General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Please critique my nutrition plan? Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2009-08-03 5:06 PM

User image

Expert
1244
100010010025
New York
Subject: Please critique my nutrition plan?
I'm not really great at counting calories or understanding my calories in vs. calories out (also heard conflicting info on how accurately you can determine either), but I'm trying to get better at managing my training nutrition. I find I'm frequently hungry beyond what I expected during and after a workout. I feel like I'm not taking in enough calories. Today, for instance, on a two hour bike followed by a 20 minute run, I had a GU gel and a Hammer Gel. After going online and adding everything up, I don't think it was enough (duh).

I'm not trying to lose or gain weight, simply maintain my energy and performance level during training. I feel like I do ok with nutrition on race day, but I've never analyzed it very carefully and I think part of it is nerves, so maybe I don't notice how hungry I am during a race?

Anyway, after doing a little research on the handy dandy Interwebs, here's what I figured out. Please tell me if I'm way off base or if I'm in the realm of realism. Thanks for all your help!

(Uh, for the record, not sure if this info is necessary, I weigh 126 lbs, and I'm 5'8").

Swimming vigorously, I burn around 550 calories per hour.
Cycling (about 14-16 mph) I burn around 600 calories per hour.
Running (8:30 min/mile) I burn about 650 calories per hour.

From what I understand, I should be taking somewhere between 150-300 calories per hour during longer training sessions. Anything over a 1 hour workout, I will start consuming calories about 20-30 minutes in.

1. Does that sound right?

2. And should I just be replacing what I'm (probably) burning?

3. Should I ever be MORE than replacing what I'm burning?

4. Do these calories come out of the rest of my food intake for the day, or is it in addition to everything?

As always, thank you, thank you for your help!


2009-08-18 1:18 PM
in reply to: #2325175

User image

Expert
1123
1000100
Columbus
Subject: RE: Please critique my nutrition plan?
Your calrories for daily intake/output are loosely based on age and height.  That is for a person around the proper weight / height ratio and average activity level.  If you are training 3-4 hours per week your calorie need will be higher.  

What your doing now is reasonable.

Don't worry about exactly when  and how much you get.    Try to eat a well balanced diet and at regular times.  Supplement your diet with energy rich foods when you are hungry or anticipate energy drops.  

There are many high quality dietary products and beverages out there that do work but you can also head to the produce section and your tap.  Oh and there is nothing quite like the reward of a 250 empty calorie cream filled donut!

I like to make a shake between breaksfast and lunch when I need the calories most.  I use good vanilla ice cream (not the cheap mostly sugar stuff)  carnation instant breakfast, old fashioned oats (not enriched quick oats), peanut butter, and a banana.  I love it. 

Judging by your profile oic and activity level you should not worry about getting too much - just make sure most of it is healthy stuff Laughing 
2009-08-19 1:49 AM
in reply to: #2325175

User image

Master
2665
20005001002525
The Whites, New Hampshire
Subject: RE: Please critique my nutrition plan?
I finally figured out the whole nutrition thing once I started logging my food. Being OCD, it was more fun than chore, and I learned a LOT - about protein/carb/fat ratios, when to eat what kinds of energy, and how much to put in/out. You might want to try it just for a month to see how you are doing.

As for calories in and out, you definitely want to eat back your exercise calories. You'll want to figure out how many calories you need for maintenance so you know your base. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, that it is 1800. Anything you burn, you get to eat. So maybe your day looks like this:

Breakfast: 500 cals
Snack: 100 cals
Swim: (550 cals)
Post-swim snack: 200 cals
Lunch: 500 cals
Snack: 150 cals
Dinner: 800 cals
Bedtime snack: 100 cals

Total in: 2350
Total out: 550
Total net: 1800

Voila! You've gotten your NET calories where you want them. It is all about the net for the day - the more you exercise, the more you get to eat. Ain't that grand?! If you miss that swim, you'll also cut out your post-swim snack, maybe knock your afternoon snack down to 100, and eat a bit smaller portion at dinner. See, you don't have to starve yourself just because you missed a workout.

You *never* want to consume fewer than 1000 net cals for the day, so if you go out and pound out a hard three-hour bike ride and only down three gels and a bottle of gatorade, you are going to be in severe deficit. Not only will this affect your energy levels, it will also affect your recovery. Now, you don't need to be absolutely precise every single day about getting exactly 1800 (or however many) calories, but your avg daily intake for the week should be right around that, with no major outliers (too much or too little).

It is pretty easy to learn to judge calories in a meal once you spend some time up front getting to know what you eat. I can generally hit a home-made meal within 50 cals or so. I'm no good at judging eating out but that's because I never know what goes into it (but you can look up nutrition facts for most major chains).

Just in case you care, I lost 50 pounds eating back my exercise calories, and it came of nice and smoothly and slowly and had a very nice body to show for it. I got sick and gained too much back, and am using the same method to get back where I was. Someday I'll be on maintenance again!
2009-08-20 9:22 AM
in reply to: #2325175

User image

Champion
11989
500050001000500100100100100252525
Philly 'burbs
Subject: RE: Please critique my nutrition plan?
More ice cream!!!!
New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Please critique my nutrition plan? Rss Feed