What do I eat before and after the gym?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! I hope everyone had an awesome mini-vacation, I know I did. Lots of cheesecake was put in front of me that I didn't turn down, so there's that. 

In today’s post we’re chatting about a question I get A LOT:

What do I eat before and after I train?

This is a great one, and I’m happy to dive into it. There is obviously a lot of biased and straight up confusing information out there with regard to this stuff. I get that. For most of you out there, it may not be as complicated as it seems. Now, I certainly cannot speak for everybody out there because everybody has different foods they like, schedules, or exercise programs. Enough jibber jabber though, check it out below:

Keep it Simple

In all honesty, what trips people up the most is what I said above. Many people feel it necessary to “dial in their macros” and “spike insulin” and “increase metabolic output.” But, to the everyday person, all of this stuff doesn’t necessarily mean as much. I find that many people worry too much about the numbers- so much so that they spend all of their time obsessing over it. This doesn’t create a healthy relationship with food- nor does it create the ability to be flexible and flow with the signals of the body.

Keep in mind, this would scale accordingly to meet the needs of the athlete. Elite athletes are probably going to want to pay a bit more attention to their nutrition, given the demand being placed on the body. On the flip side, normal, everyday exercisers like you and me might not need as much of an attention to detail. This is not a license to eat a bunch of junk, though.

High Quality Foods

Moving on, when assessing the diet as a whole, it’s best to place an emphasis on stuff that comes from nature and limited in ingredients. Thinking about it like this takes a lot of the guesswork out of planning meals. Fruits, veggies, beneficial starches, solid protein sources, and healthy fat sources.

If you have done a solid job at eating throughout the day and aren’t hungry before you exercise… don’t worry about eating immediately before or after exercising. Unless you are exercising intensely for more than an hour - you are probably covered. Eating a good meal 1-2 hours prior and 1-2 hours after is enough to sustain you. Seriously.

Who are YOU?

Now, you may not feel like you fall in the above “umbrella” for one or two reasons.

“I only ate lunch and I’m always hungry by the time I get to my workout.”

“I get low blood sugar easily.” (Get that checked by a physician)

“I’m super tired after work and I need a boost.”

“I am training for a marathon and need extra calories.”

That’s all gravy, and I get it. Before you decide that you should have a snack before and after, just evaluate whether it’s helpful for you and your goals. Given all of the access to information, supplement ads, and social pressures to be “fit,” there is a mentality that “everybody should do X, Y, and Z.” That may not be the case.

The approach is simple:

If something makes you feel better, kick your workout in it’s flippin’ face, or enhances your recovery, go for it. Place the emphasis on yourself, not what everyone else is doing. If you can figure out “why,” then you’re golden.

The Good Stuff

When talking about pre- and post-exercise meals, it’s important to know that the body generally wants two things in and around exercise. Glucose, aka sugar, and protein for repairing tissue (and all the the micronutrients to make it happen). The idea here is that you want to be careful about things like too much protein, fat, and fiber before exercise.

Limit it to mostly simple carbohydrate foods, and maybe a tiny source of protein. A small snack will suffice, try not to overeat, as this can cause cramping and that just isn’t fun for anybody. Afterward though, adding a bit more protein is helpful for recovery. Below I’ve listed some of my favorite before and after exercise snacks (some of them healthier than others):

Before

Any fruit with some raw nuts

Dried Fruits

Quick Oats

Homemade Protein Bar (see below)

Hard Cheese and Fruit

Dark Chocolate

Kind Bars

Honey Stinger Waffles

Pretzels and Hummus

OR: I’ve eaten 1-2 hours prior

After

Homemade Yogurt Parfait

PB+J

A piece of Fruit, Protein Powder in Water

Chocolate Milk after a long endurance event

Protein Super Shake with Greens and Fruit

Homemade Protein Bar (see below)

Pancakes (Just kidding, but not really. Sidebar: Thanks a lot Meg, Bill, and Katie - Post-Marathon Tradition)

OR: I just eat a meal with some protein, veggies, and starch.

No Bake Protein Bars

Base:

2 cups Unsweetened Applesauce

2 scoops protein powder

2 Cups of Whole Rolled Oats

2-3 servings of peanut/almond butter

Additives:

Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

Chocolate Chips

Nuts: Walnuts, Cashews, Almonds, Hemp Seeds, Milled Flax seed

Dried Fruit: Raisins, Apricots, Cranberries, Crushed Banana Chips

Instructions: Mix base ingredients into a bowl and stir until you can’t see the protein powder and it has a thick consistency. Then, add in whatever else you want - my favorite is Coconut Flakes and dark chocolate pieces. Flatten everything out into a square cookie pan and then place in freezer until it hardens up. Then, cut into 2 x 2 squares and individually wrap them. Store in freezer and let sit for a little while before you eat it. Definitely high calorie but filling and packed with nutrients.

Wrap Up

Hopefully this helps you understand that a lot of the time, nutrition can be much more simple than it seems. Focus on eating high quality food and making well thought out decisions. Above all else, enjoy the process and have fun!

Lastly, I want to thank you for reading my blog. Hopefully you’ve enjoyed it and learned a little bit along the way. I’ve definitely loved creating more value for you and helping you become healthier. Thanks again for a great year!

Cheers,

RY

Sidenote: I have some cool things coming down the pipeline for next year. If you haven’t signed up for the Email list, I'd love to bring you along on the journey and help you start the year off right. I’ll make sure you stay in the loop about new projects I’m working on.

Double Bonus Sidenote: Because it's that time of the year, I wanted to mention something about those pesky New Years Resolutions. My good friend Sarah Poulin, a licensed Acupuncturist just wrote a pretty awesome blog article about starting nice and easy when the new year rolls around, setting smart goals, and making yourself accountable. You can find it,  HERE. Check it out!

Dominating the Excuse of "Time"

Hey team, 

Today, many people face challenges that impede their progress in the world of fitness. Call it what you want, but the thing that gets in the way the most:

"I don't have time." 

Regardless of your motivation, goals, or personal relationship with exercise, this is something we all struggle with. I'm here to tell you that it's okay, and that you shouldn't feel bad about the fact that you can't get a workout in every day. Especially when you may be managing a high stress job, figuring out how to feed the kids and do your grad school homework, or moving into a new home. Life isn't suppose to be easy that way. If it was, it wouldn't be any fun. 

Where things get tricky, though, is your mindset. Sure, the constraints of time exist, but what if you took a step back and refocused on your approach? Could you prioritize your tasks better? Could you squeeze in a 20 minute kettlebell session on your lunch break? What about logging the amount of time you spend on social media outlets such as Facebook, Instagram (Specifically Bearcoat Tonkey), Pinterest, CandyCrush, etc., and then asking yourself again if you have time to workout?

Maybe a bit harsh, but it's the reality we live in. Our time is valuable and it should be treated accordingly. Use these strategies to start winning the battle of time and changing your mindset today:

1. Prioritize your health. 

The moment you stop letting other events and activities get in the way of exercising, is the moment that things begin to change. The question isn't whether you should or shouldn't workout today, it is now a question of when. Finding this for yourself can be hard at first, but it takes scaling and it takes consistent progression.

When you first adopt this mindset, don't expect to start training every day. Start with a couple days and cut yourself some slack. This is a big change, and it's going to take some time for your brain to get used to the habit. Win the small battles by scheduling things that you are nearly 100% certain you can get done. If you are unsure and uneasy about whether you can fit it in or not, your brain has already made up an excuse to not exercise based on previous habits. 

2. Use a schedule and keep it like Julie "The Cat" Gaffney

Seriously. 

This has been some of the best advice I've been given. Your time is valuable. To you, to your health, to your friends and family. When you are sitting down to look at the schedule for the week, stick to it. Treat your training days or workouts like you would any other business appointment. Know when you are working out each day and how much time you will need. As I mentioned above, don't leave it up to someone else. It's on you to plan, make it work, and get it done.

3. Utilize shorter workouts when pressed for time

Have some go-to workouts you can get done in a snap. These aren't the ones you'll do on a consistent basis, but they'll get the job done in a pinch. You can get a great workout in like 20 minutes. Don't settle for not having the time, think about being flexible in certain situations that you may not be able to control. 

When life hands you lemons, just ditch the lemons and do something else.

Here's how I would break it down, if I were a straight up gangsta:

Lower Body Bilateral Movement: Ex. Goblet Squat

Upper Body Bilateral Movement: Ex. TRX Row

Lower body Unilateral Movement: Ex. Single Leg Hop

Upper body Unilateral Movement: Ex. 1 Arm Floor Press

Choose one core Exercise: Anti-Extension (Plank), Rotational or Anti-Rotational (Pallof Press), or Dynamic (MedBall Slam)

From there, set your reps and a time limit and just have a freakin' blast. Rest as needed between sets, 1 minute is a good start. Obviously, there are a bunch ways to do it, but sometimes it's pretty fun to race the clock. 

4. Build accountability and own your shortcomings

How can you be more effective at getting exercise? What will flip the switch for your brain?

Start with a goal. Make it specific. How many sessions are you going to get in this week? What amount of time? 

Did you get it done?

If not, simply accept responsibility, recognize where you can be better, and move on. Stressing about it and thinking negatively about yourself is not the answer. Keep on trying and embrace where you have fallen short. You will get there if you keep making the effort, and may even start saying, "I can't wait to workout today." Crazy sauce.

5. Minimize poor usage of time

Creating time for yourself can be difficult, but it becomes a lot easier when you recognize where you may be wasting it. Priorities, homeslice.

What needs to get done today?

1) Essentials: Food and Water (survival) - Work and all that comes with it - Taking care of kids/puppies/kittens/all - Exercise? Home tasks? Source of enjoyment?

2) Non-Essentials: As I briefly mentioned waayyy at the top- Anything that doesn't revolve around the above. Examples include TV, internet, social media, making fun of my buddy Lee, origami, Teen Mom (which is like a double waste of time, a recent study done by the University of Me stated you actually lose brain cells watching stuff like that)... You get the idea. It's all about making sure you get the important stuff done first... So unless you have done all your high priority things today, you shouldn't even be reading this blog!

Focus your efforts at limiting the stuff that doesn't really matter and you'll find a lot more time to play around with.

6. Use other resources for help

Don't be afraid of humility. It's okay to say you need help. There are people out there who are dying to help you become the best version of yourself. That might mean asking a friend to work out with you,  reading a new book on exercise, buying some equipment for the house or joining a new gym, or even hiring somebody to help keep you accountable. 

Take a long look at what you need to know more about and take some steps to do it. Your body will thank you. This is where I'm supposed to plug all of the awesome benefits of exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. The bottom line is though, is that you probably know them. 

Raise your hand if you want to be strong, fit, and move like a ninja.

I do.

Enjoy, 

RY

P.S. Yes, I'm a 90's kid.