Fitness Myths: You Can't Eat Two Hours After Workout

You can go to the gym to maintain good health, lose weight or build muscle mass. But without a properly developed nutrition plan, it will not be possible to achieve positive results. And in order for training in the gym or at home to please you with changes in your figure, you need to know how to eat properly during training

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How to eat before a workout to lose weight

To lose weight, you need to properly organize your diet. You should not fast, especially before training. The body must have enough strength to work in the gym or when doing exercises at home.

Meals before training are organized taking into account several rules:

1. Food should be light, mostly carbohydrates. Porridge is ideal for this.
2. The last meal should take place 2 hours before training.
3. You are allowed to drink kefir or eat an apple 30 minutes before.

To start the fat burning process, it is recommended to drink a cup of coffee before training. The drink will give you a boost of energy and help jump-start your metabolism.

What is suitable as a pre-workout meal for weight loss:

• porridge with water or milk;
• fruit and vegetable salads;
• breads.

Be sure to count calories - they should not be more than 200 for women and 300 for men.

Before training, take special supplements - thermogenic fat burners. Their action is aimed at increasing body temperature, thereby triggering fat burning mechanisms. What supplements can you buy:

• Nutrex Lipo-6 Black Ultra Concentrate. The active substance is caffeine. This thermogenic helps burn fat, increases endurance and improves mental focus.
• Nutrex Lipo-6X. The basis of this supplement is a unique multi-stage technology, thanks to which the substances are delivered gradually. This leads to rapid weight loss, increased physical strength and endurance.

• Olimp Thermo Speed ​​Extreme. Suitable for those who want to lose weight and gain muscle mass. The supplement acts in several directions, helping the body withstand heavy loads.

Weight loss supplements are not a mandatory part of losing weight. But with them, the fat burning process will go much faster.

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Post-workout nutrition to burn fat

After training, you should not eat carbohydrates. This is due to the fact that during physical activity and within 2 hours after it, the body launches an active fat burning mechanism, which is necessary to replenish lost energy. If you eat any carbohydrate product, the production of glycogen will begin thanks to carbohydrates, and not fat reserves.

After classes you need proteins. They help muscles work, maintain the beauty and tone of muscles. Thanks to protein foods, you can lose weight and gain a sculpted figure.

What can you eat after training:

• low-fat cottage cheese without additives;
• lean beef;
• chicken breast;
• egg whites;
• rabbit meat;
• lean fish.

You can always have a protein bar on hand that will satisfy your hunger and help overcome fatigue. For example:

• Power System Big Block 50%. A high-quality protein bar containing 50 g. squirrel. Ideal for a snack.

• VP Laboratory 40% High Protein. The composition contains 40 g. protein and only 18 grams. carbohydrates. Great for people who are losing weight.

• 32 Protein from Ironman. 32% consists of protein. It tastes good.

Special attention is paid to nutrition after training. It is important not to overeat and not exceed the calorie limit. It is important to remember the rules of fractional meals - often and in small portions.

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Advantages and disadvantages

Why is it important to drink a lot of water?

Water is very important for the normal functioning of the entire body. Those who engage in intense sports require 2 times more fluid. Moreover, you should not focus on thirst - during physical exercise this feeling is dulled and appears only when dehydrated.

If you do not follow the drinking regime, your metabolism will slow down, your health will worsen, and your performance will decrease. And this will interfere with losing weight and gaining muscle mass.

Please note that if symptoms of dehydration occur, you should stop training and replenish the lack of fluid in the body. For this, regular, still water is used. Juices, smoothies and other drinks are not suitable alternatives.

Symptoms of dehydration include:

• dry mouth and skin;
• headache;
• dry lips;
• dizziness;
• weakness;
• nausea;
• irritability.

If you do not drink enough water, the body will begin to accumulate it, turning on energy saving mode. And this slows down the process of losing weight and leads to weight gain.

Another reason to drink plenty of water is to protect your kidneys from protein damage. This rule applies to athletes who take protein supplements.

For those who want to lose weight, water is a natural way to detoxify the body. The liquid removes waste and toxins that cause excess weight gain.

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Drinking regimen during training

It is important not only to focus on the feeling of thirst, but also to force yourself to drink more fluid. Active people need 2.5-3 liters of water daily. Accordingly, this norm should be distributed over several doses.

A mandatory rule for losing weight is to drink a glass of water after waking up and 30 minutes before each meal. Before training, the norm is 0.5 liters. After exercise, to replenish lost fluid, you need to drink about 3 glasses of water.

You can also drink water during training. Take breaks every 15 minutes to drink a couple of sips of water. It is allowed to drink milk or natural, freshly squeezed juice without added sugar.

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Reviews and results

Diet during cardio training for weight loss is an integral component of achieving the required result. The diet is effective both for general health and for weight loss.

• “... My sedentary lifestyle pushed me towards cardio exercise, which caused shortness of breath with light exertion and an increase in weight of almost 10 kg. On the advice of friends, I went to the gym to see a fitness trainer, who first sent me to the clinic for an examination, and after the doctor’s conclusion that I was healthy, he wrote out an individual training program for me. At the same time, I received instructions for correcting my diet. I will say right away that the training was difficult at first, but the coach supported me, explaining this by the high level of detraining in the body. Almost three months have passed. I’m used to the diet—in principle, nothing complicated, simple low-calorie nutrition. The diet consists mainly of chicken, fish, turkey, cereals, a lot of vegetables/fruits, unrefined oils, nuts and dried fruits. I make freshly squeezed juices myself and prepare homemade low-fat yogurt. On the advice of the trainer, I supplemented my diet with linoleic acid capsules. The results are inspiring. I lost 5.8 kg, my shortness of breath went away, I feel energetic and rejuvenated, and my skin returned to normal. How can I say that I brought myself to such a state, I decided that cardio training in one form or another will now become an obligatory element of my new lifestyle”;
• “... In recent years I began to feel worse, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath. The doctors did not find anything, but said that feasible physical activity was needed in the form of running, swimming, cycling or at least walking. Since, due to the intense pace of work, there is no opportunity to go to the gym, I bought myself a cardio machine (treadmill and orbitrack) and placed one in my office and the other at home. It’s convenient because you don’t need to think about the exercises, their duration, or the angle of the track. Now, in any free time, go straight to the simulator. At the same time, I adjusted my diet, excluded all fatty foods, alcohol, sweets - to a minimum and then in the form of natural products (sweet fruits, fresh juices, marshmallows, a little jam/honey). After 2 months, my health changed for the better, and I regained my lost taste for a healthy life.”

Menu: meal plan

Regardless of the goal of training (weight loss or weight gain), you will need to switch to proper nutrition, which performs several functions:

• normalization of metabolism;
• normalization of sugar and cholesterol;
• elimination of fat layer;
• muscle strengthening;
• creating a beautiful relief on the body;
• increasing endurance and physical strength.

It is impossible to eat only hamburgers and have a beautiful figure. However, proper nutrition does not mean giving up delicious foods. There are a huge number of recipes for preparing delicious and healthy food. For example, you can make your favorite hamburger yourself using homemade tomato paste and mayonnaise, boiled meat, and bran bread.

When creating a menu, use a few useful tips

:

1. Eat small meals, 5-6 times a day in small portions. This way, food is digested easier and faster, and enough calories are supplied to eliminate the feeling of hunger for a long time.
2. Count the calories you eat
   . To lose weight, a woman needs to consume from 1500 to 2000 calories per day, a man – from 1800 to 2300 calories. To gain muscle mass, a woman needs from 2000 to 2200 calories, a man - from 2300 to 2600 calories.
3. Don't give up fat. A balanced diet involves consuming 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 25% fats. To lose weight, the norm of carbohydrates and fats is reduced - 40% and 15%, respectively.
4. For snacks, use low-calorie foods - vegetables, fruits, dairy products.
5. Avoid alcohol. Any type of alcoholic beverages negatively affects the process of losing weight and gaining muscle mass. A small amount of dry red wine is allowed.
6. Avoid sugar and flour dishes. These products slow down metabolism, which is unacceptable for an active person.

By following these rules, you can create a menu consisting only of healthy foods.

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Breakfast

Breakfast gives the body energy for the whole day, so you shouldn’t skip it. The first meal should take place within an hour of waking up so that the body does not trigger the energy-saving mechanism and does not begin to accumulate fat.

For breakfast you need to eat carbohydrates, fiber and proteins. A small amount of whole grain bread is allowed.

Here are some delicious and nutritious breakfast options:

• Buckwheat porridge with milk, toast with cheese, green tea. A glass of milk (second breakfast)
  .
• Oatmeal in water with dried fruits, coffee. Natural yogurt, apple
  (second breakfast).
• Baked cottage cheese pancakes with sour cream, fermented baked milk. Banana (second breakfast).

After second breakfast, you can snack on nuts, a piece of cheese, or any vegetable.

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Dinner

Lunch should be hearty and nutritious, containing fats and proteins. The main thing is to chew your food thoroughly and take your time. Ideal lunch option - soup, main course

and a drink that should be consumed 30 minutes after eating.

Here are some menu options:

• Mushroom soup with potatoes, pasta with minced meat, tea with toast.
• Broccoli puree soup, chicken breast baked with zucchini, dried fruit compote.
• Fish soup, rice with salmon, vegetable salad, green tea.
• Borscht in vegetable broth, steamed chicken cutlet, mashed potatoes, freshly squeezed juice.

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Dinner

Dinner should be light and low in calories. For example, 100 g chicken, salad

from vegetables, tea. This is enough to satiate and eliminate the feeling of hunger until the morning.

Like breakfast, the first meal is taken at approximately 18:00, the second - 2 hours before bedtime. Dinner options:

• Chicken fillet, vinaigrette, black tea. Late dinner - natural yogurt.
• Zucchini stuffed with rabbit meat, compote. Second dinner - kefir.
• Fish casserole, cucumber and tomato salad, berry smoothie. Late dinner - fermented baked milk.

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Fully or partially limited products

The diet for cardio training for weight loss involves the exclusion of:

• Fatty varieties of red meat, smoked meats, poultry meat (goose, duck), animal/cooking fats, canned fish in oil, sausages.
• Dairy/fermented milk products with a high fat content (cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, cheese), sauces/fatty gravy.
• Fried foods that acquire additional calorie content due to the use of fat. Fast food, semi-finished products.
• Pasta, white rice, semolina.
• Cakes, cream pies, pastries, puff pastry products.
• Chocolate, candy, ice cream, sugar.
• Alcohol-containing and sweet carbonated drinks.

Table of prohibited products

You CAN control your belly fat...

But: It depends on what type of belly fat you have. There are 2 types of it: subcutaneous and visceral.

Subcutaneous fat is a fancy name for a large belly and the so-called “lifeline”. You cannot get rid of it on purpose. But if you lose overall weight through a healthy, balanced diet and exercise routine, your belly fat will disappear to reveal gorgeous, toned abs.

Visceral fat is fat located deep inside your torso, mainly around the stomach, intestines and liver. It is also called "visceral belly fat" and has been linked to various health problems. You can hit it by increasing the amount of fiber in your diet and reducing carbohydrates, training more intensely and devoting more time to sleep.

Stretch all your core muscles

The foundation of great abs is a strong core, which helps stabilize the entire body. Your core muscles—the rectus abdominis, obliques, and transversus abdominis, lower back, and pelvis—are the entire system that supports your body when you stand, walk, perform daily activities, or exercise. It is very important to strengthen all of them, not just the abs.

A strong core can help you get the most out of any workout.

In fact, the more you work your entire body, the better it will be for your abs. Almost any compound or full-body exercise requires significant work of the abdominal muscles, so you can pump up your abs with programs that do not focus on crunches.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term cardio training on an empty stomach is no more effective for weight loss than the same training after eating. For beginners, “hungry” training is not even safe due to the depletion of the body’s energy reserves overnight. A hypoglycemic state can reduce concentration and lead to injury.

In the morning, you should use short, high-intensity workouts that will help you wake up and start all metabolic processes. And before a long workout, be it strength, high-intensity or cardio, you should eat 1 - 1.5 hours before. It is advisable that meals contain complex carbohydrates, this will increase performance.

Short morning workouts in any format - be it a five-minute joint warm-up or a short fifteen-minute intensive workout - definitely benefit the body.

If you want to lose weight, add a morning workout. Thanks to the novelty effect, you will be able to work with your body more productively. When you start to notice that intense short workouts have stopped working, switch to joint gymnastics. It will help you wake up faster and not lose the habit of morning activities.

References: 1. B. Schoenfeld, Does Cardio After an Overnight Fast Maximize Fat Loss, Strength and Conditioning Journal, Feb 2011; Vol. 33 2. B. Schoenfeld, A. Aragon, Body composition changes associated with fasted versus non-fasted aerobic exercise, J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2014; 11:54 3. Fasted Exercise for Faster Weight Loss, International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) 4. The Truth About Fasted Cardio – Jim Stoppani, Ph.D 5. Fasted Cardio and Fat Loss – Q&A – Lyle McDonald 6. D. Yu . Volkova, The influence of morning exercises on the performance of classical university students, Bulletin of Chelyabinsk State University. Education and healthcare. 2014. No. 2. pp. 36–396 7. Brad Pilon, Eat Stop Eat, Strength Works, Inc. 2007