Battle of the Bulge: A Grumpy Old Man’s Approach to Nutrition, Life and Honesty

My son is lean and mean – okay, he is not mean, really he is a gentle giant, but when he attacks those hills I would hesitate to get in his way. His dad (that would be me, Steve) is a not-so-lean grumpy old man. We both cycle but while my son has no weight to lose I do, yet in the end, our nutrition needs and goals are similar. We both need well-balanced meals that provide us with the energy needed to put in the miles and hill repeats. The only difference is he needs to take in enough calories to maintain his weight and Dad needs to have enough nutrition to cycle but with just enough of a calorie deficiency to lose weight.

There are hundreds of books and theories on nutrition and diet. Have a favorite diet? Then there is a book out there that will support your theory. I’ve seen and tried most of ‘em.  So let’s toss all of that out the window and just focus on what you are convinced is a well-balanced diet.

With that in mind, I am going to ask you to be honest.  A well-balanced and nutritious diet can still lead to the dreaded “bulge”. You need to be honest about portions and total calorie intake. You need to take in the good stuff at the right amounts. To do this you need three things:  a digital food scale, a set of measuring cups, and a food journal.

Digital Food Scale. You need to weigh your food to accurately calculate calories. All chicken breasts are not created equal and can vary in size widely thereby varying in calories. Guessing what a homemade hamburger patty weighs can be an easy way to lose control of your calories.  

Measuring Cups.   These are a great way to reign in foods that need to measured by volume. Order yourself a set of those fancy stainless steel cups. If you can afford a carbon fiber bike, you need these cups, beside they are more manly.

Food Journal.  Now that you have put in the good work of measuring and calculating make sure that you don’t lose count during the day. An easy way to keep a food journal is use a website like www.caloriecount.about.com or http://www.livestrong.com/thedailyplate/. These are easy to use and give you other tracking features. Some folks prefer to keep a non-digital version. Whatever you use just be sure that you do use it!

So now you have the tools now start estimating your calorie needs. There are many guides for this, so use one www.caloriesperhour.com/index_burn.php  and pick a calorie goal.  Do not be concerned if you get it wrong you will know within a month and you can adjust accordingly. The journal is an essential tool for helping you know what is or is not working.

Now I am going to ask you to weigh every day. Weigh yourself at the same time every day with the same clothes or no clothes, just be consistent. Do not freak out if your weight varies a lot from day to day. Why? One pint of water weighs one pound. The day after a long ride I always weigh 2 to 4 pounds more because I have over-hydrated. The reason for weighing every day is to establish a pattern. Journaling will do this for you. Watching the trend will tell you if you are taking in the right amount to maintain “fighting weight” or the right amount to get to there.

I followed this plan and lost 30 pounds reaching 222. Then I stopped weighing and measuring and journaling. My thinking was “I had it down, knew what I was doing”. Before long I was back up to 234. So December 1^st I went back to the plan. I set a goal of 1850 calories per day. (I maintain a rigorous schedule of cycling and cross training. At 65 years old I have no choice if I want to have a quality life.) Amazingly, in the first two weeks I have lost 5.6 pounds. Nothing motivates like success. So I may still be a grumpy, old man but one with less of a bulge than a couple of weeks ago. It can be done and I plan on updating you every two weeks as to my progress. That could be a fourth part of the plan; holding yourself accountable to someone.

-Steve Grove, GroveTribe Patriarch

Freedom From The Bar!

It was time for a change! One thing I find difficult about riding is that due to holding down a full time job, staying busy with family, and all those hours riding, I end up eating a lot of bars.  Clif, Zone, Odwalla, Balance, etc...  Whatever I can get to replace calories easily.  At the same time, I have a hard time with eating that many pre-packaged bars full of sugar, preservatives, and other mystery ingredients.

When I met my wife years ago I used bars exclusively and then she introduced me to her cran-apple cobbler recipe (which she devised one day when she had left-over whole cranberry sauce and granny smith apples after Thanksgiving). I was hooked. It was a great dessert, a great breakfast and when she packed it on a long ride one day I realized that it could be a great alternative to all of the bars I was eating. The health benefits of cranberries, fresh apples and oatmeal are well-advertised. I asked her to tweak the recipe by using whole wheat flour and she decided to add nuts for more flavor and it has become my favorite way to replace calories.

I am not a nutritionist and I won't say that this is the most nutritious alternative there is out there. What I do know is that it tastes great, I feel and perform great with it and like that the ingredients are fresh and in my control as far as purity and quality. It refridgerates, freezes and reheats like a dream so you can make a month's worth a head of time - pre-cutting portions that you can grab and go. This also makes a great contribution to potlucks that kids like and adults go foaming crazy for. My wife has had many people beg her for the recipe over the years and she has only been willing to give it out to a chosen few.   

Dawn's CranApple CobblerThis recipe makes what we call a "double batch (12 servings in a 9x13 glass dish) we estimate that each serving comes out at about 300 calories.
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Bottom Crust
2 cups oatmeal (quick or old fashioned)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (is there ever a time to measure brown sugar unpacked?)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 sticks of butter (Yep, use the good stuff!)

1. Combine ingredients and press evenly onto bottom of glass baking dish
2. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Filling
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 can Ocean Spray whole cranberry sauce (or the recipe from one bag of fresh cranberries)

1. In a bowl mix together sliced apples and cranberry sauce.
2. Layer apple slices and cranberry onto crust (be careful, the sides are still hot!)

Topping2/3 cup oatmeal (quick or old fashioned)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (is there ever a time to measure brown sugar unpacked?)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
6 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional, pecans or walnuts are recommended)

1. Combine all ingredients in a cold glass or ceramic bowl. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers to cut butter into dry ingredients for a meal-like texture. Try not to over work it as the heat generated can melt the butter and alters the consistency (still good, just not the same)
2. Sprinkle topping followed by chopped nuts on top and bake for 18 – 22 minutes (ovens can vary)

ENJOY!



· You can serve this hot from the oven. Works great as a hot breakfast.
· As a dessert with whip cream or ice cream or plain.
· Once it cools it makes a great snack bar.
· It reheats well in the microwave (only about 15 seconds per serving!)
· Great frozen and reheated!