Best to eat before of after exercise?

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Replies

  • tyresank
    tyresank Posts: 174 Member
    I have seen this thread before, and did attempt to eat prior to my strenght training sessions, BUT since I meet my PT at 5am, eating at 4:30am ish is just tooooo early and it sort of makes me feel sick. So I stopped that, and eat once I return home, which is ususally around 7am, as I strenght train for 1hr, cardio for 30 mins, and then yoga for 30mins.

    I think in generally it depends upon the person, whilst it maybe better to eat prior, the timing is an issue for me. But so far so good, 79 lbs down in 1 yr, or 1 yr on Wed that is!!

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  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    I don't eat until I get back from exercising. Then I have my lunch that is high in protein with some carbs to help balance things out.

    My sister disagrees with this wholeheartedly. She believes that this is entirely counterproductive. That I should eat before I exercise and I won't lose weight because I eat after my workout.

    I do 60 min of cardio and 10 min of strength training 6 days of the week. Should I be eating after a workout? Not opinions, facts please.

    And I'm not gonna fight with you. I only fight with family..because I know all their secrets. It's more fun that way ! :)

    You've lost 100+ lbs already, so unless your sister has lost 200lbs recently, I'd consider you the family expert on the subject. The way you're doing it is just fine.

    But what's up with the 60 mins of cardio to only 10 mins of strength training? Can a brother get 30/30? Okay, I'll settle for 40/20, but that's my final offer. Seriously, upping the strength training will improve your overall results.
  • teepeetim
    teepeetim Posts: 99 Member
    I eat before and after working out...because I'm a fatty.

    Yeah right. I don't think so !
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member

    But what's up with the 60 mins of cardio to only 10 mins of strength training? Can a brother get 30/30? Okay, I'll settle for 40/20, but that's my final offer. Seriously, upping the strength training will improve your overall results.

    For me, when I swim, I do 2 miles. Alternating 12 lap "sets" with and without hand pads. The hand pads greatly increase the resistance aspect. It becomes more like doing a few hundred 20# straight arm pull downs.
    The 2 miles takes me under 1:10 to complete, then I move to the weight room. How much I do tends to depend on how late it is more than how much energy I have. I mix up the weight groups so I am doing some push pull combo each time. And always start off with medicine ball crunches. Up to a 15# MB so far.
    I have not noticed any difference in strength or dizziness eating before or not. I definitely feel lighter during the workout if I don't eat anything before. Just keeping hydrated.
    This week I am going to try to swim 2 miles every day following by 20+ (shoot for 30+) circuit training speed weights. One of these days I'll get an HRM to monitor how much I keep my heart rate up during weight training.
    I've done a full hour with a personal trainer after a 2 miles swim as well. A great workout.
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member
    She's silly.

    After workout is just fine, and probably better for most.

    If you always go into a workout having just eaten, the first thing burned is the food you ate, and since you likely kicked off insulin response, fat storage and carb burning mode are now on, so not even getting into the fat stores likely.

    Whereas if 2+ hrs from last meal, fat burning mode is on, and you should have plenty of carb stores to have a great workout (as opposed to morning workout after sleeping fast may have you low on stores).

    Nope, I think your idea is better. That way any carbs can top off glucose stores you just used, rather than being surplus that goes you know where.

    This does not even begin to pass the sniff test
    Did you just make this up as you were typing?

    How would when you ate in relation to your meal effect your overall calorie burn for the day?
    And if your burn for the day is constant then how would how much weight you lose be changed?

    Heybales is actually (mostly) right... what you eat at what time of day is almost important as what you eat!

    Fats and Protein in the AM and Protein and Carbs in the PM.

    Look into carb backloading by Keifer and the studies associated with it.

    I have been eating a large calorie excess 500 - 1000 cals above maintance on a workout days, eat all my carbs either post workout and in the evening and lose approx 1% bf a month and my weight stays roughly the same +/- 2kg.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member


    I have been eating a large calorie excess 500 - 1000 cals above maintance on a workout days, eat all my carbs either post workout and in the evening and lose approx 1% bf a month and my weight stays roughly the same +/- 2kg.

    One aspect of before/after that is most challenging for me is exercise calories. I don't front load because I don't know if my plans will be changed by something with my kids when I get home from work. Then when I get home from the gym, sometimes after 8PM I don't have the time or appetite to make up 2K on a Swim and weights day.
    My net cal chart for the last 7 days looks weak but I certainly don't feel weak. (for some reason, day 1 of the 7 day plot is always wrong).
    I used to have no problem grazing through a bag of Doritos at night. How things change when one decides to finally make real habit changes.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member

    Fats and Protein in the AM and Protein and Carbs in the PM.

    Nonsense!

    Personally, I eat all macros at each meal.
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    If you have already lost 123 lbs, haven't you already answered your own question? (Congrats BTW)

    This ^^^^^
  • Dudagarcia
    Dudagarcia Posts: 849 Member
    She's silly.

    After workout is just fine, and probably better for most.

    If you always go into a workout having just eaten, the first thing burned is the food you ate, and since you likely kicked off insulin response, fat storage and carb burning mode are now on, so not even getting into the fat stores likely.

    Whereas if 2+ hrs from last meal, fat burning mode is on, and you should have plenty of carb stores to have a great workout (as opposed to morning workout after sleeping fast may have you low on stores).

    Nope, I think your idea is better. That way any carbs can top off glucose stores you just used, rather than being surplus that goes you know where.

    What a smart guy! :-)
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I usually exercise then eat dinner, but last night I ate first then exercised about an hour later and was much more energized through my workout. I might have to switch!
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member

    Fats and Protein in the AM and Protein and Carbs in the PM.

    Nonsense!

    Personally, I eat all macros at each meal.

    The science and results say otherwise:

    http://www.dangerouslyhardcore.com/2031/18-months-of-carb-back-loading-with-julia-ladewski/
  • nml2011
    nml2011 Posts: 156 Member


    I have been eating a large calorie excess 500 - 1000 cals above maintance on a workout days, eat all my carbs either post workout and in the evening and lose approx 1% bf a month and my weight stays roughly the same +/- 2kg.

    One aspect of before/after that is most challenging for me is exercise calories. I don't front load because I don't know if my plans will be changed by something with my kids when I get home from work. Then when I get home from the gym, sometimes after 8PM I don't have the time or appetite to make up 2K on a Swim and weights day.
    My net cal chart for the last 7 days looks weak but I certainly don't feel weak. (for some reason, day 1 of the 7 day plot is always wrong).
    I used to have no problem grazing through a bag of Doritos at night. How things change when one decides to finally make real habit changes.

    That's fair enough, I don't have kids to worry about so I can plan my eating in advance.

    I backload my carbs the night before as I always train in the AM (I have black coffee only before hitting the gym at 7am) and then a protein shake post workout with protein and carbs (50g Whey & 75g Dextrose)
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    I don't eat until I get back from exercising. Then I have my lunch that is high in protein with some carbs to help balance things out.

    My sister disagrees with this wholeheartedly. She believes that this is entirely counterproductive. That I should eat before I exercise and I won't lose weight because I eat after my workout.

    I do 60 min of cardio and 10 min of strength training 6 days of the week. Should I be eating after a workout? Not opinions, facts please.

    And I'm not gonna fight with you. I only fight with family..because I know all their secrets. It's more fun that way ! :)

    FACTS: My personal experiment all with a link to a document with facts that what you are doing is beneficial. Working out fasted in the morning and then waiting one hour to eat helps your body internally create HGH, which helps you lose weight. While I do not need to lose weight anymore because I'm under 12% body fat (I spent most of my life fat and obese), I still use this process to get the youthful effects of HGH and simply eat up my maintenance calories the rest of the day.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/746754-how-to-get-abs-with-pics
  • Yetta729
    Yetta729 Posts: 68 Member
    Haha, I wondered the same. But got different answers.
    So, just figure out what works for you - I did find out that my stomach needs to be almost empty for a successful workout. otherwise I just get sick and nauseous.
    Stick to what works for you!!
    :happy:
  • redheaddee
    redheaddee Posts: 2,005 Member
    If you have already lost 123 lbs, haven't you already answered your own question? (Congrats BTW)

    ^^^THIS!!!^^^ :bigsmile:
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
    Today I ate 2 bananas and a packet of low calorie crisps (potato chips if you're american, they were 88 kcals). I swam for an hour and then had my meal about 2 hours after that. That seemed to work ok for me! i guess everyone is different.

    I try not to eat a big meal before training if i have to eat a meal beforehand.
  • kendraleigh88
    kendraleigh88 Posts: 77
    Banana and fat-free yogurt half hour before I exercise!
    Vector bar after I exercise!
  • kendraleigh88
    kendraleigh88 Posts: 77
    Banana and fat-free yogurt half hour before I exercise!
    Vector bar after I exercise!
  • xSCiNTILLATEx79
    xSCiNTILLATEx79 Posts: 245 Member
    She's silly.

    After workout is just fine, and probably better for most.

    If you always go into a workout having just eaten, the first thing burned is the food you ate, and since you likely kicked off insulin response, fat storage and carb burning mode are now on, so not even getting into the fat stores likely.

    Whereas if 2+ hrs from last meal, fat burning mode is on, and you should have plenty of carb stores to have a great workout (as opposed to morning workout after sleeping fast may have you low on stores).

    Nope, I think your idea is better. That way any carbs can top off glucose stores you just used, rather than being surplus that goes you know where.

    This^^

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