This is a good thread so I'm going to bump it with some questions.

To those who train during the evening/at night: How do you plan your meals? I usually have dinner between 5-6pm and don't eat after that, but with a work schedule change I can only ride between 6:30pm and 8:30pm so I'm struggling with how to plan my meals. Dinner at the regular time and then just a protein drink after my ride? I still need to go to sleep around 11 and wake up at 7 so I'm not sure how to create a better structure.

And, is anyone else fighting off winter cravings? I've never been as hungry as during the past week since it's dropped to the high 50s/low 60s during the mornings. I know that's not cold for most, but it's more indicative of the seasons changing and the circadian effects of that. I just end up bouncing around the kitchen eating every piece of meat, all the nuts and loads of ice cream. Generally having a hard time getting to that full feeling. More fat with my meals?

Finally, I watched this series and found it extremely interesting.

I workout and race almost exclusively at night. Both happen after work. Only on weekends do I work out during the day, and that's usually in the afternoon, but rarely in the morning.

Yeah, drinking a protein shake immediately after is what I do.

I read Gary Taubes' book, "Good Calories Bad Calories". It was very enlightening. I highly recommend it. I may have mentioned that earlier in this thread. Can't recall.

definitely stop the eating after 6 pm if you sleep at 11
+1 on the protein after, try to minimize carbs after dinner
you want your body to burn off the fat reserves while you sleep and not carbs. thats a main factor in weight gain (or just lack of fat loss)

when i was looking up S.A.D. somewhere, i read that the loss of vitamin d from the sun in the winter leads to common sugary cravings during the winter to balance something out in the hormones
i find that if i eat a more solid breakfast it keeps me more balanced for the rest of the day during winter cloudy months as far as how much i want to eat

I find that if i start my day with more protein, I don't want as many carbs throughout the day. Might be in my head.

protein is a longer lasting energy source, so its a logical way of thinking

Start that day with a ****-load of egg whites.

a cup of plain Greek yogurt with a dollop of preserves is a pretty damn good low calorie protein bomb.

:thumb:

Good stuff so far. I think the sunlight thing might be a issue. I went from 4-5 hours of outside time a day to less than one.

As much as I ride, I don't mess around with protein. This stuff is very good.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mu...rm/combat.html

I've tried some casein powders and they're even better but I couldn't afford them this month so I got the next best thing. I've been doing one scoop with milk and yogurt after a ride and another one after dinner but I think I'll change it up and do one in the morning and one after my ride.

Egg whites? :lol:

I eat anywhere from 3-6 whole eggs a day. Trying to get all my protein from food never really worked for me. Supplementing with powders appears to be the way to go for my physiology.

Watch the cholesterol on those eggs.

If you can, never substitute protein powder for real meals. (I'm sure you know this, but just something to keep in mind.

As for the eggs, try to substitute some of those whole eggs for egg whites.. So instead of say, 5 whole eggs, I'd eat about 2 whole eggs and substitute the rest with egg whites of something.

lose a lot of good stuff with them yolks too unfortunately

from what ive heard casein isnt worth it, whey is the best bang for your buck, supplemented with egg protein its even better

beans are also the ****, they have a good amount of protein generally and a lot less cholesterol than eggs

fwiw: ive never been "diagnosed" but im quite sure im a sufferer of S.A.D. and im already feeling some of it this year after just a week of crappy weather.
so today i bought a box of italian butter cookies and then i ate them all.

also protein powder/supplements in general are absorbed much more efficiently into your system with real food also

That's a good point. I don't sub-powders for meals. I just add it to what I think is a pretty rounded diet. When I first started riding seriously I was eating a ton of clean food and was still super sore and fatigued but supplementing with protein powder reduced that greatly and I think I've made some very good performance gains while still changing my body composition to a more favorable one.

I like casein, mainly because it makes me feel satisfied for several hours after I take it. One scoop and it feels like I never have to eat again. Good for when I would eat out of boredom at work or something. The premium for it is pretty steep though.

+1 on this. I don't generally eat sweets but I pounded down a quart of ice cream like my life depended on it earlier tonight. :)/:(

:lol:

This is why Carleton remains one of my favorite members of BF. Cheers, dude.

I'm compelled to start being healthier, because..well, I'm going to have to eventually!

Okay, so let me speak from someone in my shoes, or in a similar case;

24. Just started living alone. Work at a camera shop directly next to a whole foods. Have an enormous sweet tooth. Hardly ever go food shopping. Eat pb&j and arepas(Colombian corn cakes)&cheese almost daily. Very imbalanced when it comes to budgeting/flat broke. Very active biking & skateboarding. Eat out 5 days a week. Starting to notice body changes. Want to slim/tone up before it gets harder!

Where/how do I start?

You answered yourself in your own question. Chill on the sweet tooth and buy healthier groceries.

I've learned that you can't eat what's not in your house, so I stopped bringing junk into my house.

If you're flat broke but eating out everyday, you're doing it wrong.

I've no idea what will work for you but here's what worked for me: Limit carbs to; during rides, after rides and in preparation for any racing you may do. Cut out sugars, boost vegetables and meat consumption.

I used to make ice cream and desserts for a living so I know all about a wicked sweet tooth. It gets easier to adapt the longer you abstain or reduce your intake. I still have the occasion bowl of ice cream/cereal but it's not a routine thing anymore.

Also understand that being healthier isn't a one-shot deal; it's a lifestyle change with minor deviations, and real change is slow and difficult.

protip: eating healthier is actually (most of the time) cheaper

eating out is a waste of money

arepas are the f'n tits though ill say that much

beans are cheap as dirt, and are amazing sources of everything.