Diet review please

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 3:44pm #1

Hi all,

I've been messing around with my diet of late and this is where I'm at at the moment. I am cycling and running at least once perhaps twice a day building up to summer fitness and involvement in distance running and cycling (5k, 10k, 10 mile and marathon running, 100-200 km, 100 mile cycles perhaps multi day events and duo or triathlons). I am 6'3" and 94 kg. I am concerned about health atm and slowly losing weight over the winter (its good resistance atm:D) so I want my diet to include as much fiber, nutrition and key nutrients as possible... am I missing anything important or should I change times etc....

So that's me, and this is what I eat....

8 am
1 bowl of porridge

10am
1 coffee
1 croissant

12pm
2 bananas
1 tea

1pm
1x smoked mackerel fillet mixed salad veg and leaves no dressing (ie spinage leaves, beetroot, tomato, onion, cucumber)
tea or coffee
3pm
1/2 pieces of fruit/ other type of snack +tea

5pm
bowl of home made veg soup (mix of veg with a mix of beans)
8pm
steamed chic breast with steamed veg/ pasta with veg and pesto/ rice and fish
OR IF NOT HUNGARY
1 bowl of weetabix

I drink about a litre of water in addition to the included liquids. I do not add salt to anything unless drinking sports drinks which I normally only do in the summer or after long hard workouts. Also the only added sugar is in coffee (1.5 tea spoons) or in wheatabix (1.5 tea spoons)

Any and all constructive comments welcome

Captain Furball · 12-11-2009 3:49pm

You said your losing weight try eat a bit more rice, potatoes, pasta, chicken and things like that.
try do 60-70% carbs, 20% protein, 10% fat.
Add in some eggs,nuts olive oil for your fats.And take an iron tablet when you go on your really long rides or runs.Even bring a few sweets with you for a snack while your cycling or running.

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 3:57pm

Hey Captain, thanks for the reply, I am (was) trying to keep my carbs down as I thought that was best.. I have sopped eating bread (except at weekends:p I have approx 1.5 medium potatoes in each soup serving. I try to snack on nuts (must get some more worked in) and can put eggs in with lunch. How many eggs per week? would one a day be ok or is that ott?

Captain Furball · 12-11-2009 4:02pm

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Hey Captain, thanks for the reply, I am (was) trying to keep my carbs down as I thought that was best.. I have sopped eating bread (except at weekends:p I have approx 1.5 medium potatoes in each soup serving. I try to snack on nuts (must get some more worked in) and can put eggs in with lunch. How many eggs per week? would one a day be ok or is that ott?

Why would you want to keep your carbs down?
Your doing a lot of cycling and running which require a lot of carbs.Eat like a horse no need to be that strict.I eat 3 eggs a day but i do weights a fair bit.If you like eggs eat them

Are you losing weight on a weekly basis?

TommyKnocker · 12-11-2009 4:10pm

Captain Furball wrote: »

You said your losing weight try eat a bit more rice, potatoes, pasta, chicken and things like that.
try do 60-70% carbs, 20% protein, 10% fat.
Add in some eggs,nuts olive oil for your fats.And take an iron tablet when you go on your really long rides or runs.Even bring a few sweets with you for a snack while your cycling or running.

I read the post as the OP was concerned with staying healthy and loosing weight over the winter.

I am concerned about health atm and slowly losing weight over the winter

No expert here, but your diet looks very carb heavy with very little in the way of protein or healthy fats.

See comments in bold

8 am
1 bowl of porridge

Ok breakfast, but I would add maybe a couple of eggs for protein and maybe some seeds and nuts to the porridge for healthy fats. Or you could add a scoop of Whey protein powder to you porridge.

10am
1 coffee
1 croissant

IMHO there is no nutritional value in this snack. Would be better with some mixed nuts and fruit or maybe some tuna and oat cakes.

12pm
2 bananas
1 tea

Only carbs at this meal/snack. Should also include some protein and healthy fats.

1pm
1x smoked mackerel fillet mixed salad veg and leaves no dressing (ie spinage leaves, beetroot, tomato, onion, cucumber)
tea or coffee

Decent enough lunch, though there won't be a whole lot of protein in just 1 mackerel fillet. You could also make a dressing with olive oil (extra virgin) and either lemon juice of balsamic vinegar to get some healthy fats in.

3pm
1/2 pieces of fruit/ other type of snack +tea

Again only carbs taken here. See coments for 12:00 meal/snack

5pm
bowl of home made veg soup (mix of veg with a mix of beans)

And again a mostly carb meal/snack. Try maybe adding a chicken breast here for protein and maybe some nuts.

8pm
steamed chic breast with steamed veg/ pasta with veg and pesto/ rice and fish

Decent enough dinner. But I found I got good results when I dropped the starchy carbs from my dinner. Try just meat and a bigger portion of veg.

OR IF NOT HUNGARY
1 bowl of weetabix

Starchy carbs with protein from the milk, which is ok now and again. But if you are training in the evening then you should IMHO be eating better than this.

Again, these comments are just my thoughts and I am no expert by any means.

Best Regards,

M

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 4:14pm

@ captain, I'm a thread nightmare tbh, In the last 12 months I have moved between 16 and 14 stone.... I have been fighting the old smokes you see, winning atm:).
This summer saw me put some serious time on the bike, 2010 is more about the running but I could do with losing a stone just to make my body more efficient. if I were on the ART forum they would cut lumps outa me until I hit 65 kg:rolleyes:. So wight loss is not aim number 1 but yes I'm down a few kg's since I started watching what I eat and hope to lose a few more before spring, I would perfer to have a strong physique than that of a thin marathon runner(keep my gf happy too). no offence to the grey hounds here
The reason I'm cutting carbs down is for weight, I do get some in but tbh my bike mileage is way down and i'm working on short hard spins, hill repeats and high gears etc. I have been thinking of adding a bit more pasta so I'm ok with that.

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 4:21pm

Thanks BB, only thing is the 5pm feed, I eat as soon as I hit home so I'm good to go at 6pm for a run or a cycle, If i ate a chic breast I'd have to sit down and have a snooze:D

I know the croissant is no good for anything its my rubbish for the day. Its not a deal breaker though I can replace it with nuts etc. only thing is I work in an office so I'm pretty sedimentary day time mon/fri so I do need to be careful about the fat producing foods. Last year I ate loads of nuts and 2 home made fruit smoothies a day......... I put on a stone due to the amount of sugar and fat I was taking in, lesson learned, it all fell off when I stopped, phew.

Captain Furball · 12-11-2009 4:29pm

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

@ captain, I'm a thread nightmare tbh, In the last 12 months I have moved between 16 and 14 stone.... I have been fighting the old smokes you see, winning atm:).
This summer saw me put some serious time on the bike, 2010 is more about the running but I could do with losing a stone just to make my body more efficient. if I were on the ART forum they would cut lumps outa me until I hit 65 kg:rolleyes:. So wight loss is not aim number 1 but yes I'm down a few kg's since I started watching what I eat and hope to lose a few more before spring, I would perfer to have a strong physique than that of a thin marathon runner(keep my gf happy too). no offence to the grey hounds here
The reason I'm cutting carbs down is for weight, I do get some in but tbh my bike mileage is way down and i'm working on short hard spins, hill repeats and high gears etc. I have been thinking of adding a bit more pasta so I'm ok with that.

You will lose the weight regardless with the training your doing,so I wouldn't worry too much about that part of it.
After all you lost 2 stone already.Just make sure your getting in enough.
I don't agree with running an hour after food either i'd be shagged.
Wait at least 2 hours if you could.

TommyKnocker · 12-11-2009 4:41pm

thebouldwhacker wrote: »

Thanks BB, only thing is the 5pm feed, I eat as soon as I hit home so I'm good to go at 6pm for a run or a cycle, If i ate a chic breast I'd have to sit down and have a snooze:D

I know the croissant is no good for anything its my rubbish for the day. Its not a deal breaker though I can replace it with nuts etc. only thing is I work in an office so I'm pretty sedimentary day time mon/fri so I do need to be careful about the fat producing foods. Last year I ate loads of nuts and 2 home made fruit smoothies a day......... I put on a stone due to the amount of sugar and fat I was taking in, lesson learned, it all fell off when I stopped, phew.

Hi There

Of course you have to tailor your diet to your needs. I was simply giving my view. I understand about just having something light a 5pm before cycling. I just think that your diet is carb heavy which depending on the amount of running and cycling you do may not help your stated goal of loosing weight.

I work in an office job too and currently my goals are gaining weight, so my diet is hopefully geared towards that. But here is a idea of my daily food intake

05:30 Breakfast consists of 40g oats, 5 almonds, 5 hazel nuts, 2 whole walnuts (4 halves), 3 brazil nuts, tbspn mixed seeds, tblspn goji berries, some raspberries, strawberries, blueberries & bloackberries with 200ml slimline non fat milk, a natural yogurt and a mug of green tea. Plus Fish oil, Multi vit & Advanced C-Jointin (for joint health)

08:30 at my desk. A protein shake with 1 scoop of protein, 5g creatine, 5g glutamine, with two oatcakes it peanut butter.

10:00 tea break. 1 apple 2 tblspn Peanut buttter, 1 Mandrin. 1 mug of green tea.

13:00 Lunch. Wholemeal pitta with Salad leaves and veg and either tuna/salmon/chicken/turkey/beef, 1 Apple, handful of mixed nuts. 1 mug of green tea.

16:00 at desk, pre workout meal. 3 oatcakes with peanut butter and a cottage cheese and fruit mousse (homemade).

18:00-20:00 Gym

20:10 before shower. Protein shake with 2 scoops of protein, 2 scoops of glucose, 5g creatine & 5g of glutamine.

21:30 when I get home. Dinner, consisting of a lean meat protein source and a mixture of green veg. A mug of green tea.

I would also consume about 2.5lt of water throughout the day.

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 4:43pm

Captain Furball wrote: »

Wait at least 2 hours if you could.

This was a topic over in the cycling forum, what to eat and when in the early evening to allow you to make the most of the evening training slot... I used to eat about 4:30 at work but it was just more fruit, sugary snacks etc, now I wait until 5 and have a big bowl of home made soup (good food). I would be too Hungary to go with out food before exercise but do find it a pain in the ass... what do other people here do?

thebouldwhacker · 12-11-2009 4:49pm

@ BB,

LOL

Thats not a diet thats pigging out:D

I used do weights a few years ago when I lived in Italy, they go to the gym like we go to the pub. My god if you ever want to feel good about eating your own weight of food a day while going to the gym for 4 hours at a go just live there....

I appreciate your suggestions btw and will add to my diet as you suggested.

Diet review please

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