Post cardio meal?

Artificial Emotion

Artificial Emotion

Bluelighter
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
5,314
I am curious, what do you guys have in the way of a post-cardio meal? I am trying to lose weight and was wondering whether a simple whey protein isolatle shake with no carbs would be a good option or whether you would suggest something else?
 
As I'm sure you know, weightloss depends on your daily food intake rather than what you do immediately after a session of exercise. And ideally you don't need/want a protein shake. Instead have a regular meal with real food, high protein, good fats, high fibre, and a small amount of carbs (mostly from veggies).
 
I would agree with cfc about eating a solid meal rather than a protein shake. I would look at your timing though and try to get your meal in within 20-25 mins upon cessation of your cardio. That's why you see/hear ppl drinking protein shakes more often after their workout because they either don't have the time or dedication to pre cook their meal ahead of time and get it in within that timeframe.

Try to change up your cardio ever so often, maybe try some high intensity cardio training as well. I've always heard you burn fat for a much longer period of time after your workout if you do high intensity workouts.
 
Actually I'm planning on switching from running on a treadmill for 20 mins per day to 2 high intensity interval (HIIT) workouts per week so a large proportion of the calories burnt will be due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) or 'after burn', so I'm curious if the same would be true i.e. would you have a solid meal or not??

What about post workout using resistance training e.g. freeweights or kettlebells? I'm planning on having 70g maltodextrin and 20g whey protein - is this okay or not?
 
I eat 93% lean beef and potato after workout. Along with a salad. Do some HIIT after every weight training session and MISS on off days. Weight is coming down pretty quickly.
 
Not that I'm trying to be critical of your post workout meal but would it not be better to have a source of carbohydrate with a lower glycemic load? I guess it must be working because your weight is coming down but I'm curious as to whether the glycemic load or insulin index should be a factor in choosing what to eat specifically post cardio workout.
 
I'll say again, eat a solid meal, whether it's after cardio or resistance training. There's rarely a need for highly processed foods like whey or malto. A malto/whey drink is essentially akin to eating a protein Mars bar, and 70g of carbs is excessive, you really don't need a lot of carbs, especially when trying to shed bodyfat. Also, as always, try not to lose sight of the bigger picture: food timing is not that critical. Eat when it's convenient and sustainable to maintain.

As for exercise, you'd be better served doing more than 2 sessions of HIIT per week - try 4 or more as your schedule permits. And slowly start to integrate additional low-intensity exercise into your daily routine (walking, dancing, martial arts etc), gradually ramping up the quantity as the weeks go by to maintain fatloss.
 
Okay thanks for the advice, I really appreciate your help. It kind of goes against everything I've learnt on bodybuilding forums but just because everyone repeats the same thing over and over again it doesn't necessarily mean it's right.
 
Artificial Emotion said:
It kind of goes against everything I've learnt on bodybuilding forums
Click to expand...

Yeah, that happens a lot with me ;)

There's a herd mentality on a lot of the more popular bodybuilding forums, which tends to strangle the real-world diversity of views on bodybuilding practices and strategies. And also money is involved - hence the constant unnecessary promotion of supplements, whey powders etc, as if they're what this is all about.

The reality is that most popularised strategies will 'work' when performed repeatedly and consistently. You just need to find one that works for you. Most people end up obsessing far too much about fine details that have little value in the grand scheme of things, unless you're intending to perform at the highest levels (eg a competition). The Pareto principle generally holds true in this as in most things.
 
CFC, when you say do HIIT four times per week, does that mean I should do it on days I lift weights or would that cause me to overtrain? I ask because the workout schedule I'm doing is four days of weightlifting per week so there would be some overlap.
 
Just stick with fish and salad or chicken and rice. Basically anything with high protein a decent amount of fiber and some other good nutrients. and as someone else said, within 30 minutes of your workout
 
first post in this sub. I drink shakes instead of meals, protien "skinny gut" brand. with almond milk.

I cannot workout cardio nor weights due to a bad back....so i just try to eat as little as possible and eat ONLY veggies and fruites with occoasional tunafish. My downfall is drinking....stopping good tasting food was easy, drinking not so much...ive def cut back to about 2x a week with moderate consumption.

thinking of getting diet pills/amps so i can just drastically cut down on food altogether. I have to lose the weight due to my bad back. 1 have a beer gut and am skinny everywhere else so it puts lots of stress on my back. any advice?
 
LucidSDreamr said:
first post in this sub. I drink shakes instead of meals, protien "skinny gut" brand. with almond milk.

I cannot workout cardio nor weights due to a bad back....so i just try to eat as little as possible and eat ONLY veggies and fruites with occoasional tunafish. My downfall is drinking....stopping good tasting food was easy, drinking not so much...ive def cut back to about 2x a week with moderate consumption.

thinking of getting diet pills/amps so i can just drastically cut down on food altogether. I have to lose the weight due to my bad back. 1 have a beer gut and am skinny everywhere else so it puts lots of stress on my back. any advice?
Click to expand...

The best thing you can do for your back issue is keep it mobile with regular stretching exercises, and some strengthening work for support..
I dont recommend amphetamines, get yourself up and about, keep active..
 
LucidSDreamr said:
first post in this sub. I drink shakes instead of meals, protien "skinny gut" brand. with almond milk.

I cannot workout cardio nor weights due to a bad back....so i just try to eat as little as possible and eat ONLY veggies and fruites with occoasional tunafish. My downfall is drinking....stopping good tasting food was easy, drinking not so much...ive def cut back to about 2x a week with moderate consumption.

thinking of getting diet pills/amps so i can just drastically cut down on food altogether. I have to lose the weight due to my bad back. 1 have a beer gut and am skinny everywhere else so it puts lots of stress on my back. any advice?
Click to expand...

How bad is your back? Herniated discs?

Can you still swim?

It's going to tough to lose abdominal weight if you can't increase your activity/metabolic rate. Have you spoken to a physio about back exercises? You could also work with a PT to get a basic exercise routine that works around the problem.
 
I started doing HIIT every other day about 2 months ago as a general add to my rapidly improving life style. I walk an average of 7 miles a day and on days where I do HIIT it can be 9-12 miles depending if i go to the park or the track at the school to run.

Generally what i do, and im far from all knowledgeable on any of this is, have a meal prepared on one of my off days so i can come home after running and make basically chicken and rice. With that I have a protein shake and maybe a piece of fruit later in the evening. I drink the protein shake just to make sure there is an excess of protein in my diet. I probably dont *need* it but its nice to know for sure i am getting enough protein as all the other macros are easily had in excess usually, other then carbs i get enough but not a lot.

Its worked well so far. On the topic of the protein shake, i also avoid all sugars and artificially favored foods. This means i really look forward to the shake as it is the only intense flavor and moderately sweet thing that i consume usually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top