What do you eat after a workout?

[El Gamo]

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

[iceman]

i try to have a muscle milk shake or any type of pre-mixed drink ready that has the protein and carb ratios i want...if i am into muscle more than weight loss, it is carbs and protein if i want to cut some weight, a carb concious drink instead...

[The_One77]

You want simple carbs at this point because it's purpose is to replenish glycogen stores in the muscle, this includes white rice, fruit etc
What's also essential is Protein, I suggest you drink a Whey Protein Shake also.

But if you can get a postworkout shake that includes protein and carbs that would probably be the most beneficial meal to have.
Personally I just have a protein shake after a workout then wait 45 minutes to have another meal.

[Scrap]

Do you like Advocadoes

[LUCKY_13]

Straight after a workout, you should having a protein surge (shake, meal, supplement etc) that contains at least 35-40% of your daily protein requirements.

Half an hour after that you should consume a high-complex carbohydrate meal (low sugar pref). Pasta meals, wholemeal/multi-grain sandwhiches, oatmeal etc.

To better the taste of your tuna, put it on wholemeal or multi-grain bread, add some mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salt, pepper. There is lots of things you can do to spice it up.

[FeuerFrei]

Straight after a workout, you should having a protein surge (shake, meal, supplement etc) that contains at least 35-40% of your daily protein requirements.

Half an hour after that you should consume a high-complex carbohydrate meal (low sugar pref). Pasta meals, wholemeal/multi-grain sandwhiches, oatmeal etc.

To better the taste of your tuna, put it on wholemeal or multi-grain bread, add some mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, cheese, salt, pepper. There is lots of things you can do to spice it up.

Not only is White Mike Tyson's ideas for making tuna taste better excellent ideas. I've also noticed that with tuna, if you use the nonfat mayonnaise on your tuna, you really can't tell the difference flavor-wise on the tuna and it does make is tastier and stay on your bread a lot better. The nonfat mayo is great if you have weight concerns. Also chicken is something I east quite a bit of as a midday meal. I think it is a great way to replace protein and I love half and half watered down gatorade to put the muscle glycogen back quick as well as the electrolytes.

[Smacky021]

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

It depends on your goal. Are you cutting, maintaining, or growing?

I'll outline the common things that go into every one of the goals. The best thing you can do is to have a fast acting protein, either whey concentrate or isolate. This along with your BCAA's, Glutamine, and if you choose Creatine. Although Creatine loading is a whole different topic, i can elaborate on that if you wish too. Whole foods ARE NOT a good idea directly after training. They take too long to be broken down and used to repair and replenish all resouces used during training.

During training your hormone levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Testostrone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin like Growth Factor and Cortisol are increased. Increased levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine are all part of humans response to the Flight-or-Fight scenario. Increased Testosterone helps build/repair broken down muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is a response to stimuli, training, and the apdaptation, repair, is so that next time you body doesn't have to tax it's system and deplete it of vital resources. HGH and IGF are more or a long term repair modality of the body. HGH and IGF help build/repair muscle but have a greater impact on tendons and ligaments.

Cortisol is the worst thing in this group to be elevated. Cortisol is released in response to energy output, it's role in the body is to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body and use them for energy. When your body releases cortisol your are in a catabolic(wasting) state not an anabolic(building) state. Now since cortisol levels are in an inverse relationship with insulin levels we need to eat accordingly.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Think of insulin as "The spoon that feeds your muscles, tendons, and ligaments". Low levels of insulin is a bad thing because that means cortisol levels are high. High levels are bad because that means you are storing food for later use as energy. You body stores food in the form of fat. Every athlete wants a balanced insulin level at all times. This can be easily accomplished through diet.

Focusing on a post training diet, one would need a High Glycemic Index carbohydrate in small amounts (20 - 40g) to help spike insuling but not through the roof. Just enough to shutdown the cortisol feedback loop. At this time you are bringing insulin levels up enough to utilize their role in the body as carriers of food to muscles. The fast acting protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine are used to stop the damage that you have done to yourself during training.

Protein is made of long stands of aminos acids, therefore the replacing of lost amino acids is vital. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine should have special attention because they in combination are proactive in protein synthesis. Glutamine is also important because during training an athlete can easily deplete 85% of their storage. The reason for such a large percentage is because Glutamine is stored in muscles.



I know this was a little long but wanted to get the point across.

If you have any questions inregards to what your second meal 1 hr after your post shake should be or the 3rd meal, both of which are slightly less important, but still important enough to dedicate time to, ask me. Or if you are trying to cut, bulk, or maintain lemme know. i can help out. Grocery list i got that to.



Dan

[El Gamo]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Especially yours Smacky.

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

It depends on your goal. Are you cutting, maintaining, or growing?

I'll outline the common things that go into every one of the goals. The best thing you can do is to have a fast acting protein, either whey concentrate or isolate. This along with your BCAA's, Glutamine, and if you choose Creatine. Although Creatine loading is a whole different topic, i can elaborate on that if you wish too. Whole foods ARE NOT a good idea directly after training. They take too long to be broken down and used to repair and replenish all resouces used during training.

During training your hormone levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Testostrone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin like Growth Factor and Cortisol are increased. Increased levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine are all part of humans response to the Flight-or-Fight scenario. Increased Testosterone helps build/repair broken down muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is a response to stimuli, training, and the apdaptation, repair, is so that next time you body doesn't have to tax it's system and deplete it of vital resources. HGH and IGF are more or a long term repair modality of the body. HGH and IGF help build/repair muscle but have a greater impact on tendons and ligaments.

Cortisol is the worst thing in this group to be elevated. Cortisol is released in response to energy output, it's role in the body is to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body and use them for energy. When your body releases cortisol your are in a catabolic(wasting) state not an anabolic(building) state. Now since cortisol levels are in an inverse relationship with insulin levels we need to eat accordingly.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Think of insulin as "The spoon that feeds your muscles, tendons, and ligaments". Low levels of insulin is a bad thing because that means cortisol levels are high. High levels are bad because that means you are storing food for later use as energy. You body stores food in the form of fat. Every athlete wants a balanced insulin level at all times. This can be easily accomplished through diet.

Focusing on a post training diet, one would need a High Glycemic Index carbohydrate in small amounts (20 - 40g) to help spike insuling but not through the roof. Just enough to shutdown the cortisol feedback loop. At this time you are bringing insulin levels up enough to utilize their role in the body as carriers of food to muscles. The fast acting protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine are used to stop the damage that you have done to yourself during training.

Protein is made of long stands of aminos acids, therefore the replacing of lost amino acids is vital. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine should have special attention because they in combination are proactive in protein synthesis. Glutamine is also important because during training an athlete can easily deplete 85% of their storage. The reason for such a large percentage is because Glutamine is stored in muscles.



I know this was a little long but wanted to get the point across.

If you have any questions inregards to what your second meal 1 hr after your post shake should be or the 3rd meal, both of which are slightly less important, but still important enough to dedicate time to, ask me. Or if you are trying to cut, bulk, or maintain lemme know. i can help out. Grocery list i got that to.



Dan

That was amazing. I'd like to see the grocery list please!

[themusic]

i have a banana then about 10 mins later have my protien shake with water

[Smacky021]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Especially yours Smacky.

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

It depends on your goal. Are you cutting, maintaining, or growing?

I'll outline the common things that go into every one of the goals. The best thing you can do is to have a fast acting protein, either whey concentrate or isolate. This along with your BCAA's, Glutamine, and if you choose Creatine. Although Creatine loading is a whole different topic, i can elaborate on that if you wish too. Whole foods ARE NOT a good idea directly after training. They take too long to be broken down and used to repair and replenish all resouces used during training.

During training your hormone levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Testostrone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin like Growth Factor and Cortisol are increased. Increased levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine are all part of humans response to the Flight-or-Fight scenario. Increased Testosterone helps build/repair broken down muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is a response to stimuli, training, and the apdaptation, repair, is so that next time you body doesn't have to tax it's system and deplete it of vital resources. HGH and IGF are more or a long term repair modality of the body. HGH and IGF help build/repair muscle but have a greater impact on tendons and ligaments.

Cortisol is the worst thing in this group to be elevated. Cortisol is released in response to energy output, it's role in the body is to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body and use them for energy. When your body releases cortisol your are in a catabolic(wasting) state not an anabolic(building) state. Now since cortisol levels are in an inverse relationship with insulin levels we need to eat accordingly.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Think of insulin as "The spoon that feeds your muscles, tendons, and ligaments". Low levels of insulin is a bad thing because that means cortisol levels are high. High levels are bad because that means you are storing food for later use as energy. You body stores food in the form of fat. Every athlete wants a balanced insulin level at all times. This can be easily accomplished through diet.

Focusing on a post training diet, one would need a High Glycemic Index carbohydrate in small amounts (20 - 40g) to help spike insuling but not through the roof. Just enough to shutdown the cortisol feedback loop. At this time you are bringing insulin levels up enough to utilize their role in the body as carriers of food to muscles. The fast acting protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine are used to stop the damage that you have done to yourself during training.

Protein is made of long stands of aminos acids, therefore the replacing of lost amino acids is vital. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine should have special attention because they in combination are proactive in protein synthesis. Glutamine is also important because during training an athlete can easily deplete 85% of their storage. The reason for such a large percentage is because Glutamine is stored in muscles.



I know this was a little long but wanted to get the point across.

If you have any questions inregards to what your second meal 1 hr after your post shake should be or the 3rd meal, both of which are slightly less important, but still important enough to dedicate time to, ask me. Or if you are trying to cut, bulk, or maintain lemme know. i can help out. Grocery list i got that to.



Dan

That was amazing. I'd like to see the grocery list please!

Thank you, for your kind words


Here's the Grocery List

Whole Eggs
Cartons of Egg Whites - I love em, I just drink em straight out the box.
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Canned Tuna
Lean Red Meat
Ground Beef
Beef Jerky (Low Sodium)
Whey Protein
Mixed Nuts
All Natural Peanut Butter
Every Kind of Bean
Broccoli
Spinach
All Peppers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Celery
Lettuce
Avocados
Whole Wheat Breads
Whole Wheat Pasta
Oatmeal, Oatmeal, Oatmeal!!!
Bananas
Apples
Grapefruit
Cranberries
Blueberries
Oranges
Flax Seed Oil
Olive Oil
Skim Milk
Water
Pomegranite Juice

I think that is all i'll post anymore if i can think of it.


As I asked before it depends on what you are trying to do. Bulk, Cut, or Maintain? The big thing with the grocery list is that it doesn't change at all!!! You should be eating the same exact food whether you are bulking, cutting, or maintaining. The part that does change is the frequency and quantity of food, not the quality. As an athlete you always want quality so therefore it should be constant.

Dieting and eating clean are 90% of losing weight. Cardio and training are a close second. Cardio must be done religiously. I found that running first thing in the morning yields the quickest and most effecient way in dropping weight. Normally i get up drive straight to the gym on an EMPTY STOMACH. Yes, empty stomach. Since your body is in a catabolic state from not eating while you were sleeping, you are primed for utiliing fat as your main energy source. Since your body doesn't have any food in it's stomach to use for energy it starts to deplete your glycogen storages in your muscles. At this time your liver releases glucagon and more blood into your circulatory system. Glucose is the main energy source until it runs out, this takes about 20 minutes to achieve. Glucagon is used in the same fashion while the extra blood that is released is used to carry more oxygen to your cells. Once you have sucessfully made it through your glucose storage you body begins to breakdown fats for energy. The usage of fat as energy must come(for me atleast) in the form of long slow cardio, not the conditioning i'm use to for boxing. A typical day for me is 20 - 35 minutes of the StairMaster followed by 30 - 45 minutes of the elliptical.

The dieting frequency is every 2 hrs so that you metabolism is high at all times. Running in the morning on an empty stomach also raises your metabolism without the presence of food. Meal portions are considerable smaller while you are cutting. An good rule of thumb is to always put out more energy than what is taken in. Calculate your daily caloric requirements and then goto www.Fitday.com. It is a free site where u can find out what your daily caloric intake by plugging in the food you eat and how you can ration out your meals so that they are equivalent throughout the day. Another trick that i use is to not have any carbohydrates after 4pm. Eating the majority of your carbs early in the day helps so that they are burn off throughout the day and not stored as fat later in the day. Around mid day you can switch from protein/carb meals to protein/fat meals. Now i know this is a basic and has worked for me. This might not work for you. Everyone's body is different. Every individual has to experiment on what works best for them and then tweak from there. I hope that i have given everyone a good enough based from which you can plan and attack against dropping weight.



I'll have more on maintaing and gaining quality weight a little bit later i'm at work now and it's picking up!!




Dan

[Sioxnc]

thank you smacky, this nutrition site is extremely useful!

[Outlaw Immortal]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Especially yours Smacky.

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

It depends on your goal. Are you cutting, maintaining, or growing?

I'll outline the common things that go into every one of the goals. The best thing you can do is to have a fast acting protein, either whey concentrate or isolate. This along with your BCAA's, Glutamine, and if you choose Creatine. Although Creatine loading is a whole different topic, i can elaborate on that if you wish too. Whole foods ARE NOT a good idea directly after training. They take too long to be broken down and used to repair and replenish all resouces used during training.

During training your hormone levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Testostrone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin like Growth Factor and Cortisol are increased. Increased levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine are all part of humans response to the Flight-or-Fight scenario. Increased Testosterone helps build/repair broken down muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is a response to stimuli, training, and the apdaptation, repair, is so that next time you body doesn't have to tax it's system and deplete it of vital resources. HGH and IGF are more or a long term repair modality of the body. HGH and IGF help build/repair muscle but have a greater impact on tendons and ligaments.

Cortisol is the worst thing in this group to be elevated. Cortisol is released in response to energy output, it's role in the body is to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body and use them for energy. When your body releases cortisol your are in a catabolic(wasting) state not an anabolic(building) state. Now since cortisol levels are in an inverse relationship with insulin levels we need to eat accordingly.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Think of insulin as "The spoon that feeds your muscles, tendons, and ligaments". Low levels of insulin is a bad thing because that means cortisol levels are high. High levels are bad because that means you are storing food for later use as energy. You body stores food in the form of fat. Every athlete wants a balanced insulin level at all times. This can be easily accomplished through diet.

Focusing on a post training diet, one would need a High Glycemic Index carbohydrate in small amounts (20 - 40g) to help spike insuling but not through the roof. Just enough to shutdown the cortisol feedback loop. At this time you are bringing insulin levels up enough to utilize their role in the body as carriers of food to muscles. The fast acting protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine are used to stop the damage that you have done to yourself during training.

Protein is made of long stands of aminos acids, therefore the replacing of lost amino acids is vital. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine should have special attention because they in combination are proactive in protein synthesis. Glutamine is also important because during training an athlete can easily deplete 85% of their storage. The reason for such a large percentage is because Glutamine is stored in muscles.



I know this was a little long but wanted to get the point across.

If you have any questions inregards to what your second meal 1 hr after your post shake should be or the 3rd meal, both of which are slightly less important, but still important enough to dedicate time to, ask me. Or if you are trying to cut, bulk, or maintain lemme know. i can help out. Grocery list i got that to.



Dan

That was amazing. I'd like to see the grocery list please!

Thank you, for your kind words


Here's the Grocery List

Whole Eggs
Cartons of Egg Whites - I love em, I just drink em straight out the box.
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Canned Tuna
Lean Red Meat
Ground Beef
Beef Jerky (Low Sodium)
Whey Protein
Mixed Nuts
All Natural Peanut Butter
Every Kind of Bean
Broccoli
Spinach
All Peppers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Celery
Lettuce
Avocados
Whole Wheat Breads
Whole Wheat Pasta
Oatmeal, Oatmeal, Oatmeal!!!
Bananas
Apples
Grapefruit
Cranberries
Blueberries
Oranges
Flax Seed Oil
Olive Oil
Skim Milk
Water
Pomegranite Juice

I think that is all i'll post anymore if i can think of it.


As I asked before it depends on what you are trying to do. Bulk, Cut, or Maintain? The big thing with the grocery list is that it doesn't change at all!!! You should be eating the same exact food whether you are bulking, cutting, or maintaining. The part that does change is the frequency and quantity of food, not the quality. As an athlete you always want quality so therefore it should be constant.

Dieting and eating clean are 90% of losing weight. Cardio and training are a close second. Cardio must be done religiously. I found that running first thing in the morning yields the quickest and most effecient way in dropping weight. Normally i get up drive straight to the gym on an EMPTY STOMACH. Yes, empty stomach. Since your body is in a catabolic state from not eating while you were sleeping, you are primed for utiliing fat as your main energy source. Since your body doesn't have any food in it's stomach to use for energy it starts to deplete your glycogen storages in your muscles. At this time your liver releases glucagon and more blood into your circulatory system. Glucose is the main energy source until it runs out, this takes about 20 minutes to achieve. Glucagon is used in the same fashion while the extra blood that is released is used to carry more oxygen to your cells. Once you have sucessfully made it through your glucose storage you body begins to breakdown fats for energy. The usage of fat as energy must come(for me atleast) in the form of long slow cardio, not the conditioning i'm use to for boxing. A typical day for me is 20 - 35 minutes of the StairMaster followed by 30 - 45 minutes of the elliptical.

The dieting frequency is every 2 hrs so that you metabolism is high at all times. Running in the morning on an empty stomach also raises your metabolism without the presence of food. Meal portions are considerable smaller while you are cutting. An good rule of thumb is to always put out more energy than what is taken in. Calculate your daily caloric requirements and then goto www.Fitday.com. It is a free site where u can find out what your daily caloric intake by plugging in the food you eat and how you can ration out your meals so that they are equivalent throughout the day. Another trick that i use is to not have any carbohydrates after 4pm. Eating the majority of your carbs early in the day helps so that they are burn off throughout the day and not stored as fat later in the day. Around mid day you can switch from protein/carb meals to protein/fat meals. Now i know this is a basic and has worked for me. This might not work for you. Everyone's body is different. Every individual has to experiment on what works best for them and then tweak from there. I hope that i have given everyone a good enough based from which you can plan and attack against dropping weight.



I'll have more on maintaing and gaining quality weight a little bit later i'm at work now and it's picking up!!




Dan

i agree with nearly everything you're sayin, but fructose spikes insulin, even with the fibre alot of fruits have, it still spikes insulin, and will stuff up your cut or strict bulk diet.

Also, doing cardio straight after you wake up isnt good, because as you said that you're in a catabolic state when u wake up, thats true, but your body eats at muscle also not just fat, so the muscle u managed to put on through bulk can all be lost through a few weeks of open morning cardio.

And, stoppin carbs after 4pm doesnt mean anything, because your body burns around 50-60 grams of carbs per 2 hours RESTING.
-'Eating the majority of your carbs early in the day helps so that they are burn off throughout the day and not stored as fat later in the day. ' Your body is constantly using carbs as energy throughout the day, so there isnt any need to stop after 4pm, the only time you should stop it is prior 2-3 hours before sleep, so your body doesnt store it as fat.


Also: 'Around mid day you can switch from protein/carb meals to protein/fat meals.', you should always spread out your carbs with protein, and sometimes includin good fats, and you should never swap carbs, cause theyre just as important as protein, you should only ignore carbs like i said before, before sleep.

But everything else you said is 100% right, and its really good to see theres some very educated people with dieting on here

[Smacky021]

Thanks for all the responses guys. Especially yours Smacky.

I was just wondering what you guys ate after a workout? Oh and I ABHORR tuna but need to start eating more,how can I make it nice and tasty?

It depends on your goal. Are you cutting, maintaining, or growing?

I'll outline the common things that go into every one of the goals. The best thing you can do is to have a fast acting protein, either whey concentrate or isolate. This along with your BCAA's, Glutamine, and if you choose Creatine. Although Creatine loading is a whole different topic, i can elaborate on that if you wish too. Whole foods ARE NOT a good idea directly after training. They take too long to be broken down and used to repair and replenish all resouces used during training.

During training your hormone levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, Epinephrine, Testostrone, Human Growth Hormone, and Insulin like Growth Factor and Cortisol are increased. Increased levels of Adrenaline, Norepinephrine, and Epinephrine are all part of humans response to the Flight-or-Fight scenario. Increased Testosterone helps build/repair broken down muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This is a response to stimuli, training, and the apdaptation, repair, is so that next time you body doesn't have to tax it's system and deplete it of vital resources. HGH and IGF are more or a long term repair modality of the body. HGH and IGF help build/repair muscle but have a greater impact on tendons and ligaments.

Cortisol is the worst thing in this group to be elevated. Cortisol is released in response to energy output, it's role in the body is to breakdown carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the body and use them for energy. When your body releases cortisol your are in a catabolic(wasting) state not an anabolic(building) state. Now since cortisol levels are in an inverse relationship with insulin levels we need to eat accordingly.

Insulin is produced in the pancreas. Think of insulin as "The spoon that feeds your muscles, tendons, and ligaments". Low levels of insulin is a bad thing because that means cortisol levels are high. High levels are bad because that means you are storing food for later use as energy. You body stores food in the form of fat. Every athlete wants a balanced insulin level at all times. This can be easily accomplished through diet.

Focusing on a post training diet, one would need a High Glycemic Index carbohydrate in small amounts (20 - 40g) to help spike insuling but not through the roof. Just enough to shutdown the cortisol feedback loop. At this time you are bringing insulin levels up enough to utilize their role in the body as carriers of food to muscles. The fast acting protein, BCAA's, and Glutamine are used to stop the damage that you have done to yourself during training.

Protein is made of long stands of aminos acids, therefore the replacing of lost amino acids is vital. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine should have special attention because they in combination are proactive in protein synthesis. Glutamine is also important because during training an athlete can easily deplete 85% of their storage. The reason for such a large percentage is because Glutamine is stored in muscles.



I know this was a little long but wanted to get the point across.

If you have any questions inregards to what your second meal 1 hr after your post shake should be or the 3rd meal, both of which are slightly less important, but still important enough to dedicate time to, ask me. Or if you are trying to cut, bulk, or maintain lemme know. i can help out. Grocery list i got that to.



Dan

That was amazing. I'd like to see the grocery list please!

Thank you, for your kind words


Here's the Grocery List

Whole Eggs
Cartons of Egg Whites - I love em, I just drink em straight out the box.
Chicken Breast
Turkey Breast
Canned Tuna
Lean Red Meat
Ground Beef
Beef Jerky (Low Sodium)
Whey Protein
Mixed Nuts
All Natural Peanut Butter
Every Kind of Bean
Broccoli
Spinach
All Peppers
Carrots
Tomatoes
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Celery
Lettuce
Avocados
Whole Wheat Breads
Whole Wheat Pasta
Oatmeal, Oatmeal, Oatmeal!!!
Bananas
Apples
Grapefruit
Cranberries
Blueberries
Oranges
Flax Seed Oil
Olive Oil
Skim Milk
Water
Pomegranite Juice

I think that is all i'll post anymore if i can think of it.


As I asked before it depends on what you are trying to do. Bulk, Cut, or Maintain? The big thing with the grocery list is that it doesn't change at all!!! You should be eating the same exact food whether you are bulking, cutting, or maintaining. The part that does change is the frequency and quantity of food, not the quality. As an athlete you always want quality so therefore it should be constant.

Dieting and eating clean are 90% of losing weight. Cardio and training are a close second. Cardio must be done religiously. I found that running first thing in the morning yields the quickest and most effecient way in dropping weight. Normally i get up drive straight to the gym on an EMPTY STOMACH. Yes, empty stomach. Since your body is in a catabolic state from not eating while you were sleeping, you are primed for utiliing fat as your main energy source. Since your body doesn't have any food in it's stomach to use for energy it starts to deplete your glycogen storages in your muscles. At this time your liver releases glucagon and more blood into your circulatory system. Glucose is the main energy source until it runs out, this takes about 20 minutes to achieve. Glucagon is used in the same fashion while the extra blood that is released is used to carry more oxygen to your cells. Once you have sucessfully made it through your glucose storage you body begins to breakdown fats for energy. The usage of fat as energy must come(for me atleast) in the form of long slow cardio, not the conditioning i'm use to for boxing. A typical day for me is 20 - 35 minutes of the StairMaster followed by 30 - 45 minutes of the elliptical.

The dieting frequency is every 2 hrs so that you metabolism is high at all times. Running in the morning on an empty stomach also raises your metabolism without the presence of food. Meal portions are considerable smaller while you are cutting. An good rule of thumb is to always put out more energy than what is taken in. Calculate your daily caloric requirements and then goto www.Fitday.com. It is a free site where u can find out what your daily caloric intake by plugging in the food you eat and how you can ration out your meals so that they are equivalent throughout the day. Another trick that i use is to not have any carbohydrates after 4pm. Eating the majority of your carbs early in the day helps so that they are burn off throughout the day and not stored as fat later in the day. Around mid day you can switch from protein/carb meals to protein/fat meals. Now i know this is a basic and has worked for me. This might not work for you. Everyone's body is different. Every individual has to experiment on what works best for them and then tweak from there. I hope that i have given everyone a good enough based from which you can plan and attack against dropping weight.



I'll have more on maintaing and gaining quality weight a little bit later i'm at work now and it's picking up!!




Dan

i agree with nearly everything you're sayin, but fructose spikes insulin, even with the fibre alot of fruits have, it still spikes insulin, and will stuff up your cut or strict bulk diet.

Also, doing cardio straight after you wake up isnt good, because as you said that you're in a catabolic state when u wake up, thats true, but your body eats at muscle also not just fat, so the muscle u managed to put on through bulk can all be lost through a few weeks of open morning cardio.

And, stoppin carbs after 4pm doesnt mean anything, because your body burns around 50-60 grams of carbs per 2 hours RESTING.
-'Eating the majority of your carbs early in the day helps so that they are burn off throughout the day and not stored as fat later in the day. ' Your body is constantly using carbs as energy throughout the day, so there isnt any need to stop after 4pm, the only time you should stop it is prior 2-3 hours before sleep, so your body doesnt store it as fat.


Also: 'Around mid day you can switch from protein/carb meals to protein/fat meals.', you should always spread out your carbs with protein, and sometimes includin good fats, and you should never swap carbs, cause theyre just as important as protein, you should only ignore carbs like i said before, before sleep.

But everything else you said is 100% right, and its really good to see theres some very educated people with dieting on here

Sorry if i rushed through my last post but it was a little busy at work the otherday. Let me fill in what i haphazardly did not touch on the otherday.



Most fruits do not spike insulin levels in the human body, here is a list of fruits and there corresponding Gylcemic Index numbers along with a catagoration of them in relation to where they fall on the chart.


Classification GI Range Examples
Low GI 55 or less most fruit and vegetables (except potatoes), wholegrains, basmati rice, pasta
Medium GI 56 - 69 sucrose, candy bar, croissant, some brown rices
High GI 70 or more corn flakes, baked potato, some white rices (e.g. jasmine), white bread


Apple 38
Apricot* 57
Banana* 56
Cantalope* 65
Cherries 22
Dates** 103
Grapefruit 25
Grapes 46
Kiwi 52
Mango 55
Orange 43
Papaya* 58
Peach 42
Pear* 58
Pineapple* 66
Plums 39
Prunes 15
Raisins 54
Watermelon** 72


The majority of fruits fall in the low range of the glycemic index while a few are in the medium range and only dates and watermelon are considered high on the glycemic index.



In regards to cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach every athlete just ingest Glutamine, BCAA's and any fat burner that they may be using. Adequate amounts of water should also be taken into consideration. Glutamine is utilized as a precardio supplement because of the catabolic state you body is in from it's minimum 8 hours of rest. As stated prior glutamine is the most abundant amino acid found in muscles. It is also the most depleted amino acid during exercise. Ingestion of glutamine helps protect muscles during exercise. Damage is going to occur but the amount of damage that can be controlled is our priority here. BCAA's are used to provide the best possible enviorment for protein synthesis, by making every amino acid easily accessable.



As a side note i picked 4pm because it is what has worked for me. The stopage of carbohydrate intake at 4pm is to stop the intake of cellular fluids. Carbohydrates help to pull more water into your cells. As we all know the purpose of dieting is to lose weight and water weight should be considered in weight lose. Intakes of water at atleast 1 gallon a day is reccommended so that all intercellular metabolic waste can be removed from the cells. A well hydrated cell is the most optimal in terms of performance on all levels.



Carbohydrate Cycling is more of an advanced dieting techniques and is usuallu reserved for people who are trying to get their body fat into the single digits. The purpose for only eating either carbohydrates or fats with protein is so that the carbohydrate or fat is used to either one of them as the main fuel source while the protein is used to repair and damaged cells. The human body prefers carbohydrates as it's main source of energy, and it's the only fuel our brains can use for energy. On a side note the human body if only given protein and fats as a fuel source can digest and chemicaly rearrange either protein and fats into carbohydrates, interesting right? Now by eliminating one of the fuel sources the body must fully use all of the given energy source whether it be fats or carbohydrates and possibly some protein. During this time the athlete should give special detail to meal size, the frequency of eating, and the combination of foods eaten at each meal and throughout the day.



I hope i didn't leave anything out this time...

Dan