The Best Pre and Post Workout Meals Explained
However, after a few months of research I have found that my best workout and recovery performance comes when I have a pre-workout meal as well as an easily digested meal immediately after my last set. Sure, it is probably overkill but it has
worked for me and that is what is important.
Pre-Workout Meal
I typically workout in the morning before work which means I have very limited time to get a meal of any
substance in. However, I actually don’t like to workout after a heavy meal. In addition, I find that if I don’t eat something about and hour before I workout then the workout suffers as my energy is down and I don’t have the gas in the tank to lift some heavy weights or get through the metabolic conditioning.
With that in mind, I keep it light and try to get some fast acting carbs in with a bit of protein. In addition, I throw in some caffeine in there for a bit of a pick me up which I also find works nicely.
The Pre-Workout Meal Recipe:
- One cup unsweetened apple sauce
- 30 grams of chocolate or vanilla whey protein
- Tassimo hot chocolate
- Tassimo Cappuccino or Latte with Espresso
I eat the apple sauce and protein mixture at around 5:00 am which is one hour before I hit the gym. I drink the mocha coffee on the way to the gym. This meal makes me feel great and provides me with exactly the right amount of energy I need for my workout.
Post-Workout Meal #1
My post-workout meal is not my invention. The guys at 2110 Fitness put me on to it and it is a recipe put
Orange Juice Skim Milk Honey Strawberry Protein Shake
together by THE name in sports nutrition Susan Kleiner. In her book Power Eating (in my opinion this is the only nutrition book you need to buy if you want to learn about how to eat for performance) she gives a few really good recipes, but the one I like the most is her Muscle Building post-workout formula for men.
This is the quick meal I take right after I am done the workout.
The Post-Workout Meal Recipe:
- 1 cup skim milk (I use Lactaid milk)
- 1/2 cup calcium fortified orange juice
- 1/2 cup strawberries
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 30 grams whey protein (ON tastes the best – click here)
If I have access to a blender then I mix this up and down it. If I don’t have a blender then I eat the strawberries whole and then drink the rest. Either way it takes awesome and based on Susan’s research it works to help recover from a tough workout.
Post-Workout Meal #2
About an hour (or so) after that blender drink I eat my first full meal which usually is breakfast. In this meal I try to get a good mix of carbs and protein and even a little bit of fat. I like this balanced meal as it totally fills me up as I am usually starving at this point and want something to hold me for a couple of hours at work.
This meal is not going to satisfy the paleo folks at all as it includes grains, but I find I do well with grains and like them, especially after my met con sessions.
Post-Workout Meal #2 Recipe:
- 1/2 cup dry quick cook oatmeal
- 1 cup water
- 1 whole egg
- 30 grams raisins
- 10 grams unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
To make this, just crack the egg into the dry oatmeal and break the yolk. Add the water and stir until it is really mixed. Pop it in the microwave for around 1:25 and stir. Add the raisins, coconut, and flax seeds. I sometimes add some Walden Farms Pancake syrup on it for additional flavour. It tastes awesome with or without it.
Summary
At the end of the day, as long as you get a balanced meal in with enough calories no matter what time you eat it you should be fine. A lot of diet gurus like to convince you otherwise, but until you really get down to low body fat it is just noise. These pre and post-workout meals taste great and will help you grow.
Update on the Outsourcing of My Nutrition
Two Clear Nutrition Profiles for ME
It has been very clear to me that with all the various nutritional protocols out there, the one that works best is the one that works best for me. I have tried everything from paleo, Eat Stop Eat and other intermittent fasting protocols, and low/no carb. My nutrition coach has been very helpful is bringing me back to basics and focusing me on eating natural foods, not getting too worked up about macros, and just controlling calories. As such, I now have two different eating phases that I will be working with over the next year.
The first protocol is the fat loss protocol and is obviously focused on losing fat. The second protocol is the maintenance/muscle building phase.
The Fat Loss Phase
This phase is all about lowering my body fat. It is not about losing weight. I do not really care about how
much I weight. What I am concerned about is whether percentage of body fat is going down. It is important during this phase to try to minimize muscle loss.
During the Fat Loss Phase I minimize lean muscle loss by working out with heavy weights, making sure I eat right after working out, and consuming some Xtend BCAA’s (best flavour is Blue Raspberry) during my workouts.
Here are the details of my protocol for fat loss:
- Monday: Fast
- Tuesday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Wednesday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Thursday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Friday: Free Day (within reason:just a few extra sweets here and there plus dinner out with my wife)
- Saturday: 2000 – 2200 kcal
- Sunday: 2000 – 2200 kcal kcal (can be higher depending on family dinners or hunger)
The type of Fast I do during this phase is Eat Stop Eat. Basically it is a 24 hour fast that starts after my last meal the day before and ends at dinner the next day. I like to do this on Mondays because although I plan to eat within my calorie guidelines on Sundays, I am much looser on this day because of family dinners and I let my hunger allow me to eat a bit more. I am able to negate any bad effects of this by fasting the next day. The Wednesday fast is simply to add a second fast in during the week. I find that one fast is all I can safely handle in one week.
My calories vary by about 200 calories per day, and that totally depends on hunger. If I am feeling ok I go lower, but if I need it I go up to 2200 calories. This range of calories for me allows me to lose about 1.5 to 2 pounds per week. Don’t get me wrong, I am hungry at times and when fat loss is your goal you will be hungry sometimes. Don’t let anyone tell you that won’t happen on their “special” diet. If you want to lose fat you will be hungry at times.
However, if you are hungry enough where it starts to affect your sleep and you are cranky and lethargic then you are eating too few calories. I have experienced this prior to this protocol and it is not fun. It actually limited my results as I was putting my body through too much stress. Don’t go too crazy low – figure out how many calories you need to drop to to lose 1.5 to 2 lbs per week while not wanting to kill yourself!
What I eat to fill these 2000 – 2200 calories is important. If I eat crap food then I am hungry all the time and feel like shit. Instead, if I focus on eating natural foods like meats (chicken, fish), veggies (lots of lettuce, spinach, tomato, artichoke), grains (brown bread, whole wheat pita bread), and legumes (black beans, red kidney beans).
The Mass Gain Phase
What I really like about my program is that the mass gain phase is strikingly similar to the fat loss phase. I eat the same foods and I use the same Monday fasting protocol. I also take in the same Xtend BCAAs which help me get through my workouts and just ease damn awesome. I like it so much better than just water. (Hint: Load you water bottle up with ice and one scoop of Xtend plus 1 scoop creatine monohydrate and you have a totally refreshing drink during your workouts).
My calories also only go up by a little bit. Here is the mass gain protocol I am using:
- Monday: Fast
- Tuesday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Wednesday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Thursday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Friday: Free Day (within reason:just a few extra sweets here and there plus dinner out with my wife)
- Saturday: 2300 – 2550 kcal
- Sunday: 2300 – 2550 kcal kcal (can be higher depending on family dinners or hunger)
Again, if I am a little more hungry then I go with the higher end – it totally depends on the workout I had that day.
Summary
I was only able to get to this comfortable place where I am now confident in my diet with the help of my nutritionist. As I am done my first stint with him, I am now going to work on putting the plan in action on my own. I am going into the mass building phase and look forward to seeing the results. Of course I will be posting about them on Digital Weight Loss.
My Online Nutritionist – The Diet to Get Ripped and the Rules I Lived By To Lose 16 Pounds (So Far)
The day after I signed up with an online nutritionist on a recommendation from the trainers at my gym. Turns out this is what I needed as it gave me the direction and tools I needed to get myself in to shape. As of December 9th, 2011 I am now down to 151.9 pounds and 17.5% body fat.
A Realization That I Need To Count Calories
In an ideal world, I would not need to count my calories as part of my diet to get ripped. There is a lot of research and suggestions from a lot of internet gurus that counting calories will lead to a quick trip to the nuthouse due to the planning and 
time it takes. However, as successful as I am at work and with a lot of other things I am involved with, I have a hell of a time managing the food I put into my mouth. It is very easy for me to over eat it I am not super structured and plan my meals the night before.
What this means for me is that I need to actually determine the calories I am going to put in my mouth each and every day. Every night I plan out my meals for the day based on the calories I need for the day. I then actually prepare those meals and put them in plastic containers so I have them ready for work the next day. Very simple and takes the guess work and on-the-fly decisions of what to eat.
The Rules I Now Live By – SIMPLE
The way my nutritionist worked was not to tell me a bunch of rules to live by, but rather has taught me how to plan and cook natural meals that support an active lifestyle and a diet to get ripped. That being said, I did some analysis at his request to determine what I learned and how I am going to continue with my progress without him, and here is what I came up with. These are the rules that I will live with as I plan out my eating strategy for months to come:
With a BMR of around 2200 kcal (based on RMR or 1650), I need to each less than that to lose weight
- A post workout shot of protein and coconut water. This provides me with a quick shot of nutritionally sound food to support a beat up body after my metabolic conditioning or lifting sessions.
- Five to six meals per day – this is just to keep hunger at bay and because I struggle if I get too hungry.
- A 24-hour Eat Stop Eat fast once or twice per week to further reduce weekly calories.
- As long as the food is natural and not full of sugar or processed crab, I do not worry too much about .
- Balance the carbs, proteins, and fats in each meal – don’t worry too much about the ratio, but I try to get some protein in every meal. The key is everything in moderation and not trying to overcomplicate things by eating too much of anything.
- Eat more calories on days I workout and less on off days.
- Take one day off from counting per week – my days are Fridays. I eat pretty much whatever I want on Fridays.
Some Typical Meals I Eat on a Given Day
To give you a sense of what I might eat on a typical day as part of my diet to get ripped, here are a few of the meals that I eat:
Breakfast:
- 1 slice brown bread
- 1/4 cup egg white
or
- 70 grams 0% greek yogurt
- 50 grams frozen raspberries
- 1/3 tbsp flax seed
Lunch:
- 1/2 cup black beans
- 30 grams avocado
- 70 grams bbq chicken
- 2 cups of lettuce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
or
- 2 slices brown bread
- 70 grams turkey slices
- mustard
- 1 cup lettuce
- 2 pickles
Dinner:
- 1/2 cup prepared brown rice
- 100 grams bbq chicken
- 8 cherry tomatos
- 1 cup lettuce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
or
- 1 brown pita
- 100 grams chicken
- 2 small Babybel Gouda cheese
- 1 cup lettice
- 30 grams black olives
- Make this as a pizza and put under the broiler – awesome!
Snacks:
- 60 grams grapes
- 20 grams almonds
or
- 1 slice bread
- 25 grams natural peanut butter
- 1 medium banana
There are a lot of other options available as well. Nothing is really off the table as long as it is natural, I watch the calories, and it is a balance of carbs, fats, and protein.
My Trouble Spot Still – The Weekend
There is still one trouble spot I need to get under control and that is the weekend. At work during the weekdays everything is very structured. The weekends are much looser and a such I can find myself out and about more often and do not have the set meal plans. However, I know the answer is bringing some structure into it and planning these days just as I do the weekdays. That way I will be able to manage it and not blow the progress from the week.
Fitness Training Weight Loss and Strength Training Ebooks
The Problem: The Marketing of Online Programs
There are so many programs available online, with what seems to be a new one every week. Many of these programs are great and can help people with their fat loss goals (or muscle-building goals). The problem is not with the programs themselves.
The problem is with the marketing of these programs
Every time a new fitness training weight loss ebook comes out the blogosphere bands together to intensly market and sell the new ebook or online program. And each and every time this new strength training ebook is described as the next best thing; the answer to all your fat loss and body recomposition problems. It is very easy to fall for the hype, sign up for that new program and be insanely motivated for the next couple of weeks as you start that new program and dial in your nutrition and lifting to match the methodology outlined in the ebook.
And then you check your Google Reader and there is a push on the internet for a new fitness training weight loss ebook that sounds awesome with a clear call to action to buy the program and answer all your fat loss and muscle building problems with this new revolutionary program that promises to change your life. You buy the ebook and drop that last program and start this new better one.
And the cycle continues….
The Issue Is a Lack of Focus
The problem with the new program cycle is that at no point do you allow the program to do the work it was designed to do. That is the key here – each of these fitness training weight loss programs that you buy on the internet can and probably will work. However, that will only happen if you follow the program as outlined and follow it for at least 6-months to get the benefits.
Most (not all) of the online ebooks being sold for fat loss and body recomposition can and will work if you let them. However if you do not focus on that one program and instead jump from fitness training weight loss program to program you will spin your wheels constantly and not get there.
How to Use Online Resources
The key, as already alluded to, is to pick a program you want to follow, and stick with it for at least six months. Really work the fitness training weight loss program to the tee and follow the instructions exactly as outlined in the ebook. Let is do its work. At the end of six months if you are seeing the results you expected, great.
If at the end of the six months you are not seeing the results, check to make sure you are doing everything as outlined in the book. If you are sure you are following it to a tee, then the program is not for you and now it is a good time to find a better program for you.
Which Programs to Focus On
As I look back at the fitness training weight loss programs and online resources I have purchased in the past, there are two nutrition programs that really stick out that have worked very well for me and provided me with the foundation to see positive gains.
The first is Lyle McDonald’s Rapid Fat Loss. This fitness training weight loss program was the quickest and safest way to lose a lot of the initial weight really fast. It provided me with the best foundation with which to build on and get in better shape. It spells out exactly what you need to do to see fat loss (not muscle loss) over a very specific amount of time and then how to transition out to a maintenance or regular diet plan.
The second ebook is Brad Pilon’s Eat Stop Eat. This program provides a very simple to follow method for managing your weight without getting into too much detail with respect to counting calories, macros, or meal timing. Essentially, a couple of times a week you do a 24-hour fast where you consume no calories. This fitness training weight loss method has provided me with a very easy way to manage weight.
In terms of a strength training ebooks I actually don’t have one to recommend. The reason is that the ones I have seen are really based around diet as that is the most important factor to losing fat and getting ripped. The above two ebooks will help you with that. There are number of free resources available online that can help you build an effective program. Check out Max-OT or Layne Norton’s Power/Hypertrophy Routine. Both of these are designed to put on some muscle, if you have your diet in check. There is enough free stuff available that you do not need strength training ebooks to see results. Just focus on the fitness training weight loss ebooks focused on weight loss and you will be set up.
A final recommendation on the exercise front is to find a gym like a cross-fit facility that does all the exercise selection for you. My gym has three times a week metabolic conditioning program that adapts as I do. Cross-fit facilities do the same.
A Scale That Motivates You To Get in Shape – The Withings Wifi Body Scale
A weight scale is a weight scale right? Step on, look at some sort of display that is either analog or even digital, and read your weight in pounds, kilograms, or stones. Simple product that would be hard to improve upon. That is what I thought until I saw the Withings Wifi Body Scale
. The folks at this company took a simple product that no one thought could be improved upon, and improved it.
How it Works
With most scales, you put it on a flat surface, step on and read your weight. With the Withings scale there is a bit more setup involved. First thing you need to do is go to the Withings website and download the initiation software so that your computer can talk to you scale for the initial set up. Once this is downloaded and installed on your system, you use the included USB cable to connect your scale to your computer (Mac or PC). Form there the software you downloaded goes to work and walks you through the setup steps getting your age, height, and most importantly details of your wifi network in your house.
For this step you are going to need the name of your wifi network and the password to join that network.
Once all that is done the scale is good to go – you place it on a flat surface and step on it for the first time. The scale goes through its test, determining your weight, body fat, lean mass, and body mass index (a useless metric). Once complete the scale does its magic – it sends out the readings to the Withings website where it is updated for you.
Your Results Displayed
The scale communicates with the Withings servers and presents the results on your own password-protected area of their site. On this site you will see your weight, body fat, and lean body mass displayed neatly for you. You can see my owns personal results in the image below (click for a larger view):
The beauty is that all this happens behind the scenes – step on the scale in the morning and immediately the scale sends the data to the website so you can view it later and analyze your results.
iPhone App
There is also an good iPhone app that you can view your results on. It works very similar to the website, only formatted better for the iPhone. I actually find I use the iPhone App more than the website as I am out and about. Here is what the app looks like (not my results):
Twitter / Facebook Social Networking
If you were so inclined, you are also able to have the scale Tweet or Facebook your results each time you weight yourself. You would think that someone like me who blogs about his weight loss and fitness journey would be ok with this. However, I have not used it and don’t really like the idea of doing this. Maybe one day I will turn it on – but not right now!
The Body Fat Measurement
It is generally accepted out there that the body fat measurements done by these body fat scales using electro-impedence are not that accurate. However, I have found the results to be generally accurate, as compared to my BodPod results. That being said, I do see the normal swings in body fat from the morning to evening measurements, which is a result of my hydration levels. However, I use the scale at 5:00 am in the morning shortly (30 minutes) after waking up to try to manage out the variables. With these scales the number is not the most important thing – it is the trend. I want to see my body fat going down over a period of a few weeks.
Why The Scale Works for Me
One could argue that a norma body fat scale without the wifi feature could do the same thing, but I find the way the scale sends my data to the Withings website or iPhone app that I can track and analyze very motivating. I like to see the body fat go down and actually look forward to waking up in the morning to step on the scale. I do not worry too about the day-to-day fluctuations that I see, but love to see the longer term trends (now three weeks of reduced fat and weight). This is very motivating and rewarding.
If you are in the market for a new scale, I would recommend the Withings Wifi Body Scale
Where to Get the Scale
I bought mine at the Apple store however I wished I had checked Amazon as the prices are definitely cheaper there. You can view the positive reviews on the scale and buy with free shipping at Amazon. Click here to read more.
