Overindulged This Christmas? A Chat with Uri Carlson
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Hope you’d an amazing Christmas
If you’re like me, the holidays were filled with indulgence - endless desserts, second helpings, and the occasional pint of Guinness.
Now, with the new year just around the corner, you might be feeling the urge to compensate with a drastic calorie cut or by ramping up exercise while eating as little as possible.
Here’s the truth: that’s not the solution.
I had the privilege of chatting with Uri Carlson, one of the world’s leading nutritionists for endurance athletes, and she made a point that completely changed my approach to post-holiday eating habits: Your body needs fuel—not restriction.
Here’s why:
When you slash calories too aggressively after overindulging, your body perceives it as stress. This can spike cortisol (a stress hormone), suppress your immune system, and slow your recovery.
You’re not setting yourself up for weight loss or better performance; instead, you’re increasing your risk of getting sick or burning out.
Instead, Uri advocates for a smarter, more sustainable approach:
1️⃣ Fuel Your Rides to Optimise Performance
Uri’s advice is crystal clear: Don’t under-fuel on the bike. For any session lasting more than 60–90 minutes, aim for 40–120g of carbohydrates per hour, depending on the session’s intensity and your body weight. (I’ve built a free calculator to figure out your fuelling if you’re unsure)
This might sound counterintuitive, especially after a season of indulgence, but eating enough during your rides actually helps regulate your appetite and energy levels off the bike. It prevents the “end-of-day Netflix binge” that leads to overeating when your body is trying to play catch-up.
What does this look like in real terms? It could be:
A banana and a few dates.
A sports drink with 30–40g of carbs combined with an energy gel.
Even a handful of Haribo jellies.
The goal is adaptation. As Uri said during our conversation, fuelling during your ride isn’t just about “getting through it”; it’s about maximising adaptation and performance. If you fuel properly, you’ll train better, recover faster, and see real progress.
2️⃣ Recovery Nutrition: Timing Matters
When you finish a ride, your body enters a glycogen uptake window - this is your opportunity to replenish those depleted energy stores. The best recovery meals or snacks combine a 4:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio.
Some simple, effective options include:
Chocolate milk.
A smoothie with a banana, nut butter, and oat milk.
A commercial recovery drink (I used to love the Lion Bar flavour by Powerbar, haven’t seen it in years)
The idea is to provide your muscles with the nutrients they need to recover and adapt to the training stress.
3️⃣ Weight Loss Without Sacrifice
For many of us, weight loss is a goal at this time of year. The key, Uri explains, is timing your calorie deficit wisely. Instead of restricting on the bike (a big no-no), focus on creating a small calorie deficit off the bike.
How we should do this:
It’s about timing your calorie intake around your training schedule. It’s not just about what you eat but when you eat it.
For example, if you have a big ride planned for Saturday morning—say, a club run or a long endurance session—your Friday evening meal is critical. This isn’t the time to cut back on portions or skip carbs. Instead, prioritise a nutrient-dense, carb-rich dinner that fuels your performance the next day. Think of it as “banking energy” for your ride.
On the other hand, let’s say you ride long on Sunday but plan to take Monday as a rest day. Even though you’ve had a big training effort, your body doesn’t need the same level of fuelling on Sunday evening. That’s the perfect opportunity to dial back your portions slightly, focusing on a balanced meal that supports recovery without overloading on energy your body won’t burn the next day.
“It’s not what you don’t know that hurts you, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”
There’s no such thing as “eating is cheating.” Fuelling during your rides isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a proven strategy used by top-level athletes to train harder, recover faster, and avoid the pitfalls of overtraining.
If you’re worried about eating more during sessions, consider this: WorldTour riders often consume 4,000–5,000 calories on big training days and still lose weight. Why? Because they’re giving their bodies the fuel they need, exactly when it’s needed most.
Ditch the fad diets, ketones, intermittent fasting and focus on compounding real gains day after day & week after week.
This Week’s Challenge
This week, I challenge you to focus on intentional fuelling. Forget crash diets or extreme calorie restrictions—instead, fuel every ride over 90 minutes and prioritise recovery afterward. Pay attention to how your energy, mood, and performance improve.
If you’re curious about diving deeper, you can listen to my full interview with Uri Carlson here . She’s a wealth of knowledge on everything from macros to mental strategies for sustainable nutrition, and I promise her advice will change the way you approach food.
Let’s start 2025 fuelled, focused, and ready to ride!
Anthony
Ps, I’m building a free community called the “Toolkit” for readers of the Saturday Spin Newsletter. Each week I’ll aim to add in requested resources or anything I think you need access to to excel in cycling.
Since we’re talking about fuelling today I’ve added in a FREE Energy Ball Cookbook so you’ve no excuses to under fuel on the bike. Here it is
Please pop me an email (by hitting reply) or message me on social letting me know your favourite recipe.
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