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Is it already that time? Good lord... I have a nice simple goal for this challenge. I want to do a century bike ride this summer (I just completed a 40-mile ride on Saturday and for once finished without wanting to die/burst into tears/hide under the bed for a week) so all my work is going to be ride-centered. It'll probably trail over into the next challenge as I think I'm doing it in August - I haven't found one with the qualities I want any sooner. (The qualities I want are largely flatness.) (Actually a continous downhill would be nice) So I'll be riding, riding, riding for this challenge, and hitting the heavy irons like a mofo'. Build those legs! (which already won't fit in my jeans. Quadzilla). I'm also forcing myself NOT to diet this go-round. I'm very frustrated with my weight loss (or rather lack of) right now, and I think I've been over-restricting which makes me go off the deep end every few days and pig out. Not good for me. So I'm planning to force myself to eat 200 grams of carbs a day, with the caveat that they are paleo-safe starches (sweet potatoes, plantains, *occasional* white rice, etc). No pasta, no bread - basically no grains - I'm aiming for very, very nutrient dense food. If I want to sweet tooth it out, ice cream - at least it has calcium. (And deliciousness). So: three points of attack... 3 bike rides per week (one long, one hill training, one sprints) 2 weight sessions (Strong Curves-based, if anyone's familiar with that program) 200 grams of paleo-safe carbs daily, more on ride days. Of the three goals, making myself eat those carbs is the most terrifying... I have visions of blowing up like a pufferfish. I had a lot of success with low-carb/paleo when I started getting fit, but now that I'm a lot more active I'm drained dry all the time, and inching up my carb level (70... 80...90...) isn't working and is driving me crazy to boot. So I'm going to bump it all the way to 200 and see what happens. Possibly I will do my bike ride wearing a circus tent. But several people I trust (including J. Stanton of gnolls.org who kindly talked to me about it) have said for each hour daily you are exercising, you should plan on another 100g of carb, so we're just gonna roll with that. off to the gym now, good luck to everyone... T

So, the last few days I've been getting really REALLY bad cravings for food, any food, but particularly junk, and particularly sweet things, in the evenings. I haven't changed my diet at all, so I have no idea where they've come from, but it's really pissing me off. Diet is almost entirely paleo. I typically eat soup and salad for lunch, then a big meal with meat and plenty of vegetables in the evening. I don't usually eat breakfast, partially because of the benefits of intermittent fasting, and just because eating first thing in the morning makes me nauseous. It's weird though, I'm only suffering this unreasonable extra hunger in the later evening, AFTER I've had the huge meal that accounts for most of my daily calories. The past month I've been eating essentially the same as this, but have felt full all evening. Anyway, two things. First, does anyone know of any reason why my stomach could suddenly be torturing me like this? Secondly, and the main thing I'd like to know, is does anyone have any particular tips or tricks for beating the cravings that they could share? Sorry for what is essentially just me whining about being hungry, but there you go. It's getting to me a little as I'm finding it increasingly hard to resist the urge to go shove any sweet thing I can find in the house into my face, and I really don't want to screw up and have a major binge, as I'm having a holiday of sorts in less than a month. Thoughts, anyone?