8 Signs You're Not Eating Enough Before Your Workout
Working out in the morning is one of the best ways to motivate yourself and reap the positive [...]
1. You often feel dizzy or lightheaded during your exercise routine.
Pushing yourself is okay, unless you start to feel overly affected by the strenuous nature of your workout. Feeling faint, lightheaded, dizzy, or otherwise out-of-sorts is never safe, especially when it comes to physical activity. In fact, it's probably your body's way of telling you that something's wrong. Be sure to give your body plenty of food before a workout so that you have enough power to safely complete your routine.
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2. Cardio makes you feel like vomiting.
Nausea during a workout make be a result of dehydration and other problems, but in many cases, it's actually a symptom of undereating. Your body needs plenty of electrolytes and fuel to get through a difficult cardio activity, so be sure to prep yourself with a substantial meal before hitting the treadmill or heading to an aerobics class.
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3. You feel like you're not seeing significant results.
If you're eating right and working out regularly, you should start to notice a difference in your weight and performance. However, if you aren't consuming enough food before exercising, these results might be extremely minimal or even nonexistent because your body is focusing too much on storing what little food you do ingest. Make sure that you're giving your body enough nutrients each day so that it doesn't enter starvation mode when you put it through intense physical activity.
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4. A regular workout leaves you feeling totally wiped.
Sure, it's not abnormal to feel tired after a large dose of exercises, but you shouldn't be overly fatigued during your workout. Afterward, you should be able to move on to the next part of your day without feeling drained or sleepy. If you do feel exhausted after every workout, it might be because your body is lacking the proper amount of nutrients, carbs, and fats to perform at its peak level.
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5. You stay sore for several days after one workout.
When you work out, your body might ache or feel tender during the following days as your muscles recover and become stronger. However, if you feel sore for longer than normal, it may be a result of low-fuel intake. Your body needs an abundance of protein when you're working out in order to help repair and build muscle, and depriving it of essential foods can leave you feeling like you got hit by a bus after an especially difficult workout.
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6. You're starving after every trip to the gym.
The more you work out, the more calories you will need to consume. It's normal to feel extra hungry on the days you're more active, but if you finish every workout feeling like you could scarf down an entire pizza by yourself, it's probably because you're not filling your stomach enough before engaging in physical activity. This can prevent you from losing weight and actually cause you to consume more calories than you really need to.
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7. You can't help but feel cranky after exercising.
Eating the proper amount of food helps your body in a lot of ways, including the production of hormones and the maintenance of your blood sugar levels. When those things get out of whack, you can become a really unpleasant person to be around. Feel like you sometimes snap at people as the day drags on? It might be because your body is simply low on nutrients and depleted after your workout.
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8. Your sleep schedule has been thrown off.
Working out is an excellent way to ensure that you fall asleep and stay asleep each night. However, if you're not fueling your body enough to handle your daily exercises, you may have trouble catching enough zzz's. Bodies that have low blood sugar levels, are lacking proper nutrients, and are dealing with sore muscles will have trouble resting soundly at night. To ensure that you get enough hours of sleep, add a bit more food to your diet, especially when you're engaging in lots of physical exercise.
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