What Should You Eat After A Workout?
This article is going to provide you with an optimal method for how to approach nutrition after your training session.
Especially after strength (resistance) training or HIIT cardio with a duration of at least 45 minutes.
Stress/Recovery/Adaptation Cycle
Resistance training done correctly breaks down muscle fibers and depletes muscle glycogen. That’s good stress to the body because in order to build muscle and become stronger, you need to move a load that is challenging to your system and follow it with nutrition that supports recovery. Those two steps, if done correctly, will help you adapt and grow.
What you feed your body after a workout will do one of two things, help or hurt. The benefits of proper post-workout nutrition include:
Improved recovery
Reduced soreness
Increased ability to build muscle
Improved immune function
Improved bone mass
Improved ability to utilize body fat
Reduced chance of injury
Improved performance
A question I receive often is what someone should eat after a workout and this is going to be frustrating for a lot of people but the answer is “it depends”.
If your goal is to lose weight, then what you eat after a workout has to fit the number one rule of losing weight: calorie deficit. This doesn’t mean your post workout meal should be low in calories. One component of proper recovery means getting enough calories to refuel your body. If you skip out on calories, you’re sabotaging results as well as performance the rest of the day. It’s hard to function in real life when all you can think about is food and hunger.
Some people strictly believe in whole foods and others believe in supplements (protein drinks); I believe a combination of both to be more optimal.
Why?
Digestion of nutrients is different when the source is coming from solid foods versus liquid foods. The breakdown and digestion of solid foods is much slower than the digestion of liquid foods. Some people are very hungry following a workout while others don’t have the hunger levels for eating. Either way, they both need nutrients to rebuild.
Nutrient timing is important, it is also somewhat overrated. You don’t need to eat immediately after a workout, however, that doesn’t mean you should overlook when you consume food after a training session. Overall calories and macronutrient distribution matters way more than when you consume calories or supplements for losing weight and body fat or gaining weight and building muscle.
Protein and carbohydrates play two different roles post-workout. If you leave one out of the equation, then you’re sabotaging your progress and results. For example, if you just have protein and no carbs, then protein can’t effectively build and repair muscle fibers because it now has the task of replacing muscle glycogen that was depleted from your workout.
For someone who is fasted or didn’t have a pre-workout meal, having a post-workout meal immediately following a workout might help you build more muscle. It also might not make a difference. Remember, overall calories will determine success or failure with body composition over time.
Is there a “Window of Opportunity”?
There’s a lot of studies that shows you should consume calories post workout immediately to maximize recovery and results. However, a study done (Here) on nutrient timing post-exercise concluded that total daily calorie consumption is a better approach to maximizing training adaptations than timing. The only time when timing outweighs total calories is if you’re training in a fasted state. Here’s what I personally like to adhere to:
Within 2 hours
I have a protein shake within 30 mins of my workout.
I have a full meal within 90 mins after my protein shake.
Within 2 hours post-workout, I’ve consumed two meals where most people have one or even nothing.
How Much Should You Have?
Brad Schoenfeld: Researcher/Educator on muscle building/fat loss.
Here’s what I consume after most workouts on average.
Protein Shake Macros/Calories
40g protein
51g carbs
2g fats
382 calories
Chipotle Macros/Calories
Brown Rice
Fajita Veggies
Chicken
37g protein
41g carbs
12g fats
424 calories
Total Macros/Cals
77g protein
92g carbs
14g fats
806 calories
Recommendations
Whatever you can afford consistently.
Whatever you can easily consume consistently.
Whatever tastes good FOR YOU and that you can stick with on a consistent basis.
I’ve tried everything at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe and they all made my stomach bloat, didn’t taste as good as I had hoped for and even made me break out (allergic to shellfish). If you’re still out there searching for something better, here is my suggestion.
I’ve been taking 1st Phorm supplements for two years now. Someone I looked up to in the fitness industry and trusted talked about what she takes so I tried it out. I can’t tell you how much happier my stomach is because of this decision and the quality of taste is high.
For my post-workout shake, I get their Vanilla Milkshake protein with Ignition, mix with water and it tastes like an ice cream shake from Nifty Fifty’s every time.
Here is the link to order it and try it out: Here
A couple things before you click that link.
I do get a small commission if you use that link.
You get free shipping.
I wouldn’t risk my reputation or integrity to make money. Your trust in me matters more than I can express.
Last but not least, it’s going to be THE BEST post-workout shake you try in your life. 110% money back guarantee
How To Meal Prep 4 Meals in 6 mins
Meal prep is one of the easiest things you can do to change your body. For those of you that have never done a meal prep, the idea is to prepare as many meals as you can in the shortest amount of time for the most amount of days. That's the simplest way to describe meal prep. To give context, I'm a personal trainer and lived most of my day away from home. This means I'm unable to cook my food as I get hungry which leads me to buying a lot of the foods that I eat. This gets expensive real fast. Personally, the hardest things I think about is how can I stay in a calorie deficit so I can lose weight and how can I get the right amount of protein every day so I don't lose muscle. In this video, my go-to breakfast his overnight oats, my go to post workout meal is chicken and rice after a post workout shake, and my snack is a protein bar. For the most part, I use intermittent fasting as a tool to help me lose weight by limiting my eating window. This way, I'm able to condense the amount of times I'm eating in a day and still hit my macros.
Lunch wise: I don't like soggy chicken so I order cooked chicken from the deli downstairs where I live. I use instant rice for carbs.
Breakfast wise: I use Maple and brown sugar oatmeal packets. I use unsweetened vanilla cashew milk. One scoop of meal replacement protein powder.
Supplement wise: I use a multivitamin with greens powder, Fish oil, Post workout shake with Ignition & Creatine, BCAAs, and a pre-workout without caffeine.
The simpler your diet is, the easier it will be for you to follow it. I don't recommend this for everyone, but I do recommend you try what works and try what doesn't work for others to see what's optimal for you.
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today —> Learn how here
Use Intermittent Fasting as a tool for losing fat today —> Here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”
Best Dietary Supplements To Lose Weight
Which supplements should you buy for losing weight and dropping body fat is tough. I explain what you should look for in this article.
If you think buying 1, 2, maybe 15 dietary supplements is going to help you lose weight… you’re absolutely right. The question to ask here is why are you spending a shit-ton of money on supplements in the first place? I want to save you money and years of frustration with this one piece of advice. If you’re not strength training at least 3x a week, if your nutrition is not at least 80% aligned with your goals, if you’re not getting a minimum of 6 hours of sleep a night, buying supplements will not be your answer. If you’re new to losing weight or if you’ve been unsuccessful with keeping the weight off, I want to teach you How To Track Your Macros and How to Lose Weight Without A Diet. Hopefully you will learn something new after reading those two quick articles. Now, I’m going to quickly explain the pros and cons of supplements that are most beneficial for weight-loss without boring you to death.
The role of dietary supplements is to complete or fill in the gaps you need help with in your diet. Do not be the old Abel who wasted thousands of dollars on pills like Hydroxycut and other fat burners thinking that if I took these pills, I could eat whatever I want & lose fat. Did I lose weight, yes, but what happened when I got off those pills is that the weight came back and some more. Sound familiar? It took me years to understand my body and nutrition (this process never ends for the person who wants to get better) so my intention here is to help you prevent making the same mistakes I did and years of frustration.
A weight-loss supplement should do a few things:
Reduce Appetite
Increase fat burning
Reduce fat absorption
Increase the feeling of satiety (feeling full)
For all the benefits you can get with a weight-loss supplement, you should be aware they also have side effects that will make you think twice before making a purchase. Supplements aren’t regulated by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which means companies can lie about the ingredients and dosage as well as the damage it can do to your body that isn’t reversible (like death). The most popular ingredients have been banned (Ephedra, Hydroxycut products, Fen-Phen, and Meridia) by the FDA because of harmful side effects like:
Increased Heart Rate
High Blood Pressure
Agitation
Diarrhea
Sleeplessness
Kidney Damage
Liver Damage
Rectal Bleeding
Now for the part you’ve been waiting for. Best Dietary Supplements to lose weight:
Caffeine: Has the ability to boost metabolism and increase fat burning short term. Caffeine is found in a lot of weight loss pills for its effect on blunting hunger & increasing performance during workouts. The best sources of caffeine are found in coffee, green tea and preworkouts. To those that don't know the side effects of overconsumption, too much caffeine can cause anxiety, insomnia, jitteriness, irritability, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few.
Green Tea Extract (GTE): Included in a lot of weight loss supplements. The main antioxidant in it, ECGC, promotes fat burning. Studies show that GTE increases the activity of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps you burn fat, and can target belly fat directly. All of the benefits you get from GTE is also found in Green Tea.
Protein Powder: Your muscles are built by protein. Protein is the one macronutrient that burns the most calories through the digestive process and the one macronutrient that fills you up the most compared to carbohydrates and dietary fats. What this means is by increasing protein intake, you’ll reduce the urge to overeat foods that won’t help your body composition, strength, or staying in a calorie deficit. Protein powder is a great alternative option when you can’t cook or buy protein rich foods. Caution, protein powder is a supplement and substitute in your diet when you need help reaching your protein goals, protein powder should not be your go-to source of protein.
The first two supplements are included in a lot of weight-loss supplements because of their effectiveness. But are you interested in buying supplements or having long-term results? If that answer is yes to results that last forever, you shouldn’t buy another supplement until you have a basic foundation on nutrition, until you’ve tried different meal plans or until you’ve started tracking the calories you eat. If you’re being fed supplements without education, you’ll forever remain a prey to marketing and your life will become one big spinning wheel where progress is dangled in front of you like a carrot but can’t taste it. I want to help you make better decisions that will stick with you for a lifetime.
Here’s a list and explanation of the supplements I take everyday that I think anyone can benefit from, especially those looking to lose weight. Remember, the role of a supplement is to add to your diet, filling in the gaps where you need help the most. In order for you to lose weight, it’s less about buying quick fixes and more about a lifestyle change.
Multivitamin
No one’s diet is perfect and because of this, no one is getting the right amount of nutrients for their lifestyle.
What I use (here)
Fish Oil
I don’t eat fish daily (high dietary fat reasons) so I get my Omega-3 (EPA/DHA) source in pill form. If you like having considerably less joint pain and inflammation, this supplement’s for you.
What I use (here)
Protein Powder
I can’t get 240g of protein from food alone, protein powder provides convenience & eliminates excuses.
Meal Replacement shake (my favorite is cinnamon cookie batter)
Post Workout Shake (Ignition makes the shake taste like ice cream)
Creatine
Increases lean tissue mass (muscles), performance in the gym and strength.
What I use (here)
Coffee
I like my coffee black with liquid stevia. This helps eliminate the need for sugar and milk (calories), blunts hunger so I can extend my Intermittent Fasting (source), and increase focus and energy.
Fat Loss Stack for Men and a Fat Loss Stack for Women from 1st Phorm (optional)
This supplement helped me fall asleep faster with better quality sleep, increase my focus and energy like coffee, and controlled my appetite.
Action Steps You Can Take Now
Start tracking you calories for weight-loss today! Learn how here
Lose weight without a diet. Learn how here
Use Intermittent Fasting to lose weight. Learn how here
Hit your Goal Body Weight in protein every day. Find your protein number here
Strength Train 2-3 times a week. Have 1 Day of cardio if you want. Don’t have a routine? Send me an email & I’ll give you a FREE 4 week program here: abel@aymhigher.com with the subject “4 Week AYM Higher Program”