as explained on here, it's not a crash diet plan, rather an eating change
Spot on MolGrips. that is exactly what it is, imo.

I learnt fairly early on during my experience, that the nuts were hindering fat loss, so I have cut them out.

We're all going to slip for a moment, just now and again, but those little treats, as long as they are very infrequent, I would have hoped weren't going to prevent the overall effect of sticking to the plan.

Also, I wouldn't expect all of us to get it right, first time, this isn't "just add water", its learning what does and does not work for the individual, BUT, within the parameters laid down in the guidelines/suggestion.

I've just incorporated what I've learnt, into my existing diet.
Like others here, I don't miss the bread, rice, pasta, spuds.
And, as I never bought a vending machine card, I do not snack at work, and meals at home are enough for me.
I guess I'm not much of a snackster.

A Question:
Why do people eat to ride ?. I don't. I thought I'd be carrying enough from my usual daily intake, to ride as I want to.
I don't eat before, during, or after, just because I've been out cycling.
As I sit in a office all day, I assume that my diet affords me anything upto a 3 hour ride without need for additional intake.
Different of course for all-day rides, etc, but even then, how much carbs, protein, whatever is required, can the body absorb in real-time, while I'm out on a ride ?

Is this wrong ?. (lay-man's answer please, I don't want a science-blinding, wiki-fest)
😉

Solo

its learning what does and does not work for the individual

Absolutely.

Why do people eat to ride ?

I have a training plan which involves four targetted rides a week and a run. Because it's the race season I'm doing speed work which burns up a lot of carbs, and they need replacing.

If I deplete my carb stores way down, I get really hungry, and I can't help (seriously) but eat more, or I feel physically terrible. If my carb stores are low I could eat more normal food, but there's the risk of having more fat that I don't need. So I supplement with carbs when exercising, which means I don't get insane hunger after big rides and it means I can keep training week after week and not get run down.

You can absorb something like 60-80g of carbs per hour when riding. However you can easily use more than this, which is where recovery drink and carbs in your diet come in.

The above is info given to me by my coach Matt Hart of Torq fame, and my own experiences.

It does however depend on how you ride, and what your goals are. I'm sure a bit of normal mtbing would be fine on the iDave diet. Several on here have noted that they can't ride as well, and several have said it has not affected their riding.

Spacemonkey, I have very similar experiences. I am going for light eating in general and carb supplementation whilst exercising. It works if I do lots of base riding, but if I do speed work then whatever fat I lose seems to be balanced by muscle gain.

There's perhaps something to be said though for not riding so hard for a while for the purposes of dieting, then getting back on it once the fat is gone.

Indeed.

I'm not trying to be as analytical as that. The bottom line for me is that I seem to be a naturally hungry person, and it was only 3-4 years ago that I started to put on a little timber as a result (even when running/biking). Hence I probably eat more than the average bear before, during and after a ride anyway.

For me, there's definitely (so far) enough benefits in dropping the white carbs and adopting a new regime. Things might change when the little person arrives and I can't ride nearly as much.

The bottom line for me is that I seem to be a naturally hungry person

I was too, but then I mtfued and it went away. Unfortunately, I think I've lost a bit of outright hammer ability in favour of some endurance.

I thought I had less energy for riding at the weekend in Scotchshire, however after riding my trails at home I've now decided that it was putting SX casing super soft freeride tyres on, they roll worse than double ply supertacky highrollers :roll:.

100g of nuts a day is madness if you're trying to loose weight. Look at it this way, that's very nearly 3/4 of a KILO of nuts every week. How did you think that would help you loose weight?

I thought I had less energy for riding at the weekend in Scotchshire…..

I defo have had less energy, 10k times gone from 43mins to 50+ etc etc. After going camping this weekend I am going to switch over to the my own bastardised version of the Primal Blueprint as I would rather eat fruit than beans and lentils….plus a bit of dairy is fine.

Also porridge for breakfast is coming back at the weekend….or maybe every other day. Not decided yet.

Are you people who are experiencing performance drops taking carbs whilst riding?

Are you people who are experiencing performance drops taking carbs whilst riding?

Nope, but a couple of rides have coincided with 'off days' where it has been carb city. It has not just been on rides tho, waking up in the morning feeling wiped out a few times.

Hmm.

My suggestion would be to stick to the diet, but drink energy drink (plain maltodextrin) when riding and have some recovery drink afterwards.

Feel free to ignore that mind 🙂

Not noticed any 'performance' drop exactly but have felt very tired occassionally for no apparent reason. Hasn't happened while riding but a couple of times when out walking the dogs and some mornings I've felt absolutely knackered. This is exactly what was not supposed to happen as the plan is supposed to remove the spiking supposedly caused by carbs.

Perhaps I'm not eating enough of the 'good' stuff + several lapses hasn't helped? Still 15lbs lighter than when I started though 🙂

as the plan is supposed to remove the spiking supposedly caused by carbs.

which may have been made up by people with something to sell you…

but drink energy drink (plain maltodextrin) when riding and have some recovery drink afterwards.

That would probably do the trick, but would rather have a constant energy level from my normal diet.

To be fair my approach to the iDave plan was always short term. Lose a couple extra pounds and then go back to what I was doing previously. The energy drops and eating bleedin' beans all the time does not work for me longterm, whereas calorie counting, common sense and taking on carbs through bananas and the like as long as I still fit under say 2000kcal-ish a day suits me better.

This thing probably works for a lot of people. Just not me. I am still going to cut most grains as I have found myself eating lots more veg as a result, but the carb shortfall will probably be addressed by fruit/dairy.

[/quote] This is exactly what was not supposed to happen as the plan is supposed to remove the spiking supposedly caused by carbs

Pretty sure the blood sugar spike thing doesn't apply in the same way to people exercising – from my own experience and a smattering of reading. If you have been exercising, your muscle glycogen stores will be depleted, so when you eat something sugary blood sugar goes up and insulin goes up. Well my partially informed thinking is that all that happens then is that the insulin encourages your muscles to take up blood sugar, so balance is restored. I know that if I have the odd coke when I've been training hard I don't notice any ill effects, but it does restore my muscle energy levels (measured by feel and subsequent riding performance).

I know I feel absolutely terrible if I don't have enough carbs. Run down, starving, ill feeling and unable to concentrate well.

Jamie – if you want to get enough carbs for riding from your normal diet, you might have to resort to eating tons of carbs. Carb powder is easy to absorb, easy to get down and doesn't fill your stomach. Depending on your riding and guts of course. 2000kcal a day is not very much at all though if you are riding a lot.

that the insulin encourages your muscles to take up blood sugar

the sugar (glucose) is there to drive metabolic processes – apart from their limited glycogen that's what the muscles use to work, they hardly need encouragement!

I thought that what the point of insulin was, to control uptake of blood sugar?

Can somebody let me know where I get the idave diet from please 🙂 I am interested.

I thought that what the point of insulin was, to control uptake of blood sugar?

yes, I was wrong, wiki says: Insulin is a hormone that is central to regulate energy and glucose metabolism in the body. Insulin causes cells in the liver, muscle, and fat tissue to take up glucose from the blood, storing it as glycogen in the liver and muscle etc

That's correct. It's why Glucagon (given via injection in my job to treat hypoglycaemia in diabetics by converting glycogen stored in the liver into glucose) is often ineffective due to the body already having used up these stores.

Molgrips.
Thanks for your reply.

I would point out that I'm not in training, I just ride road/MTB for the kick. But I understand where who are those training, are coming from.
🙂

Spawn. It'd help if your profile had an e-mail address… 😉

Cheers

Solo

Hi all,
Just a tuppence worth from me! Started the eating plan two weeks ago and only did a couple of days and then got flu, unrelated as a few people around me got it at the same time. SO kind of fell off the wagon for the rest of that first week, and this week has been my first proper week doing the plan, although I still found myself watching what I was eating slightly during my ill week. Havent done any exercise excpet for a 10 mile flat cycle last Saturday. Did my weigh in today and have lost 9 pounds! I do feel less bloated and more alert, and despite a couple of cravings for chocolate, which I managed to resist, havent really felt hungry at all. Am going to ride one day this weekend, and am moving furniture all day Saturday, and then will return to my 3 days a week in the gym and see how I go then. All in all Im impressed by this plan, I think it does seem to change your outlook on eating completely, and hope I can stay close to it for the long haul. 😀

SJ.

Good effort 🙂

a couple of cravings for chocolate
aye, I'm no stranger to that scenario, but I just defer the desire for Choc, until Saturdays.

I think it does seem to change your outlook on eating completely, and hope I can stay close to it for the long haul.

Thats similar to my thinking too. I'm going to come away from this, knowing more about how to address and prevent weight gain, while cycling/exercising only as much as I enjoy/want to.

As I've posted before, some of the changes I've made, are keepers for me, now that going through this exercise has helped me kick a few poor eating choices, I'll just move on. But not go back.
🙂

S

Well said Solo, keep it up mate, its all about enjoying life after all!

Can someone please send me the plan?

wbarratt at me dot com?

I'm loving this diet! Day 8 for me and I must admit that the only thing I have strayed on is the beer over the weekend and at a dinner party yesterday. I forsoot the day of eat what you like because I'd been naughty. The 'rules' are not too far removed from what I would eat normally, only getting rid of the pasta and sandwhiches that I normally eat for lunch. Basically it's omlets, salads and warm salads in that order every day. Can't complain really. No scales in the house as I prefere the belt and trouser test and I'm feeling like I have so much more energy.

2 more weeks of this and I seriously think I would have lost at leat 0.5 stone, more if I stopped being naughty with the beers. I think I may even continue for longer bassed on the results so far.

ok, my curiosity has gotten the best of me and i do have another stone to lose… please cam someone email me idaves plan? many thanks: gavtheoldskater AT hotmail DOT com

Milfredo

Are you in some sort of time machine ?

@Woody – why?

Informative comment, thanks.

As someone said in the other iDave diet post, if you do 6 days on and 1 day off, you'll probably be shifting pounds, but it you do 5 days on for the sake of a second "fill yer boots" day, then don't be surprised to see far less benefit. I guess the combo of "losing" 15-20% weight loss coupled to "gaining" maybe 20-30% more = you're running on about 65% of your weight losing capacity (instead of 90%+).

I noticed it after binging on both Sat and Sun. Am back on track now.

Milfredo

Look at the timing of your posts. When I posted, you had asked for a copy of the diet, then 4 days later you were on day 8.

It was an attempt at humour mixed with curiosity 🙄

Ahhh… I read the post from the start and started on the Monday and picked up the rules from the pages and pages of chat. I was curious to actually read the rules to see if I had missed anything which I hadn't.

Hi all,
Thats me the start of my third week, and have been keeping to the plan. Havent weighed myself since the last time, but feel a lot better, and people who know me have said they can see a difference already. Have plenty of energy and went for my first proper 2.5 hour ride with some ups and downs. Wore my polar monitor and burnt 2300 calories on the ride after a brekkie of chorizo omelette. Felt fine on the ride and afterwards did a bit of running around doing stuff, but after that I had a bit of a crash, like hitting a wall of tiredness, had to keel over on the couch for an hour which isnt like me at all. Didnt have anything to eat when I came home, but then had a very thin base pizza for dinner and felt a bit livlier. The Mrs tempted me with a segment of choc orange which I thought I deserved so had one bit 🙂
The only thing Im struggling with is breakfast. I get up and drive for 1.5 hours to work, so have a large black coffee on the drive, and have nothing to eat till I have breakfast with mates at work. I then have a scrambled egg and a bit of sausage. I need something to have at home or in the car I think, so what ideas do you guys have?

Apart from that all good Shwartz do a shake on cajun spice mix, which Ive been putting over chicken or salmon, with some olive oil, and some chopped cherry tomatoes in foil in the oven. Excellent!

Am I reading that right? you did a 2.5 hour intense ride (by your reckoning 920Kcal per hour, so that's pushing it pretty hard), and all you eat was an omlette?

And you're surprised you crashed out on the couch?

Just not sure what I should be eating when I came in 🙁

Yeah I was pushing hard, average heart rate of 145 with max of 185.

John – nuts?

I gave this a lash for a couple of days but I just folded, total lack of energy. I still found it beneficial to analyse my diet and see where I was being lazy or making excuses for myself.

I will definitely cut way back on bread and be a lot more conscious of over-consuming carbs when I'm not exercising. It also made me aware of the massive amounts of dairy I go through, so I will try and be more sensible with that. I thought I would take to it pretty well as I eat a lot of salads, stir-frys etc, but it just wasn't working for me.

Molgrips, would that be for breakfast? I had read one of the previous posts that said not to eat them as it hampers losing weight? I suppose a small handful of them for eating in the car? Also could be good for when out cycling….

I thought Tomatoes are a fruit and therefore not allowed?? Can anyone clarify as this would open up alot more recipies for me.

Thanks

Ive been eating tomatos as when applying the custard rule, they are veg for the purposes of this eating plan 😀

I'm into my second week on the plan and have lost about 9lb so far. I've stuck to the plan pretty religiously; the usual chorizo omelette and black coffee breakfasts, lots of beans, veg, fish, meat lunches and meals and no booze. My days off (only one so far) have not been a binge, just eating and drinking normally.

I've been doing more cycling than I was before I was on the plan (~100 miles/wk now vs ~20 miles before), partly as I'm getting some training in before the Exmoor Explorer at the weekend, but also as I want to get fitter as well as lose weight. I've found that although my energy levels are fine through the day doing sedentary work, I run out of steam on the bike quickly (after maybe 1.5 hrs). However, I went out for a ride on Monday and felt great though, but I think that that was probably due to a store of carbs from my saturday off perhaps, as last nights ride was back to running out of energy. I'm not taking on any carbs before, during or after riding so I expect that that is the cause, but I want to stick to the plan properly for the 3 weeks before I start tweaking it.

For the Explorer at the weekend, I'll be carb loading during my day off on saturday which still complies to the plan(!), but I'll definitely take some flapjacks or something with me on the day.