what/when do I need to eat to not feel so shakey after exercise?

[geekgirl]

I always feel crappy for several hours after strenuous exercise - all shakey etc. and it's rather offputting.

Today I went swimming for 45 min at noon - felt shite afterwards so had an apple at 2pm (skipped lunch due to lack of time but had had breakfast at 8 and chocolate bar at 10:30).
Had cereal bar when I got home at 4 and still feeling rubbish and now still feel shakey after a bit more chocolate and fruit.
(sorry, rather boring breakdown of food intake there)

It makes me not want to bother exercising...

nuts work for me, so to speak.

Banana...it's a fab slow release energy giver

should I eat before or after?

Agree with banana. If you're swimming at noon have one at 10.30 instead of the chocolate bar and maybe a handful of raisins.

What do you have for breakfast and are you drinking enough? Have something to eat (cereal bar) as soon as you get out too.

I always feel the same after exercise. Eat a banana 30 mins before exercising.

err, proper meals?

LOL panicky now there's an idea!

saggar, no I'm not drinking enough really. I try and then forget... breakfast is usually pretty good really.. today it was yoghurt w. honey, 3 figs and a piece of wholemeal toast.

Appreciate the advice btw, I always end up giving up on regular exercise because it makes me feel worse

lol
no, dont give up regular excercise.
it shouldnt make you feel worse. perhaps what you need to do is tone it down a bit. whatever it is that youdo. so for example, either do 30 minutes of swimming, rather than 45. or do 45 lesiurely minutes of swimming iyswim. slowly build it up.
lots of fruit and water. personally i dont think of fruit as a food. its just something to snakc onm unch on all day long. and water is the ONLY thing i drink. other than coffee. but its the only thing to quench thirst.

Well I would probably be unconcious after eating so little all day with training.

Your breakfast is healthy but still not big, and if you are going to do intense cardio you need a good balance of carbs, fats and proteins.

Try packing some oatcakes, a little container of peanut butter, and a banana for afterwards, not just to ward of low sugars, but to replenish muscle glycogen stores as soon as possible before their storage ability dwindles.

Beforehand, slow release but light foods like cereal, apples, and yoghurts work well.

Have a good breakfast like maybe add another piece of toast, a snack after exercise and then follow with a healthy sandwich or salad or soup for lunch.

Chocolate and cereal bars aren't the end of the world but they are not great for fueling as they are too rapid release and cause reactive hypoglyciemia. In addition, high glucose and therefore insulin levels before exercise prevents your body from using fat as an energy source so you just burn up all your glycogen instead. Not want you want!