Eat BEFORE Lifting and Cardio for Fat Loss? Avoid Catabolic?

[rc2ucsb]

I have read and heard all scenarios and still cannot get a correct answer.

Should I eat before I do my cardio in the morning? I heard running on am empty stomach was better for fat loss.

I have been running for 30 minutes...i think its at least 2.5 miles........every morning and then eating a variation of 4 egg whites with 1 yoke, oatmeal, chicken breast, cottage cheese, and or steak. I then bike to the gym for a 1 hour weight lifting work out. After the workout I drink a protein shake and then eat a either chicken, egg whites, or steak.

I worry that the carbs in the oatmeal will hurt my fat loss chances. Also, sometimes I go straight to the gym and do HIIT cardio on an empty stomach.

I am 5'6 and weigh 155. I used to weigh 197 about 4 years ago with BF% at 25, I am guessing its low 20s or high teens now. My objective is lose my midsection and get big elsewhere.

ALso, I am in college and go to sleep around 1230-1 in the morning and wake up around 8 to run and lift. When should I stop eating during the day to maintain fat loss?

Whats the deal with Catabolic? This is something I want to avoid right because it means my metabolism is slowing and burning muscle right? If I were to wake up and slam a non-fat milk with protein shake and run for 30 minutes and then go to the gym, will I be burning fat and gaining muscle? What food should I eat in the morning before I run if running is a good thing to do?

Thanks
Ryan

 

[Neodavid]

you:
Should I eat before I do my cardio in the morning? I heard running on am empty stomach was better for fat loss.

me:
Depends... I'm on a no carb/high protien and fat diet. Doesn't matter for me, for instance.

The idea is just to make your body burn fat instead of carbs. Carbs are the enemy in the AM... but my opinion is it doesn't matter all that much. Your body learns to use fat as fuel by running. It depends what you had the night before too. Your body will use the stored glycogen first... but then have to replace it by burning fat later... so from my perspective if you just eat protien before and after, you are okay.

you:
I have been running for 30 minutes...i think its at least 2.5 miles........every morning and then eating a variation of 4 egg whites with 1 yoke, oatmeal, chicken breast, cottage cheese, and or steak. I then bike to the gym for a 1 hour weight lifting work out. After the workout I drink a protein shake and then eat a either chicken, egg whites, or steak.

I worry that the carbs in the oatmeal will hurt my fat loss chances. Also, sometimes I go straight to the gym and do HIIT cardio on an empty stomach.

me:
I think you are worrying too much about the details. What you are doing is going to work. Tweaking it by 5% isn't that big a deal. You've got to be happy with what you are doing too, not make it a chore. But maybe you love the details...

you:
I am 5'6 and weigh 155. I used to weigh 197 about 4 years ago with BF% at 25, I am guessing its low 20s or high teens now. My objective is lose my midsection and get big elsewhere.

ALso, I am in college and go to sleep around 1230-1 in the morning and wake up around 8 to run and lift. When should I stop eating during the day to maintain fat loss?

me:
High protien, low carb... go on the protien power diet, 20 grams of carbs a day, and the fat will fall off. Does for me every time.

you:
Whats the deal with Catabolic? This is something I want to avoid right because it means my metabolism is slowing and burning muscle right? If I were to wake up and slam a non-fat milk with protein shake and run for 30 minutes and then go to the gym, will I be burning fat and gaining muscle? What food should I eat in the morning before I run if running is a good thing to do?

me:
Yeah, catabolism is what they call it when muscles are giving out protien instead of taking it in. It's going on all the time. So is Anabolism, the opposite. After you lifte, you are anabolic for 36 hours before you go back to stasis, and then catabolism. True catabolism doesn't happen for a while... but increases as time goes on without muscle stimulation.

It can also be affected by diet, which is one of the reasons you want plenty of protien in your system, so you become less catabolic, and for anabolism to be effective.

If you ran any more than you are, it would be catabolic in nature. As it is you are fine (as long as you lift).

Burning fat is much more a function of diet. the protien power diet forces your body into ketosis, so you burn fat 24/7. But it's hard to go without carbs on days 10-12. After that it's cake... (bad metaphor).

Fat loss otherwise is largely genetic, but you are doing everything right. It's tough in college to do protien power. Carbs are everywhere. One slice of bread has more carbs than you can have in a day... ketchup can't be used, mustard can... you can eat mayo, but it has to be the real thing. "light" versions have carbs instead of fat. Fat is fine to eat.

 

[rc2ucsb]

20 CARBS in a day? Wow

20 Carbs a day? That sounds like an impossibility. I can certainly eat 150grams of protein in a day but I am sure that includes around 50-100 carbs. Today I finally have started writting my calorie intake and its at 1400 at lunch time with 2 more meals to go. I will probably eat another 1000. Is 2400 good for muscle gain and fat loss goals?

Today I tried some interval running and enjoyed it. I think I am going to buy cleats and do sprints on the grass for 10-15 minutes a day and lift after. Is that bad to lift after cardio? If so why?

I guess I will try a shake with water instead of milk and see how that tastes. A fast way to eliminate carbs it would be. Hmm...time will tell. I have only been eating right for about a month now so I guess I cannot expect miracles.

I will also post my lifting routine and see if thats ok. I am sure that needs to tweeks too.

Thanks
Ryan

 

[Neodavid]

you:
20 Carbs a day? That sounds like an impossibility. I can certainly eat 150grams of protein in a day but I am sure that includes around 50-100 carbs.

me:
Well, it's extreme, and you only do it for a month or so, cause you lose so much weight, you can't do it more...

Yeah, you just eat meat...

My wife makes it all, she decided to go on this thing, so that made it easy for me.

Salads galore, just no low fat dressing. Pick something with tons of fat and no carbs.

No carrots, no fruit, no sugar, no breads, etc.

All the broccolli you can eat, salads, celery, etc. Mayo is fine, anything with fat, but no carbs. Mustard is okay, original ranch dressing is fine.

It's actually easy. I just had a HUGE taco salad for lunch, I mean monstrous.

Gotta watch the fiber though, take metamucil if you don't eat a shitload of salad every day. Shitting whatever is left of just protien will give you hemorroids the size of golf balls.


you:
Today I finally have started writting my calorie intake and its at 1400 at lunch time with 2 more meals to go. I will probably eat another 1000. Is 2400 good for muscle gain and fat loss goals?

me:
For me it is, I'm 195 lbs, 5' 10'', pretty lean, but need to get my abs showing (Some of us norwegians can be thin and you still can't see our damn abs).

2400 is my maintenance level. That's where I can burn fat and keep muscle, maybe even gain a tiny bit.

If I'm on protien diet, gaining isn't a problem, neither is losing. It just works. I don't count calories, I eat like a freaking pig.

you:
Today I tried some interval running and enjoyed it. I think I am going to buy cleats and do sprints on the grass for 10-15 minutes a day and lift after. Is that bad to lift after cardio? If so why?

me:
I like to lift, then do cardio. You need glycogen for lifting and explosive force. For running, you can burn fat, but it works better to let your muscles use up glycogen while lifting, then your running will burn fat.

But sprints, won't burn fat. Long slow running burns fat. Fat metabolizes slowly, you can't burn it fast. Then it becomes aneroebic, which means you are burning some other fuel as a temp...

you:
I guess I will try a shake with water instead of milk and see how that tastes. A fast way to eliminate carbs it would be. Hmm...time will tell. I have only been eating right for about a month now so I guess I cannot expect miracles.

me:
Yeah, a month of good eating will only get you maybe 10lbs loss at best. That's why I do the protien only thing. It's a giant pain, but I don't have the patience, and hate counting calories.

Oh, last thing, with no carbs, your muscles go FLAT, and you think you are going backwards. Not so... when you carb up again, they get HUGE.

That's what bodybuilders do before a contest... total carb depletion, then just before contest, fill up on carbs. The vascularity you get is astounding. Fullness and shape magically appear.

 

[greyowl]

Take a different approach for cardio and lifting. Do have something in your stomach while lifting. Mayber eat a sweet potato and some protein one hour before lifting. Cardio is different -- try to do it on an empty stomach (although not strictly necessary).

 

[eleven11]

I drink a MPR 1hour before lifting otherwise I'd never get through my workout..............11

 

[robinravn.se]

As long as you at less than you consume during your cardio its more anticatabolic than antilipolytic.
Ex: 1h cardio = -400kcal
Dont even imagin that your fatcells can release thet much energi.
For best anticatabolic AND fatburning effect eat 20g wheyprotein, 5g glutamine, 10g fast acting carbs 30 min prior to cardio and another of whey, 5g of glutamine, and 10g of carbs during exercise.

Totat intake: 200kcal
Energi burned: 400kcal
The 200kcal-intake FIRST inhibits muscleproteinbrekdown, THEN inhibits fatbreakdown.

Thats my opinion, and its whorks great for averyone who tried.

 

[Ramstein II]

Dude you need some help with this.

Instead of thinking "cardio" vs. "weights" think anaerobic/heavy load and aerobic/light load.

Before you do any anaerobic work you need some carbs and protein in your system.

Before you do aerobic work, you should have blood clear of food.

So, HIIT is anaerobic. You burn virtually no fat while you do it. Eat a carb/protein shake 30 minutes before. It can be small--200 calories for example.

Jogging, walking, pedaling all are USUALLY light load, aerobic. Do this on an empty stomach Your objective here is to burn file WHILE doing it.

If you do anaerobic (e.g. weight lifting) followed by aerobic (e.g. light jogging), then have a protein/carb meal before the anaerobic, and don't eat another one until after the aerobic work.

You need to find a diet that works for you. I would not ever cut my carbs below 100 grams. I wold only cut my carbs to 100 g for a week just to tighten up for the lake or something.

I recommend 3 square healthy meals a day with a portion of starch, meat, and veg or fruit and 3 snacks in the 200-300 calorie range that are balanced protein and carbs.

If you want to get more scientific you can, but I'm not going into all that here.

 

[Girth]

Ramstein - In some of your old posts, you mentioned that you would always train on an empty stomach in the AM. The preceding makes me think that perhaps you've changed your tune. Are you still weight training in the AM? If so, do you now have a Pro+Carb drink prior?

I ask, because I'm about to switch back to AM training yet again. I've always had some whey and oats about 1 hour before lifting. I would also sip on a carb+pro solution through my workout as well. But in reading your old posts, and some others on other boards, I'm wondering about this. If your performance is based on what you eat the day(s) before, then perhaps this food is interfering with the blood supply to my muscles?

I've seen the arguments both ways regarding to eat, or not to eat. But I'm most curious as to if you've changed your thinking, and if so, what it was that changed it.

 

[Ramstein II]

Ramstein - In some of your old posts, you mentioned that you would always train on an empty stomach in the AM. The preceding makes me think that perhaps you've changed your tune. Are you still weight training in the AM? If so, do you now have a Pro+Carb drink prior?

I ask, because I'm about to switch back to AM training yet again. I've always had some whey and oats about 1 hour before lifting. I would also sip on a carb+pro solution through my workout as well. But in reading your old posts, and some others on other boards, I'm wondering about this. If your performance is based on what you eat the day(s) before, then perhaps this food is interfering with the blood supply to my muscles?

I've seen the arguments both ways regarding to eat, or not to eat. But I'm most curious as to if you've changed your thinking, and if so, what it was that changed it.

I have changed a little. From time to time I'll do my resistence training in the a.m. I have to admit that I often skip any food before I do weights in the interest of saving time. But note, I might change this if I was in a low calorie state. If I was into the depths of dieting and trying to lean out I would slam a carb/protein shake since I might have low glycogen levels from dieting and be near catabolic.

I recently purchased some complex carb powder which I've mixed with whey in the a.m. before resistence training. I think this helps keep you anabolic and it digests quickly. So, yes I don't always do as I say but I'm trying.