Feeding The Fit Body
(as featured in the July 2006 Motivating Minutes Newsletter)
Nutrition and exercise go hand in hand in achieving our health and fitness goals. Here are some tips that will give you the motivation to eat well and achieve your goals.
Please use the following principles as a BASIC guideline for nutritional needs. If you should need more specific and individualized nutritional advice, please consider our upcoming Resolution Solution program or MasterMeals program special . 'What should I eat before a class?' Actually, you should not eat less than 1 hour before a cardio class. In fact, you should not eat at least 2 hours before a moderate to high intensity/impact class such as BODYSTEP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYJAM, RPM & BODYATTACK. If you are tired or feel no energy before class, don't necessarily reach for a quick snack; go for a sports drink like Gatorade or Vitamin water just before and during class.
'So, what should I eat 2 hours before a class?'
We recommend that you choose low fat, moderate fiber & protein items, because fat, fiber, and protein at high levels can slow down stomach emptying and digestion. Here are some good samples of the above:
- pasta, noodles, or rice-based meals
- skim milk smoothie with fruit
- natural yogurt with fresh fruit salad
- grain bread sandwich with lean protein
- sushi/japanese rice
- rolled oats as muesli or oatmeal
Recovery after class is just as important as 'fueling up' before class. What you eat depends on several factors:
- the longer the exercise session, the more you need to plan adequate recovery.
- the more intense the exercise, the more recovery and replenishment of nutrients you need.
Different types of exercise create different needs:
- after BODYSTEP, BODYCOMBAT, BODYJAM, RPM & BODYATTACK,focus on replenishment of glycogen stores.(carbohydrates).
- after BODYPUMP, you need amino acids for your muscles to support repair and strengthening.(proteins)
Your goal to replenish your glycogen stores is most successful in the 2 hour post-exercise 'window'. Try to eat within this time frame for optimal results.
FACTORS THAT MAY HINDER PROGRESS TOWARD YOUR GOALS
- 'Workout Reward Syndrome' - try not to replace the energy expensed in your exercise session with food. Taking 2 classes instead of 1 doesn't necessarily earn you a right to that piece of chocolate cake! If your goal is to lose weight, you won't do it this way.
- Battling Low Energy Levels with Food- the problem may not be the lack of food but rather overtraining - and possibly inadequate recovery time.
- Energy Density of Food - this is MOST IMPORTANT when it comes to losing body fat! High energy density foods (low carb/high protein diet) are not the best. Stick to fresh, natural foods. Learn to read food labels.
- Drinks - Are you using sports drinks when you work out? Do you frequently have fruit juice and sodas? What about coffee with whole milk or half-n-half and sugar?
These drinks have significant amounts of energy, but their fill-factor is poor. In other words, they give you calories without filling you up in the way that food does. The only circumstance that would warrant a sports drink such as Gatorade includes those members who come in more than one time per day doing higher intensity activities in both bouts - something we do not recommend on a regular basis. - Alcohol - alcohol contains almost as many calories per gram as fat. Also, alcohol and your system helps you store body fat more readily. Everything in moderation!
- Hunger and Bingeing - if you are experiencing ravenous hunger after strenuous exercise, especially at night, then you haven't eaten the right foods, or enough food during the day. Recognize that your body does need more food if you workout more often and at higher intensities.
Overdoing the wrong carbs - if you can't shift the excess body fat and are always craving carbs, then you may be choosing the wrong ones. Carbohydrates such as white breads, most cereals, white rice, commercial snack products, soda, corn, ice cream potatoes, whole wheat or white flour, bagels, candies and pastries lead to large fluctuations in blood glucose which in turn leads to overeating. This demands more insulin to push glucose out of the blood into tissue cells. With more insulin, your body can't burn fat as well, and so fat storage in more likely. Switch to slow-burning carbs such as fruit smoothies, mult-grain breads, pumpernickel bread, rye bread, Special K cereal, non-fat yogurt, fruits, barley, milk, brown rice, beans (black, kidney,lima), lentils, peanuts, green peas, most fruit juices, tomato soup.
Combating Fatigue
You may be experiencing fatigue, which in turn causes you to feel as if you should eat to give you energy. That may not be the solution, so consider the following potential culprits:
- Low Iron Levels - women and vegetarians are especially vulnerable. Red meat provides the most readily available source of iron. You should eat 3-4 red meat meals per week, if possible. If you don't eat meat, a source of vitamin c will assist wIth iron absorption.
- Inadequate Carbs - training hard on low glycogen stores is exhausting. If the body is shutting down between workouts, increase carbs.
- Overtraining - no amount of good nutrition will compensate for overtraining. Re-evaluate your schedule and ensure that you have enough recovery time between workouts. Always have at least 1 day of rest each week.