Nutrition: what to eat... when?

Nutrition
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Hi all,

I’ve read every now and then that WHAT you eat is the most important thing, but also WHEN you eat it can have an effect too.

Thanks to @FRANK and @Jackson podcasts, I have now a clear vision of the go-fast / go-slow foods, and that’s really precious information.

But when to eat the right nutrient sources?
Carbs at breakfst, proteins at dinner?
Should I cut carbs at evening?
Should I slash carbs on rest days?
When to eat fruits: before giong to bed is right?
…

So much confusion in my head… any informed advice is welcome!

Thanks!

Riccardo

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Hey @dermate -

I think it really all depends on your goals. Are you trying to lose weight? Improve performance? Improve the quality of your diet? The purpose of Winning in the Kitchen and healthy nutrition habits in general is to create lasting, sustainable eating patterns that you can keep consistent over a long period of time so that you naturally get to a healthy weight and perform at your best throughout the year instead of yo-yo’ing like many “diets” end up creating. So I would recommend focusing on the WHAT first, getting that dialed for a month or two, and then maybe start thinking about the WHEN.

Another important point - when you’re eating a lot of healthy fruits and veggies, whole grains, and just a great variety of foods, there’s really no need to worry too much about protein vs. carbs vs. fats all the time. Remember that carbs and protein are just individual nutrients within a food, the food itself is the important thing, and most foods don’t only have carbs or protein, except for white sugar and protein powder.

I’d say a good place to start is to a) finish your last meal of the day, ie dinner, as early as possible to extend the overnight fast and b) don’t snack or eat late into the night. That alone will make a huge difference on your weight control and health/performance. I wouldn’t worry about “cutting carbs” at different days or time of day, just focus on eating go fast foods throughout the day so you don’t feel like you’re restricting. Hope that helps!

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Hi @Jackson!

That’s what I call a great answer! So much for for thought, as usual!

Great, thanks! :+1:

Riccardo

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3 weeks ago I made the switch to a Plant-Based diet.

From my understanding animal products decrease blood flow which in turn decreases the oxygen flow to your muscles. Food being the foundation, this makes sense to me.

Recovery time has improved. My cravings are gone and my workouts in the gym and on the bike have improved.

I don’t see myself ever going back to animal products. Maybe give it a try or at the very least cut back on meats/dairy and see how it works for you.

Thanks for asking the question. I found the above reply informative. I liked the part about not eating to late to give yourself longer through the night to fast. Makes sense!

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Hi @joemyside, this sounds definitely interesting to me. I’d like to give it (Plant-based diet) a try but I cannot figure out where to begin from… without bonking every now and then!
I think I’m going to write a specific post asking for advice! :blush:

Thanks!

Riccardo

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I’m coming up on my one year anniversary of being plant-based and can say without a doubt that it’s the best thing I’ve done. You don’t bonk from being plant-based, and recovery is so much quicker without the inflammation caused by animal products. If you need plant-based help let me know!

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Thanks @davegwyn!
Any books you read and helped you to fulfill the transition?

Thanks!

Riccardo

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If interested here’s my daily meal intake.

5:45 am

Bowl of Oatmeal w/brown sugar (to taste)

Coffee - Black

8oz of water

Vitamins - B12, MultiVit, C (I skip a day or two here and there to give my kidneys/liver a break)

45 min Gym - Weight Training

7:30 am

Sweet Potates cubed

Grilled veggies - Spinach, Red Onion, Green Pepper, Red Pepper, Mushrooms, Fresh Japs

Biscuit - Peanut and Jelly (vegan) spread

9:00 am

PB & J sandwich

11:00am

Leftovers from Dinner or Salad consisting of these general ingredients - Always some variation of it

Sweet Potato,
Fresh Peppers, Mushrooms, Hummus (great as a salad dressing), Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots Romaine, Kale (work this in somehow always), Avocado, Beans (black/kidney are my favs)

Spaghetti, Veggie Meatballs,

Quinoa (Superfood, awesome with any meal - PROTEIN heavy) mixed with the above ingredients is always good.

Tropical Smoothie w/ added Pea Protein - when I “treat myself”

1:30 pm

PB &J or Sandwich made with Tofurkey and Diaya chz, Kale, Spinach, Romaine, Mixed Greens, Mustard

6:00pm (If not riding immediately after work/ if so then dinner is later 7:30/8pm)

Same as the lunch ingredient variations. We usually end up with leftovers so we utilize those rather than waste. Also saving $$. Cooking with my wife as a family has been great too. Learning what foods work together and what doesn’t has been great. I feel we have barely scratched the surface.

Post Ride snack

Pea Protein Shake

I go with water and the suggested scoop amount on the container

Green Tea or Chamomile tea before bed w/ Lemon

Drinking water throughout the day - 3L is my daily goal.

I do love some Cold Brew and Vanilla Almond Milk so I sometimes sip on that throughout the day.

During my rides

GUs are great for the small energy boosts

LARA

Peanuts (I snack on trail mix every day) Nuts are a must (allergy aside)

Sour Patch kids for sugar are good sweet tooth alternative

The cookies shaped like Peanuts w/ peanut butter in them are awesome lol

Water - 2 bottles (1 water / 1 with a Electrolyte tab)

I’m early on in my journey to be a well-oiled cycling machine lol but do enjoying sharing what is working for me.

I weigh on avg between 146lbs and 153lbs 5’11" 34 yrs old. That same fluctuation occurred while I was eating meat daily. I think it has more to do with water weight for me personally.

Hope this helps!!

Joseph Dufresne

E- Joemyside@gmail.com
P - (918) 804-4037

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Wow @joemyside!

That’s a very detailed list - and a lot of food intake indeed!
Do you cycle throught thet list? I suppose so.
Do you change it (periodize it) during the season?

Thanks!

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I do change up what ingredients/dishes are eaten on a regular basis but with the same ideas/goals in mind (e.g. amount of proteins, carbs, vitamins, fats, etc)
I keep an eye on my Sodium intake as well. A lot of dairy/meat substitute foods are packed with Sodium. They’re nice to eat to have a break or a treat (veggie cheese burger) but that is still processed food so although it is plant based it may not be healthy.

Reading the ingredients goes along ways. It’s interesting how one’s lifestyle and societal view starts to change when you realize marketing has been the main source of the western diet rather than what is good fuel for human consumption.

Last night for example we had veggie tacos and then I did a Zwift race
(9:15pm-10:45pm)
. After the race I had 10oz of water with Pea Protein mix. Feeling great this morning.

Taco ingredients - Black Bean, potato, greens mix, corn, tomatoes, avocado, rice, flour tortillas

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Hey @joemyside, looks like you are much into it, data, numbers, etc.

I find this approach very interesting.

Do you think it is sustainable in the long term?

I try to do the same with calories - but very few gains.

Thanks!

Riccardo

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I’ve kept a habit of eating 6 times a day for 5 years (before I started cycling). I just don’t eat animal products in that same diet anymore. Which I wasn’t eating cheeseburgers or chicken before a race or group ride anyways due to it giving me the “bogged down” feeling.

An individual can get just as much Protein from a plant based diet without consuming animal proteins. Although the human body does break down animal protein quicker, Pea Protein breaks down quickly as well. Protein is in most if not all plants that we eat. Without cholesterol and most saturated fats.

I recently came across the documentary The Game Changers that features elite athletes that are plant based. Although any diet documentary is going to pander to the crowd it is about, the facts are still there. The athletes saw major gains and advantages to changing their diet and have sustained those diets for years. I think the “where do you get your protein?” is society’s biggest draw back along with thinking about the foods “we can’t eat” on the plant based diet. If we think more about what does the body need to perform at it’s highest (which may be meat for some?) then we can better decide on a diet which will in turn make it more sustainable in the long term for an individual.

Thanks for asking questions. I really enjoy conversations about the fuel that gives us all energy. It’s exciting.

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That is awesome to hear

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Thank you @joemyside. Very helpful indeed. Very interesting topic for me.

Thanks!

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As you are confused, why are you not taking any expert’s tips! You know there are a lot of nutrition books written by the health experts. I think they will be very helpful for you. But you can confused again to choose one from them. Currently, I am reading Integrative Nutrition by Joshua Rosenthal MScED. It follows a holistic approach that focuses on the relation of diet plans with certain health issues such as depression, anxiety, and inflammatory diseases. It is also included with

  • Nutritional recipes.
  • Valuable nutritional tips.
  • Alternative ways to heal your body without depending on medications.
    I hope it will be very much helpful for you.
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I can relate to it. I went from 163 pounds to 140 pounds just by making changes in my dinner. I opted for a diet that is enriched with therapeutic herbs and spices I found on iahas.com and that has really helped me, especially if I eat it 2 hours before my bedtime. So yes dinner is the most important food of the day and taking it early and light help you accelerate weight loss .

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I’m the only beginner in this and my plan is to lower my weight from 230 pounds at least to 200. I’ve found an arcticle with the strategies of how to lose weight fast How to Lose Weight Fast and Naturally? Working Strategies to Boost Your Fat Loss — Unimeal but I don’t know if this is really possible. Has everyone tried something similar?

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Hi there @tomelcott ! Thanks for your message. The article is an interesting one. With your goal of losing 30 pounds, one question is your timeframe. Weight loss that is maintained long term should be done in a rational way that does not negatively affect your metabolism (the article articulates this in metabolic adaptation), and still provides all the macro and micronutrients you need for peak performance. 1 - Mindset is HUGE - I always ask my athletes “What’s your WHY behind your goal?”. This helps with motivation when that doughnut is sitting in front of you :slight_smile: 2- kick processed sugars . This does NOT mean whole-grain carbs and fruits; it means processed sugars. Read the labels for ‘Added Sugar’ - if the label has more than 5 grams, walk away. 3) - “alcohol is worth 10 lbs” is a quote many of my athletes have shared. Empty calories with many other detrimental effects on peak performance. There are so many better things you can drink! Seltzer is one of the best. 4) - eat less salt, but balance your electrolytes for performance. 4, 5, and 6) - increase protein, fiber, and activity - all of these will contribute GREATLY to weight loss. I encourage all my athletes to eat a BIG SALAD every day, and my recipes are delicious :slight_smile: I agree with the rest of the numbered list in this article, so overall use the smart method, not the quick extreme method. I’d be happy to work with you on fine tuning your nutrition and reaching your goals!

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Hi Lauren,

All good info here and I have a pretty good diet going right now, but I’m always curious to learn more to use in the future. Plus would be nice to mix things up as the same thing day in and day out gets old. I was looking at one of the meal plans, but then the consult offer thru you came thru. It doesn’t specify, how long is the meal plan for once the consults are complete? One months worth? Ongoing as needed? Would be nice to know before taking the leap. Thanks!

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Hey there! I will provide at least 2 weeks worth of specific breakfast//lunch/dinner/snack recipes, PLUS several good ideas and ‘no-recipe recipes’ that you can integrate into your food plans moving forward and beyond. Also, lots of tips, tricks and hacks to keep you motivated and on track :slight_smile: Let me know if you have other questions!

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