# Help me get enough carbs/protein?



## miniman868 (May 4, 2012)

I'm a clyde. Currently, I am 235lbs 22% body fat. I ride 10-15 hours per week at a moderate pace.My goal weight is 210lbs. Even at that weight, everything I read says I should be eating about 700gr of carbs and 114gr of protein per day. I'm trying to eat clean, un-processed foods, no vegan stuff. My problem is I cant find enough sources of carbs to choke down that much food. Any suggestions?


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

Eat more vegetables.


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## durianrider (Mar 16, 2009)

You are 235lbs and 22% body fat and don't 'eat no vegan stuff'.

I wonder if that is just a coincidence your body composition reflects your dietary choices. 

I SO WISH I could do a body swap for a year with people and hand em back a super charged lean vegan uber v02max climbing body fueled on fruit and or starch.

People are so heavy cos they like eating the things that make people heavy. Steamed rice, potatoes, fruits = eat LEAN n light.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

miniman868 said:


> Currently, I am 235lbs 22% body fat. I ride 10-15 hours per week at a moderate pace.My goal weight is 210lbs. Even at that weight, everything I read says I should be eating about 700gr of carbs and 114gr of protein per day.


Are the things you are reading giving you those amounts in order for you to stay at that weight? Is there a reason you want to be fat?


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## miniman868 (May 4, 2012)

Yes, my reading has continually lead me to believe that I actually need to consume more carbs, in order to lose weight. I understand that this sounds counter-intuitive but my experience has shown that it works. My question is not about the numbers. All I am asking is for good clean high carb sources of food. The veggie discussion can be saved for another day. It is not a choice I am ready to make. Other endurance athletes have shown that eating lean meats can be done. Why be rude? I'm not fat. I average 60 miles per week and try to climb at least 4000'.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

I'm sorry, I was not meaning to be rude. One year ago if someone told me I was fat, I would have been offended as well. I am 6'2" and weighed 225 pounds. I didn't really look fat, but I am exactly 50 pounds lighter today. I had fifty pounds of fat that I didn't need one year ago. I was fat. 

I said nothing about being vegetarian, but eating more veggies wouldn't hurt. Wacky diets aren't needed. Just eat good food and exercise. 

One thing you have not mentioned is your height.


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## miniman868 (May 4, 2012)

No worries. I'm 6'0". I started riding in July at 274lbs. My weight loss has kind of plateau'd and I'm looking for that last 20lbs. No crazy diets, not really counting calories. I'm reading and interesting book Racing Weight. He and a bunch of others have recommended that endurance athletes consume 3-4grams/ carbs/lb body weight. I feel great and lose more weight eating this way. I just can only eat so much oatmeal, rice and potatoes and want more sources of clean less processed fuel.


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## 2ridealot (Jun 15, 2004)

OP good luck with your goal! I believe sweet potatoes are a good source of carbs if you aren't already eating them.

I went from from 233 to 212 lbs in 6 months 07/11 to 12/11 by cycling 14 hrs. a week with very few dietary changes, then I went down to 163 lbs by the end of 2012 by continuing to workout the same amount and making some meaningful changes in diet. Way less meat & dairy, way more veggies, nuts and smoothies. Not trying to sell anything, just wanted to share. I am a 6 ft tall 53 y/o almost lifelong fat guy who did not look that fat. Today I weigh 160.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

I eat no rice, very little oatmeal, and rarely eat potatoes unless they are sweet potatoes. The biggest loser show had a great way to prepare sweet potatoes that I really enjoy. They called them south-of-the-border loaded sweet potato and I love it. I had never had sweet potatoes without lots of butter and brown sugar but I have to say that this is one of my favorite foods now. By the way, meat is a poor source of protein.

South-of-the-Border Loaded Sweet Potato | The Biggest Loser

Another one that I like and ate just last night is the edamame salad. I add some pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes. It's some incredibly good source of protein.

Edamame Salad | The Biggest Loser


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## crit_boy (Jul 31, 2007)

miniman868 said:


> I should be eating about 700gr of carbs and 114gr of protein per day.


That is 3256 calories per day (not including fat and alcohol intake). Seems high.

And carbs at nearly 7 times protein intake seems a bit out of proportion - but to each his own.

Not the most exciting form of diet, but I would look to carbs recommended for people with diabetes. Low glycemic index carbs.

I think there was almost a shift to low GI diets from recent popular diet trends (low carb diets, etc.) - but non-gluten diets jumped in and are the current fad.


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## alphazz (Oct 12, 2012)

That was my point when I asked if there was a reason the op wanted to be fat, thanks crit boy. That is a lot of calories.

Even vehicles need, oil, transmission fluid, water, coolant, and fuel. Our bodies will work best with a rounded diet as well.


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## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

Try carbs that are not wheat based. Sweet potatoes, vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, oats, vegetables, fruit, barley, vegetables. 

I have been lean my whole life mainly due to the sports I have participated (college track sprinter) in and have hovered around 155-160 lbs, I am 5'7". This winter I started taking my diet pretty seriously consuming high quality carbohydrates, high quality sources of fat, and protein from fish, eggs, beans, Greek yogurt, etc. 

I am down to 142 lbs now and I had no clue I even had that weight to lose. I am still just as strong as ever, a couple workout details from yesterday's session: deadlift 2x6 at 240lbs(or i do single leg deadlift at 110lbs) 2x20 pull ups, 2x6 single arm shoulder press at 55 lbs, 2x3 Turkish get ups at 45lbs each side


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## crit_boy (Jul 31, 2007)

LaXCarp said:


> Try carbs that are not wheat based.


Like I said


crit_boy said:


> - but non-gluten diets jumped in and are the current fad.


LaXCarp - I think your level of fitness, body and metabolic type is much different from OP.

Absent a real issue with gluten, i.e. diagnosed intolerance/allergy, there is nothing wrong with wheat. I suspect the reason low gluten makes people feel better is not really no gluten, but is because people are paying attention to what they put in their pie whole. If you are attentive to ingredients, you may not stick as much food with 100 different chemicals in it into your mouth.

There is nothing wrong with wheat. There is nothing wrong with a candy bar or ice cream, but everything in moderation. If you like "junk" food you have to give yourself some form of diet cheat day or bit of tasty satisfaction.

Why do fad diets fail - because you can't live with no carbs forever, you can't live on grapefruit forever, etc. Why are there diet fads - because "eat everything in moderation" is boring. There is no media coverage of healthy person that simply eats a balanced diet of anything they want in moderation. There is media coverage of guy who eats Subway for years to loose weight and celebrity who eats citrus fruit for 3 months to loose weight.

With all that above, you can use a fad diet to short-term drop multiple pounds in a short amount of time - e.g. getting into clothing for wedding or whatever. Carb intake is directly proportional to glycogen content in muscle. Muscle stores glycogen in a water matrix. Less muscle glycogen equals less water. Less water equal less weight. But, as soon as carbs come back so does most of the weight.

Sorry about the off topic - My profession and my wife's profession circle around food and diet.


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## LaXCarp (Jul 19, 2008)

I am not advocating a gluten free diet, I am advocating a more diverse diet (at the OP's request) Gluten is found in many products besides wheat(it is just drastically higher in wheat). Problem being, most people receive all of their carbs from wheat, be it: breads, pastas, tortillas, chips, pastries, bagels...that is basically saying wheat, wheat, wheat, wheat, wheat and wheat. 

Modern wheat is not the grain we have grown and evolved to consume, and our body does not need to get all of its carbs from one source, especially a highly modified source...much a kin to modern corn.


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## crit_boy (Jul 31, 2007)

LaXCarp - We are on the same page. I agree with you.


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## Bryan1113 (Feb 21, 2013)

LaXCarp said:


> Try carbs that are not wheat based. Sweet potatoes, vegetables, brown rice, quinoa, oats, vegetables, fruit, barley, vegetables.
> 
> I have been lean my whole life mainly due to the sports I have participated (college track sprinter) in and have hovered around 155-160 lbs, I am 5'7". This winter I started taking my diet pretty seriously consuming high quality carbohydrates, high quality sources of fat, and protein from fish, eggs, beans, Greek yogurt, etc.
> 
> I am down to 142 lbs now and I had no clue I even had that weight to lose. I am still just as strong as ever, a couple workout details from yesterday's session: deadlift 2x6 at 240lbs(or i do single leg deadlift at 110lbs) 2x20 pull ups, 2x6 single arm shoulder press at 55 lbs, 2x3 Turkish get ups at 45lbs each side


Great stuff! i will start to eat healthier carbs and stay away from wheat based for a while.


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## Jamesm925 (Apr 17, 2013)

weighing over 200lbs for 6ft tall is fine if you're a body builder, but incredibly inefficient if you're an endurance athlete.

If you have enough energy left over from your riding to lift weights, then you're not riding hard enough. I did the weight lifting thing for years while attempting to cycle at the same time. It sucked. I ached miserably from the weight lifting, and it just slowed me down. keep it to a minimum and get over the 'big guy' self image. 

you're either 40-50lbs overweight, or you're pure muscle.

10-15hrs is pretty decent for mountain biking. I'm guessing that your diet is the problem.

no, eating more carbs doesn't make you lose weight. sure, you need a certain amount of carbs to help you process other foods/proteins. But the simple rule of eating fewer calories than you burn is the only way to lose weight. I can tell your nutritional info is based on experience bodybuilding. You're not trying to build muscle.

Those dietary numbers you posted are for a body builder or an aspiring pro that rides double what your ride and burns a ton of calories.

I burn an estimated 2,000-3,500 calories during a 4-6hour + MTB ride.

You'll never get ahead eating that many calories.

It's your self-image that needs to change. I'm surprised at the number of people on this forum that weigh over 200lbs--that's a TON of extra weight to be hauling up 20% grade climbs. It's hard enough for me at 160lbs and 6'2.

I dont know how any of you guys ride at all, unless you only ride flat trails or only ride downhill.

60 miles a week really isn't that much unless you're riding super technical terrain with TONS of climbing.

you'll lose weight much faster if you put in some time on the road bike. it's a hell of a lot easier to do 60 miles on a road bike than 60 miles of single track.


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## Bryan1113 (Feb 21, 2013)

Started out almost 260 during christmas time after being off for six months wrecking on my bike! weighed myself yesterday and 224  I would say my eating habits have changed a little bit and i still have my occasional cheat days. I really am CALORIE COUNTING and that seems to be working. I ride 3 days a week and my rides usually around 3 hours. I'm hoping by this Christmas i'm around 210 or 205. Happy Trails


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## craigstr (Sep 19, 2003)

Eat a balanced diet of 40% Protein, 40% Carbs, 20% healthy fats. At your size eat about 2500 calories a day and continue to mtb as much as you do, add some resistance exercise twice a week. You will drop 1-2 lbs a week. I did this and dropped from 238 lbs to 168 lbs over the course of a couple of years.


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## EndoAgain (Apr 8, 2005)

Try MyFitnessPal app. The easiest app going and the web based data base of foods and all their nutritional information is the best. I have not yet a person yet who has not lost the weight they needed too at 1-2 pounds a week using it. Keeps track of all your nutrition on a rational program...no fads or gimmicks. Calorie counting and basic nutrition. But if you really feel you want to go with a higher percentage of carbs you can use the search function to find any kind of food you want and it will give you the nutrition information. The other nice thing about it is if you exercise it adds in more calories for you for that day. It strives to keep you in a calorie deficient state each day but not too much or you will shut down your metabolism. Use measuring cups so you are not cheating on the portion sizes and start measuring a hand full of grapes or a spoon full of peanut butter so you can figure out how many calories are in your typical servings when you do not have they luxury of measuring. That app will train you how to eat for life.


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## DeeZee (Jan 26, 2005)

Lot’s of good advice!

Back to the OP I would also agree that you may want to reevaluate your weigh goals.

I am 6’2 and have weighed between 200-225 for the past -20 years (I am 49). Been riding bikes the whole time. About a year ago I got up to 235 and set a goal to get back to 200. Well I got to 200 and was still overweight. Now I am 185 (lightest I have been since HS) and could still lose 10 lbs.
I lift weights 3 days a week and have built up more muscle mass than I have had in years. The result is my cycling is at a whole new level. I am riding faster than I did 20 years ago!
He is my crazy diet ;-). Burn more calories than I consume (you need to count them!). Reduced proceed foods (not eliminated).

Good Luck!


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## Idshooter (Oct 27, 2006)

craigstr said:


> Eat a balanced diet of 40% Protein, 40% Carbs, 20% healthy fats. At your size eat about 2500 calories a day and continue to mtb as much as you do, add some resistance exercise twice a week. You will drop 1-2 lbs a week. I did this and dropped from 238 lbs to 168 lbs over the course of a couple of years.


This is a good diet to go by. 700 gr of carbs is way to much. Your not racing in the tour are you?


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## Jamesm925 (Apr 17, 2013)

DeeZee said:


> Lot's of good advice!
> 
> Back to the OP I would also agree that you may want to reevaluate your weigh goals.
> 
> ...


extra muscle mass will only slow you down and make you suffer more on rides.

unless you're doing the weight lifting solely to prevent injury or strengthen your core, you're wasting your time thinking that it's helping you.

the weight loss made you faster and increased your power to weight ratio.


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## musikron (Jan 16, 2013)

I hate you all. I am trying to head the opposite direction, 6'3" 140 and fighting for it. Too many miles + too much heat = I just can't take in enough calories in a day to stay at a healthy weight. 
BTW I eat lots of whole foods as best I can. Tons of meat and veggies and pasta and protein shakes and snacks... it goes on.


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## DeeZee (Jan 26, 2005)

Jamesm925 said:


> extra muscle mass will only slow you down and make you suffer more on rides.
> 
> unless you're doing the weight lifting solely to prevent injury or strengthen your core, you're wasting your time thinking that it's helping you.
> 
> the weight loss made you faster and increased your power to weight ratio.


My goal is to be fit..........if I get faster on my bike that is a even better. Yes my weight lifting is solely to prevent injury and strengthen my entire body. I am not a Muscle man!


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## AirKuhl (Jun 11, 2012)

Some people go vegan, some go Atkins. Some eat 6-8 small meals per day, some feast and fast. All lose weight and feel great. What does that tell you?

At the end of the day, it's all just tools to help you achieve the true underlying goal. Eat less and exercise more. Burn more calories than you consume. 
Unless you are hypertensive, have some sort of food allergy or other medical issue related to food, how you achieve that is not that important. 

What tool works best for you depends largely on your own personal proclivities. The best athlete I know seems to eat nothing except fruit, grilled chicken, and cruciferous vegetables. The second best athlete that I know seems to live off a diet of beef and sugar. Go figure.

And don't get distracted by stuff you read online. We live in an age of data excess. Someone somewhere says something and suddenly it's a "fact". We made McD's stop using evil beef tallow to fry their french fries and replace it with super-healthy trans-fats. Now we know that trans-fats are evil and saturated fats are fine in moderation. 700 grams of carbs a day is fine as part of Michael Phelps' 12,000 calorie per day regimen, but probably not for you.

So focus on the goal of eating less than you burn and choose a tool that resonates with you. Are you a techie? Get a Body Bug and track everything with a spreadsheet. Channeling your inner hippie? Go vegan and pretend you're saving the world. Have a weakness for desserts? Go paleo and kick your sugar-rush addiction. Only you know what will work for you. Just make sure you do something that becomes part of who you are forever, not just a temporary "diet". Those NEVER work.

And of course, ride more!


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## Crishmartin (Oct 17, 2012)

Egg whites, Salmon, Chicken breast, Sweet potatoes, Broccoli and Spinach are very rich in carb/proteins. Add them to your diet.


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