Caution on eating too little...

[oI2ange]

So there is plenty of diets/articles on cutting calories. That's all well and good and that advice applies to probably 80%+ of Americans. But for those of us who work out, it's very important to EAT ENOUGH to sustain our workouts.

I decided to write this post because I know that I've struggled with this concept a lot. I also hit a super wall today during my work out due to not having any energy whatsoever. I'm guessing this is probably because I ate like...nothing for lunch. All of us like to cut calories when we can. We MUST TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR WORKOUT THOUGH! If you don't eat enough calories, your workout and muscle growth is going to suffer. Your energy for your workouts will be a problem as well.

So, in summation- Yes, it is good to cut calories when you can. But make sure that you're eating enough before your workouts so that you have enough energy to do work. Obviously the quality of food that you're eating matters as well, and it's important to take that into account as well.

[Dreamliner]

Release the hounds! I don't push fasted workouts. But generally speaking I have my best workouts when I haven't eaten for several hours.

Naturally, if you're accustomed to eating before training you're likely to suffer a jolt. But the body can adapt very rapidly to training in a glycogen-depleted state by preferencing the fat-burning system.

[ufbeta]

Yeah, I cannot workout in the afternoon or evening. Need at least 4 or 5 hours after eating.

Sent from my iPad using GatorCountry

[oragator1]

I tend to go on moderate length hikes for much of my exercise (several hours sometimes with climbs over 1000-1500 feet). I do it when I wake up and only eat when I get home. I will make sure i am hydrated with water/V8 but no food.
But as soon as I get home it's a massive bowl of pasta with pure tomato sauce and a glass of fruit juice. Might sound weird but my body is used to it and my weight seems to be stable with it. It's weird though how much I crave that pasta on the way home.

[ThomasGoldkamp]

I typically won't work out till at least two or three hours after I eat. I can definitely tell when I haven't eaten enough that day, though. Like the OP, I can tell by the energy level in my workout.

[ATL_Gator]

IMO, your brain has far more influence on you than you realize.

In general, long term you need to eat in accordance with what you are trying to do.

Short term, meh. I think it's more placebo effect than anything else. I know guys who swear by many arguments, and use the "fact" that they tried something else and they felt different as justification. I argue that they knew ahead of time that they were doing something out of the ordinary and they subconciously determined the outcome before they even started.

I have eaten before, after, well after, well before, etc. I have also worked out at various times of the day at these various states. Honestly, after a couple of weeks of doing the same strategy, I didn't feel any different between the strategies. Well, mostly. The one strategy that I felt the worst at was morning workouts, but that was more to do with me not being a morning person at all, and generally stay up later than I should have so I wasn't getting enough sleep.

[Dreamliner]

Good point. There are extravagant claims made for myriad strategies. Whereas I seem to do well training on an empty stomach, I regard claims made for fasted training as sketchy. And indeed, there is nothing magical about fasting overall. For me, it's merely a convenient means of containing calories while, at the same time, enjoying substantial meals.

BTW, the latest craze among my peers is everyday training. I think it's silly myself and suspect that it panders to training angst.

[LeafUF]

I work out at the end of a 16 hour fast. Been making steady gains for months.

[Dreamliner]

Arguably, the "I need fuel for my workouts" mentality has frustrated multitudes who want to lose weight.

[15gator05]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner

Arguably, the "I need fuel for my workouts" mentality has frustrated multitudes who want to lose weight.

I for one cant run my best if I eat within three hours of my run. I prefer to run on an empty stomach.

[oI2ange]

Originally Posted by 15gator05

I for one cant run my best if I eat within three hours of my run. I prefer to run on an empty stomach.

I'm the same. If I eat too soon before workout, I feel bloated and sick. My OP was more describing the preparation I need (personally) for my future workouts. If I know I'm going to be doing a tough workout later on in the day, I"ll eat a bigger lunch. If I'm going to be sitting on my ass and doing nothing, I'll try to not eat so much for a meal. And so on.

[15gator05]

Originally Posted by oI2ange

I'm the same. If I eat too soon before workout, I feel bloated and sick. My OP was more describing the preparation I need (personally) for my future workouts. If I know I'm going to be doing a tough workout later on in the day, I"ll eat a bigger lunch. If I'm going to be sitting on my ass and doing nothing, I'll try to not eat so much for a meal. And so on.

I understand what youre sayin, I was just throwin my two cents out there for what its worth. Lol

[Dreamliner]

Another reason I never eat closer than three or four hours prior to workout: hiatus hernia.

[holloffamer]

Hmm, I'm guilty of this. My thinking is that if I also don't eat a lot, I would be able to lose weight a lot faster. :|