Trying to lose weight... Eating before working - yes or no? And more...

KatsuNinja

For the last few months I've been doing the Insanity workout which has gotten me from couch potato to a fairly fit person - I've lost a good deal of weight and gained muscle and toned up. For these months I'd always be working out first thing in the morning, and eating afterwards with the thoughts that I'd be fueling my workout with the stored fat. It's working, but its hard work if you know what I mean! Half way through the workout I'd often feel like I can barely move. I'd imagine myself struggling to stay motivated, feeling like that...

Now I'm 4-5 pounds short of my target, so I'd like to know whats the best thing to do - continue exersizing on the empty stomach till i hit my target, and then move on to having a small snack before the workout to provide fuel?

1) Is it true that a post-workout meal is used up by the body to repair/recover rather than be stored as fat? (Talking healthy homecooked food) So its always the best to have a proper meal shortly after a workout, rather than sometime before?

2) I'm only just learning about macros, so - do you have to hit your percentages at every meal, or does it not matter as long as they add up at the end of the day?

I saw people recommend this macro calculator: http://www.1percentedge.com/ifcalc/ - I'm not sure what sort of workouts/splits to pick, as I do a 40-60min HIIT workout 5-6 days a week, is this calculator suitable for this, or is it more for weight lifters?

Many thanks for your advice

AllanMisner

Fueling is a preference thing. Some people want some carbs before a workout, others (myself included) will go into an intense cardio session on an empty stomach. I have occasionally eaten a banana beforehand, but only because I felt it (listen to your body).

After an intense workout, your body is looking for two things: Protein to rebuild muscle and Carbs to replace any used glycogen. But from what I’ve seen, the timing of this only has marginal import. If you’re training for the olympics, that percent of a percent might matter. For most of us, probably not. Eat when you need to eat.

Not all of your meals have to be balanced in macros. You just want to make sure you’re properly fueling and providing the nutrition and building materials you need. You can experiment with cycling and see what mix and when eaten works best for you.

So I guess the summary is this: There is no “one size fits all” eating plan. You should experiment and find the one that best suits you. And recognize that that might change over time as your goals and activities change.

KatsuNinja

Thanks Allan, good to know that there isn't necessarily a right and a wrong way of doing this.... Once I hit my goal I'll try the small snack thing and see how that affects workouts... But until then - the fastest way for me to burn those last pounds would be to continue workouts on the empty stomach and man up?

sofaking6

It really shouldn't matter whether your stomach is empty or not when you work out, at least not as far as calorie burn goes. I found that when a workout challenged me that much, it did so whether I was fasting or full, no difference. Getting more sleep and more/better nutrition overall is the only thing that helped me with that - of course along with building my strength and endurance up over time.

If you are struggling with hunger or feeling ill during the workout, eat beforehand. Again, it should have zero effect on your weight loss. If you're just feeling tired, it's your endurance needing work. Insanity is tough stuff!