replenish glycogen vs. eating late

[indysteel]

J-

Here are some articles from Monique Ryan's "Feedzone" series on Velonews.com that might provide some helpful information. Remember, however, that there's training and then there's training. Some of the dietary guidelines out there for replenishing glycogen stores are for people who are doing some serious training. For the rest of us, eating a sensible, well-balanced diet, along with plenty of water, is usually enough IMO. The only time I worry too much about it is before morning rides, when I know I need to replenish my liver glycogen stores after what amounts to a fast during sleep. I, too, like my post-ride chocolate milk, but I make a point of drinking it only when I have a high mileage week planned or am doing long/intense rides back to back.

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/9885.0.html
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/7985.0.html
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/7985.0.html
http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/10021.0.html

Just a few additional thoughts: I think you could safely eliminate your pre-ride gel and your Gatorade for rides less than two hours. Your afternoon snack and water should be sufficient. That will save some calories that could be "better spent" on more nutrient dense foods. I further agree that you should eat something after your evening rides. I realize that you often end up bingeing when you do, but skipping meals is not the answer to that problem unforutunately and will likely either just slow your metabolism down and/or lead to bingeing a day or two later because you feel deprived.

I agree that you likely need more fruits, veggies and lean meat and complex carbs. With respect to the latter, simple sugars (like those found in gels) have their place in your diet, but they're better left for on-the-bike energy. Otherwise, stick to complex carbs like brown rice, whole grains, beans and veggies. They take longer to digest, don't lead to spikes in blood sugar, are more nutrient dense and provide fiber for the health of your digestive tract. They'll make you feel full for a longer period of time.

I know this may sound overly simplistic, but if you think less about food as either something you deny or indulge yourself, and more about it as fuel to do what you want to do and live the kind of life you want to live, you might find it easier to make healthier choices. It further sounds like you need to get your husband on board with your dietary goals. It saddens me to hear that your legitimate weight loss goals are eclipsed by his desire to eat out. Perhaps there is some room for compromise in your routine, e.g., you will agree to eat out one night during the week and weekend, but not four. I realize it's easy for me to say this, but let him sulk. Does he, by chance, have issues with food and/or his weight?

K-

[li10up]

I know this may sound overly simplistic, but if you think less about food as either something you deny or indulge yourself, and more about it as fuel to do what you want to do and live the kind of life you want to live, you might find it easier to make healthier choices. It further sounds like you need to get your husband on board with your dietary goals. It saddens me to hear that your legitimate weight loss goals are eclipsed by his desire to eat out. Perhaps there is some room for compromise in your routine, e.g., you will agree to eat out one night during the week and weekend, but not four. I realize it's easy for me to say this, but let him sulk. Does he, by chance, have issues with food and/or his weight?
K-

Wow, you really got me on this one. You made me realize something that I wouldn't/couldn't do before. My DH has a type of cancer for which currently there is no cure. He has already lived past what was expected and is still doing well. But after he was diagnosed he gained quite a bit of weight. I think it was kind of, "If I'm going to die then I might as well eat whatever the heck I want to." He started walking and cutting out sweets a few months ago (on the verge of diabetes) and dropped about 20 pounds. He has slacked off here recently and is starting to put some of the weight back on. But I think that since I know how much he enjoys going out to eat and that we may not be able to do it forever it makes me feel guilty if I don't eat when/where he wants to eat. Seems like I'm usually eating on his time schedule on the weekends. I've talked about changing the Tuesday Chinese and the Friday Mexican but he tells me how much he enjoys them...especially now that he has quit working...he looks forward to them and our time together. It seems selfish of me to deprive him of this simple thing. Wow, I've really got to think about this.

[shawnada]

We are ultimately the ones responsible for what we put in our bodies. We either make good choices or allow outside influences to sabotage us.

[indysteel]

He has a type of cancer that has no cure? OMG. I feel like a schmuck. I had no idea. My heart goes out to both of you of course.

It sounds like you need a good heart to heart about this. I understand your desire not to deprive him of something he enjoys, but at the same time, your own health is important, notwithstanding his own health issues. I think it's very natural to put his interests ahead of yours under the circumstances, but I still think there is room for compromise. If he loves you--and I assume he does--he'll want to make your well being, as well as his own, a priority.

Hugs,

K

[KnottedYet]

Try eating real breakfasts and lunches, then when you go out maybe you won't be so incredibly hungry and you can order just a small dinner.

Eating disorders are often subconcious attempts to control at least something, when something else is out of control. If you feel like you can't get your food issues resolved on your own, please get a nutritionist or someone to help you with it.

The less stress you are under, the better your remaining time with your husband. I'm very sorry about his health.

[li10up]

Indy-hey, no big deal...you didn't know. I don't talk about it much...trying to be positive and a lot of times just talking about it brings out negative vibes. Thank you for your compassion though. I really do need to balance both of our needs. He knows I'm very unhappy about my weight. You're right, we just need to sit down and talk about it. After 16 years of compromise I'm sure we can do it with this too...I just didn't realize how much my unconscious was affecting my decisions.

Knotted - I'm going to try eating more between 7am and 5pm and see how I do on my rides...and see if I can limit what I eat after the rides...that will be the key - along with better decisions when eating out. Maybe I can start to get a handle on this without too much difficulty. Thank you.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts/input.

[han-grrl]

Carbs are a sensitive complicated subject...

here are some "rules" that i recommend to clients

1) for grains, try to make them as unprocessed as possible - ie rice, quinoa, millet etc
2) for processed grains,makes sure there is as little added sugar as possible - sugar disguises itself as corn syrup, fructose, glucose, maltose to name a few.
3) for yogurt you are better off buying plain and adding in the sweetener. use natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup or low sugar jams, or better yet, FRUIT
4) for dried fruits and nuts and seeds, MEASURE out the quanitities, serving sizes are about 1-2 table spoons
5) for processed grain foods, like rice or pasta or cereal or bread, a serving size is roughly 20-30 grams of carbs. this usually prevents over eating of this food group.

Bon Appetit!

hannah

[Dianyla]

I also have difficulty managing my willpower with a significant other who loves to eat out. There are times when I'd be perfectly content to just come home and eat something really quick and simple, but he psychologically needs a hot cooked dinner. In an ideal world we'd have time to cook more for ourselves (he is a fantastic cook) but we are both managing full-time jobs and full-time university coursework. Like you, mealtimes are a big part of our daily quality time with eachother. It's really easy for us to enable eachother to indulge and feel like every day is a special occasion. The more intense and stressful our lives are, the more we feel entitled to have a treat at the end of the day.

One thing you may try to do is change the way you look at restaurant eating. It's easy to walk in the door and suddenly throw caution to the wind. In for a penny, in for a pound, eh? My favorite tactic is to automatically split your portion in half and eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Or, order an appetizer instead of an entree. Watch out for sweetened/alcoholic drinks, starters like bread or chips/salsa, and of course the evil evil dessert tray. Also... don't set yourself up for failure by undereating all day long. When you've been "good" (read: starving!) all day long, the chances of being able to exercise good judgment when looking at a tasty menu full of high-calorie options.

I have to confess I can't even begin to comprehend what it must be like to have a spouse with terminal condition. If I were in his shoes I'd most likely be pulling out all the stops and living life to the fullest in my short time left. Except, remember that you are not terminally ill yourself. What kind of health legacy this eating spree is going to leave you with when he passes on? Maybe it feels selfish to be thinking about your own health and longevity at a time when his is basically done. If you do start successfully losing weight and you're lookin' good, how is he going to feel as he contemplates the potential reality that you may very well meet someone and remarry after he is gone? Could he be subconsciously sabotaging your efforts now because of jealousy? I'm sure some of the mourning process also may include a touch of self-destructive behavior. I see this in my widowed grandma who still smokes a pack a day. She figures that every puff gets her one step closer to being reunited with my dead grandfather.

Anyways, that's just my $0.04.

[newbiechick]

I skimmed this thread rather quickly, so forgive me if someone has always said this ...

What caught my eye is how many of your calories are consumed as liquid. That might also be part of why your willpower disappears when you go out to eat. I don't think I'd be satisfied consuming 2000 calories if the majority of it was in liquid form. I need flavors, textures; I need to chew and enjoy food. I know everyone is different and not everyone has the relationship to food that I do (I love it--all kinds, everything! ), but you might think about whether shifting some of your calories from liquid to solid might be more satisfying to you.

Just a thought.

Shelley
aka newbiechick

[li10up]

It's strangely comforting to know that others know how I feel about the eating out dilemma.

It's also very odd that I find myself opening up about a very personal issue with complete strangers. I rarely discuss this with family and friends...I usually find them changing the subject quickly. I understand that they really don't know what to say and there really is nothing they can do. It's especially hard to talk about how this is affecting ME when I'M not the one who has a terminal illness...how selfish of me to be thinking of me when he is the one that has to deal with this terrible thing.

...remember that you are not terminally ill yourself. What kind of health legacy this eating spree is going to leave you with when he passes on? Maybe it feels selfish to be thinking about your own health and longevity at a time when his is basically done. If you do start successfully losing weight and you're lookin' good, how is he going to feel as he contemplates the potential reality that you may very well meet someone and remarry after he is gone? Could he be subconsciously sabotaging your efforts now because of jealousy? I'm sure some of the mourning process also may include a touch of self-destructive behavior.

Some things I'll need to think on...I don't think he feels this way consciously, but you could be right, subconsciously. Thanks for your .04

newbiechick, I noticed this too. One of the things I used to say when I was losing weight back in 2003 was, "Don't drink your calories." Looks like that is exactly what I am doing. That might be why the chips are so tempting after my rides. Crunchy and salty.