So I have started my morning workout routine today being day one. I was just browsing through articles about morning workouts and I found this article and if this is true I think I may fall deeply in love with this routine:
"Dinner I usually tell people to eat a huge breakfast, a somewhat lighter lunch, and a very light dinner, but morning exercisers should flip this eating plan upside down. You should fuel up with a large high-carbohydrate dinner to fully stock the fuel tanks in your muscles for the next morning's exercise. For example, try pasta with tomato sauce, a salad, and some bread, or a veggie stir-fry with rice. "
Any thoughts? I would love to have license to eat a carb filled dins!!
I agree with Daimere, so long as you don't go overboard with carbs there's no problem.
I have carbs at most mealtimes, porridge for breakfast and something with noodles/potatoes/pasta for dinner and the odd sandwich for lunch. Oh and I'm an evening exerciser by the way.
i have no idea. I wouldnt think it mattered that much, as long as you didnt collapse or throw up during your exercise (or any other time of day for that matter!)
Breads/pasta's are my nemesis! I always gain when I eat too much of them, especially at night - you need to listen to your body, and if you can handle it, I say go for it! But also remember, everything in moderation.. so watch those portions. And rice with a stirfry sounds very reasonable!
I agree, too many carbs is a bad idea, it's like anything else you eat, you need to eat it in moderation. Also, your metabolism will slow down if you pack it full of carbs before you go to bed. Better to eat something that will kick your metabolism into high gear while you sleep. Like cucumber, or anything else that's full of fibre.
I have said it once, and I'll say it again - WHEN you eat makes almost no difference as compared to WHAT you eat.
The caveat on that...how satisfied/hungry you are can depend on the "when", and major hunger or satisfaction issues can cause you to change your "what". An example: Let's say you don't eat all day, until dinner. You then eat a 1400 calorie dinner. In my experience, if you do this, you'll lose weight at just about the same rate as someone who eats 1400 calories throughout the day. There IS a difference in real life, though, as you'll be HUNGRY when you sit down to that dinner and tend to overeat (thus changing the "what" to possibly eating more calories), or you'll be less able to resist trigger-foods and temptations, thus resulting in a binge. For SOME people, they can change the "when" to a once-a-day eating pattern without changing the "what"...it is all about what works for you.
Another example - Assume you don't eat before going to the gym at all, and work out first thing in the morning. Your body might be fine with this. You might, though, make yourself over-hungry/dizzy/low-blood-sugared, which is going to make you more likely to overeat...changing the "what". SOME people can work out on an empty stomach without this effect, and some can't. It's about what works for you.
Bottom line - control the "what", via planning and by the eating timing and strategies that work for you and your unique body.
Bottom line - control the "what", via planning and by the eating timing and strategies that work for you and your unique body.
Ditto!
I think there is probably some truth to certain macros affecting your fat burning or whatever, but if eating spaghetti first thing in the morning makes you feel icky or puts you in a coma or throws you off for the rest of the day then it probably isn't all that effective.
I may burn more calories by eating a huge breakfast and working out in the morning, but I *like* eating a bigger lunch and a smallish dinner and working out later in the evening (and not eating afterwards). If that is what it takes to keep me happily chugging along, then to me that is most effective.
I have no idea if this is true or not, but I will tell you from my own experience
that I *personally* have more energy for my morning workout when I eat lots of veggies and protein at night.
I very rarely eat carbs for dinner, but I have noticed that when I do I am actually a bit more sluggish at the gym the next morning. This is just my own personal experience. I only exercise in the morning!
A big carb-laden dinner always makes me ravenous when I wake up the next morning, so I don't have the presence of mind to exercise. But that might not be the case if you're careful to consume mostly high-fiber whole grains.
The "fuel in your muscles" isn't going anywhere whether you concentrate your carbohydrates in the morning post-workout or at night pre-workout. Glycogen is glycogen--your liver will determine when it should be broken down. And who says you have to concentrate your carbohydrates anywhere? If you have balanced meals throughout the day, it won't matter.
I've heard that the pasta dinner/carb loading myth doesn't really work for most people. Even elite athletes usually eat high quality carbs, and technically you're supposed to have your high carb day 48 hours in advance so that your body has time to store the glycogen. If you're doing it the night before to fuel your morning routine then I don't think it's going to help much, and might even cause more cravings.
Either way, tkm256 is right. You should be focusing on getting balanced meals throughout the day to fuel your body consistently, unless you are doing an olympic-level workout that needs to be prepared for.
Last edited by JoyfulVegGirl; 02-23-2009 at 11:29 PM.
My mother was a marathon runner and used to wake up in the middle of the night to eat so she'd have energy for her 5 am runs!
I think it depends on what kind of activity you do. If you are just doing ordinary workouts, I don't see the need to stockpile fuel. If you are a serious athlete, then I'm sure it probably does matter when & what you consume.
You could always experiment. You'll probably be able to tell in a few days if eating extra carbs at night helps or hinders you.
I think its true that morning exercisers can eat a bigger dinner because most likely your breakfast won't be large. At least for me after an intense 6am workout I'm not exactly in the mood for eggs and cheese, I have all I can do to eat a bowl of cereal or some yogurt and fruit. If you have a certain amount of calories for the day and your breakfast takes up less then your dinner can take up more.
Last edited by tigarlily1; 02-24-2009 at 10:04 AM.
Is this true???
