magelarsen

What's up, guys? I just joined!

I am just wondering if anyone here is following a diet like vegetarian, vegan, paleo, keto, low-carb-high-fat, non-glutten, etc.?

If yes, why do you do it and how it has affected your stamina/performance in cycling?

Thank you for reading!

Bandera

I eat the same traditional Gulf Coast diet that my ancestors have for centuries by cooking most of our own meals at home.
My great grandmother would recognize what we put on the table, and probably approve of the seasonings.
Real food carefully prepared from scratch with fresh seasonal ingredients to be savory, satiating and enjoyable when shared with family and friends.
A real Cuisine that is a well balanced diet, not pseudo-science/dogmatic food-fads get me down the road and up and over just fine.

One of the most important rides that I take every week in season isn't Big Miles, Fast Pace-Line or HIIT work but riding the town bike down to the local Farmer's Mkt to see what looks good, buying that and putting together a menu based of what is fresh and appealing on that day. Bicycles aren't just for Strava, a good meal isn't bound by some rigid "doctrine" of nutrition but by the ingredients available and the skill of the cook to make a tasty/healthy welcoming meal.

PS: Do not forget the wine.

-Bandera

ThermionicScott 

I enjoy the "see food" diet. If it looks good, I'll eat it. I have no medical, ethical, moral, or religious reasons to restrict my diet.

DrIsotope

Dammit! Beat me to it.

Though I do have a medical one-- I got my diverticulitis diagnosis about five years ago. I lost a whole lot of foods in one afternoon. So as long as I can eat it, I can, I will, and I do.

Mad Honk 

Dr Isotope,
Watch out for the dreaded Texas tick, it gives us all an allergic reaction to meat of any kind. Smiles, MH

Aletifer

Juice instead of soda. Lots of water on hot days like today. Minimal red meat. And I try to eat as broad a nutrient spectrum as I can for each meal while watching the fat and sugar content. I'm not anal about it, though.

But when I'm out riding I eat whatever the hell I want. Today was a spicy deluxe from Chik-fil-A and did I have the large fries also? I was 20 miles into 39 round-trip so you freaking bet I did!

Lucillle

That is an odd first question. If you have stamina problems likely you will receive lots of good advice, but it may be along the lines of upping your riding time rather than eating a specific kind if food. Although I hear that cannoli can provide a burst of raw energy.

Happy Feet

I have been vegetarian (not vegan) for about 20 years and find no energy/performance issues.
In the last few years I have also tried (mostly successfully) to get away processed pre packaged foods in favour of whole foods cooked by me.
I'm definitely not a fancy cook and prefer a few standards that I do well.
In the last year or so after watching a friend the same age go through health issues from diabetes, I've also gotten away from excess carbs (more moderate serving sizes, less often) and nearly all refined sugar (only special occasions).

55, feel pretty good, lead an active outdoor lifestyle.

I actually think diet plays a large roll in health and performance once you are out of the 20's when a person can generally eat anything and do well. t's not any one product that helps as much as the overall strategy, serving sizes and general choices.

Mad Honk 

Feet!,
You are correct. For me it is no processed foods and portion control. I went to the grocery today and tried my damdest to not buy a processed food for breakfast. Wound up with some ground beef.
Not the pork for every other choice in breakfast foods on the shelf. I have the luxury of a nutritionalist who gives me help with my diet, but not everyone has this. Smiles, MH

On another note, one of my colleagues in the golfing world only eats turkey white meat. She is Jan Stephenson who was on staff with me at Razor golf. She is the perfect specimen of a human being after 67 years. Tommy Bolt who was also on staff with me ate nothing but vegetables during his final years, with an occasional bit of beef steak from his ranch.

willibrord

All keto all the time.

mstateglfr 

Ha, I remember reading about her back 15 or so years ago when I was in college and playing daily.
She got into a bit of ironic hot water for ot following the old adage- if you have nothing good to say, don't say anything at all.

veganbikes

Veganism is not a diet, it is an ethical way of living that excludes the exploitation of others for any reason.

However I do not eat animals or their products.

I certainly has helped me eat a bit better and try some new things and has certainly kept me away from some really nasty junk I used to eat. However my personal diet is not one of health, I should eat more fruits, veggies and whole food and less pasta/noodles and more highly processed foods but I work a lot and am generally stressed or depressed in some way so more of the less healthy stuff sometimes. I will say though when I make a kale smoothie with frozen fruits, frozen kale, bananas and coconut water (or I will sometimes use almond milk or add actual almonds or usually cashews) I feel really good and have great energy.

Machka 

CI = CO
CI < CO
CI > CO

Depending on my goals.

BookFinder 

I ride for fun and general fitness, and not to try and relive some fantasized past of athletic prowess.

Anyway, my level of stamina is in direct proportion to my level of training and fitness.

Diet:

To drink - Only 1 pot of coffee in the morning, water for most meals but an occasional glass of unsweetened tea. Juice as a snack.

To eat - minimizing foods on the glycemic index that act like sugar in the metabolic system. Majoring on fish and lean meats (one small helping, not a whole side of beef, etc. you get the idea). I guess the term low-carb would 'splain it to most people's way of thinking.

indyfabz

Subscribed.

guachi

Now that I've started cycling more the only thing I've consciously changed is hydration. 16-24 ounces of water for the first hour. If there is a second hour I'll use some kind of energy drink. Currently I'm using powdered lemonade drink mix with lite salt added for the potassium and sodium. I haven't ridden longer than two hours but one time so I don't have a routine for longer rides yet.

I guess I've also changed when I eat as I don't want it to negatively interfere with cycling.

teejaywhy

Nothing rigorous or regimented, just try to stick to "Real Food."
i.e. Lean meat and fresh veggies.
Avoid prepared stuff made in a factory.
I have high blood sugar so I limit empty carbs.

Not to say I don't enjoy an indulgence on occasion. Everything in moderation.

AlmostTrick

I too follow the see food diet. In my case, the only foods I want to eat just happen to be vegetarian. (30 years now) I start with a healthy breakfast and seldom go more than a few hours without some kind of snack. Never counted calories, fat, and certainly not carbs. (now there's a ridiculous fad diet)

A vegetarian diet has supported me well on the bike and off, and I have never been overweight. The way I see it, those who had to go on a diet to lose weight are the ones who weren't eating right.

rumrunn6

junk in a junk sandwich. it's not working out very well. especially not those gas station sandwiches ... ;-(

wipekitty

My 'diet' is not a conscious choice - I basically listen to my body and supply it with food that is available and not entirely difficult to obtain/produce.

Currently, I'm mostly vegetarian - mostly because, on occasion, I get dragged places for work/by family where there are no meat-free options. 6 portions of meat a year sounds about right. I have no categorical reason to entirely avoid meat, it just doesn't sound very good.

Dairy is a big part of my 'diet', primarily because I live in Wisconsin where dairy is cheap and plant-based protein sources are either prohibitively expensive or require me to spend hours cooking (I hate cooking.) This will probably change once I move and find increased dairy prices but better access to ethnic foods with plant proteins. I do not eat processed foods with added sugars, mainly because I think they taste bad.

My fast food consists in pizza delivery, maybe twice a month. Local restaurants primarily serve American food (hamburgers, steaks) so I really don't go out to eat.

I eat once a day - one very large meal in the evening. This is not some intermittent fasting thing; I started doing it 20 years ago due to time and financial constraints, and never went back. To switch back to multiple meals would require drastic lifestyle changes.

indyfabz

I eat a lot of whole fish. Grilled pompano is yummy.

Kedosto

I was gonna say that. Well, everything but the Gulf Coast part. And as far as Grandma goes, a significant number of the dishes we eat were handed down from her. We eat what I call a "real food" diet; fresh ingredients, prepared from their natural state. We eat zero prepared foods, zero sodas, and sweets are limited to desserts made at home. I have a loaf of sourdough fermenting today and will bake it this evening when I get home. We're lucky with two Farmer's Markets per week with one on Wednesday evening and one on Saturday morning so we can easily keep the good stuff coming. Most of the wine we consume is red, the beer is stout, and the bourbon is on the rocks.


-Kedosto

indyfabz

I'm with you and him. I usually don't know what's for dinner until I go shopping after work. Living in the part of the big city that I do I there are several sources that carry a wide variety of real food within walking distance of my office. This place is 10 min. away:

https://readingterminalmarket.org/merchants/

Fresh meat, produce, fish, poultry and bread. There is even a good spice store. I can go there for lunch and pick up stuff to cook for dinner. I can also ride to other places after work.

Even when I am bike touring I put a good deal of effort into cooking real dinners, even if that means carrying food a ways to my campground.

CAT7RDR

At 55 y/o I am finally tilling a backyard garden. Squashs, Beets, Green Beans, Peppers, Carrots and Onions are now a staple part of my diet from my garden along with store bought organic cruciferous leafy veggies. I cut out red meat and eat primarily fish, chicken, yogurt, and nuts for protein. In other words, I'm a selective omnivorous consumer.

ksryder

I'm on the lutefisk diet. It's the new hot thing, it's based on exhaustive research of Viking Sagas as well as forensic evidence from archaeological sites throughout northern Europe. If it's good enough to fuel hungry warriors on their way to pillage Lindisfarne or establish a dynasty in northern France that will dominate European politics for several centuries, then by god it's good enough for me!

For breakfast I have a lutefisk omelet made with graylag goose eggs, lutefisk, and gjetost.

For mid-morning snack I have a smoothie made from pureed lutefisk, fish stock, and just a hint of lingonberries.

For lunch I have a sandwich made with flatbrød and a lutefisk paste.

Afternoon snack -- another lutefisk smoothie! Yum!

Dinner is usually a simple affair, some cold lutefisk and perhaps a boiled potato or two.

Of course, as hard as it may be to believe, sometimes I'd like a little variety from lutefisk! So I allow myself a bit of a cheat with some fresh smoked eel! Delish!

Since starting this diet I've lost 33 pounds, I've gained 33 watts over a 40k TT, and I've managed to conquer a sizeable portion of the Orkney Islands!

This post sponsored by the Lutefisk Harversters and Processors Consortium of Glomfjord.