Training & Nutrition - Healthy Eating!

It's a sad world when you can't find a good book on "good" eating. I look at the food pyramid. I try to figure the number of carbs, protein, and fat I need. I just can't put it all together. Any suggestions?

I don't believe in the books written by non-nutritionists and non-dietitians, except for the book written by Dr. Phil Maffetone called "In Fitness and in Health". It's a sound book that is used by a lot of athletes to determine what they should be eating for optimal training.

Anything to do with Zone, Atkins, Dr. Phil (that fat dude from Oprah), etc. I would skip over. I don't see the validity of them, especially pertaining to athletes, whether amaetur or professional.

There are a number of great nutritionists and dietitians out there with great books. Dominique Adair, a registered dietian who recently moved to Los Angeles, is a wonderful example of a good author to look for. I did a check for her on the Borders bookstore website, but I didn't see anything there. However, she works with a lot of athletes, and she also specializes in eating disorders.

Nancy Clark is also pretty popular. She is also a registered dietitian, and her books fly off the shelves pretty fast at aerobics conventions, and when she's lecturing, the room is always filled. I would highly recommend her also.

For women out there, besides Dominique Adair, I would also recommend "Strong Women Eat Well" by Miriam E. Nelson, PhD. She has a couple of books out there specifically for women who are looking for sound, solid dietary information, and I've also heard her talk too. She's really good.

There's a dude who's wife trains the cycling team over at Indiana University. Tatiyana's husband, Dan Bernardot is pretty good, but his books are pretty advanced too- he uses a lot of the latest studies to support his writings, but he is SO dry that I had to leave his lecture. Good book but bad public speaker if you ever decide to take a lecture if he's in town (unless you're in academics of some sort, then I think it would be pretty interesting).

There's a good starting point for you.

Koffee

My dad lost 80lbs on the Atkins diet.

Anything to do with Zone, Atkins, Dr. Phil (that fat dude from Oprah), etc.

:roflmao:

I've found that by tracking my weight in a log, and having the ability to be "accountable" has giving me the motivation to loose my last few pounds - I use a program called DietPower, and I find it quite easy to track what I eat, what exercises I do and not over eat (based on caloric intake and expenditure). Just listening to your stomach alone doesn't cut it since your stomach can lie to you (I Started at 220 in Jan 2002, now I'm 185, with my goal being 175 in June 2004)

It's a sad world when you can't find a good book on "good" eating. I look at the food pyramid. I try to figure the number of carbs, protein, and fat I need. I just can't put it all together. Any suggestions?

I would suggest you look into The Zone Diet. It is exactly what you are looking for. Besides the books, which you can usually get at a used book store, you can download this:

http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/foodblockguide.jsp

the Food Block Guide, which acually tells you all you need to know to get started. It tells you what foods to eat, and how much. It will need to be adjusted for activity level, goals, and your metabolism. But all you have to do is add or subtract blocks to get your desired results. For instance, in addition to adding blocks for my off-road biking training, I find that if I don't add in an extra block of fat I get hungry between meals. Give it a try, it is acually quite simple, and the best part is it is based on good nutrition, not gimmicks like Adkins or the others. It was developed to help diabetics control insulin levels, but they found that what causes weight gain is elevated insulin levels.

Gary

Thanks!

Come on guys. There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of weight on Atkins (myself included). The only thing "gimmicky" about it is the perception in the press and popular culture.

There's a good deal of information available on athletes and some of the modifications they should make to Atkins.

I know nothing about Zone, but I did put on some weight over years of eating a mostly low fat diet.

Koffee, I'm somewhat surprised at your quickness to dismiss Atkins. I've found yours to be a voice of temperance on this forum. How familiar are you with it

From what I have heard about fat Oprah Phil's diet it sound pretty good (I have not read the book, just caught an episode about it). He promoted a lifestyle change and healthy eating, which is basically a balanced diet that includes carbs. What I noticed is that he has people cut out high fructose corn syrup and most highly processed foods. I find though if you ride enough you can eat anything you want, or perhaps my metabolism is just high, but is that due to lots of activity? Is it a cycle? Is that cycle part of a lifestyle change? I dunno, move more, eat less that's my diet.

For many of us, an eating plan has to be simple, easy and direct.

Personally, I haven't the time to get complicated about what I eat, and I think it is a mistake for many people to advise them on complicated eating plans and hard to get and complex books as the net result will be that they do nothing.

For me, the easiest is the Body For Life program. I don't have to do much of anything except keep track of the number of meals and eating a balance of high quality protein and carbs in small amounts 6 times per day.

So, for many of us, simple is best.

Come on guys. There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of weight on Atkins (myself included). The only thing "gimmicky" about it is the perception in the press and popular culture.

Ah, and it goes directly against everything we've ever learned about nutritional science. Even if you ignore all we've learned about proper nutrition, just look @ who is profiting from the Atkins fad - let's look @ the fiscal interests.

We have the nutritionists on one side, and the Atkins people on the other. One side has no vested interested in what we eat, and they keep pushing this silly outdated "food pyramid" thing. The other group which I'll call "the ever growing Atkins industry" has a vested interested in selling their diets and foods to this ever increasing market. Now, with the piling on of the fast food industry - the Atkins Industry machine has grown to a powerful, mega-industry.

Hmmmm, which group should we trust? Those with a HUGE vested interest in selling, or those with no direct fiscal interest? Hmmmm .....

Yes, you can lose short-term weight on Atkins. However, when you fall dead from a heart attack in 10 years, you'll have only your gullibility to blame.

BAC,

You've made some good points...and some not so much so.

As to the vested interest thing, there's no doubt that many are making money off the Atkins approach (not by me, however...I spent $15 on the book, and now about $3/wk on bars, etc.) You could argue a chicken and egg thing all you want. You say Atkins is bad b/c people are making money on it. I say, if done properly, it's good, and therefore people are making money on it.

I won't take on the food pyramid except to say that the failure to distinguish between whole grains on the one hand and Wonder Bread/muffins/bagels on the other renders the thing pretty suspect.

As to the heart issue...other than "they say", are you aware of any studies showing that Atkins is not good for the heart long term? As for myself...the relative disregard for fat didn't seem right, so after losing weight, I'm now basically on a South Beach Diet (another fad...good carbs/bad carbs, good fats/bad fats)....but it seems sensible to me, and more closely suits my own eating interests.

If nothing else, all of these carb-focused dies crazes have a couple of VERY important things in common...minimize sugar (especially in processed forms), refined grain products, and transfats (the dreaded partially hydrogenated corn oil). Call it what you will, but who can argue with that? And the more attention broght to it, the better!

Limiting saturated fats, heavily processed foods, and salt while increasing fruit and vegetable intake has consistently been a successful way of staying healthy. Pretty simple.

Come on guys. There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of weight on Atkins (myself included). The only thing "gimmicky" about it is the perception in the press and popular culture.

There's a good deal of information available on athletes and some of the modifications they should make to Atkins.

I know nothing about Zone, but I did put on some weight over years of eating a mostly low fat diet.

Koffee, I'm somewhat surprised at your quickness to dismiss Atkins. I've found yours to be a voice of temperance on this forum. How familiar are you with it


Well, the Atkins diet with its huge intake of protein and fats would be lethal for some people. I am running a reverse Atkins diet - lots of complex carbs, fruits, vegetables, exercise and a little lean meat and that keeps my cholesterol in the very safe range. If I ran the Atkin's diet routinely, I would be a prime candidate for pushing up daisies in a local cemetery.

I can see why the Atkins diet is popular. People in this culture LOVE meat and fat and do not particularly like carbohydrates which they can easily jettison. So it can work for them. But there are health risks in that diet that are pretty bad for a large proportion of people.

Now the Atkins diet probably would reduce one's risk for diabetes which like heart disease is at epidemic proportions in our population. If you look at diets in "less developed, poor countries" where people eat vegetables, whole grains and a little lean meat (because that is all they can afford), the rates of diabetes, heart disease and being overweight are minimal.

There is really nothing mysterious about a proper diet. If you eat stuff like say brown rice, boneless skinless chicken breasts, fish, and piles of fruits and vegetables and keep your calorie intake in balance with your energy expenditure, you will do fine. One big problem, is given the sedentary nature of most people's life styles and work, it is very difficult for people to get the exercise they need to burn off many calories.

Most people eat the calories that are appropriate for a very active lifestyle whilst they are sedentary. That is why we have so many 300 lb people. Well that and the fact that it seems that eating properly is much less convenient than eating insanely. It seems that the odds are increasingly stacked against healthy diets in our society. No wonder we have so many 300 lb people! Most jobs are sedantary and people are encouraged to eat enough to turn an active lumberjack like Paul Bunyon into the Pillsbury Doughboy. It is virtually impossible to get a sound meal at most fast food places and restaurants. Oh, it can be done, but I know if I go to a place I am not going to get the broiled chicken breast, I am going to get the slab of ribs. At home, I will do the chicken breast. Oh well I am ranting.

Come on guys. There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of weight on Atkins (myself included). The only thing "gimmicky" about it is the perception in the press and popular culture.

There's a good deal of information available on athletes and some of the modifications they should make to Atkins.

I know nothing about Zone, but I did put on some weight over years of eating a mostly low fat diet.

Koffee, I'm somewhat surprised at your quickness to dismiss Atkins. I've found yours to be a voice of temperance on this forum. How familiar are you with it


Very familiar. And I still dismiss it.

Koffee

Koffee,

You go then, girl! If people are familiar with it, and disagree, then I say more power to them. It just seems that much of the negative reaction is due to ignorance.

Without going into a lot of the biochemistry and physiology aspect of Atkins, I can say from what has been shown to me through lectures and conventions I've attended where the Atkins questions ultimately arise, I just can't condone or advocate using that as a means to an end. People are just so desperate to be thin that they'll do just about anything.

The USA is the fattest country in the world, and we also have the most fad diets in the world too. What does that say about all those crazy schemes out there?

Koffee

I agree with Koffee, Atkins seems very unnatural, we evolved with a certain diet, a diet that we are optimized for, and that diet is not Atkins, why is it so hard for us to do less of something (eating) even when it kills us at unprecidented rates, its mind boggeling, we are eating ourselves to death.

The USA is a land of excess- and we don't want to give up our excesses. We eat too much, it's all about more, more, more, and there's little or no thought of the consequences. But pertaining to Atkins, instead of giving up the excesses, it's advocated to eat the heavy stuff- meats, cremes, etc. with no regards to the consequences. And since no one cares what the consequences are anyway (the ones doing it), they'll continue doing it. I could go into a long, protracted explanation about Atkins, and I bet for every sound argument, they'll be 10 other people snarling that it worked for them! That's NOT the point- bulemia works to keep girls skinny, so is it good for you? No! But if all you want to do is be skinny without thought of consequences, you might as well just stick that finger down your throat instead. Then you can eat whatever you want.

It's just a matter of time before the next destructive diet fad hits the market- in the next 15 years when all the Atkins people are dead from heart attacks, hypertension and liver and kidney damage.

I don't think losing weight is easy- there is a lot of hormones and chemicals and additives in the food we eat, and we're pretty stagnant as a culture. Plus, I know it's more than just calories out exceeds calories in. But fad diets don't help any- they just mess up the body even more, making it even harder to trim fat. :(

I thought this thread was about healthy eating?



Koffee

We're a culture that wants the "quick fix" ALWAYS - THAT's why diet fads occur over and over again, among other things.

There will be nasty fallout from the Atkins diet eventually - my head trainer rails against it for health reaons, just like Koffee already cited.

Well, the Atkins diet with its huge intake of protein and fats would be lethal for some people. I am running a reverse Atkins diet - lots of complex carbs, fruits, vegetables, exercise and a little lean meat and that keeps my cholesterol in the very safe range. If I ran the Atkin's diet routinely, I would be a prime candidate for pushing up daisies in a local cemetery.


And I am the opposite. If I ate what you are eating I would gain a tremendous amount of weight quickly (and this is during a time when I was incredibly fit and constantly working out). Carbs and I get along as well as myself and most of my ex's.

Diet is personal and individual. There are many ways to look at dieting and healthy living. In my prime the best diet I had was the zone diet (more or less a balance between the traditional diet and the atkins). I am going back to that diet from experience of knowing what it offers me and my body. You need to play. First off go and start eating healthy. And then start playing with your proportions (not portions) of your food. Figure out what you feel best on and work with it.

I am not talking strictly from a loosing weight perspective but on performance and on how you feel, which in the end do effect weight. Either way I have a simple theory. There is no one way, thats makes all the answers that much more complicated but eating well isn't easy for everyone.

Best of luck



I can see why the Atkins diet is popular. People in this culture LOVE meat and fat and do not particularly like carbohydrates which they can easily jettison. So it can work for them. But there are health risks in that diet that are pretty bad for a large proportion of people.


I don't believe you can blame america's overweightness on fat and meats alone. It is the crap carbs that people eat as well.

People are just so desperate to be thin that they'll do just about anything.

.... except exercise! :D

I'm not a nutritionist, dietition or doctor, just an old fart who started exercising and watching what he eats. Now 30 lbs. lighter and a lot fitter too!!

I have wondered about diet lately as I plan to try my hand at racing this season (at the ripe young age of 54 [damned "race age" is 55]). All I can add to this is my two cents on the matter:

first, from what I know (admittedly very little) Adkins is NOT a diet! It is a life style change! In order to maintain results you must stick with it or you will yoyo like with other diets.

Second, (and this is just my opinion) it doesn't make sence to me to compleatly cut out a food source so essential to performance athaleats (carbs). Yes you WILL lose weight, but will you be healty??

What I have been doing is cutting back on all those delicious sauces and pasteries that helped me acheeve my portly condition. I also started cutting back on the portion size at meal time. After some discomfort for a week or two I adjusted to the smaller portion sizes and the weight began to drop off of me. I added salads (I really didn't like them in the beginning, but now I do and I have found a number of ways ot make them interesting and tasty).

The other big change has been the addition of copious amounts of water to my diet. I can't acieive Koffee's 96 oz. goal, but I have found that uping WATER intake (not soda, juice or sports drinks) has contibuted to my weight loss and general health.

Oh, and of course I RIDE!! Now that it is too cold to get outside for my daily 60 minute before work ride I use a trainer for about 45 minutes at least five days a week. On weekends I try to get in a longer ride, but family commitments and BOARDUM interfeer with long trainer rides.

I would be interested in learning more about an eating program that suits racing and also is acheivable without having to weigh food and get strange additives. Anyone know of such a program???

Nothing is as black and white as it seems. Are carbohydrates bad? No, but some are better than others. Low glycemic, high fiber carbs are the best (vegetables, fruits). High glycemic, low fiber carbs (breads and starches) have a place in a healthy diet, but should not be the substantial portion of your diet. Are fats inherently bad? No, a fat intake of 25% (by calories) can be healthy if the fat is of the non-saturated kind. Examples of good fats are those found in avocadoes, raw nuts, olive oil. Bad fats are mainly those coming from meat sources. The worst fats in terms of heart and circulatory health are the so-called trans-fats; avoid trans-fatty acids like the plague (any processed food containing hydrogenated oil or partially hydrogenated oil, READ LABELS). Proteins, again, can be good or bad; the main issue with protein is the saturated fat that usually accompanies it. Good choices are skinless chicken breasts, turkey, egg whites; the occasoinal steak is OK---we don't want to be fanatics. For active cyclists, a carb/protein/fat ratio of about 60/25/15 (by calorie) can work well; if you are less active in the winter, back off on the carbs and increase proteins and fat slightly---winter is a good time for that strength training program!

.... except exercise! :D


Hahaha...yepper...:)

And I am the opposite. If I ate what you are eating I would gain a tremendous amount of weight quickly (and this is during a time when I was incredibly fit and constantly working out). Carbs and I get along as well as myself and most of my ex's.

Diet is personal and individual.

I don't believe you can blame america's overweightness on fat and meats alone. It is the crap carbs that people eat as well.

Well, as I stated, in large parts of the world where people eat complex carbs (low glycemic index) and very little fat and protein, obesity rates are very very low. I do not believe that you would become obese under such a diet especially with adequate exercise.

Afterall, this is the diet of human hunter gatherers and it is pretty much the diet of wild chimpanzees and gorillas. If there is a "natural" diet, this is it.

Now one can lose weight with the Atkins Diet. However, with that diet, most people will be consume levels of saturated fats that will run give them heart disease in short order. I have good reason to believe that I am one of these people.

Now some people are not that vulnerable to heart disease. It isn't that many given the fact that heart disease is our largest killer. But for these people, the Atkins Diet still has problems. The diet is generally very low in fiber which is not good. The diet is also very high in nitrogen (from all those amino acids that are consumed) and that can lead over a long time to kidney problems.

The big killers of aged domestic cats is kidney failure. After a lifetime of a sort of Atkins Diet, which is natural for cats, their kidneys can't take it any longer and that is that.

Another problem with the Atkins Diet is that if you are doing extensive aerobic exercise, you will not get enough carbohydrate to fuel your exercise.

The Atkins Diet is popular because people in the USA love to eat large quantities of beefsteak and they are sedentery so they don't have much need for carbohydrates because they have no exercise to fuel.

i think what koffee is saying is: it is blatantly against good body chemistry to try and completely eliminate a basic food group.

i see the ketone sticks that people buy to verify if they are losing muscle mass or not. i also see people who go from one extreme (lots of carbs to no carbs) to another. nobody does anything in moderation.

i see all these threads and there is one common theme: people who state that they 'LOST 30 lbs' "LOST 80 lbs' geez. after 50 pounds you couldn't take off the feed bag? do people say 'you know that 70 pounds extra is fine....but 80 pounds....i've got to do something'

people need to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into.....their lifestyle. i see people washing their cars, waxing the body, leather protectant for the interior, washing the rims, putting in premium gas, changing the oil..... then putting crap into their mouths....

maybe i'm just lucky to get satisfaction out of healthy foods (is a 1/2 gallon of oreo ice cream at one sitting healthy?) but when i decided to lose weight (i wasn't heavy, just needed to not lug around an extra 25 pounds on long bike rides) and get lean i did it by cutting back on my calories by 400 a day and started working out more diligently. THAT CAN BE A 600-700 calorie swing per day. sensible? you bet. healthy? you bet.

i fluctuate in weight, but i know that even 5 pounds makes me feel sluggish and i reign it in a bit.

**like people who say that quiting smoking is easy...i've done it a thousand times** dieting is easy. i've lost a cumulative 500 pounds in the last few years.

its all in the maintanence baby!! anyone can lose weight.

We're a culture that wants the "quick fix" ALWAYS - THAT's why diet fads occur over and over again, among other things.

There will be nasty fallout from the Atkins diet eventually - my head trainer rails against it for health reaons, just like Koffee already cited.

Can I get an amen? :roflmao:

I base my opinion on what I have seen with my own eyes. I know at least 12 people who have been on the Atkins diet. Many of them lost weight. None of them stuck with it. Atkins is not practical because of everything it involves. Most like it because it lets them continue to pig out on things like Steak and many other things that were conventionally labled as taboo. (things that made dieting hard)

The thing that makes them ultimately fail is often the thing that makes them fat. They have no discipline.

Personally I swear by eating low fat. My plan is very simple. Fortunately every food product you buy in the store has the fat content listed on it. I am talking TOTAL FAT. If the number is in double digits I don't eat it. This eliminates ALL fast food (except for the sandwich shops). I haven't eaten in a fast food restarunt for a year. Forget eating beef.

I am male, 6'2" and 158 lbs. In January 2003 I was 198 lbs. I lost ALL of this weight by diet. I also started to run and cycle but lost no more weight, I think I gained muscle which added weight.

My wife has eaten low fat for 9 years. I have never seen her eat anything that contains high fat. She has NEVER eaten at McDonalds in that time. Her weight has stayed low the whole time I have known her. This works folks, it just takes some discipline. Soon it becomes normalized. Now I would never dream of eating beef or anything with high fat.

Keep in mind that you also have to watch calories. A typical person doesn't need that many calories unless they are active. I don't count calories. I just look and see if they are very high. If they are high calories and low fat, I eat it. I just don't eat very much.

The key to the whole deal though is fat. Avoid it. You will lose about a lb or 2 per week if you adhere strictly to this plan. That is another reason most people don't stick with the low fat plan. It takes time. Most people want the instant results they see with the Atkins.

I bottomed out at my current weight about 5 months into my diet. My sister is an RN and married to a doctor. She swears that I lost my weight because of cycling and running. She is wrong. I lost my weight through diet. When I started to exercise I was pretty close to my present weight. That was over 1000 miles ago on the bike.

As a side note I also quit smoking on April 5th, 1998 around 5 PM. (5 minutes after finding out we were expecting a child) There is NO argument between quitting smoking and going on a diet. I used to smoke 2 packs/day for 10 years.

Having quit smoking and also having gone 1 year with only eating low fat food, I now know that it is MUCH EASIER to regulate your eating. I have no sympathy for people that just throw whatever in their mouth. THey are just lazy. People that relapse on smoking are facing a MUCH bigger demon.

One reason the Atkins diet works is that by eliminating most carbs, you are eating a smaller variety of food, and thus eating less food. Healthy eating isn't that complicated, it's just that most people have no idea because they have such terrible eating habits. Americans especially, sorry to say this, but I cannot believe what they will eat and how much!

I was watching one of the Dr Phil shows where all these people came out and showed how much weight they lost. Whatever you say about Dr Phil, it sounds like he just gives them sound advice but also makes it encouraging- getting fed up is why people drop out of diets. It's obvious that some of these people wouldn't live very long due to obesity, so he basically saves their lives. But I was amazed at how people never think to exercise! They go on stupid diets and can't figure out why they don't lose weight- because they sit on the couch all day! They showed one woman who drove FOUR BLOCKS to work! I can't understand why people have such totally negative attitudes about MOVING, physically. I think it's too bad that no one on Dr Phil ever seems to consider cycling! If they only knew about all those success stories! We should send them emails. I keep reading about people (and even here on BikeForums) who were overweight, etc, out of shape and now are racing, losing 50lbs, even more.

Back to the original topic, I have found that for me personally I need to stay as active as humanly possible. After a big ride I discovered that it helps if I come straight home and mix up a protein/banana/apple/whatever else I can get in the blender shake (I use met-rx powder, there are many other good ones too).

I have found that doing this helps me to recover quicker plus keeps my nagging appetite at bay and I tend to eat better the rest of the day. The last 2 days we've had ugly weather here and I haven't ridden so my diet has fallen back to my old bad habits (denver - I still have 12 days to the next weigh-in :p ). But as soon as I get back to the training my diet will fall in place on it's own, or at least it has so far.

Everyone is different, this works for me. I know lots of people, including some who have been trying to lose weight for years, seeing real success on the low carb diets. It's hard for me to believe that eating all that stuff can be good for you in any way other than appearance (weight loss).

As for me, I don't care so much about my appearance, I just want to live to be 120 and be able to hang with the roadies when I get invited on a ride :) And that requires good fuel, especially when you get older...

I think the original topic was about finding a book about nutrition...

;)

Koff

I think the original topic was about finding a book about nutrition...

;)

Koff


Dang! you are right. I was so unsurprised this turned into an atkins thread that it caused me to forget, too.

I do have a good book to suggest. It's more of an overall healthy lifestyle book but it's good. "Smart Exercise" by Covert Bailey. The PBS dude.

(This book does have yet another nutritional guide)

Yep. I actually considered splitting the thread- I still may do so later.

Koff

Yep. I actually considered splitting the thread- I still may do so later.

Koff


May not do any good. On my last run on the graveyard shift I did a nutrition search on this and a couple other forums and for the last year or two the low carb thing always takes over the thread. Before that it was super low fat, remember that craze?

The reason I noticed this thread is because Triathlete's first post mirrored some of my own frustration findning nutritional advice. I did read a good thread where some dietician here responded to a question and gave some sound (sounding) advice.

I think the key is to find what works for you, everyone is different. I have been doing this long enough to know what works for me, but someone will have to find the magic way to teach me to be consistent long term before I will have won the battle.

Find what works for you and find what motivates you...

I think the original topic was about finding a book about nutrition...

Oh yeah. Here is a good book. :D

Oh yeah. Here is a good book. :D


Sorry I started this NOW!! The last thing I am interested in is Atkins!! Given that carbs are a significant source of muscle glycogen why would I want to starve myself of the fuel I need to maintain exertion??? I have already shed almost 30 lbs. by reducing intake (and changing WHAT I eat) and by upping my exer-cise (usually an hour or more a day on the bike over varied terrain [weather permitting]), so I don't think a diet is what I am looking for.

I AM interested in finding out about proper nutrition for endurance athletes and some Race preparation (eating) strategies that people have found useful. I am 54 (damned race age of 55) and I want to compete this season!!

Please no more endorsements for Atkins!!

Thanks, Bill

Here is an interesting link with a little different spin on fuel for endurance atheletes. It's a big .pdf file, and they do push their own products in it, but their is still some useful information in it:

Article (http://www.e-caps.com/downloads/fuelinghandbook.pdf)

Sorry I started this NOW!! The last thing I am interested in is Atkins!! Given that carbs are a significant source of muscle glycogen why would I want to starve myself of the fuel I need to maintain exertion??? I have already shed almost 30 lbs. by reducing intake (and changing WHAT I eat) and by upping my exer-cise (usually an hour or more a day on the bike over varied terrain [weather permitting]), so I don't think a diet is what I am looking for.

I AM interested in finding out about proper nutrition for endurance athletes and some Race preparation (eating) strategies that people have found useful. I am 54 (damned race age of 55) and I want to compete this season!!

Please no more endorsements for Atkins!!

Thanks, Bill

Fersheezy, Bill... take a look at that first response I gave you where I listed the names of people who wrote books that were straight up registered dietitians. They have books out for athletes that are no-nonsense, straightforward explanations for healthy eating.

Koffee

Fersheezy??

:D

Fersheezy, Bill... take a look at that first response I gave you where I listed the names of people who wrote books that were straight up registered dietitians. They have books out for athletes that are no-nonsense, straightforward explanations for healthy eating.

Koffee

Koffee - Please excuse my rudeness!!

I am going to look into the book by Nancy Clark as a starter. My only issue is finding the time to sit down and read it!! Between my work schedule and what training I can do on the bike I have little time for reading. Oh yea, and my wife has to fit in there somewhere (not a bike person - damn!!!)

Later...Bill

This just in: Adkins weighed 258 lbs when he died and he had a history of heart disease. I know I am a broken record and I should change my user name to "Zone Diet Advocate", but the Zone Diet is about long term health, high quality sources of fat, protein, and carbs, and it is easily adaptable to athletes. Go to the forums at drsears.com and go the the athletic performance threads.

I KNOW Atkins had heart disease.... he had a heart attack like about a year before his death, and when he got out, he claimed that the heart attack had NOTHING to do with his diet. Everyone in the fitness community had a big laugh about that. Dominique Adair, the registered dietitian I listed in the book list in my first post, debated Atkins on Larry King Live after he had his heart attack. She said he was hilarious- she had a ball picking his fat @ss apart. :D

Koffee

Koffee - Please excuse my rudeness!!

I am going to look into the book by Nancy Clark as a starter. My only issue is finding the time to sit down and read it!! Between my work schedule and what training I can do on the bike I have little time for reading. Oh yea, and my wife has to fit in there somewhere (not a bike person - damn!!!)

Later...Bill


No, not rudeness at all. I was just pointing it out for the people who kind of got lost in the whole Atkins debate, that's all.

I'm glad you got Nancy Clark's book. You'll find her very educational. She came to a fitness convention once to sign autographs for her books and people stood in line for a long time to buy her book and talk to her. Her lectures are always packed. I really like her, and I think your wife will really like her too because Nancy specializes in optimal eating for women.

Koffee