Location: Smack dab in the middle, Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 668
S/C/G: 203.4/170.4/140.0
Height: 5'0"
How long between eating and exercising?
I have a question (DUH, right? Why else would I be posting? *L*)
Anyway. I currently get to the gym about three times a week. I'm looking to increase that, and I'm working up to it. But I'm finding that my schedule is sometimes getting in the way.
Right now, my work schedule *usually* has me working either beginning at 12 or 1 (for a short shift) or 9 AM (for a full eight-hour shift.) The Y in my area is open from 6 AM-10 PM on weekdays, and 8 AM-8 PM on weekends.
I tried the whole "getting up early before work and going to the gym" thing, but I learned that is definitely not for me. I know a lot of people talk about how an early-morning workout makes them energized for the whole day...but not me. *L*
Anyway. What I have been finding recently is that, when I get off work at 5:30, by the time I close up (I work in retail), get the cash & bank deposits done, walk home, and eat, it's usually close to 7:00 PM. I like to get 90 minutes of exercise in if I can, but in order to do that, I pretty much have to be at the gym by 7:30 or 8 at the latest. And I'm just wondering if that's too soon after eating.
I know there's probably no hard-and-fast rule for how long you should wait between eating and exercising, but I'm wondering what you all do. I'm wondering if I should eat a bigger lunch and then just a light dinner? That way I'd still be getting the same basic amount of calories, just...reversed. Or would that be detrimental to my workout, having less "recent" calories to work with? (I'm also hypoglycemic, so I have to watch that I eat enough, often enough, to prevent me from falling into a dead faint in the middle of a workout. *L*)
I'm just really kind of confused about this. And I don't know if I can "count" my walk home from work as a form of exercise (although I do go at a pretty fast pace; it's 1.7 miles from work to my home and I get it done in about 20-25 minutes.)
Gah! Who knew exercise could be so damn *confusing*? And who knew that 20 pounds would be harder to lose than 63?! *L*
Hey! This is all a matter of personally preference and it depends on how comfortable you are. The reason you need to hold off eating usually is that when you are exercising VIGOROUSLY your body switches energy from digestion to exertion - so your food ends up sitting uncomfortably in your tummy like a rock. In extreme cases, it can make you puke as your body tries to concentrate away from digestion. I'm sure the timing of this very much depends on what you eat and your body's reaction to food.
I do not eat at least an hour before hot yoga or a rugby match or rugby training. I often mess this up and end up hungry. I do not eat a big amount of food like a normal meal at least two hours before vigorous exercise. A quick shot of energy like a smoothie or a banana doesn't seem to mess me up too much. Some of my teammates shove down energy gel before a match.
Other exercise I do, like walking etc, seems fine and I could certainly chow down before that.
Personally I would definitely count that walk as exercise.
I have to wait an hour or more sometimes before working out after eating or everything gets jumbled up in my stomach and makes it hurt.
But if I wake up in the morning and get ready to work out and do so right away I'm fine on an empty stomach and can usually eat 10-15 mins. after my cooldown.
Maybe the bigger lunch then the light dinner would work for you? and 'save' some protein for an after workout nibble.
Myself, I can NOT eat anything hours before working out! I have tried a half piece of toast with a little peanut butter with my coffee at 6:30 a.m.- then waited 2 hours..that li'l piece of pb/toast was sitting like a rock in my tum when I was doing mountain climbers, oof.
Very nice that you walk to/from work! I'm not sure about your pace, I go by perceived exertion.
I cannot eat within several hours of working out...my allergist speculates that that is what causes whole-body hives during a workout, something to do with digestion of recent food etc because we can't pinpoint any severe medical allergies that I have...i'm not so sure I believe that...but I know I feel better with not eating much before a workout...I usually eat something light around 8:30 a.m. and then am on the treadmill by 11 a.m.
As long as I don't overeat, eating doesn't have any impact on my exercise. I can eat couple of slices of pizza and go straight into my resistance training routine. I've run all of my 5Ks on a bowl of cereal and milk. I actually tend to get sick and hit a wall if I try to exercise with a completely empty stomach. My boyfriend and my dad, who have both worked out/been running with me, assure me that I am abnormal
I'm not an early morning exerciser either. When I have evening derby practice (8-10pm), I eat a light meal (~half of a normal meal) ideally by 5pm. I've pushed it before with larger portions and/or closer to practice and realllllllllly regretted it.
For your evening walk home - 1.7m/20-25min is roughly 4-5mph if my maths correct. Sounds worth counting to me (thinking of how fast that would be on a treadmill).
How long between eating and exercising?
