Fitness Friday #30: So Like, what do you eat?

As a fitness instructor, I get asked this question all the time.

Let’s get real: I eat. I eat a lot. I workout a lot. I need to fuel my body. I’m super lucky to marry a man who not only loves to cook, but cooks well, and often has dinner ready for us when I’m finished with classes in the evening (true love). He gets it.

It’s important to understand food as it relates to the body – nutrients are needed to sustain life. You are what you eat. You become what you eat. Over time, I’ve learned to love food, and that I need it in order to fuel my body for the crazy workouts I love to do.

I haven’t always had a good relationship with food. I went through a period in my life where I restricted my diet and was the unhappiest person. Counting calories made me miserable. I told myself I couldn’t eat certain foods, and found myself craving only those things. Any weight I loss during that period was immediately gained when I ‘lifted the ban.’ And let’s not even talk about the muscle mass and bone density I probably lost as a result.You have to find the balance and options that work best for you (but don’t harm you).

Here are my five favorite post-morning-workout options:

1) Green Monster Smoothie. This is my go-to, the love of my fitness life. There’s nothing that feels as good as a green monster tastes after an intense workout. I count on fresh spinach from the garden, and from my Colchester Farm CSA!

2) Cheese. Like, cheese. I love it. It’s a protein so it keeps me fuller longer. And come on, it’s delicious. When I’m on my A-game, I have Sargento cheese sticks in stock. Otherwise, I just cut a few slices of cheddar or havarti right after a workout class.

(have you seen my super awesome string cheese cool pack? I got it as a swag item during a Healthy Living Summit)

3) Greek Yogurt. Again, with the protein. Keeps me from getting hangry. I’ll usually add some simple granola to it, because I love that crunch!

4) Banana. Classic. I love eating half before a class or before lifting, and the other half immediately when I finish a workout. The sugar and potassium keep me going.

5) Sweet bread or a muffin. I’ll admit it, I LOVE sweet things in the morning. Like, a blueberry muffin from Evergrain, or homemade zucchini bread. I much prefer something homemade (or made with love at a local bakery) vs. something purchased in a store. When I do have something sweet, I always have a mid-morning snack of one of the 4 above items, because sugar doesn’t keep you full very long. But boy does it taste nice.

These are my go-to goodies after a fitness class, usually in the morning. Every morning varies, based on the type of workout. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I’ve had a double morning workout, so breakfast usually becomes first breakfast and second breakfast. Banana is usually the first ‘breakfast’ in between workouts.

I’ve learned more about what I need to keep going after years of listening to my body. These post-morning workout eats work great for me, but they’re not necessarily for everyone. I strongly encourage keeping a food journal and recording things like workout type, intensity, refuel food, and how the food made you feel immediately, an hour later, and several hours later (good, sluggish, hungry, upset stomach, etc). This helped guide me to find the foods that work best for me!