Myth Buster

Scott Schwab
There is a myth that is currently in most of our minds. The myth is that if we eat before we workout, all we are really doing is burning off what we just ate. Though there is a connection to the caloric intake and what we burn, we should not be thinking in that way. Like a car, we are required to have fuel to run our body; like gasoline. Though gasoline helps to run a car, it is only part of the process. There are other fluids and oil needed to help a car run correctly. Our body needs food and especially water. The benefits to food and water are endless, but it has to be the right food and correct amounts of water. Health books and magazines would tell you that the correct amount of calories would be 2000 for a day. This is true, but we also have to look at a couple of things with that. Calories are one thing, but we should also pay attention to fat, sugars, and carbohydrates. If you are working out heavy, you should actually be around 2500 to 3000. I am always asked by guys wanting to put on weight, how they can do that and make it muscle. You would need to double the caloric intake and put a lot of fuel into your body. To lose weight is not the same figure. Sometimes people will try and cut the caloric intake down to 1500-1000. This is not safe and does not produce results in the long run. The reason why, is that generally if you are only trying to eat the bare minimum; you are starving yourself. You may not feel hungry all the time, but when you go for longer than 3 hours without food, your body starts to store fat and feed off muscle. The body prepares itself for long times without food and in a way starts to shut down your metabolism and other processes that actually help eliminate toxins and excess food. This is why, when you eat every couple of hours, you are doing more for your body than taking a nightly walk. Reason being is that you are letting your body stay balanced and on track. Gravity and consumption allow for a quickened metabolism and exit of foods that usually sit around for awhile. This is why it is important to pack a snack, not a snack pack. Vegetables are the best, but fruit will work too. The most important thing is that you are not indulging in high fat, high sugar, and processed crap. It has very little energy in the food, and because of the processed nature; will allow for more bloating and retention of water. That combination usually makes it difficult to get to the gym and be motivated to do anything. The key to having balance, is to eat small meals, spaced about every two hours. This way you are not stretching your stomach every 4-5 hours and increasing the amount that you can eat each meal. The body needs fuel and a jump start before a workout is highly recommended. So let your mind be at ease with eating a small amount before a workout. Do not have a huge meal, have fast food, or eat something sugary. As you progress through your workout and your body is breaking down your food, the more pure the food, the more energy produced for your body. The more energy produced for your body, the better the workout! It is a cycle that if you master, you will see the pounds melt off and satisfaction and consistency for your health go through the roof. So bottom line is to eat when you wake up and keep it consistently every 2 hours throughout the day. Remember that water consumption is essential as well and you should be looking at drinking half of your weight in ounces.