This is my first year training for Ironman and the volume is really notching up as is the calorie burn. I am pretty happy with where I am from a weight perspective and want to maintain. I am finding I spend more time "replacing" versus fueling up. I typically try to spread out the meals, but seem to be ending up playing catch-up at dinner and even evening snack times. For a 3500+ calorie day, I am eating 5 to 6 times a day with a ~600 calorie breakfast and maybe 300 to 400 snack in the mid morning, etc.... I end up sometimes needing +1500 for dinner and evening... Does anyone eact huge breakfasts and then tapers their food towards the end of the day???
How are your workouts
How are your workouts scheduled in the day?
I think it depends when you work out. In spring/sumer, I usually work out at lunch and at night (occasionally in the morning). So, my morning breakfast is maybe 400 calories. My hardest work outs are evening group rides (1-2 hrs) in which I burn about 800 calories an hour. Therefore, I eat pretty well after those (1000 cals). This winter, I was doing a 530a cycling (not spinning) class then would run after. I would come home from those and make three giant pancakes and eat three eggs. Since my workouts were long completed by dinner, I wasn't eating as much then.
You can always think of "replacing" as not only helping to fuel your muscle recovery, but also as fuel for the next day's workouts.
I tend to eat about 450-500
I tend to eat about 450-500 calories for breakfast on most days when I'm working out. I'm shooting for about 2600-3000 calories in general, and I definitely eat more in the morning-lunch than in the late afternoon, in effect tapering food before my workouts.
as much as I can get my
as much as I can get my hands on before I run off to the library or lectures. If I can't carry it while I walk I don't eat it. :( sad but true.
For me it depends on what
For me it depends on what kind of training day it is. If its just a single work out day (only one of those a week) I choke down about 400 cals. Usually in the form of PB, raisins, 1/2 bananna, wrapped in a wheat tortilla. If its a double work-out day I push breakfast up to 800 cals, By adding a smoothie with protein powder. Total Cal intake is about 2,500 right now as I am still tryiing to cut. My dinners are my lightest meals about 600 cals and 400 cals for lunch. The rest are filled with snacks during the day and a carb snack 30 minutes before a training session. On the weekends, anything goes! There just aren't enough cals that I can shovel down my throat to make up for what was burned on Sat. and Sun (assuming that I put in about 6-8 hrs).
Plan has worked so far. I have gone from 230lbs to 199.5 lbs as of last Friday. Goal is to be at 180-185 lbs by Sept, by loosing 1lb a week. That will put me at goal weight by early Aug. That way I can pick up the cals and intensity and start felling strong again by the time my IM comes around at the end of Sept. If all goes well I will have to email the RD and change from Clydesdale to 35-39 AG. That part will be bitter sweet. Racing the big boy div. I have podiumed every race including a couple 1st place finished at big events. Racing the AG, all I can hope for is the back of the FOP, depending on how much faster my run times drop with the lower weight.
Just a bowl of oatmeal but
Just a bowl of oatmeal but that is followed up only a few hours later with a PB&J. I should probably eat a lot more earlier in the day as I really pile on the calories just before bed - not good. The good news is that my weight is pretty stable. - Bryce
I am experimenting with more
I am experimenting with more front loading and taking more of an average across days. I have dropped weight recently as volume has increased and for me, that is not the goal. I am 5'9", 40 years old and weigh about 143 ... when I started training heavy for IM in Feb I was at around 149. I have not done any body fat analysis, but think I'm in a good place. I have been eating around 3500 a day and still feel hungry and as I said, find myself cramming at the end of the day....
I am a huge believer of a
I am a huge believer of a huge breakfast after first session of trainning of the day...
Recovery shake (natural, no powders) + omelettes, or breakfast burritos, pancakes, and such...I just can't leave my house without a full stomack and my body replenished.
My thing is to keep all those tasty breakfast recepes healthy. As the evening aproaches, I tend to eat less, and less...
Depends on what you call
Depends on what you call breakfast. If that's everything I consume before my lunch break, then it's a lot.
During the week I get up between 4:00 and 4:30 and make an egg sandwich with 2 pieces of bread, american cheese, 1 egg + 2 egg whites. (350 cal). Then I either drive then run, or bike then drive to work. Either way, I eat a banana (130) and drink an Ensure (250) on the drive. Before lunch I'll eat either yogurt plus a small granola bar, 2 packs of instant oatmeal, powerbar/clif bar, or a bagel. Any of the choices add up to 300+ cal.
Total = 1000+ cals before lunch break. However, my height and weight classifies me as overweight with a BMI of 25+, so I might not be the best example.
TryScott change out the bars
TryScott change out the bars and oatmeal and bagels for fruit, it will make a huge diff to your weight.