We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

Working out after eating

1ofthegang
1ofthegang Posts: 76 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
After you eat, do you wait to workout? If so, how long? Or is that really not an issue?

Replies

  • 30 minutes minimum!
    depends on the intensity of your workout but I wait at LEAST 30 minutes you don't want it to come back up : /
  • tigertchr23
    tigertchr23 Posts: 418 Member
    I would give your stomach 45 min to an hour to finish digesting. Otherwise all of your blood is being pumped to your stomach to process everything.

    I would also recommend eating protein instead of carbs before working out so you don't feel nauseous or weighed down.
  • My trainer told me that its better to do cardio on empty stomach. But weight training is better to eat and wait about an hour before working out... I do my cardio at night so I eat an hour before and feel great!
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
    I usually have a snack about 10 mins prior, I find I run better. Something like a protein bar, trail mix, etc. When I used to workout before work I'd have oatmeal for breakfast since I couldn't run on an empty stomach and it didn't bother me at all. Prior to that I would have cereal in the morning, but that didn't go well!
  • noltes2
    noltes2 Posts: 202 Member
    Jillian Michaels says to wait 45 minutes :) it's the "hot zone"!
  • I've been told by my brother who is a trainer, that if you're working out in the morning soon after waking up, try not to eat, no matter what your workout is, cardio or strength -- that your body is in a fat-burning zone and you don't want to add calories just to burn them off immediately. If you need to eat, try a spoonful of almond butter until your workout. If you're working out later in the day or at night, you should wait 45 min after eating a meal for the workout. And along with what another said: protein, not carbs (egg whites and a half a grapefruit or skim milk and protein powder shake). Carbs feel good, but they'll bust you in the end.
This discussion has been closed.