For those of you who exercise- do you eat a snack before or after you exercise.

I'm just wondering how eating so little food will give me the energy I need to work out.

Anything you want to add is appreciate.

i eat a snack or my breakfast 20mins before a workout, just depends on the time of day.

if i don't fuel myself properly - my weight training or running suffers.

My elliptical is beside my bed. I get up early, have a glass of water, turn on the TV, and keep my heart rate up for 40 mins. I have another 16 oz of water afterward and have breakfast about two hours later. I'm really not the least bit hungry after the exercise. I also go on a 3 mile brisk walk/jog about an hour after dinner. I also have water before and after my walk/jog. I have a healthy snack a couple of hours later, although the exercise and water take away my appetite for the most part.

We have a family gym membership. Due to post-op recovery, I can't go anyway, but I'm hoping to start in the near future. It's crazy thinking, I know, but I want to lose another 20 lbs before I put on stretchy clothes and work out among the trim and toned.

How long after surgery did u start the gym & walking again ?

all surgeons seem to have different time scales .

Just want to know wat is a safe time scale ?

Im only 5 days post op .

cheers :cursing:

Eating and exercise: Time it right to maximize your workout

From MayoClinic.com

Special to CNN.com

When you eat and what you eat can affect your performance and the way you feel while you're exercising. Coordinate your meals, Snacks and what you drink to make the most of your exercise routine.

Eating a lot before exercise can slow you down

When you exercise after a large meal, you may feel sluggish or have an upset stomach, cramping and diarrhea. That's because your muscles and your digestive system are competing with each other for energy resources.

"Your body can digest food while you're active, but not as well as it can when you're not exercising," notes Stephen DeBoer, a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. This is partly because your body is trying to do two things requiring blood supply and energy simultaneously — digesting the food you just ate and providing fuel to keep your muscles active.

Time it right: Before, during and after your workout

On the flip side, not eating before you exercise can be just as bad as eating too much. Low blood sugar levels that result from not eating can make you feel weak, faint or tired, and your mental abilities may be affected as well, making you slower to react. So what can you do?

To get the most from your workout, follow these guidelines:

• <LI class=doublespace>Eat a full breakfast. Wake up early enough to eat a full breakfast. "Most of the energy you got from dinner last night is used up by morning," says DeBoer. "Your blood sugar is low. If you don't eat, you may feel sluggish or lightheaded while exercising." If you plan to exercise within an hour after breakfast, eat a smaller breakfast or drink something to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports drink. <LI class=doublespace>Time your meals. Eat large meals at least three to four hours before exercising. If you're having a small meal, eat two to three hours before exercising.
  Most people can eat snacks right before and during exercise. The key is how you feel. Some people feel lightheaded during the first 10 to 15 minutes of their workout if they eat within the hour before exercise. Do what works best for you.
  <LI class=doublespace>Don't skip meals. Skipping meals may cause low blood sugar, which can make you feel weak and lightheaded. If you're short on time before your workout, and your choice is candy or nothing, eat the candy because it can improve your performance, compared with eating nothing. But keep in mind, all candy is high in sugar and low on nutrients, so a snack of yogurt and a banana would be a better choice.
  
• Eat after your workout. To help your muscles recover and to replace their glycogen stores, eat a meal that contains both Protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your exercise session if possible.
  

What to eat: Getting the right fuel for your best performance

Food provides your body with necessary energy. To make the most of your workouts, focus on:

Carbohydrates: Your body's chief source of fuel

You'll feel better when you exercise if you eat foods high in carbohydrates and low in fat. Your body stores excess carbohydrates as glycogen — primarily in your muscles and liver. Your muscles use stored glycogen when needed for energy.

Cereals, breads, vegetables, Pasta, rice and fruit are good sources of carbohydrate. But right before an intense workout, avoid carbohydrates high in Fiber, such as Beans and lentils, bran cereals and fruit. High-fiber foods may give you gas or cause cramping. Fructose, a simple sugar found in fruit, can increase the tendency for diarrhea with high-intensity exercise.

If you don't like to eat solid foods before exercising, drink your carbohydrates in sports beverages or fruit juices. "Research shows it makes no difference in performance whether you drink your carbohydrates or eat them," says DeBoer. Do what feels best to you.

A diet containing at least 40 percent to 50 percent of calories from carbohydrates allows your body to store glycogen, but if you're a long-distance runner or you exercise for long periods of time, you might want to consume more carbohydrates regularly and consider carbohydrate loading before a big athletic event.

Protein and fats: Important, but not your body's top fuel choice

Protein isn't your body's food of choice for fueling exercise, but it does play a role in muscle repair and growth. Most people can easily get the protein they need from such foods as meat, dairy products and nuts, and don't need additional protein supplements.

Fat is an important, although smaller, part of your diet. Fats, as well as carbohydrates, can provide fuel for your muscles during exercise. Try to get most of your fat from unsaturated sources such as nuts, fatty fish or vegetable oils. Avoid fatty foods just before exercising, though. Fats remain in your stomach longer, causing you to feel less comfortable.

Water: Drink plenty to avoid dehydration

Your body uses the Water in your blood to carry nutrients such as sugar (glucose) to cells and to remove waste products from the cells. The presence of water in your body ensures that you can safely sustain physical activity. As you exercise, your body produces heat. This heat leaves your body as you perspire, taking with it electrolytes — elements, such as potassium, Calcium, sodium and chlorine. If you don't replace the Fluid you lose during exercise, your heart rate increases and your temperature rises, putting you at risk of dehydration as well as compromising your workout.

To stay well hydrated during exercise, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends that you drink eight glasses of water every day and more on days when the temperature and humidity are high.

Drink at least one glass of water before and after your workout and every 10 to 15 minutes during your workout to replace fluid lost in perspiration. Avoid substituting coffee, tea or soda for water, because they often contain caffeine, which acts as a diuretic that causes your body to lose even more water.

Water is generally the best way to replace lost fluid, unless you're exercising for more than 60 minutes. In that case, sip a sports drink to help maintain your electrolyte balance and give you a bit more energy from the carbohydrates in it. The sodium in sports drinks also helps you rehydrate more quickly.

Signs and symptoms of inadequate hydration may include:

• Thirst
  
• Fatigue
  
• Loss of coordination
  
• Mental confusion
  
• Irritability
  
• Dry skin
  
• Elevated body temperature
  
• Diminished urine output
  

Let experience be your guide

When it comes to eating and exercise, everyone is different. So pay attention to how you feel during your workout and your overall performance. Let your experience guide you on which pre- and post-exercise eating habits work best for you.

Great info on that post cheers Rhonda x

How long after surgery did u start exercising ?

:rolleyes2:Sas x

I started back at the gym a week later, but took it easy, just treadmill. I didn't really add weights again until I was released to full duty about a month or so. It really took a little time to rebuild my endurance. Now I do weight training for toning, walk a mile on the treadmill and later go walk at the mall a mile or so, just to break the monotony.

Exercise & Eating: Timing Your Meals

Question :

I wake up hungry, usually. Should I eat before I work out, let my food digest and use it for energy -- or exercise, then eat? Is it safe to exercise just after eating? If not, how long should one wait?

Answer :

Well, it is safe in the sense that nothing bad will happen, but it isn't optimal. Having food in your stomach while exercising may make you feel uncomfortable, especially if you are running. It also makes it harder for your body to digest.

How much time you wait should depend on the size and content of the meal, the type of activity you will perform, and the intensity of your workout. The larger the meal and the higher the Protein and fat content, the longer it will take to digest; you might want to wait three or four hours after a large meal. That's why it's good to skip the bacon cheeseburger with fries and a shake before a workout.

A smaller, high carbohydrate meal is a better choice for pre- or post-workout nutrition. Yogurt and fruit or skim milk and Cereal are good ways to fuel your tank without bogging you down -- and you still should leave a couple of hours before working out. I myself can't exercise less than an hour after eating, even something as small as a single piece of fruit. I think it's best to run on a completely empty stomach, so I used to skip breakfast before my morning run. If I'm cycling, I eat a light breakfast one to two hours before the ride, unless I have a hard interval workout planned. The harder you're going to train, the longer you need to give yourself before starting your workout.

If you wake up hungry, but exercise immediately, it is probably best not to eat anything. Otherwise, keep it light. A glass of diluted apple juice (stay away from citrus juice; your stomach already has plenty of acid in it) or a couple of teaspoons of yogurt might make your craving go away without bogging you down. A small blender drink or a slice of bread might also do the trick.

Make sure you eat a good breakfast after your workout, preferably within two hours. There is a window of opportunity following a workout when your body can replenish the glycogen (the fuel we burn while exercising) in your muscles more efficiently -- that is, as long as the meal is high in carbohydrates, which get broken down and eventually stored as glycogen. This carbohydrate replacement helps speed your recovery and ensures that you're fueled for the next workout. Your metabolism is also elevated after exercising, so eating after your workout is a way to take in calories while burning them at an accelerated rate.

If you want to learn more about eating well to support your training and weight loss goals, get "Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook", by Nancy Clark, now in its second edition published by Shelter Publications.

Rhonda, that's a great link. Very informative. Thanks.

How long after surgery did u start the gym & walking again ?

all surgeons seem to have different time scales .

Just want to know wat is a safe time scale ?

Im only 5 days post op .

cheers :cursing:

I started walking, slowly, around my neighborhood at one week. It was more of a walk to stretch, than to burn calories. I had been doing the elliptical for 40 mins three to four days a week for several months, so I was used to getting some exercise prior to surgery.

At my two-week check-up the doctor said my walking was fine, and to continue with that.

Last week (three weeks post-op), I added the elliptical back, without doing the arms, and at a slow pace for 30 mins. Since I was doing the elliptical in the a.m., I decided to keep my walking up in the p.m. I cannot believe how much more energy I have with just a twenty pound weight loss.

So, I know I'm pushing a little, by about a week. This week, week four, I included the arm exercise on my elliptical and increased my time back to the 40 mins I was doing before surgery, and I've added a little jogging to my walking. Not a lot though, just enough to get my heart rate up. In fact, I was going to get new walking shoes for my 20 lb weight loss gift to myself, but now I'm thinking of getting running shoes. :cool2:

As far as weight strengthening exercise, I believe my doctor says to wait six weeks, but I need to get clarification on that. I'm definitely not going to push that, even by a week.

First and foremost, go by your doctor's recommendations. Although, I am very overweight, I'm pretty fit as far as cardio because I've been exercising for months, and I'm also a fast healer. I also didn't push the speed of my cardio workout until I had absolutely no port pain. At that, I'm probably like Ricky Bobby in the movie Talladega Nights when he gets back to racing, and he feels like he's flying on the race track, when in actuality, he's barely moving at all. If you haven't seen that movie (I have boys, so I've seen it), that scene is hilarious.

rhondalou - can't tell if your question/answer is from a book or your advice, however i think each individual will have to discern for themselves what the ratio of food to exercise will be for them.

i weight train w/a PT twice a wk and do hard cardio 4 other days - since january it's been trial & error of what will work as "fuel" for exercise - and empty stomach just won't cut it for me, nor is it recommeded by my trainer. he's the only expert i work with and his suggestions are specifically for me. the harder i work out the more i need to eat before & after; i also can't run more than 10mins if i'm on an empty stomach.

while the info above is interesting - it's important to know that the band also gets a say in what goes in, as it can have a mind of its own some days.....:wink:2cents,

Most people are capable or waking up and exercising for one hour before glycogen stores from the day before are depleted and the body starts using itself as fuel. That being said, I and many others hate working out on an empty stomach, and that can affect you too...just not as much physically as you might think. It is best to get low sugar food into you prior to working out. When I do tri's (they almost always start early and I have to arrive at 0-dark-thirty to set up), it's bananas, Clif bars, Peanut Butter, and some Water to get me fueled. The worst thing to do is start eating or drinking high in sugar items, as they will give you an initial spike, but if you have continued exertion will cause your blood sugar to crash, thus making you feel lethargic or faint. I learned this the hard way, as I learned Gatorade as a pre-race drink is the LAST thing I should have had.

Of course with the training I do, I do not follow the band regimen "eat three times a day" strictly either. I eat five small meals a day, in order to be ready for my afternoon workouts.

Answers I found online. I eat a couple of hours before I work out. and usually something after.

I eat about an hour before working and nearly always within the half hour of finishing.

I didn't do any lifting until 6 weeks after surgery. Two weeks after I started cardio training again. The two weeks between surgery and that time I just walked as much as my body allowed me. Which wasn't much at first.

I exercise early in the morning and I never eat before I go for a run, All I have to say is If you feel hungry eat!! especially if you are going to do a full workout. I personally don't eat anything because i don't do a full workout in the morning. I run two miles at the most to get my metabolism going and because I've been told fat is burned more easily before you eat something. If you do decide to exercise, don't overdo it on an empty stomach because you cannot do as much as you would normally do. I have lost weight when I exercise in the morning eventhough i don't do a full workout.

www.exerciseforbusyschedule.com

Not usually.

The whole point to me is calorie deficit. I might run slightly harder or faster if I snacked but I'm bloody determined and I'm going to finish that 8km anyway so if its slightly harder because I havent eaten, it doesnt really make a difference.

Nor do I have anything afterwards unless its mealtime (my usual running time is about 5pm). What's the point of burning off 600 calories and then having a 150 calore Protein shake? At that level of exercise, its tempting to think we're Olympic atheletes, but we're not. We dont need gajillions of grams of protein to recover from an 8km run.

When I do really long runs though - like over 12kms, I will take some Endura with me, which is a proper electrolyte repacement drink, not crap like Gatorade. And I might have an energy gel too, which is just glucose. I can feel with those distances that it helps me, that I need the energy and I'm burning off in excess of 1000 calories in those times, so I can afford to have them.

I've read and heard thought that people who have skim milk after their session burn much more fat, that its the best recovery food.

All that said though, I've never existed on a 800 calorie a day diet, or cut out carbs or anything like that. I've eaten well all the way through, probably about 1500 calories a day on average, including wholegrains, which is plenty to fuel me for normal levels of activity and exercise.

Edited October 2, 200817 yr by Jachut

I eat a protein bar just before I work out. I'm not a low carb person, but they are good and never get stuck. I had a trainer for a while that said to eat one 1/2 hour before I work out. I think I remember accurately in quoting her as saying "it will help keep my blood sugar stable and make my metabolism burn at a higher rate longer after the workout due to having "ready fuel". Anyhow, for what it's worth, that's me just doing what I was told and believing what was said to me b/c she was the trainer and I was the client. I just do it out of habit now and I've held my goal weight within 2-3 lbs since April. The bar is 160 calories and I burn much more than that during my workout - around 450 in cardio and then whatever stength training burns.