Meal timing: When you eat may be sabotaging your workouts

The majority of people who exercise are doing so to lose weight or to maintain where they are. If you are trying to lose weight, you might find that even though you are watching what you eat, you still are not losing weight. While there may be some underlying issues that need to be uncovered, the bigger contributor to your resistance to exercise-induced weight loss is likely your meal timing.

A difference in meal timing may also explain how two people who eat more or less the same thing and one loses weight while the other does not. To understand how meal timing is critical to weight loss, it is important to understand how the body uses energy for exercise. In an effort to simplify, here are the basic steps:

1. You start exercise and your body looks for fuel to use.
2. If you HAVE NOT eaten in four hours or more, your body will likely do its best to use locally available fuel, and part of that will be your body fat.
3. If you HAVE eaten in the last four hours, your body will likely be able to use the food you ate for energy and NOT use your body fat stores. Why? Because the fat and carbohydrate from your last meal has been broken down and is ready to use. The energy stored in your body is bound up and requires more work to be used, including your bodyfat.
4. If there is any food-energy left over from your meal after your body uses it for energy, whatever is left over will end up being stored as body fat.

The reality is that most people eat within 4 hours of exercising, thereby sabotaging their desire to burn body fat from exercise. So what are the best strategies for how and when to eat to maximize your exercise-induced weight loss?

1. The best time to work out is early in the morning, after you wake up and before you eat breakfast. The reason is that you have been on a 6-8 hour fast (you were sleeping), and your body is deprived of food energy, so when you exercise you have few choices but to break down body fat. As soon as you cool down from your workout, consume a healthy breakfast within two hours or less, and if possible within 45 minutes.
2. If you workout at lunch or later in the day, try to avoid eating for four or more hours before your workout. Once you start working out, your energy will increase because you will be breaking down stored energy instead of food.
3. If you exercise for less than one hour, you should be able to do so with only water. Avoid sports drinks and juice as these will provide you with energy and prevent body fat utilization.
4. All your meals should be healthy and nutritious (plant-based if possible), avoiding processed foods if possible.

Be aware that the strategies for fueling for performance are quite different than those listed above. Some of these recommendations may not be suitable for everyone, especially those with dysglycemia (high or low blood sugar), so be smart, keep your blood sugar balanced and fueled enough to work out and stay healthy. If you have any doubts or are just starting out with exercise, consider having your doctor clear you before starting. By following some or all of the strategies outlined here, you will make the most of your workouts every time.