When to eat?

trailingspouse

My local gym runs circuit training sessions, which I love. I'm the fittest and strongest I've been for years since signing up in April. I go three times a week.


My problem is deciding what time of the day is best for me, and in particular when to eat.


6:30 - if I just get up and go, I'm exercising on an empty stomach, and I know I'm not performing at my best. If I have breakfast and then go, I get indigestion. I could get up at 4:30 and have breakfast but...
18:45 - I could have an early tea, around 16:30/17:00, but then I'm hungry in the evening and tend to snack. I could postpone my meal until after the work-out, but then I'm not eating until 20:00 at the earliest, and that means working out on an empty stomach, and also I tend to just have something quick (frozen pizza) rather than cooking a proper meal.


Any suggestions? What works for you?

elsien

When I started doing circuits if I mistimed eating I either felt faint or wanted to throw up.
Mine were evening classes - 7.45 which meant not getting home till 9 pm so I went with a biggish late lunch - bean salad with tuna, boiled eggs etc then a banana or two, or similar to keep me going when I got home. Nothing to eat within an hour of circuits. Late but quick tea when I got back - small jacket potato and beans, veg. stir fry, pitta bread with meat and salad. Nothing big and nothing that took longer than 10 minutes to prepare.
As long as lunch was substantial enough and I didn't have it too early, that worked well for me.

trailingspouse

Ha!! I love this forum. I genuinely hadn't thought about having a big lunch!! It seems so obvious now!!


I like to have something when I get in that I can set going as I walk in the door (hence the frozen pizza), and it's just about ready by the time I've had a shower and got sorted out - but I need to plan better so that it isn't frozen pizza - or at least, not after every session...



I've got a session tomorrow morning at 9:30 - that's easier to manage, as I'm up and having breakfast at between 6:30 and 7:00, and I can justify a drink and a bikkie when I get in around 10:30.

[Deleted User]

Have you thought about things you could put in a slow cooker so that it's ready to serve pretty much when you get in? You could make a few meals worth in it at once, and then just reheat after a circuits session?

trailingspouse

I don't have a slow cooker - but I could certainly portion up some meals to freeze and then microwave.

jenniewb

You could also consider -depending on your work out, a protein shake (if weight training), electrolyte based drink (if anerobic or heavy cardio training) or even a home made cereal bar where you could limit the sugar and fillers and add in more chopped fruit, more jumbo oats and cut into suitable portions- you could even add in protein powder if you wanted to and just take small squares to consume on the go. Not ideal as something to do every day but should tie you over for the odd few days a week.

trailingspouse

Hmm - personally wouldn't touch any sort of shake/meal replacement/ protein powder. Prefer my food to be real. But also prefer it not to be frozen pizza (well, not all the time anyway).

I'm off to a 9:30 session now - breakfast at 7:00, and I'll have a little something when I get back around 10:30. Unfortunately I can't often do this time slot!!

trailingspouse

elsien - tried your idea of a big lunch. It worked a treat. I had a 'proper' breakfast (mug of tea and bowl of granola), a little snackaroozle at 10:30, then a late-ish and big-ish lunch (jacket potato with cheese followed by an apple). I put a casserole in the oven before I went to the gym at 6:30, and it was ready when I got back - thickened the gravy, had a shower, sat down to eat. And much healthier than a frozen pizza!!
So - no feeling of indigestion. But also not feeling that I was exercising on an empty stomach. And this was reflected in my stats - hit 100% heart rate (albeit briefly!!) and averaged 87% for the 45 minutes, which is one of my best 'efforts'.
My next session is at 9:30am, which is much easier to manage - breakfast at my normal 6:30am, then a little something when I get back.

parking_question_chap

I train in the morning.


Banana and coffee and I am good to go, then have proper meal after.