I also find the food discussion interesting, albeit, as applied to cycling or nordic skiing for myself.
I need to not restrict myself when doing longer or hard rides, particularly, multi-day things. I always get a very noticeable craving for carbs just before a ride, even when I've had a decent breakfast. It's like my body knows what's coming. I don't restrict the carbs at all on cycling/ski vacations, but sometimes I do on one day rides. It never pays. I often don't eat enough when I ride, so I have learned.
But, it's not uncommon for me to gain 2-5 lbs. after a hard ride. Since my weight has gone up, overall in the past 2 months, I am strugling with what to do on my upcoming ski trip. Part of these trips is the eating... I am not eating simple carbs, just stuff I rarely eat.