Eating before exercise

[Anonymous]

I usually work out first thing in the morning, before eating, and I’m fine. But sometimes I have to work out later in the day, and it never goes well. If I eat first, I feel sick. But if I don’t eat first, I also feel sick. This morning, I woke up at 6:00 and had a mini smoothie - about 6 oz of frozen fruit, juice, and peanut butter. Went to a one-hour mixed cardio/strength class at 8:30 (same one I usually do at 6:00). About 2/3 of the way through, I felt like I was going to pass out. So, for those who manage this more successfully, how much / what / how far ahead do you eat before exercise?

[Anonymous]

you really need to just figure out what foods work for you because everyone is so different. Did you have the mini smoothie because you were hungry or because you felt like you should eat something? I rarely eat if I workout before 10am. If I do eat, say before a long run, I will have something like an English muffin or piece of bread with peanut butter.

[Anonymous]

Similar to the PP, I have a simple carb one hour before a long run. Bagels, or waffles or oatmeal. Peanut butter or high fat or dairy doesn't sit well with me, and for some reason, even a banana makes me nauseous.

[Anonymous]

OP, how regularly do you workout in a situation where eating bothers you?

If you eat and then work out immediately every day for say 6 months or a year, your body will figure this out.

I'm not saying that is the only solution but it will work.

OP, how fit are you? If you are fit enough and the workout easy enough it shouldn't bother you even if you just try fitting it in once a week.

If you are constantly fighting a battle of stop and start fitness programs that never really achieve significant fitness, you are going to need to use trial and error to see which foods and which time schedule work best.

If you need to do the trial and error method, cut back on workout difficulty and increase workout frequency while you figure it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, how regularly do you workout in a situation where eating bothers you?

If you eat and then work out immediately every day for say 6 months or a year, your body will figure this out.

I'm not saying that is the only solution but it will work.

OP, how fit are you? If you are fit enough and the workout easy enough it shouldn't bother you even if you just try fitting it in once a week.

If you are constantly fighting a battle of stop and start fitness programs that never really achieve significant fitness, you are going to need to use trial and error to see which foods and which time schedule work best.

If you need to do the trial and error method, cut back on workout difficulty and increase workout frequency while you figure it out.

I work out 5-6 days a week, usually 2-3 in that same class at the gym and 2-3 runs. I’ve been going to the gym for about a year and a half and added in the running this past summer.

I prefer early morning workouts, and I’m fine on an empty stomach if I just wake up and go. But if I wait more than an hour or so, I get wobbly during the workout if I don’t eat. And if I eat too close to the workout, it doesn’t sit well.

For the next few weeks, I can’t manage the early morning gym class, so I’m trying to figure out a way to make it work. I could just run early and skip the gym, but I feel like I lose strength really quickly if I don’t go at least twice a week.

Maybe the smoothie was too much sugar? I’ll try the ww bread with peanut butter next time and see how that goes.

[Anonymous]

I always work out - - running, rowing machine usually -- in the evening @9:30ish (best time for me with young kids in the house). That's about 1-1/2 to 2 hours after I've had dinner. I'm never, ever bothered by having eaten dinner fairly recently.

[Anonymous]

You’ve got to figure out what works for your body. I eat half a banana and half of a peanut butter sandwich about an hour before I run. Anything else I’ve tried makes me sick.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps the sugar from the fruit is messing up your blood sugar. Fruit tends to do that to me.

Try different foods before a workout and see if you can find certain ones that work. I tend to do better with complex carbs plus protein, like oatmeal and eggs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Similar to the PP, I have a simple carb one hour before a long run. Bagels, or waffles or oatmeal. Peanut butter or high fat or dairy doesn't sit well with me, and for some reason, even a banana makes me nauseous.

+1. I just eat half small bagel with cheese, or small yoghurt / cheese stick it’s just enough to not be hungry. Fruit cocktail before exercising would be heavy - voluminous. Try a small piece of toast with pb, may be that would be easier.

[Anonymous]

I’ve been doing 12-12 or 16-8 for years, not working out and intentionally doing if, just the way it was. I’m now doing cardio 2+ times per week, and working out with a pt 4 times, and it’s no longer working. I have to eat 1-2 hours before I workout or I get dizzy, and I almost passed out once. I’ve basically figured out that I need a simple and a complex sugar before cardio (half an apple and a piece of dry toast) and a simple sugar and protein before the workout (cheese and half apple). You may need different things, based on what you’re doing, or you may be fine with the same thing each time.

[Anonymous]

The fruit was too much slow-digesting fiber. If you know you're going to be working out later than normal, try toast and pb 30 min or more beforehand.

[Anonymous]

PP again. What 20:34 said is a good idea. We do this when DD is having blood sugar issues. Something sweet (fruit juice) and then something with a little fiber 15 minutes later to hold the blood sugar levels.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like blood sugar. Try intermittent fasting. You shouldn't feel wobbly during a workout from hunger. And eating before can make your stomach crampy.