Car-Free Cyclist Needs More Calories

[I922sParkCir]

Hi, this is my first post, and I'm glad to be apart of the community. I just (about a month and a half ago) became car-free (go environment!), and now I bike everywhere. My school is a little over 20 miles away and I bike about 200 miles a week. I am now always hungry. I eat about 2.5 to 3, good-sized (large), healthy, meals a day, and constantly drink water.

I eat lots of fruit (mostly bananas's), vegetables, Odwalla bars (in a bind), good Ezekiel 4:9 bread, but it is not enough. I'm always hungry and eating out is expensive and often unhealthy.

What should I do, there are day's when I'm at school for over 12 hours. How do I get ton's of calories?

Thank you,
-Jai

[harper]

I pack containers of dry cereal, granola or trail mix to snack on during the day. Those usually give me the between meals kick I need. Something high in protein and fiber will usually help to keep you feeling full. Hope this helps.

[Libellula]

pack pemmican bars (i don't think they're vegan), clif builder bars (are vegan, last i checked), peanut butter sandwiches, trail mix with lots of nuts and dried fruits, granola, kashi bars, drinks with calories/electrolytes (gatorate, gleukos, GU, etc), eat a big big big breakfast when you wake up - scrambled tofu, toast with peanut butter, soymilk, and fruit before you go.

[zoebird]

basicly, increase your fat intake. nuts and seeds, avocados, olives, whatever you can take with you that includes fat (hence, the recommendtaion for trail mixes. :D )

[Willowriver]

Not to threadjack, but I just gotta say I think that's one of the coolest things I've ever heard! That would definitely be a life goal for me (once I get out of school and, ya know, get a life). Can I ask, how long did it take you to get in shape enough for this to be time-efficient? How do you buy groceries and stuff (a bike trailer or something)? What if you're going out to a nice dinner, for example?

[I922sParkCir]

Not to threadjack, but I just gotta say I think that's one of the coolest things I've ever heard! That would definitely be a life goal for me (once I get out of school and, ya know, get a life). Can I ask, how long did it take you to get in shape enough for this to be time-efficient? How do you buy groceries and stuff (a bike trailer or something)? What if you're going out to a nice dinner, for example?

Life goal, HA! You're making it too complicated. :) Thank you, but I don't deserve that much credit, it is really not hard at all. So here's the story:

I'm a 20 years old and a student, and after an Ecology class, I realize the world is in trouble and I probably won't help much if I change, but I can't live with being part of the problem. So, cold-turkey (this is going to be a theme) I become a vegetarian, cut my resources (electricity, water, goods and services), buy organically grown foods, and buy products and were recycled, recyclable, and from responsible companies. I still drove though, I mean, I had to. My school was 20 miles away, bikes can't do that. Though I at least started to want a bike, and to be car-lite.

So I take a trip to Seattle, Washington, and my girlfriend at the time, who had been using my car, tells me "It won't shift gears". I'm stressed the rest of the trip. I get back the 23rd of August (this year) and school starts the 27th. I see my mechanic and it's 'bout a thousand dollars. I think "No, my bike money!". So I decided that cars have always been trouble and costly, and that won't go away. I gave it away, searched Craislist, and found a great-condition, 1999 Trek 520 (http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/2008/road/520/520/) for $250. This is the perfect commuter bike (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=351850).

Now, I was not a bicyclist, nor was I in shape. I could not run an entire mile. In strenuous activities I would be really out of breath. The longest I had ever ridden was the next day, 7 miles to church, and then the next day to school. I jumped right into it, cold-turkey.

I have no regrets, but that's no to say there wasn't problems. Bicycling constantly (a little under 200 miles a week) had some problems. Their were times of being exhausted, after cycling 50 miles, your muscles sore and fatigued, I knew that tomorrow I'd have to do it again. When I finished though, it felt great. I love it, my commute is so fun. Driving in traffic took me 50 min, Bicycling now takes me 70 min, used to take me 90 min at first. Some places I get to faster, but I never get there much slower.

For groceries, I use some panniers (http://www.rei.com/product/733820) and I plan on buying a BOB Trailer (http://www.rei.com/product/722504). As for a nice restaurant, any girl I date would have to know this about me and at least respect it. She'd usually pick me up. I don't eat out much, I prefer to cook myself though.

I suggest going to BikeForums.net (http://www.bikeforums.net) and checking out their Car-free Living Board (http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay.php?f=226) , these are great people who love to help. This was my primary resource.

Hope this helps. It is much easier than it seems.
-Jai

[cookingVeg]

From one carfree person to another, I totally know how you feel :-)

When I started walking to work, I found that despite eating breakfast (be sure to include some protein and fat in your breakfast -- almonds stirred into your oatmeal or peanut butter on your toast, for example) I was ravenously hungry at 10 in the morning. So I started eating oatmeal mid-morning, which worked out well for me.

In my opinion, unless you're the sort that can eat a lot at meals, you need snacks. A couple ideas: make muffins or squares and freeze them or mix up some gorp (peanuts, chocolate chips, and raisins).

[randy5235]

I deliver food on my bike. Not particularly the best food mind you but I get paid to ride my bike. I can't complain. I am riding quite a few miles a week. Not as many as the original poster mind you but at least 100 on a slower week. On the hard side of it though since I am delivering food I have to ride hard pretty much all the time. When I started I thought it would be easy since the distance wasn't that great, I didn't think about the intensity.Anyway enough about me :) Just keep eating as your body calls for it. MAKE SURE YOU ARE GETTING PLENTY OF SLEEP!!!. I cannot stress this enough. Watch your water intake as well. Eat a fair amount of salty foods or drink a sports drink occasionally. This means like once a day or so NOT every thing you drink. and gatorade barely qualifies in my opinion. After a couple of weeks/months your body will regulate itself a bit and your won't feel so famished all the time.


Just my 2 cents.

[Cassiel]

Another carfree veg here!
Sounds like my cycling is similar to yours, if just slightly less. I have a 30 mile roundtripto school, plus errands and such. I have to second what other posters have said - I rely on lightweight, calorie-dense foods (emph. on lightweight - you can only fit so much in those panniers, along with texbooks and clothes!). Dried fruit and nuts, mostly, and I eat some dark chocolate sparingly for a treat. Peanutbutter and honey sandwiches for lunch! And keep those waterbottles full.

[Byzantea]

This would be so wonderful, I can't express how much I'd love to do this! I currently commute 32 miles via tollway to work. The drive home is a little longer, as I can't justify spending as much money on tolls as Houston wants, so I take the main highway (I-45 north bound if you're curious).

I'm pretty fit, but I'm positive that I could not sustain 64 miles a day on a bicycle. Then, there's the problem of getting a shower once I show up.

Do you hose off as soon as you arrive, or do your classmates not mind if you're soaked in sweat? I'm not trying to be rude. I really want to know!

[harper]

Baby wipes work well if no shower is available :yes:

[bigdufstuff]

Wow, glad to see some other car free veggies here! I also frequent bike forums, it is a great site for anyone interested in cycling.

To the OP, I suggest you leave food at school if possible. PB, jam, and bread is easy. But you could do lots of other stuff that is easy to quickly eat, and doesn't spoil quickly.

I'm jealous of your 20 mile commute. I have a measly 2.5 miler, and I always want more!!!