Pre/Post Workout Meals

I woke up at 5:30AM today to train our 6:30AM class. Luckily, I had already prepared some food the night prior for a quick and easy breakfast...

Protein:
-one chicken breast
-two slices of roast beef
-two slices bacon
-slice of Swiss cheese

Carbs:
-strawberries
-blueberries
-grapes

Fat:
-bacon

Extra:
-three capsules of fish oil
-lots of water

You will notice a few things about this meal. I'm definitely missing out on fat. I had an avocado that I forgot to eat, but I did eat some almonds as I was training a few clients. Another thing significantly lacking is vegetables, something I could definitely eat more of. Classes ended at 8:30AM. I did my lifts and then some sprint work on the local track. At about 11AM, I had this post-workout meal...

Protein:
-one chicken breast
-one salmon filet
-two pieces of bacon
-a protein shake (not pictured)

Carbs:
-half a sweet potatoe
-strawberries
-blueberries
-grapes
-another shake (Perfect Food's Super Green Formula)

Fat:
-bacon
-olive oil on the sweet potato
-cashews (not pictured)

Extra:
-three capsules of fish oil
-lots of water

This meal is similar to my breakfast, but with some obvious adjustments. First off, there's a lot more protein in this meal. Post-workout is the ideal time to consume more protein in hopes to gain weight/muscle. This is especially necessary for a hard gainer like myself. Once again, I forgot to eat my damn avocado. I'm also eating half a sweet potatoe post-workout. According to Robb Wolf, there is a 45-minute window immediately following a workout in which your insulin sensitivity is at it's highest. This is where you want to consume a majority of your daily carbs, especially those rich in nutrients - like sweet potatoes. I can elaborate on insulin sensitivity if anyone is interested, but I'll leave it alone for now. You'll also notice I had a shake of Perfect Food's Super Green Formula. It's designed for people who don't consume enough leafy/green vegetables. I do not recommend it for several reasons: 1) It tastes awful, literally awful 2) There's no excuse for not eating enough veggies and I admit this supplement is a bit of a cop-out, but I'm a busy man damn it. And finally, the last thing to take note of is that I have upped my fish oil intake to three capsules per meal. I'm essentially going for 12 per day. Why? Because we need at least 3g of essential fatty acids (EPA/DHA). This requires a lot of fish oil everday.

I hope everyone is starting to take their nutrition more seriously. With football season fast-approaching, it's going to be very hard to stay disciplined. Do you best and let's hope the Patriots fail miserably...

Quick & Easy...

I'm doing my best to post on here more regularly. You're all also encouraged to do so. In fact, without your input I'm going to assume none of you are eating healthy. Hey, it's your life, but if you really want to crush a workout and maximize your performance and potential, food is the fuel to do so. If we work so hard every day at the gym, why can't we put in the same effort in the kitchen? Let's face it, we absolutely brutalize our bodies during workouts. Why not give them the sustenance they deserve? Here's a quick midday meal I had today...


Protein:
-a handful of turkey
-two hard-boiled egg whites (with hot sauce for flavor)
-three strips of bacon
-a protein shake (not pictured)

Carbs:
-three strawberries
-handful of blueberries
-handful of cherries
-another shake (Perfect Food's Super Green Formula)

Fat:
-half an avocado
-a lot of good fat in bacon

Extra:
-two capsules of fish oil
-lots of water

I'm not strict weighing and measuring yet, but this meal is pretty well balanced. I actually plan on going through it piece by piece to see how it plays out. But this was a quick and easy meal that tasted delicious. And I like to think it's part of the reason I put up the best time on the board today. Get after it.