Confused about when to eat?  Have you been told that you need a protein shake directly after your workout to prevent your muscles from disintegrating or that eating at night will make you gain weight?

 Food timing gets a great deal of play among fitness enthusiasts and refers to planning when and what to eat for the best results in a person's performance or physique goals.

 I have been concerned about getting a proper protein meal in after a great workout though it seems as long as you are eating the right amount of calories and protein for your goals, specific timing protocols are of minimal importance.

 Here are some tips that seem to work well for most people followed by what I have found works for me.

 Pre-workout -   If you need to get through a workout and are often hungry,  a piece of fruit and a protein shake works great.  

I have a cup of coffee and try to workout in the morning.  If I find that I spent the morning on my computer and start to get hungry, then a protein shake or an egg on a piece of avocado toast is my go to meal.  Eating too much food can cause stomach issues if you are doing inversions in yoga or an intense program.  

 If training with heavy weights, eating before your workout is smart.  This is not as necessary for cardio.  

I would have a sweet potato before workouts when I was training for muscle building and a protein shake after the workout.  The extra complex carb was enough for me to push a little harder and the protein helped me to recover.  Adding some healthy fats to the protein is smart, too. 

 Post workout-  About 60 minutes after your workout is a great time to have the biggest meal of the day.  However, if you are eating regularly and have food in your system you should be fine.  

I love to come home and eat a large meal after a workout but schedules do not always permit. 

 Late night snacking-  There are various thoughts on this.  If you are eating the right amount for your goals, you should have some leeway.  Your daily eating schedule can be based on your personal preferences if you are eating the right foods.  Of course, If you only eating junk food like cookies and ice-cream at night then you will not see the results you are after if you are looking to gain muscle and lose body fat.  

Personally, I have been in situations where I had to eat very late at night and could not have a proper dinner.  My schedule had me working late and I would come home and have a healthy meal after 9 or 10.  I did not see a difference in my weight but I was at least 5 years younger than I am now. 

As I have gotten older, I find that I do not digest a heavy meal well at night and will have problems sleeping.  Light meals are fine.  

Studies still suggest that the total nutritional value and calories of the food you consume is the most important factor for wellness.  Fasting for 12-16 hours is starting to show promise for us older ladies and can be helpful in flattening the belly.  I will research it more but I think of it more as a strategy to create autophagy.  It is a big word but here is the definition from my Google search:

Autophagy is the body's way of cleaning out damaged cells, in order to regenerate newer, healthier cells, according to Priya Khorana, PhD, in nutrition education from Columbia University. “Auto” means self and “phagy” means eat. So the literal meaning of autophagy is “self-eating.

Lots of people have jumped on the fasting craze and it is interesting but not for everyone.  If you have adrenal issues, are pregnant or nursing, please don't fast.  Anyone who is considering changing their food intake should speak with a licensed healthcare professional.   These are what I have experienced in my fitness journey but science is always updating it findings.   You must do what works best for you!