Food and working out

I am fans of many pages on Facebook and the C25K page linked up this article on Eating for Endurance.

What this article states is that when and what you are eating, or lack of eating can hinder your work out.

This got me curious, because some days I have more stamina and energy than others.

One quote struck me the most, "Some athletes consider food their reward at the end of the day; they save up their appetite for a huge feast at dinnertime."

I really don't consider myself an athlete, but I do think of food more of a reward than fuel. I don't save my appetite and I do eat when I should. However, what I chose to eat and how much I eat could hinder my work out performance. I eat less at certain meals like breakfast so I can eat more at dinner (reward for being good during the day). I work out after breakfast, so really may need to change my eating habits in the morning.

I never thought to think about my food as fuel for when I work out. I am more of a "make sure I eat something before" kind of person. What I should have been thinking is that I need to eat foods that will give me the stamina I need to work out and not feel winded over everything I do.

So now I am going to be a person that keeps this in mind, "Wiser athletes treat food as fuel; they knowledgeably fuel before, during and after exercise. They get more out of their workouts and prevent needless fatigue."

The one time I did not eat before working out I paid dearly.