Summer is in full swing and we all want to look lean and mean on bike
3.7.2014 – Words by
Martin Velits
The subject of losing and gaining weight - watts versus kilograms is old as cycling as sport itself.
As a professional rider, naturally there is no way to get away from all the discussion about diet and losing weight, although I’m personally very much against forcing my body losing weight in and excessive or abnormal way.
Don’t get me wrong, I do take care of what I eat, but at the same time I like my body to go thru somehow natural phases. Usually picking up couple of kilograms in winter time. Than using that extra mass in the spring period as a fuel for extremely long training and races. Eventually with the arrival of summer months loosing all the last bits of grams thanks to decreased appetite in hot weather.
However, if you really like to challenge yourself and lose some weight in shorter time frame, here are couple of my rules I follow when uncertain about my peak season race weight.
RULE #1
Have a good breakfast.
It’s the most important meal of the day. By saying this I don’t mean having waffles and pancakes for breakfast. Instead, eat as much porridge and fibers as you like. The energy from this will last you for hours on bike without the need of reaching for additional training food. Make your bowl of oatmeal a little bit more tasty with some fresh berries, nuts or even a little spoon of Nutella.
RULE #2
Forget about food directly after the ride.
Let your body starve a little bit. Get some fluids in first – no low calories soda or poisons like that of course. Rather squeeze half a lemon into glass of water and go take a shower before your stomach remembers again that it didn’t get any food yet. Than take your first meal after the ride within 30-60minutes. The more you practice this, the easier it gets and your body learn to use its resources better.
RULE #3
Snack regularly.
The devil hides in what to snack on of course. Basically eat as much veggies, fruits (dry or fresh) and nuts as you like. Leave all the rest. Throw some organic and rich yogurt in the mix. Forget about the 0% fat bull*hit ones.
RULE #4
Minimum carbs after 6pm.
This is the hardest part. It’s nothing new thou, leaving carbs out of your last meal. But of course, it sucks! However I wouldn’t practice this for more than a two evenings in a row and certainly not in a period of extensive training.
RULE #5
Find your rhythm.
Try to get your metabolism in a certain routine. Take your daily meals in a certain time and stick to that. Have your last meal of the day at least three hours before you go to sleep. Your sleep will be better and you will feel fresher waking up. It’s because your body didn’t have to process all the food the first couple of hours of your sleep and could rather focus on recovery.
RULE #6
Ride your bike.
That's the most important rule. Cycling is one of the best tools how to lose weight. The more you ride or generally move your body, the less you need to worry about what and how much to eat. It’s simple as that.
Good luck and ride!
Martin
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COMMENTS
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Nicole Mulders, Netherlands, 20.7.2014
Hello Martin, what a great blog: I like the content and also the way it is written very much! Good tips! And indeed, rule #1 is very important, don't know why people think that you lose weight by skipping breakfast. Thanks, this is a very helpful blog!