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-   -   fighting post-ride hunger (https://www.bikeforums.net/clydesdales-athenas-200-lb-91-kg/743719-fighting-post-ride-hunger.html)

mtalinm 06-14-11 08:59 PM

fighting post-ride hunger
 
although I've lost a lot of weight cycling, I think my progress is slower than it could be because I get So Darn Hungry AFTER riding.

that's the weird thing. Even on a metric century or longer I'm fine with the sort of food described in this forum and elsewhere, but a few hours later and often through the following day I'm Really Hungry.

Even following my commute (13m each way) I get the hunger pangs in the evening.

Eating lots of carbs usually does the trick, but then that can easily be hundreds of calories. Strangely, lots of protein doesn't help as much.

what do you do after riding to avoid the munchies?

Drew Eckhardt 06-14-11 09:30 PM


Originally Posted by mtalinm (Post 12789256)
although I've lost a lot of weight cycling, I think my progress is slower than it could be because I get So Darn Hungry AFTER riding.

that's the weird thing. Even on a metric century or longer I'm fine with the sort of food described in this forum and elsewhere, but a few hours later and often through the following day I'm Really Hungry.

Even following my commute (13m each way) I get the hunger pangs in the evening.

Eating lots of carbs usually does the trick, but then that can easily be hundreds of calories. Strangely, lots of protein doesn't help as much.

what do you do after riding to avoid the munchies?

Eat, wait, and eat more if I'm still hungry.

I commute 12 miles each way at varying paces, averaging about 900 kilojoules round trip which is about 900 Calories, get hungrier, and may eat an extra 500 Calories on days when I ride. Doing that 4 days a week still nets a 6400 Calorie/month deficit which is good for about 2 pounds with no other changes. 2 pound/month is still about 25 pounds a year.

I didn't mind the few years it took to grow to Clydestale size and don't mind a couple of years shrinking back to normal.

I'm less hungry on easy days which may make for a bigger Calorie deficit, but doing that all the time wouldn't make me faster or be nearly as much fun.

Rowan 06-15-11 05:38 AM

Maybe up your protein intake after the ride. There are various commercial powdered products out there that have soy or whey proteins as their main constituents. Personally, I prefer chicken (and after a long ride, chicken pizza). I've been using fruit shakes with several scoops of Hammer's Recoverite recently, and they seem to do the job, too.

nfmisso 06-16-11 08:15 AM

during and after the ride, lots of water, try not to eat anything for an hour after the ride. Your body has lots of food reserves, but is lacking in water reserves.

Seattle Forrest 06-16-11 09:45 AM

Eat during the ride, and stay hydrated. When you get home, snack on fruits and berries. They're pretty nutrient rich, but relatively energy poor, so they tend to be filling for their calorie count.

KBentley57 06-16-11 10:07 AM

I find that certain foods fill me up without actually "filling me up". Some examples are broccoli, apples, oats, carrots, and similar. I usually eat about a 400 calorie breakfast before I ride (a dry cup of eats before cooked and a bananna) and I don't feel too hungry when I get back. I just make myself wait until lunch to eat again. For lunch I'll have about a 500 calorie meal of some sort, and about a 600 calorie dinner. If I get way to hungry in between meals I go for something like an apple, granola bar, ect..

Rhodabike 06-18-11 08:08 AM

+1 on staying well hydrated. My better half never drinks enough water on rides and he always wants to eat as soon as he gets home. Your body won't utilize fat as easily if you're a bit dehydrated.

Cychologist 06-18-11 05:29 PM

Frequently that "hunger" feeling an hour or so after the ride (and after a recovery snack) is really your body asking for hydration. I have a water bottle with me for several hours after a ride.

mtalinm 06-18-11 06:54 PM


Originally Posted by Cychologist (Post 12807151)
Frequently that "hunger" feeling an hour or so after the ride (and after a recovery snack) is really your body asking for hydration. I have a water bottle with me for several hours after a ride.

hmm, I hydrate a lot so it's a little tough for me to believe that the hunger is waterlust. hope you're riht though as drinking more is easy

pbd 06-19-11 01:04 AM

Nibbling during long rides is key for me. If I nibble constantly (to the tune of ~200 calories per hour) and stay plenty hydrated, I don't feel hungry at all after 4 or 5 hours in the saddle.

If I don't eat during a ride, I feel like I'm starving soon after a long ride.

If you're having problems even on short rides, then I don't know what to tell you, as I don't have hunger problems after rides less than ~2 hours. It took me a while to get used to the kind of caloric deficit I have to run in order to lose weight, I was constantly hungry for a month, but then it got better as my body adjusted.

abdon 06-21-11 07:36 AM


Originally Posted by nfmisso (Post 12795904)
during and after the ride, lots of water, try not to eat anything for an hour after the ride. Your body has lots of food reserves, but is lacking in water reserves.

Sorry nfmisso but this got to be the worst possible advice I have seen in a long time.

Specially after a long ride (OP is talking metric centuries and such) you have to eat the second you get off that bike. For starters, you have a 30~45 minute window where your fat cells are set to release nutrients, while your muscle cells are set to absorb them. Wait over an hour and everything changes; your muscle cells begin the repair process and end up insulin insensitive, while your fat cells become extremely insulin sensitive. Eating right away:
  • Jump starts recovery, which allows you to train more.
  • Stops cannibalization of muscle tissue, helps build muscle.
  • Protects you from over training.
  • And stop the day after hunger.

I have the same problem. Eating right away even if I'm not hungry stops it from happening.

Seanholio 06-21-11 09:03 AM

Hammer has amazing literature on this. Of course it is framed in the "Here's the Hammer solution for that" but you don't have to buy their stuff to become informed about exercise nutrition.

DTSCDS 06-21-11 09:32 AM

I too remember reading somewhere that the hour AFTER exercise is the most important time for nutrition. I seem to remember it was protein that was especially important in that first-hour window. Chocolate milk was touted as the wonder recovery drink--carbs, protein and calcium. (Too bad I'm lactose intolerant--I would ride more just to justify my chocolate milk intake!)


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