The Truth About Meal Timing – Busy People Take Note
8 Things…
- Going 2-3 hours does not mean you will go catabolic. Digestion is a slow and complicated process, it can take up to 6-8 hours or even longer to digest food and provide the energy for it.
- If you work in an office and can’t eat, don’t panic. You won’t magically gain fat or lose muscle, eat whenever you can. This relates to the above point. You are sedentary in the office, chances are, your body Is still processing nutrients form your last meal.
- Skipping breakfast is totally fine. In fact, those who skip breakfast may even be more alert as fasting in the morning can have a nootropic effect meaning various chemicals in the brain are firing – coffee isn’t always needed. All a good breakfast does is help with appetite control later in the day. Common sense. If you are diabetic then this could be different, but that’s a different topic altogether.
- Eating immediately after a workout may not be beneficial at all. Think about it, your central nervous system is taxed during a workout. Eating 5 minutes after a session isn’t exactly providing the body with the ideal environment to uptake nutrients to its full capacity. So relax, eat when you can after a workout.
- Similar to the above. Unless you are an endurance athlete, professional sportsperson or any other elite level athlete, you don’t need to worry about replenishing glycogen stores immediately after a workout. Glycogen replenishment is a slow process and takes hours.
- Pre-workout nutrition is similar. Give yourself 2 hours at the very least before you step into the gym. Think digestion and nutrient absorption.
- Eating food before bed. Again, nothing wrong with it. I encourage a carbohydrate-based meal before bed as this can get the Endorphins, which are the feel-good hormones, firing and makes for a great sleep.
- If you miss a meal – big deal. Add more calories for the next meal and just make up for it. You will not get fat. Overall calorie intake over the week will determine fat storage or fat loss.
Think 24-hour period – stop worrying about individual meals. Intake over 24 hours, and over the course of the week, is the main concern. Pre-packing meals is a good idea, but if you forget, just find another healthier alternative or just wait till you get home.
