What to never consume before your workout

The one item you never want to add to your pre-workout meal or snack is fat. The fat will cause you to feel more lethargic, cause stomach pains, or that awful feeling of fullness. This explains why some people say they cannot eat before a workout because it makes them sick. It’s what you eat, not when you eat, that will either make you energized or drained.

What you don’t want to drink before you go to the gym is full fat milk unless you want to feel nauseous and throw up on the equipment. Other items to avoid are vitamins/pills, too much fiber, avocado, whole eggs (egg whites are fine), nuts, pancakes, donuts, anything fried, or high in fat. You want to have some low-fat protein and carbs with minimal fat for your pre-workout meal. Try to keep the percentage of fat no higher than 5%, but zero fat is preferred. My pre-workout meal of choice is a fruit smoothie with dairy-free protein powder. The liquids I use are tea, water, or on occasion, a cup of low-fat nut milk.

Now you can eat, feel great, and get that exercise session in with no problem. Okay, it may not make the workout EASY, but it should feel like less of a challenge.