Morning Row? What to eat for Breakfast?

[Corkster52]

Somewhat embarrassed to say, but cut back from 2 bowls of Special K with chocolate chips to 1. Once I run out, will switch cereals.

[Bokaj]

I have been eating after working out, rowing now, other stuff before. Breakfast for me is 3 eggs, but they are egg white so tons of protein without the fat. To make them tolerable I do add 1/4 cup of shredded cheese. While they are cooking I eat either a banana or granola bar. About 275 calories and I feel good.

[shorelinelaw]

If I can ask - did this change as you were ramping up? I notice you guys are clearly eating more carbs than I am - and I'm wondering about it.

For me today was the broccoli, egg-white, spinach, and some soy stuff to taste. Lunch was - I'm embarassed by this but I was rushing - a veggie patty (again soy) and a pickle. Dinner was vegetable broth with spinach and a scoop of hummus. My usual lunch is much more a salad and less a processed thing - but Tuesdays are very busy. I have been eschewing fruit and bananas. Yet - reading a bunch of dietary posts - bananas are showing up in everyone's breakfasts.

I want to get some pretty steady rowing progress before i make dietary changes in reflection of rowing. I have LOVED this the last few weeks (and I feel absolutely terrific) - but I want to keep at it for a while to ensure it sticks and not get discouraged because of a dietary change.

[gregsmith01748]

@shorelinelaw: I think you are right to not make any diet changes. You've made big change by increasing the exercise level, so letting that settle out first is a good idea. Just listen to your body. If you start feeling crappy during or after your rows (dizzy, nauseated, racing HR), you might want to eat a lttle bit of carbs about an hour or so before rowing.

In terms of my diet changes. The whole time I dieted, I ate the same breakfast and post workout snack. But I was ruthless about limiting carbs at lunch and dinner. I figured I was torching everything I ate in my workout, plus some of my generous fat reserves.

[shorelinelaw]

OK - Overdid it a little. Had a bit of almond butter and some blueberries for breakfast. Rowed my first 6,000. But I didn't do it first thing. I did it around noon. Finished a little slower - and got HUNGRY. Grabbed some soup with some hummus in it. Was doing fine. But....I grabbed a few teaspoons of peanut butter (and even a smidge nutella) afterward. That's just bad hunger management.

[enrage]

OK - Overdid it a little. Had a bit of almond butter and some blueberries for breakfast. Rowed my first 6,000. But I didn't do it first thing. I did it around noon. Finished a little slower - and got HUNGRY. Grabbed some soup with some hummus in it. Was doing fine. But....I grabbed a few teaspoons of peanut butter (and even a smidge nutella) afterward. That's just bad hunger management.

natural peanut butter is a good source of energy from the fats.
natural peanut butter should only have peanuts and salt

[shorelinelaw]

Yup. That's all I stock! I tend to actually prefer almond butter, which I'll grab some in the morning. Or I like a handfull of blueberries and a few walnuts mixed together.

All that stuff is fine but it is soooo easy to consume too much.

[Bob S.]

natural peanut butter is a good source of energy from the fats.
natural peanut butter should only have peanuts and salt

It is a good protein source as well, but I avoid the salted stuff like the plague. I also pour off any of the oil on top to make a small improvement in the protein to triglyceride ratio.

Bob S.

[shorelinelaw]

My worry is coloric density. It is so easy to blow a day's progress in 2 mins w/a spoon!

[gracewriter2]

if i do my rowing in the morning, i don't eat anything before hand.
I have a mix of BCAA powder that I use in my water and I drink that as I row.

What is the mix of BCAA you are using?

[enrage]

if i do my rowing in the morning, i don't eat anything before hand.
I have a mix of BCAA powder that I use in my water and I drink that as I row.

What is the mix of BCAA you are using?

i buy it premixed from Trueprotein.com
They have really good protein powders and supplements. I've been using them for years. Plus it's cheaper than buying the name brand products. Your pretty much paying for the pretty label and not what's inside.

BCAA Plus *30 servings
http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Deta ... 6&pid=6949

BCAA Plus *90 servings
http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Deta ... 6&pid=6950

[carlb]

M-F: I have 3-4 cups of Multigrain Cheerios (1% milk), a non fat yogurt, and a banana.
Sat-Sun: I substitute the Cheerios with three eggs (fried or scrambled), and keep the Yogurt and banana

I see Cherios as kind of a scam. They take grains that cost pennies, and form them into O's that cost 40+ cents/serving. Plus it is a factory food that undergoes heavy processing, so less desirable. I also find them not very filling.

Try swiss style cold oatmeal:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats (old fashioned, not steel cut, not instant, not quick)
  2/3 cup milk
  1 to 3 tsp honey or agave - approx, do to taste
  1/8 - 1/4 tsp cinnamon - just shake on to taste

Put it in the fridge overnite. No cooking so it makes it easy. I measure the oats, the rest is all by eye.

In the morning I add 1 banana and 7 walnut halves. You could do any fruit. The nuts add some nice crunch, great healthy fats, some protien, and lots of minerals. My recipie is based on this one http://www.zonya.com/pdf/recipes/swiss_oats.pdf

Before the oats I will have black/blue/straw berries with yogurt, and a grapefruit. I've been eating this most mornings for a few years now.

[Bob S.]

15g raisins
15g dried cranberries (unfortunately loaded with grease and sugar, but that's the way they dry cranberries)
15g dried apricots (not the crappy, soft, bright orange ones that are loaded with sulfur dioxide)
30g real prunes (not the goopy, wet ones that you usually find in the markets. especially not those loaded with potassium sorbate)
50g rolled oats
300ml water
12minutes in double boiler
one orange (no juices, only real fruit) consumed while waiting for the oatmeal
oatmeal mix poured over one sliced banana
240g fat free, plain yogurt added on top
nuked 45seconds to take the chill off the yogurt

Bob S.