Eating before working out?

Right, because your body needs to focus on digestion (you might think of your body as a YouTube-video ... yes, it CAN start playing while it's still bufferinng, but don't you hate it when it freezes because the play catches up to the not-yet-buffered part?)

 

Great analogy!

I used to eat after I worked out, this might sound like a good idea, but I found that the workout would build up an appetite and I'd stuff my face. So now I eat a couple of hours before I do my workout and then afterwards I'm not as hungry for my next meal.

 

I've been a weight-lifter for over 50 years. When I was young and part of a team, some of us would stop at a hamburger joint after training where we would stuff ourselfs before going home for a late dinner. I was doing Olympic style weight-lifting and we still did the press back then, so we burned several thousand calories in a workout. I did eat before training, but with some delay. Not like running cross-country or swimming, but 45 minutes to an hour, at least. I have seen lifters snack during competition, after weigh-in.

 

I never eat pretty much at all before working out. I actually do not have a habit of eating at all in the afternoon, which I know is bad, but after lunch I pretty much just have coffee or tea and water. So as I go to the gym after I leave work at around 5 PM, I have had nothing to eat since lunch. I'm not a fan of working out when you eat, especially to eat a lot, because it totally slows down your energy.

 

I also prefer to have a meal a few hours before I exercise because I've tried not eating before a session and I just ended up feeling weak and couldn't give it my all, which kind of defeats the purpose of exercising if I would just end up phoning it in. I have tried exercising during mornings before I have breakfast though, and it did kind of feel good but I don't think I could have kept it up for long. I think having a light and healthy meal beforehand is best.

 

I like to work out in the morning, but given when I have to start work I generally don't leave myself enough time after eating to then go to the gym and get home in time. It was a trial and error process for me, but I did find a few options that will give you some energy but not cause you to cramp up or upset your stomach. My two favorites are simply eating a banana or a slice of bread (you can toast it if you want) with some peanut butter.

 

I generally work out right after I finish school, so I don't eat anything right before it, but afterwards I absolutely have to eat something. I think it's better if you don't eat anything right before, because it makes me feel so full and then I can't run at all.

 

It really depends. Back when I was in cross country, the coach always told us to come run after we had eaten breakfast during our Saturday runs. And afterwards she would give us bagels with cream cheese.

Her reasoning was that because after you run, all the channels and blood stream in your legs and throughout your body are open and this is the time when all the glucose, lactic acid and potassium travels through your body the fastest and the most. She says that you should eat something that has complex sugar/glucose in it within the hour after you're done working out, along with some protein. The complex sugar is to assist your body in processing the lactic acid and the protein is to assist your muscle's growth/development/strengthening.

And I trust her because she's been running since she was little and she used to be a Track/Field Olympian.

Before I work out though, at least an hour or 1.5 hours before, I try to eat something that has protein and high GOOD fat in it as well as some carbs. These will keep me full and give me the energy I need to workout and not burn out half-way through my runs

 

You should definitely eat before AND after a workout. Usually before a workout, I will eat something like peanut butter on whole wheat, or tuna fish, a cup of milk and a cup or two of coffee. You really need food to provide you with the energy that you need to have a good workout. And coffee is great to. It really gives some much appreciated extra energy. Green tea can be substituted, and is actually better if you are trying to burn more calories, as it boosts your metabolism. After a good workout, it is perfectly okay to pig out, within reason. As long as you are eating healthy, though, you are allowed to stuff your face.

 

It's a very good idea to eat before you work out! The body needs energy to sustain your exertion. If you are trying to lose weight through your diet, then you may need to mot eat breakfast, but is you hit the gym, expect food to benefit you.

 

I eat about 2 hours before I work out. I do circuit training everyday and found if I don't eat before I don't do as well. I don't have the best energy for my work out and then on top of that, when I finish, my sugar is low. Then I feel sick and icky. But if I don't wait at least 2 hours then I want to throw up.

 

This is very essential and necessary before working out. Eating food gives you the energy you need to sustain the time needed to complete your exercise. However, you don't want to overeat, this will make you sluggish and pack on excess calories. I eat very light before a workout. Just a little in the tummy is all I need.

 

I always eat a little something before I eat, even if it's a Nature Valley Bar or something small like that. I feel like it's important to have something in you stomach when you go workout. I prefer to eat a good meal a few hours before, but that's not always plausible or reasonable.

You certainly don't want to overeat or over hydrate before you workout either. That's a way to negatively affect your workout performance as well.

 

Usually, eating before a workout is not a great idea. Eating bananas or some fish to boost your energy levels is ok, but eating something heavy, that takes a while to digest is a big no, at least for me. After the workout is when you want a good meal since you need to compensate for the energy loss. I think all people that exercise know this and only the beginners make such mistakes, until they learn

 

I don't always eat before I workout which is a mistake. However, when I do, it's usually some sort of protein. Either I down a few spoons of peanut butter or chomp on a boiled egg. These foods make me feel full faster and also give me energy. They also don't cost a lot of money. I hate how some people are getting rich off of protein shakes. To me, only body builders should be drinking that stuff or maybe others under a doctor's order. Otherwise, there's nothing wrong with getting protein the normal way.

 

Just don't eat like 10 minutes before you work out or you'll end up either throwing up or just feeling crappy. Let the food digest first before you do some intense workout. But if you don't eat before you work out you can either pass out or just be drained.

 

Yeah, what beccagreen said. If you give your body some time to digest it, you're okay to go!

Still, I recommend eating post-workout meals that are full of protein (maybe shakes?). Those had the best effect on me.

But nowadays I work out in the morning...well I actually go for a jog, I'm not sure is that considered much of a workout.

 

I also do eat after I work out but not that much and same as you, a lot of protein. I also tend to eat before I work out because in my mind I thought "Hey if I eat now, I will burn the calories later" which don't work for me at all.

 

Eat Wisely!

Great post! I have definitely felt this before, and I've thought about how to deal with it myself. Throughout life, I have always heard that one is not to eat right before one is about to engage in some intense physical activity, and like "mythman", I can understand this to mean that your body needs enough time to digest what you have consumed, so that you can use the energy effectively, when it has been converted as it is supposed to.
However, I do also see your point of being hungry and feeling as though you are unable to continue, or exercise to your fullest, thus nullifying the entire purpose of the workout.
It's very important that you eat well before a workout. On dailyburn.com, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, CSSD, says that exercising without enough food in your stomach can lead to the wearing away of our muscle tissue!
Because your body doesn't see the food it needs, to be converted into the glucose you need to do an effective workout, it instead, converts your muscle tissue into the glucose, but the thing is, whereas food can be replaced after it has been so converted, your muscle tissue won't!
You could run the risk of slowing down your metabolism, or even developing an ulcer.
My tip to you is to snack lightly but smartly. Go for protein bars, or even a healthy sandwich, and based on medical recommendations, eating these good meals two-to-three hours is the way to go!
If you still feel hungry, then consider energy drinks like Gatorade or Lucozade, to "top-up".