junkyardking

I ride about 50 miles everyday, and everyday when I'm done riding, I'm absolutely famished. So then I eat, but it never seems to be enough which then leads to over eating. I'd like to lose my relatively small beer belly, so my calorie intake has to change. Any suggestions on low-cal snacks that are also filling. Most low calorie foods just leave me almost hungrier than I was to begin with.

____asdfghjkl

what are you eating that 'never seems to be enough'?

Machka 

How many calories do you consume while you ride?

jfaul4820

i used to have the same issue, then i started using whey protein, i scoop before the ride, one after within 15 mins to help with recovery, increase in protein has diminished the hunger, if im still hungry after all of that then i have cliff bar or something along those lines. My energy level is much better throughout the day.

gregf83 

Forget about low-calorie snacks. If you're riding 350 miles/week you need a fair amount of fuel every day just to maintain weight. Eat a balanced diet and don't skimp on fat and protein which tend to last longer than carbs.

What type of rides are your doing? Commuting or training for something?

junkyardking

My post ride eating is generally an apple or two, a banana, a cup of Greek yogurt with granola, and a serving of V8. Even after that I'm still very hungry and it takes all of my will power (which is sometimes not very strong) to keep myself from over-eating at lunch, which seems to be my biggest problem with weight loss, or lack thereof.

junkyardking

My commute is fifty miles one-way. It takes me on some very hilly back roads and eventually spits me down Sierra Rd. in San Jose, the same hill climbed at the end of this years Livermore-San Jose Amgen stage. So even though I'm commuting, I still take a training route that is very popular amongst the area roadies, which I guess makes it a little bit of both.

____asdfghjkl

Sounds like you need to eat more.
Pack a sandwich and/or hard boiled eggs.
Need more protein probably.

OldsCOOL

To work? Do you have shower facilities? Wow, a century every day.

damnpoor

How much water do you drink? A bottle with some crystal light or diluted gatorade may help keep your mind off food.

Machka 

What do you eat while you are cycling? How many calories are you consuming during the rides?

junkyardking

I take the train home at night, so only a half century a day. And no. No showers, but action wipes are great.

junkyardking

I actually don't eat while I'm on the bike. I usually have a bagel with hummus before I leave for my ride, and then don't eat at all during the ride. Should I be?

BHOFM

I ride early, fifty to eighty miles a day, I take raisins and water, sometimes lime water, O, O, O Walmart Clear.
I eat a good breakfast when I get home. Don't seem to have any problems getting by till lunch, light about
2pm, dinner about 6:30, no snacks.

I have lost over seventy pounds in a year doing this.

Carbonfiberboy 

Because you don't eat during the ride, and because these rides are difficult, you are burning a lot of glycogen. So what happens after the ride is that you eat something, this drives your insulin levels up, that scavenges sugar out of your blood to make glycogen, so your blood sugar drops and you feel hungry again. Never enough. The biological process may not be exactly as I've described, but I think it's close enough. The problem is that some people eat more at a time than they can immediately store as glycogen, so the rest of it gets stored as fat. Their solution is to eat less at one time, maybe much less, and just keep repeating that process over a period of a few hours. You're just not keeping up doing the right thing. You get hungry, you eat a little something, not enough to satisfy, and then wait. Hunger goes away pretty soon, but then it returns. So my advice is to just keep up eating the way you are doing, but longer. Forget the will power. Keep eating little bits like that. Then have a small lunch.

Of course the other thing to do is to eat during the ride, ~250 cal./hr. That will greatly reduce your glycogen usage, so it'll be easier on your body when you get to work. The food you eat on the bike is never stored as fat, not riding like you do. You'll burn it all. The fat gain problem is always eating more at one time than one needs.

Machka 

Yes, you should be. Aim to consume 200-300 calories per hour while you are on the bicycle. If you're really fit, you may be able to get away with less, but the fact that you are hungry after your rides indicates that you are not eating enough during your rides. Experiment with what to eat and the quantity you need to eat.

paulclaude

As mentioned, putting your body in too much of a defecit causes this. Try fueling a little while you are riding. Even a small amount of sugars/carbs can make the difference.

Seanholio

First and foremost, I used to live on Felter Road, near the "roller coaster", which I'm sure you passed through on your way down to Sierra Road. I've moved down the hill recently, but one of these days I'll attack the Sierra/Felter/Calaveras loop.

50mi with that route in the middle? You've got some serious endurance, Junkyardking.

Following the ride, carbonfiberboy has it mostly right: your muscles are starved for glycogen, and they're primed to receive any carbs your consume at that time. Right when you stop, you want to take advantage of this state: take in some post workout drink, like Hammer's Recoverite or similar. Then do your wipedown and change into your work clothes. Once back at your desk, start eating some real foods. As Gregf83 recommended, get some protein and fat in your meal, because the fat will add to satiety and the protein will help rebuild your muscles. This postworkout nutrition is critical to your recovery for tomorrow's ride.

You may want to start adding something to eat/drink during the ride. Whether it's accelerade or gu packets or whatever you prefer, that may help your body keep the nutrition going during the ride.

You're not going to get fat from any of this: all of these carbs are going to your muscles, and not being stored as fat. The diet throughout the rest of the day will be what determines your fat loss, so keep your diet low-carb (or at least low-simple-carb) at other times.

CbadRider

+1 I had a problem with constant hunger after long rides. Like you, I would eat mainly fruit and carbs afterward. I started eating mostly protein after long rides and the hunger went away.

junkyardking

Great advice. I've already started feeling better.
What are good foods to bring with me in my jersey pockets besides gel packs? I could see getting tired of those really quickly.

Carbonfiberboy 

The very best food is one you don't barf up. That's the perfect bike food. Issues of taste, texture, palatability, eco-conciousness, etc., all rather pale before that first criterion.

There are sort of three theories of bike fueling. One is go natural: fruit, PB&J, panini, potatoes, etc. Second is go grocery store packaged: Clif Bars, Powerbars, granola bars, Fig Newtons etc. Third is go high-tech like Gu, Hammer Gel, Hammer Sustained Energy, Spiz, etc. I've done some of all of those. My favorites have been a 6 oz. flask of Hammer Gel, bananas, Clif Bars, Sustained Energy and HEED. I really hate gel packs because of the mess, expense, and how often. Don't throw your banana peels on the road.

Machka 

Yep!

One of my favourite things to bring on a ride are large oatmeal raisin or oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

But I also like salted almonds, various granola bars, pastries, dried fruit ...

perspiration

I have the opposite issue...I went on a 41 mile ride and was rushed so I completely forgot to eat anything (it was right in the morning) and when I arrived, i could hardly eat anything for fear of throwing up...

Seanholio

The way I handle this is to drink some diluted sport drink. Whichever you normally prefer, mix it 50/50 with water and have a mouthful. Let your stomach churn on that for a bit, and if it stays down, have another mouthful. After a few mouthfuls, you're probably OK to finish the mix slowly. Your stomach should settle quickly and allow you to follow normal post-ride nutrition within 30 minutes.

perspiration

Good call. I also need to tell myself that even if it feels amazing at the moment, chugging icewater usually results in projectile vomiting