i have no idea what to eat. help :)

[letsride89]

Well, I just bought my bike. i'm a new cyclist.
my weight is about 104.
before i got my bike i was most likely around 1200 calories a day
now that im riding i think i should probably eat more. maybe a lot more..

but i have no idea!
i'm riding about every other day for about two hours i would say? roughly.

whatcha think homies.

[lph]

I have no idea about calories and suchlike, but if you're hungry - eat! You're asking your body to put out more energy and it needs fuel to do this. As long as you eat healthily, not too large portions, often - and most important, don't go into a bike ride hungry, I think your natural appetite control will take care of it just fine

If I'm not eating enough I notice that I have trouble sleeping soundly, or wake up starving.

[letsride89]

thanks for the advice! it makes sense to eat when i want to eat. lol-

today i woke up and was honest to goodness HUNGRY.

after my 20mile ride yesterday i had a sandwich from which wich and an apple.

i guess that wasnt enough because i woke up today running to the cabinet for some cereal haha!

how long before my ride should i eat? what do you usually eat before a ride?

[mimitabby]

I can answer this one. If the ride is going to be a strenuous one, i eat at least an hour before I start. I just eat a normal healthy breakfast, like oatmeal or toast with eggs, and maybe some fruit. On the ride, i try to drink plenty (I have a camelbak for water) and the equivalent of a power bar every hour while riding. Then if it's a long ride, we'll stop and eat something like a sandwich. Heavy eating on a ride does not work. As you noticed, you can catch up later.

[motochick]

I have a routine that works very well for me for eating and riding. I always eat 2 eggs with chorizo/cheese mixed in and 3 pieces of bacon with flavored water to drink before my ride. I also take a teaspoon of chia seeds. I will eat, then pump up tires, stretch, get dressed, fill up water, etc. All of that takes enough time that by the time I am ready to pedal, my food is in a happy place.

On my ride I carry a package of those peanut butter crackers, some homemade beef jerky, and 3 tubes of accel gel. I stop at the 30 mile mark and eat the crackers and if it is to be a long ride, I suck down a gel. Then while on the bike I snack on the jerky as needed. If I need them, I have extra gels as well. This seems to work well for me. About 3 miles from home is a great BBQ place where I like to stop for pulled pork. YUMMY.

To start with I would say carry lots of different stuff so you can chose what you want while out riding. You will start to figure out what works for your body. Good luck!

Brenda

[Grog]

Being hungry in the morning is not abnormal...

Just eat! A good breakfast is the best start to an athletic day (and to any day!).

I find that fats and protein in moderate amounts keep me satiated until around 11 a.m. If I skip my daily egg in the morning, I am starting around 9:30!!