Best Pre-Workout Meal / Breakfast?

JatieKo621

I am doing insanity which is a high intensity workout, and if I don't eat breakfast before I work out I feel VERY shaky and weak at the end/ after my workout. I am wondering what the best pre-workout things to eat? I usually workout in the morning so I try to eat something small before, but was wondering if a certain fruit gives more energy than others or just in general what most people eat before a high-burn workout.

All answers are appreciated! Thanks!!

mrphil86

Something high in carbs and potassium.

Like me, if I do that I would eat like 2 rice cakes and a banana two hours before I workout.

Breakfast should never fuel workouts however. You'll be very a very hungry girl if you do that.

gp79

I've been eating alot of this in the mornings before my workouts and I've found it does the trick for me.

1/4 Cup of Cottage Cheese
1/4 Cup of Oatmeal
1/4 Cup of Egg Whites

Put it all in the blender....and cook like a pancake.

I sometimes add a few raisins and top it with either a small amount of PB2, Honey or Pure maple syrup

RTricia

I like one plain rice cake with half a tablespoon of sunbutter (sunflower seed butter)

JatieKo621

What should fuel them then? Should I workout before eating in the morning or after? I am trying to figure out what is healthiest, but usually in the morning I am not hungry at all. If I don't eat breakfast and don't workout, I am not hungry until waaaaaay later in the day and I know that is not good for you since breakfast jump starts your metabolism.

I am just trying to figure out if I should eat something like an hour before I workout / or breakfast + a snack or just workout first thing. I need smart people to help me out

Onesnap

Greek yogurt before. High in protein.

mrphil86

Breakfast should be eaten to balance your diet and jump start the metabolism.

Workout fuel is just for what it sounds. Lots of quick burning nutrients to give you energy.

If you burn your breakfast on your exercise, you just end up being hungry. (Or any meal before you exercise not just breakfast.)

Just eat a couple hours before you workout. I think you are all shaky because you are suppling yourself with enough energy.

gp79

Greek yogurt has negligible carbs... so that as a pre-workout fuel doesn't sound very logical to me anyway. Protein = repair. Carbs = fuel. A mix of fast and slow acting carbs is likely to do the trick a bit better.

JatieKo621

Thanks everyone!

And I think that is true, its hard for me to find a good balance between eating healthy and eating enough. I keep being under my calorie limit and that isn't my goal- I just find myself getting full quicker than normally and even when I eat a TON of fruit and veggies, I am never close enough to my limit especially with these Insanity workouts. I want to keep fat down but find it hard to find healthy foods that have higher carbs. I am trying to not eat as much processed foods so I am trying to find healthy but more energy packed foods.

I feel like I either eat unhealthy and reach my limit or go over it or eat healthy and do not come close to 1200 calories. Bah!

gp79

Good Carbs: Oatmeal, Fruits, Vegetables, Sweet Potato, Wild Rices, Whole Wheat products (but watch lables, sometimes whole wheat labels do not mean the product is made with whole grains), Legumes, Quinoa to name a few.

I've played with a few different ratios of carbs/protein/fat and find that 50/30/20 works well for me. My main concern is that I receive approximately 1g of protein for every lb of lean body mass. If you can estimate your body fat percentage, you can figure out your lean body mass.

I've built a excel worksheet that figures all of this stuff out for me from calories, down to macronutrients to what each meal should "ideally" look like.

mrphil86

Thanks everyone!

And I think that is true, its hard for me to find a good balance between eating healthy and eating enough. I keep being under my calorie limit and that isn't my goal- I just find myself getting full quicker than normally and even when I eat a TON of fruit and veggies, I am never close enough to my limit especially with these Insanity workouts. I want to keep fat down but find it hard to find healthy foods that have higher carbs. I am trying to not eat as much processed foods so I am trying to find healthy but more energy packed foods.

I feel like I either eat unhealthy and reach my limit or go over it or eat healthy and do not come close to 1200 calories. Bah!

Lightly Salted Rice Cakes. Not the best thing in the world but it works.

Hannahrebeca

A banana would be the best thing to eat before a cardio type excersize (like insanity). Then after your workout, you can have a complete breakfast. You'd want to eat a protein, carb & veggie. Egg whites & oatmeal is an ideal meal after your workout.