Thread: Carb Question

It's not essential that they come in the same ratio. If they are quality slow digesting carbs, they will take long enough to digest that they will be in you for awhile. Eating all your carbs at one meal isnt a good idea, but what you are doin is fine. I would definately try to get something in your stomach before working out in the morning. A protein shake with skim milk and maybe a piece of fruit would be a good start.

I know - but it's so hard to eat anything at 4:15 in the morning! I was thinking a small shake would be beneficial also... the myoplex I have is low in carbs tho.. so I would assume I would throw some oats/fruit into it?? I don't mean to sound stupid, but I am so new at the nutrition thing and trying to figure out the right balance for my body is difficult.

With your carbs - they can be at eany ratio you want during the day... But it is usually more sensible to 'load' your carbs around your workouts - that way you get the energy when you NEED to energy!

If you are doing both weights AND cardio in the morning then I would really suggest that you eat beforehand. What about some yoghurt, whey powder and some strawberries made into a shake pre-workout? Fast, simple and a lot better than training on an empty stomach!!!

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

With your carbs - they can be at eany ratio you want during the day... But it is usually more sensible to 'load' your carbs around your workouts - that way you get the energy when you NEED to energy!

If you are doing both weights AND cardio in the morning then I would really suggest that you eat beforehand. What about some yoghurt, whey powder and some strawberries made into a shake pre-workout? Fast, simple and a lot better than training on an empty stomach!!!

I don't do the cardio in the a.m. because of my time constraint (work) - only p.m. after work. I will try the shake idea and see if that helps me.

Thanks

Originally Posted by katt

I don't do the cardio in the a.m. because of my time constraint (work) - only p.m. after work. I will try the shake idea and see if that helps me.

Thanks

Welcome.

And try to do the same PWO as well - something like skim milk, whey and fruit (+/- some oats) would be a good PWO shake.

Ok - so I mixed the oats with my shake, I assume you just put them in the food mill and grind them to a powder??? It's kinda like getting to the bottom of your glass and having to chew the rest down. It's not bad - but....

I have to make these at work & may have to break down & bring a blender in - can I make them in the a.m. and just store in the fridge, or do they lose nutritional value after sitting around for hours?

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

With your carbs they can be at eany ratio you want during the day... But it is usually more sensible to 'load' your carbs around your workouts - that way you get the energy when you NEED to energy!

If you are doing both weights AND cardio in the morning then I would really suggest that you eat beforehand. What about some yoghurt, whey powder and some strawberries made into a shake pre-workout? Fast, simple and a lot better than training on an empty stomach!!!

Hi Emma,

Does it make sense to vary the size of the meal (in calories) throughout the day?

Something like this:

Meal 1: 25%
Meal 2: 20%
Meal 3: 20%
Meal 4: 15%
Meal 5: 20%

Thanks for any info.

Originally Posted by katt

Ok - so I mixed the oats with my shake, I assume you just put them in the food mill and grind them to a powder??? It's kinda like getting to the bottom of your glass and having to chew the rest down. It's not bad - but....

You can grind them.. Or you can have them whole if you want and just use a spoon to eat them... I have whole oats in a yoghurt/whey mix pre-workout (I workout early am too - so I soak the oats overnight in the yoghurt and mix in whey in the mornings, then I top with some strawberries)....

I have to make these at work & may have to break down & bring a blender in - can I make them in the a.m. and just store in the fridge, or do they lose nutritional value after sitting around for hours?

You can soak the oats with yoghurt (better pre-workout) or milk (better PWO) and fruit if you want. This will actually soften the oats and make them easier to digest. But I would not mix the whey in until you actually need it...

So measure out how much you need for the whey and leave it in little tupperware containers or baggies near the fridge. Then you can grab them easily and mix them when you grab the shakes.

Originally Posted by DOMS

Hi Emma,

Does it make sense to vary the size of the meal (in calories) throughout the day?

Something like this:

Meal 1: 25%
Meal 2: 20%
Meal 3: 20%
Meal 4: 15%
Meal 5: 20%

Thanks for any info.

If you want.... Some people like to split the meals evenly, others like to stack cals around workouts or have them earlier in the day.

My advice:
1. make sure you get good pre and post workout nutrition
2. make sure you can stick to the diet for the rest of the day!

So if you find yourself REALLY hungry late at night, then LEAVE a good amount of calories for this time so you can eat then while still remaining in your calorie requirements for the day.

If you find you love a large breakfast, then have a large breakfast, but make sure you are able to stick to your calories for the rest of the day!

And as long as your meals all have a decent amount of protein, fibre and some healthy fats (exception being workout situations) and as long as they are not REALLY uneven (eg: 50% in one meal and 10% in the rest) then do what you need to do to stick to things!

Thanks Emma -

Emma I know the reasoning behind why skim milk is better PWO .. but why would yogurt be advantages over skim milk pre workout?

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

If you want.... Some people like to split the meals evenly, others like to stack cals around workouts or have them earlier in the day.

My advice:
1. make sure you get good pre and post workout nutrition
2. make sure you can stick to the diet for the rest of the day!

So if you find yourself REALLY hungry late at night, then LEAVE a good amount of calories for this time so you can eat then while still remaining in your calorie requirements for the day.

If you find you love a large breakfast, then have a large breakfast, but make sure you are able to stick to your calories for the rest of the day!

And as long as your meals all have a decent amount of protein, fibre and some healthy fats (exception being workout situations) and as long as they are not REALLY uneven (eg: 50% in one meal and 10% in the rest) then do what you need to do to stick to things!

Thanks for the wise words Emma.

I've got another question.

Does it make sense to make the last meal of the day protein rich and carb and fat poor?

Originally Posted by DOMS

Thanks for the wise words Emma.

I've got another question.

Does it make sense to make the last meal of the day protein rich and carb and fat poor?

Too many variables... What type of carbs? What type of fat? What are you trying to achieve? What have you eaten during the rest of the day? etc etc.

eg: If you workout last thing at night and first thing in the morning then these can both benefit from carbs late at night....

If you are cutting carbs can be beneficial at night (it helps prevent lean mass loss)... As can carbs when bulking...

If you suffer from hypoglycaemia then carbs spread evenly can be beneficial to prevent huge dips in blood sugar....

Fat at night can help delay gastric emptying and assist in both satiety and if you take it with a protein it will help with maintaining your nitrogen balance...


There is no one correct answer.

Originally Posted by Tom_B

Emma I know the reasoning behind why skim milk is better PWO .. but why would yogurt be advantages over skim milk pre workout?

Yoghurt is slower to digest - so you get a more prolonged effect with the entry of the amino acids/carbs into your blood for the duration of your workout.

Originally Posted by Emma-Leigh

Too many variables... What type of carbs? What type of fat? What are you trying to achieve? What have you eaten during the rest of the day? etc etc.

eg: If you workout last thing at night and first thing in the morning then these can both benefit from carbs late at night....

If you are cutting carbs can be beneficial at night (it helps prevent lean mass loss)... As can carbs when bulking...

If you suffer from hypoglycaemia then carbs spread evenly can be beneficial to prevent huge dips in blood sugar....

Fat at night can help delay gastric emptying and assist in both satiety and if you take it with a protein it will help with maintaining your nitrogen balance...


There is no one correct answer.

For this subject, I'd like to set aside the workout time. I have no ailments (other than my popped rib).

You touched on what I was looking for when you mentioned fat and gastric emptying. My thought was this: would it make sense to cut back on carbs, and keep the fat content low, during the last meal? These tend to covert to fat more readily than protein. By protein, I meant (but didn't say) meat. My thought was that it would take longer to digest than non-meat proteins and would help during the nightly fast, but wouldn't contribute as much to adipose tissue than the carbs and fats.

It that sound reasoning or should I go back to Open Chat?