What should I eat after the gym?

yisell25
yisell25 Posts: 20 Member
edited 4:15PM in Fitness and Exercise

Hey everyone! Ok so question... I go to the gym 5 days a week, and everyday I work out a different muscle group with high intensity of cardio too. After my workout I burn roughly 700-850cals. So my question is after the gym SOMETIMES I'm hungry, not starving and many times I am not. What do I eat? What do I drink? Should I even eat? My goal is to loose weight but mostly tone.
Please help. Thanks :)

Replies

  • hockeysniper8
    hockeysniper8 Posts: 253 Member
    You could have a protein shake, a meal that contains protein and carbs.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    I generally drink 1.5 scoops of whey alone with my creatine, soon after I eat 50-100gs of nuts and sometimes I'll throw in s piece of fruit aswell. Carbs, fats, and proteins. Don't forget water!
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    I consume two scoops of protien immediately after my training. Whey protien is absorbed quickly. Then I'll eat shortly after.
  • K_deng
    K_deng Posts: 12 Member
    Fruits are great because they are digested easily. Try eating protein after a workout. You have a 30 minute window to get protein in your body after a workout. It helps build muscle and keep calories off.
  • StealthHealth
    StealthHealth Posts: 2,417 Member
    What I do:

    When trying to lose fat: If i'm not hungry I don't eat, if I am hungry I eat something high fat about 1 hour before w/o (usually walnuts or cheese).

    When trying to build muscle: Whether I'm hungry of not I eat a decent lump of carbohydrate about 1 hour before the gym. Usually some chocolate, or cake.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Eat whatever you would normally eat when you were hungry. Meal timing around exercise is really not a big deal for the 99%+ of us that don't have our regular diet and exercise optimized.

    Best of luck.
  • minno3
    minno3 Posts: 3 Member
    Hey yisell25, It is a good idea to eat some form or protein after a workout (hungry or not), that way the muscles you are trying to tone will have something to keep them there. After your workout you will have depleted glycogen stores burning 700-850 cals, so your muscles will eat themselves if you don't eat some protein.

    I usually have a protein shake quite soon after my workout. If I am hungry I will then cook my evening meal as I workout at the end of the day, if not I will wait a while then eat a meal a bit later. I hope that helps.
  • Scamd83
    Scamd83 Posts: 808 Member
    edited March 2016
    K_deng wrote: »
    Fruits are great because they are digested easily. Try eating protein after a workout. You have a 30 minute window to get protein in your body after a workout. It helps build muscle and keep calories off.

    Yeah totally bro, if you wait 31 minutes to have protein you'll totally lose your gainz and your muscles will breakdown and eat themselves.
    yisell25 wrote: »
    Hey everyone! Ok so question... I go to the gym 5 days a week, and everyday I work out a different muscle group with high intensity of cardio too. After my workout I burn roughly 700-850cals. So my question is after the gym SOMETIMES I'm hungry, not starving and many times I am not. What do I eat? What do I drink? Should I even eat? My goal is to loose weight but mostly tone.
    Please help. Thanks :)

    Quick question, where are you getting the 700-850 calories from? Because a lot of people tend to overestimate how much they burn from exercising. That is basically how much someone would burn in 90 minute game of football for example. But that aside, eat whatever you want at whatever time you want. Calorie timing and what macronutrients make up your post workout meal only really matter if you're a professional athlete who needs to optimise recovery. The vast majority of us aren't doing enough to need to worry about that. At the end of the day it's how much you've consumed in total that matters, not when you had it. That will determine if you meet your fat loss goals and how well you recover. Don't stress it, keep it simple, enjoy.
  • yisell25
    yisell25 Posts: 20 Member
    Scamd83 wrote: »
    K_deng wrote: »
    Fruits are great because they are digested easily. Try eating protein after a workout. You have a 30 minute window to get protein in your body after a workout. It helps build muscle and keep calories off.

    Yeah totally bro, if you wait 31 minutes to have protein you'll totally lose your gainz and your muscles will breakdown and eat themselves.
    yisell25 wrote: »
    Hey everyone! Ok so question... I go to the gym 5 days a week, and everyday I work out a different muscle group with high intensity of cardio too. After my workout I burn roughly 700-850cals. So my question is after the gym SOMETIMES I'm hungry, not starving and many times I am not. What do I eat? What do I drink? Should I even eat? My goal is to loose weight but mostly tone.
    Please help. Thanks :)

    Quick question, where are you getting the 700-850 calories from? Because a lot of people tend to overestimate how much they burn from exercising. That is basically how much someone would burn in 90 minute game of football for example. But that aside, eat whatever you want at whatever time you want. Calorie timing and what macronutrients make up your post workout meal only really matter if you're a professional athlete who needs to optimise recovery. The vast majority of us aren't doing enough to need to worry about that. At the end of the day it's how much you've consumed in total that matters, not when you had it. That will determine if you meet your fat loss goals and how well you recover. Don't stress it, keep it simple, enjoy.


    Well I'm at the gym for about 2 and half hours and I also have a heart rate monitor.

  • yisell25
    yisell25 Posts: 20 Member
    minno3 wrote: »
    Hey yisell25, It is a good idea to eat some form or protein after a workout (hungry or not), that way the muscles you are trying to tone will have something to keep them there. After your workout you will have depleted glycogen stores burning 700-850 cals, so your muscles will eat themselves if you don't eat some protein.

    I usually have a protein shake quite soon after my workout. If I am hungry I will then cook my evening meal as I workout at the end of the day, if not I will wait a while then eat a meal a bit later. I hope that helps.


    Yes this helped me. Thank you so much :)
  • yisell25
    yisell25 Posts: 20 Member
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    I consume two scoops of protien immediately after my training. Whey protien is absorbed quickly. Then I'll eat shortly after.

    Great thanks! I'm going to buy a protein powder.
  • Sapphires4me
    Sapphires4me Posts: 93 Member
    I found some recipes on Pinterest for Protein balls. They have oats, protein powder, honey and then whatever else you put. I put flax meal, almond slivers and dried cranberry, coconut flakes or mini chocolate chips. Stir it all up and use a cookie scooper, very small about 3/4" balls. Put on tray in freezer for about an hour. Then I put in airtight container in the refrigerator and last for weeks. Perfect bite size. I usually eat one about 30 min before a work out and/or 30 min after a work out. If I am hungry later for dinner that is fine, but if not I know I have put something in my body.
  • Sapphires4me
    Sapphires4me Posts: 93 Member
    Or we have done lots of protein shakes with fruit and spinach. Very filling
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    cgvet37 wrote: »
    I consume two scoops of protien immediately after my training. Whey protien is absorbed quickly. Then I'll eat shortly after.

    It generally takes 2-4hrs depending on whether or not it's isolate or concentrate. There's no real need to wait after drinking your shake either, unless your just too full afterwards.
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