Life's Questions Answered

So...as I mentioned in my last post I have been asked a couple of questions (couple = 3 in this case), so this post will be the answer post.  Let us begin...

Questions 1),  "You mentioned in earlier posts your nutrition plan to cut weight...how does that work?"

Answer:  Well, now with my background in kinesiology and biology my first instinct is to give all the details.  So, my challenge here is to take a long boring detailed answer, and make it short and boring...so here it is.  First, I calculate my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)...BMR is the minimum calories you need to maintain the body’s life functions while at rest (just lying motionless...no bad sex jokes here please...).  For me this calculation is 1 calorie x body weight in kg x 24 hours.  For females the calculation is a little different.  The calculation is also different depending on your body fat percentage.  Because this blog is about me (I guess that means I am vain...not vane cuz then I would look like this...

 

Or maybe more like this...

Anyways as an example I am using my numbers.  If you are interested in having your own numbers calculated send me a smoke signal and I will respond.  If you have forgotten how to smoke signal comment at the bottom of the post or email me at riotonracing@gmail.com otherwise contact me through the Justice League.  (That is a Superman reference in case you missed it)

Now in addition to the BMR, calories are also burned by doing daily activities.  For me this is mostly working at my computer and walking to business meetings (also those more personal activities, that I don’t blog about here) which all together, in my case, burn about another 30% of calories.

So, here is my calculation to total my calorie requirement per day, not including excersise:

Weight = 195 lbs = 88.45 kg.

1calorie x 88.45kg x 24 + 30% = 2760 calories per day. 

This means I require 2760 calories per day just to maintain my present weight.  However, I am attempting to reduce my body fat so I reduce this caloric goal by 1000 which brings it to 1760 calories.

Now I also exercise (cycling, lifting, hockey) so I calculate the calories burned by each activity (using a heart rate monitor, or a website like My Fitness Pal) and add those calories to my nutrition intake for that day.  So if I burn 1200 calories cycling one day I will  try to keep my caloric intake under 2970 calories (the 1760 calories above plus the 1200 burned cycling) for that day.

Sorry about all of the math...I have tried to minimize it here.  If you are like Lois, you hate math at least this much...

Or

Now this wonderfully intoxicating story does not end here (spoiler alert...the butler didn’t do it).  I just can’t go eating 2970 calories of anything each day.  If I eat 2970 of ice cream and peanuts every day, I may look happy, but I will be a fat mess...and spend more time than I care to on the can.  Getting all of my daily calories from whiskey may sound good too...but I don’t think I would remember much of the rest of my life...and there is the occasional day I prefer not to forget.

Speaking of peanuts...since we started putting peanuts on our back deck for the squirrels we have ended up with a veritable menagerie.

 

 

And yes they continue to drive our cats nuts...to where the cats are plotting revenge...

 

 

Anyways, I am getting way off track here again...although I am sure you are happy that there are no juvenile half naked pics this time.

 

 

Ooops!!  Damn!!  Sorry...that one slipped in.  (yes another juvenile reference...for your enjoyment)

Anyways...back on track.  It is necessary to get a proper mix of nutritional macronutrients, so I try to get one third of my calories per day from each macronutrient...protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

I also try to keep my food organic as much as possible, I avoid anything processed, stay with low glycemic carbs, and try to minimize saturated fats.  I do however really like good Canadian whiskey.

 

As mentioned, I track all of my nutrition and exercise on the website www.myfitnesspal.com If you want to check out my food/exercise diary you can find me on there as RiotMTB.

Anyways...this question and my digression have taken so much time, that I will have to answer the other questions (one regarding why I race at my age...jerk!!...and the other why I blog about it) in a future post.

So, stay posted!