I am nearly 43 and at a stage of life where many people really have to battle to maintain a healthy weight...

Besides being blessed with good genes I ride enough that at this time last year I was consuming nearly 5000 calories a day to maintain a very lean 145 pounds.

I am riding less now and will probably only ride 6000-7000 miles in '08 as compared to just over 10,000 miles last year so have adjusted my diet to reflect that as I discovered that I can actually gain unhealthy weight.

My physician has told me that he wishes all his patients were in as good a shape as me (aside from the sciatica) and as far as diet goes I eat pretty much anything I want... in moderation.

I eat chicken and fish and on occasion will eat red meat, consume a lot of whole wheat pasta, brown rice, lentils, and oatmeal. I have at least 2 bananas a day and eat an abundance of fruit and vegetables.

I break up my days meals into 5-6 smaller meals as I find I maintain a consistent energy level this way and have been doing this for so long I can't eat huge meals

I have cut back on coffee and now drink mostly tea, rarely buy soft drinks or junk food, and consume alcohol on an infrequent basis.

I will start work as a messenger next month so will have to up the caloric intake accordingly.