Eating before or after a workout?

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serenity216
serenity216 Posts: 512 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have started working out at the gym first thing in the morning before work and am having problems with being hungry all morning/not getting enough protein as a result as well as feeling lethargic. What I did today was have a protein shake before the workout and then had some breakfast later but ended up feeling very hungry for much of the morning and off kilter as my body seemed to not be getting enough protein.

Should I be not eating at all before my workout or should I be having a protein bar only beforehand? My workout alternates between circuit training and cardio (treadmill or elliptical). When I work out at home I tend to work out later and do either Yoga or Zumba so it's not an issue then. Any help would be much appreciated!

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  • serenity216
    serenity216 Posts: 512 Member
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    BUMP: I could really use some help on this...
  • zaph0d
    zaph0d Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Basically you will have to experiment to discover what keeps you feeling best. Your overall calories and macros are far more important than the timing.
  • cthon98
    cthon98 Posts: 19
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    If you want to make gains by combining protein and a workout, you're going to want to have your protein AFTER the workout, within a half hour of when you've finished working out.
    What you want to have BEFORE the workout however is more food. Don't focus on protein so much, protein is a building block for muscles, whereas carbs and fats are fuel. You want those. A liquid type of breakfast like slim-fast is easy on the stomach and full of good nutrients for fuel purposes. Then you can eat your protein bar after the workout, and go about the rest of your day as normal.
  • tacticalhippie
    tacticalhippie Posts: 596 Member
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    When I work out in the morning, I try to hydrate and have a protein bar before hand.

    Then I have my usual protein shake/breakfast after.
  • angeliqueann
    angeliqueann Posts: 213 Member
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    I don't eat anything before I work out. it makes me feel like I need to just hurry up and finish so I can eat. although i do eat a healthy meal right after. =D
  • hooperkay
    hooperkay Posts: 463 Member
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    I usually eat after my workouts. I do not eat before. With that said, everyone is different. I find that I starve before and after, but I can workout hungry. So when I get done I can eat more and stop the hunger? works for me. Try it different ways to see what you like.
  • tacticalhippie
    tacticalhippie Posts: 596 Member
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    I really like this infographic

    http://greatist.com/health/the-complete-guide-to-workout-nutrition/
  • Mako_33
    Mako_33 Posts: 42
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    I used to be the same then I started having a protein shake 1 scoop with water 20min before and then 20min after I have another one with 2 scoops of powder.

    Made a big difference to how I feel during the day and performance when training.
  • sleibo87
    sleibo87 Posts: 403 Member
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    ditto, i do what feels best for me.
    I usually get my workouts in after work in the early evening and I tend to eat a snack about an hour before. A banana is a good choice or some nuts. I tend to workout in the mornings on the days I am off to get it done with so I eat after but I do notice a difference in my intensity of my workouts. Some says its good to workout before you eat to burn more fat but I figure if my workouts not a good its about the same anyways. Sometimes i eat breakfast in the morning and wait a little to workout but usually my day off is weigh in day so I wait to eat till after. Try both and see what feels better for you. Good luck!
  • serenity216
    serenity216 Posts: 512 Member
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    Thank you all for the great suggestions!
  • randlenatasha
    randlenatasha Posts: 3 Member
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    Hello,

    I used to have a similiar problem with hunger as well. So I decided to increase protien and fiber to help sustain fullness longer. It has helped me a lot. I usually work out before eating and Its usually a full balanced breakfast. My usual breakfast is a bowl of Kashi Lean high fiber/high protien cereal, a hard boiled egg (or egg beaters), a fruit, and almond, soy, or skim milk. I usually feel pretty full for awhile. The increase in protien throughout the day has definitley kicked my hunger and helps me to stay within my calorie limit. I hope this helps.

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