Preparing to jog?

H

HealthyMission

New member
Please let me start by saying sorry if this is in the wrong category. I am trying to lose some belly fat and have been jogging on and off over the past year (some months less due to school). I like to head out to jog in the morning before it gets hot, but I am having problems figuring out what to eat to supply the energy needed during the jog, as well as the time I should wait before heading out after I have eaten. I am sensitive to caffeine products as they make me jittery and an upset stomach occurs later in the day. However, I am having problems finding the food needed to boost my energy for my jogs. What should I eat before I head out (eat to acquire the energy needed and lite on the stomach), and how long should I wait after eating before I head out?
 
Everyone's stomach is a bit different, so it can be a bit of trial and error to figure out what will agree with your stomach when you go for a run. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you eat, it could be the timing of when you eat. Do you go out for a run immediately after eating? Are you able to wait 20 or 30 minutes after eating before you run?
 
I try to eat 30-45 minutes prior to leaving the house. My biggest problem is trying to find that "magic" food that will give me energy, but doesn't weigh me down. For example, I have tried the following foods prior to running with the following results: -Peanut butter bread (1 slice of bread/2 tbsp of peanut butter - lack of energy and heavy stomach), or -MoJo bar (1/2 - 1 bar - lack of energy), or -Apple (1 medium/large red apple - heavy on the stomach), or -Banana (1 medium/large banana - lack of energy). I am not able to eat a large breakfast before running as it is too heavy during the run. I try to eat light before the run and usually try to eat an actually breakfast 30 minutes after my run. Does this seem like a reasonable routine for what I am trying to accomplish? I have recently picked up some Gatorade energy chews, but haven't had a chance to try them out before a run. Not sure if any of this information was helpful. Thank you for responding.
 
It sounds like your timing is alright for eating before and after your run. I guess a couple of follow-up questions would be:


1. How long do you run for and at what intensity?


2. How long have you been running for?


There could be a lot of reasons for the lack of energy - morning fatigue, dehydration, not in shape yet, etc.


If you can, try to have some complex carbs and some protein in your pre-run snack. Have you tried a hard-boiled egg or some scrambled egg/egg whites with 1/2 a piece of whole-grain toast? Or a small apple with 1 or 2 slices of cheese? Or a handful of veggies and some cottage cheese? You'll just have to keep trying until you find what works for you!
 
I am not an exercise physiologist nor a certified trainer, so I'm sure I don't need to tell you that consulting with someone learned (like our esteemed moderator who has already commented in this thread) can be of great benefit.


But one thing I know for a fact (from the super accurate science of quantum physics) is that jogging (or any other exercise) will provide limited positive results unless you feel good about it. Especially while doing it!


My recommendation (as both a "failed" jogger, not getting the results I was looking for, and a "successful" jogger, getting great results with much less actual jogging) is that you tell yourself the best feeling stories possible about jogging. While you're thinking about doing it, while you're preparing to do it, while you're doing it, and after you finish. And these should be stories you actually believe, rather than pie-in-the-sky, too-good-to-be-true stories.


Examples of bad feeling stories include things like, "I have to do this", "I have to work off all that food I ate", "This is painful", or "Whew! I'm glad that's over"


Examples of good feeling stories, conversely, include things like, "I get to do this", "This is a wonderful way to take great care of my physical body", "The pain I feel is temporary and will diminish over time", and "Oh, too bad, I'm done for today...I'm looking forward to the next time I get to do this again and experience the thrill of taking care of my body".


You may not truly believe good feeling stories like the ones listed above. At first. So tell yourself a believable version of them and keep improving them as you go.


I guarantee you that you will like the results!


Greg Kuhn
 
I would do it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning then eat an hour after. I would seriously consider doing interval sprints as opposed to jogs as they are better for conditioning, take less time and burn wayyyy more fat. Of course you must build up to it though.
 
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