Pre and post workout nutrition is simple: one is fuel and the other one is repair. You eat before your workout to have the extra energy to push yourself during a training session. You eat afterwards to repair the damage done to your muscles, help them rebuild faster and grow. Different types of exercise stress your body in different ways, which means your nutrition needs will vary depending on the type of workout you’re doing.
Try and eat your postworkout meal within an hour of exercising to get the most recovery benefits. I personally suck at this…because, well…I don’t ever leave the gym right away…and then I run errands. I have said it a million times…I am a work in progress. I have been packing some RX Bars because I find them the most tolerable (in general, I hate bars and “product” because I would much rather EAT, and most of them are simply nasty). I have noticed my body changing and am having to make some adjustments regarding caloric intake. I am in new territory, so I will be a good guinea pig for all of you and I will post some of the tweaks I will start making. But this is really to my overall nutrition.
OK, back to you guys…please, don’t overthink this, unless you are a paid athlete in which case you should have PEOPLE overseeing these things. Additionally, let yourself experiment a bit. We all have different likes and needs, so play with what feels best for YOU and your needs. Nutrition is a huge part of any fitness program, you just don’t need to obsess over the pre- and post-workout components of it too much. Best gauge is to record how you felt and performed during your workouts based on your nutrition.
Here are my basic go-to’s. We can get more specific on pre and post workout nutrition based on Sport-Specific needs in a later post.
Preworkout:
- Smoothie: I like approximately 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 8 to 10 ounces water or milk (any kind of “milk” if dairy is not your thing), approximately 1 cup fruit (I like frozen to thicken the smoothie and make it cold), a handful of spinach, and maybe half an avocado
- A peanut butter and banana or PBJ sandwich
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Oatmeal with 1/2 & 1/2 and fruit
- Apple and peanut or almond butter
- Handful of nuts and raisins (two parts raisins: one part nuts)
Postworkout:
- Two to three hard-boiled eggs and a banana.
- Low-fat chocolate milk
- Whole Fat Greek Yogurt with berries
- Mixed Greens Salad with Grilled Chicken, Meat, or Seafood, olives, tomatoes, avocado, and some feta cheese
- Hummus, Avocado and Cheese Sandwich (I use whole grain bread that goes bad in a few days)
And now the most important part of nutrition whether pre or post workout is to stop the war with our bodies. What is your goal? What are you truly trying to understand about nutrition? Are you trying to manage your weight so closely with extreme exercise and dietary restrictions. Do you have a distorted body image? Low self-esteem?
Tracking all your meals and an overwhelming preoccupation with your eating and workouts is NOT a sense of control…in fact, it’s just the opposite. If you put on a few pounds, or can’t get to the gym, do you feel out of control? Eating uncontrollably and then exercising for hours to “undo” your behavior?
I so used to be that person. Then I took my first group fitness class and felt a sense of “Holy Shit…I just did THAT”, unlike anything I’d ever felt before. I was completely present and completely removed, And for the first time, I only focused on what my body was doing and what it was capable of. For so long, I’d put this pressure on myself to look a certain way…until THAT day. I experienced something that made me feel like a total badass, like I could rule the world. That day, I learned who I was and what I was to become. That day, I had my first Endorphasm and my whole thinking shifted. Now, that’s not to say that it was without struggle. In fact, some days I still look at myself and wish for just a moment that I looked better…different…but, that’s on me. Then I laugh and remember, I’m a Motherfucking Beast! I know the day will come when I am no longer the badass I like to think I am…and I will have to redefine how I see myself and what my role will be. I have been a leader in fitness for more than 20 years. I do not take TODAY for granted. So, until that day comes…I’m going to live life one day at a time. Somedays I eat the cake…somedays I don’t workout. But, without a doubt, one of the best parts of my day is when I get my ass handed to me, sweat, curse, push, and am surrounded by the people I have come to love so much at Endorphasm! In that moment, I am Perfect…life is perfect…and I can conquer anything. Because of “the endorphasm,” I am a better partner, mother, friend, and person.
Ladies and gentleman of the red-room and beyond, I hope you know that even when I can no longer box jump, sprint, and fly, I will still be cheering you on and being a part of your day…and maybe reminding you that you are extraordinary and PERFECT now!
I hope you find YOUR Endorphasm.
