Should You Eat Before Your Workouts? Let’s Talk About It

 

Hey sis!
Let’s settle this once and for all: Do you need to eat before a workout?

You’ve probably heard all kinds of answers, some people swear by fasted training, others won’t touch a dumbbell without a snack first. So what’s the truth?

I’m giving you real-world tips you can use starting today, plus snack ideas that are quick, effective, and easy to digest.

Bottom line? Fueling is personal, but there’s also a strategy behind it. And I’m walking you through both.

Want to feel better in your workouts and get the results you’re working for? This episode is your guide.

In today’s episode, we’re breaking it all down based on your schedule, your goals, and your body. I walk you through:

  • When fasted workouts are fine—and when they might backfire

  • What to eat before training (without needing a full meal)

  • Why afternoon and evening workouts require fuel

  • What happens when you under-eat before a lift (and how to fix it)

  • And how to simplify your approach so your body feels strong and steady—without overthinking it

🎧 If this topic hits home, you’ll definitely want to listen to Episode 554: Why Understanding These 2 Types of Hunger Can Change Everything

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

00:00 -

Hey, hey, beautiful human, Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly bonus episode of Embrace your Real with me, julie Ledbetter. I'm about to give you a quick tip for building your confidence, honoring your body and unconditionally loving your authentic self. Stay tuned If you're ready to embrace your real, let's get it. Let's go Hello and welcome back to Embrace your Real.

00:36

Today, we're going to be tackling a question that I get all the time, and that is should I eat before my workout? And if you've ever felt confused or heard conflicting advice on this one, you are definitely not alone. Some people swear by fasted workouts, others say that you have to eat something before lifting or training. So what is actually true? Well, like with most things, the answer is it depends. So in this episode, I'm going to be breaking down into two categories, and that's morning workouts and afternoon or evening workouts, and so I'm going to walk you through what I personally do, what the science says and how to make the best choice for you and your goals. But before we dive in, I want to share this review. It comes from SS6590. She says exactly what I needed. Wow.

01:16

Listening to this podcast has been one of my favorite morning routines. Julie gets it, and hearing her explain things leaves me nodding in agreement. Such little things she spins into an inspiring way that leaves me motivated and ready to take on the day. I think that my favorite thing about this podcast is how relatable and real Julie makes it. She is not trying to get you to be perfect, but embrace your real, as the title suggests. I highly recommend this podcast. I love this so much. Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to send in this review. It really does mean the world to me and our team Just kind of know how this podcast, in general or specific episode, is helping you. So if you could scooch over to Apple Podcasts and leave a rating interview, that would mean the absolute world to me and our team.

01:56

All right, let's get into it. Okay. So morning workouts should you eat first thing? So if you're someone who loves to get your workout in first thing in the morning, whether that's before the babies wake up, before your kids wake up, before the house in general wakes up, or just in the morning time, you've probably wondered like should I be eating before I train, and the answer is that it depends on you. Here's the deal. You do not need to force yourself to eat if you are genuinely not hungry. There's nothing magical about eating before your workout if you feel strong, energized and focused going into your session. That said, though, you also don't need to push through a fasted workout just because you've heard that it burns more fat, because spoiler alert, that's a myth. What actually matters for fat loss, performance and body compositional change is your overall energy balance and nutrient timing across the full day, not just what you did or didn't eat at 5 am or 6 am.

02:49

In fact, fasted workouts can backfire for some women. If you wake up hungry, if you notice that your energy crashes mid-workout, or if your strength feels lower than usual, that might be a sign that your body needs fuel before you train, and ignoring that it can compromise your performance, slow your recovery and even increase that muscle breakdown, which is not the vibe. Here's what I recommend. Instead, though, check in with your body. If you feel great, fasted, you're having good energy, your workouts are solid, amazing. Stick with that. However, on the flip side, if you're hungry when you wake up, or your workouts feel sluggish or weaker than normal, try eating something small and easy to digest. You don't need a full meal, something like half a banana with peanut butter or a small protein shake, maybe some Greek yogurt with a rice cake or a couple of hard-boiled eggs. This little bit of fuel can go a long way in helping you feel stronger and really get more out of your session, especially if your workouts involve lifting or HIIT, which is high, intense interval training anything strength-based where your energy and performance matter.

03:51

Personally, some mornings I lift fasted. However, I will say, being especially postpartum and still breastfeeding, that is definitely not my vibe at all. So I tend to oftentimes grab like a quick snack, especially if I am working out before Blake wakes up. But it really is dependent on how I feel and what kind of workout I'm doing. Again, there's no one right way. You get to tune into your body and decide what feels best for you. So the next time that you're debating whether or not to eat before your early morning sweat sesh, just remember that it's not about the rule, it's really about the results. So if you feel good, train strong and you're recovering well, that's what matters most.

04:30

Okay, so what about that afternoon or the evening workouts. Let's dive into that All right. So when we're talking about afternoon or evening workouts, this one is a little more straightforward than early mornings. If you're someone who trains later in the day let's say after work or after the kids are settled or after you have powered through a whole full schedule you need to eat something beforehand. This isn't optional. This is about supporting your body so that it can actually show up for you.

04:56

And here's what I see happen all the time. You've had lunch around noon, then your day got busy. Maybe you had some coffee at three, maybe you grabbed a protein bar, maybe nothing at all, and now it's five, six or 7 pm and you're walking into a workout completely under fueled. So if you've ever felt sluggish during your workout, or dizzy or lightheaded mid set, or even irritable or impatient while you're training, or possibly like your strength and focus aren't there, that's probably not because you're under-motivated. It's probably because your body didn't have enough fuel to perform. In fact, I think most people confuse lack of motivation with lack of fuel, and most of the time, if you just ate something, you would be more motivated to get your workout done. So remember that your muscles run on carbs and protein and if you wanna feel strong, energized and confident in your workout, fueling beforehand is key.

05:49

And I'm not talking about a full sit-down dinner, if that's not your vibe. I'm talking about a quick, easy, balanced snack, you know, one to two hours or 30 minutes to an hour before you train. The goal is a little bit of carbs to give you energy and a little bit of protein to support that muscle performance and recovery. So some realistic grab and go ideas a protein shake, banana spoonful of peanut butter. You could have some rice cake or deli chicken slices turkey or deli chicken slices, some Greek yogurt, nuts or berries, maybe some oatmeal with a scoop of protein or egg whites mixed in a slice of whole grain or sourdough toast with some avocados or some peanut butter. Maybe a boiled egg, cottage cheese with fruit, a handful of pretzels, some hard-boiled eggs with apple slices or a clean protein bar, a handful of grapes. You don't need anything fancy, just a solid like 150 to 300 calories of intentional fuel that helps you train stronger, recover better and get more out of your workouts.

06:50

And here's the thing under fueling your evening workouts is one of the most common mistakes that I see women make. You deserve to feel good in your training. You deserve to have energy. You deserve to walk away from your workout feeling strong, not depleted. So please do not skip this. Eat something, fuel your body. The bottom line here is that you don't have to eat before a workout just because someone told you to, but you also don't need to suffer through a workout on an empty stomach. If you're hungry, let your body guide you. If it's a morning session, check in with your hunger cues. If it's an afternoon or evening session, just make sure that you've had something at least, at the very least in the few hours leading up to your workout.

07:29

Fueling your body well isn't about rules. It's about support. You deserve to feel strong, energized and steady in your workouts. And here's one more reminder that's really important to understand At the end of the day, what matters most is not the exact timing of what you eat. It's what you eat over the course of the entire day. So you could have the most perfectly timed pre-workout snack in the world, but if you're not hitting your macros consistently, it's not going to move the needle. Results don't come from timing, they come from consistency. Let me say that again Results don't come from timing, they come from consistency.

08:04

So, instead of stressing over the clock, focus on your overall intake. Prioritize that protein, fuel your body throughout the day and aim to hit your macro goals as consistently as possible. That's what actually supports your strength, your energy and your body composition goals. And if you don't know how to do that, or if macros feels very overwhelming or like a whole other language, I want to invite you into my Macro Academy Simple Online Academy. This isn't just another course that gives you a ton of information and leaves you to figure it out on your own. This is a full-on academy that walks you through how to calculate, adjust and confidently track your macros, based on your unique body, your lifestyle and your goals.

08:45

So, whether you want to build muscle, you want to lose fat, you want to increase energy or just feel more in control of your nutrition, this academy gives you the tools to do that in a sustainable, non-restrictive way. You'll learn how to eat foods that you actually love, how to navigate social events, how to plan ahead and how to stop second guessing your choices. I created this because I needed something like this years ago, and now it has personally helped thousands of women ditch the food guilt and finally understand their nutrition and see real progress that lasts. So if you're ready to take the guesswork out of nutrition and start fueling your body in a way that supports your goals, I want you to check out my Macro Counting Made Simple Online Academy. I will link it in the show notes, or you can simply just go to MacroCountingMadeSimplecom. Again, that's MacroCountingmadesimplecom. Again, that's macrocountingmadesimplecom. And if you love this episode, I know you'll also love episode 554, why understanding these two types of hunger can change everything. I will go ahead and link that in the show notes below so that you can easily go check that out.

09:43

But that is all that I have for today's episode. I hope that you enjoyed this one and I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A Ledbetter yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me, it means the absolute world, and I'm going to leave you with one last thought the most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. So go out there and embrace your real, because you're worth it.

 
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