I searched this site and found some articles talking about how great pre-workout nutrition is…but couldn’t find any real suggestions of actual food/meals!
I’m not much of a cook, and usually rushing/busy…
So are there any threads here or elsewhere that talk not only about WHAT to eat…but also when (in relation to my workout) I should be eating in order to optimize the meal/snack to best fuel myself and support muscle growth?
Thanks!
In genereal a meal thats fits your diet what ever that is and as close to the workout as you are comfortable. Find what works for you. I personally eat a few hours prior then have Surge just prior but I have a pretty tough gut could eat a steak and eggs and go squat LOL
Main thing what has you performing best some ppl cant have food in them and keep intensity HIGH
Phill
[quote]Phill wrote:
In genereal a meal thats fits your diet what ever that is and as close to the workout as you are comfortable. Find what works for you. I personally eat a few hours prior then have Surge just prior but I have a pretty tough gut could eat a steak and eggs and go squat LOL
Main thing what has you performing best some ppl cant have food in them and keep intensity HIGH
Phill[/quote]
I agree with phill on this one…what are your dietary needs at the moment and current goals?? are you looking to bulk, cut, or maintain?? that could play a factor into what exactly people suggest for you to eat pre-workout…
as for me, i try to keep it pretty light…maybe a protein bar, a bannana, cup of cottage cheese, half a peanut butter sandwich, of course a protein shake, and tons of other things…even a cup or brown rice or a handful of wheaties! there a million things out there, and knowing ur goals could help people suggestions
Sorry…I’ve been lurking around these parts long enough to know I should have included my goals.
The goal is to bulk.
My diet in general is something I’m working on…I’ve never been a big eater…I snack all day long and not always on the right things…so my diet is very much a work in progress.
Since my diet is still rather erratic at this point it’d be hard to post a “log” of it.
I’ve been trying to clean it up bit by bit…and reading a lot.
Thanks for the help!
[quote]m00se wrote:
Sorry…I’ve been lurking around these parts long enough to know I should have included my goals.
The goal is to bulk.
My diet in general is something I’m working on…I’ve never been a big eater…I snack all day long and not always on the right things…so my diet is very much a work in progress.
Since my diet is still rather erratic at this point it’d be hard to post a “log” of it.
I’ve been trying to clean it up bit by bit…and reading a lot.
Thanks for the help![/quote]
yea, i understand where your coming from…the whole diet thing is one of the hardest things to do when it comes to health and working out…id say start out by no longer drinking soda, im not even sure if u drink soda or not but u just said that ur diet is a work in progress so if u are, cut down on the ASAP!!
start to inclue more veggies, oatmeal for breakfast with some brown sugar and maybe raisins to give it some flavor and sweeten it up a bit…try to eat 5-6 meals a day, if ur bulking, base them around high protein, high fats, and high carbs!! its fun to bulk!!
whole eggs, try to eat 6-10 for breakfast or mid morning, whole eggs, hard boiled scrambled whatever…steak and eggs about 1.5-2 hours before a workout is great, depending on how well u can hold ur food down…
im not sayin a huge steak but a small steak with an egg or two, than immediately after working out a chicken breast with a sweet potatoe and maye some spinach…bulking and cutting are a 23 hour job, the other 1 hour or so comes in the gym…the 23 hours is the hardest, but will trully make or break ur bulk or cut…
i could talk all day about this but i hope this helped give u some direction…keep searching around this diet and asking questions and u will be set…good luck bro
Thanks!
My diet is erratic…so here are the parts that typical/normal…I’ll make comments as I go…
(oh…and I don’t, nor have EVER really drank soda)
Breakfast: (This is one thing I need to correct…I know this, but here is what’s typical)
6am-ish:
8oz OJ + GreensPlus + Protein powder
yes that is IT!! yikes! but still better than my previous breakfast of “none” til I got to work.
Once I get to work at 7:30am the snacking begins…
Usually 1/4cu of western trail mix (nuts with m&m’s mixed in)
Once those are gone…
1/4cu of Almonds/Walnuts
these things usually last me til 9 or 10am, depends how busy I am at work.
Sometimes during 8am to 10am, I go with co-workers and I get a Jamba Juice as well.
Around 11am I either have my lunch (usually a PBJ sandwich) or a piece of fruit.
If I didn’t have the sandwich at 11am… I eat it during “lunch” which is usually 12 to 1.
Then either WITH lunch, or just a bit afterwards I have another piece of fruit.
Then SOMETIMES, I’ll go with co-workers when they go to the student center (I work at a University) to get food and I’ll get either Subway, or some Chinese food (Panda Express)
Then around 3pm I sometimes have my last piece of fruit…or just skip it.
I get home 5pm-ish and this is where it gets really erratic.
I usually EAT right away (hoping that will allow me to eat again later)…
but “dinner” can be anything from another sandwich, to soup, or a Kashi frozen dinner to an Amy’s Pizza…like I said…no structure.
After eating I take the dog out to play, come home and head to the gym.
After the workout I down a recovery drink:
8 oz 2% Milk
Protein powder (Vanilla)
Creatine
coco-powder
“glob” of Peanut butter
Then usually I snack on “something” an hour or so later.
Throughout the day I drink water, but need to drink more.
I also drink different teas during the day…
Green Tea
Yerba Mate
Peppermint
I’m a tea drinker, so that’s easy for me.
My goals regarding my diet:
Eat MORE (proving to be harder than I thought…but I’m working on it) and try to make the “more” the RIGHT foods.
Get a good start on eating MORE by having a good full breakfast! which is hard since I usually go to bed way too late, so I get up late, and rush out the door for work.
Eating throughout the day is good, but I’d like to be a BIT more structured about it…say…every 2 hours (which is LESS frequent than I eat now)…but eat more at those intervals.
sorry for the long-ish post…but I DO appreciate the help!
Boy it take two thjings away from that LOL/ your lacking IMO in prob food all together REAL food and very low on protein If need be get a shake in a few times a day. when you have those fruit snack slam a protein drink. Bring them along put a scoop in a ziplock bag water fountian and cup your good to go
Phill
Oh breakfast yes get it if need be your up late make it the night before grab left overs lil planning goes a long way
Phill
nice, I liked the message about if your trying to bulk up. I’m trying to cut about 5 pounds more or so (almost there). What pre workout nutrition should I use?
[quote]realworksuks wrote:
nice, I liked the message about if your trying to bulk up. I’m trying to cut about 5 pounds more or so (almost there). What pre workout nutrition should I use?[/quote]
Again its what ever fits in your diet for your goals and will have you perform in the gym the best.
A great performance as opposed to a lack luster one even if you take in a few more calories is going to go a LOT further to your goals of losing fat preserving / building muscle then a crappy performance on less intake.
Vague yes but have food in you Protein amino rich blood if you need a few carbs to perform well take em in if no dont find what works
Phill
Phill
m00se, in answer to your question, drinking some chocolate milk before lifting would be great pre-workout nutrition.
Based on your goals, your eating isn’t bad. If you’re not making progress towards your goals each and every week (i.e., scale weight is going up!), then you need to increase quality/healthy calories a bit. Continue to eat what you’re eating (with more protein at every meal, as was recommended by Phill!) and drink milk IN ADDITION!!!
I’m trying to cut about 5 pounds more or so (almost there). What pre workout nutrition should I use?
realworksuks, pre-workout nutrition is generally part of a larger nutritional/dietary plan. I’d recommend that you get protein at 1g per pound of body weight and fat at 0.4g of body weight as a foundation. From there, get most of your carbs in the form of fibrous green veggie carbs, 3 servings of fresh or frozen fruit every day and a serving of beans (1/2 to 1 cup) at whatever meal you are hungriest.
With that foundation, I’d recommend 2 or 3 liters of Surge, depending on your body weight. Have one before, during and after (if above 200 pounds) and one before and one immediately upon completion of your workout if below 200 pounds. Follow with a whole food P+C meal with some starchy carbs about an hour later.
For starchy carbs, I tend to like to see people eating healthier starchy carbs like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, yams, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, amaranth, quinoa, barley, etc.
Does that help? Questions? (grin)
I thought that much protein intake was only needed for bulking (i’m very new to all this stuff). Why do we need that much protein for cutting?
I weigh 145, besides 7 protein shakes what would be a great way to get that protein?
[quote]realworksuks wrote:
I thought that much protein intake was only needed for bulking (i’m very new to all this stuff). Why do we need that much protein for cutting?
I weigh 145, besides 7 protein shakes what would be a great way to get that protein?[/quote]
Keep the shakes to a minimum. Eat soft get soft.
[quote]realworksuks wrote:
I thought that much protein intake was only needed for bulking (i’m very new to all this stuff). Why do we need that much protein for cutting?
I weigh 145, besides 7 protein shakes what would be a great way to get that protein?[/quote]
Protein should represent at least 33% of your caloric intake, and some people make it as much as 60%. Protein also has a thermic effect that is higher than carbs or fats, so it burns more calories during the digestive process than the other macronutrients; which is why it’s especially good to keep intake high while cutting.
[quote]dhuge67 wrote:
realworksuks wrote:
I thought that much protein intake was only needed for bulking (i’m very new to all this stuff). Why do we need that much protein for cutting?
I weigh 145, besides 7 protein shakes what would be a great way to get that protein?
Protein should represent at least 33% of your caloric intake, and some people make it as much as 60%. Protein also has a thermic effect that is higher than carbs or fats, so it burns more calories during the digestive process than the other macronutrients; which is why it’s especially good to keep intake high while cutting. [/quote]
Yes even more improtanmt IMO when cutting to help preserve the muscle mass keeps a steady flow of amino rich blood so your body doesnt go look for that uin muscle tissue. The the High TEF is a benefit. In short even more important while hypocaloric then hyper when bulking you have excess so your body isnt turninh to itself for anything be it fat or muscle for fuel
Phill
[quote]Tampa-Terry wrote:
m00se, in answer to your question, drinking some chocolate milk before lifting would be great pre-workout nutrition.
Based on your goals, your eating isn’t bad. If you’re not making progress towards your goals each and every week (i.e., scale weight is going up!), then you need to increase quality/healthy calories a bit. Continue to eat what you’re eating (with more protein at every meal, as was recommended by Phill!) and drink milk IN ADDITION!!!
Does that help? Questions? (grin)
[/quote]
Yep! Thanks!