Question about Carbs and Protein

[muscular development]

Yo,

Yo got some questions about diet. My training is quality, but I'm always a bit confused about the following questions. 24 years old, 6Ft, 182lb, training 2 years. Been running Osta, S4, GW for the last 4 weeks of my cut, good results so far, lost 2.5kg already and put on some muscle at minus 300 calories.

About Protein:

Should daily protein be split into small amounts throughout day, or can I have all the protein in 3 big meal? (1 Post-Workout)

Must Protein be consumed first thing in the morning? (I crave just carbs breakfast, and then have protein 2 hours later)

Do you lot buy Caseine AND whey protein, or mixed protein? I use just whey, but maybe Caseine would be better for the night time?


About Carbs:


If I aim for macros of Protein 55% carbs 30 % fat 15%, does every meal need to hit macros (e.g. high protein, low carb+ low fat meals), or can I spread the carbs and fat however I want throughout day?

How is it best to consume carbs? Right now, I consume half my carbs at breakfast, half my carbs at dinner. Not much carbs in the day time. Should I spread it out even?

Is it okay to have HIGH GI carbs post workout, and in the morning for immediate energy?


Many thanks!!

 

[muscular development]

BUMP, anyone got answers?

 

[ThepoManta]

BIOLOGICALLY, it does not mean. But mainly what happens when you don't start with protein in the morning is that you end up not hitting your protein macro's. Carbs are easy to get. Macro's would be better at 40-40-20 in my opinion.

It does not matter if you eat carbs fats and protein all in one meal. You could even eat 12 times a day and eat a small amount (or big amount) of any of those. Just carbs, or just good fats and protein (like eating fish)

Some carbs (about 60 or 70 grams) after workout is very good for your muscle mass, it will shuttle all the good carbs into your muscle.

 

[ironlifter36]

Hierarchy of Nutrition:
1. Calories in Vs. Calories out-proper energy balance.
2. Macro Split
3. Quality of food consumes-Lean meats, Healthy fats and Clean Carbs
4. Consistency on #'s 1-3

What matters MOST is that when your head hits the pillow at night, you have hit your target calories and macro split with quality foods...consistently day after day.

Now, that's not to say that nutrient timing isnt important and doesnt have its benefits, just not as important as #'s 1-4.

Is eating all protein between 3 meals ok, sure. Is it ideal, maybe, maybe not. Personally, i prefer to have 5-6 meals with protein throughout the day. When cutting, i like to ensure i have carbs pre and post workout. High GI carbs post workout is fine and good practice as this is an optimal time to spike insulin.

Caesin is good before bed because of the slow digestion, however you do not need to buy caesin protein powder. Non-fat greek yogurt is caesin protein and is my preferred go to for before bed time meals. Just make sure the yogurt does not contain added sugars and crap.

Each does not need to contain exactly the amount of whatever your macro split is. However, good balance is best in my opinion. Opinions will vary, but remember the best nutrition plan is the one that YOU stick with.

When cutting, i always start by setting protein at 250g and fat at 50g. I fill the rest in with carbs, which is normally around 260g at the beginning of my cut. As the cut continues, i reduce carbs 25g at a time as needed to keep the weight coming off and increase cardio as needed. I have never had to reduce carbs below 170-180g to get to 8-10% BF.

 

[rookie71]

^great post.

I agree that hitting protein goals can be difficult and will likely only be hampered by skipping protein for your first meal. Also, I tend to do my workouts in the morning or at the latest in the early afternoon. The bulk of my carbs occur in this window. I have very few carbs later in the day as activity decreases and there is opportunity for any unused carbs to be converted to fat.

But I also like setting a protein/fat target and then fill in carbs which are what I slowly reduce as I whittle away fat.

 

[RickRock]

You are overthinking a lot here bro. Yes, it's ideal to split your meals as much as you can and keep your macros even but at the end of the day what matters is you have the right numbers hit. Try to make sure you have protein and carbs centered around your training and split the other macros thebestyou can throughout the day.