Hey guys, I have been following the “eat high carb and fang the race” diet, over my first racing season and have had great success.
I’ve got my FTP from 270w to 298w and maintained my 70.1 kilo body weight.
But here is where my problem starts, as my crit season is now over (I live in Australia). I have taken 2 weeks off and am hoping to start my base phase all over again next week.
Although training volume has drastically reduced, my high carb diet has not. I feel super hungry if I don’t eat like I used to.
One goal of mine with the base phase, is to reduce a bit of weight and get that w/KL up.
Here is what happens:
Breakfast - goes amazing
Lunch - even better
Dinner - good
Post dinner - hog 2 bowls of museli because of the hunger.
Do you guys have any tips or suggestions to get rid of the post race season hogging anomaly?
I try to eat whole foods only but I make my own bread and I love it. My strategy is to eat a lot of raw veggies at dinner time. I usually make a huge bowl of salad and I eat that with squash or sweet potatoes, or brown rice. Veggies fill me up. If I still feel hungry afterwards, I either ignore the hunger signals or eat something like an apple or roasted chickpeas
Yeah, dude…don’t eat when you don’t need to. I also have the late night muesli craving, Bob’s Red Mill with blueberries and strawberries. OMG, I love it more than people…just don’t do it. I just kind of told myself a few months ago that I have to get serious which means no more riding outside and no more eating like shit. I’ve started skipping dinner as well and it’s helped, lost a ton of weight.
I’ve found that potatoes can be really clutch for me, they give me the carbs I crave and they’re very satiating. Plus pop one in the microwave and it’s ready to eat in minutes
First of all, a manageable weight gain in off season is good for you.
I would change the content of you meals more than the volume. So more fibre, fats and protein than during race season, and less carbs.
Also, if you fuel your workouts during sessions with gels, rather than with meals and snacks before and after, then your body won’t notice the change in eating so much.
I agree food swaps. No less, remember those base SS workouts are so calorie burning!
Stick to whole, good quality produce. Typically the nutrient density>calories of these foods can be very satisfying, even if its slightly fewer cals. And since the intensity isn’t TOO high, you can still digest normal nutrition… Pumpkin & potatoes are great for dinners. Side note, they have more potassium than bananas!
Sometimes those late cereal/sweet cravings hit me too, but don’t deny it anymore haha. So a quick go-to for me that’s still light, is blending frozen blueberry bowl (frozen bluebs, ice, dash of milk choice, few nuts, cinnamon/ginger -coz spices are life! & bit of protein powder) topped with some puffed rice & yogurt… and often some chopped up dark chocolate. we all deserve it haha
maybe you aren’t eating enough early on and are actually hungry?
carrots or other veggies are great after dinner to curb any massive hunger pains.
if it’s true hunger, you might need to up the early day consumption
Firstly, are you gaining any significant weight? If not then what’s the issue?
Secondly, as mentioned above by @JoeX, a little off-season weight gain is good for you. The pro’s don’t maintain a ‘race-weight’ all year round, so why should you need to?
Also, as mentioned, you are still going to be doing decent work on the bike, so it still needs fuelling. Also, after a season of racing, your body probably needs time to repair and replenish anyway.
Chances are, if you’re hungry, your body needs it. Just do your best to fuel it with a quality balanced diet, and if you can front load the day’s nutrition more then great!
p.s. this all comes from a someone who has battled those exact thoughts frequently and every time I tried to reduce what I ate, the training side of things suffered.
