Diet for boxing

[Torak]

For those of you who do boxing (or another combat sport), how does your typical day look like? Of course you get a lot of protein , but what interests me the most is the carb cycling. When do you consume less/or none and when more carbs?
For example I do it like this:

Meal 1 (breakfast): something energetic...mainly carbs and some protein, sometimes also sugar in form of fruit, donut, cookie or whatever.

Meal 2 - some fruit

Meal 3 (lunch) - mainly protein focused, also 40-70 g of carbs .. sometimes no carbs, jsut vegetables as substitude for carbs

Meal 4
-this is IMPORTANT because it interests me, how it differs if its a meal on a rest day and if this meal is a pre-training meal...I do it like this:
-rest day - some carbs but mainly protein
-pre-training - mainly carbs , just little protein
...also is it bad to consume little bit of sugar pre-training (chocolate, cookie, fruit etc???)

Meal 5 (post-training)
-fruit

Meal 6 (dinner)
-rest day - mainly protein, also some carbs (as for lunch) or no carbs but vegetables
-post-training - mainly protein, but I dont know if I should eat carbs or not? Would it be bad if I had only vegetables with some meat for example? no rice, no pasta, nothing? Or should I have some carbs? Also sugars for night are not good but if my dinner is post-training, can I eat sugars or better not?

What do you think about that?

 

[dancingchicken**]

I box but I'm not in fighting shape right now. I eat lots of fast food and drink lots of beer. But I eat lots of fresh meat, veg and fruit too. I eat a lot of fat too I think thats something people try to avoid but if you're an athlete fat is important. Plus it tastes awesome. Its so hard to get motivated to change your diet. I've taken up running to try and lose fat, I'm barely overweight at the moment so I figure if I don't change my diet but up my exercise regime I'll cut some fat.
My diet is probably not a good example to follow.

Edit: I often eat a banana or other fruit an hour before a workout, I don't know if sugar is good before a workout, I've heard it makes you burn out early but I like to try and fit lots of vitamins and minerals in my diet and its just a convenient time.

 

[Drunken Blindness]

I count my calories and log food using myfitnesspal.com. Would never cut or bulk without it. I even keep track when I am in maintenance. I have gotten so used to using it over the years that it isn't even a hindrance or burden anymore. I just do it. At first it can be annoying though.

The thing is, the best thing you can do is track and figure out your own body. No two people are the same. Maybe if you want to maintain while doing intense cardio you need to be at 2500 calories a day and you can modify your cals/carbs/fats and proteins as you go and depending on what you want.

My best advice to anyone is to start tracking for awhile and see what your body tells you. If you lose weight and don't want to, eat more calories. If you want more muscle, eat more protein and a bit more fat. If you don't have enough energy, eat more carbs, etc...

I found for myself that I have the best results using a modified version of Lean Gains or IF. I use the "window." Other than the window, I just do my own thing. Anyways the window is 6 hours for me. From the first bit of food I eat in a day to the very last meal has to be within my macro's and within a 6 hour window. I fast the rest of the day/night. It works excellent when I want to cut and its definitely the best for cutting. I would go to an 8 hour window for a bulk. Mostly though the 6 hour window has done wonders for me. Its just an option though. Doesn't work for everyone. Some people really like doing 7 smaller meals throughout the entire day.

Again, point is, you have to do it and see what works best for your body.

 

[Torak]

Actually, I would like to gains some lean muscle but Im currently also working on destroying my belly fat. Actually its really not a lot. But I want to lose it to have a visible sixpack. I just wonder, if I want to have a sixpack, do I have to starve for the rest of my life?? I have a friend, who got even more visible sixpack than before and even gained 10 pounds in the same time...that I dont understand. I thought, to get a sixpack you have to be in calorie deficit, and to gain muscle, you need calorie surplus. So I dont understand how was that possible. I think he was doing IF though.

 

[Osstopher McGi]

Edit: I often eat a banana or other fruit an hour before a workout, I don't know if sugar is good before a workout, I've heard it makes you burn out early but I like to try and fit lots of vitamins and minerals in my diet and its just a convenient time.

I'm the same, only with pears. But I will usually try and time a meal of rice and red beans prior to training also so that the energy is being released around the time the pear's burst of energy is petering out. I find this works well for me, ymmv.

 

[Drunken Blindness]

Actually, I would like to gains some lean muscle but Im currently also working on destroying my belly fat. Actually its really not a lot. But I want to lose it to have a visible sixpack. I just wonder, if I want to have a sixpack, do I have to starve for the rest of my life?? I have a friend, who got even more visible sixpack than before and even gained 10 pounds in the same time...that I dont understand. I thought, to get a sixpack you have to be in calorie deficit, and to gain muscle, you need calorie surplus. So I dont understand how was that possible. I think he was doing IF though.

Everyone has abs. Most people don't have genetics for abs to look like they do in pics unless we build them up. To build muscle you need to grow it by exercising and eating. That is the bulk phase. People who are new to bodybuilding can often times cut and grow muscle but that only lasts a short while (less than a year) and often referred to as "noob gains." I wouldn't rely on that though.

So you have to grow those muscles.

Then to SHOW your abs you need to cut (melt off the fat). If you have developed ab muscles you want to show off, you will have to cut the fat to reveal them.

Many people in the bodybuilding community refer to it as the "growing and showing" phase. If you want to show your abs, you do so through the kitchen.

So that is the best way to explain it. Muscle growth requires you feed your muscles while you exercise them. The growth/bulk phase. Then you cut to eliminate the excess fat to show them off.

IF is just a way to cut. It is an option that some people love and doesn't work for others. I use a version of it myself.

 

[Sarumyan]

When I am on top of my game and train a lot- it looks like this.

8-9 am coffee double double.

3-4 pm some meat with a green smoothie( basically as much greens I can jam into blender with 2 bananas).

9-10: sweet potatoes abd a bit of meat with green smoothie again.

10-12 Lots of tea 3-5 cups.

 

[apizur**]

I just wonder, if I want to have a sixpack, do I have to starve for the rest of my life??

If you're over 25, yes.

You need to change the type of carbs you eat essentially.

I was gonna list my diet, but then I realized it's probably a poor example of a diet. I'm in the gym 4 to 6 times a week doing 1 1/2 hour boxing training (like a constant LISS session with HIIT peppered in) and that's why I have a six pack. I use peanuts, yogurt, whole wheat bread, 1 supplement a day (whether it be powder or bar), meats, beans, pizza, eggs, and milk to get my protein... and try to keep the surrounding carbs as low on the glycemic index as possible.... while attempting to keep as decent a spread of micro-nutrients as possible, since I end up eating the same things for 4 to 5 days at a time.

I try to ignore my body's ever changing demand for carbs, but ultimately I think it wins most of the time. I just try to reel it in at 2 oreos versus 5 or 1 bagel instead of 3... then I put myself on the hunt for something better.

 

[Torak]

By starving I meant the amount I eat. I rarely eat any junk food or sweets but I sometimes feel so bad that I cant eat enough. Recently I limited my portions of carbohydrates. I have only about 50-70 g of rice (raw) for lunch and also for dinner, or sometimes I have even less for dinner. And also lately, Im trying to substitude all those carbohydrates by A LOT of vegatables. But sometimes Im just hungry.

 

[apizur**]

And my answer is still yes. Especially since you're already on a veg heavy diet.

I'm blessed with a vague six pack all the time, but it only really comes out when I'm in the gym 5 days a week and going to sleep hungry.

 

[Luger]

The old time boxers did it basically on just eggs and milk.
I would just keep it unprocessed food.
Eat like the apes that we are.
Nuts, fruits, vegetables, meats (including fish - if you have good ones in your area), oats and so on.

Edit: based on my time with judo. It is a different beast but I am sure the same diet would not harm anyone.

 

[Chungungo]

When I am on top of my game and train a lot- it looks like this.

8-9 am coffee double double.

3-4 pm some meat with a green smoothie( basically as much greens I can jam into blender with 2 bananas).

9-10: sweet potatoes abd a bit of meat with green smoothie again.

10-12 Lots of tea 3-5 cups.

What is a double double coffe?