Question:
I’m not really hungry in the morning, so if I skip the morning meal, can I make up for it later on in the day? By the way I train in the morning. Also, will cutting my carbs and going the low carb route affect my training?
(Joanne, Smithtown, NY)
Answer:
If you think that by cutting out breakfast, you’ll cut those daily calories and lose fat, I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. By skipping breakfast you’ll slow down your metabolism and probably gain weight because you will more likely binge on fatty, sugary foods at the end of the day. Your energy levels will be compromised and therefore your training as well. Consider starting the day with fruits and yogurt, a slice of whole wheat bread and juice- think about adding quality fuel to your body. Your diet should be balanced and aim for six small meals throughout the day to keep at peak metabolic performance.
In the short term a low carb diet won’t affect you as much. However, long term your efforts will get harder to achieve as muscle fuel storage will deplete, making training harder and results more difficult to attain especially if you are training more than 3 to 5X weekly. Carbs provide energy and training relies on that. Add protein and proper rest for muscle recovery to the equation and you will take your training to the next level.
