nutrition and exercise

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I workout for 60-120 minutes around 9am.
My workout consists of cardio with a bit of toning.
I am very confused as to what I should before and after the workout!
I am hoping to burn fat as well as increase my fitness levels.
Also, I would like to know if eating a banana a day would cause me to gain weight?
Thank you!

ANSWER: Before you workout eat something light and easy to digest- like a smoothie or eggs. Nothing with a lot of fiber, as that will slow down your digestion and divert energy to your digestive track instead of your muscles.

I would shorten your workout to an hour and work as hard as you can in that hour. At the hour and a half mark your body starts stealing glycogen from your brain and muscles and that is not a good thing. If you do interval cardio for an hour one day, then do strength training for 45 minutes the next day, you will see better results and save some time.

Right after your workout is the perfect time to get in any simple sugars you might crave during the day. If you love M&M's this is your moment! Within 20 minutes of your workout you want to eat a combination of complex carbs and protein. A turkey sandwich on wheat bread, apples and peanut butter, or brown rice and beans would work.

Adding 170 calories to your diet (about what a banana is) could cause weight gain, about 1 pound every 21 days. But I would bet that there is something else to cut out before you consider reducing your produce intake.

Hope this helps,
Lela Simon

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very for the helpful response...
I normally have a bowl of oatmeal before a workout but recently I have been feeling weak during a workout...Could you please explain the reason and some possible solutions?

Answer
There could be any number of reasons, and if you adjust and it continues, you should see a doctor.

One- oatmeal is very high in fiber and is diverting the energy from your muscles to your digestive system. This could cause some sluggishness.

Two, your workouts have been too long for your body to maintain intensity. Try shortening the work out and having egg whites or a yogurt or silken tofu smoothie for breakfast. A little fruit to sweeten the smoothie is okay- but don't put so much in that you end up with the fiber issue here as well.

Hope that clears it up.

Lela Simon

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