CHANGE #19

Eat Something Smart Before and After Every Workout

SIMPLY PUT… Eat. Thirty to sixty minutes before you work out, have a small snack consisting of both protein and carbohydrates. Then, within thirty minutes after a workout, have another.

There’s nothing more frustrating than meeting a client for a long morning workout only to hear them tell you they haven’t eaten anything yet today.

ME: Nothing?

CLIENT: Nah.

ME: Why not?

CLIENT: Wasn’t hungry.

ME: But you need something in your system to get you through the workout.

CLIENT: I’ll be fine, trust me.

ME: OK, then let’s start off with a quick hundred mountain climbers.

CLIENT: Um… OK. (Pause) Hold on… What’s option B?

Your body is a machine. It won’t run on empty. You shouldn’t want it to run on empty, especially now that you’re on your way to eventually exercising for a full hour. In order to work at maximum capacity, it needs fuel. The higher grade the fuel, the better results you’ll see.

So what is high-grade fuel? It’s a healthy mix of complex carbs and protein. In short, carbohydrates give you energy (so you can start a workout with 100 mountain climbers), and protein protects your muscles from being broken down to be used for energy and gives your body what it needs to rebuild muscle tissue that breaks down after exercise.

The key is not to overthink this. There are simple, easy, delicious snacks that work to satisfy your body’s needs before and after a workout. Snacks that will help (not hurt) your waistline. Just something small and healthy that gives your body the right amount of what it needs—when it needs it.

DON’T STOP THERE…

You have undoubtedly heard every possible food theory out there… from every possible “professional” out there. Some will tell you your pre-workout snack should be relatively low in fat and fiber so it digests quickly, but that it should also be low in sugar so you don’t get a surge of energy that peters out halfway through your workout.

Others might say that whatever you eat absolutely and positively has to be the perfect ratio of exactly 40 grams of carbohydrates to 20 grams of protein, eaten precisely one hour before you work out while standing on your head and counting to 300 in increments of 3½ (OK, maybe I exaggerated that last part).

Then there are those who will swear you need to switch to easily digestible carbohydrates (such as white bread or fruit juice) so your body can use those carbs immediately. And also that when carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source, it’s photosynthesis.

What?? Must. Turn. Back. Way too complicated… brain hurts!

Look, if it requires too much mental work, you won’t stick to it. The truth is, you don’t need all that noise. For right now, I don’t want you counting calories, calculating percentages, or obsessing over grams of protein and carbs in meals. If you were a bodybuilder, or someone training for an athletic event, then you and I would be having a different conversation altogether—but that’s not what this is all about. I just want you to eat something relatively healthy before and after your workouts. And that’s it.

Need Some Suggestions?

Personally, I have my own favorite go-to pre- or post-workout snacks. Here are my top three in no particular order:

• Hummus with cucumber and tomato slices on whole-wheat pita

• Oatmeal or yogurt with slivered almonds and low-fat chicken sausage

• Baked sweet potato topped with 1 percent cottage cheese

However, there are so many combinations you can try, depending on your tastes, time, and whatever’s easiest for you to grab. Here are just a handful of snack combos you can use to refuel and rebuild your body—both before and after the hard work:

Instant Eats

• One piece of fresh fruit and either a small glass of milk or a whole hard-boiled egg

• One serving of plain low-fat or nonfat Greek yogurt topped with either a handful of granola, berries, whole-grain cereal, or almonds

• One handful of dried fruit and nuts

• One glass of nonfat or low-fat chocolate milk

• One or two sticks of low-fat string cheese and a piece of fruit

• A small bowl of any whole-grain cereal and one cup of low-fat or skim milk

• A slice of whole-wheat toast covered lightly with almond butter

• One-third cup of chickpeas with a squirt of lemon juice (or eat the same amount roasted if you like them crunchy)

• A half cup of cottage cheese topped with a handful of chopped up fruit

• One serving of cheese and a handful of carrots

• One medium apple and two tablespoons of all-natural peanut butter

• One or two handfuls of either dried or steamed edamame and a piece of fruit

Mix-’Em-Up Meals

• Blend 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 1 cup of orange juice, and ice.

• Blend ¼ cup of unsweetened almond milk, ¼ scoop of protein powder, ½ a banana, ½ tablespoon of almond butter, and ice.

• Blend 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder and 1 cup of iced coffee.

• Blend 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, ½ cup of cherries (fresh and pitted), ½ cup of low-fat or skim milk, 1 tablespoon of honey, and ice.

A Little Work, but Worth It

• A small serving of oatmeal and either ½ glass of milk or a hard-boiled egg

• Two or three slices of low-sodium deli meat on a slice of whole-wheat bread with honey mustard

• Mix up 3 ounces of chicken breast (chopped), a few avocado slices, and ½ cup of cooked whole-wheat pasta

• One serving of light tuna salad (made with hummus instead of mayo) and a handful of whole-grain crackers

• One frozen waffle (any kind) with 1–2 teaspoons of almond butter

• A deck of cards–sized piece of roasted turkey and an equal-sized portion of sweet potatoes or brown rice

• One brown rice cake with ¼ avocado and a hard-boiled egg on top

• One half of a whole-wheat pita filled with ¼ cup of hummus

• A small bowl of fruit, plus scrambled eggs or an omelet (using 2 or 3 eggs maximum) mixed with a handful of chopped bell peppers, onion, spinach, or any other veggie you like

Tips and Tricks

It’s hard to give any more advice than asking you to eat. However, there are still a couple of things for you to keep in mind (or try) that may help:

If you exercise at noon, split up your lunch. Working out over your lunch break? Try splitting up what you would normally eat into halves. Eat one half, exercise, then finish your lunch once you’re done.

Don’t wait longer than thirty minutes to eat post-workout. Your body’s ability to process glycogen—the stored energy your body uses as fuel when you exercise—is at its highest right after exercise. Eating within that window will leave you with more energy for the next day.

Watch your intake of “performance water.” Just because it says “water” on the packaging doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Most are loaded with sugar, which will only keep you from losing weight by adding unnecessary calories. That goes for sports drinks too.

Don’t assume you can eat more than necessary. Many people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they’ve burned while exercising, leaving some feeling that they have the freedom to eat anything and everything afterward. Remember, it’s a post-workout snack (not a meal), so keep it light, between 200 and 300 calories.

The “So You Know” Science

If you think that eating before and after a workout feels like taking one step forward and ten steps back, here’s why it’s crucial.

Right after you exercise, your body’s main goal is to replace its inventory of glycogen and rebuild your muscles. It turns to whatever food it can find in your system first, but if there isn’t anything to convert, it may begin to eyeball your muscles. By not eating carbohydrates both before and after exercising, your body can fall into a catabolic state where it begins breaking down all your hard-earned muscle to convert into glycogen.

Another reason that carb/protein snack is important is because every time you strength train, you’re actually creating microscopic tears within your muscles. Once you’re through exercising, your body immediately starts looking for amino acids to rebuild your muscles. If your belly’s empty, it has to wait until you finally feed it something it can use, which can delay how fast your muscles recover and hold back your results.