Our Megaformer Challenge mentor Louise Williams wanted a career with purpose and reward. She loves helping people become the best version of themselves, and believes this is the best gift you can give someone.
She’s also a firm believer in making sure her clients are fueling themselves properly before and after workouts. Louise has given us some helpful hints on pre-workout and post-workout snacks to get you through Megaformer Challenge.
Hi Challengers
I recently asked my classes about their eating habits. I was surprised to discover a lot of people don't eat before they workout and leave it hours before refuelling after exercise.
How you fuel your body before and after a workout makes a huge difference to your results so I wanted to give you an easy-to-follow guide.
What to Eat Before Working Out
Feeling energised for a workout is important. Eating too close to exercising is a recipe for discomfort but heading to a class hungry isn't ideal either. What’s the optimum time to eat? I recommend a light meal at least two hours before working out, or a snack no earlier than 30 mins before. These meals should not be heavy, as you want to allow your body to focus on burning fat and building lean muscle rather than on digesting food. Meals and snacks should be a blend of protein and carbohydrates. Some ideas? Tuna salad or wrap, crackers with ricotta, legumes and hummus, or a boiled egg and cucumber. Stay away from fibrous foods, such as fruit and vegetables, and sugary drinks and coffee. These can cause dizziness, fatigue and a crash in your blood sugar levels, which means your workout will not be effective.
What to Eat Post Workout
What you eat after a workout is just as important as your pre-workout snack. If you don't refuel straight after your workout, your blood sugar levels will drop and you will feel light headed and likely grab something unhealthy. Post-workout snacks help your body regain energy, burn fat, grow and rebuild muscles which in turn improves metabolism. I recommend eating a snack 30 minutes after finishing a workout. My go-to post-work snack is a hard boiled egg, almonds and berries, or a protein ball. I follow my snack up with a meal 1-2 hours after finishing a workout. If a meal isn't possible, be sure to have snacks on hand that are low in sugar and high in protein.
Exercise and Nutrition Are Equally Important
Exercise and nutrition are both important aspects of overall health – they work better together than they do apart. If you want to get the most out of your sessions, plan how you are going to eat before and after your workout. Preparation is key! You will notice a difference in your performance, as well as your fitness results.
Have your Snack Guide handy
Don't forget our resident Nutritionist Kelley Sloan has created a handy Snack Guide in your weekly Megaformer Challenge Nutrition Pack. This is the perfect go-to guide during Megaformer Challenge.
