As we mentioned in our eating for a better workout guide previously (Eating to a BETTER workout - Lose Weight), we will be doing two different post and pre workout plans depending on your fitness goals. The most common goals I see are to lose weight and gain muscle. Now, these don’t have to be mutually exclusive, you can do both at the same time but it will be a much slower movement to both results. I would recommend getting yourself within 5 to 10 pounds of your goal weight before trying to tone up. If you are combining strength training and a high protein diet with your weight loss journey, you will naturally get toned, but to get that extra edge you really need to take weight loss out of the equation. This is because we need to feed our muscles. While weight loss is built around using more calories than you consume, muscle gain is focused on feeding the muscles to allow them to grow. Without proper nutrition, you simply cannot put on noticeable muscle mass.
The reason for this is because we need protein to repair the muscles after a workout. How muscles grow is through micro injury and repair. You may notice that after a hard strength training session you are sore the next day. The soreness probably lasts 1-2 days and then you feel back to normal. This soreness is a combination of lactic acid build up. Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic respiration, which often occurs in heavy cardio and workout sessions, in order to deliver oxygen to your body faster than your regular breathing allows. The other aspect of healthy soreness (soreness that lasts longer than 3 days is injury) is micro injury to your muscles. These tears need to be repaired by protein, if you do not provide your muscles with adequate protein to heal it will simply repair the muscle with no added size, but providing ample protein will give your body the ability to build the muscle faster.
How much Protein?
This is always such a big question. The rule of thumb is one gram of protein for every pound you weigh for hard training, but it is my personal opinion this is something to mess around with and find what works for you. I have done a gram per pound a day and seen big gains, but then 2 weeks out it tends to taper off. Then when I drop my protein to around one gram for every 2 pounds my definition jumps back up. The time you eat your protein and what type of protein will also come into play. Try not to consume more than 30 grams of protein in one sitting, or you won't digest it all. Also try to actually eat your protein, get it from naturally occurring sources like legumes, leafy greens, oats, meats and dairy over supplements. Another good rule of thumb is to make no more than half of your protein coming from supplements.
Pre Workout Snack
Because we are looking for a hard workout, we need energy. Whereas in the weight loss tips we opted for fasted cardio or using caffeine to help give a short burst of energy, here you want complex carbs and fats as a pre workout to give you energy and something to burn off. We aren't looking to burn off calorie and maybe muscle, but to have the energy required to push through the work out. Aim for bananas, berries, low fat yogurt or cottage cheese, nut butters and whole grains. A piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter and a banana is my favorite dense pre workout. It gives fat, protein and carbs.
Post Workout Snack
You still run the risk of overeating. Just because we aren't looking to consume less calories than we burn off does not mean that we are looking to consume more calories than we burn off either. We are trying to reach a balance as much as possible. If you are feeling especially drained, a glass of water and a shot of protein powder can be taken immediately after getting home, but avoid eating much else if you had a snack before until you have given your body time to cool down. After a shower and change of clothes you should be ready to determine your real hunger levels and be out of the danger zone of overeating. Again you want to replenish what you lost in the workout, but do not go crazy. A typical weight training session of 30 minutes only burns 90- 130 calories so you don't need much more than a scoop of protein to replenish your calorie loss. While weight training will speed up your metabolism and make you burn more calories daily, it in and of itself does not actually burn a lot of calories. If you are not feeling hungry after your water and protein, there is no need to eat much else until your meal. If you are hoping to do a meal, again opt for greens and protein, no more grains for this after workout meal, replenish vitamin and mineral loss but not calories, since you have already replenished calories with your protein scoop.
As with anything, this will all be largely a personal effort. Most importantly listen to your body and what it needs. If something is making you feel sick, do not keep consuming or doing that thing. If you feel a craving for something like say raspberries, pick up some raspberries! Often this is the body telling you that you are missing some key nutrient. Of course this only goes for healthy foods, cravings for pizza and French fries may not be coming from the same source. Remember that ultimately you are hoping to improve your wellness and well being so as much as you may not enjoy all aspects of working out or eating right, there should be some pleasure in it or you will never stick to it. Do not make yourself suffer but instead look for food and workouts that are both fulfilling the body wellness needs as well as bringing you some pleasure. Happy workout!
What are your favorite pre and post workout snacks? We would love to hear from you at info@bullionite.com