Morning workout pre/post thoughts

[TiMANimal]

I'm sure this has been brought up but I can't find it.......I am working out at 5am and waking up at 4:45. No time for a pre workout meal. After workout I have enough time to eat and leave for work. Can I have larger portion breakfast to make up for lack of pre/post meals?

[SpinSpin]

I am sure others will come along with advice, but I think that you should be able to have at least 1 hard boiled egg prior to your work out. It doesn't need to be eaten a long time before you start. I would think even something small after--a bit of chicken and sweet potato-- wouldn't interfere with breakfast and getting ready for work. The pre meal is to signal to your body that 'something' is coming and the meal directly after is to start the healing process. JMHO and YMMV

[jacmic]

I'm an early morning exerciser as well. I have never eaten pre-workout but yesterday I woke up really hungry. I grabbed a handful of nuts - combo of macadamia and hazelnuts, and it worked great for me so I did the same this morning. When I say handful - just enough to fit into my palm with no "heap".  I combine post workout and breakfast b/c I shower at the gym and come straight to work. That just works for me. 

[Juice06870]

I am also waking up around 445 am in order to get to the gym by 5 or 515am.  I have found the most convenient preworkout meal for me has been 1 Epic Bar and half an Avocado.  I get a dose of protein and fat and no additional carbs or sugars.  No preparation is required at all (IE cooking or microwaving).  You could even have the avocado at home and then chew on the Epic bar in the car, or on you bike, on the way to the gym.

 

I think a larger breakfast will not do the trick, you will just be over consuming food and calories at one meal, and depriving your body of 'needed' calories and nutrients before and/or after your workout.  

 

What have done in the past for your post work out meal?  Do you have some precooked stuff on stand by?  IE you could grill or bake a batch of chicken for the week, and roast some sweet potatoes in the oven.  Have the chicken cut up into 4oz or 6oz (or whatever your requirement is for protein) portions, packed and ready to go.  Just toss it in the microwave for 1 minute (sweet potato is excellent when it's cold) and you are good to go.  

 

I assume you would be eating your post work out meal sometime between 630-730am depending on how long you work out...this would bring you to having breakfast around 830-930am -and bang - you are right on schedule and lunch and dinner will logically follow at the normal times.  You get 3 full meals and the 2 bonus 'meals' Pre WO and post WO and you are not risking robbing your body of vital nutrients that are extremely important to get right after you work out.  (if you spend time and effort in the gym, you might as well make sure you are fueling it as best you can)

 

Hope this helps a little.

[Bethany Lannon]

On days like those, here's what I do... I have to get up at 4am to be at the gym by 5am. I'm a nursing momma so part of that time is devoted to pre-WO pumping. I drink coffee with coconut milk, and I'll have a HB egg. Easy peasy. So there's your prot/fat pre-WO meal. Albeit not a large meal by any means, but you get my point. After my workout, I'll either pack a small meal with me to eat on my way home (canned tuna and cubed/steamed sweet potato.. Not the greatest of combos but its lean protein and carbs). Or I'll do a large post-WO meal, keeping fat to a minimum. Whenever I do this, I load up on veggies. But I also do it knowing that ill get hungry sooner since my body is recovering from my WO and utilizing those cals quicker. On those days when I can't have a dedicated post-WO meal before my official Meal #1, I'll usually allow for a 4th meal or a mini-meal at some point during the day (1-2 HB eggs, 1/2 bell pepper or other raw veg with a Wholly Guacamole 100-calorie packet... They're compliant!). So, may not be the most ideal & may send meal template people's heads spinning but it works for me. Point is, we all have different schedules and priorities. You have to find and do what works for you (& doesn't turn you into an under-fed grouch later in the day! Haha).

[Karyna]

How would I structure my meals if my workouts are at lunch?

 

A PreWO snack would be a handful of nuts. Then I normally have lunch immediately after my workout (which today was a chicken breast with a coconut milk and garam masala sauce, and steamed broccoli). I did get hungry a couple of hours after and had a snack of some fruit and nuts. 

 

What is the recommendation for a midday workout?

[Juice06870]

Add some protein to the preworkout snack - IE a boiled egg or a couple strips of chicken breast.

 

You should try to have the post WO meal after your workout, and then have your lunch an 60-120 minutes after that depending on when you start feeling hungry.  You would probably start feeling hungry sooner rather than later since your post WO meal would be absorbed/used by your body relatively quickly after completing a workout.  

 

If you are just eating lunch right after your workout, and then needing a snack a couple of hours after that, it's essentially the same thing, except you would in theory be feeding your body more sensibly (and hence giving your body the full nutritional benefit after the work out)if you eat the post WO snack followed by lunch.  

[Karyna]

Thank you for the advice!

Tomorrow I plan to workout first thing, so this is the meal plan:

PreWO snack - 1 egg cooked in 1 tsp ghee

PostWO meal - sweet potato hash with pork mince and spinach

Meal 1 - Monkey Salad (banana, cashews, shredded coconut and strawberries)

Meal 2 - Pork cooked in ghee with cauliflower mash and some cashew nuts

Meal 3 - Beef Bolognese with Zucchini Noodles

Not sure if I'm eating too much?

[amberino21]

It's not too much, but I'd rethink meal one - it has no vegetables or protein. Whilst fruit isn't discouraged during your whole 30, it shouldn't push vegetables off the plate.

Your pre and post WO meals are great!

[Karyna]

Thanks amberino!

 

Here is the amended menu for today:

 

PreWO - 1 egg fried in 1tsp ghee

PostWO - sweet potato hash with pork mince with spinach

Meal 1 - 1-2 hard boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and cashew nuts w/ coconut, blueberries, strawberries (I may not eat this all as it looks like a TON of food).

Meal 2 - pork tenderloin with cauliflower mash and salad

Meal 3 - beef bolognese with zucchini noodles

 

Is this looking a bit better?

[amberino21]

Thanks amberino!

Here is the amended menu for today:

PreWO - 1 egg fried in 1tsp ghee

PostWO - sweet potato hash with pork mince with spinach

Meal 1 - 1-2 hard boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato, cucumber and cashew nuts w/ coconut, blueberries, strawberries (I may not eat this all as it looks like a TON of food).

Meal 2 - pork tenderloin with cauliflower mash and salad

Meal 3 - beef bolognese with zucchini noodles

Is this looking a bit better?

Much better - I'd bump the eggs up to a whole serve though. That should be as many as you can hold in your hand, which is likely to be 3-4! Eat the protein, vegies and nuts first, then see if there's room for the fruit

[Karyna]

Much better - I'd bump the eggs up to a whole serve though. That should be as many as you can hold in your hand, which is likely to be 3-4! Eat the protein, vegies and nuts first, then see if there's room for the fruit

 

Thank you for your help! 

 

I was only able to have the two boiled eggs as I had a meeting but then ate the nuts, coconut, coconut milk and fruit. Feel quite good - not too stuffed at all.

[amberino21]

Thank you for your help!

I was only able to have the two boiled eggs as I had a meeting but then ate the nuts, coconut, coconut milk and fruit. Feel quite good - not too stuffed at all.

What about the vegetables?

[Karyna]

What about the vegetables?

 

Sorry - I ended up having lettuce, cucumber and tomato as that was all they had at the salad bar.

[thenewjason]

In my experience, if you aren't feeling drained during your workout i would not worry about a pre-WO snack. Listen to your body.

[Karyna]

How much time should I have in between my PostWO meal and M1? I finished my PostWO meal at about 8:30. So I am thinking M1 at about 9:30?

[Juice06870]

1-2 hours is a good window between post WO meal and meal 1 - see how you feel and when you start feeling hungry.  Sometimes I can wait the full 2 hours, and sometimes I am starving an hour or so later. 

[LTRocket]

I think I struggle with this the most.  If I workout in the morning I typically wouldn't eat and would then just have a hearty breakfast before leaving for work.  I've at least started eating an egg or handful of nuts prior to working out.  Afterwards though there's just no time for postWO meal.  I have to get ready for work, eat M1, then leave for work.  Dragging my breakfast along with me to work because I have to wait after a postWO meal would just be a pain because I'm already taking my lunch and possible snacks with me.  So my post-WO meal and breakfast are usually combined.  Same usually goes if I workout in the evening, which is usually around dinner time.  Will have a small preWO meal then have postWO combined with M3 afterwards.  This is my first week so I think it's working so far.  Still need to work on making my meals bigger though, so that I'm not snacking in between.

[amberino21]

I think I struggle with this the most. If I workout in the morning I typically wouldn't eat and would then just have a hearty breakfast before leaving for work. I've at least started eating an egg or handful of nuts prior to working out. Afterwards though there's just no time for postWO meal. I have to get ready for work, eat M1, then leave for work. Dragging my breakfast along with me to work because I have to wait after a postWO meal would just be a pain because I'm already taking my lunch and possible snacks with me. So my post-WO meal and breakfast are usually combined. Same usually goes if I workout in the evening, which is usually around dinner time. Will have a small preWO meal then have postWO combined with M3 afterwards. This is my first week so I think it's working so far. Still need to work on making my meals bigger though, so that I'm not snacking in between.

Personally I'd aim to have proper pre/ postWO food plus 3 proper meals instead of combining postWO with a meal then snacking. Your postWO should be lean protein and starchy vegie carbs - combining it with a meal including fat won't make it as effective in your refuelling and recovery process.