Not sure whether should be exercise or nutrition post

BNevins1
BNevins1 Posts: 21
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi Everyone- On weekdays, I work out from 6-7am so that I can get it in before heading to the office. I alternate between spinning, swimming, and group power (strength training to music). Ok, here's the question. What should I be eating before I work out? I normally just have water before and during and am fine. Also, more importantly, is it crucial that I eat breakfast within a certain time period after my workout is over? I have been waiting until 9:00 ish and eating oatmeal with flaxseed, my homeade veggie sausage mcmuffin, or Kashi waffles with applesauce when I get to my desk. I eat well, but am worried that I may be inadvertantly be hurting my progress by not eating until 9:00 am. I feel fine and am not famished before 9:00. Any thoughts?

Replies

  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    Hi Everyone- On weekdays, I work out from 6-7am so that I can get it in before heading to the office. I alternate between spinning, swimming, and group power (strength training to music). Ok, here's the question. What should I be eating before I work out? I normally just have water before and during and am fine. Also, more importantly, is it crucial that I eat breakfast within a certain time period after my workout is over? I have been waiting until 9:00 ish and eating oatmeal with flaxseed, my homeade veggie sausage mcmuffin, or Kashi waffles with applesauce when I get to my desk. I eat well, but am worried that I may be inadvertantly be hurting my progress by not eating until 9:00 am. I feel fine and am not famished before 9:00. Any thoughts?
  • deamarie
    deamarie Posts: 90
    There has been a crazy theory out for a while that working out on a empty stomach makes your body burn body fat as fuel. This has been disproven. It is always a good idea to eat a little something before you workout (30 minutes or so before) even if it is a protein shake or peanut butter toast. Your body needs something to fuel the workout so I does not end up using muscle as fuel or you end up crashing!! You don't want that to happen. Just make sure to keep your meal a 150 or so calories and you should be able to burn that off without a problem.
  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    Thanks for the response. That is exactly what I was wondering. Do you think if I get in 100-150 cals prior to my workout that it will be ok to wait until 9:00 for my "real" breakfast? Or is it important to refuel immediately after so that the muscle burning thing doesn't happen then?
  • deamarie
    deamarie Posts: 90
    I think you should be fine if you are not starving...The pre-workout meal should hold you over. Research shows pre and post meals are important but that seems like a lot of calories for the average girl. Try just the pre-workout "snack" and see what happens. If you are still not getting the results you want you can try the post "snack" too. Sometimes I have a glass of milk, a protein shake (with water), a banana with very light smear of pb....You get the point. Also, eating earlier gets your metabolism started earlier which will increase your overall calorie burn throughout the day. Good luck!
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    It is important to get something in pre and post-WO...you're in a better place hormonally than you will be a few hours following the end of the workout. It's not so much muscle loss that you need to worry about, but a lack of repair due to a lack of nutrients. You can't rebuild tissue or refill glycogen without anything to use, and your pre-wo meal will be almost digested by the time you're done with your workout, so it'll be ready for use then. You DO want a good amount of calories around your workout, that's when you need them.
  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    Ok. I think I am going to try for about 100 cals pre (5:30) and 100 cals post (7:15 ish) and another 200 at 9:00. Sounds complicated, but I'll find something that I can stash in the car for the commute to work and have a piece of fruit pre. Thanks for the feedback.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Try adding a protein to your fruit...like a hardboiled egg, which you can prepare the night before. You can't build tissues with sugar alone. :smile:
  • MFS27
    MFS27 Posts: 549 Member
    Try adding a protein to your fruit...like a hardboiled egg, which you can prepare the night before. You can't build tissues with sugar alone. :smile:

    Do you need protein before WO, or just after WO for recovery?
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Try adding a protein to your fruit...like a hardboiled egg, which you can prepare the night before. You can't build tissues with sugar alone. :smile:

    Do you need protein before WO, or just after WO for recovery?

    Both is best when you think about how digestion works.
    It takes a few hours for food to get from your mouth to your large intestine. It has to travel down the esophagus, sit in the stomach to churn and be broken down by the gastric juices, then travel through the small intestine where most of the nutrients (especially glucose, which is going to refill glycogen) are absorbed, then into the large intestine where more nutrients and water are absorbed. That doesn't happen as soon as you're done chewing, and it happens even more slowly when you're exercising because blood is sent to the extremities rather than the intestines. So the meal you eat BEFORE you work out is really what you're absorbing AFTER you're done. Then the meal you eat right after you work out is being absorbed a little while after that first one has entered the colon.
  • deamarie
    deamarie Posts: 90
    Boiled eggs are great....I eat them for my p.m. snack nearly every day. Good point about adding protein to each snack. Most people think a piece of fruit is enough but you body (especially if you are exercising) requires a variety of nutrients.
  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    You guys are great! Ok, I had some apple slices with a little peanut butter before class and am eating my oatmeal with flaxseed now. Now you've got me thinking I need a little more protein after. I hate boiled eggs, but I'll figure out something. Thanks again for the responses.
  • deamarie
    deamarie Posts: 90
    Some other protein choices I uses are string cheese, laughing cow, greek yogurt and cottage cheese.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Boiled eggs are great....I eat them for my p.m. snack nearly every day. Good point about adding protein to each snack. Most people think a piece of fruit is enough but you body (especially if you are exercising) requires a variety of nutrients.

    I love them! I will boil a half dozen at night and then eat them for breakfasts/snacks for a couple days. If you boil them, put them in cold water, and then peel them once they're cool, you can store them in water in the fridge. Then the membrane doesn't stick and you aren't left with just 1/2 the egg white from it all being stuck to the shell.

    I also loooove greek yogurt. I get the plain and add a tiny bit of splenda, or I get the Fage with honey..yummmm. String cheese is another great one. You can always make your oatmeal with milk instead of water to get some extra protein as well.
  • BNevins1
    BNevins1 Posts: 21
    Ok, I'm going to try the egg thing too using your cooking method. If nothing else, I know I will eat them chopped up on a salad. Everyone else in the house loves them, so they will be happy. I've never tried greek yogurt. It sounds scary to me. Maybe I'll give that a shot too. Thanks again for the great ideas.
  • TexasAngelBeth
    TexasAngelBeth Posts: 315 Member
    I always have peanut butter toast before I head to the gym... when I don't make the time to eat before going I feel like its just too hard to even want to be there.
  • deamarie
    deamarie Posts: 90
    Don't be afraid of greek yogurt....It is just a little thicker like a custard. Very creamy!
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