wow, so many responses! thanks so much for all of your answers. i did as someone suggested and contacted a nutrisystem nutritionist (not sure why i didn't think of that, lol)...here's what they had to say:

Congratulations on losing 33 pounds! Excellent job!

If you decide to join your husband in the cycling route, you should add in extra protein and a fruit. Start with 1 extra serving of each after workouts, then if you realize it is not enough add more, or give us a call and we can reformat your plan to better suit your needs.

Good luck and keep up the good work!


--- Original Message ---
From: Amanda
Received: 8/12/2006 9:30:12 PM Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 4:00 )
To: questions@nutrisystem.com
Subject: counseling

hi! i've been on ns for about four months now and have lost 33lbs,
yay! until now i've been doing light/moderate exercise of walking or
jogging. my husband is into cycling and has gotten me interested. my
dilemma is that cycling demands a huge increase in calorie intake due to
the high calorie burn rate. so how do i figure in the extra calories
needed for cycling? right now i'm going on 10-12 mile rides, burning
from 900 to 1000 calories (according to the heart rater monitor). so
what should i be eating?

thanks for any advice!

that doesn't sound like great advice, but that's just me. what do y'all think?

by the way, this a.m. we went on a ten mile ride (i know that's nothing to some of you, lol). i ate a granola bar and some peanut butter on toast before we rode, then just water after that. i did ten miles just fine and really could've gone more except it was time to pick up the kids from their grandparents. anyway, i finished feeling good, not hungry or dizzy (not sure what bonking is yet, but i guess i wasn't). oh, and i got up to 18 mph today for the first time. yay!! :-)

oh, for those of you worried about my 1200 cal diet, i do some add ins. the program is 1200 calories, but i add to stuff, esp. salads (two a day)...i add bacon bits and feta cheese and pickles, i add fat free sour cream or parmesean cheese to meals, and i eat a couple of "free foods" a day too. so i'm not starving myself, i promise.

thanks for all your input on this. i really enjoy reading all that y'all have to say!

amanda