Fitness Goals Support Group

i like oatmeal, or rice as staple meals. as far as protein goes it depends on your goals. if you just do cardio with a little strength training try to consume 2 times your age or so.

a little bit of sugars or carbs before a workout is good to keep your strength, and help you burn the energy in your blood while working the muscle.

after the workout have water and protein.
The protein helps repair muscle and the hydration will help fight off the soreness the next day. :)

I've been having a workout/swim/run in the morning.
About 30minutes before the workout I'll have half a hot chocolate or chai tea. Both have sugars, carbs and salts.

after the workout I have 3 eggs for lunch and one slice of toast.

sometimes if I've smashed myself hard I'll have a protein shake before bed to help repair the muscle while i sleep.

BUT
my goals are mostly building and toning muscle.. not burning fat excusivley.
If you want to burn fat.. don't put calories in your body before the run... maybe a few rasins but every calorie you swallow you need to burn off at another stage... and thats another calorie of fat that doesn't come off your body. ;)

Thanks, I am just trying to find a good balance. One keeps hearing that one needs more and more protein, but I don't eat meat or chicken, dairy or eggs. I do have fish...sometimes.

So struggle as most of the protein foods - like nuts - have carbs as well. Do have hemp powder in the mornings (but not related to timing of exercise). Although haven't been using it recently (was trying an exclusion diet) also have soy protein powder I could try again, should get some tofu or something.

Thanks again for the responses.

while I was in my losing fat mode, I was eating a fistfull of almonds at lunch and at 3:00 tea time.
Almonds are good.

So you're semi Vegan?
You could try protein shakes which are derived from milk product.
I was excluding carbs as much as possible while losing weight, but almonds specifically are higher in protein than carbs... so don't worry about it.

Thanks, I like almonds and was eating some every day, but recently not so many. I have cashew nuts (which I know are not that great) and walnuts, which I believe are very healthy.

Forced myself to cook a little fish tonight after a strenuous workout at the gym. Wasn't going to - seem to have lost my appetite - but then started to feel nauseous so thought well I have to eat something, so lets make it protein. Had some veg with it and had snacked on some cashew nuts.

I also think that flaxseed (powder), sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds have protein alongside fat and carbs.

pre workout, starchy carbs or simple carbs
post workout: carbs and protein