I am curious if any of you can help me or know where I can get an answer to this question. I go to the gym in the morning right after my daughter gets on the bus at 9 am and when i get home i have my breakfast but on the show they are eating before working out and when i do that i get a mad stomach ache after , so is it better to work out before or after and if before how long after you eat should you go work out?
also how do i figure out how many calories i need to eat to loose weight?

Thank You

There are so many opinions on what/how/when to eat prior/after to working out.

For every approach, someone can prove or disprove it. I would suggest you find out how your body responds and then take that route.

One approach.. simple carbs - a piece of fruit 30 minutes prior to working out and then complex carbs after.

Personally I eat 1 hour before working out and then complex carbs afterwards. I also consume some form of protein within 30 minutes after I finish. Usually a protein shot by a company called IDS. It isn't a "shot" but liquid protein that is low in calories. I also use Labrada products for protein meal replacements.

It would take tons of typing to explain different approaches... research it on the net and you can find some great info. Again, listen to your body.. it will always know what is best.

I'm curious, what do you eat for breakfast? Maybe you could change what you are eating?

Assuming you want to lose weight - Regarding calories - best bet is to start a food diary first to find out your daily consumption. After a week you will have a good idea of how to establish your daily calories. Never allow your calorie consumption to go lower than 1200 a day, which is too low in my opinion.

Well, Try to eat an hour or two before you exercise because your body has to take time to digest your food. Your body needs it's muscles for the digestion process, so if they are being used for exercising then there will be no digestion which results in a stomach ache.
If you want to find out how many calories to eat to lose weight, get your metabolism measured and they go a little lower than your matabolic rate.

Everyone is different. I can't exercise with any food in my stomach at all. Even a light snack, like a granola bar or hand full of nuts, must be eaten >2 hrs before strenuous exercise, or I risk stomach cramps and nausea. My kids, on the other hand, don't have any problem eating a full meal within 30 minutes of starting to exercise.

when i eat it is usually a bowl of shredded wheat cereal and a 1/2 of grapefruit or a protein shake and 1/2 of grapefruit , but last time I tried eating 2 hours before and ended up with a bad stomach ache and had to stop the work out , yes I am trying to loose weight.

Hi, NYG_girl.

I wouldn't worry too much about when to eat in relation to work-outs. Just listen to your body and it will tell you if you are doing something wrong. [I assume you are not a diabetic.]

NutritionData.com has a "caloric needs" calculator that can help you figure out how many calories to eat in order to lose weight.

-Steve Parker, M.D.
author of The Advanced Mediterranean Diet