A few bits of advice, based on personal experience. My background: Racing for 30 years, 57 years old last week. In 2019 I was 2nd or 3rd at Master Marathon XC, road race, XC and cyclocross nationals. 3rd at 2019 XC worlds.
Two national championships in prior years. 6' 3", 159lbs race weight. This add some veracity to my comments below. It's not just stuff I read on facebook and quoted without having tried it myself
Something I posted on another forum:
It's good to have a goal weight based on BMI (body mass index). Google that for a calculator. Healthy for a man is about 21.5 on the lean end to maybe 24.5 on the muscly end. 21.5~22, assuming body fat is close to 10% or less, is a good all round weight for a cyclist. If climbing matters to you, that can dip down to 19.8. I hover at 19.9~20.2 (6-3") because I want to go up hills faster than anyone on the planet in my age group. Plenty of really strong local riders with BMI's above 25 and low body fat, they just suffer on longer climbs and generally don't have the aerobic efficiency of the skinny riders. That extra muscle gets you explosiveness (short hills, sharp accelerations on the flat) at the cost of "fuel economy".
A have a few basic guidelines for my diet and maintaining my weight targets
- Lots of water. Few ounces soon as you wake up. Min of 1L a day if you don't ride. .5~.75L in the hour before bed. Being dehydrated when you sleep slows down metabolism so you don't recover. Other concern about dehydration during sleep is calorie burning. Body needs hydration to do work, rebuild during sleep. That "work" raises metabolic rate, which generates more core temp and burns calories. If I go to bed dehyrated, I might only lose 1/2 lb during the night. If I go to bed hydrated, I'll wake up at some point to take a leak, drink some more and go back to bed. I then wake up 2-3lbs lighter than if I was dehydrated. I'll also be cold during the night if I'm dehydrated but feel warmer or kick covers off when well hydrated. That's the difference between low and high metabolism. Body releases HGH during REM sleep. So good, deep, long sleep is vital to recovery, keeping metabolic rate high and burning calories.
- Snack, don't binge then starve. The entire western style of big breakfast, lunch, dinner with nothing in between is an artifact of our agrarian roots. It has no place in a modern lifestyle. Eat smaller meals, keep energy up with high protein, or fatty or low glycemic snacks. I eat nuts, cheese, protein shake during the day to keep energy up and manage hunger.
- Dinner. I basically don't eat dinner on days I don't train. On days I do train, I eat only a small, high protein dinner. Essentially, we don't need dinner most of the time. I do a small breakfast with good protein, normal sized lunch and minimal dinner. I'll snack when I get home, maybe 150-300 calories. Try to stop eating well before bed. Keeping high protein in diet helps stave off hunger.
- Protein intake should be like hydration.. constant. An athlete needs a constant, steady supply of protein. At 160 lbs, I eat a minimum of 60g off but usually more like 90-120g per day.
-Fat and carbs. Don't be afraid of fat. An athlete burns a lot and you need it in your diet. It's just calories. Carbs are what mess with your metabolism if you over do it. Basic outline, I cut carbs way back on days I don't train, just sticking to protein and fat. On days you train, learn to match you carb intake to work load. You are basically trying to keep muscle glycogen topped off without over fueling. It's take practice and paying close attention to weight, energy level, calories burned during training. Understand that repeated or long rides will raise metabolism for many hours or even a full day after training. Recover and fuel accordingly. One things that helps manage carbs is to start trimming starch and grains here and there. Burger on lettuce, salad with meat on it, home made charcuterie plate instead of dinner, things like that. When yo have done a long, high calorie burn ride, don't fret the carbs. Short 45 minute interval workout, maybe skip the pizza.
- Don't obsess too much about the quality and carb/fat/protein ratio as much as total quantity of calories. Despite the efforts of the multi-billion dollar diet and sports nutrition industries, weight management is just simple calorie management. I promise you could give you a diet of just donuts, soda pop and water and I could have you drop weight. I would simply restrict calories (a lot). That said, your body is an engine burning fuel just like a car. Better quality fuel equals better performance. But no fuel means no performance, too much fuel means no performance, not enough fuel means you blow up. The right amount and high octane for that engine.
- Consider incorporating more of your protein from plant based sources. Every bit of research that exists on the subject shows no specific benefit from high meat intake but many benefits from a more plant based diet. Protein needs a complete amino acid profile to be of any use. Many combos of two different sources like dark beans and whole grains. Google for more combos. But Quinoa, Peas and Soy are complete protein. Soy not great for male masters athletes as its high in phytoestrogens. Unless you're into manboobs. So soy in moderation. Whey very good but animal based. Quinoa is basically superfood. A Tour de France rider could switch to getting all their protein from Quinoa without issue.
- To maintain a healthy BMI of 22-24 means only occasional hunger pangs. To get below 22, you have to get used to being hungry for long periods during the day. Not starving, stomach churning but feeling like you could have had another serving.. all the time. It's work to stay that light but it pays off when you race bikes.