pre and post work out foods

  • trying to figure out what is the best thing to eat before and after my workouts to lose weight. i work out in the mornings so i only have about 30min by the time i leave the house to digest my food so i know it shouldn't be a meal, just something small to give me energy. i have protein drinks with 70 calories, 2g carbs and 15g protein. is that enough or should i have carbs? i have heard that the protein/cardio combo will help you burn your stored fat for energy. any thoughts on this? what would be a good post workout breakfast?
  • It all depends on how hard you are working out and the type of activity you are doing. If you are doing cardio-vascular activity, I'd say you probably could use more easily digested carbs such as you could get from a bowl of oatmeal or perhaps a cup of greek yogurt (the former gives you some fiber and the later protein). If you are doing weight training, you might want to go more heavy on the protein (but still need carbs to power you through). You could add in a spoonful of peanut butter into your oatmeal and eat one of the protein bars.

    I'm told the best post-workout "food" is actually drinking a cup of chocolate milk. I haven't done that. To be honest, while I try to eat before a workout, I usually don't eat anything right afterwards. I do try to remain well hydrated and drink plenty of fluids before and after.
  • Rule of thumb:

    a piece of fruit pre-workout
    protein drink/bar, piece of chicken, whatever protein, low fat/cal item you have - post-workout

    This method is also used by bodybuilders/fitness models.

    The idea is that glucose/sugar will give you more energy so you get a better workout...

    and...

    Protein will help feed muscles helping them to repair and preventing your body from becoming catabolic and eating your own muscle.
  • you need LIQUID carbs/protein preworkout, so it can be absorbed quickly and not sit in the tummyu........ i personally drink a half a Slimfast Pre workout....then have normal breakfast an hour or hour and a half later.....
  • Before working out, I eat nothing. I usually run at 5 am and so far I haven't had too much trouble. If I'm feeling like I really need the energy I'll take a GU or other energy gel.

    After, nothing. I usually am finished with my run by 6-6:30 am and don't eat breakfast until 9 am, although I do have a cup of coffee around 8am.

    After a long run 8+ miles I'll have a whey protein shake immediately after and then a normal breakfast and coffee.

    Honestly, yes workout nutrition is important but unless you are a super serious athlete or training for something intense, it's up to you on what works for you. If you feel like your performance is ok, you're not dizzy or light headed and you're recovering ok and not proned to injuries then don't worry about it too much. There's enough info on the internet to make your head spin if you want to research all the specifics of what you should eat and when.
  • I don't like to eat before working out either..or even drink anything. It slows me down and makes me feel sluggish. Afterwards, I love me some egg whites and salsa with maybe some parmasean. Then, I drink way too much coffee. I love it.
  • Quote: Honestly, yes workout nutrition is important but unless you are a super serious athlete or training for something intense, it's up to you on what works for you. If you feel like your performance is ok, you're not dizzy or light headed and you're recovering ok and not proned to injuries then don't worry about it too much

    This.

    When my choice of breakfast hurts my chance of making the Olympics, I'll look more closely at my breakfast. Until then, what works for me... works for me.

    I sometimes feel like a big focus on what precisely to eat when (not what to eat overall, but oatmeal 33 minutes before cardio or whatever) is being used as kind of an excuse--an excuse for what, I don't know.

    Also, I'm not so keen on taking nutrition advice from the bodybuilding/fitness model world. Any environment that "no steroids in this body" has to be specified because it's unusual isn't, personally, one I want to engage with.