I guess the thing you have to really look at is two things. Do you need the energy? When do you need the energy?

If you need the energy right now you better get it from sugars. Sugars are the first thing to be consumed by the body. The second thing is complex carbs, they will also be the second thing to be used. The last thing to be consumed and used by the body is fat. The higher the fat content of a particular food the longer it will take the body to consume it...and hence the lower the fat the quicker you will get any benefits from the sugars or complex carbs. Fat is also a much slower form of energy as well. You can't ride/run/swim/whatever as fast when your using fat(bonked) as you can when you are using carbs.

I fess most of the stuff I eat while I'm on a trip is generally not pure sugars. When I'm out riding around home doing a 150-200 mile day I'll eat sugars left and right. On a trip I fess I normally eat McDonalds, high carb, high sodium food. I want the sodium to help with avoiding dehydration. I just saw on the 128 miles I rode yesterday how easy it is to become dehydrated even on a 50 degree day. Last night was pure he!! thanks to getting dehydrated yesterday due to not taking in any easy to consume sodium throughout the day. The higher the fat content the slower the body will process the sodium, the carbs, the fat, the sugars, the anything.

Lunchtime on a trip I normally will go for the sugar route that way I'll have the energy when I need it...now, not tomorrow.

Eating fruit on a trip can give you important vitamins and minerals you won't get in processed foods but they don't give you any calories. Do the research. if you want to stave a craving, great go for the fruit. Don't be surprised if you find another hunger craving to shortly follow though. You will still find yourself losing weight while on a long distance trip even though you are eating a ton of fruit. It has the nutrients that you are losing but it doesn't have the calories you are losing.

Bagels and bread, complex carbs do have the calories and they will take longer to process than simple sugars. When you stop to get something to eat you have to ask yourself how you are feeling right now. Are you tired/slowing down quite a bit/lacking the energy. If you are you and you still have a lot of miles to make for the day you better look to simple sugars for your source of food so the body will give the your energy fast. Again, make sure to watch how much fat the food contains...the higher the fat the longer it will take you to get the sugars to give you the energy. If you are feeling fine but know you need to take in some calories go for the complex carbs.

It's like I said it all depends on when you need the energy. Make sure you know what lies ahead along the road, is it a flat stretch of tailwind or a long steady climb coming up. Plan ahead of time and you'll have the energy you need.

Anytime you start to notice a reduction in average speed, not related to topography/headwinds more than likely you are running into one of two problems, dehydration or your starting to burn fat. Make sure you are drinking enough and getting enough sodium and then the dehydration issue won't be a factor.

Remember when eating, eat the simple sugars first, the complex carbs second and the fats last. I would do the exact opposite at supper time though. I would eat the fats first so they don't try to keep me awake at night(the buzz) like the burning of simple sugars would.

If you don't want to lose weight you have to replace the calories. Yes, some calories are better for you then others but the problem is some foods don't provide any calories so you would have to eat an unedable amount of the food to get any benefit from it. Try downing 4 or 5 big watermelons at one sitting and then you'll get the idea of what I'm talking about.