trekchic said:80 - 100 carbs per day isn't really a low carb diet. Usually to lose weight most programs limit you to 30 or 40 depending on gender and to maintain 60 to 80.
I am testing the WW Flexpoints diet right now. I just can't seem to get the low carb thing to work for me again like I did last year at this time. I had a pancake with syrup today......... thought I'd choke on it!
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