Recovery shake, strength training and weight loss

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emilysusana
emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I'm trying to lose weight, maintain lean muscle, and transform my body. I'm following Rachel Cosgrove's Drop Two Sizes for my strength training program, and I'm throwing in some cardio on off days. I wanted to get some feedback to see if my recovery shake has enough in it for proper recovery. I usually have 1 banana, 1 c. almond milk, and 1/2 scoop (25 g) vanilla whey protein powder by Body Fortress. I work out very early, so i drink half of this for breakfast, along with a cup of coffee with milk, and then I finish the shake after. About 3 hours after that, I have an early lunch (I eat clean except for occasional treats, and keep calories to about 1250/ day. I'm 5'2 and currently 137).

I used to make a much heftier workout shake, plus breakfast, but when I did that, I couldn't keep my daily calorie intake low enough to lose weight.

Still, a friend said she worried I wasn't giving my body what it needed to recover. What do you think? I hate to mess with a good thing since I'm losing.

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Personally, I would just add the whey protein to water and put the other 200 calories to better use. For 250 calories, you could make a sandwich with sandwich rounds, Swiss cheese, and lean roast beef that would provide 20g more protein, more fiber, and a ton less sugar--and probably be more filling.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    Actually, my shake altogether is about 250 calories, including 30 for almond milk, 100 for the protein and 120 for the banana. So if I did the protein powder with water, plus a 250 cal sandwich, I'd actually be adding 100 calories to my breakfast.
  • MissusMoon
    MissusMoon Posts: 1,900 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    Actually, my shake altogether is about 250 calories, including 30 for almond milk, 100 for the protein and 120 for the banana. So if I did the protein powder with water, plus a 250 cal sandwich, I'd actually be adding 100 calories to my breakfast.

    I don't think you understood. Azdak was suggesting eating the sandwich *instead* of the shake, just adding your protein powder to water.
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Why don't we start with your overall diet? That shake may or may not be of any use. Most of your calories need to come from whole food and you need to make sure that you're getting quality protein as part of that, not to mention sufficient micronutrients and fiber. How many calories a day are you consuming and how is that split among protein, fat and carbs?
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 846 Member
    edited September 2016
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    Your shake sounds yummy to me, if you like it keep it!

    I usually take a scoop of whey isolate in water - about 100 cals. after lifting. If I complete an hour or more of hard cardio - run or cycle at maximal efforts - I also take a commercially available electrolyte supplement to replenish potassium and sodium lost in perspiration. (This fends off the leg cramping).

    I usually replenish more of the calories burned at a regular mealtime.

  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,210 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    Still, a friend said she worried I wasn't giving my body what it needed to recover.

    The best way to promote recovery and maintain muscle is to have a small calorie deficit (250-500/day) and eat back your exercise calories, and to meet your protein goals each day. If you do that, "recovery shakes" will have an insignificant effect on your results. :+1:
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    I consume about 1250 calories a day and I don't eat back my calories from exercise, unless I really feel like I need more food. Typically, my macronutrient breakdown by percentage is about 25-30% fat, 30 % protein and the remainder in carbs. I include high quality protein at every meal (egg for breakfast on non strength days, chicken or fish with lunch, usually, and chicken or lean ground beef in a dinner salad). I snack on whole fruits and veggies, almonds, yogurt, cottage cheese... I've been eating clean for a long time, and I feel confident that I've got the balance right. My carbs come from fruit and veg, brown rice, beans, sweet potatoes and sprouted grain bread. The recovery shake is the only meal that I drink. I don't do gimmicky protein bars or anything.

    I used to have a full breakfast plus the shake, but this made it hard to keep my calories to 1250, which is why I have gone to just the shake in the morning. Even though I've eaten clean for a long time, often following plans that say you follow these rules and there's no need to count calories, I didn't lose weight until I started getting serious about tracking.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    MissusMoon wrote: »
    emilysusana wrote: »
    Actually, my shake altogether is about 250 calories, including 30 for almond milk, 100 for the protein and 120 for the banana. So if I did the protein powder with water, plus a 250 cal sandwich, I'd actually be adding 100 calories to my breakfast.

    I don't think you understood. Azdak was suggesting eating the sandwich *instead* of the shake, just adding your protein powder to water.

    I understood. My shake is 250 calories, including the protein powder. The sandwich plus 100 calories of protein mixed with water is 350 total.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    MissusMoon wrote: »
    emilysusana wrote: »
    Actually, my shake altogether is about 250 calories, including 30 for almond milk, 100 for the protein and 120 for the banana. So if I did the protein powder with water, plus a 250 cal sandwich, I'd actually be adding 100 calories to my breakfast.

    I don't think you understood. Azdak was suggesting eating the sandwich *instead* of the shake, just adding your protein powder to water.

    I understood. My shake is 250 calories, including the protein powder. The sandwich plus 100 calories of protein mixed with water is 350 total.

    Yes. So for only 100 calories extra you are getting MORE food, plus the extra protein...Split your macros up. Skip the carbs on the banana.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    I don't think the banana is hurting anything... 29 g of carbs in my 126 g banana, or 29 g of carbs in a sandwich thin... It's the same carbs and bananas contain fiber too. Together with The 30 cal of almond milk, the banana helps me make a recovery shake that tastes good and which I enjoy.

    My question, though, was if I needed MORE than that immediately after a hard strength session. Is there a certain number of grams of protein I need to repair those muscle fibers immediately after? I typically consume my second half of my recovery shake/breakfast shake at about 7:45 AM and then I have a small meal/ early lunch at 11 containing protein and fiber and all that good stuff.

    Protein is the centerpiece of all my meals and snacks throughout the day... I think my macros are in good balance overall.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    ...I'm sure you're fine. Do you feel recovered? 30g of protein in a serving is good. Maybe better if you drank it all at once.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    Yeah, I feel fine. I was more asking because my friend seemed alarmed that I didn't have more right after working out like that. Rachel Cosgrove mentions in her book that it's fine to drink the recovery shake before or during the workout, so that's why I started doing that, and then I realized it would give me enough energy to do my workout without a separate breakfast, which was super hard for me to choke down at 6 AM anyway. This allows me to save a few more calories for later in the day when i actually feel like eating.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    Thanks for your replies
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    Yeah, I feel fine. I was more asking because my friend seemed alarmed that I didn't have more right after working out like that. Rachel Cosgrove mentions in her book that it's fine to drink the recovery shake before or during the workout, so that's why I started doing that, and then I realized it would give me enough energy to do my workout without a separate breakfast, which was super hard for me to choke down at 6 AM anyway. This allows me to save a few more calories for later in the day when i actually feel like eating.

    It's fine. Don't overthink it.

    What kind of workout are you doing?
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    The program I'm following has three strength days a week. A typical strength workout has things like wood chop, jump squats, deadlifts, t-push-ups, rear foot elevated split-squats, push-press, single-leg RDLs, assisted or negative chin-ups.... I'm doing 2-3 sets of 12 reps of most (working up to 3 sets of all). On off days I do one longish run (4-5 miles), one day of interval sprints, and one day of bodyweight metabolic circuits. I feel good... Seems to be working...
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited September 2016
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    Yeah, I feel fine. I was more asking because my friend seemed alarmed that I didn't have more right after working out like that. Rachel Cosgrove mentions in her book that it's fine to drink the recovery shake before or during the workout, so that's why I started doing that, and then I realized it would give me enough energy to do my workout without a separate breakfast, which was super hard for me to choke down at 6 AM anyway. This allows me to save a few more calories for later in the day when i actually feel like eating.
    I consume about 1250 calories a day and I don't eat back my calories from exercise, unless I really feel like I need more food.
    Having an excessive calorie deficit is far more significant than being overly concerned with nutrient timing which has a tiny benefit (if any...).

    If you set your calorie goal on here then not eating exercise calories when you are trying to train hard is a mistake.
    Fix the big ticket items (the quantity and quality of your entire diet) before getting lost in the fine, and frankly pretty insignificant, details would be my advice.
  • emilysusana
    emilysusana Posts: 416 Member
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    I thought that eating back excercise calories was optional, not required.

    Regardless, I've tried that before, with no results whatsoever. Making the switch to shooting for 1250 cal regardless of exercise (and grabbing something else that takes me up to 1300-1500 occasionally, and not beating myself up about it) is what finally started getting me results. I'm not losing at an alarming rate. I've lost 11 lbs in 2 months. I'm eating the best food of my life and finally feeling fit. I don't go to bed hungry. Do I really have a big ticket problem to fix? I realize now the recovery shake question was idiotic, so I'll stop asking questions like that and go back to doing my thing.
  • Dano74
    Dano74 Posts: 503 Member
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    emilysusana wrote: »
    I thought that eating back excercise calories was optional, not required.

    Regardless, I've tried that before, with no results whatsoever. Making the switch to shooting for 1250 cal regardless of exercise (and grabbing something else that takes me up to 1300-1500 occasionally, and not beating myself up about it) is what finally started getting me results. I'm not losing at an alarming rate. I've lost 11 lbs in 2 months. I'm eating the best food of my life and finally feeling fit. I don't go to bed hungry. Do I really have a big ticket problem to fix? I realize now the recovery shake question was idiotic, so I'll stop asking questions like that and go back to doing my thing.

    I don't eat back my calories either. And your 11 lb. loss in 2 months is pretty great- congrats.

    This isn't a big ticket problem per say and your question wasn't idiotic by any means. People just want to help (and share what's worked for them)- there's a lot of info out there.

    But it boils down to this- eat that shake when it benefits YOU the most as nutrient timing, as was noted, has been shown to have marginal benefits at best. Your shake ingredients are fine.

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