Training & Nutrition - Am I eating enough?

For a long time my digestion has not been good. Between the hiatal hernia diagnosed at 11 and heartburn since atleast then. I had a lot of antibiotics to fix it and lots of prescriptions for the acid pills.
Well this got Candida to take over and caused more problems. I was always tired my head was not super clear my limbs ached and so on.
I could not loose weight no matter how little I ate. I never got about 268 Male 5’11” 40 now. I got a racing bike and after a week or so I started commuting. The ride is almost 10 miles each way. A little hilly going home. I struggled to have enough energy to get a good ride. I finally found protein powder (whey) gave me the most. I worked at what worked and ended up with 3 scoops of powder and three pieces of fruit before each ride. And the longer before the better. Three hours was a good time.
I found I got the most energy from fat and protein. I had been somewhat low carb for awhile so this fit.
So my average day was the three scoops powder three pieces of fruit then a ride 3 hours later to work. I would be starving. My average lunch was ¼ to 1/3# of cheese and hard salami. That's about 1000 calories. The 3 hours before I left the same as in the morning. Dinner when I got home (I was starving) was a big salad or some meat or something. This gave me ok energy and I could get at most 14.1mph average going to work and the best 13.1 going home though usually it was around 12mph on a good day.
Well I head of kefir http://users.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#Where_to_get_kefir_grains
Well this sure helped. It reduced my heartburn by quite a bit and I have more energy. I can’t eat as much as I used to and I don’t get really hungry after a ride. In the two or three weeks I have been using it I now get atleast 16mph average going to work and 14.9 at most and atleast 14.3 going home. This is a pretty big speed difference in town. I was lucky before if I could get 16mph on the flats now I get 20 most of the time.
I was getting the sore limbs again but I found it was a lack of water.

Now some of the weird things. A doc friend told me before my body was in starvation mode and that's why I was not loosing any weight. The more I ate the more I lost till I leveled off with the above daily food and 2 pounds a week loss.
But now I have not lost any been hovering at about 232 and 234 with less food. So my system is working better. But I don’t think I am getting everything from my food. I get no energy from carbs. I tired some rice cereal and maple syrup and butter for breakfast and I was starting to bonk almost as soon as my ride started. I had to stop and eat to finish my ride. I can eat a candy bar or two and get no extra energy from it.
I am still playing with that though and I have to work things out. My sore limbs through things off till I figured out what was going on.
A couple of sites calculated out I was burning 700 to 900 calories per ride. That's only approximate. But I went to www.fitday.com and got a estimate of my calorie intake. And if I eat the 1/3# salami and cheese I get around 300 calories per day if I eat rise and meat and veggies I bet that's about 400 calories less.
If my body is working perfectly that only leaves 1400 calories if not that leaves a bit less though I don’t know how much less.
My body is weird and it sure makes life wacky. Right now I don’t know if I should eat more or less to loose weight. It’s harder to eat more then less but I don’t want to get in the starvation mode again. My riding is getting pretty good and I can use some power without my asthma kicking in.
Right now I have 1 to 2 scoops of powder (can’t handle three anymore) maybe one piece of fruit and some meat and a couple eggs for breakfast. Lunch can be the 1/3# or rice and meat then one to two scoops of protein over a two hour period and a couple pieces of fruit. Then the ride home. Dinner is usually some meat and veggies and sometimes some rice (brown) then some popcorn lately with butter (200 calories for the butter) I will stick with this for a week and see how the weight goes.
Right now it would be far easier to cut back on the food then eat more.

I am no expert, but everything I have read boils down to this:

1. Eat Better (cut out empty calories -butter), eat smaller meals more often.
2. Water! Keep a water bottle at your desk. Drink 1 bottle every 1.5 - 2 hours.
3. Know your Basal (sp?) metabolic rate + estimated calories burned in exercise
4. Eat less than the sum in 3, but do not exceed a 500 calorie a day deficit.
5. Sleep an hour longer

All of this should result in a 1 pound loss per week. Dont think of it as a diet. Really try to change your lifestyle.

Specific reccomendations: I would drop the salami from the diet. I just cannot imagine how that is good for you. Cut out the butter. What kind of salad dressing are you using? How many calories does it have per serving? Would you rather substiture those calories for a piece of fruit? Any sauce on the meat? Same question.

Best of luck.

See a nutritionist or a dietitan, because none of us are certified to really answer the question, nor do we have the knowledge to do as such either. They can look at what you are doing as far as exercising and recommend the proper eating you would need to do in order to lose weight and still fuel the body.

Koffee

1. Eat Better (cut out empty calories -butter), eat smaller meals more often.
2. Water! Keep a water bottle at your desk. Drink 1 bottle every 1.5 - 2 hours.
3. Know your Basal (sp?) metabolic rate + estimated calories burned in exercise
4. Eat less than the sum in 3, but do not exceed a 500 calorie a day deficit.
5. Sleep an hour longer


If I can't burn carbs all that is left is fat and protien. I always have a better ride if I eat a fatty lunch.
but hopw would I find out how much I burn?
been drinking far more but water tends to give me heartburn so it is hard to drink large amounts of plain water. if I add protien powder or drink water down diet pop I can drink more.



All of this should result in a 1 pound loss per week. Dont think of it as a diet. Really try to change your lifestyle.

Specific reccomendations: I would drop the salami from the diet. I just cannot imagine how that is good for you. Cut out the butter. What kind of salad dressing are you using? How many calories does it have per serving? Would you rather substiture those calories for a piece of fruit? Any sauce on the meat? Same question.


the problem is for lunch I eat out but if I don't eat rice there are few other choices. I don't eat that junky salami I eat good dry salamai usualy imported. and I have eaten it and lost weight doing it.

I eat two to three peices of fruit a day.
Like I said I don't know if I need less or more calories. I would have no problem cutting calories as it is right now I am seldom hungry.
but today I had refired beans with just a bit of sausage and soem cheese and a couple of egss. the ride to work was nto bad but not fantastic. then for lunch I had a rice stuffed red pepper and some chicken salad with cheese and walnuts and maybe 1/8th a pound of dry salami.
my ride home was the slowest ever.
so was it the calories or the carbs? thats what I need to find out.
it seems if I eat a lunch with just rice and meat and veggies it is ok and it does not affect my ride. but if I eat carby foods twice in a day my riding sucks.

See a nutritionist or a dietitan, because none of us are certified to really answer the question, nor do we have the knowledge to do as such either. They can look at what you are doing as far as exercising and recommend the proper eating you would need to do in order to lose weight and still fuel the body.

Koffee

I do have an advantage in that it seems like I don't store energy. so what i eat before a ride is what fuels me. the longer I eat before a ride the better 3 hours seems to be a good number.

but I really don't have the money to do it and so far the doctors got me into this mess and so far I have solved more on my own then they ever did. if my body worked normally it would be no big deal but I seem to be pretty wacky.

I am a long time client of Keith Klein, nutritionist to many body builders like Lee Labrada and many of the ball players here in Houston. and yes, according to what he preached to me, you are not eating enough and you are fueling your body with bad choices in food. Salami and cheese? Are you on Atkins?

A reallly good book that Keith endorses is Body For Life. The nutrition concepts within the book are very good.
I'm curious about your Candida - cheese, fruit and yogurt all contain mold or sugar - this does not upset the your yeast balance and thus your energy levels?

Your lack of energy levels with a breakfast of rice cereal, maple syrup (simple sugar) and fat does not surprise me. Have you thought of eating a slow burning carb like oatmeal?
Candy bars are simple sugars and fat and pretty useless.
A better choice for long rides, complex carbs will give you more energy and be less damaging to your figure..

I do have an advantage in that it seems like I don't store energy. so what i eat before a ride is what fuels me. the longer I eat before a ride the better 3 hours seems to be a good number.

but I really don't have the money to do it and so far the doctors got me into this mess and so far I have solved more on my own then they ever did. if my body worked normally it would be no big deal but I seem to be pretty wacky.

I would definitely check your insurance and see if they allocate coverage for a registered dietitian and then see if the doctors will give you a referral so that you can get that covered. If they know you are having a problem with eating, they should be able to refer you, as my doctor did when I went to see her when I saw I was having problems myself.

Koffee

You seem to want to think you don't burn or store carbs but from what you say your best rides are 3 hours after eating three pieces of fruit or kefir both of which are high in sugar carbs.Perhaps you do have problems digesting more complex grainy carbs that is a question for your doctor to diagnose(just be careful of the recommended treatment options as you seem to be finding out).You might try a grainy meal such as brown rice a few hours after your final daily ride which will give you all evening and night to see if an extended time period will allow you to digest these complex carbs and use the fruit and kefir with easier to digest sugars during the day as you are doing.
As to whether you need more or less calories correct me if I am wrong but I think you are saying you started 265-70 lbs. and couldn't lose weight till you started upping the calories to the present level while riding your bike twice a day for exercise but now have stalled out at 235-40 lbs. As was said before you should try to maintain a moderate 500 calorie deficit to your activity level .It sounds like you were losing weight at a steady level that would indicate you had found that level.Now either you went slightly over that level and need to cut back slightly to continue losing or you have now lost enough fat that your body wants to try to hang on to it and use another fuel source in which case you should keep the calories the same and somewhat increase the carb ratio perhaps using the ideas I mentioned above.At some point you will stall out using a low carb diet and need to increase them to keep losing the exact weight where this happens will depend on your frame and muscular level and resultant bodyfat level.

I am a long time client of Keith Klein, nutritionist to many body builders like Lee Labrada and many of the ball players here in Houston. and yes, according to what he preached to me, you are not eating enough and you are fueling your body with bad choices in food. Salami and cheese? Are you on Atkins?

A reallly good book that Keith endorses is Body For Life. The nutrition concepts within the book are very good.
I'm curious about your Candida - cheese, fruit and yogurt all contain mold or sugar - this does not upset the your yeast balance and thus your energy levels?

Your lack of energy levels with a breakfast of rice cereal, maple syrup (simple sugar) and fat does not surprise me. Have you thought of eating a slow burning carb like oatmeal?
Candy bars are simple sugars and fat and pretty useless.
A better choice for long rides, complex carbs will give you more energy and be less damaging to your figure..

The problem is first I am allergic to wheat or gluten I am not sure what one. So when I go to lunch it really limits the choices. I had not tried oats but I can give them a try I usually only eat brown rice. It used to be that most grains gave me terrible heartburn. So I have not played much with them since I can eat rice now.
Now the salami is not that crappy deli stuff but usually good Italian dry salami. I used to only have it for a treat but my rides are better when I have it and cheese for lunch.
Cows milk really causes me problems but cheese does not seem too. Fruit is one of the things that has kept me from getting sick many times. My body feels good when I eat it. I only get so so energy from it though. Kefir is not yogurt it has far more cultures in it. It has done more to help my digestion and heartburn then anything else. I use about 1 ½ cups a day made with goats milk.
But How will i eat more? I am full most of the time and most of the foods I eat are higher calories because of the fat.
I was going to try cutting calories tomorrow and see how effects my ride. There is an advantage to not having any extra energy. I know right away if that food helps or hurts.
Today I had less calories and my ride sucked but was it the calories or the carbs? I will get some oats and see how that goes. But I would like to know if calories affect my ride. So tomorrow I will just eat less breakfast and lunch and I will know for sure. But I will eat my usual foods.
Then if the ride is fine I will pay with some oats.
But if my ride sucks with less calories how can I eat other foods and get enough calories? Cheese and salami are about 1000 calories. I can’t eat a big mac (G) and anything with rice is usually low fat so low calorie.

I am a long time client of Keith Klein, nutritionist to many body builders like Lee Labrada and many of the ball players here in Houston. and yes, according to what he preached to me, you are not eating enough and you are fueling your body with bad choices in food. Salami and cheese? Are you on Atkins?

A reallly good book that Keith endorses is Body For Life. The nutrition concepts within the book are very good.
I'm curious about your Candida - cheese, fruit and yogurt all contain mold or sugar - this does not upset the your yeast balance and thus your energy levels?

Your lack of energy levels with a breakfast of rice cereal, maple syrup (simple sugar) and fat does not surprise me. Have you thought of eating a slow burning carb like oatmeal?
Candy bars are simple sugars and fat and pretty useless.
A better choice for long rides, complex carbs will give you more energy and be less damaging to your figure..

Hi I am a EAS Distributor and a few other big names, I helped many bodybuilders in my day and I am now applying these techniques to myself as I am getting older (and fatter). To me lowering weight is all about balancing insulin, exercise, and eating healthy. I have read all of Bill Phillips stuff and even watched a couple of his videos. In short, balance insulin by eating frequent (every 2.5 hr) balanced meals , meaning carbs and protein together ALWAYS. And no yoyu cant eat a salad after a long ride because losing weight is about losing FAT not muscle. Restore glycogen after long rides with carbs....mixed with protein if preferred. I also use EAS Myoplex ready to drink for thise times that I cant eat on time. Never let yourself get hungry and stay away from all insulin spiking sugar things. Also look up Glycemic Index for the rate at which different foods affect insulin.

YOu bonked on your rides because your insuling was erratic after eating so much sudar, hence leaving high and dry. Hydrate well and dont drink more than 4oz liquid when you eat.

You seem to want to think you don't burn or store carbs but from what you say your best rides are 3 hours after eating three pieces of fruit or kefir both of which are high in sugar carbs.Perhaps you do have problems digesting more complex grainy carbs that is a question for your doctor to diagnose(just be careful of the recommended treatment options as you seem to be finding out).You might try a grainy meal such as brown rice a few hours after your final daily ride which will give you all evening and night to see if an extended time period will allow you to digest these complex carbs and use the fruit and kefir with easier to digest sugars during the day as you are doing.
As to whether you need more or less calories correct me if I am wrong but I think you are saying you started 265-70 lbs. and couldn't lose weight till you started upping the calories to the present level while riding your bike twice a day for exercise but now have stalled out at 235-40 lbs. As was said before you should try to maintain a moderate 500 calorie deficit to your activity level .It sounds like you were losing weight at a steady level that would indicate you had found that level.Now either you went slightly over that level and need to cut back slightly to continue losing or you have now lost enough fat that your body wants to try to hang on to it and use another fuel source in which case you should keep the calories the same and somewhat increase the carb ratio perhaps using the ideas I mentioned above.At some point you will stall out using a low carb diet and need to increase them to keep losing the exact weight where this happens will depend on your frame and muscular level and resultant bodyfat level.


Good idea on the rice at night. I know it does not take as long for food to fuel me now since I have been using the kefir. Now for a average breakfast I would have a scoop of whey protein powder as soon as I get up 8 am. Not sure if I really need it or not and I usually cook a sausage patty and a couple of eggs or some other meat. I try to eat before nine. Then I ride at 10 and that works pretty well.
But I can try rice at night and see. I have not played with other grains wheat is out and maybe anything with gluten.
The kefir is only about ½ cup so I doubt it effects much. It is fairly low carb.
When I first started the kefir I had an allergic reaction to the cows milk I made it from it got my asthma going bad and I had a week of bad breathing. I had to take meds to help the lung irritation. But the week after the meds I went from doing at most 14.1 average to 15.1 and about a mile a hour faster going home too. So I had a lot more energy. The kefir really has helped my digestion.
I had lost 10 pounds while I was sick as I did not eat a lot and I hardly drank anything. It’s hard to drink when you can’t breath (G)
So the week after I was well I got the 10 pounds bad. I was at 232 and then down to 222 then back to 232. that first week I felt like I was starving.
So the last two weeks my rides have gotten better. I had a problem with sore limbs but I solved that Saturday when I drank almost 2 2 liter bottles of diet pop (G) So I started drinking more water and such and Monday I beat all my best times again when from 5.2 to 16mph going to work and 14.1 to 14.9 going home.
So things are far better. I am eating about the same as right before I started the kefir and getting sick. But I have hovered at the 2343 to 234 since.
But I am riding far faster and I can push myself more my asthma does not bother me at all.
But I can’t loose any weight. I don’t know now if my body is processing foods fully yet. One of the problems I have had for years from all of the antibiotics is the runs or soft stools. Plus I would have to go 4 to 5 times a day. Now I only have to go two or at most three but it is still pretty loose. So that hints that I am still not getting all of the nutrition out of my food. That's why I have worried that I am not eating enough.
But the weird thing is now I don’t get hungry often. So I have tried to eat higher calorie foods. I get just as full eating 100 calories as 400 if I ate rice veggies and meat.
So I can find out tomorrow if calories is a issue. I will cut down on my breakfast and lunch but eat the same things and I will know for sure if my ride is good or bad.
But say I find I cut calories and my rides are not as good. What could I eat that gives me enough calories but gets me into more whole foods? That's a big issue.
But if I find calories don’t effect my ride then I can play with the grains. There are advantages to the wacky digestion I don’t have to eat the same for a week to see how it effects me. I do know if I have rice meat and veggies (bento) for lunch once in awhile it seems to not have any affect. But since I eat lunch at about 11:30 and ride at five that may be it too.

See why I am asking for help there are so many wacky things going on. But I have done more for myself then all the doctors I have seen in the last 10 years. The only time I have gotten sick in the last several years was from the wheat/gluten allergy. It took me a long time to find that one because I need to ea it two or three times in a week to get sick. But that's the only way I got sick in the last several years no colds or the flue or anything.

Hi I am a EAS Distributor and a few other big names, I helped many bodybuilders in my day and I am now applying these techniques to myself as I am getting older (and fatter). To me lowering weight is all about balancing insulin, exercise, and eating healthy. I have read all of Bill Phillips stuff and even watched a couple of his videos. In short, balance insulin by eating frequent (every 2.5 hr) balanced meals , meaning carbs and protein together ALWAYS. And no yoyu cant eat a salad after a long ride because losing weight is about losing FAT not muscle. Restore glycogen after long rides with carbs....mixed with protein if preferred. I also use EAS Myoplex ready to drink for thise times that I cant eat on time. Never let yourself get hungry and stay away from all insulin spiking sugar things. Also look up Glycemic Index for the rate at which different foods affect insulin.

YOu bonked on your rides because your insuling was erratic after eating so much sudar, hence leaving high and dry. Hydrate well and dont drink more than 4oz liquid when you eat.

the thing is I am always full even with small meals. and I am not sure hwo I can eat small meals while at my shop. I am there 5 to 6 hours. I usualy go get something prepared or have the salami and cheese. I can't eat a hour before I ride or it boggs me down. and right now I don't know if carbs work normally or not with me. I know I don't get any energy from things like power gels or candy. I don't eat candy often but I sure don't get any energy from it.
when I had the rice and maple syrup it was onl a small amount. it was the first time I rode without eating protien powder too. it was a oddball thing that I have not payed with since.

I have made rice pudding with brown rice lots of eggs and some protien powder and just enough syrup for flavor. but I never noticed if I got any energy from it. sometimes it is hard to tell.

but I need to find out if it is carbs or calories that effect me. so I have to learn that tomorrow. if it is carbs then where does that leave me? if I can't get any energy from them then am I stuck on a low carb diet?

I will list some healthy things...
Brown rice is Very healthy
Chicken Breast
Lean steak or beef
Sweet potatoes
Pastas...everything in moderation. Remember you body takes 20 mins to know its full so eat slow or portion your meals. Look up Glycemic Index as it replaces the old complex and simple carbs table of years ago. Things such as potatoes and white rice spike insulin as much as other sugary stuff. But you have to eat too so its all about balancing your diet, ALWAYS BALANCE EVERY MEAL. Dont eat 3 hours before you sleep and eat less carbs at night. For your stool you should get some oatmeal and fiber ...dont want you staining yourself. Experiment with cereals too.

I will list some healthy things...
Brown rice is Very healthy
Chicken Breast
Lean steak or beef
Sweet potatoes
Pastas...everything in moderation. Remember you body takes 20 mins to know its full so eat slow or portion your meals. Look up Glycemic Index as it replaces the old complex and simple carbs table of years ago. Things such as potatoes and white rice spike insulin as much as other sugary stuff. But you have to eat too so its all about balancing your diet, ALWAYS BALANCE EVERY MEAL. Dont eat 3 hours before you sleep and eat less carbs at night. For your stool you should get some oatmeal and fiber ...dont want you staining yourself. Experiment with cereals too.

You missed some things I can't eat wheat and may not be able to eat any gluten grain. I have not tried other grains so far. I am not sure my body can digest carbs properly either. Sometimes that brown rice came out about the same way it went in (G) I have tried a couple different enzymes. I don’t remember to take them every day but so far they have not helped at all.
And if I can’t use carbs then I need fat for energy And protein. I know I burn fat well the more I eat the better I ride. (well I never pushed that but still (G)
I know I can get away with one fatty meal and once brown rice and veggy/meat meal. But can I do that every day? I don’t know

Here is the meal I often use and it is using foods you have mentioned plus one that was recommended(oatmeal)that you said you might try.I add to cups of water to a blender then two scoops of whey protein, two scoops of oatmeal(unheated) ,various fruits,vegies and berries and then a few walnuts.You can play with the amounts of the various ingredients to make it versitle for pre or post exercise etc. as well as rotate the fruits and vegies for variety.Quick and easy to so you can use these at work as well most likely.P.S. if the oats still bother your allergies or whatever i sometimes substitute plaintans which are basically starchy bananas for the oatmeal with good results.

From your posts I really do think you need to see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis of your condition. Also, really reconsider your food choices. Sorry, but I am still stuck on this salami thing. I know the salami you are talking about, my mouth is watering right now! That stuff is high is saturated fat. Can you eat penut butter? Have you tried soy milk? I switched from 2% milk to soy last year and my stomach is much better off.

Wheat is no good anyway and rice aint to gold prize either. You could eat sweet potatoes or regular potatoes for carbs.....Beans....Pasta....the list goes on.

From your posts I really do think you need to see a doctor and get a proper diagnosis of your condition. Also, really reconsider your food choices. Sorry, but I am still stuck on this salami thing. I know the salami you are talking about, my mouth is watering right now! That stuff is high is saturated fat. Can you eat penut butter? Have you tried soy milk? I switched from 2% milk to soy last year and my stomach is much better off.
I dought a doctor can help. I don't think there is anything they can really do. P lus I jsut don't have the money to go around to a bunch of specialists.
I am testing the calorie issue if I find I don't need as many calories I can play with the salami issue. I don't mind lean meats as thats mostly what I eat if I don't have salami or sasage.
I don't drink milk at all so thats not an issue. I don't want the sugar found in most soy milks though. but I do eat peanut butter though there again most of the good tastong ones have too much sugar.

Wheat is no good anyway and rice aint to gold prize either. You could eat sweet potatoes or regular potatoes for carbs.....Beans....Pasta....the list goes on.

can't eat the pasta but I have not tried sweet potatoes. I don't know if spuds give me energy or not I will have to experiment. beans seem ok.

I dought a doctor can help. I don't think there is anything they can really do. P lus I jsut don't have the money to go around to a bunch of specialists.
I am testing the calorie issue if I find I don't need as many calories I can play with the salami issue. I don't mind lean meats as thats mostly what I eat if I don't have salami or sasage.
I don't drink milk at all so thats not an issue. I don't want the sugar found in most soy milks though. but I do eat peanut butter though there again most of the good tastong ones have too much sugar.


Steve, I don't mean to sound overly critical but youa re really perplexing me.
In your first post you list things you eat like candy bars and then in this post you say peanut butter has too much sugar???

Also, people with candida do not eat wheat, you are right, but if you truly have a Candida issue, you are eating alot of things that make it worse. I suggest you read the Yeast Connection by William Crook.

and drinking 2-2 liter bottles of diet pop? Talk about making your body an acidic toxic wasteland. Imbalances in pH will cause your limbs to hurt, your energy to fail and a host of other maladies - have you ever thought or really read about that?

Digestion and heartburn can be symptomatic of many other problems...and with all the ailments you have written about, I think you should yourself a favor and go get a good physical with a trust MD or with a holistic healer, perhaps an iridologist or a person who can do muscle testing.

I try not to eat much sugar but once in awhile. but if I ate peanut butter like skippy I would get sugar all of the time.
I don't usualy drink that much pop but it showed me my sore limbs were from a lack of liqueds.
I ahve noticed what bothers me and what does nto for the most part. so far cheese does not bother me. sugar does so I have been cutting way back. but carbs seem to too if I eat many of them. I feel a bit off today and it is what I always feel if I eat wheat but I only had beans rice and popcorn yesterday. so I think ti was way too much carbs or grain. I am not positive.
but sometimes you got to eat what you can afford or get.

Well today I tried cutting calories. For breakfast I had about ½ what I normally have. The ride was great. But I do admit it was cut in half as I went to the movies. But usually if the ride is good at first that never changes. I may have run out of energy too soon but it seems to be fine.
For lunch instead of the 1/3# of cheese and 1/3# of salami I had a bit less then ¼# I stuck with this because I know how I ride after I eat it. Well the ride sucked my legs were so tried that it was a pretty slow ride. Plus I was starving when I got home. I think lunch is my main meal it helps recover from the morning ride and fuel the afternoon ride. I don’t think I can cut calories there.
I can see splitting up the calories into two meals if I can find two 500 calorie meals to eat.
I was feeling a little off today. I get his when I eat wheat or other grains./ yesterday I had beans for breakfast then some rice for lunch and some popcorn. I guess way to many carbs. So I have to work around that too.

Why don't you read The Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears. It will answer all of your questions. You aren't getting nearly enough high quality carbs. www.drsears.com

Why don't you read The Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears. It will answer all of your questions. You aren't getting nearly enough high quality carbs. www.drsears.com

I am not getting a lot of carbs because I don't think I can digest them. or atleast not many a day.
when I had beans and rice and popcorn in one day I got sick. thats typical. I may be able to get away with some grain once a way but I am not positive. this is something I need to play around more with. but I do know I can't eat a lot of them right now.

That is just my point, those arent good sources of carbs, you want to use mostly vegetables, not potatoes or corn, and fruit for your carbs. Take a look at this: http://www.drsears.com/drsearspages/foodblockguide.jsp It is really all you need to know about the Zone Diet in order to get started. You will notice it lists only green and black beans. Popcorn and rice are also poor choices. And you can go to the forum for specific questions. But you need to get off the diet soda, and if the peanut butter you are eating has sugar in it, you need to get another brand that has only peanuts.

I eat a fair amount of fruit. I get some energy from it though I am not sure I get a lot. Though I see I should lay off the banana’s usually I only drink maybe 1 liter of diet pop a day. I know it’s a bad habit but it is my only one. I don’t’ drink booze or coffee or smoke or eat much junk food. Water tends to give me heartburn too.
I only eat popcorn for some pleasure. I have not eaten it for years. I don’t eat enough to get many calories from it. I don’t know if I can eat oats or not yet. I will try this weekend. I may be allergic to them. I ate brown rice because it never bothered me. Plus it let me eat more things. Like brown rice veggies and meat. Otherwise there are not many choices for lunches.
Today I will eat my usual 1000 calorie lunch. If my ride goes well I know I can cut breakfast but not lunch. But how would I get 1000 calories without eating a lot of fat? That's the tuff one. And I don’t really know if I get any energy out of carbs yet. That's a hard one to figure out. Because I would need the same amount of calories as I get from another meal and see the difference.
I would eat more nuts but they hurt my teeth so I am stuck with ground nuts. but I can live with that.

I just recieved an email newsletter that discussed gluten sensitivity and celiac disease and it does sound like from what you describe that gluten in wheat,barley,oats and rye plus a surprisingly large amount of refined products could be causing your problems.I think you are taking the right approach to experiment with different foods to see what you tolerate(with or without a nutritionists help).The soda as you know is not good but I wouldn't worry about the popcorn if you can tolerate it as you seem to have problems with so many other grain based foods.Like someone else mentioned I split the calories over more frequent smaller meals many of which through quick nutritious shakes like I mentioned before.Here is a link to the newsletter article for your info http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2004/ea_040414.shtml
And I saw another article on celiac that seems to confirm the symptoms you described as well though I can't seem to find it now.

Ok today I had the ½ size breakfast I had yesterday but I had the regular 1/3# cheese and 1/3# salami (though this salami was the course type with less fat. But I did not have any fruit. I forgot to eat some yesterday so I wanted a good comparison.
Yesterday’s morning ride seemed pretty good but I cut it in half when I went to the movies. The ride home sucked I only got 12.3 and my muscles were sore the whole way. Today I had the same ½ breakfast and the lunch about. With no fruit. My ride was better 13.3 but not great my legs were less sore then yesterday and as the ride progressed they got better. But I never got to the speeds I usually get at around 14.3 to 14.9 but the morning ride was great. I had to stop for two phone calls so I missed my best average of 16.4 I got 15.6 I think. But I knew the ride would have been pretty fast.
So I can cut my calories in the morning with no problem. But I need all of the calories to finish the riding at night. I can cut out popcorn at night and knock off another 300 to 400 calories. I just enjoyed it because I could not eat it for a couple of years. But I am getting burned out on it anyway.
I will be trying oats this weekend and see how my body likes them.
Money I will stick with the same breakfast and start playing with what I have for lunch. Though I will try to keep the calories around 1000 to 1200. I can use Addams peanut butter every tablespoon has 100 calories.

I just recieved an email newsletter that discussed gluten sensitivity and celiac disease and it does sound like from what you describe that gluten in wheat,barley,oats and rye plus a surprisingly large amount of refined products could be causing your problems.I think you are taking the right approach to experiment with different foods to see what you tolerate(with or without a nutritionists help).The soda as you know is not good but I wouldn't worry about the popcorn if you can tolerate it as you seem to have problems with so many other grain based foods.Like someone else mentioned I split the calories over more frequent smaller meals many of which through quick nutritious shakes like I mentioned before.Here is a link to the newsletter article for your info http://www.hsibaltimore.com/ea2004/ea_040414.shtml
And I saw another article on celiac that seems to confirm the symptoms you described as well though I can't seem to find it now.

Well so far on the experiments have went well with calories as I posted below. I just wish I knew how many calories my body actualy gets from food. I used to eat almost 3000 calories ride far slow and loose 2# a week. the less food I ate the less I lost.
I am not sure that now that is the case. but I can't really get too many more calories in me I am just not hungry. so I am trying a bit lower calories. I want to test and see if I still need the protien powder. if I don't i will have room for more food so I can split my meals better. the carb problem is a wierd one. I can't eat too may or I get sick. but I don't know if it is from one food or just complex carbs in general. I seem to get away with rice once a day but when I had rice and beans and popcorn all on one day over 3 meals I got a bit sick. so I need to work that out too.

this is such a pain in the rear. I have to think about food far mroe then I want too. eating has always been a chore now it is a hassle too.

Personally in your situation I would go with the brown rice based meals for lunch and dinner as you said this is versatle to combine with other foods such as meat,beans,vegies etc. plus will refuel your muscle carb stores for your two rides .
The other meals focusing on vegies,low glycemic fruits and perhaps kefir which when combined with proteins and fats and eaten in unrefined form will not adversely affect insuilin etc.If you consistantly run out of carb stores while the body is at a lower stored bodyfat level the body will try to horde that remaining bodyfat going into a survival mode(similar to the starvation mode you mentioned before)and try to protect remaining fat stoes by slowing the metabolism and breaking down more muscle for fuel etc.Usually the best approach here is to make sure you are getting enough calories and not let your muscles get completely deprived of stored carbs and perhaps work on increasing the exercise side of the equation by riding harder or longer etc. to break out of the plateau.

you might want to look into digestive enzymes to help you. pancreatic enzymes can help you overcome some of these problems. you can get digestive enzymes at GNC. Antacids (even prilosec, prevacid, etc) therapy is fatally flawed in most cases. you can use the digestive enzymes as an adjunct to the antacids to help you.

the digestive enzymes can help with your stomach emptying time and with the unpleasant side effects that some of the antacids can do over time.
if you have been battling this since age 11, then you might have been born with a decreased proportion of these digestive enzymes.

Personally in your situation I would go with the brown rice based meals for lunch and dinner as you said this is versatle to combine with other foods such as meat,beans,vegies etc. plus will refuel your muscle carb stores for your two rides .
The other meals focusing on vegies,low glycemic fruits and perhaps kefir which when combined with proteins and fats and eaten in unrefined form will not adversely affect insuilin etc.If you consistantly run out of carb stores while the body is at a lower stored bodyfat level the body will try to horde that remaining bodyfat going into a survival mode(similar to the starvation mode you mentioned before)and try to protect remaining fat stoes by slowing the metabolism and breaking down more muscle for fuel etc.Usually the best approach here is to make sure you are getting enough calories and not let your muscles get completely deprived of stored carbs and perhaps work on increasing the exercise side of the equation by riding harder or longer etc. to break out of the plateau.

I know I have to still watch how many carbs I have from grain (usually rice and beans) or maybe how often? I am not sure how they affect me yet. When I have rice for lunch my ride is good but the time I had it for breakfast it sucked. So I need to play around with this more. Beans seem to work better too now.
I think my sore muscles are telling me that I am still not getting everything out of my food. I now know the difference between lack of water and not enough energy. So now it is easier to work out. I have been eating more veggies but lunch was a problem because they cut down on the calories. But some peanut butter can help there.
The sore muscles have driven me nuts it takes the fun out of riding. I think the whole riding thing has made me really start to work this out.
I know I am slowly getting better or my rides would not get better. But it is a bit frustrating some days.

you might want to look into digestive enzymes to help you. pancreatic enzymes can help you overcome some of these problems. you can get digestive enzymes at GNC. Antacids (even prilosec, prevacid, etc) therapy is fatally flawed in most cases. you can use the digestive enzymes as an adjunct to the antacids to help you.

the digestive enzymes can help with your stomach emptying time and with the unpleasant side effects that some of the antacids can do over time.
if you have been battling this since age 11, then you might have been born with a decreased proportion of these digestive enzymes.

Good advice. Kefir has done the most for me in all of the years I have been having these problems. Kefir almost eliminates my heartburn. At most I may need a couple of antacid pills. My heartburn is more predictable now. I have been using the enzyme pills though I need to get a little more regular about it. Not sure if they help or not.

I think my sore muscles are telling me that I am still not getting everything out of my food. I now know the difference between lack of water and not enough energy. So now it is easier to work out. I have been eating more veggies but lunch was a problem because they cut down on the calories. But some peanut butter can help there.
The sore muscles have driven me nuts it takes the fun out of riding. I think the whole riding thing has made me really start to work this out.
I know I am slowly getting better or my rides would not get better. But it is a bit frustrating some days.

If you have sore muscles long after rides (more than 24 hours and still in pain), that's not food and nutrition, that's overtraining and not enough recovery time between rides. You may want to consider taking extra time off between rides if you are also having problems where you are feeling some kind of deep, penetrating soreness or achy muscles.

Koffee

If you have sore muscles long after rides (more than 24 hours and still in pain), that's not food and nutrition, that's overtraining and not enough recovery time between rides. You may want to consider taking extra time off between rides if you are also having problems where you are feeling some kind of deep, penetrating soreness or achy muscles.

Koffee

no I don't usualy. I am not killing myself on days I have a lot of energy I just get my breathing rate up. I don't even get winded unless I push myself. I am not after traning for a race (G)
I would whelcome those sore muscles it's bee na long time since I felt that pain (G)

I found out I cant eat too many grains. well yesterday I was testing out some brown rice hot cereal for the energy I got form it. but I waited about 3 or 4 hours after I ate to ride. along with some peanut butter. well the ride was not too bad so I figured with some more calories it would be fine.
today I tried some gluten free hot cereal. the brown rice some corn and buckwheat I think. I forgot I had some chocolate and some potato chips when I went to the movies.
well my lungs got tight and I just figured it out that I am having my typical allergic reaction to food.
I think it is just the grains that do it. but it sure will make eating any a pain. so it looks like back to low carb and fruit again.

Sounds to me like you added too many foods to be able to tell what was going on.And keep in mind peanuts and chocolate are foods widely known to trigger allergic reactions.I believe I myself have a mild reaction to those two so I avoid them.I suggest you stick to your base low grain diet and try just adding brown rice(which it sounds you do alright on).The whole grain variety that takes 45min. to prepare not refined brown rice products(you can cook several days worth at a time). Give this several weeks to measure your energy and weight loss trends.And it sounds like you gorge on real junk at the movies I would carry in something better to snack on if you can't avoid the junk they sell .

Well here is a update and man is it wacky or am I wacky??
Anyway I tried eating more food mainly low carb to get rid of the sore muscles. It helped some but I could not eat enough to stop it. Well I tired eating fruit like I used too. 3 pieces of fruit twice a day. All the leg soreness is gone. But my rides suck they are slow and my legs feel tired if I try to push them at all. This is exactly how it used to be.
I tried three pieces of fruit for breakfast and a couple scoops of protein powder the first time. The morning ride was ok. I had three pieces of fruit a couple hours before leaving work and the ride was slow as molasses.
So today I had a couple pieces of fruit with protein powder (a orange and a grapefruit) and then had a light breakfast (small sausage patty and one egg. (been riding well on that minus the fruit) Well the ride was even worse. No soreness but I could not push at all.
So I had my usual lunch without any fruit and the ride home was far better.
It seems fruit slows me down. If I eat it even two hours before the ride it hurts the ride. So I will try fruit at night and maybe fruit after my ride in the morning. I will keep up the low carb meals but I will start playing with what I eat for lunch.
It seems what I have for breakfast affects my morning ride and really affects the evening ride. But if I have a larger breakfast I can get away with less for lunch.
But in all of the time I was overeating to try to solve this problem I lost two pounds. Now don’t’ that beat all.
So I wonder and I burning so many calories or is my body still really inefficient at digesting the food? Since I am seldom really hungry I bet it is my digestion.

fruit has a lot of sugar in it. but the fiber is excellent for you.

why are you eating low carb? carb up my friend. and leg message. try the epsom salts in the bath.

fruit has a lot of sugar in it. but the fiber is excellent for you.

why are you eating low carb? carb up my friend. and leg message. try the epsom salts in the bath.

I am eating low carb because I seem to be allergic to most grains/carbs. wheat is reall ybad. bu I can eat rice once in awhile but if I eat and or otehr carbs often I tend to get sick. I don't know all of the details but to find out I need to eat enough to get sick. fruit is abotu the only carb I can eat and it makes me feel better.