Timing for certain foods

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Woodman725
Woodman725 Posts: 288 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I work out at my gym in the mornings for an hour doing either boxing, kickboxing or some sort of interval class. Each one is mostly cardio but also has a lot of core work as well as legs and arms. I understand that eating right is the real key to losing weight, but I'm just not sure that I'm making the right choices during the day. I understand that if I can have 1500 calories a day, I shouldn't wait until 9pm and have a bar-b-que dinner and a couple of beers to fill up all those calories, but I'm really trying to understand what to stay away from at certain times of the day.
I thought I had read to stay away from fruit after working out because of the sugars, but I'm not convinced that's really the case. So anyway, I'm just trying to get an idea of types of foods to eat during the day (ie. after my morning workout, lunch, dinner, healthy snacks).
Thanks for any suggestions.

Jeff

Replies

  • GufoBianca
    GufoBianca Posts: 41
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    It's actually good to eat fruit after a workout. You deplete essential sugar stores in the body throughout a workout, and it is necessary to replenish them with "good" sugars that come from fruits. If you don't, you will eventually feel sluggish and unable to complete your workouts as efficiently.

    I, personally, try not to eat after 7 pm so I have time to wind down and get to sleep faster. I don't really think it matters what time of day you eat, as long as it's healthy and you are staying in your NET calorie range.

    Oh, and also: Drink LOTS of water! :)
  • JennSlish
    JennSlish Posts: 1
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    http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/food-to-fuel-your-workout

    WebMD is a great site for stuff just like this, I personally sign up for thier newsletters and would recommed it to anyone.

    Hope that helps.
  • xXAlana21Xx
    xXAlana21Xx Posts: 183 Member
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    i would try and spread calories evenly through out the day
  • pamcakes15
    pamcakes15 Posts: 5
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    Protien is the best thing to have after a workout , especially interval and weight training. F.ruits have too many sugars. Also try to have some protien at every meal & snack
  • Woodman725
    Woodman725 Posts: 288 Member
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    I should mention that I do either have a protein drink right after my workout or a protein bar. That does seem to help with my appetite through the morning. And plenty of water through the day. It really seems like water does so much for your body to be able to work better being hydrated.
  • Lizzgeorge77
    Lizzgeorge77 Posts: 52 Member
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    I know a lot of nutritionists/trainers recommend stacking your carb consumption in the morning and tapering it off during the day to pretty much zero by dinner. In other words having a most of your carbs for breakfast (fruit, oatmeal, whole grain bread, etc), some at lunch (a serving of potatoes or bread) and then very few with dinner (maybe just trace amounts in starchy vegetables and sauces). That way you burn off most sugars/carbs that you consume before falling asleep at night. Too much sugar/carbs in the blood while you sleep can allegedly be more readily converted to fat - plus it can increase your heart rate and keep you from getting as good sleep. Again I'm no nutritionist but I've heard this recommendation in several places (Jillean Michaels being the most recent).

    Other than that I haven't read much about timing certain foods.
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
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    You should do some googling about pre and post workout nutrition. There is so much info out there, it is hard to condense and post it here. I think you will find it very helpful.

    As far as what you should be eating at what times of day in general: as long as you are eating healthy foods you are fine, I dont think it really matters what you eat when, except as it relates to your workout. Just keep your food high fiber, high protein, low fat for the most part, and low in saturated fat, and you should be okay. Eat plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. I know I am not saying anything that has not been said a million times.

    Also, be patient. Learning how to eat well and healthfully, and what works best for your body will take time to figure out. You have to experiment with different things and different foods. Spend some time in the grocery store looking for new foods to try. Feel free to look through my diary or my husbands (i make/plan all his meals for him - he is ywellc). Keep hitting the forums and research different aspects of nutrition that interest or concern you. There is a wealth of good info on the internets.

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