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Before a workout: Breakfast ideas?

Old 04-13-2010, 01:41 AM
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Default Before a workout: Breakfast ideas?

I need suggestions for breakfast. I workout for an hour in the morning with the goal of losing as much fat as possible Should I eat before my workout? If so, what should I be eating. I have a whey protein shake about 20-30 minutes after my workout. What do you guys do? Thanks!
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Old 04-13-2010, 02:54 AM
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I work out in the morning too, with the same goal - to lose as much fat as possible. I always have a piece of fresh fruit before my workout, usually a banana or an orange. Without those carbs, I don't have sufficient energy to get through my workout, which is usually full out on the elliptical for an hour. I wake up completely hollow, so I gotta have something. I'm not really into the protein powder thing, I prefer a big plate of food over pretty much any protein shake on the market. But I try and get a good bit of protein into breakfast. Generally I eat within 20 minutes after working out. It varies, but I usually eat one of the following:

1/2 cup cottage cheese w/ 2 pieces of whole grain toast
1 1/2 cups cereal (usually Special K Chocolate Delight) with 1/2 cup of skim milk
toasted whole grain Slimwich with turkey cold cuts (70 cal for 6 slices) and 1 oz reduced fat cheese
2 pieces of whole grain toast (or Slimwich) with reduced fat peanut butter on one piece and low-sugar jam on the other
a Power bar and an apple (if I'm in a time crunch)
a 6 oz cup of Greek yogurt w/ 1/4 cup low-sugar jam added
a 6 oz cup of caramel Greek yogurt with a sliced up apple to dip in the yogurt
2 eggs w/ 2 slices of whole grain toast or a toasted Slimwich
2 slices of bacon, scrambled eggs and reduced fat cheese on a toasted whole grain Slimwich
Or my all time favorite, a 3 egg-white omelet with spinach or broccoli, onions, reduced fat cheese and a table spoon of ff sour cream on top, served of course with 2 pieces of whole grain toast.

I also like a cup or two of coffee in the morning, which I serve latte style with 1/2 cup of skim milk per 12 oz of coffee. I used creamer forever, but found that calorie for calorie, skim milk has a lot more nutritional value and is lower in fat than creamer or half & half. If I was going to use protein powder I would probably buy chocolate and stir it into my coffee.

I don't know what you're doing nutritionally, but I'm a low carber, follow a diet that is 1,600 calories per day, and I try to keep my pie chart at 40-35-25. My goal is to lose 124 pounds, and I'm a little better than 1/2 way there.
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Old 04-13-2010, 03:54 AM
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I never eat before working out. Don't like the idea of giving my body energy to burn off when my body is full of more efficient energy sources. After workouts, eggs, bacon or leftovers from night before. No grains. Or just skip until lunch.

Mornings that I don't work out is usually bacon and eggs (no toast) or nothing at all. Oh yeah - coffee and heavy whipping cream or coconut milk whenever possible.
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Old 04-13-2010, 04:17 AM
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Everyone has a different plan for breakfast before a workout.
I personally eat a bowl of steel cut oats almost every morning with a banana and a small protein shake. I drink a cup of strong green tea when I get up. I eat a banana right after I work out and then a whey protein shake. I eat around 6 small meals per day and I eat only whole grain carbs from actual whole grains as my complex carbs.
My goal is to preserve and possibly gain as much muscle as possible during a work out. That is why I eat the way I do. I eat pretty much the same on a rest day , but I don't take an amino acid supplement.
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Old 04-13-2010, 05:16 AM
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IMO the best way to proceed is to not shake up your morning ritual that much. I don't know how early you get up but if possible, move your protein shake to about an hour before your workout, then have a more solid meal a half hour to an hour later. Could be eggs, could be oatmeal, could be bacon and hash with a glass of milk. Just make sure it's got a good mix of protein and starch.

-Nik
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Old 04-13-2010, 10:51 AM
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I get up at 6 with kids and school and getting to work. blah. They eat cereal for breakfast and I like Kashi Go Lean Crunch alot. Its fast too I need all the time I can get in the mornings! I am not a morning person but striving to become one since Im trying to fit in a workout everyday. Thanks for all the ideas! Very much appreciated!
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Old 04-13-2010, 11:55 AM
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Try working out without eating beforehand and see how you feel. Tired? Hungry? If so, you probably need to eat before your work out. If you feel okay, you'll probably be okay waiting until afterwards.

Personally, I feel sick to my stomach if I eat that early in the morning, but I get tired easily during my workout if I don't eat! It took me a while, but eventually I figured out that dry toast or saltine crackers don't make me feel sick, but give me the energy I need to get through the work out.

Afterwards, make sure you eat something with complex carbs and plenty of protien. I like egg whites, oatmeal, or a smoothie. Don't forget plenty of water (and for me, COFFEE!!!!)
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Old 04-13-2010, 10:59 PM
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Kashi go lean is the only other thing I eat when I get sick of oatmeal...I love that stuff and it is whole grains. Good for a work out totally
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Old 04-14-2010, 12:45 AM
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I know that Kashi is an A+ cereal, so if you actually like it - more power to you. I've tried but I just can't make myself eat it, DH loves the stuff, I can't even take the smell of Kashi in the morning. Of course he also loves Grape Nuts, which I think is fabulous aggregate in a concrete mixture, but not fit to eat for man nor beast.
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Old 04-14-2010, 12:49 AM
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I workout in the morning as well, at about 7am, so at about 6.40am I will have half a pear or apple and a spoon of natural yoghurt then after my workout I'll have either slow cook oats with chopped fruit and Udos Oil or scrambled eggs with brown toast.

It's so hard to know whether or not to eat before workout, so many people say do and so many say don't! I don't know which is right.
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