hi margaret,joy,

i've read both of your postings with interest as well... and i'm also was searching.. wondering back then of what should i do with regards to pre and post exercise. i was pretty much a sedentary guy before, and when i started to be active - always looking for ways to 'enhanced' my new lifestyle.

yup, tried this and that, but frankly, if you're on ultrametabolism way of life, you're already very well off..and don't worry about the nutrition of pre/post workouts. You know doc hyman always said to consume a well-balanced diet at every meals.. with lean protein, carbs, and fat.. with nuts, seeds, soy etc. Through my own ultrametabolism journey, the diet is more than sufficient.. i saw the difference on my body! --losing fat, dropping pant sizes, and growing muscles!

one thing i notice, if i were to be lazy (skipping on exercises - but still on eating right), the scale seems not moving much..or very slow.. but when i maintain a consistent routine of exercises.. my pant feels loose faster - now i'm maintaining at about 1kg per week or so, while more muscles seems to appears in places i've never even seen them before!

i've lost 40kg, and been changing pant sizes every few months (started at 56", now at 40") so far. I sure feels great, stronger, and healthier now..

Sher.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

Pre workout:

For me it depends what time of day I'm working out etc.  Just based on my own experience if you are doing a workout of either weights or cardio, to make sure you get the most intensity and don't run out of gas half way through you must be very very well hydrated BEFORE you go into the gym.  So normally I'm drinking a lot of water at least for the 2 hours before I hit the gym, then maintaining water intake through it and after.  At a guess I'd say I'm having 1 -> 1.5 L before hitting the gym.  Afterwards hunger is almost certainly thirst, so remember that, fluids first, then food..  Depending on 'what I'm doing I may add some real fruit juice to the water as well - this is very similar to a lot of "sports drinks" you see.

If you exercise mid-morning, then a regular UM breakfast is great in carbohydrates / fruit will help give you the energy you need to get through your workout. A bowl of oatmeal/grain, wholegrain toast and fruit are good for me. If you exercise just before lunch, you may want to try eating a light snack before working out (banana or other fruit). 

People who work out later in the afternoon probably do not have to eat anything before a workout provided they have eaten a well-balanced lunch and breakfast and snack.  Exercise close to dinner, a light snack again is good an hour before. When exercising after dinner, just make sure to wait some time depending on the size of your meal and you're meal should be mainly protein/carbs, not fat.

For me, the best food I've found that also doesn't upset my stomach while running or weights or circuits are raisans/banana's/apples (organic of course), a banana 1 hour before a workout will give you that boost, combined with the UM diet I have been able to up my intensity in the gym, for me this has been the best part of the UM program.  For early morning workouts I have a banana as soon as I get up, making sure I had my water before going to bed, you're always dehydrated in the morning, but if running etc before breakfast you need something and fluids as soon as you get up.

Post Workout:

Generally fresh organic juice diluted with lots of water, you have to replace fluids first (within 15 mins recommended), and then a carbohydrate/protein-rich lunch (such as a turkey sandwich with some nuts or something else UM friendly) that will restore your body and give it essential nutrients when you need it (straight after the workout).  UM is good as you always have a balance at each meal - carbs are essential for glycogen replacement (fuels your muscles), protein for muscle repair / growth (has amino acids).  If you can't eat within say 90 mins of working out then having a sports drink with a 4:1 carb/protein ratio is better than having just water/carbs, but this would be exceptional - prepare food before you go if necessary.

Other:

Any foods with a lot of fat can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time pulling blood into the stomach to aid digestion which can cause nausea.

The above has taken me a while to figure out over the years of going to the gym.  Í personally have never used protein bars/shakes/isotonic drinks or energy gels - unless you are doing some serious weight training or marathon training I just don't think the "average Joe" needs the extra calories or expense.  If I say so myself, I'm doing ok without using them - if you are working out to loose weight or tone up then I think they are counter productive, and I'm sure Dr Hymen wouldn't approve.

You'll also figure what time of day your body like to work out, for me 11am->2pm is great, followed by later on in the day, but early mornings I just do not seem to be so good at.

Hope this helps, at the end of the day you need to experiment a little bit to see what water intake/snacks/lunches work for you.

This is not really UM related, so yes you're fine.  You must make sure that you have a good UM breakfast immediately after working on (not shower/travel to work then have breakfast) because almost certainly your body will go into starvation mode (no food all night, big workout . . .) - read the Sumo Wrestler chapter to get the Docs view on it.