#onesmallchange Pre-Workout Fuelling

It’s Tuesday, and for the past several weeks I have been linking up to Marcia’s #onesmallchange posts as part of her LAST QUARTER Challenge… to help keep us on track to meet our year end goals.  Just a bit of fun to help maintain focus.  It is certainly working for me.

This week my #onesmallchange is to make sure I am giving myself some good fuel before I begin my workouts.  I have been experimenting a lot in this area over the past many weeks and have finally come to realize that I don’t do my best work or give a great performance on a completely empty stomach.

Of course it depends on the workout.  If it is cardio such as kickboxing or a run, I need about 100 calories… a large banana, or a small protein shake, or a couple of my frozen protein bites… and if it is a strength workout, even when working my legs, I can get away with a bit less.

But I have learned that if I don’t eat enough, I barely eke out my workout and then I am feeling light headed and shaky and even after eating a good breakfast, it takes a while before I start to feel good again. I don’t like that feeling at all and intend to avoid it… better to eat a bit too much, I think, than not enough.  Have you experienced that, too?

This morning it is raining here.  Big rain.  Gloomy and cool and I wanted to go out for a sprint workout… but opted to stay inside and do my G.I. Jayne Kickboxing workout instead. It is very similar to running sprints actually.  So I made myself  a small protein shake with half a banana, one cup of unsweetened Almond Breeze, a scoop of protein powder and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  It was delicious and I drank it while watching getting through the opening credits of my DVD.

The coral tank I am wearing is a new one from Tommie Copper, by the way, from their Active Fit line.  I love how long it is and it stays put ‘cause it is so snug and supportive.    And yes, my workout was intense and sweaty and I loved it!  Rain all you like, November!

So for the past several weeks I have been adding #onesmallchange each week, and so far so good. I am making a conscious effort to meet these challenges each week because I know that I will be reporting about them, so they are stay in the forefront of my mind.

Here are my #onesmallchange commitments so far:

1. no eats after 8 p.m.

2. drink at least 64 ounces of water

3. take supplements

4. uplift one woman each day

5. be extra nice to a difficult woman

Thankfully I have not encountered a difficult woman, or even a cranky person every day.  But when I do, I make sure to S-M-I-L-E at them!  I think a smile can really make a person feel acknowledged and valued.  

Are you making #onesmallchange this week, too?

Please tell me what you eat before you workout or run?  I need some new ideas.