Workout advice...

[planetofthegrapes]

I'm starting my first W30 and the thing I'm most worried about, I think, is the post- and pre-WO meals. I usually do 40-50 minutes on the elliptical or stair master about 5-7 days per week.

I have a few questions about this. First, if I do my workout first thing in the morning, I'll have my pre-WO snack. But then by the time I'm done and have my post-WO meal, it's already time for breakfast. So should this replace breakfast? Or should I just double the amount of protein in my breakfast?

In general, if a post-WO meal coincides with another meal, should it replace that meal, or (again) should I just double the amount of protein in it?

And how does this sound for workout meals?

Pre-WO: hard-boiled egg with a handful of coconut shreds

Post-WO: can of tuna or a piece of chicken with half a sweet potato

How much carb-dense veggies should I be eating post-WO? Any other ideas besides sweet potato?

I'm a little worried that I won't be able to afford to work out because of the extra food I have to eat!

EDIT: I'm also interested in doing more muscle work, in addition to cardio. I'd like to gain muscle in my arms and chest but don't know where to get started. Given what I'm already doing and my W30, how would you guys suggest getting started?

[planetofthegrapes]

Sorry to reply just to bump this to the top, but I would love any advice you can offer or if you have any links for me to read I would appreciate that as well!

[Bethany Lannon]

Your pre-WO meal looks great... If you have any tummy troubles during your workout, I would suggest changing your fat source from the coconut to either coconut milk (perhaps in coffee) or some cashews. I find, and have read many other posts of similar cases, that the raw shredded coconut doesn't sit well in my tummy. Your post-WO looks almost identical to what I would have. I have had instances where my post-WO meal would coincide with breakfast... In that case, I usually make an effort to add in more protein and vegetables. That's when I will make an egg white omelet (I use the carton egg whites --- totally compliant) with sautéed onions, cherry tomatoes and some spinach. Then I'll have 1/2 sweet potato steamed & mashed up with sliced banana cooked stovetop in coconut oil (trust me, this combination is divine!!). Then you can either take a snack to have between breakfast & lunch (similar to your pre-WO meal/snack: prot + fat) or plan on eating lunch sooner if you get hungry earlier on in the day. I'm not sure what Mods will say, but this is usually how I approach the timing thing. You definitely want to make sure that whatever you eat after your workout (whether its a post WO snack or you're making it into a meal), you want it to be as low fat as possible.

As for strength training, just start! It'll make you stronger overall and give you more lean muscle mass than if you were just doing cardio alone. I have been fortunate enough to have a powerlifter as a husband so he's been able to educate me in the world of strength training. To start out though, it can be as simple as squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, etc. As you get more comfortable with strength training, I have found this page to be a great source of strength training exercises, many of which don't require equipment:

http://whatsbeautiful.ua.com/training-tips

Good luck!!

[Jenn B]

I have learned in the recent months that if I do not eat a pre and post workout meal, it catches up with me later in the day and I lack that satiated-balance (guess that would be the blood sugar levels) and I end up eating too much in the evening. If my post workout snack coincides with breakfast, I will either reduce the size of the post workout meal and actually eat it before i leave the gym- eating the meal 45 minutes or so later after i have showered, or combine (as you were talking about) the PO meal with the meal- increase the protein. It also depends on the time of day I am working out (more often very early a.m. 5 a.m. ish).

All that being said, I have recently learned I get a much better work out if I eat 2 hb before a workout as opposed to just eating 1, which I had been doing for months. I suggest you play with it and notice how you feel, your hunger levels throughout the day... I am still tweaking, and will have to continue to tweak with summer activities, which vary greatly for me from winter routines.