Hi there,

Sorry if this has been brought up before, I couldn't see it, but it's possible it's there.

My problem is balancing when to eat before and after a workout. If I eat too close to a workout, I get a stitch in my side after only a few minutes. If I wait too long, I don't have enough energy to work out.

I work out in the mornings and I was wondering; should I eat a meal before I go, or should I just eat a snack, then fuel up after? How soon before and after a workout should you space your meals and snacks?

What would a proper day schedule look like, work out and meal wise?

Thanks!

Well the thing is, there's not really any such thing as a "proper schedule" ... it's all very individual.

A sort of rule of thumb is to try to get some carbs in before you work out - how long before is something you'll have to experiment with. Some people do better eating right before working out. Some people try 30 or 60 mins prior. Some people simply can't eat before or they get sick and that's ok, too. For me personally, a banana or a can of low-sodium V8 about 45-60 mins before hand works perfectly.

Then afterwards, try to get a balance of carbs and protein. Try to get that in within the first hour after you work out - or sooner if you can. I usually have my protein powder shake right after working out.

Other than that, it's more about how much you eat and a balance of nutrients rather than eating at scheduled times. Whatever works best for YOU.

again yes it all down to the individual, if i workout in the morning i just grab a massive banana and have a few nuts with it and then i work out about 30-40 mins later and as long as im not working out for too long that seems to do the trick. experiment a bit more with different food groups in the morning to see what suits you best.

As was mentioned in the previous posts, a proper day's schedule will all depend on the individual. For example, some people like working out in the morning, and some prefer evenings. I see you've chosen mornings, which was also my choice when I first started working out. Morning workouts are a great way to start the day, and often give you more energy for the rest of it.

As far as eating before workouts: how soon after you get up do you work out? If you have a few hours in the morning between waking up and working out, I would say grab a bite to eat - something light, preferably. Yogurt, fruit, a smoothie, or something like that might work best.

If you work out right after waking up, I would actually suggest waiting until after your workout to eat, if you can manage it. Your body will run on stored up glycogen, so you will still have fuel for a work out. You can also drink something before working out - water, a sports drink, or even coffee if you are a coffee drinker.

I personally love starting out the day with a nice cup of coffee and then doing my work out a few hours later once the caffeine has kicked in. For me, personally, that's enough to power an hour long aerobic workout. You might not be the same, though. I then eat about an hour or two later.

So a typical day's schedule for you might look like this (with varying hours, since I don't know what your actual hours are or how frequently you eat):

8:00: Wake up

8:30: Light breakfast/snack

9:00: Workout

10:00 snack (if you are hungry)

11:00 lunch

3:00 snack

6:00 dinner

10:00 bed

A schedule like this allows you to keep a pretty constant blood sugar level throughout the day, so you ideally you won't get hunger spikes. Working out regularly does increase your metabolism, so you may feel hungry more often.

You may also find that you don't like eating that frequently. My advice would be to listen to your body and tweak your schedule to find what works best for you.

I workout usually 3-4 hrs after I've eaten a proper meal! I might get slightly hungry during the workout, but my energy levels dont go down...unless I havent eaten anything the whole day!