Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Dieting and biking.

My brother in law changed his diet and has lost about 50 lbs. He eats but one good meal a day,but eats a lot of fruit and nuts along the day. I would like to do this but I;m afraid I'll bonk. I guess I'd have to eat oatmeal or yogurt,toast and fruit for a morning meal. Then a sandwich or tuna and crackers for lunch,and a decent dinner. I guess my doctor would agree with this. I love salads,but I can only have one a week because of medication. and what do you bring on the ride in case you satrt to bonk?

Sorry to say this MLKATO, but you will have to try a diet to see if it works for you. People have success with a lot of different programs, but that won't guarantee it would work for you.

Anytime you change your normal eating, dietary, and/or exercise habits you should expect a period of adjustment. Some adjustment periods are easier than others. Just stick with it for approximately 2-3 weeks and see how you feel and what progress you made. If you feel it is not working than maybe make some minor adjustments, but again give it time.

I'm not a "calories in vs. calories out person". To me that equation is to simplistic, and never tells the whole story. Its like describing a tree to someone by showing them a branch :rolleyes:.

I have to agree with exile, you need to find a dietary adjustment that works for you.

As for what I bring with me while riding...I have found that eating a Clif bar or any other energy bar 30 minutes before riding will keep me going for 2 hours before bonking out. If I want to keep going, I will eat a couple bites of a Clif bar every hour or so.

I guess I'm looking more lifestyle change than a "diet". I have been cutting back,that has been the change so far. My wife and I do go out,but we avoid the buffet places....except the Chinese place I like that has sushi and crablegs! And I don't go there often. I ate salad almost exclusively one year and dropped a bunch of weight and inches. But that was before I got put on heart meds. Grilled chicken,fish are in,hamburgers and fried porkchops are out.

MLKATO I was very successful with a lifestyle change which involved riding the bike daily (commuting to/from work), change in diet, stopped smoking (I smoked a pipe and occasional cigar). The motivation for me to make the changes came from a heart attack which was 8 years ago - you will need to find what works for you, but here is what works for me:
Balanced breakfast which is mostly carbs, with some protein and some fruit - typical would be cereal with milk and banana, orange juice and tea.
Light lunch, perhaps fruit and a yogurt.
'Normal' dinner, usually heavy on carbs and veggies, low on fat. I tend to eat soon after I get home, so I have a few hours to digest before bed.

I keep a bowl of fruit on my desk at work - keeps me from going to get chocolate when I get hungry at around 3:00 in the afternoon.

This, along with riding the bike 20 miles per day has allowed me to lose ~50lbs, and keep it off for 8 years.

When I am doing long, recreational rides, my go-to foods are bananas, hard boiled eggs, and dried apricots,

I could go on that diet,which really isn't really a diet. The strange thing is I can't eat a lot of vitamin K,which is good for you. I like the green stuff,broccoli,green leafy lettuce salads,turnip grrens,spinach,etc. I like but can't have but few helpings a week if any. I like the go-to foods,but I'll have to say no to hard boiled eggs,never did liked them! I do like granola bars,sweet and salty my favorite.That and Fig Newtons,bananas.

This summer I've switched from diet sports drinks to Poweraide mix, and it helps a lot, even though it's only 60-100 calories per bottle depending on how I mix it. Just that has made a big difference.

I'm not a "calories in vs. calories out person". To me that equation is to simplistic, and never tells the whole story. Its like describing a tree to someone by showing them a branch :rolleyes:.

I think it is a great starting point though. As you say, however, it is too simplistic to stand on its own.

I lost 40 pounds in about 3 months by dieting and riding an hour or two a day. How? If you eat natural foods with nutrition in them, you don't need as many calories. When your body asks for food, it's not looking for calories... you have plenty of those... it's looking for nutrition. If you make sure to eat well, you don't need to eat as much. Our grocery bill went down significantly, just by me eating less, but healthier, foods.

Balanced, natural, non-processed foods. Eat less, ride more.

(EDIT) To the original question about bonking, I bring Cliff bars cause they're balanced and all natural, and mostly organic. (80% +)

Also agree that you have to find what works for you.
I too have lost 50-ish pounds, and done it by curtailing my meals to 1 "full meal" daily and the remainder of my daily intake is grazing all day long on fruits, veggies and protein shakes. My commute is 32 miles r/t daily and I don't suffer any bonk issues. YMMV, depending on snacking volume.

I do low carb and sometimes IF. Since I usually bike in the city, my mid-ride meal on 50km+ rides is a donner kebab. Otherwise I usually bring some thin, dry, fatty sausages, it's worked pretty well so far.

Down 100lbs in 4 1/2 months.

Balanced, natural, non-processed foods. Eat less, ride more.

My wife and I do the same thing and have seen great results and decided instead of going on a diet we changed the way we think about food. I think we may have even taken the non-processed thing a little further and we will not buy anything that has more than one ingredient in it (with the exception of cheese and yogurt). We also do not purchase refined flour, rice or sugar. Eating this way forces us to make everything ourselves and therefore nothing is processed.

On long rides (3 hours+) I will take some home made energy bars