Am I eating too much protein?

Re: Am I eating too much protein?

• iErica member

  June 2013

  Hard to know if it's too many calories, because it depends on your daily total for the day.. and not so much meal by meal.  I tend to have big breakfasts, small lunches, medium dinner.  So my calories are always high already in the AM. But it evens out.

  I probably agree the bar isn't maybe the BEST option, though. There are better options.  But you need a breakfast that will get you through a workout, too. Have you ever tried without the caffeine?  I'm a coffee junkie, but the adrenaline of the workout would get me through it at that time of the day and I could maybe skip the caffeine. 

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• KateVA member

  June 2013

  Are you sure you need to eat anything? I work out at 6am daily (crossfit class, similar intensity) and don't eat beforehand. Or try something small, like half a hard boiled egg. Like pp said, it depends how much you eat later but you also burn a lot during the workout. You could also cut your postworkout meal down. Use water instead of almond milk.  But really I would cut out the cliff bar. I doubt you need it 

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• BabeDebolt member

  June 2013

  If your stomach can handle food before the workoutstick with it! Switch up the clif bar with fruit perhaps. I disagree that I would eat an egg before a workout. You need carbs before a workout and something that breaks down faster than an egg which is protein and fat. Options before your workout that are non processed: banana, dried fruit, frozen grapes, raisins, or an orange. Post workout I would certainly include protein whether its powder or eggs or another protein. An hour after your shake I would start drinking alot of water. Water should always be drank around meals and not with them. Hope this helps!

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• LiveNLove44 member

  June 2013

  Have you ever tracked the percentage of calories you're intaking of each of your macro nutrients (Carbohydrate/protein/fat)? If you don't know how to do it yourself, there are a lot of web/app resources that can calculate the breakdown for you. PPs have mentioned that you can't assess whether it's too much unless you're looking at your whole day and over the span of a greater period of time, not just the morning meal(s). I have had great success with this breakdown: 

  Fat: 24%

  Carbohydrate: 45%

  Protein: 31%

  Percentages are of total calories consumed.

  For quick calculations: fats are 9 kcals/gram, carbohydrates are 4 kcals/gram, and proteins are 4 kcals/gram (alcohol is 7 kcals/gram). For example, if you're consuming 1500 calories each day, you would consume 525 calories from protein (525 calories divided by 4 equals about 131 grams of protein each day).

  The Cliff bar is a fine start to the day, but pre-workout, you might be better off with just half of it if that's most convenient for you. I am up at 4AM each morning, and pre-pregnancy I would just grab 8-10 oz of coffee before heading to the gym at 4:30 for an hour-long workout (resistance training/HIIT depending on the day). Throughout my pregnancy, I have had to eat something before I go, so a slice of toasted Ezekiel bread has been just fine with a cup of half-caff. coffee. Your body will adjust without caffeine if you go that route, and your energy will be fine throughout the workout as long as you're getting enough rest at night.

   I hope that helps! Good luck! 

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• jkelly41 member

  June 2013

  I wouldn't do the cliff bar, but definitely something with a carbs, but I also prefer to work out on an empty stomach early morning if I can.  You do need to know how many calories you're burning each day to know if you're eating too much.  Also need to know how many grams of protein you need daily to know if you're eating too much.  It's not always easy, but you can get a good idea of where you should be.  Good luck!

   

   

  
  

  
  

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