Hi, I'm new to these forums and have been browsing around a bit regarding diet and supplement advice. It seems like there is quite a bit of conflicting info out there, so I would be interested to see the various responses to my specific situation.
About me: 23 years old, 5'11", 145 lbs. I'm pretty lean and would like to stay that way, but I would like to increase strength and muscle tone without gaining a lot of mass. I used to do only distance running, and took up cycling in addition about a year and a half ago. About two months ago I suffered a stress fracture, so for the time being I am doing only cycling. As I've begun to ride a lot more I've found that I burn significantly more calories than during my former running regimen, and I've been trying to adjust my diet accordingly. I'm also trying to become more conscious of nutrition than I have been in the past, and have been experimenting to see what works for me. For the past month or so this has been a typical weekday for me:
7:00am
-hot cereal (oatmeal, grits, or cream of wheat) w/ hemp protein powder mixed in
-glass of 1% milk w/ one scoop of whey powder
-piece of fruit
-some veggies
-can of tuna if I'm extra hungry
10:00am
-plain non-fat Greek yogurt
-piece of fruit
-maybe a few Triscuits (reduced fat, whole wheat)
12:30pm
-footlong oven-roasted chicken from Subway on whole wheat bread, no cheese, no dressing, loaded w/ veggies including avocado
-piece of fruit
3:45pm
one of the following:
-energy bar (I like Balance the best of the ones I've tried)
-two whole wheat organic waffles
-bowl of cheerios or Grape Nuts (no milk)
5:00pm
25-35 mile ride
immediately post-ride: piece of fruit, sometimes a protein shake (maybe 2-3x/week)
immediately after post-ride meal: abs/core (3x/week) or weights (1-2x/week)
about an hour post-ride (~8:00pm):
-either whole wheat pasta/quinoa/brown rice with low-sodium tomato sauce and hemp protein powder mixed in w/ sauce OR some frozen appetizers from Trader Joe's (chicken tacos, fish sticks, etc., I make sure to pick out the low-fat ones)
-glass of 1% milk w/ scoop of whey
-piece of fruit
-veggies
-can of tuna if I'm extra hungry
If I'm hungry again right before bed I might have a protein shake
This usually ends being about 3000 calories/day, which I thought seemed like a lot, but I have actually lost about 3-4 pounds since taking up cycling full time.
I also take a multivitamin, vitamins C, D, E, iron, and calcium supplements, plus flax seed oil and fish oil.
So that's about it. I'm constantly making small tweaks and adjustments, and am eager to hear what others may suggest. Some specific questions would be:
-Am I taking in too much protein?
-How is my timing with regards to carb and protein intake (before vs after ride, morning vs evening, etc)?
-Which protein shake/bar brands do you recommend (if any?)
-Should I do more/less core and weight workouts?
-Should I ditch the vitamins/supplements?
etc, etc
Thanks a bunch if you took the time to read this!
About me: 23 years old, 5'11", 145 lbs. I'm pretty lean and would like to stay that way, but I would like to increase strength and muscle tone without gaining a lot of mass. I used to do only distance running, and took up cycling in addition about a year and a half ago. About two months ago I suffered a stress fracture, so for the time being I am doing only cycling. As I've begun to ride a lot more I've found that I burn significantly more calories than during my former running regimen, and I've been trying to adjust my diet accordingly. I'm also trying to become more conscious of nutrition than I have been in the past, and have been experimenting to see what works for me. For the past month or so this has been a typical weekday for me:
7:00am
-hot cereal (oatmeal, grits, or cream of wheat) w/ hemp protein powder mixed in
-glass of 1% milk w/ one scoop of whey powder
-piece of fruit
-some veggies
-can of tuna if I'm extra hungry
10:00am
-plain non-fat Greek yogurt
-piece of fruit
-maybe a few Triscuits (reduced fat, whole wheat)
12:30pm
-footlong oven-roasted chicken from Subway on whole wheat bread, no cheese, no dressing, loaded w/ veggies including avocado
-piece of fruit
3:45pm
one of the following:
-energy bar (I like Balance the best of the ones I've tried)
-two whole wheat organic waffles
-bowl of cheerios or Grape Nuts (no milk)
5:00pm
25-35 mile ride
immediately post-ride: piece of fruit, sometimes a protein shake (maybe 2-3x/week)
immediately after post-ride meal: abs/core (3x/week) or weights (1-2x/week)
about an hour post-ride (~8:00pm):
-either whole wheat pasta/quinoa/brown rice with low-sodium tomato sauce and hemp protein powder mixed in w/ sauce OR some frozen appetizers from Trader Joe's (chicken tacos, fish sticks, etc., I make sure to pick out the low-fat ones)
-glass of 1% milk w/ scoop of whey
-piece of fruit
-veggies
-can of tuna if I'm extra hungry
If I'm hungry again right before bed I might have a protein shake
This usually ends being about 3000 calories/day, which I thought seemed like a lot, but I have actually lost about 3-4 pounds since taking up cycling full time.
I also take a multivitamin, vitamins C, D, E, iron, and calcium supplements, plus flax seed oil and fish oil.
So that's about it. I'm constantly making small tweaks and adjustments, and am eager to hear what others may suggest. Some specific questions would be:
-Am I taking in too much protein?
-How is my timing with regards to carb and protein intake (before vs after ride, morning vs evening, etc)?
-Which protein shake/bar brands do you recommend (if any?)
-Should I do more/less core and weight workouts?
-Should I ditch the vitamins/supplements?
etc, etc
Thanks a bunch if you took the time to read this!