We are what we eat. Moreover, this rule is unchanged in any conditions. Even regular physical activity will not help you achieve your dream figure if you eat high-calorie, fatty and unhealthy foods before and after training.

To ensure that the energy you spend on sports is not wasted, it is important to improve your nutrition. First of all, those meals that occur immediately before and after classes are important.

What to eat before training to lose weight? How much time should pass between snacking and physical activity? What to eat after training to lose weight? The answers to these questions are in our article today.

Let’s make a reservation right away: you should never go hungry. Even if you think that this way you can lose more weight. During physical activity, the body's energy reserves are consumed very intensively, so they must be replenished before exercise. Both women and men can and should eat before training to lose weight, the main thing is the right food and at the right time. Let's figure out in order what to eat before training to lose weight, when exactly you need to eat and what foods you need to avoid.

What do you eat before training to lose weight?

The most ideal option is to eat carbohydrate foods before classes. It will provide maximum glycogen “fuel”, which means that the body will have enough strength for training. At the same time, he will take the rest of his energy from fats, which will begin to be actively broken down during exercise.

But from words to action, or rather, to specifics. So, what is the best thing to eat before training to lose weight:

• Light porridge - for example, buckwheat or oatmeal.
• Salads from vegetables and fruits (exclude grapes and bananas).
• Diet cookies, whole grain breads.

Such carbohydrates will not be deposited on your sides - on the contrary, they will make the body more resilient and prevent possible attacks of hunger during sports.

Now let's talk about squirrels. Protein foods, unlike carbohydrate foods, are not a source of energy for our body. But building new cells without it is impossible. After all, our main goal is not just to lose weight, but to gain a beautiful figure and tighten muscles. It is to fuel muscle mass that proteins are needed.

In no case should you replace carbohydrates with proteins in an effort to lose weight faster - the energy for exercise is drawn exclusively from carbohydrate-containing foods. But it is possible and even necessary to include a small portion of proteins in your meals. It can be:

• Dairy products.
• Omelette or boiled eggs.
• A serving of lean boiled or stewed meat.
• Some boiled or steamed fish.

An approximate “menu” before an intense workout looks something like this: a portion of protein food with a vegetable side dish, or whole grain bread with a piece of boiled meat and a leaf of lettuce, or a glass of kefir and fruit salad.

There is also a list of drinks and supplements that you can safely consume before your workout. These products include coffee, which increases the overall tone of the body. It is also recommended to use sports supplements containing L-carnitine or other fat-burning components before exercise. Such miracle elixirs enhance the effect of training and help you lose extra pounds faster.

When and how much?

The portion of food should be standard - the same as what you usually eat at this time of day. You need to eat no later than two hours before class.

Very light food (for example, if you choose kefir with fruit as a snack) can be eaten a little later - an hour and a half before training.

If the workout takes place in the morning, you are allowed to eat an apple, a little low-fat cottage cheese or a mug of green tea about 40 minutes before the start of classes.

What NOT to eat before training to lose weight?

We figured out what to eat before training to lose weight. What foods should never be consumed before classes? Of course, first of all it is fatty foods. Such food is digested very slowly and leaves the stomach reluctantly. And with a full belly, training, naturally, is unlikely to go well. You should also give up fast carbohydrates - cakes, pastries, cookies and other unhealthy treats.

What to eat after strength training to lose weight

We told you what you can eat before training to lose weight. But this is only half the battle. Equally important for losing weight is what food you put into your body after exercise. After all, no matter how intense the workout, if immediately after finishing you go to McDonald’s and celebrate your athletic achievements with a couple of Big Macs, you most likely will not see the effect of the exercises. Let's figure out what girls and guys who want to get in shape as quickly as possible can eat after a workout to lose weight.

Post-workout nutrition has its own distinctive features. The fact is that due to muscle contractions, cells are deformed - and this, in turn, impedes muscle activity and causes fatigue. In addition, glycogen is actively consumed during sports.

In order for physical activity to bring maximum benefit, so that muscle cells and glycogen reserves in the body are restored as quickly as possible, you must have a snack within the next 45 minutes after training. What is the best thing to eat after training for weight loss? Of course, carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index, as well as foods containing protein. A serving of food should contain 80% carbohydrates and 20% protein.

Why exactly 45 minutes? The fact is that it is during this time period, which is called the protein-carbohydrate window, that our muscles become more susceptible to insulin (it is under its action that glucose and amino acids appear in the muscles, which are obtained as a result of the breakdown of proteins). If you eat later than 45 minutes, the “window” will close, and the muscles will stop accepting insulin - which means that its recovery processes will slow down significantly, as will weight loss itself. Therefore, in order to lose weight, it is necessary to eat after training. Otherwise, classes will lose all meaning.

So, what should you eat after training to lose weight? We offer several snack options during the first 45 minutes after class:

• Whole grain bread with a slice of cheese.
• A handful of dried fruits and nuts.
• Low-fat yogurt with pieces of fruit.
• Fruit juice and a piece of cheese.
• Omelette with vegetables and a piece of thin pita bread.
• Cereals drenched in milk.
• Bread and boiled egg.
• A sandwich made from whole grain bread with a piece of meat (such as turkey or chicken).
• Crackers and low-fat cheese.
• The bar is energy or protein.

But you shouldn’t go to extremes and overeat immediately after training. The snack should be light. You can eat a hearty meal in about an hour and a half, not earlier.

Features of morning and evening workouts

What to eat after a morning workout to lose weight? Does the set of products depend on the time of classes? No - the list of permitted treats always remains the same. Another question is that in the case of evening training, eating a hearty meal one and a half to two hours after training is quite problematic. Therefore, in this case, you should simply eat light protein foods as quickly as possible (you should not get carried away with carbohydrates). The list of what to eat after a workout for weight loss in the evening includes low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, vegetable salad with olive oil.

What to eat after training in the evening to lose weight?

By the way, protein in the evening is “shown” in any case. This is what you can and should eat to lose weight after a workout, even if it took place during the day. A little protein eaten in the evening will increase the rate of muscle growth in the first couple of hours of sleep (this is when growth hormones are most active). Drink a glass of kefir an hour or two before bed, eat some cottage cheese - your figure will definitely thank you.

From this article you learned what to eat before training to lose weight for girls and guys who want to achieve results in the shortest possible time. And also, what is the best thing to eat after training in order to lose weight without wasting time in the gym. Good luck to you and new sporting achievements!