Monday, March 7, 2011

To Eat or Not to Eat?...Before A Workout

God day! Just a quick question and some encouragement for you today. I hope the weekend was awesome and restful. The weekend can often be one of the toughest times of the week for us to stay motivated and committed to our new lifestyles. On weekends we tend to have a more relaxed schedule so our planned eating and execise often falls by the wayside. Be careful of this trap. I hope that you are staying active and keeping up with your goals. What, you say you have no goals?? Can We Talk?! We have to set goals for ourselves for health and fitness just like we do for everything else in our lives, our careers, our families, our finances, our ministries. You get where I am going! Remember if you don't know where you are going, how do you know when you get there? Set some measurable goals. When you reach them we'll all celebrate with you. Deal?

Here's our question. Remember if you want to add a response to the question feel free to leave a comment on the blog or at the email address DearAqua4HisTemple@gmail.com

Dear Aqua

If I'm going to work out in the am, should I eat breakfast first?

Dear Operation...

That really depends on you, your schedule, what you hope to accomplish. If you work out in the morning and eat breakfast first, you need to wait about 30-45 minutes before working out. I worked out in the morning, but didn't have time to eat and wait the full duration of time. So for me working out in the morning meant working out on an empty stomach. If you choose this make sure that you at least drink water prior to workout. 
There are arguments in the literature for the benefits of both (eating before workout and working out on an empty stomach) it just depends on which school of thought you follow. School #1 Working out on an empty stomach to burn more fat OR School #2 working out after a low calorie meal (with carbs and protein) to preserve muscle mass. A protein shake is also a good alternative to a full meal prior to exercise.

Whenever possible I try NOT to work out on an empty stomach. I have seen people work out on an empty stomach get into trouble. They might experience nausea, dizziness, and hypoglycemic episodes. Where experts do agree is never work out on a full stomach. That is probably the take away point. As you get stronger and more fit and learn more about your body, you will find out which strategy works best for you.

Your body is the temple of the Living God! Live Well in His Name!


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I used to work out on an empty stomach and I thought I was doing good. I read an article about eating before working out and I tried it. Now I eat some fruit a bit before I leave the house. By the time I get to the gym and get ready to work out I think enough time has elapsed.. Now I find I have more energy when I work out. I no longer have days when I walk up to the cardio machine and then just poop out!

Aqua said...

Thank you for reading the blog and taking the time to comment. If you are local, I hope you will join us at our first in house clinic coming soon. Check back!