Post ride hunger

I've noticed that after a ride of 2+ hours I'm ravenous. I stopped at a produce stand after my ride and they had peanuts. Normally, I would ignore them, but I had to have them. I'm on Weight Watchers, eating healthier than ever and am trying to lose weight, but the more I ride, the more I gain. The only time I even think about breaking the diet is after a ride, and if it doesn't walk away, I want it. I think my body is telling me something, not sure. I have gel shots and bananas during my rides. Is there something I should have immediately after the ride that would stop this insanity? I seem to crave crackers or salty stuff, and for breakfast, before the ride today, I had a tablespoon of peanut butter on toast. I've googled this and am not really finding anything other than one website suggesting chocolate milk within 30 minutes. Hey, I'll try anything.

What do YOU have post ride?

Protein in some form. Eggs, cheese, milk (yep, chocolate milk) - not much - just a slice of cheese or a hard boiled egg. It sticks with me longer than carbs.

CA

Oh, boy...I have the same problem. I find myself craving crackers. Trisquits and Wheat Thins are my downfall. Sounds healthy enough, except when I can't stop eating them. :eek: And they come in such interesting flavors now, too, darn it! ;)

*STEP AWAY FROM THE CRACKER BOX* :D

On longer rides (over 30 miles) I carry Shot Bloks, a granola bar and maybe a power bar for a quick lunch. When I get home I always have a piece of fruit and some cottage cheese or something. I think I eat a pretty well-balanced diet, over all but I definitely have a carb-craving problem. I'm curious to hear how other people deal with post-ride cravings.

With crackers or pretzels, I get out a serving and put the package back. That seems to help - at least a little:)

CA

Wheat thins, sigh...I bet I ate a half of a box this afternoon on my way home. Cream cheese and chive. When did they come up with that one? One problem is that when I go on organized rides, I have to drive 2 hours or so. No biking around Belle, MO. When I stop to get gas or grocery shop...Katie bar the door! I wound up tossing the rest of the crackers at a gas station to prevent further damage.

Could you package them up in zip locs before leaving home? That way, you have a serving with you, but not more?

CA

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

Could you package them up in zip locs before leaving home? That way, you have a serving with you, but not more?

CA

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I don't keep anything like that in my house. I don't eat them any other time, but today I stopped because I wanted the salty. I try not to eat refined sugar or white flour. It's just for a few hours after a ride I have the cravings. I just need some idea as to what I'm missing before during or after riding that is causing these intense cravings. I just found another site that suggested chocolate milk. That's two. I could stop at a convenience store for that on the way home.

It's cuz you need to eat!

A tablespoon of peanut butter on toast is not enough to stoke up the fire. Then you're burning up all those calories on the ride.

I wore my heart rate monitor on a 3 hour ride and it said I burned up 1400 calories. Okay, so that means I burned up almost my whole allotment of calories that I'm supposed to eat that day! Say my breakfast was 350 calories, that banana on the ride was 110, the granola bar was 160--that's 620 calories of the 1500 I'm allotted for weight loss.

That leaves me 880 calories for the rest of the day PLUS the 1400 calories I burned on the ride. My protocol for weight loss is to have a calorie deficit of at least 100 calories a day, but it is most often 500 +/- calories with exercise.

1400 + 880 = 2280 calorie deficit after the ride
2280 - 500 = 1780 calories left consume with just half the day left

I think I'm entitled to that danged post-ride cheeseburger!

Karen

If I eat ANYTHING substantial within 30-60 minutes after a long workout, to replenish my muscle glycogen, I don't get that ravenous depleted hunger. It doesn't have to be anything particular (although yes, you need carbs to replenish muscle glycogen and a bit of protein to rebuild muscle tissue that broke down during the workout).

I really have to force myself to eat so soon after a workout, and I hate that because I prefer to listen to my body and NOT eat when the idea makes me nauseous :rolleyes:, but it makes a big difference.

Tuna or egg salad sandwiches work well for me, or a ProBar, half a Chipotle burrito, or something similar.

Eating something a little more substantial before the ride will help fire up your metabolism also.

how was the ride? did you ride the shorter one twice to get your miles?
I made the mistake of eating only a south beach diet bar (180 calories) for breakfast before my mtn bike ride.
I used that up walking up the first hill. About the second or third hill I stopped to eat some of my trail mix. I should have ate the trail mix waiting for the ride to start! They had bananas and peanut butter sandwiches at the first stop.
vickie

Your body is telling you that it's hungry and/or dehydrated (thirst is often confused for thirst), and the salt craving is an indication that you need to replace lost electrolytes.

If you're counting calories, then bagging something before the ride to eat at the end of it is your best bet. I don't do it as much anymore, but I used to bring a thermos of chocolate milk to drink after rides. It was pretty good at staving off bingeing once I got home.

As a side note, I'd suggest being careful about relying on the calorie "estimates" from HRMs. They usually overstate calorie expenditure.

I did a 20 mile mntn bike ride yesterday (mostly flat, don't be that impressed). I was STARVING all day. I had an Amy's burrito with some steamed veggies right afterwards for lunch. Then later, I ordered a thin crust pizza with lots of veggies minus the cheese--I about ate the entire thing! And then I ate 1/2 a Ben and Jerry's Sorbet! And then I wanted popcorn! But I stopped before the popcorn.

I probably should have had a little more protein to help me out. I just don't like meat and I can't handle dairy very well.

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Originally Posted by Tuckervill

I wore my heart rate monitor on a 3 hour ride and it said I burned up 1400 calories. Okay, so that means I burned up almost my whole allotment of calories that I'm supposed to eat that day!

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Please be careful if you're using a HRM to estimate calories burned. I ride with a power meter and it gives me energy expended in kilojoules. This equates fairly equally to calories. I can tell you that my HRM always reads about 25% higher than the power meter does in terms of calories burned. If you're trying to lose or maintain weight, I wouldn't trust a HRM...I believe the numbers read high.

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Originally Posted by indysteel

As a side note, I'd suggest being careful about relying on the calorie "estimates" from HRMs. They usually overstate calorie expenditure.

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lol...I should read ahead before posting. :o :p At least I agreed with you. ;)

Oh, and as far as post ride nutrition. I get Endurox in within 30 minutes and then eat a regular meal (so many people go overboard with post-ride meals) about an hour later.

Ironically, I am the most hungry for the rest of the day on rides under an hour and a half. Over 2 hours and I'm fine. And I have to say the reason is that I plan better and take in more carbs on the bike if I know I'm going to be out for more than 2 hours because I don't want to bonk out in the pickers.

I was just reading an article in Bicycling magazine that says: "you need to take in .455 grams of carbs per pound per hour on the bike" to prevent bonking and to improve your proformance. I wish they would have specified how much protein you needed as well.

They also went on to give the following recipe for a post 2 hour ride drink:
- 25 grams of whey protein isolate
- 70-100 grams complex carbs (1.2 kilogram of body weight. Look for a maltodextrin powder)
- 8 oz. grape juice or other sugary liquid
- 1 banana
- 1 cup frozen fruit
- 8 oz. water.

Blend all until smooth and it makes 3 cups = 1 serving. Drink within one hour of finishing your ride. I haven't figured it out, but it calls this a high calorie munition without stating the number of calories. I personally drink chocolate milk after a ride and don't know how this stacks up. Just thought it was interesting and appropriote to the topic.

There must be something to the chocolate milk. It appears as a post drink ride a lot. I'm definitely going to try it next time.

Thanks for all of the replies. Good to know I'm not alone and the advice was all good. As for the heart rate monitor, if I ate all the calories it said I burned, I would gain tons of weight. I figured out a long time ago that it wasn't all that accurate, but I figured it was just my metabolism.

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Originally Posted by Brandy

Please be careful if you're using a HRM to estimate calories burned. I ride with a power meter and it gives me energy expended in kilojoules. This equates fairly equally to calories. I can tell you that my HRM always reads about 25% higher than the power meter does in terms of calories burned. If you're trying to lose or maintain weight, I wouldn't trust a HRM...I believe the numbers read high.

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Yeah, I read about all of that before I bought one. Every other source (I don't have a power meter) of information on calories burned lines up pretty much with what my HRM gives me. Even though I collect those numbers, I always estimate high on my intake and low on my outgo, and I've managed to lose 48 lbs. :)

eta: The point is still valid, even if my numbers are 25% low.

Karen

Today I made myself a bowl of sprouted wheat tagliatelli with one sliced up italian sausage and fresh homemade pesto about 20 minutes after I finished my 3 hour ride.

Man I had to put the pasta water on first thing when I walked through the door. I ate a half an apple with raw almond butter before it was done though ;)

All delicious... It's been an hour and a half or so since I got back and I feel super satisfied! No hunger pangs here. Nor did I overeat... and I think I tend to overeat the longer I wait to refuel. :rolleyes:

I ditto that you need more for breakfast. I'm also on weight watchers, but I have to give it up during the summer while I'm riding a lot. First of all, don't forget you gain muscle and lose fat--this results in smaller measurements but may look like a weight gain on the scale (and don't forget water retention in this heat!) Muscle weighs more than fat, but is leaner.

I went through this with my sister and a gf. You need more protein for breakfast. I like a 2-egg & hash brown scramble pre-ride, but have been settling for egg beaters in the microwave--in an attempt to get out before the heat. Small orange juice and cup of coffee. It makes a huge difference for endurance.

Cytomax in my camelbak also helps me get in calories during a long ride. For the first time last weekend, I passed up my normal mid-ride smoothie and post-ride Pepsi. They didn't even sound good. I also like Naked juice or a homemade smoothie post-ride--it's a quick, filling solution as I walk through the door