I've just finished my fourth week of South Beach and am very happy with the diet. To be completely honest, I'm shocked that I've been able to stick to it this long!

I now feel somewhat comfortable with choosing the right foods and eating healthily, and so I am hoping to add exercise in to my routine this week. I am going to be going to the gym after work, and I was wondering if anyone had any advice about pre-exercise snacks to keep your energy up when you're working out at that hour. I typically have my afternoon snack (celery and Laughing Cow cheese) just before leaving work so that I don't arrive home ravenous (as I did in the past), and it's been working for me so far. But I wasn't sure if something more substantial would be better, or if anyone had some surefire pre-exercise (and I don't mean right before getting on the treadmill, I'd probably eat about a half hour before exercising) snacks.

Thanks for any advice in advance, and I hope everyone had a great weekend!

I like a banana before working out in the morning. At that hour I might need a little protein too - Laughing Cow or a few nuts with the banana.

I think it depends on how hard you're working out. I've had a bit of concern as well with running...I'm now going over an hour. I think what they recommend for something as strenous as that is to have more readily available carbs (banana, apple, etc...not pure protein) about an hour before hand.

I've been making sure I have something like that before my longer runs, and it seems to help.

Good luck! I know cutting out all the cr@p foods has really made my exercising easier!!

on starting to work out, Jessers!

I find that I don't need anything before I work out (and eating too close to working out makes me feel sick), so I save my snack for afterwards. My nutritionist says you have about an hour after you work out to eat so you can replace the glycogen stores. If you don't eat within that time, you will start the next day already low. So you definitely need to eat after, even if you do eat before.

Here are some articles on eating and working out:
Eating and exercise: Time it right to maximize your workout from MayoClinic.com for CNN Health
What to Eat Before - and After - a Workout
The Best Way to Feed Your Workout from ABC News
What to Eat before a Workout
Pre and Post Workout Nutrition Articles from Bodybuilding.com (several good-looking articles here)
Is it better to eat before or after exercise? (note that this is from 2005)
Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy and stand to burn more fat

Thank you so much for the great advice! I went to the gym for the first time today and followed the advice you guys gave me - thanks so much!