Training & Nutrition - Getting back into it....

Never done this before but here goes, Ive been of the bike for 12 months due to injury. Got the green light so here we go, Never been into nutrition and all that stuff, could someone give me some pointers or dsome tips on what and when to eat, A basic run down of my diet at the moment -- Coffee for breakfast, biscuits and coffee for smoko, Junkfood/fastfood for lunch, bicuits & coffee for arvo tea and meat on the barbie usually for tea with about 4 or five frothys. Iv stopped the frothys now, but where to now??
Also im thinking bout riding to work which is about a 40 km round trip, theres some pretty big hills, Am i too ambitious? This will take about an hour depending on wind. Any feedback will be much appreciated.

Regards.....

Bear.

There's a lot of americans here, and we don't know what smoko and arvo are. I can guess what a frothy is. I believe biscuits are what we'd call cookies, i.e. loaded with sugar.

Your diet sounds like crap. Sorry.

You need breakfast (a healthy one!) before doing a long ride. Mostly complex carbs, some protein, little sugar. A bowl of oatmeal (real oatmeal, not from a package) with some fruit and an egg or two is pretty good. There's a lot of other kinds of food that satisfy the requirements.

Fast food/junk food is bad for you as well. Well, most fast food anyhow. I bring a healthy lunch to work so I don't have to depend on going out. Usually a salad and leftovers from dinner (we make some big dinners so there'll be leftovers).

Last, a dinner of all meat is not very good either. If you want to be a cyclist you'll need complex carbs. And you gotta have vegetables! Cutting out the sugar will get your blood sugar under control so you're not craving more sugar.

At least cutting out the excess beer consumption is a good thing. Eating smaller more frequent meals seems to work better for most people.

I don't suggest that you make all these changes at once (unless you're really motivated that is!) but consider it a goal.

As far as riding to work, how hard that is depends on how bad a shape you are in. If you've been sedentary and eating that diet for a while, you're probably not in good shape. It may take a while to build up to making that commute a comfortable one. You don't want your commute to be a death march. Try riding before work and working up to 20-30 kms with some hills. Then on a weekend you can try the 40km round trip to work.

Thankyou, Have already cut beer consumption, ( its been a little difficult). I must apologise for the aussie terms, (didnt really think!) But you got what i was trying to say, by smoko i ment morning tea, and arfternnon tea. These two i really struggle with. Over the next two weeks il try what u have said.
I thankyou again fro your tips, and wish me luck......

Bear.