How to Time Your Meals with Your Workouts

Knowing how to plan your meals and exercise together can be a difficult thing. You don't want to have a full stomach when exercising, but you also don't want to exercise on an empty stomach. Individual cases vary when it comes to how much to eat and when, but here are some tips that will help you figure out what works best for you.

If you exercise in the morning, make sure that you eat breakfast. After sleep, your body will not have all of the energy that you need for your workout. Fueling yourself up during breakfast is extremely important. However, you want to time your workout around how large your breakfast is. If you eat a large breakfast, it is better to wait at least an hour before attempting a lot of exercise. Exercising when your stomach is full can slow you down and make you feel uncomfortable. Remember that old swimming rule that you have to wait an hour before you can go back in? This is why. It also makes it harder for your body to digest the food. If you don't have a lot of time to wait, then eat a smaller meal. Just make sure that you eat something so that you have the energy to get the most out of your workout.

When exercising at any time of the day, make sure that you wait an adequate amount of time after eating before you begin. Some meals may require up to three hours to digest. Smaller meals obviously do not need as much time as larger meals. It really just depends on what you are eating and how "heavy" it makes your body feel. Foods with a large fat and protein content will take longer for your body to digest.

Don't skip meals just because you don't have enough time to wait. Remember that your body needs the energy from the food. Not eating will leave you feeling light headed and weak. If nothing else, at least eat a small snack before hitting the gym.

It is okay to eat after your workout, but don't overeat. You may feel good about the calories that you burned and be tempted to fill up with more than you need. Overeating is especially an area of concern if you did not eat before working out. Eating after a workout is harmless though, and is even beneficial to restoring nutrients to your muscles.