[Rhiencie]

i just want ur opinions on when to eat.
before or after working out?

because i work 10 - 5:30 everyday, so i everyday
i go to the gym around 6:30. for the past weeks,
i've been eating before working out. i don't eat
much, just enough to get the energy to work out.
after working out (around 8 or 8:30), i get hungry again!!
not like starving, but it's like my appetite increases after working out.
again (i know no eating about 7/8 is better), i eat but not much,
just some fruits and at the most, a bit of rice and vegies.
there are times i can control it by drinking water, but there are also
times when i just can't!

i've also tried eating not eating before but just after, I
realized that i don't feel energetic during my work out session.
although I always eat a big lunch and drink a lot of water throughout
the afternoon.

what do you advice?

[watcher]

i usually get some carbs in before i work out, but this is mainly because i do weights.
if you just do cardio, maybe a small sip of juice to get your started is all you need.
post workout, i drink a protein shake right after, and eat a meal an hour after that.
if you just do cardio, i'd just stick with my regular meal plan.

[Rhiencie]

i usually get some carbs in before i work out, but this is mainly because i do weights.
if you just do cardio, maybe a small sip of juice to get your started is all you need.
post workout, i drink a protein shake right after, and eat a meal an hour after that.
if you just do cardio, i'd just stick with my regular meal plan.

i do both cardio and weights.
i usually do cardio for about 30-45 mins, then fast walkin/run for another 15 mins,
then i do the weight stuff. i do leg press, extention, curl, hip adductor/abductor,etc..
for about 20-30 mins, then stretch out.

but hey, thanks for the advice!

[justlovely12]

eat a little snack before your workout, so you'll have energy. just 100 calories.

[MUSIClLOVElLIFE]

I always try to eat a couple hours before I work out because once I tried cardio without eating anything (I had just woken up), I couldn't get my strength up. I got tired reaaaaaaaally quickly.

[Rhiencie]

I always try to eat a couple hours before I work out because once I tried cardio without eating anything (I had just woken up), I couldn't get my strength up. I got tired reaaaaaaaally quickly.

yeah..i agree
i couldn't even do cardio for 30 mins..past 15 mins i'd be tired and want to give up

[felinius]

Eat before you work out for energy. Apparently bananas are easy to digest and give a lot of energy just for being a healthy snack.

Your hunger should increase when you work out. You're in a way fueling your metabolism and burning up calories.

[meilove]

i work out before i eat, if i do it after, i get cramps and it's not good for you

[Rabens]

I heard eating somethings small before working out is ok. That's what I do and I have more energy and I don't get cramps.

[kinein]

I heard eating somethings small before working out is ok. That's what I do and I have more energy and I don't get cramps.

Pre-Workout meal depends on the person. You should experiment with when and how much. If I eat solid food then 2-3 hours before I step into the gym, if I go with a shake then I prefer within 30-minutes to an hour before exercise.

20-30 grams protein and complex carb so it digests slower, though with carbs you should experiment over a period of 1-4 weeks and see how your body reacts to the type of carb. If you normally get tired an hour after having carbs ( drowsy, tired ) then you should throttle down your carbs til you can take them better.

---

Post Workout is more important when it comes to nutrition. Within an hour of exercise get protein and fast carbs! There have already been plenty of good replies though so I will just relate that I personally will intake 40-60 grams of protein after workout and anywhere between 0-25 grams of fast carbs.

I can't take carbs too well so for me I try to only have them when they will be best utilized.

[sHiN_sAiKo]

What are fast carbs?

-20 characters

[D_K]

i just want ur opinions on when to eat.
before or after working out?

because i work 10 - 5:30 everyday, so i everyday
i go to the gym around 6:30. for the past weeks,
i've been eating before working out. i don't eat
much, just enough to get the energy to work out.
after working out (around 8 or 8:30), i get hungry again!!
not like starving, but it's like my appetite increases after working out.
again (i know no eating about 7/8 is better), i eat but not much,
just some fruits and at the most, a bit of rice and vegies.
there are times i can control it by drinking water, but there are also
times when i just can't!

i've also tried eating not eating before but just after, I
realized that i don't feel energetic during my work out session.
although I always eat a big lunch and drink a lot of water throughout
the afternoon.

what do you advice?

I can't stress this enough...not including your breakfast your post-workout meal is the most important meal of the day. Under no circumstances should you skip this meal. Form your eating habits along these lines:

How much DAILY calories should I consume? Let's say your goal is 1800 calories. This makes it 300/meal, at 6 meals a day.

When should I consume my meals? You should consume them evenly apart (3 hours in between, for example), and this includes eating ASAP when you wake up and ASAP after you workout. Considering that you work out for appr. an hour, then this means you should also eat 1.5 to 2 hours before you workout.

I noticed both males and females (especially), forcefully starving themselves after a workout so that they don't 'let' their workout go to waste by eating what they worked so hard to lose (calorie-wise). Wrong.

[Azngel]

^why is eating after work out so important?

i had some soy milk, is that good?

[sugarrrxxx]

sorry this doesn't really answer the question, but the truth is, you can eat anything as long as its an hour and a half before you go to bed.

and i usually eat before, because i'm already thin and i need the most energy i can get.
if i dont eat before i work out i feel really dizzy.

[watcher]

^why is eating after work out so important?

i had some soy milk, is that good?

you restore your glycogen levels and absorb more of the nutrients you take in post workout.
allows your body to recover and grow faster

[Rhiencie]

thanks for the advice!

i never realized how important a post work-out meal is
i guess ive been eating before working out because i
wanted to follow the 'no eating after 8pm' rule, that's
when i usually get home from the guy.
but now that i read ur explaination, i guess take in some carb
before working out can help to maintain the energy.

and surprisingly, i havent encountered any cramps during the
time when i eat before working out.

but is that true that u shouldn't eat right after because ur body absorbs
more calories? i read somewhere that the waiting time should be 2-3 hours
for a post work-out meal? is that so?

[kinein]

thanks for the advice!

i never realized how important a post work-out meal is
i guess ive been eating before working out because i
wanted to follow the 'no eating after 8pm' rule, that's
when i usually get home from the guy.
but now that i read ur explaination, i guess take in some carb
before working out can help to maintain the energy.

and surprisingly, i havent encountered any cramps during the
time when i eat before working out.

but is that true that u shouldn't eat right after because ur body absorbs
more calories? i read somewhere that the waiting time should be 2-3 hours
for a post work-out meal? is that so?

The golden window of opportunity when your body can best utilize nutrients is approximately 1 hr immediately after exercise ends. Which is why you will see the super lean fitness models and bodybuilder types taking in nutrients right outside the gym. That takes a lot of dedication but fortunately you have an hour and most people get the eating job done within 30 minutes of completing exercise.

It is of the UTMOST importance, that golden hour. D K is entirely right and is emphasizing the importance just like I am re-emphasizing.


-------------------------------------------------------------

The biggest meal of the day should be breakfast.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Examples of simple carbohydrates ( carbs that are broken down quickly, you get hungry faster ), white rice, pasta, potatoe, fruits, gatorade, powerade.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Examples of complex carbohydrates ( carbs that are broken down more slowly, helps to keep you from getting too hungry ) : brown rice, oatmeal, yams, sweet potato, grits, whole grains ( UNPROCESSED ) Wheat Bread

--------------------------------------------------------------

Generally the only time simple carbs are considered good is PWO ( post workout ). That is when simple vs complex switch sides. But the main thing with carbs that I heard from a fitness girl that makes perfect sense is "you have to earn your carbs", if you aren't working out or doing anything strenuous then you don't need the carbs. Vegetables and protein and maybe breakfast carbs is enough. If you go running maybe a little more. Now if you add in some resistance training, added, swimming, pilates, anything that could cause you to feel sore in your muscles.. then you can get a little more wild.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Your body uses protein to rebuild, repair, heal, fix, grow. It doesn't use rice or broccoli to fix skin, rebuild muscle, or heal aching joints. Protein in your body is broken down into essential amino acids that are the building blocks for everything that makes you the person ( physical body ). So don't wholly rely on carbs to take care of your body. Carbs are used as fuel. They also give muscles their fullness and/or create a protuding belly ( carb bloat ).

So rule of thumb with carbs :

Earn them ~
They are energy source, if you don't burn it off then it goes to fat stores.
Lose muscle, get flabbier less toned, lose your ability to be as efficient when naturally burning calories.
The worse your metabolism ( fire ) is, the easier it is to store excess calories.

You're body is in a constant flux either +/- calories (energy) go over 0 and you have extra calories, go under 0 and your body will start looking for resources to burn in your body. With proper eating, and exercise you can go under 0 without needing to starve yourself which is what lots of healthy fit tone lean people do!

If you aren't eating that PWO, you are effectively starving your body at it's most critical time.

[xo_viki]

Even though it may seem right to eat before you exercise it actually bad for the body, not eating after you exercise is bad for you i hear.

[xthefirst]

i heard you should eat after you workout because all your muscles are working so much that they'll burn all the necessary things.

[proFRESHional.]

hm. well, when i go running sometimes. i usually just eat a banana for some energy before i go run. then when i finish running, i just come home and eat a little.. not that much. but i guess you should eat a little before you work out so you dont over work yourself. then after working out, wait for a while then eat again