pre-workout foods?

[jann]

I typically work out early in the morning and am having issues finding foods that are W30 compliant that are light enough on my stomach for a strenuous workout but also have enough staying power to give me the energy boost I need at 6am. Anybody have ideas or suggestions? Thanks!!!

[jhmomi]

I always have one hard-boiled egg before I go to the gym. I eat about 6:30 and work out with my trainer at 7am. Always have plenty of energy, even on conditioning days.

Not sure when you began your Whole30, but my energy level and stamina increased significantly after 4-6 weeks of Whole30 eating. If you don't have it now, just keep on going. It's worth it.

[jann]

Thanks for the suggestion! I often make eggs when i get home from the workout so I worry I am overdoing it with the eggs. I am only on day 8 so I know I have a ways to go yet.

thanks again

[Carie Skeahan]

^{I workout in the afternoon so I usually eat some leftover protein from lunch and some avocado or some olives or salad with olive oil. It does not have to be much…just a little something and make sure it is protein and fat.}

^{Hope this helps.}

[Zak]

When I do an early morning workout, I usually have either half an apple or half a banana and small can of tuna or salmon. Pretty light, but gives me enough to get moving and hit the workout hard. Afterward of course I have a good breakfast with eggs (or some type of meat), veggies, and usually half an avocado.

[notkevinmyrick]

I seemed to be confused though like with Sweet potatoes and Yams. Is that the stuff we want before a workout, or to eat right after?

[Carie Skeahan]

For pre-WOD, the Whole9 Nutrition Workshop Packet says to include a small amount of protein (1/2 a meal size or smaller), and (optionally) a small amount of fat (1/2 a meal size or smaller). Do not add fruit or carb-dense veggies to your pre-workout snack. It specifically says if you train first thing in the morning, something is better than nothing.

For post-WOD, try a meal sized easily digestible protein, up to a fist-sized portion of carb-dense veggies and little to no fat. Do not use fruit as your primary post-workout carb source, but rather choose sweet potato or yams or squash or pumpkin or beets. Your post-workout meal is a bonus meal and should not replace breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is designed to help you recover from a high intensity workout.

I hope this helps.

[Meagan]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to bump this topic back up again. I usually workout at 6:30am and before i started the Whole30, I didn't eat beforehand. Now I need to figure out what to eat before I go. I'm generally not hungry and my body seems to work just fine on an empty stomach at that time of the day.

Today I did a workout at 11 and ate a chicken patty and some guacamole. It was either the wrong food or I ate too much if it because I felt sick during and after my workout. I was close to making it on to the Pukie wall at my crossfit box, something I really don't want to do.

Anyway, what I'd love to know is - What do you eat before an early morning workout? What do you eat before a mid morning workout?

Cheers

Meagan

[iomchris]

I'm like you Meagan, if I work out first-thing (which I prefer to do) I don't seem to need anything. The only exception is if I'm going for a longer run (at least 10k), then I'll probably eat a hard-boiled egg.

But if for whatever reason my workout is a bit later in the day, I find it more challenging. I can't get away with eating nothing, but eating too much or the wrong thing can sabotage my workout. Most of the time I'll have a banana or maybe a banana and a hard-boiled egg, but reading other posts in this thread perhaps the banana is a bad choice?

[Snappy Shark]

Hi! I've been doing this a while (about 2.5 months), and I also train in the morning...I thought I'd chime in with my favorite pre- and post-WO meals. I do CrossFit at 5:30 or 6:30 am, and eat a good 1.5-hours before the class starts. (Yes, I get up at 4am most days. I'm one of those chirpy morning people. )

Pre WO: An egg fried in some ghee or coconut oil. Easy, simple, delicious. I've also had success with a handful of raw cashews or almonds, but that's only when I run out of eggs.

Post WO: "Pancakes" that are basically 50% egg white and 50% mashed plantain (canned/pre-cooked and pureed squash or sweet potato would also work here) with a dash of cinnamon/salt and cooked on a griddle. Mashed sweet potato with baked salmon or chicken breast is also wonderful.

I'm on my way to work by 7:30 and have my 'real' Meal 1 around 8:30 or 9:00 - today it was ground beef and sweet potato hash with a side of green beans and half of an avocado. YUM.

Happy exercise!

[[email protected]]

love having sweet potatoes post workout.

[praxisproject]

Is it bad to have fat post workout? I will be doing mine in the evenings before dinner, trying to work out my pre & post add-ins. It's protein & fat pre-work out, but more carby and no fat post workout?

[Robin Strathdee]

The deal here is that fat slows your digestive process. If you aren't trying to recover from crazy intense workouts or build a lot of muscle, you're fine.

[praxisproject]

Ahh, awesome. I want to maintain my muscle, but mostly want fat loss. I have some physical things I need to watch when working out, so tend to avoid crazy as it raises injury risk. I am excited to find out I can do leg squats safely on my new Total Gym! I did 100 yesterday

[penotti]

Maybe i'm stupid, but I'm not sure I understand why it's not good to eat fruit pre-wod? I usually have a banana & egg before a workout, why is that a bad idea?

[AI-Paleo]

Maybe i'm stupid, but I'm not sure I understand why it's not good to eat fruit pre-wod? I usually have a banana & egg before a workout, why is that a bad idea?

This confuses me as well. I usually have 20 in 20 (20g meat protein within 20 minutes of waking) + 2TBSP MCT coconut oil added to home made coconut milk for breakfast and 1/2 banana at 6am. My WOD starts at 8:30. I'm wondering if I should lose the banana - and maybe the MCT? Advice welcome!

[Kaleena]

I have NEVER been a pre-workout eater. It's like my jaw won't budge when I try to force food past my lips. However, past couple of mornings I've been able to get some macadamia nut butter in and it's making an incredible difference. Now I feel silly for working out on an empty stomach all these years!

Not to mention that I'm not totally ravenous for breakfast...just hungry

[Kim Christensen]

Here's a quote from Renee in another thread.

Carb's aren't necessarily BAD preworkout, protein and fat is just better. Eating protein and fat peri workout, signals glucagon, which is basically the hormone opposite to insulin. Insulin stuffs things into cells for later use; glucagon tells cells that we're going to use that stuff soon.

So it's just priming your body to access your energy stores in the next couple of hours.

Carbs don't cause a glucagon response really. they're all about insulin.

[Fenderbender]

I believe proper post workout meals are almost more important as they set you up for your future loads. i find when dialed in just right, im ready for battle at any time. Once your fat adapted... A little bit of protein and fat pre workout can be a great help..... If your workouts are intense it is important to " backload " your starchy carbs immediately after working out....

That way you start to replenish your glycogen that will be available for your next workouts

It is important to pay attention to the type of workout you are doing....for me, if I'm doing strait cardio ( for me, HR at or below 140) I have no need of pre workout or post carbs, I'm burning strait fat for fuel. If I'm doing 100% all out short bursts, I also feel no need to carbo backload as going anaerobic is a different metabolic process and doesn't require glycogen..... The tricky workouts are when you go in and out of your anabolic threshold ala crossfit,boot camps, etc. this is when you are burning through glycogen at a fast rate and if you don't replace it your body will most likely convert muscle into glycogen.

So, set your self up in advance by sticking to to W30 templates and eat good starchy veg post workout and meals to be ready to go for any workout.....

[lauriemc]

Wasn't sure I should post this here or start a new thread, but I feel like it goes along with this topic, especially what Fenderbender wrote above.

Question ... I am just getting back to working out, so my workouts are not nearly as intense as something like a Cross Fit or Boot Camp. Today I just did cardio for an hour. Is it important to do a pre/post work out meal if you are working out, but not at the intensity of Cross Fit? Do you do the post work out meal even if you don't feel hungry?

[Robin Strathdee]

Hi lauriemc!

Pre and post workout nutrition is highly individual. If you feel good during your workout and after, and you're not dragging through the rest of your day, you don't necessarily need to add in those meals. However, if you're hoping to build muscle or find yourself really tired after a workout, you might consider playing with pre and post workout food to help you along.

[CaseyLee]

This is a great thread! I am in my first Whole30 - Day 8. I have not done pre-workout meal but reading this thread - I will! I do high intensity (cardio) and heavier weights workouts and today I am really dragging - but I was fine throughout the first week of Whole30 - I am shocked to feel so tired today! I assume that might be due to no pre-workout meal.

My question is about the Post workout meal. For me that is breakfast. I come home from my workout and my family is ready for breakfast so we all eat right then. Lunch is 4 hours later and dinner is 6 hours after that. I am not sure if I should put in another meal - but I also wonder if my tiredness is from not have both a post-workout meal and a breakfast (or another meal)

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[kruddock]

You might have been fine last week and its catching up on you (cumulative effect).  A preWO snack is just before the workout, I usually eat it within 1 hour before and consists of protein & fat, a boiled egg works well or chicken & mayo or avocado. A postWO snack is the most important out of the 2, that should be protein & starchy carb, like chicken & sweet potato, no fat.  Don't eat fruit before or after, I say that because lots of people want to eat fruit and you don't want to feed your body sugar, you are training it to be fat adapted.  The postWO snack should be eaten right after your workout and it only has to be a few bites, so as soon as your done at the gym, or in the car, before your shower, something like that but usually within 1 hour. Then you eat your full breakfast, it can be shortly later, that's fine. Make sure both of these snacks (they are not meals) are in addition to your 3 template meals. A moderator might have some other suggestions. BYI, make sure you are drinking the recommended amount of water & taking in enough salt, that can also effect your energy. Hope that helps!

[CaseyLee]

7 minutes ago, kruddock said:

You might have been fine last week and its catching up on you (cumulative effect).  A preWO snack is just before the workout, I usually eat it within 1 hour before and consists of protein & fat, a boiled egg works well or chicken & mayo or avocado. A postWO snack is the most important out of the 2, that should be protein & starchy carb, like chicken & sweet potato, no fat.  Don't eat fruit before or after, I say that because lots of people want to eat fruit and you don't want to feed your body sugar, you are training it to be fat adapted.  The postWO snack should be eaten right after your workout and it only has to be a few bites, so as soon as your done at the gym, or in the car, before your shower, something like that but usually within 1 hour. Then you eat your full breakfast, it can be shortly later, that's fine. Make sure both of these snacks (they are not meals) are in addition to your 3 template meals. A moderator might have some other suggestions. BYI, make sure you are drinking the recommended amount of water & taking in enough salt, that can also effect your energy. Hope that helps!

Thanks so much!! That is very, very helpful!!!

 

[Mrs.Buttercup]

I work out on my lunch break, and I am currently eating Epic bars pre-workout (about 30 mins before), and a boiled egg (yolk removed) and sweet potatoes post work out.  Anyone else use Epic bars as pre-workout?  I make my own Epic bars at home, so they are much cheaper and are easy to grab for pre-workout.  I struggle with what to do pre and post workout, so any suggestions are helpful.  Also, if there is any reason that I should be avoiding Epic bars for a pre-workout, let me know.  To me they just seemed like the right ration of protein and fat.