Trying to keep weight on during training season

[spokewench]

Yes, I have been thinking in terms of just daily caloric intake, instead of weekly. You gals are brilliant and I need to rethink the way I plan out my food. I can definitely fit in extra food on my days off, but hadn't because I thought yoyo-ing was bad, but I suppose if I'm just going up and down by a few pounds during the course of a week, that's OK, right?
I do use Endurox (drink supplement), both during and after the ride, which has been a lifesaver for me.

As for turning 40, tried that 4 years ago; didn't work .

Thanks for giving me a lot to think about.

I just had a question for you. I could not tell from the above. If you know this, just ignore me. I don't know all the different drink supplement names cause I use one that you can only get on the internet that works for me (I have digestive issues with products like endurox) There is a real difference between sports drinks that you use during exercise and ones for after exercise. Make sure you are using an after exercise drink. This will help you hold weight better than just drinking more of the during exercise drink. jan

[Kallisti]

I just had a question for you. I could not tell from the above. If you know this, just ignore me. I don't know all the different drink supplement names cause I use one that you can only get on the internet that works for me (I have digestive issues with products like endurox) There is a real difference between sports drinks that you use during exercise and ones for after exercise. Make sure you are using an after exercise drink. This will help you hold weight better than just drinking more of the during exercise drink. jan

I did a lot of experimentation last year with a bunch of different drink products. The brands I tried were:
GU2O
Cliff Shot
Cytomax
Power bar
Accelerade
I gave each brand a try, using both the performance drink and recovery drinks. I found that the Accelerade/Endurox combo (Endurox is the recovery drink) to be most effective for feeling better (i.e., not as wiped out, more aware) immediately afterwards. But even more impressive to me was the fact that the next day my muscles (particularly legs) would feel less fatigued, less sore. I also found that for some reason, Accelerade (the during the ride drink) upset my stomach, but that if I used Endurox for both during and after drinks, my stomach was fine, so that's what I do now.
I also use Carbboom (a nutritional gel), Lunabars, and nuts and raisons as my on bike snacks. I find that Carboom doesn't give me a suger spike the way that Gu or Power gels used to.

In case you're wondering, I'm trained as a research analyst, so this type of methodical experimentation is just the way I do things (yeah, I'm a bit of a geek )

[ehirsch83]

I had this same problem not to long ago! I found one thing that helped me a lot was adding in more EFAs(essential fatty acids). One of my favorite things now is to add olive oil to my oatmeal. Tastes a little funny at first, but then you get used to it and it tastes weird when you don't add it!And definitaly follow the others advice on spreading your calories out throughout your week. Just because you take a day off doesn't mean your body stops. It doesn't work on the same cycle that you do- it doesn't know that one day ended the next starts, it is just in a continuous cycle.
But anyways, also make sure you are getting enough protein. I found out that even though I was eating a ton of calories a day, they were all carbs, and my body was in such an endurance state that it was just burning them all. Once I added in more protein and more EFAs I started to put some weight on, without altering my caloric intake to much. (oh and protein drinks worked really good for me as a snack when I wasn't hungry- even add in a banana if you are somewhere that you can blend it)

[SouthernBelle]

Glad I found this thread as I've already dropped 2 lbs. Don't mind dropping a little, but by mid-summer last year, I had trouble maintaining.

Q: Where is Endurox carried?

ETA: Never mind. Google just told me. GNC & Vitamin World.

[hellosunshine]

for maintenance i have 3,500 calories A DAY and that means on my rest day.eat even when you dont feel like it,i write down what im going to eat to get the calories in every morning and stick to it,often when you are training hard you lose your appetite........as for turning 40,rubbish!since i tirned 40 3 weeks ago ive lost 3 kg!!!

and yes to all their suggestions,little things like THICK sliced bread,im a believer in full fat milk,even some veg hold more nutritional content than others.......


and theres always beer

[Kallisti]

Taking what was said here in consideration, I started eating more on my off days. I've put about 3 lbs back on, which doesn't sound like much, but it's big for me. I'm happy to say, it looks like muscle weight.
Here's some of the in between meal snacks I've added:
Soy Yogurt Smoothies (Silk, and Whole Soy make yummy ones)
Almonds, cashews, and pistachios
more fruit (so even more bananas, strawberries, oranges, avocados etc)
more Orange Juice

I also got myself a "bento box" for my bike, so now the food is always right in front of me. I'm remembering to eat on the bike more often, and that has been terrific for stamina. After a ride I have a full drink of Endurox, followed by a soy yogurt smoothie if I can "fit it in". (BTW, the soy yogurt smoothies have the same 4:1 ratio of carbs: protein, so it makes the perfect after ride snack.)

Thanks for all the good advice, ladies. This thread has been extremely helpful for me!