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Should you eat before or after a workout

Should you eat before or after a workout

So you’ve made a decision to be more healthy and active in your everyday life! That’s marvelous, and the first and hardest step is actually making that choice and deciding to rule out all the unhealthy temptations and focusing on staying fit.

But you may not know quite how to go about it. Many questions arise when you are planning your weight loss routine. In this article, we will address one of these questions, the one that relates to timing of eating and exercising.

It is natural to be somewhat lost when it comes to figuring out your workout plan and what and when you should eat to maximize the results of your workout efforts.

To this end, researchers conducted an experiment on three groups of young men. One group exercised on an empty stomach and then ate a high-calorie and high-fat meal after the workout. The second group ate the same thing but before the workout. The third group ate the same food but did not work out at all.
Unsurprisingly, the third group gained weight. But what was surprising was that the second group also gained weight, albeit less than the third. Finally, there was virtually no weight gain in the first group.

These results may come as a shock to some, because we are always told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that to lose weight we should eat before exercising. But let us not forget the type of food that these subjects were given; they were put on a high-fat, high-calorie diet. But if you had a reasonable breakfast before working out, one that provides you with just the right amount of energy to boost your body, you could burn more calories.

The bottom line: two best solutions

Keep in mind that when it comes to weight loss, each person must find the routine that suits them best as there are many factors involved. It may take some time, and you may struggle at first, but eventually you will find what works for you.

Solution #1: If you choose to eat before working out in the morning, make sure you include food that is high in fiber and some proteins to go along with it.

Solution #2: If you choose to work out on an empty stomach, don’t forget to at least have some water to keep your body hydrated and to prevent fatigue, and certainly eat after exercising to replenish your body with carbs and protein.

Author Info

Dr Nagi Safa

Dr Nagi Safa is a Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeon (Weight-Loss Surgeon) at the Advanced BMI in Lebanon and at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, and holds an academic appointment at the University of Montreal. Furthermore, he is involved in the training of residents and surgical fellows on how to perform advanced laparoscopic obesity surgery. In 2010, he launched the Advanced Bariatric and Metabolic Institute (Advanced BMI) in Lebanon, and has been helping hundreds of patients from all over the Middle-East through his expertise in obesity surgery. Education: Dr Safa completed his residency training at the University of Montreal General Surgery Program. He then performed a fellowship in Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and Minimal Invasive Surgery (Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery), at the Sacred Heart Hospital of Montreal, which is the largest Weight Loss Surgery center in the Montreal area, and one of the busiest in Canada. Experience: During his training, and throughout his practice, Dr Safa performed more than one thousand laparoscopic procedures, including Roux en Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding, gastric plication and many other abdominal surgery procedures. He has a particular interest in LaparoscopicRevisional Surgery including banding, bypass and sleeve. With a keen interest in the advancement of obesity surgery and newer minimally invasive surgical techniques, Dr Safa gained experience in the single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), and offers Single Incision gastric banding and Sleeve Gastrectomy Surgery. Research: His current research interests include clinical outcomes from various bariatric surgery procedures and investigations on the impact of bariatric surgery on Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome X. Memberships: Dr Safa holds professional memberships with the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Canadian Association of Bariatric Physicians and Surgeons, Canadian Association of General Surgeons, Canadian Medical Association, Canadian Association for Surgical Oncology, Quebec Medical Association, Trauma Association of Canada, Association Quebecoise de Chirurgie, International College of Surgeon, and the College des Medecins du Quebec.
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