someone break down what you should be eating before/after workouts....

[offthabooks]

this has always gotten me confused...when do you take in carbs/protein & how much?
I'm a female btw the way, my goal is not to "bulk up" simply to have energy during my workout & continue to build lean muscle...

thanks in advance

[Shaolin Temple]

this has always gotten me confused...when do you take in carbs/protein & how much?
I'm a female btw the way, my goal is not to "bulk up" simply to have energy during my workout & continue to build lean muscle...

thanks in advance

I take in carbs and proteins basically throughout the day. With carbs however, I typically intake most early in the day and tamper off at night. when I am cutting I limit my carbs a lot after about 7pm.

When I workout in the mornings I would wake up extra early (of course get 8 hours of sleep or more if possible) eat a full breakfast and workout 1 hour afterwards.

A typically breakfast would be 4 eggs (1 yolk and 3 egg whites), whole wheat bread, a full glass of milk (16 ounces about) and 1 full glass of water. Once you start the morning right, you are on the right track.

I would take 2 scoops of whey protein after workouts, drink about 2 2-liter bottles (although I fall short often). But as long as my urine is clear, it's a good sign I took enough water.

Now, I know the work "bulk" refers to getting larger or bigger. In training, bulk refers to muscle growth. I know females fear that word since they usually associate it with large men the size linebackers. But as an example I think Hillary Swank's preparation for the movie "Million Dollar Baby" (side note: it's a great movie if you haven't watched it.) She was skinny before, but had no muscle definition. she trained rigorously for about 7 or 8 months (I believe) and gained 19 pounds of muscle and added weight, but looked slimmer. How? Her body fat percentage dropped a good deal. She ate well above her BMR and was able to gain muscle as a result.

You said it yourself, you want to gain lean muscle, so it's usually done through bulking.

If you take anything from this post it should be this: do not fear bulking, even as a woman. Your testosterone levels are far less than the average man (about 1/10th), thus your potential to gain muscle is not equal to a man's.

Do not fear eating because of the fear of gaining weight. As long as it's healthy foods. Healthy fats, cholesterol, fiber, gain, protein, vitamins, minerals, water and you do your fair share of aerobic workouts, lift, sleep enough and such, you will be good.

Measure your basal metabolic rate and go about 300 over and eat throughout the day. 5 to 7 meals. Keep at it.

[offthabooks]

damn, good info...thank you

ok some follow-up questions since you seem to know alot about this:

what's a basal metabolic rate & how do I measure it?

if I work out at night (after working all day), what should I be eating then? I usually go to sleep within 2-3 hours of working out.

what does whey protein do?

if one wants to build muscle, how much should they be eating? I read something on another fitness board (geared specifically towards women) which said "muscle is metabolically expensive & takes extra calories to build". can you explain this more?

my work schedule is all over the place & I sometimes eat my dinner at 10pm at night...it's very hard for me to get on a set routine for my meals, except for breakfast. how does eating that late affect your body? (ie. are you more likely to gain weight if you eat a late dinner?) I currently eat 3 large meals a day- what is the benefit of breaking that up into 5-7 smaller meals?

[Shaolin Temple]

damn, good info...thank you

ok some follow-up questions since you seem to know alot about this:

what's a basal metabolic rate & how do I measure it?

if I work out at night (after working all day), what should I be eating then? I usually go to sleep within 2-3 hours of working out.

what does whey protein do?

if one wants to build muscle, how much should they be eating? I read something on another fitness board (geared specifically towards women) which said "muscle is metabolically expensive & takes extra calories to build". can you explain this more?

my work schedule is all over the place & I sometimes eat my dinner at 10pm at night...it's very hard for me to get on a set routine for my meals, except for breakfast. how does eating that late affect your body? (ie. are you more likely to gain weight if you eat a late dinner?) I currently eat 3 large meals a day- what is the benefit of breaking that up into 5-7 smaller meals?


I should have been more clear. Basal Metabolic Rate or BMR is the number of calories a person expends during a day at rest.

For Women: BMR = 655 + (9.6 x weight in kg) + (1.8 x height in cm) - (4.7 x age in years)

Sedentary (little or no exercise):
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2

Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week):
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375

Moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week):
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55

Very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week):
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725

Extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training):
Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

So, if you want to gain muscle, it's the same as for women. Eat more calories than your BMR (about 300 or so more).


Whey protein is just a supplement to assist people into reaching their protein intake for the day. I take it after workouts since it's easily avaliable, rather than search or run home to fix a meal. It's not completely necessary, but it helps.

The whey is the watery liquid that separates from the curds. When dried and powdered, it is considered a good source of protein.

I would eat a meal that is comprised of good carbs (complex and fiber), protein and drink a lot of liquid before the workout, and water throughout the day. Healthy fats: aim for 4 to 1 unsaturated to saturated fat content - read the labels.

After 1 whey protein drink is good after the workout. I would suggest that as well.

The benefit of eating throughout the day is 1) you do not get real hungry which is when people eat the first thing they can get their hands on, 2) it helps your metabolism since you are not stuffing food into your body and forcing it to digest a lot of food versus having it digest smaller amounts of food every 2 to 3 hours, 3) you have energy throughout the day.

[offthabooks]

ok cool...thanks

I think I fall in the moderately active category...work out 5 days a week plus play soccer...

Imma try that small meals thing...check back in this thread in a few days, imma post what I typically eat throughout the day & maybe you can give me some pointers?

[Shaolin Temple]

ok cool...thanks

I think I fall in the moderately active category...work out 5 days a week plus play soccer...

Imma try that small meals thing...check back in this thread in a few days, imma post what I typically eat throughout the day & maybe you can give me some pointers?

Yeah sure. Also look online and go to a local barnes and nobles and see read magazines and health books to get a sense of what makes a healthy snack/meal etc. There are plenty of good resources. Just make sure they do not deprive you of fats and carbs. Those diets are stupid and it's a way of trying to fool the body into losing calories and burning fat. THe body adjusts to everything you give it, or don't in some cases. Feed the body properly.

[offthabooks]

Yeah sure. Also look online and go to a local barnes and nobles and see read magazines and health books to get a sense of what makes a healthy snack/meal etc. There are plenty of good resources. Just make sure they do not deprive you of fats and carbs. Those diets are stupid and it's a way of trying to fool the body into losing calories and burning fat. THe body adjusts to everything you give it, or don't in some cases. Feed the body properly.
great advice...I def do not fall for any of those "miracle" diets...I've actually never been on a diet in my life. basically what I eat now is:

breakfast:
uncle sam (flax cereal) w/soy enhanced milk (I like soy milk better than reg. milk), coffee
OR
banana, nutri-gran bar, coffee

lunch-
subway veggie patty sandwich, pretzels, sweet tea (yea I know all that sugar in the tea is bad, but that's really the only time I take in alot of sugar)
OR
hummus & veggie wrap, chips & salsa

dinner-
whole-grain pasta w/veggie sauce (I eat alot of pasta)
whole grain rice w/beans
some kind of veggie stir fry
salmon w/rice & veggies

snacks are: yogurt, almonds, fruit (bananas, apples, peaches), olives, carrots & jalepeno dip, hummus & pita chips

bad things I eat, but love are:
hot wings
pizza
chinese food (mainly shrimp fried rice)
peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (I eat the "healthy" peanut butter tho)

I drink alot of water throughout the day & also drink a protein drink I get in the healthfood store

I'm not really sure what I'm lacking...I think I take in alot of carbs...I really don't eat any meat except for a lil bit of chicken.

[Shaolin Temple]

It’s really not a bad diet. I would take out the chips entirely though. I don’t care if it’s considered healthy. Even the chips that are not “high” in calories, they can be at times. They fool you into believing otherwise. Notice how some companies use a small serving size, so it gives the illusion that their foods are ideal for a low-calorie diet, when in fact it’s not. Then people wonder why they can’t lose weight. It’s their diet. Aren't the chips high in sodium anyway. Not sure, but double check the label.

Whole wheat pita with hummus is a better alternative. I would eliminate the sweet tea. Unsweetened tea is what you want. I know many people have a sweet tooth. You have to fight that urge. Do that for 2 weeks and it’ll be second nature. “Cheating” once in a while is fine. No more than once a week and I do not mean fast food meals. The “bad things” you eat are what I call cheat foods – pizza, hot wings, etc. Peanut butter is healthy, and a good source of protein and fat. Jelly is usually high in sugar and usually contains HFCS, so read the label if you include jelly.

As long as you never set foot in McDonalds and its competitors - take that out of your lifestyle entirely. Many of their foods include trans-fat and tons of calories. The large fries is 600+ calories alone. The drinks are usually over 200, and the big mac is at least 750. This is what America chooses either because they don’t care, they don’t know, or, what I believe, they are lazy!

Yogurt usually contains a lot of sugar: often times upwards of 22-30 grams of sugar “per serving.” The vanilla yogurt is best. It’s higher in protein and moderate in sugar. I wouldn’t eat yogurt regularly though. Substitute that with cottage cheese. Much better choice and far healthier.

Keep it up though! Good Job!

[limelight_9]

I'm taking notes all up in thru here.. :yes:

A sista is tryinna get it rite this time...

[offthabooks]

It’s really not a bad diet. I would take out the chips entirely though. I don’t care if it’s considered healthy. Even the chips that are not “high” in calories, they can be at times. They fool you into believing otherwise. Notice how some companies use a small serving size, so it gives the illusion that their foods are ideal for a low-calorie diet, when in fact it’s not. Then people wonder why they can’t lose weight. It’s their diet. Aren't the chips high in sodium anyway. Not sure, but double check the label.

Whole wheat pita with hummus is a better alternative. I would eliminate the sweet tea. Unsweetened tea is what you want. I know many people have a sweet tooth. You have to fight that urge. Do that for 2 weeks and it’ll be second nature. “Cheating” once in a while is fine. No more than once a week and I do not mean fast food meals. The “bad things” you eat are what I call cheat foods – pizza, hot wings, etc. Peanut butter is healthy, and a good source of protein and fat. Jelly is usually high in sugar and usually contains HFCS, so read the label if you include jelly.

As long as you never set foot in McDonalds and its competitors - take that out of your lifestyle entirely. Many of their foods include trans-fat and tons of calories. The large fries is 600+ calories alone. The drinks are usually over 200, and the big mac is at least 750. This is what America chooses either because they don’t care, they don’t know, or, what I believe, they are lazy!

Yogurt usually contains a lot of sugar: often times upwards of 22-30 grams of sugar “per serving.” The vanilla yogurt is best. It’s higher in protein and moderate in sugar. I wouldn’t eat yogurt regularly though. Substitute that with cottage cheese. Much better choice and far healthier.

Keep it up though! Good Job!

thank you :)

I think I will cut out the chips...I really only eat them b/c they come w/the wrap/sandwich, but I can easily pass them up...

I think I usually eat my cheat foods maybe once or twice a week at the most...

the sweet tea is something I can cut out...bout 2 years ago I gave up snapple peach iced tea which was my absolute favorite...I could drink a couple bottles of that per day easily...once I started reading up on the havoc sugar can wreck on your body, I gave it up...I drink a ton of water, so I'll just replace the sweet tea w/water...

I haven't set foot in a fast food place in years...there's no way I could ever eat that shyt again...yuck yuck yuck

damn, that kinda sucks that yogurt has so much sugar in it b/c I love yogurt...I really don't think I can do the cottage cheese thing...well I can try...but besides the high amount of sugar, is there anything really bad about eating yogurt?

ps. are you a nutritionist/trainer or just someone who's very knowledgable about these things?

[Shaolin Temple]

It is all about adjusting your lifestyle to get healthier and in the best shape possible, and doing so the right way. You obviously have the desire, so that is a good first step.

With the cottage cheese thing, you don't have to eat it alone. Mix it with sliced bananas and soy beans and stuff like that. It taste pretty good. Blueberries is actually very good as well, sometimes I mix that with cottage cheese. Try it, it's a great snack idea.

Yogurt is just too high in sugar. i'm talking about the fruit yogurts. If you can stay away from them and take the plain or vanilla yogurt, it'll pay dividends at the end.

I am not a nutritionist nor am I a trainer (although I plan on getting my certification soon - within a year). Still have some career goals to get out of the way. It's kinda funny cause around 2001 or so, I was out of shape and I remember lifting for the first time in a long time. And I remember I got soo weak and my endurance dropped significantly that first day back i was sooo frustrated that I left. To make a long story short, I started to read up on everything i can find, spoke to knowledgable people and through experience I learned more on fitness.

One person i met in particular really got me thinking. He was in his early 50s, but his body was more impressive than a fit 25 year old. His body looked like it actually belonged to a 25 year old (no lie). And all I can think is "why not me? why not be fit for the rest of my life?" Not only fit, but in great shape. So, it was a lifestyle change I had to get involved in. I looked up to him as an example and a goal. Still do. He told me he didn't start lifting at all until he was about 28.

Another thing is that some people lift just to avoid being in bad shape, and they are fine with that. But all it takes is a bad 4 months and they have some health issues, usually nothing major, and that isn't good enough for me.

As an example, I want to change half of my room into a gym, so I am getting rid of my entertainment area to do so. which includes my TV, TV shell, surround sound system, PS2 and games just to make space. I want to start working out twice a day - 1 cardio session and 1 lifting session - 3 to 5 days a week. With the money I get in return i should be able to get the gym equipment. Maybe I will spend another $75 to $100 at most I'm guessing. But whatever, it's a great investment.