Above and Below are some specific EET Daily Exercise Menus to show you how Exercise TIming works along with a bunch of FAQ’s at the end of this post.
We covered the 5 keys to getting started with EET Exercise in yesterday’s blog post:
That post could guide you through your first YEAR of exercise efforts on The EET Fitness Plan. You can master that stuff and build a solid foundation for success if you’re serious about long term fitness and weight loss results. However, it sometimes helps to get a look at the road ahead so I’ve decided to share these sample menus for Exercise Timing so you can see how it works day to day in the real world. Here we go:
Before you review these menus, it will help a lot to understand the differences between Metabolic and Activity Windows as they are two main Timing Menu Options for EET Exercise TIming (click to enlarge):
This graphic is really important so please review– even if it does look like the Monopoly Title Deeds of Pacific Ave and Boardwalk — not intentional 🙂
A summary of the graphic is EETers can choose to create a Metabolic Window (where many metabolic processes actually change function) by breaking down muscles using exercise before meals. Or, EETers can create an Activity Window by performing activities after a meal. Either way the objective is the same: Metabolize carbs in a healthy way and get them out of your blood stream so we can get back to EET Transformation (Fat Loss) Time. The Q and A at the end of this post covers more specifics worth knowing but now let’s dive into the sample menus:
SAMPLE EXERCISE TIMING MENUS
Here’s a typical EET Exercise Timing Menu that plans for an Exercise Metabolic Window today before lunch and an Activity Window Tomorrow after lunch:
The best part about EET Metabolic and Activity Windows is their endless flexibility when combined with EET Daily and Weekly TIming. You can “open a window” before or after any meal, any time of the day or night, and because EET only focuses on TIMING vs specific exercise requirements, you can do any exercise or activity for any amount of time you choose. The possible Exercise Timing Menus are truly endless, and can fit everyone’s very busy lifestyle — next example shows the use of EET Windows at Dinner Time, then a Breakfast Example follows:
If you’ve read this far then it’s a safe bet the questions are already flying— Here’s a few answers to get you started:
YES you can open only metabolic OR activity windows two days in a row or longer
YES you can open windows on different meals during the week–there is no set pattern
YES you can eat whatever foods you want when the “window is open” OR WHEN IT’S CLOSED – NOTHING is forbidden – EVER
YES there is no pre-defined portion control
NO you don’t have to count calories (better if you don’t in fact as it has nothing to do with EET Metabolic or Exercise TIming or long-term weight loss for that matter)
YES you can decide how long you want to exercise or how long you spend on the activity.
and
YES EETers really eat the decadent foods on these menus (and much more) and exercise for very short periods of time (if at all, some just use Activity Windows) and have lost weight and become more fit and maintained their results for years.
Q and A TIME
I know you have more questions, and I’ve dedicated the rest of this blog post to some of the most common onesI get asked by new EETers. Hopefully, you see the potential Exercise Timing offers for a plan that can adjust to whatever lifestyle you choose. Whether it does or it doesn’t, just imagine how much more sense all of this would make if you would just take a year or so and work on the 5 Keys to Exercise Timing. I know for a fact EET’s worth the time!
Let’s start our Q and A on EET Exercise Timing with the most commonly asked question:
Q: Can Exercise Timing Work for me if I love to exercise in the morning but I love to eat carbs at night?
A: Exercise Timing is NOT the key to long-term weight loss. Eating Timing is where you should spend most of your time diligently practicing timing the foods you love! Using other types of EET Timing (Daily, Weekly and Calendar for starters), as well as other EET Guidelines such as #9 Need it? Eat It! If Not, Don’t, #19 the EET Carb Management System and #21 the need for Variety (all taught in future steps), you can still use EET to eat what you want, when you want it and be able to reach your weight and fitness goals.
Be aware, however, that your Exercise Timing is less than ideal from a Metabolic Timing standpoint. You might consider less intense forms of exercise in the morning as you will see little benefit creating a metabolic window that will be long closed by time you eat your carbs 10 hours later. However, EET’s guidelines are crystal clear: #13 Love your Activities (or exercise) The weight loss will follow. If you love activity that helps avoid “Yo-yo exercise” build it into your EET menu! Never, EVER force any change just to lose weight or to improve your fitness — It won’t last.
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Q: Are you saying I should exercise before OR use activities to burn off carbs after EVERY meal with carbs ?
A: See EET Guideline #1 Yo-yo Must Go! (free to read if you click the preview link on Amazon) Is there any chance of you exercising or being active before or after every meal? Hint: The answer is NO. EET just adds these options to our WeeklyTiming Menu when we think we can make the timing work. You’ll be wrong a lot and you just change your menu and move on, because you can still succeed on EET. How? Mostly by staying aware that Exercise Timing is NOT the key to long-term weight loss — Eating Timing is! For your first year you’re just practicing and rehearsing to see if Exercise Timing might be helpful to your long term goals so you have lots of time to build an effective Timing Plan.
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Q: How do I know if my exercise created a good metabolic window?
A: You never know for sure, and you don’t need to know to succeed at EET long-term. We simply do the best we can and we don’t stress about it. However, there are two useful indicators:
1) Your large muscle groups are fatigued enough that you could not do many if any more sets/curcuits/intervals, etc.
2) You see steady fitness and possibly weight loss improvements over weeks and months.
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Q: What is the difference between EET Exercise and EET Activities?
A: While you’re learning EET basics, just work on understanding how they work in EET Metabolic Timing: Basically, exercise is what you do before eating carbs to create a metabolic window and activities are things you do after eating to burn off excess carbs.
Down the road, as your EETing skills become more advanced, you can learn to apply EET’s “official” definitions:
Exercise (EET Definition): Helpful support to build the functional strength for a lifestyle of activities important to me.
Activities (EET Definition): Things I want, need and love to do for the lifestyle I desire.
The more you learn EET, the more you will love these definitions and the more they can help you!
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Q: I’ve read studies that say muscle growth is not significantly effected during a metabolic window. Does this mean EET Exercise Timing isn’t backed by science and won’t work?
A: There’s a study to back almost any position you want to support in weight loss and fitness (except a study to show ANY other diet or exercise program can consistently produce long-term results. Avoiding those proven failures is the science EET is most heavily based on!!). Even if muscle growth is not enhanced there is overwhelming evidence from the Science of Nutrient Timing that eating carbs during a metabolic window offer tremendous health benefits such as glycogen restoration, vastly improved recovery from intense exercise and immune system benefits. More importantly, EET Exercise Timing helps dieters create menus to time the carbs they love and try to be active when it best fits their current lifestyles. This dramatically increases the odds that EETers are enjoying their carbs at times that will help rather than harm our weight and fitness goals.
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Q: How should I decide whether to create a metabolic or activity window each day.
A: As you Progress learning EET Timing, the answer is your weekly timing menu. Until then the answer is to choose whichever you are comfortable using and simply practice your timing.
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Q: Household chores like vacuuming and yardwork count as exercise on EET?
A: YES. Well, sort of. They are officially EET Activities (see the definitions question above for the differences. But, well-timed activities can burn carbs and help you get into “Transformation (Fat Burning) Time”, plus they help your fitness and your quality of life, so they can and do play a huge role in helping you reach your weight and fitness goals on EET.
Next up: A few exercises EET uses with clients to help them succeed.
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The EET Fitness Plan: EET's Blog 