2. Lower Your Weight. If you're overweight, you might not have to lose as much as you think to make a difference. In one study, people who had prediabetes and lost 5% to 7% of their body weight (just 10-14 pounds in someone who weights 200 pounds) cut their chances of getting diabetes by 58%.
Ideally, two to four hours before a workout, eat a meal that is rich in complex carbohydrates (think oatmeal or brown rice), moderate in lean protein (think chicken or low-fat and fat-free dairy foods), lower in fat (think nuts and oils) and fiber (think broccoli and cauliflower) and includes plenty of fluids (think water or low-calorie beverage).
The longer you have to digest, the more you can eat at the pre-exercise meal. 1  1 hour to digest before exercise 1 gram carbohydrate/kg body weight. 2  2 hours to digest before exercise 2 grams carbohydrate/kg body weight.3  3 hours to digest before exercise 3 grams carbohydrate/kg body weight.ome athletes like to know the specifics of what they should eat before a workout â and the guidelines are very specific. Most people just use the âtrial and errorâ method until they figure out the eating schedule that works for them.