I've been trying a new technique recently. I can't do any of the low-carb stuff which I think would probably work for me. Or, well, at least I can't do the ketosis thing anyway. Plus I love my cereal type stuff too much.
Lots of people have been nagging me for ages I don't eat anywhere near enough, but I've always justified it with the fact I just get heavier. But I've tried something else. That myfitnesspal app- I've put all my exercise n stuff in (not using the RIDICULOUS figures that MFP use for cycling/running/gym, but more realistic ones), set it up for a 500 cal a day deficit, and eating back the exercise calories, or at least most of them. This means that I am eating a lot more. It scared the hell out of me at first, but I said I would give it a couple of months to see what happened.
So it gives me 1200 calories a day as a base, and then I eat back my exercise calories on top (I'm quite conservative I think with what I'm putting in I burn off but I'd prefer it that way round to the other way). I'm eating a large bowl of porridge for breakfast (with added protein powder, cinnamon, banana, berries and a few seeds)- prob 500 calories worth (I do a lot of exercise in the mornings on empty so am starving) and then try and keep carbs back for the rest of the day. I'm eating fruit and veg, and not being really strict, but I mean just not eating anything like pasta, rice, bread, you know, the usual stodgy stuff. If my family is having something like spag bol, I'll have the bol but with veg not pasta on the side. My evening meals are relatively small, but I'm eating a lot through the day.
So far, it seems I'm generally about 5lbs down. (it's not easy to tell as I'm always lower during weeks where I'm ill)
It's been very hard as I get sick of so many people saying 'are you eating again, ooooo are you eating again, ooo that's a lot of porridge' and it REALLY pisses me off. Having taken years to get over an ED, I still fcuking hate people going on about it. I exercise for hours a day FFS, and I think the reason I got in this position was because I became so paranoid about people commenting on how I was eating all the time. So ate less and less. Erm, yep. I burn loads off EVERY DAY. I'm HUNGRY.
Anyway, the result of this far too long ramble is that from eating more, I seem to have lost some weight (still a long way to go!) and I feel literally 10 million times better, both physically and mentally. And it's all co-incided with a) eating more and b) having stopped the longer rides all the time. The cortisol levels in my body are also much lower (stress hormone) and cortisol mainly makes you cling to fat so I guess it's all adding up. I'm still doing loads of exercise, but not killing myself by trying to ride all night whilst not being healthy enough, and it seems my body is happier for it (no sh!t!)