post workout food
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hoping_for_a_rainbow
Posts: 16 Member
Hey guys. I did my first workout out today in forever (just getting back into it again) and i had my day planned with food etc but after id done the exercise, about an hour later i was hungry despite having my snacks, so i
ended eating more therefore going over my calories
What do you recommend as a good post workout food thats not high in cals but gives your body what it needs.
ended eating more therefore going over my calories
What do you recommend as a good post workout food thats not high in cals but gives your body what it needs. 0
Replies
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I just opt for my regular meal schedule. I work out after work, so my post workout food is dinner. Some workout first thing in the morning so, then, it would be breakfast. Nothing special, just food; mindful of calorie totals.
" about an hour later i was hungry despite having my snacks, so i ended eating more therefore going over my calories". Which leads to the creed that weight loss is independent of exercise and very dependent on calorie intake.1 -
If you're not lactose intolerant, many schools promote a couple cups of Chocolate Milk right after your workouts as it has an ideal Carb/Protein/Fat ratio to restore your muscle glycogen and encourage protein synthesis.
There are 100's of other post-workout supplements out there but simple is better. A peanut Butter Sandwich, Eggs and Toast, and more can work the same.
Basically you want to replenish your muscle glycogen with an easily digestible carbohydrate along with some Protein. It needed be full of calories, as ideally, you'll be having a regular meal later.
Quality over quantity. HOpe that helps0 -
There's no miracle food. Plan your day, like you did, but allow for more food/cals after your workout if that's when you tend to be hungry. Pre-logging your food can be very helpful, and makes it easy to add/remove/swap foods as needed. Plus, you end up with your meals all planned out for the day - all you have to do is follow that plan.0
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »The pre and post workout food/shake is a big bro-scientific myth. It's also a good ploy that companies use to sell their sheet.
Like a poster said above. Eat a regular three meals a day. And that is it. If you feel hungry, have a little cup of chicken noodle soup, without too much noodle.
Going to have to disagree with you on this. A good pre workout meal will give the body the fuel it needs for a successful workout. Personally I have a moderate portion of protein and a big serving of carbs before my workout to give me the energy that I need.
Disagree with the three meals a day idea too. You can eat as little or as many meals a day you want as long as you fulfill your calorie requirements. In this case I would recommend saving a good portion of you daily calories for an hour after your workouts since that is the time when you're most hungry.
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When I started to workout, I had to change the timing and protein amount of my meals a little to adjust to the new routine. I am in an office 8-4 so I eat small meals every few hours at work (200-300 kcal, 10a/12p/2p), a protein shake on weight lifting days (3:30p), and dinner after my workout (6p). I save a lot of calories for dinner (900-1000 kcal) because I like a big dinner. But this is the result of trial and error finding what works for me (in my case, increase protein and adding a 10a snack in the morning) and you may be totally different.
For rare cases of extreme hunger/munchies, I will look at my weekly deficit to see how I am doing and if I have a little wiggle room for something. But I don't like to rely on this too much- I prefer to use any weekly deficit for "special" times (out for dinner/party/etc) if I want to.
There is individual variation, so try a few things and see what you like and how you feel- one size program doesn't fit all. Good luck and keep up the good work
ETA: I put my kcals therefor reference, but I am not recommending you eat those amounts- you should eat whatever MFP calculated for you.0 -
I cycle in the AM and then I have breakfast. I lift in the evening a couple times per week and then I have dinner0
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I've never found my hunger tied specifically to workout sessions. In other words, I tend to get hungry at the same times every day regardless of my workout schedule and adding a workout doesn't make me any hungrier than I would have been otherwise.
OP - It's possible that your cravings aren't necessarily driven by workout timing but are more general hunger from eating to a deficit and/or having a target that's too low to cover the new exercises that you're doing. You likely just need to figure out what meal pattern will help you best adhere to your targets.
I personally like two big meals per day plus one small snack in the afternoon and one small snack in the evening. Others like a more even spread throughout the day and will eat similarly sized meals 4 or 5 times a day.
Eating right before a workout isn't strictly necessary unless you're doing some pretty intense stuff (many people workout first thing in the morning without breakfast). If you can perform your workout without eating beforehand, give it a shot. You can save those calories for a larger meal when you finish. One of the pluses of exercise as it relates to a calorie deficit is that most people don't feel hungry while they work out.
The next question is what kinds of foods tend to keep you the fullest the longest. Protein and fats do it for me (smoked salmon is a godsend at 35 calories an ounce) while others might have different preferences.0 -
For the vast majority of people just fit your meals and your workouts into your schedule in a way that's convenient and makes it easier to adhere to your calorie goal.
If you are hungry post workout then save some of your regular foods for afterwards.
For the tiny percentage of elite athletes, or for particularly long or very strenuous exercise, or if you need to refuel for a second workout...... then timing starts to make a difference.
Your body has plenty of "what it needs" onboard already. A regular workout isn't going to make a dent in those reserves.
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I don't get hungry afterwards but I do get weak and spacey if I don't eat right after. I've never fainted but post workout is the only time I've felt like I might. I keep a post workout snack/meal with me in my gym bag incase my next meal is too far off.
The snack/meal is 1 oz homemade beef jerky, 2 dates, and 14 pistachios. I usually try to have just one of the two dates, but bring two in case I feel I need it. Probably about the same as a good protein bar calorie/nutrition wise but much less expensive!0 -
Cutaway_Collar wrote: »The pre and post workout food/shake is a big bro-scientific myth. It's also a good ploy that companies use to sell their sheet.
Like a poster said above. Eat a regular three meals a day. And that is it. If you feel hungry, have a little cup of chicken noodle soup, without too much noodle.
Going to have to disagree with you on this. A good pre workout meal will give the body the fuel it needs for a successful workout. Personally I have a moderate portion of protein and a big serving of carbs before my workout to give me the energy that I need.
Disagree with the three meals a day idea too. You can eat as little or as many meals a day you want as long as you fulfill your calorie requirements. In this case I would recommend saving a good portion of you daily calories for an hour after your workouts since that is the time when you're most hungry.
So what happened to all the "fuel" your body took in and stored since your last few meals? And what about people who train fasted? I am one of those and I have great workouts!! I must be doing it wrong.
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Cutaway_Collar wrote: »The pre and post workout food/shake is a big bro-scientific myth. It's also a good ploy that companies use to sell their sheet.
Like a poster said above. Eat a regular three meals a day. And that is it. If you feel hungry, have a little cup of chicken noodle soup, without too much noodle.
Going to have to disagree with you on this. A good pre workout meal will give the body the fuel it needs for a successful workout. Personally I have a moderate portion of protein and a big serving of carbs before my workout to give me the energy that I need.
Disagree with the three meals a day idea too. You can eat as little or as many meals a day you want as long as you fulfill your calorie requirements. In this case I would recommend saving a good portion of you daily calories for an hour after your workouts since that is the time when you're most hungry.
So what happened to all the "fuel" your body took in and stored since your last few meals? And what about people who train fasted? I am one of those and I have great workouts!! I must be doing it wrong.
Doesn't mean you've been doing it wrong, you've just been doing it differently. Everyone has their own preferences, I was just giving what works for me. Also depends on when you had your last few meals, personally I need to have a lot of carbs 1-2 hours before my workout or else I won't have enough energy.
OP didn't specify that they were doing IF either so I assumed not, plus there are so many other variables that go into pre workout nutrition such as type of workout being done/intensity of workout/duration of workout.
For example, I would highly doubt you would train fasted if you were running for an extended period of time, however you might get away with it if you are doing a 45 minute weight training session.0 -
Cutaway_Collar wrote: »The pre and post workout food/shake is a big bro-scientific myth. It's also a good ploy that companies use to sell their sheet.
Like a poster said above. Eat a regular three meals a day. And that is it. If you feel hungry, have a little cup of chicken noodle soup, without too much noodle.
Going to have to disagree with you on this. A good pre workout meal will give the body the fuel it needs for a successful workout. Personally I have a moderate portion of protein and a big serving of carbs before my workout to give me the energy that I need.
Disagree with the three meals a day idea too. You can eat as little or as many meals a day you want as long as you fulfill your calorie requirements. In this case I would recommend saving a good portion of you daily calories for an hour after your workouts since that is the time when you're most hungry.
So what happened to all the "fuel" your body took in and stored since your last few meals? And what about people who train fasted? I am one of those and I have great workouts!! I must be doing it wrong.
Doesn't mean you've been doing it wrong, you've just been doing it differently. Everyone has their own preferences, I was just giving what works for me. Also depends on when you had your last few meals, personally I need to have a lot of carbs 1-2 hours before my workout or else I won't have enough energy.
OP didn't specify that they were doing IF either so I assumed not, plus there are so many other variables that go into pre workout nutrition such as type of workout being done/intensity of workout/duration of workout.
For example, I would highly doubt you would train fasted if you were running for an extended period of time, however you might get away with it if you are doing a 45 minute weight training session.
The issue with your original post was stating a good pre-workout meal is needed "to give the body the fuel it needs for a successful workout". Meals earlier in the day or the day before (depending on training time) is what the body uses for fuel. While a high carb meal 1-2 hours before training might make YOU feel energetic for your session, the truth is your body is using energy from the meals prior to your "pre-workout" meal. As you stated, that's your preference, but that should be made clear.
For the OP, possibly increasing your current protein intake post training may help you feel more satiated until your next meal.2 -
If you're not lactose intolerant, many schools promote a couple cups of Chocolate Milk right after your workouts as it has an ideal Carb/Protein/Fat ratio to restore your muscle glycogen and encourage protein synthesis.
There are 100's of other post-workout supplements out there but simple is better. A peanut Butter Sandwich, Eggs and Toast, and more can work the same.
Basically you want to replenish your muscle glycogen with an easily digestible carbohydrate along with some Protein. It needed be full of calories, as ideally, you'll be having a regular meal later.
Quality over quantity. HOpe that helps
Unless OP is an elite athlete and has multiple high intensity training session throughout the day, less than 6-8 hours apart, muscle glycogen will replenish over the course of the day with normal meals. No need to focus on the "post workout" meal for glycogen replenishment.2
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