Does it matter what you eat and when?

The answer is absolutely yes!

I always knew this. As a nurse, trainer, and nutritionist, I KNEEEEEEEW this.

But it didn't mean I always looked after myself and did it.

I'm a work-a-holic and a work in progress.

I love coaching my clients in business and health and I ROLLED some days from call to call, training to trainings, teaching session to teaching session,

To the demands of the house, to I don't know what, but the point is,

Some days I didn't eat well.

I'd skip breakfast or roll through lunch, and then 6pm would hit and I was hungry, miserable, snapping at my family, and too exhausted to cook.

Sound familiar?

Maybe I picked this up working 12-16 hour shifts as a nurse in the ICU. Holding my pee the entire shift, never taking a break,

And re-heating meals to the point where they were no longer appetizing.

But no matter how you slice it, those kinds of patterns lead to disaster.

And it did for me.

I found myself 100lbs over weight, exhausted, stressed out, and not happy.

After I smartened up, ate whole foods, began cooking, sleeping, and exercising, I lost 60lbs.

But then I hit a plateau. Over a month of no fat or weight loss.

And I thought,

OH HELL NO.

I fought this hard for myself and to be a good role model to my family, so I wasn't stopping there.

And into my life came macros, timed nutrition, progression in my workouts, and eventually a fitness competition.

But when I look back at the most success I've had, the timed nutrition was really the needle mover.

Timed nutrition in it's simplest form is eating the right balance of macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) around your workouts,

And throughout the day,

To promote energy, fat loss, and muscle development.

It's what I prescribe for all of my Macros, Muscles and Mindfulness clients, AND

It's the basis of Beachbody's new program 80 Day Obsession is all about.

YES, YES, and YES. I wanted all of that and you should too.

So I got REALLLLY SERIOUS about eating.

And eating at the right times.

Not only is it bad to not eat all day, but when you sit down and eat a whole whack of food at once,

Even if it's 3 cups of salad, your body can't absorb all the nutrients in the food.

You gut can't digest protein or burn up carbs, all all of your blood goes to your gut instead of circulating where it should in your body.

Hence the post Thanksgiving meal CRASH.

Don't blame the turkey.

Are all carbs created equal?

The answer is NO.

So what exactly should timed nutrition look like and what kinds of carbs should we be eating?

First, you have to know your workout time and eat around that.

60-90 minutes before your workout, you should be eating a protein and a carb.

You could push the limits to 15-30 min if you have a Shakeology shake with a banana and won't puke,

But if you need the time to digest, take the full 90 min.

This is where you want to eat your fiber rich fruity carbs.

Enjoy berries, banana, apples, oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, pineapple or whatever fruit you enjoy.

Next, the 30 minutes after your workout is GOLDEN.

Your body wants to recharge itself so eat a piece of fruit, a veggie, a carb, and a protein.

That could be an omelet, a salad with protein, or a shake.

And here is where you want your starchy carbs.

Your muscles want it and your blood sugars want to stabilize.

So enjoy quinoa, sweet potato, oats, rice, squash.

You don't want to eat fats before or immediately after your workout because it will slow down your blood flow to your muscles.

Lastly, you want to eat 3 other small meals 1-2 hours apart

That have a balance of protein, carb, and fat. 

The carbs here you want are to be your fiber rich veggies like beans, peas, tomatoes, zucchini, celery, spinach or any green.

The kind of carbs you eat and the timing of your food DOES MATTER.

So set a plan.

I want this year to be the year you bust through plateaus, build lean muscle, and have the best booming energy one can have.

You are what you eat.

If you need help with a meal plan, workout ideas, or general wellness coaching, contact me at lisa@lisapezik.com or head to www.lisapezik.com