We are excited to share this special guest post from Rebecca the Dietitian! We recognize how much the way you fuel your body influences your exercise results, and are excited to be able to bring you Rebecca’s sound eating advice to help you optimize your health, enjoy eating and get the most out of your workouts. We hope you will check out her post below and look forward to learning more from her. If you are in need of more guidance when it comes to nutrition, her comprehensive course, “Nourished & Fit” teaches you everything you need to know in order to lose weight, increase your energy, and balance your hormones (while enjoying delicious food of course)! Along with the course you will be invited to monthly group calls and a private Facebook community of amazing, supportive women. Please check out this link here to learn more (be sure to use the code ‘JSTV’ for a 30% discount).

 

As friends, fans, and followers of the amazing Jessica Smith and her fabulous workouts, we are all doing our best to stay strong, fit, and healthy. While Jessica guides our exercise with the most up to date science-based activities, it is very important to fuel our bodies so that we can get the best possible results.

 

There’s a lot going on when it comes to feeding yourself to optimize your workouts.  

 

First, you want to be sure to give your body the proper fuel for the workout.  One way to figure out what to eat is by the length and intensity of your planned exercise.  

 

MODERATE INTENSITY (30-Minutes or Less)

For a short and easy workout (less than 20-30 minutes at a light to medium intensity), you don’t really need to worry much about eating specific foods before or after.  Just eat what feels good and enjoy your routine.

 

HIGH INTENSITY (30-Minutes or More)

When your workout gets more intense, like high intensity interval training, or longer than 30 minutes, you will need some fuel to allow your body to keep up.  If you are able to eat 1-2 hours before your workout, go for some high fiber complex carbohydrates like fruits, veggies, beans, and/or whole grains combined with fat and protein like peanut butter or egg to give you a slow release of energy for hours. If you are eating within an hour of your workout you may want to choose a light, easily digested carbohydrate like a banana or a smoothie.

 

VERY HIGH INTENSITY AND/OR LONG DURATION (60 Minutes Plus)

If you are working out for over an hour and/or at a very high intensity, you may need to supplement some quick energy during the workout.  A great example of this is when marathon training, the athletes may need to consume a quick energy supplement like a bar or drink during their run.

 

After an intense workout you can replenish your energy stores by consuming another complex carbohydrate option combined with fat and protein.  Don’t stress about amounts- listen to your body and eat what feels right.  

 

WHAT ABOUT STRENGTH TRAINING — DO WE NEED EXTRA PROTEIN?

We used to think that you had to eat protein within 30-60 minutes of a workout to get optimal muscle gain, but lately the science has shifted to show that as long as you’re eating enough protein throughout the day your body should be able to optimize muscle growth.  A good baseline goal for protein intake is to consume half of your body weight in grams of protein per day.  For example, a 160 pound woman could shoot for 80 grams of protein on average.

 

For most of us who are doing Jessica’s workouts, focusing on regular intake of whole foods and listening to our hunger signals will be perfect to keep us strong and healthy.  Notice which meals and snacks help you feel your best before, during and after workouts and adjust as needed to get your own personal best results.

 

If you would like extra-special support in shifting your nutrition to get optimal results this year, I would be so honored to work with you. I have put together a fun and super-comprehensive course that teaches you everything you need to know in order to lose weight, increase your energy, and balance your hormones (while enjoying delicious food of course)! Along with the course you will be invited to monthly group calls and a private Facebook community of amazing, supportive women.  Please check out this link for a special price only for the Jessica Smith community. 

 

MORE HELPFUL POSTS FROM REBECCA:

TOP 4 NUTRITION SHIFTS THIS YEAR FOR A STRONGER, HEALTHIER BODY

3 WAYS TO CURB EMOTIONAL EATING

TOP 3 NUTRITION MYTHS YOU STILL BELIEVE THAT ARE KEEPING THE SCALE STUCK

3 REASONS TO STOP LABELING FOOD AS ‘GOOD’ OR ‘BAD’

3 REASONS DIETING IS SLOWING YOUR WEIGHT LOSS

3 WAYS STRESS CAN IMPACT YOUR WEIGHT (AND HOW TO DEAL)