Eat before or after workout?

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tammycb1977
tammycb1977 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am new here and was wondering what everyone does. I workout at night and am not sure if I should eat supper before or after my workout. What does everyone else do?
Also, my daily calories are 1330, I normally get around 750 calories for my workout. Do you eat your workout calories?
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Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    If I am going to lift weights at night, I eat supper with my family as usual. If I am going to run, I eat about half of my meal beforehand, wait an hour and then run, and then eat the rest afterward.

    This is going to end up being a personal preference thing. Every person is different as to how much they want to or can eat before/after exercising.

    I eat my workout calories.
  • JoseCastaneda
    JoseCastaneda Posts: 245 Member
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    I usually eat some carbs before my workout (fruit, oatmeal), and stuff with protein after (meat, chicken, eggs...). I don't have any scientific claim here, but that's what works for me
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Depends on when I'm going. If it's first thing in the morning, I'll eat after, because if I stop long enough to eat, I'll talk myself out of going (not a morning person.) It it's later in the day, it just depends if I'm hungry or not.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    And yes, you should eat back your workout calories. MFP already has a deficit set before you workout, so you're going to want to eat them, especially with your calories being as low as they are.

    Having said that, it's generally agreed upon that MFP overestimates calories burned, so if you have no other way to record the calories you burn, only log about 1/2 to 3/4 what you actually did. Then eat those calories back.
  • hmaddpear
    hmaddpear Posts: 610 Member
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    I eat after, as eating before makes me feel yucky and I don't seem to put in a good performance. I'm mostly running for workouts at the moment.

    It's very personal preference, so you'll need to find out what works for you. (I do like the idea of some carbs before a workout and protein after. Pity it's not something I can do!)
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,179 Member
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    I eat after workouts, or I feel like throwing up. Unless it is something really small and easy to digest, like a fruit.
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I try and eat something small about an hour before working out (yogurt, hard boiled egg, low sodium deli meat, cheese etc), and I try and eat something after (if I've been doing weights I try and eat a little protein).
    If MFP calculated your calories then you should be eating back at least 50% of those calories (MFP over calculates burned calories for most people).
  • Afura
    Afura Posts: 2,054 Member
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    I try and eat something small about an hour before working out (yogurt, hard boiled egg, low sodium deli meat, cheese etc), and I try and eat something after (if I've been doing weights I try and eat a little protein).
    If MFP calculated your calories then you should be eating back at least 50% of those calories (MFP over calculates burned calories for most people).
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
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    whatever works best for you
  • angeltilo
    angeltilo Posts: 44 Member
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    I'm with Afura- I eat something small an hour or two before working out. IDK if I'm like everyone else but I can't eat too much before or I get ill.
  • Inkitsune
    Inkitsune Posts: 1 Member
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    I'd definitely consume some calories post-workout regardless of the time (a calorie is a calorie regardless of you eating it at 8am or 8pm), that being said there are certainly choices that would benefit you more than others for terms of overall health/well being.

    After you've trained your glycogen stores will be depleted and you will hasten the speed of which you enter a catabolic state, and consider if you don't eat anything after your training, you're then going several hours in a fasted state until breakfast.

    I would suggest something protein dense, with a medium consumption of healthy fats and a small portion of carbs, i.e. veggie omelet

    As for eating workout calories back, it depends on your goal. If you are looking to lean out then you'll need to stay in a caloric deficit, maintaining meet your caloric needs and gaining you'll need to eat in a surplus.
  • raven56706
    raven56706 Posts: 918 Member
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    bump for my knowledge
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    I don't follow any "rule" in this regard.
    I'm up at 4:20, in the pool at 5:05. Finish 6000 yards around 7:00. Breakfast around 7:45 when I get to the office.
    Sunday is the only day that the YMCA opens late enough for me to eat anything before swimming.
    If I hit the weight room after work I may grab a Detour protein bar while I change clothes.
  • kellyship17
    kellyship17 Posts: 112 Member
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    I do long runs at night. I tend to eat my regular dinner, wait at least an hour, run, and then have a snack after. You may have to try different things until you figure out what works best for you.
  • vfit10
    vfit10 Posts: 228 Member
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    Before like 45 minutes before your workout .... Feels weird with a full belly when working out
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    nutrient-timing-table_r4-01.png

  • MK24551
    MK24551 Posts: 174 Member
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    If I walk/run in the morning I eat a half of a banana before I go. If it's the afternoon or evening I wait alittle to let my stomach settle before I go. I easily fell like crap if I do anything on a full stomach.
  • dandydan99
    dandydan99 Posts: 10 Member
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    I exercise first thing in the AM and find it easier to just drink water/ falvored seltzer b4 and during the workout. No eating prior at all.
  • Terpnista84
    Terpnista84 Posts: 517 Member
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    Depends on when my last meal was before my workout. I can't eat lunch at noon and then workout at 6. I eat a snack before I leave work. I usually don't have much of an appetite after working out because I cut out the lengthy cardio sessions. I'll eat something that will satisfy me but not a big meal.

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