calorific intake

[mjr]

Are you sure?

Yes - Though it's deliberately written in non specific terms as there's so many variables, both in riders and cafe stops! I wouldn't like to relate it to anyone's own needs. If you're concerned about maintaining weight you could see if your GP can put you in touch with a nutritionist, the one attached to my doctors is very helpful.

Been there, done that, screwed up my blood chemistry, not keen to let them have another go. I suspect nutritionists experienced with chronic illnesses are rare.

[ianrobo]

This whole thing is very fascinating if you have followed my posts on food etc before.

firstly the advice to eat 1600 Cals a day and if you are active is total nonsense and you will be very hungry and quickly.

As for the Metabolic rate, all you ever see are best guesses as the only way is to have a very expensive test to know what you are. However for today I rode 75km and burnt 2000 cal according to my computer so I think 50 cals per miles on average for average effort is a fairly good guess.

However I have to say I warn anyone of following CICO (calories In Calories out) method of losing weight, after all that is what we talk about is very misleading.

[foxyrider]

This whole thing is very fascinating if you have followed my posts on food etc before.

firstly the advice to eat 1600 Cals a day and if you are active is total nonsense and you will be very hungry and quickly.

As for the Metabolic rate, all you ever see are best guesses as the only way is to have a very expensive test to know what you are. However for today I rode 75km and burnt 2000 cal according to my computer so I think 50 cals per miles on average for average effort is a fairly good guess.

However I have to say I warn anyone of following CICO (calories In Calories out) method of losing weight, after all that is what we talk about is very misleading.

Maybe i'm just super fit then but my ride yesterday was 104km, 1621m of climbing and apparently I used @ 3777kcal. That works out at about 36kcal per kilometre average.

My food intake for the road was one Danish pastry with coffee (no sugar) for breakfast and 2 poached eggs on toast with a pot of tea (again no sugar) @ 70km in. TBH the stop wasn't really needed but I enjoy a break, a chance to stretch the legs etc, especially on longer rides. That certainly comes to nowhere near the suggested calorie output.

[PH]

firstly the advice to eat 1600 Cals a day and if you are active is total nonsense and you will be very hungry and quickly.

What advice is that? I know it's there in the OP but I think there's been some misunderstanding, I haven't seen anything that suggests the long established guidance has changed, just some advice on how it might be best to achieve it.

[djnotts]

Surely part of the problem of adjusting intake to output is that we are all so very different? I have no idea of my calorie input. I imagine it has varied a lot over time irrespective of "need". My cycling is less than half what it was 5 years ago. I eat no differently. When I was a young drunk, 8 -10 pints a day. And as an older drunk, 1 -2 bottles of spirits. Heavy manual labour when early 20s. Sedentary work thereafter. No alcohol for nearly 15 years. And yet my weight has never varied by more than 1/2 stone from 18 y.o. to now (near 70). And my waist line never over 30".

[PH]

Base my 40 on the METS table thingy (http://prevention.sph.sc.edu/tools/docs/documents_compendium.pdf) and from loading recorded tracks into various software once home.

I had a go at that, working on my weight (95kg) ave riding speed (13mph), using the MET 8 from your link and this conversion.
http://lamb.cc/calories-burned-calculator/
gives me 796 cal an hour or around 62 per mile

So today, as it's snowing, I had a play on a wattbike at the gym, I set it up to burn 796 cal an hour - I lasted 20 min!
After a rest - I needed it - I worked from the other direction, pedalled at a resistance and effort level that felt similar to riding, after 20 min it calculated I'd burnt 120 cal, which I think equates to the 30 a mile that I think is right for me.

Looking down the list at other things that get the same MET rating (Inc - circuit training, including some aerobic movement with minimal rest, general) brings me back to the idea that our bodies adapt. I couldn't circuit train for as long as I can ride a bike!

As this is my umpteenth post on the subject, maybe I should point out that I have no expertise just an interest, particularly in how it relates to me.