Training & Nutrition - Progressing rider needs advice.

Last year I began riding again. I’m 52 years old, and I had a great year. Between commuting and fun riding I covered about 100 miles a week between June and November.

I’m going to step it up this year. I’m planning to ride about 500 to 600 miles/month and do a few century rides starting in April. My normal pattern of riding includes a 40 mile solo ride in 2.75 hours every very second or third day.

I’m concerned that my normal diet is marginal for this level of activity. I eat a balanced diet, mostly prepared from scratch. I am feeling weak, tired and sometimes dizzy for 90 minutes after I ride. My doctor checked me out: he suggested that I drink plenty of electrolyte replenishing sports drinks and that low blood pressure was causing the dizzyness. Last year I went from 245 lbs to 220 and kept it at 220 this winter. I would like to lose 30 lbs this year.

What diet resources and guidance should I research?

Michael

congrats on dropping all that weight! Keep it up.

well, the doctor is the doctor, so I'd go with what he/she suggests.

However, that does not help you cut the extra weight. If you are looking to drop more weight you will need to ensure a caloric deficit. The best way to do that is to keep track of your caloric intake. Count carbs, fats and proteins and log them. Also keep track of your workouts and how you feel in the several hours after. After a few weeks of monitoring your current diet (assuming you are doing just fine and have found stasis) by comparing your "output" to "intake" you should be able to put together a plan to help you cut the extra weight you are looking for and minimize the any cons. Your metabolism is yours and you need to know it if you want to manipulate your body to your liking.

Good luck!

btw, what centuries were you planning on doing?

What diet resources and guidance should I research?The sooner you can get away from focusing on dieting - the better. The sooner you involve yourself with more interests, like cycling, the sooner you can regain a normal perspective toward food as a fuel source rather than some kind "pleasure" or emotional reward.

Keep doing what you are doing. You need to keep your eye on the long term goal of weight loss - and accept the fact that you need spend most of your time riding slowly so as produce the largest possible overall caloric deficit. Of course, using a sports drink, to maintain well being while you are riding is OK.

The main role of exercise in weight loss - is to produce a larger caloric deficit so as to afford the individual the ability to maintain a normal diet.

Try and understand these two situations;

Cyclist "A" rides miles and miles and burns 5000 cals per day and eats 3000 cals per day.

Cyclist "B" rides quite a bit and burns 4000 cals per day and eats 2000 cals per day.

Both cyclist's - assuming they are the same size and age will lose weight at equal rates.

But cyclist "A" will not experience as much fatigue nor energy loss because his 3000 calorie diet can provide a better overall balance nutrients than Cyclist's "B" diet limited to 2000 cals.

In other words, the reason bicycling is such a great activity is because it allows nearly anyone to create huge caloric deficits - meaning they can "eat normal" - and still lose weight.

Good luck.

congrats on dropping all that weight! Keep it up.

well, the doctor is the doctor, so I'd go with what he/she suggests.

However, that does not help you cut the extra weight. If you are looking to drop more weight you will need to ensure a caloric deficit. The best way to do that is to keep track of your caloric intake. Count carbs, fats and proteins and log them. Also keep track of your workouts and how you feel in the several hours after. After a few weeks of monitoring your current diet (assuming you are doing just fine and have found stasis) by comparing your "output" to "intake" you should be able to put together a plan to help you cut the extra weight you are looking for and minimize the any cons. Your metabolism is yours and you need to know it if you want to manipulate your body to your liking.

Good luck!

btw, what centuries were you planning on doing?

Hi S77,

The food diary is a great start. I was able to lose weight without counting calories last year. Developing muscle mass took care of that. I'm looking to find a balance between fitness development and weight loss while reducing the exhaustion I feel after a 40 mile ride.

I'm considering the Ironman in Minnesota as my first Century, have you participated in this event?

Michael

I actually Recommend eating healthy and make sure your body has the protein it needs. My husband and I are going to be doing major biking this year as well. We both are wanting to provide more protein to our diets so after a bike ride we're going to drink a shake with the Whey protein in it. It has tonz of benefits like weight management, helps with Diabetes, Healthy aging, physical performance, AND it helps with reducing exhaustion. After your bike rides you should eat something and make sure you have the protein your body needs. If you're interested in where I get my protein from there's this website I order my powder from. If you wanna look into it, it's really great.
https://us-sport.com/

The sooner you can get away from focusing on dieting - the better. The sooner you involve yourself with more interests, like cycling, the sooner you can regain a normal perspective toward food as a fuel source rather than some kind "pleasure" or emotional reward.

Keep doing what you are doing. You need to keep your eye on the long term goal of weight loss - and accept the fact that you need spend most of your time riding slowly so as produce the largest possible overall caloric deficit. Of course, using a sports drink, to maintain well being while you are riding is OK.

The main role of exercise in weight loss - is to produce a larger caloric deficit so as to afford the individual the ability to maintain a normal diet.

Try and understand these two situations;

Cyclist "A" rides miles and miles and burns 5000 cals per day and eats 3000 cals per day.

Cyclist "B" rides quite a bit and burns 4000 cals per day and eats 2000 cals per day.

Both cyclist's - assuming they are the same size and age will lose weight at equal rates.

But cyclist "A" will not experience as much fatigue nor energy loss because his 3000 calorie diet can provide a better overall balance nutrients than Cyclist's "B" diet limited to 2000 cals.

In other words, the reason bicycling is such a great activity is because it allows nearly anyone to create huge caloric deficits - meaning they can "eat normal" - and still lose weight.

Good luck.


Hi RC,

Following "Plan A" would be easier than trying to follow "Plan B".

Thanks,

Michael

The sooner you can get away from focusing on dieting - the better. The sooner you involve yourself with more interests, like cycling, the sooner you can regain a normal perspective toward food as a fuel source rather than some kind "pleasure" or emotional reward.


It's abnormal to think of food as pleasure? It's normal to think of it as fuel? Like gas?

Last year I began riding again. I’m 52 years old, and I had a great year. Between commuting and fun riding I covered about 100 miles a week between June and November.

I’m going to step it up this year. I’m planning to ride about 500 to 600 miles/month and do a few century rides starting in April. My normal pattern of riding includes a 40 mile solo ride in 2.75 hours every very second or third day.

I’m concerned that my normal diet is marginal for this level of activity. I eat a balanced diet, mostly prepared from scratch. I am feeling weak, tired and sometimes dizzy for 90 minutes after I ride. My doctor checked me out: he suggested that I drink plenty of electrolyte replenishing sports drinks and that low blood pressure was causing the dizzyness. Last year I went from 245 lbs to 220 and kept it at 220 this winter. I would like to lose 30 lbs this year.

What diet resources and guidance should I research?

Michael

It might help to eat a meal very soon after your long ride. A small snack in the middle of the ride might help also. However, I'm not aware that eating--or drinking Gatorade--will raise your low blood pressure. I would ask my doctor to explain his/her reasoning on that one.

Whatever you decide, I think you're doing great and i hope you find pleasure in your meals, small as they might be. :)

It's abnormal to think of food as pleasure? It's normal to think of it as fuel? Like gas?It's helpful for people with food issues to attempt to remove the emotional content of food by regarding it as fuel. Same whether the problem is overeating or undereating. Bicycling is a wonderful way to discover food as fuel, just in case you haven't noticed the gazillion threads on that subject. :)

So yes, that's helpful. But words like "normal" are not. :D

I’m concerned that my normal diet is marginal for this level of activity. I eat a balanced diet, mostly prepared from scratch. I am feeling weak, tired and sometimes dizzy for 90 minutes after I ride.


It may be the timing of your eating, and possibly what you eat.

You need something to eat before a ride to make sure your glycogen stores are topped up. (before may be 1-3 hours before, it depends on the person and the ride).

You need calories during a ride if it's longer than 1.5-2.5 hours. Untrained people will be on the shorter end, highly trained riders can go longer on their fat stores and liver glycogen. Simpler carbohydrates work better here.

And then you need some food afterwards to replenish some of what you have used up. Not all of it, some of it.

Not everyone needs to eat at all three times for all of their rides. It depends on the time and intensity of the riding and your conditioning. The before and after foods should contain a good amount of complex carbohydrates and not much simple carbohydrates (i.e. sugar). Some protein is good too. I prefer real food for before and after, I save the space food for during the ride.