*MUST READ* Cycling To Loose Weight! Top 5 Mistakes Most People Make!

July 31, 2012 - PRLog -- 1. Diet quality

The right foods will have the highest nutrient value, but will often also have the lowest calorie density too. Low quality foods are grouped into five categories you should avoid: refined grains; sweets – including soft drinks, pastries and desserts that contain large amounts of refined sugar; all deep-fried foods; whole milk dairy produce; and fatty proteins such as any meat with more than 10 percent fat.

2. Timing nutrition correctly.

When you eat has a big impact on body composition, as it affects energy partitioning – how the calories are stored.

Eat early, eat often and before, during and after exercise. Eating early makes you less likely to over-eat in the afternoon and means you’re more likely to eat higher quality calories. Try to eat 25 per cent of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance)  within an hour of waking up.

Eating often can boost metabolism and thus burn more calories. It also reduces appetite, helping to avoid over-eating at meal times. The ideal time to eat before a ride is two to four hours ahead, and you should include 100g of mainly carbohydrate.

Fuelling a ride will enhance your performance and help you burn more fat. It will also increase the number of food calories you burn and decrease the number you store. Fuelling with carbohydrate-based energy drinks and gels during a ride will help you get leaner for the same reasons.

Eating soon after exercise also promotes leanness because it shifts energy partitioning towards muscle protein and glycogen synthesis and away from body-fat storage.


3. Training right

There are two schools of thought about the best way to exercise yourself lean: high intensity interval training or prolonged moderate intensity exercise in the ‘fat-burning zone’.

The fat-burning zone is typically between 59 and 64 percent of VO2 max in trained cyclists, and between 47 and 52 percent of VO2 max in unfit individuals. For both this level equates to a comfortable but not ‘dawdling’ conversational pace.

4. Balancing energy sources

It’s not carbohydrate as a percentage of total calories you should worry about. Instead, match your carbohydrate intake to your training load while ensuring you still get adequate amounts of fat and protein and that the overall quality of the calorie sources is high.

5.. Managing appetite

Mindful eating is essential to cut out poor eating habits, such as emotional eating – because you’re sad, happy or even bored; spontaneous eating – just because the food is there; unconscious eating – automatically finishing that packet of biscuits while watching TV; habitual eating – because it’s a mealtime and not because you’re hungry; and clearing your plate – portion sizes vary, so why shouldn’t you leave some food if you are full?

Eat high-satiety foods that are filling and low calorie. “These include fibre, certain proteins, long-chain fatty acids and calcium,” says Fitzgerald. Eat small portions of them as appetisers before meals to help manage your appetite. Soups, nuts and low fat yoghurt are good examples.

Counting calories helps you become more aware of your diet and establish good habits.

Summary:

To lose weight you need to be in a consistent negative energy balance. Don’t assume because your diet is healthy that you’ll automatically lose weight, but on the flipside don’t feel that your eating has to be perfect either.

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