Gaining weight after a long ride?

[leendat]

wow all this info sure helps... But can any one give me some specific ideas as for what to eat before, during and after cycling. When I go for a ride I will go for about 20 miles and it takes me about two hours. In the morning I will eat a bowl of whole grain cearl and when I get home a salad with either tuna, or turkey (I use olive oil and red wine vinegar as a dressing). Then a couple of hours later I will eat a banana to hold me until dinner. I have not lost any weight and could stand to loose about 20 pounds (I am 46 5 feet and weigh 140). So any ideas of what to eat before during and after would be a great starting point for me.
thanks for all the info!

[tctrek]

I'll tell you what I eat, although it seems I don't eat *enough*: I eat muesli and some sort of protein bar before I start out on the ride. On the ride, we eat a variety of carbs: Shot Blocks, GU, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches, Peanut Butter crackers, Fig Newtons. We also put Cytomax in our water which has carbs and electrolytes.

Riders -- how does this sound? What else is good to eat on a ride?

[Veronica]

That actually sounds to me like a lot of food to be eating on a ride.

Bear in mind, everyone is different. I can do a two hour ride on just water, and no nutrition. However, if I ride 2 hours and five minutes I need to eat. If I am riding two hours - four hours I will mix water and Gatorade in one bottle and have straight water in the other. I drink every 15 minutes and eat every 30. Eating means having a couple of shot bloks, or 5 - 6 peanut m&ms, or 5 - 6 sport beans. If I am riding more than 2 hours I start eating at 60 minutes.

On a ride longer than 4 hours I add Sustain to my Gatorade bottle. On a typical 200K (125 miles, about ten hours of ride time) I will drink 2 - 3 Red Bulls and go through 2 - 3 packs of Shot Bloks etc. and 2 - 3 bags of M&Ms. At my lunch stop I 'll eat a banana.

My usual post 200K meal comes from Jack in the Box, not exactly known for its healthy choices. I will have lost 2 - 3 pounds after eating dinner when I have ridden a 200K. On a shorter ride I'll lose a pound or two.

Oh and my usual pre-ride breakfast for a long ride (4 hours +) is a PBJ sandwich and a container of chocolate milk. Otherwise it's my typical breakfast cereal or oatmeal.


Veronica

[salsabike]

I think eating requirements ARE really different from rider to rider. I don't seem to need to eat a lot on a long ride (like, a Luna bar every 1 1/2 to 2 hours; if I eat more, I feel bogged down), whereas my husband will definitely bonk if he doesn't eat quite regularly on the same ride. Just as a matter of interesting fact, we each did bike metabolic tests lately. I can burn primarily fat for quite a while before I start burning carbs more. My husband's fat burning zone is really, really short, which seems to explain why he needs to eat often.

[Veronica]

I think it's really important to just experiment and find out what works for you.

I'm still trying to figure out what to eat before I go for a run. What I eat for a bike ride or a triathlon just doesn't work for a run.

Veronica

[jobob]

I think eating requirements ARE really different from rider to rider.

Yep. My husband calls me a hummingbird since I've found time & time again that I need to eat early & often, or suffer the consequences.

I for one think it's hilarious that the words "me" and "hummingbird" can be used in the same sentence.

[katluvr]

I'll tell you what I eat, although it seems I don't eat *enough*: I eat muesli and some sort of protein bar before I start out on the ride. On the ride, we eat a variety of carbs: Shot Blocks, GU, Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches, Peanut Butter crackers, Fig Newtons. We also put Cytomax in our water which has carbs and electrolytes.

Riders -- how does this sound? What else is good to eat on a ride?

I am reading the Zone diet book. I have not yet started. Like most of the "protein" favorable diets it stresses protein AND carbs from fruit and veggies. I do like the way it discusses "pairing" and being sure to have protein w/ you carbs/fats.

The reason I am looking at the Zone is there are athlete and endurance athletes that use this. And I consider myself a "protein" girl. I feel better w/ protein type snacks and when riding. I use Accelerade for long rides. But when read what tctrek is eating..that is similar to what most of us do on the bike. Sure there is protein in peanut butter. But not sure it meets the ratio.
So this will be a learning curve--to do the zone on the bike.

The "need carbs" to ride (run, etc) is always a dilemma....just how many and do "we" (or me) in general over eat the carbs? (Just a rhetorical question).
I do worry that sometimes I restrict food on the bike...to save up for post ride and over eat later. I have ride this weekend...I'll see how I do!

Last question...anyone else tried or doing the Zone?

K