To eat before or after the gym?

sonsiekat

So I've found a gym really close to my flat, got a good workout routine and have gone regularly at 8pm for the last couple weeks. I have a big bowl of porridge for brekkie, soup for lunch but I'm not sure when to eat dinner. In case that sounds stupid: last night I ate a prawn stirfry at 5pm, and I had so much energy when I went to the gym at 8pm. That's the first time I ate before going. But tonight I waited til I came back and I felt lacklustre - I'm worried that I'm eating too late and not getting the most from my workout. What works for other people?

usmcmp

Experiment and see what works best for you. There's no fitness or weight loss advantage to be had either way, it should be entirely personal preference. See if you do better eating before or eating after.

Seffell

I could collapse and get sick if I don't eat before. But some people get sick if they do eat beforehand. It is really a personal thing and there is no rule. Also there is no connection between this and weightloss so don't worry. Eat the way it feels easiest and best for you.

sonsiekat

Thanks both. Yeah, that's the thing - I felt a bit faint after the Crosstrainer (it had been 8 hours since I ate) which is not great. But it suits my lifestyle to go at 8pm and eat later. Good to know that it makes no difference to the weight loss.

Chadxx

I think you have answered your own question and I agree it is generally ideal to eat a little while before working out to provide energy for your workout.

Seffell

You can eat as late in the night as you want to (unless you have reflux and your doctor advised you not to) with no effect on weightloss at all.

AnvilHead

Meal timing is irrelevant for weight loss. But, as you've discovered, it is relevant to workout performance. I'll echo the advice of others, eat whenever works best for you.

Francl27

Eat when you're hungry.

beesareyellow

I go to the gym before lunch and if I work out too hungry my workouts are lackluster but if I'm too full I feel sick .So I have protien bars with me, and I eat 1/2 of one in the locker room before hitting the weights and the other half right after I finish. Then, once I'm back home, I'll eat lunch only when I feel hungry. This seems to be the right balance for me of not too hungry or too full.

macgurlnet

I eat pretty frequently in general. Every 2-3 hours I'm having something most days.

I usually have something light before I work out - a protein bar or something similar. If you go for longer stretches between your meals and it's affecting your workouts, definitely plan a pre-workout snack. It's totally fine if you prefer to eat your big meal at 8pm, but a snack before working out might be what you need for good performance.

~Lyssa

DaddyDunk91

It's all down to personal preference, I prefer to eat a good hour or two before training, its what ever works best for you. About 45 mins before I would train, I would eat a couple of bananas, oat bar or something like it and a fruit drink. It's what's easiest and convenient for you.

SCoil123

I eat after for 2 main reasons
#1: eating on a full stomach makes me nauseous
#2: after a heavy workout I'm always hungry even if I have already eaten. If I ate before I would probably need to eat after regardless and risk going over my calories

runlikeagirl1985

If you want the boost of energy for your workout but want to eat after can't you split it up and have an energy boosting snack before then another snack after to help recover? Like two mini meals? Try different timings and see what works for you.

sonsiekat

Thanks everyone for your comments. I've tried a banana and apple before my workout, and that gave me more energy and I enjoyed it more. I also realised from reading another thread on here where someone wanted to lose 30lb that I haven't been eating quite enough. On Friday, when I was knackered at the gym, I had eaten 850 calories (I'm targeting 1200 a day). I hadn't been aware that you lose muscle and it's a Bad Thing to eat below 1000 calories a day. Lots of useful stuff on these forums!