Love my food - and my fuel.

There's only two weeks to the big bike ride.

I obviously dont want to carrying any unnecessary kilos with me so becoming 'leaner' has been a focus for the last few weeks. And the ride will present me with an anticipated 9 hours of hard aerobics so I'm going to use a lot of energy. I'm going to need food- and a fair bit of it.

It's complicated - I need to lose weight before the ride and then eat lots during the ride. Hmmmm.

The organisers will provide some food on the day and obviously I can take some with me. But there's a limit to how much I can carry and there's a limit to how much I can eat quickly at any one time without making myself sick.

So what to do? The answer is to prepare my body to efficiently process good carbohydrates. I need to eat healthy to lose weight, I need to make sure my body is fully 'fueled' before the race (some people call this carbo-loading), and I need to make sure its able to handle sufficient 'fuel replacement' on the day.

So I'm working hard at my pre-ride daily 'fuel'. I like my food, and lots of it, so in the past this has been an issue for me. But now I've found the secret to great tasting food that's also good 'fuel'. - It loses weight, I can eat as much as I want, its very filling and very tasty, and it provides energy that's like a great big kick in the pants....

Eat raw and small, eat often. I now choose small servings of raw or unprocessed food (i.e. no more than two steps from its natural state) and eat every two hours. This includes staying away from (as much as possible) ALL things processed, including breads, snacks, soft drinks...and alcohol! I haven't given them up completely, just staying away as much as I can.

Here's what I've been eating. I've lost inches around my waist, look better and feel fantastic. And I'm not hungry. Its also incredibly delicous - really!!

Breakfast - Small bowl of bircher muesli with additional serving of mixed seeds and a handful of cranberries , mixed wtih natural yoghurt. (Absolute awesome energy and taste!!)

Morning Tea - VitaWheats with vegemite (I'm an Aussie Kid)

Lunch - 2 wholegrain wraps with fresh salads and occassionally some protein eg can of tuna. (Another HUGE kick, and lots of sensational tastes)

Afternoon Tea - Large bowl of prunes with yoghurt or more vitawheats
(get me..er....'going')

Dinner - piece of protein (eg chicken, fish, meat - grilled) plus either a large salad or veges (boiled or roaasted).

Throughout the day (every 60-90 minutes) I have a piece of fruit (most likely a Pink Lady apple - love 'em!!!) and whenever I feel like it I have my own personal piece of naughtiness- plunger coffee with milk and sugar, or a cappaccino. I also drink water constantly throughout the day.

Its an amazing eating plan - The weight drops off, the energy levels are unbelievable, and I know I am preparing my body for the ride. I can feel it getting used to using good carbs for daily energy, and I can feel it getting rid of any crap that might still be there.

The good news is its easy to do when I'm travelling, it's eco-friendly (I choose what's in season), and its adaptable - I choose ingredients I feel like eating.

Soon I will start planning my fuel for the actual ride. In the meantime, via this smart food plan, I'll continue to prepare my body for the adventure ahead.

Gee it feels good!

More later, journey on....

James



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