Post-Workout Meal For Fat Loss
When on a fat loss diet, you’re likely going to be carefully tracking how many calories you’re eating on a regular basis to make sure you’re right where you need to be. After all, the total amount of weight loss you experience virtually comes down to how large of a deficit you create with your calorie intake, making it vital that you’re eating just the right amount.
Your post-workout meal is not a time you want to skimp on nutrition however, as it’s actually during this time that nutrition is going to matter the most. Here is what you need to consider when forming your post-workout meal for fat loss.
Type of Workout
The first thing that needs to be assessed is the type of workout you have just performed. If it was an intense weight lifting session that lasted 50 minutes, your post-workout meal for weight loss is going to be vastly different than if you would have just completed 30 minutes of moderate paced cardio.
As such, taking this into consideration first before deciding any other factors is a must. If it was a weight lifting workout you performed, it’s vital you take in both carbohdyrates and dietary protein. If it was just a cardio session – moderately paced, you can get away with no meal, or even just protein if you really like.
If it was sprint cardio on the other hand, then you need to treat this very similar that of a weight training session, getting carbohydrates and protein once again (although potentially in lower portions).
Protein should stay relatively constant at about 25-30 grams if you weigh between 120-175 pounds and 30-50 grams if you weigh over that. It’s carbohydrates that will really change depending on the duration, intensity, and total body weight.
The longer the workout, the more carbohdyrates you are going to need. Likewise, the more intense the session, again, you’ll need more carbohydrates to recover. Finally, if you’re a much heavier individual, obviously you will have more muscle mass to replenish so again, up those carbs.
A standard recommendation for a moderately long/intense workout is between 25-50 grams, adjusting up from there depending on the factors just described.
Type Of Weight Loss Program
The second thing you should think about is the type of weight loss program you are on. Are you using a strict low carb approach? Are you using a targeted ketogenic diet (low-carb with carbs around the workout period), or are you using a mixed approach?
If you’re using a targeted low-carb diet, you will want to get in as many carbs during the post-workout period as you can since this is going to be the only time during the day you get that concentrated form of energy.
If you’re doing a strict low-carb diet, then this scenario is slightly different and you’ll be doing a large carb-up during the weekend (assuming you are performing intense exercise at the same time).
Finally, if you’re doing a mixed diet approach, the post-workout carb volume won’t be quite as important since you will also be taking in carbohydrates throughout the day.
Meal Preferences The Remainder Of The Day
Another factor that can impact the total calorie intake of the post-workout meal is how you prefer to eat the rest of the day. Are you okay with eating a strict, low-calorie diet for the rest of your diet? If so, you may want to put a larger portion of your day’s total calories immediately after the workout (up to 50% of total calories to be consumed).
If you’re someone who experiences hunger quite frequently throughout the day, you may want to keep your actual meals slightly larger, hence you won’t have such a big post-workout meal.
Since it’s the daily total calorie amount you must hit if you hope to lose weight, everything must balance. The more calories you have after the workout, the fewer you will have left over for your other meals.
It can be more beneficial to have more of your calories after the workout (for reasons talked about here), but if that causes you to eat more calories during the rest of the day regardless, it’s not going to be worth it for you.
Actual Food Selection
Finally, the last thing to influence your post-workout meal is the actual food selection. Protein is usually filled with protein powder since it’s a very convenient and fast-absorbing option, but carbohydrates can vary.
Fruit is typically not the best option post-workout, simply because of the higher fructose content. Instead you want to opt for something that is pure glucose or starch, since these are the muscles that will fill the muscle cells the best.
Some individuals prefer solid food sources such as bagels, sugary cereal (it’s actually good to eat at this time), cereal bars, low-fat pancakes, potatoes, and so on, while others prefer to just use dextrose added to their protein shake so they aren’t eating any solid food.
So, be sure you’re keeping these post-workout issues in mind while you plan your weight loss diet. You must not neglect this meal entirely or you won’t see as good of results from your workout or your diet program.
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