What to Eat Before and After the Gym

 

We all go to the gym with the intention of being as healthy as possible and looking as great as we can. Maybe meeting the person of our dreams there does cross our mind, but first two reasons are usually the main reasons. Get the most out of your strenuous workouts by providing your body with proper nutrition before and after your sweat session.

If you are in that ‘weight loss’ frame of mind, you may be reluctant to eat at both of these times. It makes sense to think that no calories in plus extra calories burned results in weight lost. While that math may make sense, take into account that if you are not eating your body will not work as efficiently and it will start to burn muscle as a way of compensating for lack of fuel. I know there are those people who are just not a fans of eating before a gym session, and I always tell them to try to get something, even if it’s small, in your stomach for your body to work off of. To wake up and go to the gym without eating is not uncommon, but remember that after sleeping for 8 or so hours, your body is kind of in a shut down, fasting mode. If you work out without waking your metabolism up with food, your body may slow down even more, as a defense mechanism. Start your metabolism going even before you hit the gym so you will burn fat, instead of muscle.

To be simple, similar snacks can be eaten before and after working out. Try and eat a slightly larger portion after your workout, and be sure to eat it in that 1-hour window after your workout ends, while your body is sill burning calories at a elevated rate. The ratio of your meal should be 40/30/30, meaning 40% of it is protein, 30% is complex carbohydrates, and 30% is fat.

Some examples of what I like to fuel my body surrounding my exercise are:

½ a protein bar before, ½ after. I like ThinkThin bars, Zone, or CarbRite bars.

A cup of Greek yogurt mixed with a scoop of no-sugar whey protein powder.

A protein shake (whey powder, ice, almond milk or coconut milk, and any extras you like i.e. unsweetened cocoa powder, instant coffee, frozen fruit) and a handful of almond.

Egg white sandwich with the bread being a hearty, complex carbohydrate such as a multigrain English muffin.

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