To Eat or Not To Eat…Before Exercise – that is the question we hear often from people not only following Chris’ Carb Cycling program in his book Choose to Lose
but those just working out to stay fit or following their own dietary plan.
The good news is there really isn?t a right or wrong answer to this question! ?Well, that?s helpful,? you?re probably saying. But it?s true. Whether or not you eat before a workout depends on your body, when you exercise, and how long you exercise. Here are some basic guidelines:
- If you exercise first thing in the morning, you can get away with not eating anything or you can eat a light snack. Some ideas: a banana, a piece of bread (plain or toasted, and whole wheat, of course!), a bit of natural peanut butter, etc.
- If you workout later in the day, it?s probably best to wait 30-45 minutes after eating before you exercise, and even longer if your last meal was on the heavy side.
- If your workout is longer than 60 minutes, it?s a good idea to eat a light snack before exercising because you don?t want your body to run out of energy before your workout is finished.
- What works best for me is to split my meal in two and eat half before I exercise and half after I?m finished. That way I have some extra energy for my workout.
One caution: Some people experience nausea or, shall we say, ?intestinal distress? if they eat before exercising, so if you choose to eat pre-workout, start small and gauge how your body reacts.
And the most important thing to remember is to listen to your body. Figuring out what works best for you might take a little bit of trial and error, but once you figure it out, you?ll be good to go. Literally.
78 Responses
Just a heads up I tried to Pin this and it said there was an error. Thought you might want to know. I enjoyed the Post. I just was asking this question to my self because I don’t like to eat before I work out in the morning. I just started to follow the 12 week challenge with Chris. Prior to doing the challenge I had lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks I can’t wait till my first week is over to find out what success I have on my first week. Thanks!!
So. How about intermittend fasting then?
My first meal is at 13:00 hours. No good then?
I reblogged this on my blog.
http://ourpersonaljourney.wordpress.com/2013/09/12/to-eat-or-not-to-eatbefore-exercise/
Chris or Heidi,
Is there a certain amount of grams to stay with when it comes to protein, carbs, fiber or fat? Currently reading the new book and I haven’t seen it in there yet. Other then that love the information you shared, Im finding it very informative.
It’s already all calculated in for you if you stick to the approved food list and portion guide. It’s not about counting it’s about eating right for life. 🙂
Thank you. I wondered about that. It’s my first week carb cycling and so far so good! I exercise in the evenings- cycle classes etc. but I can’t eat before, but I am super starved after…
I love reading yoour posts…I’ve seen in Chris book, choose to lose, to eat natural peanut butter, Is there any specific type? I see alot in the organic section…I just want to get the right ..
Thank you Heidi!
Thank you for posting this! I was just asking myself this question yesterday! I love the 50/50 split – make the most sense to me, for sure! Next question is: How long POST workout should I wait to eat?
Thanks!
I prefer to train fasted no matter how long my workout is, including 1.5 hour heavy leg workouts. After becoming to accustomed to fasted training, I trained recently after eating some breakfast and I felt weaker and more lethargic than I ever have. Lesson learned for me…I’ll always train fasted if I have the option. I do take a pre-workout that provides me energy through the form of caffeine and amino acids, but is 0 carbs and < 30 calories.
Thanks I have heard both answers and I di.dn’t tr.ust the sources
thanks Chris you are so helpful all the time, I always watch your TV show which I Looooove and believe me I have been learning a lot. love you as a trainer I wish I can meet you some day, I love to work out and love when the people is on the same side. thanks for your advices man always thinking in you every time I am working out.