Food, then exercise? Or...

auroranflash

Hey y'all, question ...

When I get home from work, I have major snack attacks. Carbs, carbs, carbs, my body says. Well, last night I had a few green olives as a snack and a Miller Genuine Draft 64, 64 cals & 2.4 grams carbs, right before going on my 30 minute walk-jog. Did I just sabotage myself by drinking carbs before I worked out? I pushed myself hard, warming up first, jogging for something I see in the distance (street lights, etc) until I was out of breath, then recovering, then doing it again and again, then cooling down just walking for the last few.

Should I refrain from carbs until after I get done exercising? Does it make a difference for you?

I know, shouldn't drink beer before a workout but I had a long day, and at least I still went for my run, right? :ohwell:

Sidesteal

Should I refrain from carbs until after I get done exercising?

Time your food intake towards personal preference and workout performance. Beyond that, it really won't matter.

luvinlaurakate

When my husband has a big run for pt in the morning, he insists on having a high carb dinner the night before. He says it gives him more energy to burn.

Rae6503

Should I refrain from carbs until after I get done exercising?

Time your food intake towards personal preference and workout performance. Beyond that, it really won't matter.

Yeah, I don't know that a beer before a workout is going to help your performance. Next time eat a banana.

taramaureen

Nah, you're good. I normally don't eat before exercising because I get bad cramps. But before a race I'll eat a low calorie carb and some protien about an hour before and it helps me perform better.

PepeGreggerton

I try to exercise on an empty stomach, even fasted and wait at least an hour after before eating.

ninerbuff

Rule of thumb: Never eat a heavy meal before doing heavy intense squats. You'll end up seeing what you ate again............mixed with bile.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Espressocycle

You will burn more fat by exercising on an empty stomach. I just posted a topic on this.

Thena81

i try to get the carbs in, then work em off

bhalter

I get sick if I workout right after I eat...I try to wait 2-3 hours after eating to exercise. I ALWAYS follow up my exercises with a little recovery snack - toasted wheat bread with peanut butter, or a glass of chocolate soymilk. Just something that will fill me up so I don't wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

tangiesharp

I usually have 200 calories about 2 hours before I workout. If I don't I run out of energy.

KiyaK

Like most people have said, it's whatever you want to do. I have personally found that if I don't eat a little before I work out, I hit a wall half-way through. My body literally runs out of energy. It's been an ongoing problem for me, as I sometimes forget to eat :S

auroranflash

Thanks for the tips. I was -ravenous- even though I had eaten well for lunch and already had a snack, so I decided to go running instead of eating endlessly like I really wanted to. When I came back from the run, I felt more in control of my hunger. So.... thanks, I'll just try it out and see what works best for me. I doubt such a lo-carb low-cal snack impeded me very much, as I ran further than I had previous days.

Also, I always appreciate you all being so nice - not just here, but in all of these message board posts, it seems - and always trying to share your best personal knowledge and experience. I love the atmosphere here, I never see anything truly negative. It's a great place to be. A spawning ground for multiple points of view, and for the internet, the tolerance level is impressive

Jess5825

When I was talking to one of the trainers at my kickboxing place, she told me no carbs for 2 or more hours before working out. I think the reason is you may burn that instead of fat.

ackeebee

on weekends i normally have breakfast abt 8:30am and then go to the gym abt an hour and a half - 2 hours later. on weekdays i workout on an empty stomach as i am usually up for my workout at 5:45am and i find it hard to eat so early.

auroranflash

When I was talking to one of the trainers at my kickboxing place, she told me no carbs for 2 or more hours before working out. I think the reason is you may burn that instead of fat.

A little bit of protein should be OK though, right?