Pre-workout Meal
Hi. I workout in the morning usually about 1-1.5 hrs after I wake up. I do both resistance training and cardio every time. I do a cycle of three days on, one day off, regardless of what day of the week it is. I eat pretty clean, sticking only to lean sources of protein with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and some whole grains. I’m at my target weight but I want to continue to lower my bf% while increasing definition so I’ve recently started putting more focus on my resistance routine.
My question is this. I heard that having carbs in your system while you workout releases insulin which prevents the muscles from using fat stores as fuel. Because of this, I’ve been experimenting with eating only protein (eggs) in the mornings and have found it to be successful as I am seeing more definition. However, I am also finding that I do not have the same amount of energy as I used to have for the cardio portion of my workouts which I do post resistance training. For optimum fat loss, do you suggest I stick to proteins for breakfast before my workouts or should I go back to eating a mix of both proteins and carbs (eggs, oatmeal, bananas)? Thanks!
To simplify things and still be able to hit your cardio when you are ready to burn fat, I would go to the gym and do your cardio first, on an empty stomach. After that is complete, drink a protein shake and hit your weights. Go home, shower and eat a complete breakfast with protein and carbs, something like eggs and oatmeal. That should do the trick. I am not a fan of your current method of waiting 1 -1.5 hours after waking to workout and not eat. That is too long to wait without food, as it will eventually slow your metabolism down and make your workouts drag… as they already are. Empty stomach cardio is to be done upon waking… get up and go!
