What to eat before and after a workout to lose weight?

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2014-06-23

This question interests everyone trying to lose weight. Among those, approximately 70% are women and 30% are men, meaning about 50% of the population. Some believe that they should eat nothing at all, and the longer they don’t eat, the better. Others think they should only consume proteins, fearing that carbohydrates will make them gain weight. Both opinions are incorrect.

There is already an article on this topic – 5 principles of nutrition for weight loss. However, I will try to address this issue within the framework of this article.

What and When to Eat Before Training

Before training, it's advisable to eat about 2 hours prior. It can be slightly earlier or later, depending on the heaviness of the food. The general ratio of proteins to carbohydrates should be approximately 1:2. That is, one part protein and two parts carbohydrates.

Why is that? If you are trying to lose weight, your workouts (ideally) should be high-intensity and lengthy. This entails significant energy expenditure. A girl weighing 60 kg burns approximately 350 kcal during a 1.5-hour workout, which constitutes about 20% of her daily caloric expenditure. The primary source of energy is carbohydrates. Therefore, if you don’t fuel with carbohydrates before the workout, you may find it difficult to train. You might feel weak, lethargic, and unmotivated to work out.

So, what type of carbohydrates are needed? You need carbohydrates with a medium glycemic index, roughly between 40 and 70. Why is this important? If you consume carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, your blood sugar level will spike quickly. Since you haven't started your workout yet, some of that sugar will be stored as fat. Conversely, if you eat carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, they might not start being absorbed by the time you begin your workout, leaving your body without a source of energy.

In general, in this situation, it’s better to choose foods with a slightly lower glycemic index rather than slightly higher. It's better to err on the side of caution. Regarding fats – the less, the better.

A total caloric intake of around 400–500 kcal should suffice, depending on your weight and the number of meals consumed at once. Don't forget that although you'll burn about 350 kcal during your workout, you have 2 hours before it, which accounts for roughly another 150 kcal.

What and When to Eat After Training

So you've finished your workout. Should you wait? No. You need to eat immediately. Not necessarily at that exact second, but the sooner, the better. You've expended energy, and it needs to be replenished. However, some may argue, "Let the body draw energy from fat during this time!" The thing is, it’s not that simple.

The body cannot choose to draw energy from fat only after workouts. It either takes energy from fat 24/7 or stores it for later 24/7. The body cannot switch from catabolic processes to anabolic processes (and vice versa) in one hour. It's a rather lengthy process. Whether the body will draw from fat or not after training is influenced not by whether you’ve eaten but by your lifestyle and dietary habits cultivated over months and years.

If you live in a way that encourages your body to constantly store fat, and you suddenly decide not to eat after a workout, it will "wait" a bit and then start taking energy from your muscles, ignoring the fat. On the other hand, if your eating habits and lifestyle promote fat usage, it will continue to use fat even if you eat immediately after.

Moreover, if you ate 2 hours before your workout, roughly 4 hours have passed by now. For weight loss, it's ideal to eat approximately every 4 hours. Alright, back to the topic. Let’s return to proteins and carbohydrates.

So, you should aim for a 50/50 ratio of proteins and carbohydrates. There's a need for more protein than before the workout. This is because, after a workout, there's no immediate need for more carbohydrates (especially since many train in the evening). However, amino acids (protein) are essential for your muscles at this time. Therefore, that ratio is about right. You could even go for 60% protein and 40% carbohydrates.

Regarding the glycemic index – now you can consume foods with a high glycemic index (above 70). There will be "no harm" from this. Everything will go towards replenishing glycogen stores in your muscles. Of course, this is provided you don’t exceed 400–500 kcal (again, very approximate). For instance, 100 grams of protein in milk amounts to about 450 kcal.

As with pre-workout, aim to keep fat intake low. Not to say that it’s unnecessary; it is, of course. However, experience shows that it’s still impossible to eliminate fat from your diet entirely. So, just keep it to a minimum.