Fuel for my body - don't leave home without it

Photo by: ~RYAN

For the last few weeks I have been working out extra hard at the gym, either by choice or teaching classes.  I have been working on my hundred push up challenge and participating in a motivating, healthy living challenge on CR8 Health.  I have also been training a few clients, working on my school assignments and, oh yes, the kids.  My pride and joy, the light of my life or at least the ones that take the light out of my life and turn into a turbulent tornado stripping me of all energy. Yeah, that happens during the summer months when all I hear is "what are we going to do today?" or "Where are we going today?" "I'm bored, can we play another board game?"---Nooooo, not another board game!  Keeping the kids active, busy, and safe is somewhat of a challenge sometimes but we make it work, or rather, we make it fun.

I'm rambling on about my busy schedule because of what happened to me the other day.  I was so busy that I forgot to follow my own pre and post workout nutrition plan.  To make matters worse, I was teaching a spin class, which some of you may know that a great amount of energy  is required to take this class--forget taking the class, it's easy to make it through without putting out too much effort.  Try teaching the class without the right amount of energy in your system. 

The thing about teaching spin is that you not only have to workout, but you also have to talk, a lot, and keep everyone else motivated.  On top of that, adrenaline kicks in for me within the first few minutes and I push myself harder than if I was taking the class.  What to do?  Nothing really.  I had my water and munched on a Kashi TLC chewy Peanut Butter bar I had in my gym bag which gave me all of  140 calories (7g of protein, 4g of fiber, 19g of Carbohydrates and 5g of fat.)

I was tired within the first 20 minutes and to be quite honest, the only thing working for me at this point was my adrenalin fix....huff, puff, another 20 minutes and then I could begin the cool down!  Wow! That's not me at all.  Usually after 20 minutes I'm ready to kick it up a notch, but not this time.  Either way, everyone in the class had a great workout. 

After my class I left the gym and ran a bunch of errands before going home.  The entire time I kept thinking "just get something "healthy" from McDonalds or Wendy's."  No way, even the nasty, grease-filled fries smell good right, I don't need to expose myself when I'm at my weakest point.   By the time I got home, 2 hours later, I was I had a headache, my body was shaking, I was irritable, weak and tired as heck.  The Baby went down for a nap and I headed for the kitchen.  First line of attack-- a protein shake with bananas, yogurt, orange juice, peaches, papaya, a little water and about 25g of protein.

My advice:  one must find the time, make the time to eat every 2-3 hours, to provide the proper nutrients  before, during and after exercise, and to rest post exercise.  I know this, but I let my busy schedule get in the way of following my daily routine and I had to pay the price for that little mishap.

Here are some tips from other fellow fitness bloggers: 

Mark Salinas from Healthy Living Today says this:  "Pre-workout and post-workout nutrition is the key to get optimal results, growth and recovery. Pre-workout nutrition is necessary for maximum performance and will allow you to have increased muscle strength, better endurance, give you increased energy, burn more calories and improve concentration."  I couldn't agree more.  Many who are new to the fitness world, this may seem like a contradiction. Eating to burn more calories?  Well what happens is you fuel your body and therefore you work harder for a longer period of time, burning more calories per hour.  Mark also has a pretty easy protein bar you can make at home--save money, eat well, go take a look.

Mark Dilworth from the Sports Fitness Hut shares: "Pre- and post-workout meals are just as critical to your muscle growth (hypertrophy) as the training. These two processes work together to make your training program successful. The rigors of training breaks down your body and you need proper nutrition and rest to rebuild your body bigger and better."  OK so even if you don't think you want muscle growth, you need nutrition before and after.  Women, muscle growth doesn't mean a gross explosion, for us gals it simply means more lean muscle mass, more definition, less fat.  I don't know too many guys who would argue against having more muscle, so there you have it.

Mike from Strongbodies posted a weekly tip from Dr. Berardi which is good news for those wanting to burn more fat, "Studies have demonstrated that even in the presence of a relatively high carbohydrate intake (and large insulin response), the addition of protein to a carbohydrate meal can increase fat burning during exercise.  So it looks like a well-designed pre, during, and post exercise intake will not only improve protein status and glycogen resynthesis but it may actually increase fat burning."

Fitarella provides us with a fabulous "breakdown to help guide you with the right pre-workout snacks." It is a must see...go take a look.    And if all this isn't enough to get you motivated, try reading this inspirational story on Mizfit's blog.  The story is about Kevin from the Weightladder who once weighed 390 lbs and since his commitment to following a nutrition program, has lost....well, you go read it for yourself.  Kevin says, "For me, I feel so much better eating healthy and exercising again that I have no doubt I will be able to finish the program and permanently change my eating habits." Is that not the most awesome thing you ever heard?  Of course it is, no need to think about that answer.

Consider the timing of your meal before and after exercise as that is just as important as what you eat.  Mansi from Fun and Food says:  "If you eat a large meal just before you exercise, you may experience nausea, feel sluggish or end up with muscle cramps. This happens because your body needs energy to digest the foods you eat so blood flow increases to your digestive system, leaving less energy-providing blood for muscles. Exercising on an empty stomach isn't good either. Skipping meals before exercising can cause low blood sugar, which can make you to feel weak and light-headed. You also need some energy in the form of the right types of food to properly fuel your work out."

Bottom line is that you have to eat to get a better workout. Experiment with different foods until you find the one that doesn't make you feel like puking, instead, adds to your workout.  Consider the type of workout you're doing so that you can better decided how much time you need between your meal and your workout.  Do Not Skip Breakfast!!!  After a good night's rest your body is starving and skipping breakfast is not the way to go if you want to loose weight or gain muscle strength and endurance.

I learned my lesson, how about you?

Stay Well,

Comments

[Weight Ladder]

Thanks for hte shout out...

[Zandria]

I'm totally feeling you! I have to eat every few hours or I get very cranky. And I can't begin to imagine teaching a spin class while low on energy!

[Mark Salinas]

Your journey is fantastic, I look forward to your updates! Great job and way to keep busy! Thanks for the shout out! :)

[Cynthia]

All great suggestions!! It's so important to be proactive when it comes to fueling your body.

[Mansi]

Thanks for the mention of my post! I loved reading this article, and totally agree with you on your views!:)

[Miss Suzy]

You had a bonk, huh? Poor baby. I taught Spinning for quite a while and was a cyclist before that, as well as a bike commuter. I know the bonk.

It's an icky feeling, but it beats diabetes and foot problems and knee replacements from obesity.

That was a nice post! I'm glad I found your blog.

[spindiva]

Everyone: Thank you for visiting and reading my ramblings, glad I can help, encourage, remind and keep myself accountable to doing what's right for my body and my family.

Miss Suzy: You hit the nail on the head. I don't let that happen often. I think that may be why some people dislike spinning, they use up all their energy in the first 20 minutes...hmmmm.

Anyway, I still cringe at the idea of my clients skipping breakfast so they could loose more weight...crazy mentality but all too common.

Thanks again.

[MizFit]

I know. how AMAZING is kevin!!

[Tamara]

I am a huge fan of a power smoothie as well. It's easy to transport in a thermos too. I've never put yogurt in my fruit and vegetable smoothies though. I'll try that.