Originally Posted by MikeOK
I was wondering about this calorie calculation myself. I use my own formula, I take the HR monitor calories and take away 100 calories for each hour from that. I enter my excercise calories and everything I eat into a spreadsheet which gives me daily totals. I did a long ride today, and LittleBigMan's figures came out pretty close for me. I did this for the last couple months and did lose some weight, but I've been told this will not work. Anybody else tried eating this way? What were your results?
naisme - I am 40 now, I also need to get the big checkup done and I've really been dreading it...
As much as I enjoy numbers, I don't count calories. I don't think it's feasible to accurately calculate daily caloric needs, and it takes quite a bit of effort to compute the calories you take in (how many calories in that small glass of OJ, or in those 6 almonds I had for a snack?).
Instead, I have a digital scale that is accurate to 0.2 lbs, and I weigh myself each morning. Twice a week (Monday and Friday), I record my weight using my CycliStats program (a spreadsheet could also be used). If my weight is rising, I cut back on portion sizes and snacks, or get out on the bike longer. I find that seeing my weight graphed over time is a good motivator for me to do the right thing until the next weigh-in.
As others have suggested, I also try to eat healthy, with lots of fruit, veggies, and nuts.