The Truth About Post Workout Meals And Fat Loss

If you just thumbed through any popular health and fitness (fiction) magazine, you’ll probably find an article or two about proper post workout meal recovery. You would probably find a ton of information regarding all of their super cool, fancy supplements that promise to get you rock hard abs, build a bullet proof chest of muscle and help you drop excess belly fat fast .

Post workout meals are essential when it comes to proper recovery after exercise. However, many people go overboard with this because it does not apply to everyone and their current situation.

A perfect example of when you should have a post workout meal after you exercise is if you’re current goal is to build muscle. Ideally, you want to consume some form of carbohydrates and protein right after you train. This is usually in the form of a shake. You want these nutrients to be digested and assimilated quickly so you can create a sharp rise in insulin and protein synthesis.

Now when you apply this to someone who is trying to lose belly fat, the opposite is true. For example, if they are trying to get ripped in 2 weeks, they really need to cut out all carbs. According to Dr. John Berardi, if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t worry about consuming carbohydrates after you workout. In fact, the best time to have any carbs is right before you train. This will cause a sharp increase in insulin right before you exercise so your body is in a heightened, anabolic state.

By having your post workout meal with carbohydrates right after you workout when you’re trying to lose weight, you are blunting lipolysis (fat burning) because of the increased insulin levels. The best meal to have right after a workout in this case would be just pure protein in the form of a shake or a solid meal. When I’m dieting, I like to eat more solid foods since they help to keep me full for longer.

Now if you’re thinking that your muscles will atrophy and you will never recover, that is just not true. Your body will adapt. Plus if you are on a low calorie diet, you shouldn’t be going to complete failure with the weights. If anything, you should be lifting heavy, not to failure and for multiple sets to force your body to preserve your lean muscle mass.

All in all, the post workout meal rule should not be a one size fits all program. If you are trying to lose fat, then there is no need for a high carbohydrate meal right after you workout. If you are going to have anything, just have a protein shake or a solid food meal consisting of just protein.

Save the carbs for muscle building.

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