Eat more for a couple days after workout?

rmharmon1313
rmharmon1313 Posts: 4 Member
edited January 1 in Food and Nutrition
I had my first workout with a trainer yesterday and I'm sore and tired. Its was only 1/2 hour and we just did strength. About 5-6 exercises. Will I completely blow my diet if I eat a bit more for a couple of days - especially if I focus on protein like peanut butter and chocolate milk? I'm trying to stick to foods with nutrition in them even if I eat too much. I did not have a calorie defecit yesterday (didn't go over my break even number either) and I'm bummed about that, but I'm so hungry right now and definitely craving protein. Any opinions?

Replies

  • Cheval13
    Cheval13 Posts: 350 Member
    It is reasonable to feel more hungry after a hard workout, but you really want to stick with nutrition (and drink a lot of water). Peanut butter and chocolate milk are okay in moderation, but a thirty minute workout won't justify more than maybe 2 TBSP peanut butter and at most a cup of chocolate milk, and probably not both. Lean chicken breast, cheese sticks, etc. are the better route to go. It's also important to get vitamins as well to help rebuild muscle. The general rule for a post-workout snack (not snacks) is a serving of carbs and a serving of protein. Apple with pb, small side salad with feta or almonds... is what I am thinking.
    Cheers.
  • bufger
    bufger Posts: 763 Member
    I had my first workout with a trainer yesterday and I'm sore and tired. Its was only 1/2 hour and we just did strength. About 5-6 exercises. Will I completely blow my diet if I eat a bit more for a couple of days - especially if I focus on protein like peanut butter and chocolate milk? I'm trying to stick to foods with nutrition in them even if I eat too much. I did not have a calorie defecit yesterday (didn't go over my break even number either) and I'm bummed about that, but I'm so hungry right now and definitely craving protein. Any opinions?

    Dont fall into the trap of thinking you can just majorly over indulge on anything because you've done some training. Review the calories set out for you firstly as they could be too low. If you're burning 200 calories then you can take in 200 more if you're still at an overall defecit. You have to carefully monitor your macros. Regular peanut butter is good protein but high in calories and chocolate milk isnt that great either! Water helps with hunger and cutting down your meals into lots of snacks and some small meals also helps.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,997 Member
    It really depends on calories more than anything else. If you burned an extra 300 calories in that session but over the next days eat an extra 600 calories because you feel like you deserve them, it's completely negated the deficit.

    Plus, I don't know your TDEE, BMR, or how many calories you're netting each day. Can't give you very accurate advice.
  • McLifterPants
    McLifterPants Posts: 457 Member
    This is a major trap a lot of people fall in to: "I worked out, so I earned more food!" without checking the actual calories for either. Then they wonder why they aren't losing weight when they work out all the time. You need to maintain a calorie deficit to lose weight, no matter how much you work out. Be smart, and be honest with yourself. Don't eat back more calories than you burned unless you're trying to bulk, not lose!
  • MrDelts
    MrDelts Posts: 209 Member
    There's nothing wrong with eating a little more protein to help the muscles heal.. But peanut butter and chocolate milk are not protein!!.. Peanut Butter is fat and Chocolate milk is sugar and carbs.. Protein sources should be lean meats, fish, cottage cheese and protein powder
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    peanut butter isn't something you should list as "protein". it has like 6 grams in a 180 calorie serving.

    meat is protein. cottage cheese...stuff like that.peanut butters proteinamount is negligible when u look at the overal caloric content.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    I agree with the beefy shirtless guys. Have some grilled chicken or something. Not a glass of chocolate milk.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member

    Dont fall into the trap of thinking you can just majorly over indulge on anything because you've done some training. Review the calories set out for you firstly as they could be too low. If you're burning 200 calories then you can take in 200 more if you're still at an overall defecit. You have to carefully monitor your macros. Regular peanut butter is good protein but high in calories and chocolate milk isnt that great either! Water helps with hunger and cutting down your meals into lots of snacks and some small meals also helps.

    I agree with this. I don't know what your goals are, but if you're trying to lose or maintain weight, you can't go over on calories just because you want more protein. Getting more protein is a matter of changing your macronutrient ratios, not consuming more calories. There are better sources of protein than chocolate milk (really?) and peanut butter, unless I guess if you want to put them in a shake with some protein powder and you have some caloric leeway for another small meal
  • redredy9
    redredy9 Posts: 706 Member
    I agree that PB is more of atreatthan a "protein" and that a 30 minute workout - even a strenuous one is not going to justify eating over your calories for a couple days. Eat back your exercise calories but not more.

    That being said - I run. On long runs I am out for 3+ hours. I usually notice I am hungier the day after not the day of so I eat my exercise calories then. Thats just me though.
  • bertabird
    bertabird Posts: 52 Member
    I have found that raw almonds, low carb fiber bars, string cheese (low fat, part skim) and protein powder shakes are great! YOu can make a shake that uses 1 cup almond or soy milk, 2 tbsp. protein powder, 1 tbsp. hersheys cocoa powder, 1 pkt. stevia or low cal sweetener, 3 oz. of greek yogurt and 3 ice cubes is a great combo. It will have a terrific protein punch, it's low carb and it stops the craving for food, because, IT IS FOOD. Regular milk is great, but it doesn't have a protein punch and has lots of carbs and fat. Peanut butter is great too, but try it with 1 tbsp peanut butter (organic without all the nasty sugar in it-it also has less fat), and 3 celery stalks. It satisfies and gives the protein punch you crave. I also recommend South Beach snack bars. They are high in fiber, low in carb, and taste awesome! I love them. Drink lots of water too. Water will help in the repairing of your muscles. Take a hot bath and stretch a bit throughout the day. It will relieve the strain on your muscles.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    That being said - I run. On long runs I am out for 3+ hours. I usually notice I am hungier the day after not the day of so I eat my exercise calories then. Thats just me though.

    I do this too - I usually eat less on a day that I have a long run or really strenuous workout, then make up those calories the next day when I'm starving. It all balances out, timing doesn't really matter
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I agree with the beefy shirtless guys. Have some grilled chicken or something. Not a glass of chocolate milk.

    Actually, chocolate milk is a great recovery drink so its not a bad choice at all. Just keep it low fat.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    What is you calorie target?
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    It depends on how you have your goals set.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I agree with the others, don't fall into the "eat more because I worked out" trap. It is just a recipe for distaster.

    If you really feel hungry, have a small snack. But don't overdo it.
  • peuglow
    peuglow Posts: 684 Member
    I had my first workout with a trainer yesterday and I'm sore and tired. Its was only 1/2 hour and we just did strength. About 5-6 exercises. Will I completely blow my diet if I eat a bit more for a couple of days - especially if I focus on protein like peanut butter and chocolate milk? I'm trying to stick to foods with nutrition in them even if I eat too much. I did not have a calorie defecit yesterday (didn't go over my break even number either) and I'm bummed about that, but I'm so hungry right now and definitely craving protein. Any opinions?
    A focus on protein would be chicken breats, fish, turkey burger.

    You just want to pig out. That being said, you should eat back your workout calories.
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
    I agree with the beefy shirtless guys. Have some grilled chicken or something. Not a glass of chocolate milk.

    Actually, chocolate milk is a great recovery drink so its not a bad choice at all. Just keep it low fat.

    I know lots of people like chocolate milk post-workout. But he's asking about eating more protein for a couple days after a workout. I'm just saying chocolate milk and peanut butter aren't the best choices. This, coming from a chocolate milk fan. Absolutely up protein if you feel you need it. Just don't up calories necessarily. And sure, have some chocolate milk when you get home from the gym.
  • rmharmon1313
    rmharmon1313 Posts: 4 Member
    My target is 1300 a day so I can try and lose these last 10 pounds. But yesterday I was closer to 2000 (while it's more than I wanted - I hardly consider that pigging out - if I'm going to pig out it's going to be 3000-4000 calories and no way I'd bother tracking it). I exceeded my protein & fiber goals for the day. I don't worry about fat as long as its healthy fat. I tend toward a no fat, no sodium diet and it's been causing me problems so I actually look to add fat and sodium to get me to funcational levels. Yea I have a little sugar with the choc milk - but I need 1 treat in my life. It's not like I'm eatting a box of ho'hos. But exercising out of my normal ability makes me so hungry. I don't want to eat - if I had my way I'd never eat again - it would be so much easier - but obviously that's not going to happen. And I know I only burned 200 calories, but my muscles are sore and I'm hungry. I drink about 90 oz of liquid (water or green tea, no soda) a day so I'm not dehydrated. It's just so frustrating because I feel like excersize makes me gain weight not lose. But it's hard to focus at work when I'm hungry and when you lie in bed and your stomach is growling it's hard to ignore it.

    My typical diet is organic oatmeal (1/4-1/2 cup) breakfast, organic Califlower and hummus AM snack, mixed greens, hardboiled egg, 1 oz walnuts, 2 tablespoons organic low cal dressing lunch, baked whole wheat crakers and hummus PM snack, maybe a little chicken or fish for dinner with veggies (often i get home to late to cook) and strawberries & choc milk or organic granola bar for snack (that's my chocolate treat for the day). That's about 1400-1500 calories. Of course I deviate (I'm a real person) but yesterday it just simply wasn't enough. I guess I'm just venting. The milk and PB are just fast and convenient because I often work long days and don't get home to close to bedtime. I can eat those on the run without defrosting or cleanup. It's frustrating to make 90%+ good choices and see little or no result. I don't think I can do 100% perfect, I want a glass of wine or some chocolate now and then. It's too stressful to try and be perfect (and guess what I do when I get stressed...). Not to mention all the people who get angry at me already for not eating junk food. I won't even go into an Italian restaurant anymore and I love pasta. So now I'm feeling very whiny. Back to work.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    I agree with the beefy shirtless guys. Have some grilled chicken or something. Not a glass of chocolate milk.

    Actually, chocolate milk is a great recovery drink so its not a bad choice at all. Just keep it low fat.

    I know lots of people like chocolate milk post-workout. But he's asking about eating more protein for a couple days after a workout. I'm just saying chocolate milk and peanut butter aren't the best choices. This, coming from a chocolate milk fan. Absolutely up protein if you feel you need it. Just don't up calories necessarily. And sure, have some chocolate milk when you get home from the gym.

    I realized that - was just trying to clarify that its a good PWO drink.
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