# When and what do I eat before TSD?



## Lynne (May 4, 2007)

Ooops - that was supposed to be "When and what do I eat before TSD?"

I had my first class Tuesday night, so I had a fairly large meal about 4 hours before class.  I had plenty of energy to get through my first class - it was grueling - buddy night (guest of my daughter) - so I had to do running jump kicks, orange belt form and all.  

I was soaked from head to toe, but I didn't get sick or get low-blood sugar.  I felt great.

I don't have diabetes but sometimes I overproduce insulin which can cause low-blood sugar.  I'm hoping this goes away when I lose the extra 20 pounds of fat I have.

Tomorrow, I have a class at 12:45 and I am worried about what to eat.  I will say that things like cereal or even oatmeal cause me to be starving an hour to 1-1/2 hours after eating them.  I'd eat a tuna or turkey sandwich if that would work.  When and what??? (For evening classes, too)

Any ideas???  Thank you!


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## MJS (May 4, 2007)

Lynne said:


> Ooops - that was supposed to be "When and what do I eat before TSD?"
> 
> I had my first class Tuesday night, so I had a fairly large meal about 4 hours before class. I had plenty of energy to get through my first class - it was grueling - buddy night (guest of my daughter) - so I had to do running jump kicks, orange belt form and all.
> 
> ...


 
If you haven't already, I'd make sure to bring this to your instructors attention.  Perhaps eating some fruit maybe about a 1/2 hr or so before the class would help.  Something light, but at the same time, something with natural sugars.  A sports drink or a small container of OJ for after class may help.  

Mike


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## MJS (May 4, 2007)

Lynne said:


> Ooops - that was supposed to be "When and what do I eat before TSD?"


 
I took care of that for you. 

Mike


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## Lynne (May 4, 2007)

Thank you, Mike.

I'll mention something to my instructors and I'll try something with natural sugars before class, raisins or something like that.


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## JWLuiza (May 4, 2007)

Lynne said:


> Ooops - that was supposed to be "When and what do I eat before TSD?"
> 
> I had my first class Tuesday night, so I had a fairly large meal about 4 hours before class. I had plenty of energy to get through my first class - it was grueling - buddy night (guest of my daughter) - so I had to do running jump kicks, orange belt form and all.
> 
> ...


 
Great question!  4 hours before is actually a big gap... I try to eat a small snack or meal once every 3 hours (So I eat 4-5 times a day) but smaller meals.  This helps keep your metabolism high.

If you overproduce insulin, try to limit your meals to less than 12g of sugar per serving.  Look for slow burning sugars that don't induce an insulin response as well.  Do some research on the glycemic index to help if (like me) you can't afford a nutrionist.

Good luck and don't worry about the pounds, worry about the health


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## Lynne (May 6, 2007)

JWLuiza said:


> Great question! 4 hours before is actually a big gap... I try to eat a small snack or meal once every 3 hours (So I eat 4-5 times a day) but smaller meals. This helps keep your metabolism high.
> 
> If you overproduce insulin, try to limit your meals to less than 12g of sugar per serving. Look for slow burning sugars that don't induce an insulin response as well. Do some research on the glycemic index to help if (like me) you can't afford a nutrionist.
> 
> Good luck and don't worry about the pounds, worry about the health


Thank you, all, for the answers.

I do have to be careful about simple sugars.  I can't even eat noninstant oatmeal by itself.  White potatoes are the worst (I tried a vegan diet once).  I'm trying to eat more of a clean diet with good fats. Peanut butter sandwiches seem to be my friend so far.

Saturday, I did great:

8:30 am - Peanut butter and banana on whole grain bread (probably 500 600 calories).  Lots of carbs but some fiber and lots of good fat.

11:20 am - small, but balanced meal of lean beef, brown rice, and an orange (about 300 calories).

12:00 pm - I drank a Gatorade on the way to class - simple sugars (about 150 calories).  Class was at 12:45 pm.

I was worried what the Gatorade might do to me.  I kept thinking, "I hope Gatorade isn't a misktale." I'm slowly figuring this out.  I think the Gatorade was ok because I'd recently had food.  I think the Gatorade helped in class, too.  I sweated like a piggy but I never felt faint or ill or even dehyrdated.  I felt good after class, energetic - no hunger, no nausea.  I ate about an hour after class to refeed my muscles and replace nutrients though.

Maybe this is it - I can eat the carbs along with some protein or fat provided I'm exercising.

I bet Karate will improve my insulin resistance during the months ahead


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## foggymorning162 (May 9, 2007)

Have you tried things like "Kashi Go Lean" bars or protein bars they might give you that energy you need without the simple sugars.


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## Chizikunbo (May 9, 2007)

Lynne said:


> Any ideas??? Thank you!


The problem may not be you at all, you may be working hard and able to go through the training but your environment may not be supporting you. This is due to somthing called an Air Exchange Rate, many modern buildings have decreased air exchange rates due to the fact that many people are seeking to be more energy efficient, and hence save on operating costs, but the more common movement to be green friendly. A common air exchange rate in buildings today is somthing like 0.5 per hour meaning that all of the fresh outdoor air in your dojang or building is not fully replaces but maybe every two hours, this leaves alot of extra C02. 
Because of the "scavenger" effect of C02, your body forms lactic acid in this condition...this hinders muscular contractions and increases breathing. Normally this occurs around 85% of your maximum heart rate, however with all of this excess C02 this can occur at as low as 60% of your maximum heart rate, causing you to sweat, tire out, and slow down. If your dojang runs classes hour after hour you may be already walking into a studio that if full of C02, so you may very well be able to endure the training, your dojang wont let you...
--josh


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## ArmorOfGod (May 9, 2007)

Before big workouts or nighttime sparring sessions, I hit Wendy's for a baked potato.
The starches are complex sugars that will keep your glucose up and the potato itself will load you with energy.

AoG


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## Lynne (May 30, 2007)

Thanks for all of the replies, very much appreciated.

I have reactive hypoglycemia (glucose tolerance test confirmed that) and have found that eating about every 2 - 3 hours is working.  Eating when not hungry seems counterintuitive but is doing the job.  I find that I better not let myself get hungry or have concentrated sweets - it'll mess up my whole day and part of the next.

I make sure I eat a protein with carbs.  The best snack/meal before class seems to be a peanut butter sandwich (whole grain bread) about 1-1/2 hours to two hours before.  

I dropped the Gatorade before class.  It caused me to feel kind of "weird" during class.  The simple sugars are a no-no for me.  I'm pretty sure that Gatorade was creating a "focus" problem for me.  As a white belt, focus is not all that easy anyway.  Last thing I need is fogginess.  I don't how to explain it but when we were learning wrist grips, it was as if I couldn't "hear" the instructor/couldn't process what we were supposed to be doing.

I did so well yesterday.  I walked the dog for 1/2 an hour (a big fight because he doesn't want to heel no matter how many times I pop the leash), I mowed the grass for 2-1/2 hours with the push mower, I practiced Tang Soo Do at home for 1/2 an hour, and attended TSD class for an hour.  Class was rigorous, too - lots of stretch kicks, anasopakaro chagis, wall kicks, stepping roundhouse kicks, kicking the Wavemaster, forms, and one-on-one kicking.  I didn't get very winded during the one-on-one kicking (I'm a white belt, no sparring) - I did three rounds.  Saturday, I thought I would die during one-on-one (but we did five rounds).  So, my endurance is building, too.

I'm just saying for me to be able to do 4-1/2 hours of exercise and not feel yucky is a miracle.  I felt kind of weird while I was mowing the grass and came in for a snack (lite yogurt) and was fine.

I felt so good last night, that I was practicing my forms and some combinations from 11:00 pm - 12:00 pm.  *crazy*


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## JT_the_Ninja (May 30, 2007)

Just so long as you keep yourself hydrated (with water), it's all good.


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## Lynne (May 31, 2007)

JT_the_Ninja said:


> Just so long as you keep yourself hydrated (with water), it's all good.


I definitely do the hydration thing.  I fill 20 oz. diet pepsi bottles with water.  I drink one on the way to class and drink one while I'm waiting for class to begin.  And I drink another one after class.  I actually get thirsty later which tells me I need to drink even more.

I would never make it without hydration - honestly, I'd pass out or just collapse.  I don't know why some people don't hydrate before class.


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