Nutritional Tips

The key to avoiding fall weight gain is letting your activity level drive your eating. If you're still training hard, then eat to support your efforts. But if you're taking time off or just tooling around the neighborhood, it's important to reduce calorie intake. This isn't as hard as it might seem. Here are some tips for painless calorie cutting.

Eat More Fiber: Fiber helps you feel full, so you're satisfied even though you've consumed fewer calories. It also helps reduce cholesterol. Great sources of fiber include oatmeal, beans, whole-grain breads and pasta, brown rice and citrus fruits.

Eat More Protein: Like fiber, protein-rich foods make you feel satisfied sooner. During the cycling season, you need more carbohydrate to fuel intense workouts and replenish depleted glycogen. But when you're not exercising as much, replace the heaping bowls of pasta with salmon, lean chicken breasts, sirloin steaks and black bean chili.

Don't Overcompensate: Anticipating an evening ride, people tend to eat bigger lunches and afternoon snacks. But their bodies actually need only a moderate increase in calories. Instead, begin rides a little hungrier and consume more calories on the bike. An energy gel or bottle of sports drink will fuel a 60- to 90-minute session while adding only 100 to 200 calories.