What do I eat after the gym?

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.

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.

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.

Protein shakes, lean meats, berries, yogurt

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.

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.

Agree with the last two guys. But, try to give your body what it needs to recover: carbs, protein, nutrients, low fat.

eldamiano wrote: »

I usually have a couple of donuts

you...I like you

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.

I ususally grab a Luna Bar to get the protein after my workout.

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.

2 Jam donuts after gym on a deficit and I still get shredded ... Formally obese btw

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

bellabonbons wrote: »

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

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

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.