Got the exercise part. Can't get the eat less part.

[Offthegrid]

Hi, everyone. I love these forums -- so supportive and it's nice that it's just us gals.

My name is Susie, and I've been a recreational rider off and on for a couple of years. I didn't do much riding this year, and I'm starting to build a foundation for next year.

I need to lose a lot of weight. My goals are all fitness oriented (finish a sprint triathlon in under 2 hours, jog a 5K in under 40 minutes, finish a half-century bike ride, commute to work 3x/week starting in the spring). I watch what I eat, and the hope was that the weight would come off by choosing healthier foods, better portions and exercising.

But I find I'm so HUNGRY all the time, despite choosing whole grains, vegetables and good proteins. For example, I'll eat a big salad at lunch with veggies and chicken, and be STARVING an hour later. I'll wait another hour, then eat an apple and low-fat yogurt, and I'm starving an hour after that. I'm eating roughly 1,500 to 1,800 calories/day.

I'm curious to see a breakdown of what you eat during the day (and especially your lower volume days or rest days). Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but I do eat 5 meals/snacks a day and try to keep it varied.

And, to add a completely unrelated rant, why is it that cycling clothing manufacturers don't make women's XXL bike shorts? I currently use men's shorts, but the ... ahem ... parts are different.

[pooks]

Check out these shorts. At least some of them come in a XXL (2X), maybe all?

http://www.boure.com/shortswomen.html

[han-grrl]

I was a lot like you...perpetually hungry. everyone was amazed, they actually thought i was pregnant. anyway, with some experimenting this is how i am eating now...

I am a fitness instructor and teach 2-3 classes a day right now but not doing a lot of training (i also train 2-3 clients a day as well).

Typically i eat for breakfast:
2-3 fruits, one serving of spelt cereal with milk and two tablespoons of mixed nuts. coffee, my only vice. no sugar, just a bit of milk in it

4 hours later i eat:
a banana, some kind of home made muffin or a one piece of toast, one serving of protein (chicken, or tofu or something like that), one serving of dairy (usually cheese, not low fat) and some veggies.

4 hours later:
plain yogurt (but not low fat, no added sugar, gelatin or corn starch either), celery and peanut butter with raisins (my favorite) and that usually takes me to dinner a couple of hours later

dinner will vary: protein, one serving of grains, and all the veggies i can handle.

I don't find that i am tired or hungry. when i do my own training, i will add in extra servings of everything depending on what i am doing.

I don't eat more than one serving of regular wheat per day (all grains are other kinds like millet, barley, buckwheat etc) and i don't add sugar to anything. any sweetener is either honey or maple syrup.

I lost 13 pounds this way over the summer, and i have no problem maintaining it. (i was 130 and holding 117 now). i don't have cravings any more, and i was really amazed about not adding sweetener to coffee.

Anyway this is what works for me. I recommend doing a lot of reading, researching and talking to a nutritionist.

Good luck!

Hannah

[mimitabby]

Your caloric intake sounds a little low. Have you talked to a nutritionist?
I want to say doctor, but i know doctors don't take nutrition classes.

[Geonz]

How much are you drinking?

I suck on my recycled gatorade bottle filled with tea, which puts something in the stomach, and then the caffeine serves as an appetite supressant.

SOme of it also just comes with time. You gotta get your stomach accustomed to not being full all the time.

And sometimes it helps just to be distracted.

I am trying wtih mixed success on this regimen: Bagel and cheese with tea in the morning (no cheese the past two mornings but only 'cause I'm out).

Try to stay away from the snack room... oops, a few tortilla chips...

Oatmeal for lunch (instant in the envelopes; put it in the coffee mug and get the instant-hot water from the cafeteria).

Sneak a few more tortilla chips. Make another glass of tea.

Tell myself hungry is GOOD within reason, for a little while, and it's not a bargaining thing ("I was feeling hungry, so now I *deserve* to eat more!")

Go home and make one of those Michelina pasta dinners and eat slowly. Drink water with two shots of OJ in it so it has some flavor; if I'm feeling luxurious, make it fizzy water.

Last night was a bust, 'cause the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee met and we had dinner first, tho' I did limitmyself to that pizza and water... but afterwards I was wound up enough to really want that Sam Adams. (Better than last Tues. after the MOvie... sigh, that was a worse bust...)

Now to ride home and savor that Michelina ... with tabasco sauce, anything is good

[TsPoet]

"They" say that American's have conditioned themselves to mistake thirst for hunger. Next time you are starving try a glass of water (not soda, coffee, or anything else, Water) and wait 30 minutes. If you are still hungry, eat a piece of fruit or veggies.
This, along with all the other things you are doing, worked like a charm for me - lost 50 lbs and kept it off for 3 years. I did not reach my goal, but I moved from "obese" to just plain fat and I'm much happier.

Also, just a personal nit - I also did the oatmeal thing, thought it was good protein source... Then I found that the non-instant takes less than 5 minutes in a microwave and has a lot more nutrients in it. So, I switched from the instant to the non instant. I also "Dr" it myself, for example, dried apples and cinnamon, no sugar, or a 1/2 teaspoon of honey if I'm feeling adventurous.

[chickwhorips]

congrats on your goals that you have set for yourself. you CAN and WILL do it.

when i'm working out alot i'm the same way as you. i always feel like i can eat something, even if its 5 mins after i just ate. i notice when i cut my calories, for the first week i'm starving all the time, the second week gets a bit easier and so on.

you don't want to know my eating habits right now. i can't wait for a month when i'm in civilization and all i do is eat fruits and veggies all the time, and they are FRESH!

[han-grrl]

If you read through this article...towards the end it explains how for some people maintaining a lower weight can actually be associated with constant feelings of hunger.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/13/ma...e54769&ei=5070

[Grog]

I'll add another $.02 here.

I think eating some fat might help. I know it's counter-intuitive. But it's clear that fat takes a longer time to digest, and in the meantime your stomach doesn't start screaming for more food. For example, if I have an egg along with the rest of my breakfast (big bowl of Shreddies cereal with 1% milk, plus one glass of apple-orange juice, plus coffee), I'm fine until noon or even past that. If I don't and have a couple pieces of toast or a muffin or the like in its place, I'm starving by 10:30 or 11am. The extra fat and protein keep my inners busy for a while...

So that piece of cheese, that egg, or a bowl of low-fat instead of no-fat yogourt or glass of milk might be helpful in preventing you from snacking all the time. And if you keep it in reasonable proportions, it will not impair your weight loss. Also remember that the low-fat stuff (especially yogourt) usually contains a lot more sugar to make it taste better (because fat enhances the taste, hence no fat = often bland, in industrial products at least, which means most of what we eat).

[bacarver]

Hi -

I love to eat. It's a good thing I ride or I would be outta control. I hold myself to 1400 calories per day average. I have "go wild" days about every 3 weeks. My metabolism is sluggish to say the least. I have to be very careful or the weight and the poor eating habits get away from me. I have a few "rules" to keep me on track. I do not eat between meals 95% of the time no matter how much my body complains. Apples are "free" and I eat at least one a day. If I'm hungry, I find a project to keep myself busy. I was on Depakote for about 2 years to control migraines. The medication put 13 pounds on me and I was gaining faster and faster. I told the doctor I had to stop taking it because I couldn't wear my clothes. The weight has come off and I feel great. I weigh myself every day and adjust my intake according to the number. Hills are so much easier to climb when I'm lean. Hang in there!
Barb

[emily_in_nc]

I agree completely with Grog. I lost weight by low-carb dieting before I got seriously into riding and other forms of fitness (which require more carbs for energy). Although I eat more carbs now, of course, I don't force myself to eat really low-fat either. I try to eat good fats like olive oil, nuts, flax, fish oil, and the like, but I also allow myself some eggs and cheese. I don't eat fried foods and eat very little red meat, however. I agree that fat fills you up more so you don't get the between-meal munchies nearly as often as with a carb-heavy, low-fat diet. As a result, I think I eat fewer calories on days when I eat more fat than on lower-fat, higher carb days. I get hungry every hour or two when I eat that way.

I've been able to maintain my weight loss for five years eating this way (along with exercising pretty much daily). Of course, what works for me will not work for everyone. I have a fast metabolism, which helps a lot -- and exercising more helps with that as well.

Best of luck,

Emily

[bcipam]

At my last post operation visit with my surgeon he advised I need to lose weight. He first recommended I exercise more. I told the doctor I do spin class every day, plus an hour of weights and on the weekends ride 30 - 50 mile each day. What more should I do?

Of course I also admitted I love to eat - junk food especially. He told me just have discipline and limit my calories. I looked him squarely in the eye and told him "Doctor, you have found the cure for obesity! Just don't eat too much! Why hasn't someone thought of that already?" Yes I was being a wisearcer. Thankfully the doctor laughed. I am just destined to be fat. :-(

[CyclChyk]

I too got into cycling for my health and to lose weight. I needed to lose 80lbs total to get back into a size 8. (I have lost 40 so far. YEH!!!) An average week for me was Dominos; chinese take out; McDonalds; steak with a big fat potato loaded w/the good stuff. Starbucks and Double D loved me. You get the idea. Kinda pathetic but it was d*mned good eating!

Like some before me have stated, you need carbs. They will help with the cravings and they are very important in a cyclists diet. But you need to eat the right carbs. Also, to state what others have already stated, drink LOTS of water. I actually use the WalMart version of Crystal Light. I hate Crystal Light but love the walmart one. Go figure. But it has zero calories and tastes really good. Sometimes plain water can be boring.

Something else I am wondering about. You said you eat lots of salad. Are you using regular dressing?? Most dressings kinda negate the benefit of salad, and you may as well eat a burger for the caloric intake it can give you. Also try fat free mayo, not regular mayo. Fat free butter, sugar free jelly, etc. I even love reduced cal peanut butter now and I never thought that would happen. But these changes add up to pounds lost. Watch out for high sugar content and foods where the fat calories are a high percentage of the actual calories.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Well it took me about 2 months before I actually craved pretzels and not Swiss cake rolls. And one sandwich fills me up when before I would eat 2 or more.

I realize my post probably hasn't helped your situation, I think I posted mostly to say don't give up. It will happen. I think the idea of a nutritionist might be good for you as well. I know lots of people who have had great success that way.

[Grog]

[ON SOAP BOX]
Please, lovers of big-chain fast food, do not be offended as I step on my soap box. I LOVE food in general. I CHERISH good food even more. I ride to eat and eat to ride... Please bear with me.

I love steak. I eat vegetarian most of the time but I really enjoy a rare filet mignon or preferably a tartare (basically raw ground beef... of extremely high quality - but nobody seems to know what it is around here). I love potatoes as well, and anything including starch + cheese (potato, pasta or bread + cheese) is comfort food to me. I would not be able to eat that every day though... Boring.

But Dominos, chinese take out and McDo? Good eating? It's true that no taste is more legitimate than another, but I'm very certain that eating healthier food will make you discover an array of wonderful tastes and definitely good-ier eating.

I am amazed at how people equate eating healthy with eating boring.

Of course fat-free yogourt doesn't taste anything (which is why they add so much sugar to it). Why not pick up a low-fat or, why not, full-fat yogourt instead? It's definitely A LOT healthier than the swiss roll or other ready-made snack you would have "normally" had instead! Toss in pieces of fresh fruit (even a simple apple takes 1 minute to dice) and, oh! a teaspoon (I said ONE teaspoon!) of maple or honey and you still have a pretty healthy snack.

Pizza? Make your own pizza. You can buy ready-made crust to cheat, but throw vegetables on there (I can't have enough broccoli... as long as it's not overcooked), some proscuitto ham and a great, tasty cheese of your choice. Not gooey mozzarella that you have to put a pound of on your pizza to create texture because it doesn't taste anything. Go for, say, goat cheese. And some fresh tomato. Now THAT has a taste! It's not just a mixture of meat and cheese that you can't even identify.

Burger? Make your own open-face burger with extra lean meat that you buy yourself, in which perhaps you throw an egg to help it hold together better (adds fat but good proteins as well), some bread crumps, all sorts of spices. Grill. Add a very thin slice of blue cheese if you're so inclined, sharp cheddar otherwise. One slice of tomato, just a bit of curried mayo. Grow your own basil by the kitchen window and throw a leaf or two in there. Eat with a salad with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, accompany with a glass of water, with a dash of lemon juice if you feel fancy. You have just skipped the fries that tasted all the same (while every bite of your salad can be different if you tossed a few things in there), and who really enjoys drinking Coke anyway? It's JUST sugar. It's nonsense even to pay for that. Toss it.

Chinese food? Sorry I'm not very strong in that department. But I can throw a pretty good curry under 30 minutes and it will have less MSG, salt and fat than anything you buy ready-made. Now that you talk about it, a quick pad thai with rice noodles, tofu, curry sauce, some peppers, lime juice, peanuts, etc. would work wonders too. And cooking (with a glass of wine please) while listening to music I love or to the day's news is a great way to relax and to feel that I have some control on my life. And if I don't have 30 minutes to spare to cook, maybe it's about time I change my lifestyle, it's not healthy either. Eating "healthy" is also about taking some time to eat. If you actually sit down, enjoy your meal, masticate appropriately, and even talk with your partner, colleagues, children, friends, etc. you'll probably eat less, digest better, enjoy life more and be healthier at the bottom line. Throw in a glass of red wine for the antioxydants and you're all set!

The meals I have just described are not necessarily the "healthiest" by radical standards. But I don't believe it's healthy to totally cut fat anyway. If the only result is to turn you off eating healthy because it's not tasty or pleasurable, then you're going to go back to your habitual diet and that certainly is not better.

You can tell me that Domino's, chinese take-out, and McDo are more convenient, okay. That's true especially if you drive, of course. That eating there reminds you of your childhood maybe and makes you feel comforted, okay. But they are definitely not the tastiest food. And when they do have taste, it's achieved by industrial processes that take you very very very far away from the original ingredients and their nutritional value, while adding all sort of stuff you really don't need.

If it's "tasty" and comes from a fast-food source, be very wary of what they did to make it so.

One caveat, my personal pet peeve: Eating well and starting from scratch or almost (raw, fresh ingredients) is definitely more expensive than eating junk, and takes a little more time (although not that much). Junk food is readily available, takes no knowledge and no equipment. To save costs, all the food is produced in the same place now - look what happened with the spinach, we just discovered that 90% of the bagged spinach in North America is produced in a tiny area of California - and everything is organized to maximize the profit of the fast-food and big agrifood companies shareholders, not to maximize taste and nutritional value. People seem to positively react to cheaper food, so the industry provides just that: food that comes from further away that is sold in big surface megastores, fruits that were picked a week or more before they're sold (what's the nutritional value of that??), pre-mixed meals - just add water - that could be so easily prepared with basic ingredients... All is pre-manufactured or, sorry, "value added". We should be fighting that not just to loose weight, but above all to remain healthy in our bodies and our communities...
[OFF SOAP BOX]

[Grog]

One last thing, about chocolate...

As a kid, all I knew about chocolate was chocolate bars. I had a Caramilk a day I remember my mom telling me that one day I'd need to stop and would be addicted!!

Well, of course that was not a good habit, and I am addicted. But I'll go for a square of dark chocolate. Or, if I'm in a mall and walk by a chocolate store and am tempted, I will buy one truffle. It's the same price as a chocolate bar usually - about $1 - but there is so much more to discover! So much more pleasure! And many less calories, less fat, closer to the original product (cocoa beans).

Also a must: real peanut butter, i.e. peanut butter with just one ingredient: peanuts... No trans fats, no added sugar, just the good fats of peanuts, and an awesome taste.

Ok I'm done now.