I will be doing heavy lifting workouts in the AM come January. I am clueless about how I am to fuel up for these morning lifts...I will be lifting for about an hour to an hour and a half and don't want to bonk. How, what and when should I eat?
I plan on hitting the gym at 5:30 and coming out at around 6:30 - 7:00.
Someone help my
ass, please.
Thanks!
Who ever helps me first gets a cookie. :sport:
Eric:
Most will probably focus on just your morning meals, when working out in the mornings, and this is mistake, in my opinion.
Concerning diet, what is most important is the "total" circumference of the diet during "entire" day (in a 24 hour period, and trend history)--in addition to pre and post workout meal planning (in your case in the mornings).
In other words, you theoretically could eat fairly well pre and post workout, but still have complications, if the remaining 75% (post workout, and pre-workout) period is lacking. So the diet has to be up to snuff (as feasibly possible--during this 75%) as well as the 25% pre and post workout periods.
So, what you have here is this:
1. Your total calorie intake within a 24 hour period, where boundaries and parameters are set---in accordance to you desired goal (example: fat loss, or good tissue gain.
2. Your macro nutrient amounts in grams for the entire day, which would include pre and post workouts, with the primary purpose of the pre-workout meal is to prepare the body for the upcoming load, and the purpose of the post workout is to "attempt" to replenish what used and aide in recovery/repair--as quickly as feasible possible.
Both have to serve as Breakfast so-to-speak.
3. If number one is set in "calorie restriction" (which I understand you are doing), and you have the intention to traditionally deficit (and not "necessarily manipulate the macro nutrients": say restricting and timing carbohydrates), then the nutrients become important in the sense of repair and aiding energy as much as feasibly possible in the face of a energy deficit.
So some types of food (such as slow absorbing complex carbohydrates during the 75%), become important. While quick absorbing simple carbohydrates are more important surrounded by your workouts (25%).
Its my opinion, for what its worth to you, protein becomes more important in the face of a calorie deficit (where the body is looking and feeding on itself for energy, than the carbohydrate--"to a degree"), and less of importance when bulking--where it is somewhat the reverse, where Carbohydrates "can" become more important than Protein--to one simply lifting free weights, etc.
4. If you getting up in the morning and doing your workouts, after an 8 hour (or so) sleep, than you are not necessarily in the peak condition to workout, and your blood glucose is lower than it would otherwise would be. Additionally most are dehydrated, and you should drink WATER first thing. Its the first order of business.
What I think you should do is eat a sound meal, and then wait about 2 hours (approx., to let it biologically digest), and then commence with your workout routine.
You should spike your blood sugar by eating some fruits (or another item that is healthy and a quick absorbing simple carbohydrate), and could couple it with a complex carbohydrate (say oatmeal), whey protein powder (quick absorbing protein), and maybe a slower digesting protein (such as a piece of chicken, fish, etc), and would add in a Fat source (since this is your first meal of the day). If you do not have whey protein powder, just simply eat a quality protein food item.
Post workout is basically the same (how you do this will depend on whether you have protein powder or not), and you focus mainly on simple quick absorbing...fast acting, replenishing, type of carbohydrates.
Then throughout the day, space out your meals sectioned mathematically according to your set calorie restriction. This is mainly for a nutritional push, stave off hunger cravings, then anything else. If one thinks multiple meals increases metabolism, they need "head examined".
Ensure you get your allotted hard digesting proteins, COMPLEX carbohydrates, Fiber (such as from veggies, etc), and attempt to keep your blood glucose as stable as possible (to prevent hunger spikes, etc, more than necessary). You do not want your food being your enemy, in the food craving area, and it can be.
Hope this helps.
ROCK-ON!........Shoooot, you doing morning workouts, will rock your entire day, and get the engines fired up!.....YEA!
Chillen
