Secrets to workout success: Bob Harper on how to fuel your body

My favorite pre-workout snack is Laughing Cow's French Onion cheese with 6 salteen crackers!

And furthermore, does anyone else realize that the whole concept of a "snack" doesn't exist outside the borders of the U.S.??

SO SLY,
thanks for all the great snack ideas. And bacon isnt really all that bad considering that when you cook it, it leaves a bunch of fat in the pan and what you get is mostly the meat, but portion control is key.

Every bodybuilder and trainer I've ever known has always told me to do my cardio first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, because your body will be more efficient at burning the stored energy (fat) at that time. They also tell me to wait half hour after that cardio burn to eat.

This is not a secret or new. This has been written in the Zone diet almost 15 years ago. "Enter the Zone" sold over a million copies.

It's also in Muscle & Fitness magazine every month for the last 3 years ... I know ... my boyfriend keeps telling me about it.

WOW 'SO SLY' what a great list of snacks, except the bacon, did you throw that in to see who was paying attention?

And by the way, does anyone doubt the Bible after looking at Shannon Tweed? Does Darwinian evolution hold an ounce of credibility after looking at Shannon Tweed? They (THEY) are lying to you. You ruin your workout by not eating before it? Eat a meal even two hours before a workout, and the blood is still in the digestive functions. Please. Stop believing this article and all the other nonsense. Shannon Tweed proves that they've been lying to you all along. Crackle. Milk will come from her body if she has a baby. This is not comprehensible. They've been lying to you all along. The opposite of the obvious truth is the order of the day. This article actually says that, hey, ho, dodge, parry, thrust, ha, ho, you got'cher shoes and your sweatbands and your water bottle, and your psyched, but, oh no! You ruined it! You ate breakfast at 6:30 A.M., and now it's early afternoon! You blew it! You haven't eaten since then. Please. Oh, no, no, pleaze. Pleaze! Do not pass go; do not collect $200.00.

4 rice crackers with avocado and cilantro hummus.

I noticed your article said,"Having a small, healthy pre-workout snack." Having a snack that 'has' health, or is healthy, may or may not be good, but having a 'healthful" snack, or one that promotes health, will certainly be good for you. Please, if you want us to take your articles seriously find out the difference between the two.

a bar of chocolate

this dude doesn't know WHAT he's talking about - you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that it takes the body several hours to digest food - food isn't burned directly during a workout like gasoline in a car - it must be converted through digestion before it can be used - so if you eat before a workout all your doing is pulling blood away from your muscles - which is what a workout is intended to do in the first place, and directing it towards digestion

this is completely non-sensical - also, if your intention is to burn fat and get lean how can you do that if the body is using what you just ate for "fuel"

and if you doubt me take a good look at my picture - I probably old enough to be this guys father

I don't know who Bob has been dealing with, however, it sounds like he has never had to deal with sluggish metabolisms or people with carbohydrate allergies. Having lost 60 pounds in the last year, and the worst possible thing I could do would be to eat prior to exercise. Not only does eating anything before exercise kill all my energy to move, it makes me nauseous and lathargic. My best workouts are early in the morning when I haven't eaten for 12 hours. Water on the other hand, sipped throughout my run works well to build stamina and prevent dehydration and keep me going.

A Pink Lady apple works for me. My favorite apple, and yes, drink water.

banana
hot cup of milk with ovaltine/horlix

My go-to snacks are:

* handful of pistachios or walnuts

* low-fat string cheese

* spinach with Greek dressing

* Greek yogurt

* low carb tortilla with a roasted green chile, garlic salt and a dollop of sour cream

* berries and whipped cream

* Canadian bacon

* Muenster cheese

* boiled farm eggs (because they're natural and healthy)

* sliced kiwi

* red grapes

* whole wheat toast with almond butter

* whole grain crackers with pesto

* salmon or sardines with pepper

* black bean and cheese burrito

* fresh tomatoes drizzled with olive oil, lemon, salt and cracked pepper

* bacon

* cantaloupe

* pomegranate and sunflower seeds

* pumpkin seeds

* cottage cheese

* cucumbers and tomatoes

* roasted green chile with fresh garlic and chips

* low carb tortilla or pita with hummus, olives and feta

* smoked sausage with melted cheese and kraut

* banana

* green tea with lemon and honey

* smoked Gouda

* tortilla with avocado and cheese

* oatmeal with walnuts

* handful of almonds

* Miso soup

* soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) with green onions, white onions, soy, garlic and olive oil

* pieces of roasted or rotisserie chicken

* sliced apples

* two tacos (with carne asada, onion, cilantro, onion and tomatillo sauce)

* butter and garlic sauteed mushrooms

* caramelized onions

* shrimp scampi (usually leftover)

* pico de gallo with shrimp and avocado (SO good)

* crackers with cream cheese and salmon, olives, pepper and mozzarella

* crackers with cream cheese and orange marmalade

* leftover porkchop or chicken breast with small serving of couscous

* white tea with small almond or coconut cookies

* small piece of dark chocolate

* brown rice and stir fry

* mushroom baked with cheese and herb filling

* steamed veggies

I'm on a low-carb diet, so I eat very rich foods (normally these high fat items would lead to guilt, but now I just eat to enjoy my life). And I watch the foods high in carbs on this list, usually only allowing myself very small amounts. Most of these are snacks, but often they become meals, since I work a lot I never know if I'll get to take lunch so I eat a huge breakfast and keep my metabolism up with substantial snacks (not big portions, but big on flavor and fullness factor).

Oh, one last thing: This "Biggest Loser" trainer: they all forbid you from fasting to lose weight. So, right away, common sense is assaulted by making the most obvious, solution anathema. In response, I tell you that my aquarius hilbilly fundamentalist neighbor fasted for 40 days in 1987 in front of my face, to pray for his wife to get pregnant, and to this day he is a incredibly strong healthy monster beast. Also, my other friend down the street, his dad fasted for 40 days raw, no worse for wear. Not a hillbilly, not religious, but educated, bicycle clubs, marathons, wealthy. These people in politics and news are atheist Darwinian orgiast illuminati want-to-be industrial polluters of water, sky, and land. Separate yourselves from these iniquitous. Yahwh will toss them in Hell forever one day. Don't eat before workouts.

The vegetable juice -- 6 oz or 2 cups?

what has always worked for me in the past is doing cardio first thing in the morning ,my guess would be that it burns the fat stores instead of what calories i would consume that day...but diffrent people have diffrent views on this kinda thing...i myself have started back on to my weightloss journey...a we all know life happens thats why i got off track...but check out my blog for some randomness writings and follow ups on my weightloss http://gguz02-themindofme.blogspot.com

Everybody has a different body. You have to find what works for you. As per the so called science or fitness gurus I am overweight by about 20 pounds for the last 30 years. I eat what I want and do the exercises I like when I liked it. I never think about dieting. I have too many friends that are on a non stop diet to shed those extra pounds and it does not really work. They wory all day what to eat and in the meantime life is passing them bye. If you are not severely overweight start living life instead of worring about the size 6 jeans.

4 rice crackers with avocado and cilantro hummus.