Training & Nutrition - I love to eat

I love to eat.

There's something about cycling to work, and other forms of prolonged physical effort. Somehow it creates a real need for real food, not just a quick boost at snacktime. Someone said, "You can tell when you're a cyclist because you classify food into two basic groups: good fuel and bad fuel." ;)

But when my physical activity level was so low that I had to restrict my food intake to keep the poundage off, food became my enemy. But mother nature did not intend food to be my enemy, but rather my friend. Now I can truly say food is not only my friend, but a very good friend, at that!

Now, when I eat, all those nutrients go to rebuilding my body instead of going to waste--my waist!

:D

I know what you mean. I love to eat!! ;)
Before I got back into cycling and would have seconds of my favorite - PASTA - my wife would say, "Are you having more?"
Now she doesn't say anything because she knows I'll need it for riding. And she has seen the weight fall off.

I don't crave junk food very much since I started cycling. I usually want fruit for a snack. :D

Food is your friend, especially good healthy carbs.

Pete, I notice the same effect. I want stuff more like fruit or a sandwich than a snickers bar. Powerade instead of soda(sometimes:D ) And I really like salad, man I LOVE salad. Salad is right up there with cream soda.

Well, I'm a member of that particular club. I just love food. Of course, like any cyclist, I'm a BIG pasta freak. My sister cooks the best pasta in the world, and she knows how to cook for a cyclist (i.e. heaps of it).

Chris

Good thread, Pete! Like always say to everyone, "I love food, and food loves me!" I have a sweet tooth, so now that my metabolism has slowed down, I can't have a large pizza all by myself anymore, and not exercise the next day ! :(

I try to eat well, but my hubby is a pretty darn good cook. I really suck at it! Okay, picture this, I almost burned down my company's kitchen, because I hadn't realized the wattage on the microwave was much higher than my home microwave. when I was cookie popcorn. The security people said that they saw flames/sparks coming from the microwave. Oh yeah, and the smoke in the building clued them in. Whoops! :p

Well, of course I fessed up to it. I felt really bad about that incident. My department had kinda banned me from cooking popcorn in the building.

Anyway, you know having a good cook in the family is great, but man, you can rack on the pounds if you're not watching or exercising! :)

I forgot to ask if anyone eats tofu? I love it. I know that sounds very Californian of me, huh? I started eating it last year, and I have it every other morning. I also have egg beaters sometimes, since I'm allergic to egg yolks (found that out last year)--well at least a concentrated amount of them at least.

I'm trying to eat better by having a better breakfast. I tend to have a some sort of low sugar thing going, coz I bonk if I don't have any breakfast. Besides, I think breakfast is my favorite meal of the day! :D

Technogirl, have you ever tried Lichee? I have no idea if that is how it is spelled, but it is a fruit, and it is GREAT!!

I haven't eaten tofu in a while, and now that I've read your post, I want some... NOW!!! :cry:

Chris

hey Fubar that desire for soda is showing through -you better control your urges ';)'


Back to the post- I find that I eat smaller meals, but eat more often. Anyone the same?

Yes, I get along a lot better if I eat several snack-size meals in a day instead of two or three "regular" ones. This is partly due to stomach surgery in '99. :(

Remember, eat to ride not ride to eat. Other sports require you to watch what you eat, please in moderation, not so cycling.
I do not know any cyclist with a small appetite.

Originally posted by fubar5
Technogirl, have you ever tried Lichee? I have no idea if that is how it is spelled, but it is a fruit, and it is GREAT!!

Yes, I've had it! It's been awhile though...:D

Originally posted by Chris L
I haven't eaten tofu in a while, and now that I've read your post, I want some... NOW!!! :cry:

Chris

I've got 3 cartons of tofu in my fridge... ;)

Tofu, huh? I've heard of the stuff, even saw some in the store once, but never had any...what the heck do you do with it? Pasta, beef, chicken, venison, salads, fruit, whole wheat bread, all these I can figure out (or have been figured out for me all my life!) but never that strange concoction called tofu!

Friends now tease me because when we shop for food, I find myself looking at what is actually in the package in the way of calories, carbs, and so on, so I can at least make a semi-intellegent choice of what I put in the body. Let 'em laugh, I'm down 63 pounds and still counting, and they are not! Maybe they will catch on one of these days!!

Ive got the nice option of having a kitchen at work. I stock up on chicken breasts and fish - tuna/salmon/swordfish etc.. and alternate cooking those on my george foreman grill that I keep here. Mix that with some frozen veggies and thats a solid lunch. Quick and cost effective. I never eat fast foods and pizza sometimes on the weekends with the wife and kids, but I have a weakness for pretzels for some reason! My most difficult time with snacking (pretzels) is right after my ride home between that and dinner.

Originally posted by nebill
Tofu, huh? I've heard of the stuff, even saw some in the store once, but never had any...what the heck do you do with it?
My relatives in Kansas thought TOFU stood for "Taste Of Foods Unknown." Tofu, being Asian in origin, may not be popular in the midwest/central states I guess. You don't have to prepare it, but eating it solo can be bland. There is a wide variety of preparations - just search "Tofu recipes" in Google. Tofu is a regular part of my meals.

Eddie

Originally posted by bentrox!

Tofu, being Asian in origin, may not be popular in the midwest/central states I guess.

May not be popular in Ipswich either for that matter :p