Post workout pasta and carbs

AnsiStar
AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey guys,

Carbs question for post workout.

In recovery from an ED so the fact I'll be eating pasta is a HUGE deal to my family and I and I don't want to let anyone down.

I'll be coming home from work after the gym (12-15 mins interval training then 40-60 mins of weight training. Pull exercises) and I've been hearing a lot about needing carbs after your workout. I'm deliberately sticking as low carb as I can during the day to relax myself about pasta in the evening but my question is would I be better with whole or white spaghetti?

I've been hearing white would be better for my muscles but obviously whole is generally healthier. What would be the best thing to do in the situation? I'll finish my workout about half 6, go home, shower and we would eat between 7-8.



Extra info - Soon I'll be going to Italy for 9 days. I'm really scared after being low carb for someone if I switch to high carb those 9 days then my body will freak and turn it to fat. I won't be able to strength train on holiday but I will be walking a lot. Anyone got any advice?

Replies

  • iarelarry
    iarelarry Posts: 201 Member
    Depends how intense your workout was...

    Weight training with higher reps (15+) and doing full body workouts + cardio after will surely mitigate any fat gains since your body will be busy replenishing your glycogen stores. However, if you come home from your workout and arent that tired then load up on pasta, there is certainly higher probability that you will gain a tiny bit of weight


    Just make sure to do extra CARDIO!!!
    tumblr_lsxj6kBVj01qzx3jto1_400.gif
  • AnsiStar
    AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
    Well from eating pasta once I'm pretty sure I won't gain pemanent weight. Also, why extra cardio?

    My aims are to build muscle, I do the heaviest weights I can stand (not too high but as high as I can take it. eg bicep curls I us 9kg and do 3 sets of 10-12 but with the wide pulldown I use 3x8 at 30-35kg)
  • tonytoo
    tonytoo Posts: 307
    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html

    It's like iarelarry says...

    whole pasta is better nutrient wise I would say.
  • GravyBrah
    GravyBrah Posts: 34 Member
    If you are already following a low carb eating plan you should be incorporating a carb refeed day which you can time with these family pasta meals. They can actually be very beneficial because you need to restore your leptin levels and bring your body out of ketosis once in a while. This serves as a reset to keep you progressing, rather than letting your body adapt to a routine where progress will either stall or decline. You can enjoy these meals guilt free in moderation, this doesn't even count as a "cheat meal" because you can scale back your protein and fat macros accordingly to stay within your calorie goals.

    You might even notice your muscles being fuller and tighter the next day and a great work out with all your glycogen levels restored post refeed. A common practice with bodybuilders during a cut is to check the mirror to see if their muscles appear flat; they immediately know its their body is telling them its in need of a carb refeed.

    As for the white pasta vs. whole wheat pasta question. For everyone that says that whole wheat products are better nutritionally, there are also studies that say they are actually bad for you and unnatural. There's no definitive answers and the whole debate just ends up confusing everyone. My advice is to just go with your personal taste preference. There's no need to nit pick what kind of pasta you eat once it a while, the differences are negligible.

    Vacation tip, don't stress out about it. If you're currently at a calorie deficit with your program, it will take a while for your body to slowly adapt to consuming a surplus. That means even if you eat 1000 calories+ extra a day, your body isn't going to suddenly start processing it all, it's just not that efficient. This is why people can't gain or lose real weight overnight. Keep in mind that the body can pick up water weight quickly, especially with changes in hormones and sodium levels. It really means nothing because it can leave your body as fast as it's put on (+/- 10lbs in some cases). Generally speaking, it can take a 500calorie + surplus a day for a week straight to gain a lb of real body weight. I can't see you doing any harm in 9 days, especially with all the walking.
  • AnsiStar
    AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
    ttp://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html

    It's like iarelarry says...

    whole pasta is better nutrient wise I would say.

    These articles are a little confusing to me but a really great read! I'm trying to teach myself these kind of things but I never was great at understanding science and such hehe.

    If you are already following a low carb eating plan you should be incorporating a carb refeed day which you can time with these family pasta meals. They can actually be very beneficial because you need to restore your leptin levels and bring your body out of ketosis once in a while. This serves as a reset to keep you progressing, rather than letting your body adapt to a routine where progress will either stall or decline. You can enjoy these meals guilt free in moderation, this doesn't even count as a "cheat meal" because you can scale back your protein and fat macros accordingly to stay within your calorie goals.

    You might even notice your muscles being fuller and tighter the next day and a great work out with all your glycogen levels restored post refeed. A common practice with bodybuilders during a cut is to check the mirror to see if their muscles appear flat; they immediately know its their body is telling them its in need of a carb refeed.

    As for the white pasta vs. whole wheat pasta question. For everyone that says that whole wheat products are better nutritionally, there are also studies that say they are actually bad for you and unnatural. There's no definitive answers and the whole debate just ends up confusing everyone. My advice is to just go with your personal taste preference. There's no need to nit pick what kind of pasta you eat once it a while, the differences are negligible.

    Vacation tip, don't stress out about it. If you're currently at a calorie deficit with your program, it will take a while for your body to slowly adapt to consuming a surplus. That means even if you eat 1000 calories+ extra a day, your body isn't going to suddenly start processing it all, it's just not that efficient. This is why people can't gain or lose real weight overnight. Keep in mind that the body can pick up water weight quickly, especially with changes in hormones and sodium levels. It really means nothing because it can leave your body as fast as it's put on (+/- 10lbs in some cases). Generally speaking, it can take a 500calorie + surplus a day for a week straight to gain a lb of real body weight. I can't see you doing any harm in 9 days, especially with all the walking.

    This was EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you so much for this reply :)
  • iarelarry
    iarelarry Posts: 201 Member
    ttp://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-1.html

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/calorie-partitioning-part-2.html

    It's like iarelarry says...

    whole pasta is better nutrient wise I would say.

    These articles are a little confusing to me but a really great read! I'm trying to teach myself these kind of things but I never was great at understanding science and such hehe.


    Think of your body as a battery and to recharge this battery you need to eat carbs... However, if you begin to overcharge this battery (over eat) you will gain weight. That's why its best to deplete the battery to as low as possible (full body weight training + high reps + cardio etc) so that when you do "recharge" via eating carbs most of it goes to recharging your glycogen stores (think energy level). This is the best analogy i can come up with, sorry!

    Finding that balance is the challenging part.... Trial and error ! GL
  • AnsiStar
    AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
    Ahhh I see ^_^

    Well I'm riddled with all kinds of guilt but I had the pasta and bolognese. My family are really proud of me. I worked a little extra hard on my work out to calm myself about it but it was tasty. Hopefully be able to enjoy my holiday a bit better. Honestly though I don't think I missed pasta as much as I thought. I think I'll save things like this for what I know I'll really enjoy because there is no replacement :) Like a jacket potato or something
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    Extra info - Soon I'll be going to Italy for 9 days. I'm really scared after being low carb for someone if I switch to high carb those 9 days then my body will freak and turn it to fat. I won't be able to strength train on holiday but I will be walking a lot. Anyone got any advice?
    1. It's my understanding that actual Italians don't actually eat as much pasta as most american's do, so you should be able to find plenty of meats or fish(depending on which part of Italy you are visiting), fruits and veggies. That said (and in light of your ED), I would not worry about gaining weight on vacation. If you are anything like me and truly do walk a lot, you won't gain anything. I never gain weight on those types of vacations. Just eat local stuff and enjoy the foods you do eat.

    As for post workout, I will defer to others because I don't worry too much one way or the other (or worry more about protein)...
  • AnsiStar
    AnsiStar Posts: 165 Member
    Extra info - Soon I'll be going to Italy for 9 days. I'm really scared after being low carb for someone if I switch to high carb those 9 days then my body will freak and turn it to fat. I won't be able to strength train on holiday but I will be walking a lot. Anyone got any advice?
    1. It's my understanding that actual Italians don't actually eat as much pasta as most american's do, so you should be able to find plenty of meats or fish(depending on which part of Italy you are visiting), fruits and veggies. That said (and in light of your ED), I would not worry about gaining weight on vacation. If you are anything like me and truly do walk a lot, you won't gain anything. I never gain weight on those types of vacations. Just eat local stuff and enjoy the foods you do eat.

    As for post workout, I will defer to others because I don't worry too much one way or the other (or worry more about protein)...

    Hehe perhaps I should explain - I'm half Italian and we go to Florence every year so I know exactly what food I'll be wanting. I'm not paying for it though and meat dishes are significantly more expensive than pastas or pizzas so I can't just take advantage.
    Last September when we went I did enjoy a lot (didn't indulge as much I wantd though) and I put on 3 lbs but I lost that againin a week.

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