New Rider Needs Diet Inspiration

Hi Everyone,
I have been riding my Orbea since November 06 and have logged 773 miles. I love it and look for every oportunity to ride. I am a Pastry Chef and as you might guess have weigh issues, I need to loose about 30 pounds. My body is changing some from riding the bike but because I don't have enough will power to leave the desserts I make alone I have not noticed any weight loss. Each time I ride I tell myself not to "blow it" the next day when I get to work, but I usually do. Some days I control better than others. Does anyone have some advice to help me with my will power issues?

I cannot limit my eating. If I try, I just end up feeling deprived and eating MORE.

So I try to ride more rather than trying to eat less.

(and I try to remember to eat a piece of fruit just before prime snacking time. I still eat the other goodies, but with less hunger roaming around my brain and tummy I think I end up eating less of the goodies.)

Are you eating enough dinner so that you aren't too hungry when you get to work the next day?

Probably not. I just did a short ride (12 miles) a couple hours ago and have not eaten anything yet. I have a mind set that I should not allow myself to eat at night I have eaten the wrong things during the day.
I like your idea of not depriving yourself and eating fruit before snacking.
I also like what you said about riding more.
Thanks for your response.

Welcome Pam. Knot has some really good advice. :) I too do not deprive myself, or I tend to think about the "forbidden" food all the time. I personally am one who absolutely cannot workout in any way without eating something. Also, make certain you are drinking enough. Good luck. There is a diet/lifestyle change thread for those of us losing, maintaining, toning, etc under the Nutrition section. EDIT: Oops you did post in this thread. :o I really need coffee and migraine meds and a lie down....

Welcome. :cool: When you get time, please introduce yourself. :)

I've found that being educated on how many calories I'm actually eating is the thing that makes me stick with my plan. I have a LOT more weight than you to lose (I started at 280 on Feb. 8th and my goal is 140, but currently I'm at 270).

I use a program called Diet Power (www.dietpower.com). I can eat what I want, but I know what I'm eating. I haven't felt hungry, and nothing is really off-limits, but the goal is to stay within your calorie budget. Basically, you answer some questions about your height and weight, etc., then you put in how much you want to lose and in what amount of time. The program tells you whether this is a do-able goal.

What I'm doing is putting in a weight loss of 10% of my body weight for a six month period. Once I reach that goal, I'll start a new one for another 10%, until I reach my goal.

Oh, and welcome to TE!! :D

I second counting calories. Without doing that, you have no idea how much you're actually eating. It really opens your eyes. I personally use a program from calorieking.com and have lost 35 pounds since September.

Also be careful of not falling into the trap of thinking, "I rode 12 miles; I can eat whatever I want." If losing weight were *only* about exercise, then I'd be 120 pounds by now. :)

Don't also fall into the trap of skipping meals because you want to lose weight. This will only make you hungrier and prone to binges later.

Let us know how you're doing! I know if you watch what you eat, watch your portion size and make healthier food selections you can achieve your goal.

Thank you Knot, Jennifer, Ellen & Susie for your suggestions and personal stories. Knowing that other people have similar issues really helps.
To introduce myself, as I said I am a new cyclist. My husband of almost two years inspired me to get started and bought me a beautiful "Orbea" road bike last November. I did not expect to enjoy it so much but I am truly hooked. We live in the southern California desert. I am a Pastry Chef. Cycling has helped relieve the stress of a demanding job. We love cycling together, we did the Tour of Palm Springs together and have a dream of going to Italy on a cycling vacation hopefully next year. Soon I hope to ride back and forth to work 11.8 miles each way. I think that will also help me reach my weight loss goals. Loosing weight did not seem as important before I started riding. I have ridden 773 miles since I started. My first ride was only 5 miles as I did not have bicycle shorts and :eek: it hurt. Went right out and got some and now I am able to do 32 miles at one time.
Could go on and on but its time to go eat a healthy dinner.:)
Pam

Your issues remind me of mine! I am relatively new to cycling and have a huge appetite, plus I love to cook. I am a bit of a foodie!

I made myself some little guidelines that have worked well:
1. When I get home from a ride I immediatedly drink one of those liquid yougurt things (the small ones).
2. I also buy those little carrots and eat them while making dinner, which takes the edge off the appetite.
3. I have a good lunch, like a BLT, or an egg salad (with dill and capers) sandwich on interesting bread, or sushi. Anything good with lots of protien and some carbs.

The idea is to not let yourself get too hungry, but to eat stuff you like. I did loose about 10 lbs. (painlessly!) on this over 3 months, since January! Of course, I increased my biking and spinning too.

Everyone has told me I should drink Gatoraide on long rides, but I worry about all those calories and sugar - do you have any info or ideas on that?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bklynmom

Everyone has told me I should drink Gatoraide on long rides, but I worry about all those calories and sugar - do you have any info or ideas on that?

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On rides shorter than an hour, just drink water, it's fine.

On rides longer than an hour, you need to start intaking some sugars because you brain needs them to function correctly (your brain can't work on the energy your body draws from fat), among other reasons. Not responding to that need will eventually cause you to bonk and to make really stupid decisions, which can be dangerous, especially if you're far from home and alone. Depending on your weight and the intensity of the exercise, you need something above 200 calories per hour, so probably the equivalent of one bar or gel and some sugar from a drink.

Thanks bklynmom. Your ideas are really great. I find at work if I let my self get too hungry I want to snack on the sugar. I am becoming more aware of when I eat the wrong things and how much better I feel when I eat good healthy food. On the days that I get to cycle I make better food choices because I feel so good about my effort I don't want to blow it.

I have also worried about drinking things other than water because of the calories and the advice from "grog" is exactly what my husband told me and he insists I put this powder stuff in my water if I ride for over an hour. I will find out the name of it and the nutritional info when I get home from work and post it here.

Thanks again,
Pam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pastrypam

I have also worried about drinking things other than water because of the calories and the advice from "grog" is exactly what my husband told me and he insists I put this powder stuff in my water if I ride for over an hour. I will find out the name of it and the nutritional info when I get home from work and post it here.

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I like some of the expensive stuff for energy drink, like the Clif lemonade drink. But basically a 4$/can lemonade from the supermarket (they even have one that's organic) with a pinch of salt is just great. It's not covering the whole spectrum of electrolytes, but the other gels and bars (and bananas) I eat do. :D

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bklynmom
Everyone has told me I should drink Gatoraide on long rides, but I worry about all those calories and sugar - do you have any info or ideas on that?

:) The powder I use is called CYTOMAX. The flavor is Go Grape. It has 90 calories per scoop. You can read about it at cytosport.com
My husband has been riding all his life and buys this one for us. He also uses Hammer Gel. I believe he buys it at his favorite bicycle shop.

Hi Pam,

I bet your friends love your job! I think I'm like most people in that I don't like to feel deprived. I am also in the minority because I don't really think about calories, I refuse to be around scales, and I despise dieting.

What I do try to do is this. We walk absolutely everywhere. We hike, we go out on the bikes, and we're rarely sedentary. If we go out to dinner, we usually walk to the restaurant. Sometimes it's up to five miles round trip! When we go to the grocery store, we walk unless it's a huge shopping trip. We eat out tons and when I'm bad, I am bad. At home I try to make decent choices (ie egg beaters, whole wheat/grains, turkey bacon) of things that I am so used to, I don't even know the difference. In restaurants I also try to make good choices unless I'm having huge cravings for something. We split the appetizer and dessert and generally I have enough dinner left over for lunch the next day.

The bad part is I did stop riding/going to the gym for about a year and I'm paying for it now. Now that I've started back up, my clothes are starting to fit again. We also tend to have free flowing beer, wine, and bloody marys at home. If we didn't do that, I'm SURE I'd be tons lighter!

So I guess this rambling post just means to choose your battles. Try to move around a lot, try to make the best choices you can, but also enjoy it when you sin. Unless you're training for something or you want perfection.

You know what also? Just came to me. The more you eat sugar, the more you crave it. If I don't eat chocolate for a long time, I don't want it. When I do, the floodgates are open :D Maybe it'd be good just to do a week long (or so) detox from sugar?

Ok, I'll shut up now!

Thank you teigyr, I really appreciate your response. I agree whole heartedly with your idea about detoxing from sugar. I really need to do it and plan to as soon as my season is over. June 1 I will be off work until Oct 15 and away from the sugar and fattening things I make. While I work Oct 15 - May 31, I am sorry to say my will power is lacking.
Sometimes I think I should get out of my profession but I am very good at it, make a good living, and work at a great place so I try to come to terms with my problem (sinning every day).
Having all the great stuff I make in front of me all the time is hard to resist. I try to keep full and snack on healthy stuff, chew gum etc.
On top of it all I have to taste what I make when I am developing new recipes or I have an assistant make something. Believe it or not I have had them put salt instead of sugar in items or leave the sugar out all together.
Since I started riding the bike I have more motivation to eat right. I also like to hike and at work I never take the elevator, only the stairs. So I think I am on the right track I just need more will power!!!

Pam,

The stairs are awesome! See, I feel it's little things that make a difference and people become inundated by big things. In the "other sports" section, Mimitabby talks about a complete workout where she walked stairs during lunch. I can see how your job would affect you because you are creating and I'm sure you (and I know I would) want to know how that creation is coming along. Besides, some things are SO good!

See, I bet you'll have in-season and off-season. The increased exercise will help but when you're in pastry season, you will just have more challenges. Maybe during that time you can modify your non-pastry diet but when you're in non-baking mode, you have a bit more leeway.

I don't know, it sounds to me like you're doing really well.

Jane

Hi Pam,
Maybe this will help. I'm not a pastry chef (by a long shot) but do come from a family in which sweets were a part of every meal, as well as between meals. I still have the sweet tooth, but I've mitigated it quite a bit. Like tonight I had a mini Reeses PB cup, and that was all I wanted.

Anyhow, one way I made the transition towards less sugar was to realize that when I was eating dessert after most meals, it wasn't something that made me feel good. I felt heavy and bloated and sugar-rushey afterwards, rather than really enjoying the dessert's richness or decadence. So I just told myself that when it felt like an indulgence to be savored, I'd have some...but when it felt like "the thing I always have at the end of the meal that leaves me feeling blobby," I was better off skipping it.

Does that make sense? When it feels oppressive, free yourself!

S

How about having a taste and then spitting it out? Like wine tasters. There are no calories to burn if you don't swallow it.

Karen

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

How about having a taste and then spitting it out? Like wine tasters. There are no calories to burn if you don't swallow it.

Karen

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Have done that alot, and when my will power is "intact" I am good about it. I just need to remember that a taste is sufficient and as "solveig" says too much of a dessert makes one feel sugar rushy etc.
For me it is all about staying in the moment and paying attention to what I am doing. When you have food or desserts around you all the time it is so easy to eat unconsiously.
Thank you both for your comments and suggestions. I have been re-reading all the posts, almost everyday and it is helping me keep on track.
I love this TE site and you are all a great bunch of gals:)
Pam

I was a cook for alot of years so I understand where you are coming form. A few Ideas. Remember that you are tasting for quality control not personal consumption!!! No more than two bite size taste. Guzzle water,chew gum and keep a 1/8 pan full of veggies on your work station for when the need strikes. This helped me and I also cut sugar (I still indulge in only high quality chocolate) out of my diet. It took about two years but I think the health benfits are worth it.Good luck. Maybe you could try transfree fat/sugar free recipes into your restaurants menu?
B

Thanks for your post BirraNulu. As a former chef I know you understant what it is like to have food around all the time. Love your suggestion of having veggies at my station to munch on. I do drink water to keep full and have tried chewing gum too. Great ideas that I needed to be reminded of.

Will be getting off sugar June 1 when my season ends and I have my summer off. It is so much easier to make good choices when the food (sweets) are not in front of me all the time.
Pam

Wow, this is a subject I struggle with always. I weighed 204 in 1/05, I lost 40 lbs by 5/04. I had to count everything I put in my mouth. I had 1600 calories a day, less than 20% fat. It was very tedious. I found that some things I just couldn't eat and keep my mix right. Cheese, baked goods, simple sugars and beef. Kept it off all summer and part of that fall. Then slowly started to gain some back. I am currently 176, but I have not been as dedicated to weight training in the last year, so I know I look like I've gained more. My family had some upsets that year and we are still feeling the backlash. I didn't have the where with all to keep up my nutrition. I really need to lose 20 lbs by this summer to fit back into my wetsuit, or sell it and buy a bigger one :eek:.

Hi JenLeath,
I hear you and can appreciate your struggle. Congratulations on keeping 28 of those 40 lbs. off. Try to think about the fact that you have a lot less to loose now and take baby steps, plus keep exercising. I find that cutting calories helps but you have to exercise as well. For me one or the other doesn't work, I have to do both.
I also find that when I am under a lot of stress, to go out on a bike ride or to the gym helps me handle it so much better. I know how hard it is to stay focused at all times. My will power is kaput some of the time and at other times I have a lot. I just don't get it!!
I have the jersey WE CAN DO IT and I wear it and try to live it. Yes, we can do it, we just have to set our minds to it and let nothing get in our way. You will get back into that wetsuit. YOU CAN DO IT!!
I am going to give up sugar as soon as I get off work for the summer and yes
I CAN DO IT:)
Pam