What do I eat after the gym?

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 :)
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Replies

  • myvidaloka
    myvidaloka Posts: 4 Member
    I normally drink a low carb protein shake after my work outs. Berries are also good. The key is to keep it healthy and snack sized, low carb, low fat. High protein for hunger satisfaction and potassium for hydration are good things to keep in mind.
  • raindawg
    raindawg Posts: 348 Member
    I have one or two scoops of my protein powder.
  • betuel75
    betuel75 Posts: 776 Member
    edited March 2016
    If your goal is to lose weight you need to eat in a calorie deficit. You can eat whatever you like after the gym, just include protein. I dont drink my calories so no protein powder/shake for me. I eat real food after i get home from the gym. Usually tuna, or turkey breast with cheese and avocado wrap, or a salad or sandwich. I may make a mug cake with protein powder, or i make an egg white fluff, kind of like a meringue. Whatever you like.
  • bellabonbons
    bellabonbons Posts: 705 Member
    My certified personal fitness trainer highly suggests having protein after a workout to repair muscle.
  • dhimaan
    dhimaan Posts: 774 Member
    Anything you want doesn't have to be a protein shake. People drink protein shakes for the convenience. I have eaten eggs, chicken, fish or whatever was available at the time.
  • Jams009
    Jams009 Posts: 345 Member
    Whatever you want, IIFYM.
  • GiGiJam80
    GiGiJam80 Posts: 22 Member
    Protein shakes, lean meats, berries, yogurt
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I usually have a couple of donuts
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Jams009 wrote: »
    Whatever you want, IIFYM.

    Yep, meal timing around exercise is not critical for the 99+% of us that don't have optimum nutrition and exercise plans.
  • jamacianredhair
    jamacianredhair Posts: 230 Member
    I workout in the evenings after work. If I eat dinner then go to the gym I'll have a protein shake when I get home. If I don't eat dinner and go to the gym I will go to subway that is next door to my gym aka "home base" :D and get a turkey sub and apple slices. The protein shake or apple slices satisfy my sweet tooth I get before bed. I guess it depends on what you like and if it fits in your calorie goal.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    For regular people the entirety of what your eat over the course of the day is far more important than worrying over specific pre or post exercise foods or timing.

    If you are doing endurance cardio or working at an elite level then it becomes worth worrying about.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Anything you like.

    Meet your calorie and macronutritional goals over the day and you're golden.

    As above, unless you're an ultra competitive athlete looking for the smallest of marginal gains then worrying about nutrition to that level is really just sweating the small stuff and not required.
  • Buff_Man
    Buff_Man Posts: 623 Member
    Agree with the last two guys. But, try to give your body what it needs to recover: carbs, protein, nutrients, low fat.
  • tomreese2014
    tomreese2014 Posts: 11 Member
    If dropping weight is your goal then just take a protein shake. At the end of the day your goal is to have a calorie deficit.
  • TheLittleFangs
    TheLittleFangs Posts: 205 Member
    eldamiano wrote: »
    I usually have a couple of donuts

    you...I like you
  • Mystical64
    Mystical64 Posts: 108 Member
    raindawg wrote: »
    I have one or two scoops of my protein powder.

    Just what he said!

    I have a protein shake before and after.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    I make a healthy whole foods smoothie in my vitamix at night (plain yogurt, seeds, nuts, greens, piece of banana, berries, water) and grab it to go the next morning. I drink half pre gym for energy carbs and half after the gym for muscle repairing protein. It works.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    edited March 2016
    Food. Whatever you want... :) easy enough?
  • kurzap
    kurzap Posts: 20 Member
    I ususally grab a Luna Bar to get the protein after my workout.
  • haviegirl
    haviegirl Posts: 230 Member
    I take a protein drink with me and drink it on the way home from the gym. That way if I stop at the grocery store on the way home, I'm not famished and tempted to buy items that wouldn't be helpful in losing weight. Like Oreos.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    I think what we're seeing here is one of the oft-believed 'golden rules' about diet and fitness that everyone believes when they read it on Popsugar.

    "You need to guzzle protein drinks or throw down protein bars xx amount of minutes after exercise."

    It's just not relevant for 99.9% of the population, not even those who think their workouts are hard, and I very much doubt it's relevant for anyone who posts on here. People who it is relevant for are most probably being fed by a team of highly paid sports scientists.

    Guzzling overpriced 'protein' foods isn't going to harm anything and if that's what people prefer to do that's fine, but so is meeting your calorie and macro goals throughout the day and not worrying the slightest about nutrient timing.
    haviegirl wrote: »
    I take a protein drink with me and drink it on the way home from the gym. That way if I stop at the grocery store on the way home, I'm not famished and tempted to buy items that wouldn't be helpful in losing weight. Like Oreos.

    There's nothing wrong with Oreos when it comes to weight loss.
  • haviegirl
    haviegirl Posts: 230 Member
    cityruss wrote: »
    I think what we're seeing here is one of the oft-believed 'golden rules' about diet and fitness that everyone believes when they read it on Popsugar.

    "You need to guzzle protein drinks or throw down protein bars xx amount of minutes after exercise."

    It's just not relevant for 99.9% of the population, not even those who think their workouts are hard, and I very much doubt it's relevant for anyone who posts on here. People who it is relevant for are most probably being fed by a team of highly paid sports scientists.

    Guzzling overpriced 'protein' foods isn't going to harm anything and if that's what people prefer to do that's fine, but so is meeting your calorie and macro goals throughout the day and not worrying the slightest about nutrient timing.
    haviegirl wrote: »
    I take a protein drink with me and drink it on the way home from the gym. That way if I stop at the grocery store on the way home, I'm not famished and tempted to buy items that wouldn't be helpful in losing weight. Like Oreos.

    There's nothing wrong with Oreos when it comes to weight loss.

    I like my protein drink, and I find it filling. It keeps me satisfied until I can get home and have a nutritious lunch. I appreciate your concern that they are overpriced, but I can afford them, thank you. And I don't "guzzle" them, I drink them in a ladylike fashion, with my pinkie out and everything. :)

    And I don't find Oreos to be helpful to me while I'm in deficit, thank you. I'm not the kind of person who can eat one or two Oreos in any kind of ladylike fashion. Think more Cookie Monster fashion, with crumbs flying everywhere. So while it's true that eating cookies is fine during weight loss as long as you stay in deficit, I am choosing not to.
  • Ifitfits
    Ifitfits Posts: 46 Member
    2 Jam donuts after gym on a deficit and I still get shredded ... Formally obese btw
  • CardiganandFlannel
    CardiganandFlannel Posts: 232 Member
    Food
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    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 :)
    You're not "toning" by just doing high intensity cardio. You're building muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance.
    And the post workout meal is so over hyped. If you're hungry, eat whatever you like, just make sure to account for the calories. If not, then don't eat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    In reality, those "overpriced" protein shakes are probably the cheapest per gram of protein products there are. I would call them inexpensive before overpriced.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    My certified personal fitness trainer highly suggests having protein after a workout to repair muscle.
    Broscience. Muscle doesn't get repaired till the NEXT day, so why would drinking it immediately after affect the next day?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    Mystical64 wrote: »
    raindawg wrote: »
    I have one or two scoops of my protein powder.

    Just what he said!

    I have a protein shake before and after.
    Why unless your meals are low in protein? You DON'T get extra credit once your protein allowances are met.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    ninerbuff wrote: »
    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 :)
    You're not "toning" by just doing high intensity cardio. You're building muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance.
    And the post workout meal is so over hyped. If you're hungry, eat whatever you like, just make sure to account for the calories. If not, then don't eat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    9285851.png

    Agreed.

    I also looked to see what kind of deficit OP was running if they were burning 700-850 cals per workout and the highest logged day is like 900 cals. Either the OP is netting zero cals a day, or isn't tracking which doesn't help recomping either.
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
    It all depends on you.....I personally work out at night (8 p.m...sometimes 9) and when I come home after 11 I really don't feel like eating _anything_ so at most, I'll have a square of dark chocolate, a glass (5 oz.....lol not 8) of red wine, or sometimes a protein shake.