What are the best products for cyclists looking to lose weight?

Choose a variety of low-energy dense products that are high in water content, fiber, and/or protein to increase satiety.

Written by: The Athlete’s FoodCoach, on 8-03-2024

Control your calories and fill your plate: Choose low-energy dense foods that have fewer calories per gram due its macronutrient composition to enjoy a full plate portions while managing your calorie intake.
Satiety: Low energy-dense foods tend to be high in water content, fiber, and/or protein, helping to increase satiety and reduce hunger. Athletes can feel fuller while consuming fewer calories, making it easier to adhere to a calorie-controlled diet.
Nutrient rich: Many low energy-dense foods are rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. This helps athletes to receive the necessary nutrients for optimal performance while still managing calorie intake.
Variety: Embrace variety to enhance nutritional intake. A diverse diet ensures you receive all necessary vitamins and minerals, supporting energy metabolism, muscle function, recovery, the immune system, bone health, and counteract the effects of intense physical activity and stress inflicted on the athlethes body while striving for weight loss.

Prioritize low-energy-dense products: Prioritize foods with high water content, such as fruits, non-starchy vegetables, soups, whole grains, and legumes.
Portion control: limit consumption of high-fat and low-moisture foods, as well as alcohol, to manage calorie intake effectively.
Tune your favorite recipes: Reduce fat content and incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your favorite meals to lower energy density in your eating routines while boosting nutritional value.
Discover new recipes: Embrace variety in your meals and use the FoodCoach app to try one of our 1500+ performance meals proven at World Tour level.
Don't rely solely on visual cues: High-fat foods may appear small but pack a calorie punch. Focus on ingredients and nutritional content rather than portion size alone.
Start with low-energy dense options: Begin meals with foods like soups or salads to increase feelings of fullness and reduce overall calorie intake.
No short cuts: Steer clear of "fat burner" claims and quick-fix products (eg. carnitine). Claims are overstated and not supported by evidence.

If you hesitate or don't see results after a while, don't hesitate to seek help from a professional FoodCoach.

Fruits: berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries), oranges, apples, grapefruit, kiwi
Non-starchy vegetables: spinach, kale ,broccoli cauliflower, bell peppers
Soups: clear vegetable broth, chicken noodle soup (with lots of vegetables), lentil soup, gazpacho
Whole grains: quinoa, brown rice, oats, whole wheat couscous
Legumes: lentils, chickpeas, black beans, split peas
Other: Eggs, lean meat

- Low energy dense products: Energy density of products is determined by the amount of energy or calories in a particular weight of food and is usually presented as kcal/g. Low-energy dense foods contain fewer calories per gram due to their favorable macro nutrient composition (fat: 9 kcal/g, protein and carbs: 4 kcal/g, alcohol: 7 kcal/g).
- Carnitine: A substance synthesized in the liver and kidneys, also found in red meats and some dairy products. It aids in fat metabolism, especially during fasting or low to moderate intensity exercise, by transporting fatty acids into mitochondria for energy production. Despite its popularity as a supplement, increasing muscle carnitine levels has proven challenging and there is limited evidence supporting its effectiveness in weight loss.

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