Get Some....Pre and Post Workout Nutrition!

Little Miss Strong's Little Tip #5: Eat before and after you workout...your muscles WILL thank you! Eat smart, eat clean, but most importantly...EAT! :-)

It's easy to understand that in order to get in good shape and get that great body or get stronger, we need to exercise, right? What people don't realize is that nutrition is actually an incredibly important part of being in shape and performing well. We always hear that if we don't eat a lot of calories or food we will lose weight. I see girls eating little plain salads everyday for lunch and skipping dinner and want to yell, "EAT MORE!" If your body isn't filled with the right foods, you won't be able to get the most out of your exercise routines and won't be as strong as you can be. The secret is that the opposite of what we believe is true...the more nutritious foods you eat, the easier it is to burn fat and build muscle. Everyday meals like breakfast, lunch and dinner are very important, but what people forget about is how important it is to eat a meal before and after working out! Pre and post workout nutrition is a topic that many people don't quite understand, and therefore decide to ignore. How could eating moreee food, before and after working out help you get leaner and toner?! Let's talk about what to eat before and after working out. Drop the plain salad leaves please, and pull out your blender.

This is my post-workout meal after training hard
and a good example of balancing nutrients. Vegetables
and potato are carbs, chicken is protein. 

Nutrition is a huge factor for burning fat and building muscle. To summarize...you need to have the right nutrition in your diet when you are working out a lot. There are so many scientific explanations, rules, myths, tips, and guidelines out there about what to eat and what not to eat. It's so easy to get confused...when you google what to eat for lunch to lose weight, you just want one simple answer! There are scientific explanations that are helpful to learn about...for example, when you eat a lot of carbohydrates (bread, for example) your body increases insulin, and insulin decreases the ability to burn fat. Yes, we should probably know that, but no...we really don't care. We don't care about big words, we don't care about learning about things like "insulin"...we care about looking good in our mini summer bikini. We want to be told what to eat before and after working out, and we want it to work.

I used to get annoyed because I wanted to be told what to eat for every meal so that I'd look good and build a lot of muscle from working out. The annoying part was that no one would give me examples or meal plans because they wanted me to understand what I was eating. The other annoying part was that I kept reading the scientific reasoning behind food and nutrition, and would stop after seeing the word "polysaccharides." In the long run, if you really want to change your body and look good, you do need to understand nutrition and why you should eat certain things. And a very good step, is understanding pre and post workout nutrition!

If you eat the right foods, your body can burn fat for up to a day and a half after training! What you eat before working out (pre-workout) and after working out (post-workout) is different, and equally important.

PRE-WORKOUT: Pre-workout meals are usually eaten 60-90 minutes before exercising (so they can digest and provide nutrients to your body) and help you reach your full potential while training. Meals eaten before a workout are different for everyone, and nutrition really does vary from person to person. What works for one person might not work for you. In general, it is good to remember that before you workout, you should eat about 70% complex carbs (fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, oatmeal) and protein. Fast protein (like a protein bar or shake) can provide your body with quick energy closer to your workout if you don't have time to eat a whole meal. I usually have something like a small Greek yogurt with a slice of ezekiel bread spread with almond butter.

       Pre-Workout Meal Examples:

• 6 oz. grilled chicken with sweet potato and asparagus 
• Eggs/egg whites with oatmeal
• Turkey wrap with vegetables 
• Meat with brown rice
• Oatmeal with whey protein mixed in
• Apples, raisins, nuts, almond butter on celery sticks                                     

POST-WORKOUT: Eating a post-workout meal can prolong fat burning by increasing protein synthesis and allowing the body to recover. Wait what. Training and working out puts a lot of stress on your body. When you exercise intensely, all the stored up energy in your body is used up so the body resorts to something called glycolysis to replace all the energy being used. Oh...my. Basically, this is a fancy word to describe a process the body goes through, converting sugars (carbs) into ATP...AND ENERGY! So, you want to fill your body with foods that will help you recover and grow/repair muscle. Post-workout meals are usually eaten 20-60 minutes after. When you eat protein (meat, yogurt, fish) the body breaks it down into amino acids, so that your muscles tissue can repair and grow! A protein shake is very good after a workout because it absorbs very quickly. There are all different types of proteins to add to shakes...whey protein, rice protein...yellow pea protein. However, don't eliminate your carbs! Vegetables, berries, fruit, nuts...all have some carbs that are good to eat after training. Remember to eat a combination of carbs and protein for a post-workout meal.

    Post-Workout Meal Examples:

• Whey protein shake or protein powder with an apple
• Chocolate milk...yes, that's right :)
• Protein pancakes
• Bagel with egg whites 
• Some sports drinks (replace lost nutrients)
• Fruit (apples, bananas)
• Grilled chicken with potatoes/rice and vegetables

Be kind to your muscles, your body, and even your heart...eat enough food and fill yourself with nutrients and nutritious choices. Eat before and after you workout so that you can reach your full potential while training, and recover after. No more plain salads and lettuce leaves....unless, you choose to add in some meat and good hardcore grilled chicken. 

Eat smart. Eat clean. But most importantly...PLEASE EAT! 

-Lil Miss Strong