Chris I noticed in another post you said something along the lines of: “Since starting a food log 2 years ago I haven’t done the wake up at nigh protein shake thing.”
My question is since it has been 2 years is this an indicator that you feel it reeally isn’t needed or it just didn’t work well for you? Thanks.
Actually, I’ve been keeping a food log longer than two years, but that’s beside the point.
I think the midnight shakes may be useful for a true ectomorph. I’ve always suspected that many bone skinny guys have smaller capacities for food intake and that (along with a few other factors like rapid metabolism) is why they have such a tough time gaining. In that case, another opportunity to get in some calories would be helpful.
For me, I’m on the other end of the situation. I can gain fat easily so I have to constantly be watching what I’m doing. I tried midnight shakes once and just didn’t feel they were all that needed. As I wrote in the other post, a shake before bed (low carb, good fats, maybe some fiber) should be adequate for most if they also get up and eat a good breakfast.
What is a typical Chris Shugart breakfast anyway? Does it change for training and non-training days? Thanks.
Steve - It doesn’t really change according to training vs. non-training days, but it does change according to the current goal and if I’m on something like MAG-10.
Typical breakfast for me is Low Carb Grow! and low fat cottage cheese blended together. I choose that for three reasons: 1) I don’t feel much like eating solid food as soon as I get up. 2) Being very sensitive to carbs, I prefer to keep the first and last meal of the day low carb. 3) I’m most “on” mentally in the morning, so I want to slam down some protein quick and get to work writing.
Now, when on MAG-10 I think more carbs are needed (a la Bill Roberts), so I try to get them in every meal except for the last one. In that case, I just add old fashioned oatmeal, sometimes cold and mixed into the shake (see recipe in the T-mag article called “Shake It Up”) or sometimes just along with the Grow!/cottage cheese shake.
If I don’t have a shake, then I prefer eggs: whole eggs when low carbing, scrambled egg whites and oatmeal when not, sometimes topping the oatmeal with yogurt.
When totally off any diet and having a free meal, I prefer the Embassy Suites breakfast buffet - but being a good boy, I do cardio first (light circuit work in the hotel’s fitness center - a “feeder” type of workout - followed by laps in the pool.) Obviously I don’t do that often, just when on the road and staying at Embassy. I did this last weekend in Dallas actually. No one can stuff an omelet like an Embassy chef!