Eating dinner before or after strength training?

HutchA12 wrote: »

I tend to work out 6 or 6:30 for a couple hours then just eat dinner after, but I eat lunch at around 1pm. When you eat really doesn't matter to much as long as you aren't eating to much to make yourself feel ill while working out.

Agree with this.

If you're one to have an increased appetite after a good training session, I would maybe incorporate a small snack prior to your workout (dependent upon when you eat lunch and IF you're hungry) and then save dinner for your post workout nutrition.

Now, if you don't have much of an appetite post workout, it may be more feasible for you to eat dinner beforehand... which is fine. If it's a large meal I would give it enough time so you can avoid regurgitation or feeling sick to your stomach. The amount of time is tough to generalize, though. More of an individual, case by case basis.

Cheers, and happy training.

I tend to eat dinner before then have a protein shake afterwards... but its totally up to your preference.

On the days that I train right after work I might have a protein shake to tide me over until I can eat. Personally I find I don't perform as well when I am hungry and it is a quick way to get some calories, protein and feel full until I am able to eat my dinner. That's what works for me anyway

priyac1987 wrote: »

Hi all,

I am starting a new job soon, and because of it, I have to shift the times of my workouts around and as I want to start seriously incorporating strength training, I am struggling on deciding when to put it into my schedule. My plan is to do half hour cardio in the morning, and I want to do my strength training in the evening but I don't know whether it is best to eat dinner say around 6.30pm and workout after or workout at 6.30pm and then eat dinner after?

Does it really matter? Should I be leaving a reasonable amount of time between training and eating (or visa versa) and if so, how much is classed as reasonable? 1 hour? 2 hours?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

TIA

I always work out in a fasted state (when my insulin levels are at their lowest) because your body will use stored fat as energy for the workout. I do my cardio and strength in the morning or on alternate days so that I can get both of them in before I break my 16 hour fast. It has been working for me. I've only done IF and fasted workouts for about a week and a half and lost three inches from my waist so that's something. If you're working out to lose fat, I would work out fasted if you can. It's not easy at first. I felt crappy and weak when I first started but after a day or two I felt exactly the same during my workout.

If you're interested look up working out in a fasted state. There are lots of people for and against it, but the information is pretty solid as far as I'm concerned. You don't work out just when hungry or with an empty stomach, it has to be when your insulin is low, like after a long fast of 8-12 hours. (depending on what the last thing you ate was.)

As with all things, you know that you run a risk posting anything on the MFP forum that's contrary to popular opinion (popular opinion being that you need to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day and carb up or at least snack before a workout) because inevitably a bunch of people will come along and say you're wrong, so I just advise you to look it up for yourself and make the decision. There are credible sources out there. To me it works great. I do intermittent fasting (stop eating at 8 PM and don't eat again until about noon the next day) and then I have an 8 hour eating window each day which means I get to eat more calories during fewer meals. I prefer that to eating a bunch of two or three hundred calorie meals.

Adah_m wrote: »

priyac1987 wrote: »

Hi all,

I am starting a new job soon, and because of it, I have to shift the times of my workouts around and as I want to start seriously incorporating strength training, I am struggling on deciding when to put it into my schedule. My plan is to do half hour cardio in the morning, and I want to do my strength training in the evening but I don't know whether it is best to eat dinner say around 6.30pm and workout after or workout at 6.30pm and then eat dinner after?

Does it really matter? Should I be leaving a reasonable amount of time between training and eating (or visa versa) and if so, how much is classed as reasonable? 1 hour? 2 hours?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

TIA

I always work out in a fasted state (when my insulin levels are at their lowest) because your body will use stored fat as energy for the workout. I do my cardio and strength in the morning or on alternate days so that I can get both of them in before I break my 16 hour fast. It has been working for me. I've only done IF and fasted workouts for about a week and a half and lost three inches from my waist so that's something. If you're working out to lose fat, I would work out fasted if you can. It's not easy at first. I felt crappy and weak when I first started but after a day or two I felt exactly the same during my workout.

If you're interested look up working out in a fasted state. There are lots of people for and against it, but the information is pretty solid as far as I'm concerned. You don't work out just when hungry or with an empty stomach, it has to be when your insulin is low, like after a long fast of 8-12 hours. (depending on what the last thing you ate was.)

As with all things, you know that you run a risk posting anything on the MFP forum that's contrary to popular opinion (popular opinion being that you need to eat 5-6 small meals throughout the day and carb up or at least snack before a workout) because inevitably a bunch of people will come along and say you're wrong, so I just advise you to look it up for yourself and make the decision. There are credible sources out there. To me it works great. I do intermittent fasting (stop eating at 8 PM and don't eat again until about noon the next day) and then I have an 8 hour eating window each day which means I get to eat more calories during fewer meals. I prefer that to eating a bunch of two or three hundred calorie meals.

That is NOT popular belief on MFP. In mainstream media maybe. Meal timing and frequency doesn't have an impact on weight loss, total calories do. And even if you burn more fat during a fasted workout, it will be replenished post workout. So the effects of fasted exercise has been overblown by the IF community.

Having said that, IF is a very effective tool for some people to control calories. But with all things equal, it doesn't matter if you eat 2000 calories from 1 meal or 6 meals, weight loss will be the same.

Personally, fasted exercise doesn't work for me. Tried cardio, HIIT and weight training... all of which I struggled. And did 16:8 for about 6 months. Just didn't work out in terms of my lifestyle.

I have a little snack an hour or so before the gym like a protein yoghurt or some fruit. I used to exercise after not eating for a few hours and I used to get fatigued really easily, since I have started having a snack beforehand I have had a lot more energy and have been getting so much more out of my exercise. I then eat dinner after the gym. I know people who don't like eating before the gym because it makes them feel sick, so I guess each to their own really.