Haku

I weigh 328 pounds in Oct 09 I weigh 182 right now. I rode my bicycle last year excluding Jan and Feb over 11,000 miles, and so far this year I am getting close to 3000 mile mark. I have done 2 200ks and 3 100k under ACP and RUSA, I have been a RUSA member since Jan 11. I am looking for others that might be in my shoes as to speak. I was not always fat, I am retired AF after 23 years and is something that happened over time. I am not fat now and don't seem to have any health issues preventing me from riding longer permanents or brevets. I just have those few questions, if no one can answer I will find out the hard way.

Is there Any Long Distant Rides out there that has had Weight Loss Surgery? If so how do you cope with nutrition intake on rides longer than 200k? How do you cope with check points not having food you can eat with restrictions due to your sugery? Any advice is welcome....

RichardGlover

This is something that I've been researching. I had Rouen-Y Gastric Bypass in Jan of 2010.

So far, my longest ride is a bit over 100k, so you're out there further than I am. However, the basics of what I've found are this:


My biggest concern about post-op diet restrictions, with respect to getting enough nutrition for endurance sports, is dumping syndrome. I couldn't see how I could get enough easy-to-digest carbs when eating easy-to-digest carbs will make you sick. My second concern is the rule my doctor gave me to avoid eating and drinking within an hour of each other.

The second rule is a deal-breaker. If you can't eat and drink at nearly the same time, you either pick to stay hydrated, or fed... or you don't do endurance sports. (Or you get 'fed' through liquid means).

I researched it more, and came back time and again to one salient fact: dumping syndrome caused by excess carb intake is primarily caused by your body rushing fluides to your small intestine in an attempt to break down the food. I figure, if I provide the liquid WITH the carbs, my body won't have to do that. I've experimented with increasing my liquid intake while consuming carbs, and have met with success so far.

In other words, if I'm going to use fig bars to keep my energy up, I'll eat one slowly, and take a few drinks from my hydration bottle as I do so. Always keep the liquids coming in with the food - in DIRECT contradiction to the way I'm 'supposed' to eat post-surgery.

I'm also experimenting with making liquid-only food bottles. So far, mixed success, mostly because I wasn't getting enough carb intake, but I'm convinced I can make it work.

But then again... you're way ahead of me on distances. What's been working for you on the 200k rides?


Side issue: what'd you do in the USAF?

Haku

Here is the food I take on my Bicycle rides. The juice I put in a 24oz water bottle. I take 4 water bottles 2 with the juice the other 2 with water. Then I take 10 power jells, maybe split them up with clif shots, 2 power bar, maybe clif bar (keep track of soduim level), one thing on the apple juice notice the balance in protien, suger, carbs. This juice is made for Diebetics and work great for us Gastric Bypass Folks;


I drink the strawbarry before the ride and the chocolate after the ride I am thinking on a 300, and above brevet I will need to take a protien shake with me;


There now you know my secret to riding a bike over 11,000 miles in 2010. Eat and drink on the bike what you might burn, also forget the rules about not eating and drinking at the same time. That rule is there so you don't empy your pouch and regain weight. That rule does not matter on a ride over 3 hours. You need to drink and eat just to get what you need during the ride, flush out that pouch filler her up again, again and again. Otherwise you will end up like me during my first century after surgery dizzy and crashing, passed out.

RichardGlover

Awesome. I came to that conclusion. I found that, now that I've sort of figured out how to 'eat' hundreds of calories an hour while riding, that it takes more self-control when I'm not riding. Fortunately, I didn't figure this out until after I'd been post-surgery for a year, so I've developed good eating habits and abandoned my bad ones. Except for Ice Cream. It's still my nemesis.

cohophysh

So a non bike related question....you lost a lot of weight....did you have any excess skin removed?

Haku

Surgeon say I was luck and that I was the 1 % with elastic skin and did not need any skin removal operation. This picture shows the 1 year after of the open Gastric bypass RNY, you might not want to see it though. I am 10 pound lighter than that picture.

https://www.obesityhelp.com/myoh/phot...y-anniversary/