PRE AND POST WORK OUT "MUST" EATS

DianneLynn

I firmly believe that Strength/Weight Training is the way to go . A resting BMR that eats up alot of fat calories for fuel by way of lean muscle mass is the ticket. Resting one pound of fat will burn 2-3 cals per hour; a pound of lean muscle will burn 30-36 cals per pound per hour. Something to think about thats for sure. I thought I'd share this tasty tidbit with you...

More from the book ~ Cardio-Free Diet by Trainer Jim Karas


PRE AND POST WORKOUT "MUST" EATS

Eat right before and right after exercise. If you get up in the morning and exercise without eating, you are actually burning amino acids for fuel. And what tissue in the body is made up of amino acids? Muscle, which is why you must never, ever exercise without eating first. If you decide to exercise first thing in the morning, them you should eat 1/2 your breakfast before your strength training and the other half afer the workout. Regardless of the time of day, always eat before exercise in order to:

- ensure that glycogen(fuel) is available to perform the strength training optimally
-make sure your blood sugar is up, so you have the mental and physical energy to strength train effectively
-guarantee that your body will not burn amino acids (muscle) for fuel

The perfect food choices (all about 100 cals) PRIOR TO EXERCISE would include:

- a piece or serving (one cup cut up) of fruit
- a slice of whole wheat toast
- a cup of yogurt
- one packet of oatmeal
- half of your favourite 200 cal energy bar
- a half serving of a high fibre cereal with low fat milk
- half an apple with one teaspoon of peanut or apple butter

Your post workout meal is very important to maximizing the benefits of the strength training you have just performed. There is something referred to as "the carbohydrate window". Basically, you want to replenish your muscles' glycogen storage tanks (think of them as small, individual gas tanks that power your muscles) as soon as you finish your strength training.

Post-Workout, you always want to consume some protein with your carbohydrate. Proteins and amino acids are the building blocks of lean muscle tissue, and because the muscle repair process starts immediately, you want to make sure that you are not breaking down one muscle to repair another.

Post-workout options include:

- a slice of toast with cottage cheese, yogurt or one piece of string cheese.
- the other half of your favourite protein energy bar
- one piece of fruit and one cup of yogurt
- oatmeal (one or two packages depending on the brand)
- a bowl of high fibre, protein-enriched cereal and low fat milk
- rolled up turkey with a few whole wheat crackers

I want to be clear that the eating before and after exercise is essential to optimizing your results.

DianneLynn

I firmly believe that Strength/Weight Training is the way to go . A resting BMR that eats up alot of fat calories for fuel by way of lean muscle mass is the ticket. Resting one pound of fat will burn 2-3 cals per hour; a pound of lean muscle will burn 30-36 cals per pound per hour. Something to think about thats for sure. I thought I'd share this tasty tidbit with you...

More from the book ~ Cardio-Free Diet by Trainer Jim Karas


PRE AND POST WORKOUT "MUST" EATS

Eat right before and right after exercise. If you get up in the morning and exercise without eating, you are actually burning amino acids for fuel. And what tissue in the body is made up of amino acids? Muscle, which is why you must never, ever exercise without eating first. If you decide to exercise first thing in the morning, them you should eat 1/2 your breakfast before your strength training and the other half afer the workout. Regardless of the time of day, always eat before exercise in order to:

- ensure that glycogen(fuel) is available to perform the strength training optimally
-make sure your blood sugar is up, so you have the mental and physical energy to strength train effectively
-guarantee that your body will not burn amino acids (muscle) for fuel

The perfect food choices (all about 100 cals) PRIOR TO EXERCISE would include:

- a piece or serving (one cup cut up) of fruit
- a slice of whole wheat toast
- a cup of yogurt
- one packet of oatmeal
- half of your favourite 200 cal energy bar
- a half serving of a high fibre cereal with low fat milk
- half an apple with one teaspoon of peanut or apple butter

Your post workout meal is very important to maximizing the benefits of the strength training you have just performed. There is something referred to as "the carbohydrate window". Basically, you want to replenish your muscles' glycogen storage tanks (think of them as small, individual gas tanks that power your muscles) as soon as you finish your strength training.

Post-Workout, you always want to consume some protein with your carbohydrate. Proteins and amino acids are the building blocks of lean muscle tissue, and because the muscle repair process starts immediately, you want to make sure that you are not breaking down one muscle to repair another.

Post-workout options include:

- a slice of toast with cottage cheese, yogurt or one piece of string cheese.
- the other half of your favourite protein energy bar
- one piece of fruit and one cup of yogurt
- oatmeal (one or two packages depending on the brand)
- a bowl of high fibre, protein-enriched cereal and low fat milk
- rolled up turkey with a few whole wheat crackers

I want to be clear that the eating before and after exercise is essential to optimizing your results.

catlover

This is great information because I had read earlier that you had a book about weight training for weight loss and I was excited to read your future posts about. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I wish this was like email where I could put certain posts into a folder where I could reread them. I guess I can cut and paste the information into a folder on my puter so I can refer to it later. I'll figure something out.

nightangelstars

Wow this is really helpful info. It just so happens I'm munching on a bowl of oatmeal and planning on working out in a little bit! Thanks!

alf1163

Thank you for all the info and also for reminding me that I had to reserve this book from my local library. I am too cheap to buy it! :laugh: So it is on hold.
My problem with eating before my workout is that I exercise as soon as I get up and I don't have the time to eat something and wait for it to be "digested". I think I have heard "eat something one hour before you exercise". I do have a healthy breakfast after my workout. If I don't workout first thing in the morning I will not get it done later on. Suggestions?

Thanks again!!

TamTastic

Hmmm, thanks Dianne! That is really helpful information.

Too often, I will try and get to the gym around 8:30 a.m. and will not be hungry yet.....but maybe I will eat a banana or something before going from now on. And then a cup of yogurt after. Very cool!!

Thanks again!
Tami

krazykayzy

Thank you for all the info and also for reminding me that I had to reserve this book from my local library. I am too cheap to buy it! :laugh: So it is on hold.
My problem with eating before my workout is that I exercise as soon as I get up and I don't have the time to eat something and wait for it to be "digested". I think I have heard "eat something one hour before you exercise". I do have a healthy breakfast after my workout. If I don't workout first thing in the morning I will not get it done later on. Suggestions?

Thanks again!!

eat half a protein bar on your way to the gym, or on your way downstairs to the treadmill (as in my case.lol.)......and you don't have to wait an hour, it's not like swimming. The risk with eating/swimming is if you get a cramp you drown. When you're at the gym and get a cramp you simply stop what you're doing.

jjcoop2003

You know I just got the Body for Life book and it says that you should NOT eat before workout. Something about it causes your body to use fat in order to have energy. Are their differing ideas on this? I read varying thoughts. Now I'm so confused!!!

DianneLynn

Krazy...swimming is cardio....this pertains to strength or weight training.

JJ...I have both books. Body for Life has been out for awhile and there are always new theories coming out all the time. It is also lies in the same category as Religion, Sex and Politics ~ highly competitive and highly controversial.

Personally, I am really believing the Jim Karas' theory as he has done it all (cardio vs. weights). I also think that perhaps you could not eat before cardio but see why you have to eat before weight training. You always see those bodybuilder types guzzling down egg whites by the gallon and shovelling in the protein.

I do believe that doing cardio initially would make a body lose weight but because of the lack of lean muscle that cardio builds...its just not sustainable. I think by lifting weights and building that muscle, you might lose at a slower rate BUT being that you have the lean muscle..you will burn more cals via your BMR...so you don't have to keep adding more and more time to your workout just to sustain your losses. I would prefer to spend less time in the gym working out optimally than more. As always...this is just my opinion and I don't begrudge anyone a difference in belief. Basically you do what you believe in.

I find that Karas's book is valuable in the exercise area...the menu's for the eats are too highly restrictive for my situation. It's obvious in the book that the reason one experiences a great weightloss in the initial two weeks is because you are eating 1200 cals of mostly protein & veggies & fruit. It's very carb restrictive which in a way attracted me because I DO have a problem with carbs.

jessneill

Great info. I do this already and there's no way I could do either my lifting or my cardio workout if I didn't eat before.

I have a carb/protein snack about half an hour beforehand. Apple with almond butter, bannana with almonds. Something quick. And then I have my lunch right after, balance of protein and carbs.

I'm actually doing the Body for Life lifting workout. I don't follow their meal plan but I do like the exercise plan.

zaybedowop

I think whether if you eat or do not eat before exercise is a personal preference. There are some out there who believe in working out on an empty stomach and there are people who will advise to eat.

I like to compare us to cars and all cars need fuel in order to go. It's hard to make the car go when it is on empty. I believe you should put something in you before a good work out.

Now if I wake up early in the morning and hop on the elliptical trainer or go for a walk I'll just get up and go. If I know I'm going to be working out for an hour or more then I definitely fuel up before I leave the house.

I don't eat very much though. Sometimes, I'll just have a bottle of water and a dollop of peanut butter before I'm out the door.

There are some days when I realize I should have eaten something. Usually it is those days that I just feel tired and yawn a lot during my work out.

RKJR925

If you eat fast digesting protein before your workout you will find that your workout will be more intense.

Also if you take a fat burner supplement taking it 30 minutes to 1 hour prior to workout along with whole grain and fast digesting protein you will notice a difference in your intensity level.

Post workout is a good time to get fast burning carbs along with protein. This helps replace Glycogen levels and the insulin release triggers the absorption of protein by the muscles.

I have been doing this for 1 month and there really is a difference for me

tekrueger

I am a pretty serious swimmer, and I thought I should chime in on the issue about eating before swimming or not, as it is not so simple in my experience.

Lots of folks can eat a light mean before swimming. Other folks just can't keep down anything. Most serious swimmers don't eat anything substantial before swimming; I mean you want your blood to be going to your muscles right for your workout and NOT to your stomach for digestion! Most people who are serious swimmers don't eat substantial meals less than two hours before swimming.
In any case, remember if you get a cramp SO BAD you risk drowning there ARE (or should be) lifeguards, right, if you are swimming at a pool.

A half breakfast, like a fruit or something works for me, especially if its a banana which gives me energy, and then afterwards you've got to follow-up with after workout foods like DianneLynn and others are suggesting.

So DO eat something before and after swimming, just like all the other physical activities, but you should play it by ear to see how your body reacts

- Thomas

DianneLynn

Again...my post was directed at Weight Training....Swimming is cardio ~ whole different ballgame.

RKJR925

my post was specifically written for weight training. I read about it in Muscle and Fitness

cmriverside

This is great information because I had read earlier that you had a book about weight training for weight loss and I was excited to read your future posts about. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I wish this was like email where I could put certain posts into a folder where I could reread them. I guess I can cut and paste the information into a folder on my puter so I can refer to it later. I'll figure something out.

catlover,

Open a Word doc, just copy/paste the link (from the browser). Then when you get the .doc saved, continue to add those important links. I usually add a highlighted few words of explanation under each link so I can remember what I like about the post. Then create a shortcut to your desktop so you will always have the Word doc handy for quick access.

If you have Vista, use OneNote. I know there is a program in Mac that also allows you to "screen-clip" just like Vista.

If you send me your email address in a personal friends message, I'll send you my links.(Don't post your email on the message boards.)

~Cheryl