dietary question during my workout

[bigdawginCO]

During the week (monday-friday) i go to the gym, spending between 2-3 hrs exercising. Typically the first 60-90 mins are strength training, followed by 30-75 mins of cardio. My question is this: Everything always seems to state that the postworkout meal is the most important one of the day and should be consumed within 60 mins. However if I am doing my cardio during this time, should i be consuming something before beginning my cardio routine? I've also read how many people like to fast before their cardio routine. I am trying to cut.

[FelineCougar]

Most of us who are cutting for a contest will do cardio in the early am on empty stomach. I can't because of low blood sugar. I have egg whites about 45 min before cardio in the AM and do wts at night. Post meal should be Whey for quick uptake of protein into the muscles. About 2-3 hours later i have cottage cheese for slower supply to muscles while I sleep. For me that's late night. Shake at 10-11pm and cottage cheese at mid-night to 1 am..then bed. And it's that time now..bed.

[bigdawginCO]

My only problem is that for me to hit the gym, i have to do my whole routine in one shot, I'm a single father so its tough enough to find a babysitter 5x a day for once a day. i have trouble doing cardio on an empty stomach as well. obviously i dont compete, but like the rest of those on here, i'm trying to get as fit as possible. Thank you for your response!

[FelineCougar]

I was a single mom too when I first walked into a hard core gym 21 yrs ago. Met the young sexy buff trainer, fed him dinner once to often, and married him. So I know your story dould end like a fairy tale.

I worked a 9-5 sales job. I would go to the gym on my nights off and take my 2 yr old with. I trained like a girly then.
Try this...
Eat a good protein about an hour before you head to the gym if possible. If your going right from work have a small can of tuna before heading out of the work place. Easy enough. If you just fed the kids and are at home, make your meal the normal size but eat half and save the other for when you return that night. Again, make sure it's a good protein source not hamburger helper stuff.

Do your wts first, have a small container of shake powder in your locker and a frozen container of milk when you leave home with you,or use water. 1/2 way into your wts mix the two and sip on it while finishing wt training whole body routine. By the time your done with the wts 1/2 your shake will be drank, take the rest on the treadmill with you and sip on it while doing your cardio.

An hour after you finish gym time eat the other 1/2 of your supper but not the high GI carbs.
Good luck Dad.

[bigdawginCO]

ty Feline, I appreciate your help. I wish the gym i go to had a daycare. this might sound silly, but i just got certified to do personal training, but they only give general dietary advice, they dont help much with times of day and all that. i do think that the rest of the stuff was really well covered. anyway...................i go to the gym fairly first thing in the morning, typically i eat 1/2 cup of oats, 3 egg whites, 1/4 cup almonds and some strawberries at about 7am, then hit the gym about 8. right now i'm unemployed, as i havent gotten started doing the training yet.