I’m sorry for the odd question, but it’s something I’ve been struggling with lately.
After work I’m usually hungry. If I go to the gym hungry, I won’t get a good workout. I"ll be to weak/tired/hungry to workout.
However, if I eat something and then go to the gym, then I’ll get nauseated during the workout.
Finally, if I wait too long after eating to go to the gym, then it will be late and I’ll be too tire to workout.
Is there a solution to this?
Go in the morning.
I used to go in the evening, and I would hit the gym right after work, and then get dinner. It was an OK system, but it really consumed the evening.
Switching to a morning workout means getting up a bit earlier, but I find that it energizes me for the rest of the day.
If you can’t change your schedule, try to eat something light, like a protein shake, maybe 30 minutes before you work out.
Eat light a couple of hours(if you can) before the gym-a bagel and banana was my pre-race meal while driving to the event.
What’s your usual lunch, when is it and how many hours until you’re off work?
Next, what do you do at the gym? Cardio, I can see being hard on the digestive. Lifting, not so much unless you’re a very hard worker.
How about eating snacks in the middle of the afternoon?
My personal solution to this is to drink a small protein shake about half an hr before I leave. (And the drive is 15 min.) And then, preworkout as I jump into the car so by the time I arrive I’m buzzed and enthused. You can keep a scoop or two of dry protein powder in a shaker in a bag at work and add water at the opportune time, if you ever decide to try it. It’s low-calorie but filling. Also good to have a shaker after workout or eat something very soon after to avoid fatigue as well.
Facepalm. You legit said the same thing as me and I read your post before I posted and didn’t see it until the second glance. Ugh. Sorry. (The second part.)
However, I also agree to the first part! It totally energizes me, regardless of how early I have had to wake up to ensure I get a workout in. Sound advice.
For me, I’ve determined that I need to eat about 3 hours before I work out in order for it to be fully digested and in the blood stream. Just get a snack (nuts, banana, etc.) at that time.
Do you just eat a plain bagel without anything on it?
I’m lifting, but because I’m so out of shape I get winded after a few heavy reps.
Mornings are rough for me because of my caffeine addiction. I feel miserable until about 10am each day.
What’s in your protein shake? What kind of protein powder are you using?
Plain bagel. Since I usually ran 10-20K races, I wanted carbs in the morning but nothing else.
If you’re that out of shape, I would say to use less weight and let your body adjust to the new demands. If you’re getting nauseous after a just a few reps, you’re overtaxing your system.
What are your goals lifting? Unless you aspire to compete in(or enjoy) powerlifting, low reps and high weights aren’t the best way to go. Moderate reps (7-12 per set) with appropriate weight is the most productive.
What’s a typical workout right now?
Are you trying to break the addiction or do you not consume until you get to work?
The primary ingredient in the pre-workout supplements is caffeine. Though it would be cheaper to just use caffeine pills.
I work 11 hour shifts minimum so it is a struggle. Going in the morning is not an option since I’m already getting up at 5am without going to the gym. There is no easy answer I just do the best I can when I can.
I had the same problem, and my two solutions were:
OR if that wasn’t possible
I don’t think a protein shake is really necessary, but I know lots of folk swear by them. I don’t take them at all and have a good physique and am on the top of the leader board at my gym, but I eat a lot of protein in my food.
It seems for your use case, a bolus of protein would require more digestion than coffee + hot chocolate, so you might give it a try and see if it works for you.
What are you eating?
When I go in the morning I have a couple spoonfuls of peanut butter. Other friends have mentioned eating a banana. If I’m going after work I eat some peanuts or peanut butter pretzels (yes, there’s a theme.) The one time I had a protein shake before a work out I got rather sick to my stomach, so I just try for a light snack.
What kind of peanut butter? Natural peanut butter or the sugary kind?
Yup, I think a protein shake is an odd suggestion just before a workout. Protein is difficult to digest.
Go to the gym as normal and power through - you aren’t too weak/tired/hungry to workout. That’s all in your head, your body rebelling against changing your routine. Hit the gym, push yourself for as good a workout as you can, and your body will adapt to the new rigors you’re demanding of it.
I tend to have a similar problem and what I do is have a light snack, generally some fruit. A couple of apricots take off the edge without sending me into boa-digestion country and hey, they’re healthy!
I think the easiest solution is snacking. Bring nuts, fruit, trailmix, veggies, PBJ sandwiches cut into quarters, and graze throughout the day. Don’t overcomplicate it.
My assumptions - your job allows such snacks, and your workouts are not extreme.
Certain pre-workout foods sit better than others with me.
Sit badly: Anything milk based. Anything with a high fat content.
Sit well: Fruit, complex carbs
Also, I have to eat 1.5-2 hours before my workout or else I’ll feel nauseous no matter what I eat.
I exercise after work. I make sure to have an apple in the late afternoon so that I’m not feeling hungry at the gym.
I used to eat a PayDay bar about a half hour before my workouts and it worked really well for me. Paydays are just peanuts and caramel. The peanuts give you a shot of protien while the caramel gives you a bit of a sugar boost.
I was going to question the protein angle but found that a standard PayDay bar has 7g of protein. Not bad for a candy bar but a cup of yogurt with fruit has more than twice that for maybe half the calories. I eat a cup of yogurt in the morning about 30 minutes before going on bike rides. I feel like crap on an empty stomach but if I eat much more than that, especially a bunch of carbs, I feel weighed down.
How you feel during a workout is pretty personal and you will probably end up trying a couple of different things before you find what works for you.
I am not a coffee drinker but even so, it doesn’t sound normal to feel “miserable” until 10 am. You may have some other things going on that you need to address.