Using workouts as a justification to eat sweets can wreak havoc on your weight-loss plan. Diets usually strive to create caloric deficits in two ways -- by reducing the number of calories you eat and by increasing the number of calories you burn. Ingesting extra calories from sweets can negate any potential weight-loss effects of your exercise regimen while also potentially harming your health. Fuel your body properly to reap the rewards of your efforts.
Meals Before Workouts
Three or four hours before you work out, consume a low-fat, healthy meal that includes a lean protein source and complex carbohydrates, says the American Dietetic Association. Eat a small snack, such as a piece of fruit, directly before working out to help keep your energy levels up. Eating sugary sweets before workouts may cause an undesirable blood-sugar spike followed by a crash in energy levels, leaving you feeling more depleted, drained and hungry.
Fuel for Exercise
Unless you're working out for more than 60 minutes, water should suffice to keep you hydrated during exercise, says MayoClinic.com. Sports drinks containing electrolytes are more appropriate during longer or more intense bouts of exercise, as are sports gels and gummies. These products provide an advantage over consuming regular sweets, such as sugar-laden soft drinks, gummy candies or hard candies, as they typically offer a balance of simple and complex carbohydrates along with electrolytes.
After Working Out
Replenish your body within 30 minutes after a hard workout with a small, nutritious snack that contains a 3 or 4 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein to encourage optimal recovery, as described in the October 2008 issue of the "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition." Mayo Clinic's suggestions for healthy post-workout snacks include fruit with yogurt, string cheese and crackers, a meat or peanut butter sandwich and dried fruit with nuts.
Healthier Alternatives
Make your workouts count more by replacing potentially diet-busting sweets with healthier alternatives. Naturally sweet fresh or dried fruit is the best sweets replacement, providing you with fiber, antioxidants and other essential nutrients. Dark chocolate also provides an array of health benefits when eaten in moderation, as reported in the June 2011 issue of the journal "Antioxidants and Redox Signaling." Keep portion sizes small and calorie counts low for whatever sweets you include in your diet.
References
- American Dietetic Association: Eating Before Exercise
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition"; International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Nutrient Timing; C. Kerksick, et al.; October 2008
- MayoClinic.com; Eating and Exercise: 5 Tips to Maximize Your Workout; December 2010
- "Antioxidants and Redox Signaling"; Cocoa and Chocolate in Human Health and Disease; D.L. Katz, et al.; June 2011
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