A common question that a lot of people have is what they should eat before they workout. The typical answer that I used to get from my personal trainer is to never exercise on an empty stomach and eat something small like a piece of fruit. When I asked him why this is the case, he couldn't give a straight answer. So, I did what I was told and I ended up with insufficient progress from my so called "weight loss program" which he designed. I became frustrated and confused just like many people about pre-workout nutrition.
Today, when my clients ask me if they should eat before exercising, my answer is simple: workout on an empty stomach or, if you can't do that, drink water with 1 scoop of protein powder. The one thing you need to know is to not eat a lot of carbohydrates before your workout. Our body's main source of energy come from carbohydrates so that if you don't have carbs in your blood, you will use stored body fat for energy instead. This is the perfect situation especially since most of us want to utilize our stored body fat for energy when we want to lose weight.
I know what you're thinking, you're probably asking, "will I lose my muscle if I don't eat before a workout?" The answer is no. Your body will use stored body fat first before it even considers using protein from your muscle because your body can easily convert fat to energy compared to protein. So, rest your worries and see the fat come off while you keep your muscle mass.
So, what if you can't workout on an empty stomach (or at least you think you can't)? Drink a protein shake. Basically, just mix 1 scoop of protein powder with water and drink half of it pre-workout and half of it after you workout. Essentially, if you stick to drinking a low-carb protein powder, you still don't have carbs in your blood system.
Take note, both strategies work great if you workout in the morning. What if you workout in the afternoon after work? This is how you can do it: for lunch, you would want to eat foods that are high in protein and low in carbohydrates. If your lunch time is at noon but you wanted a snack before you workout, eat a handful of almonds, walnuts, pecans, or any healthy nuts. The healthy fat in the nuts will give you energy for your workout with minimal carbohydrates. Whichever time of the day you workout, the key is to make sure that you don't eat a ton of carbs pre-workout so you can use your stored body fat for energy.
Your diet before you workout is just as important compared to your diet after a workout. By doing this, you're making your body become more efficient at burning body fat during your workout because it's not using dietary carbohydrates to supply you with energy. You can be sure that you will see more results from your nutrition and workouts without working harder in the gym when you follow these strategies.
Anna Dornier is a certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor (RKC) and National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM CPT) who currently lives in Northern California in a city that sits several miles east of the San Francisco Bay. For more fat loss articles, visit her blog at at http://www.pathtofatloss.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Anna_Dornier/198926
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