What to Eat After Workout to Lose Weight & Belly Fat

What to Eat After Workout to Lose Weight & Belly Fat

You do regular exercise or workouts to support your weight loss goals. After much physical activity, you will surely crave food. This is normal as your body has used a lot of energy during the workout. However, you cannot just eat any foods you find as mindless eating will increase the risk of you consuming more calories from unhealthy foods. So, if you prepare a pre-workout meal for more energy during such an exercise you practice, you should also do the same for a post-workout meal.

Another thing to remember is that your body needs to recover from energy loss due to heavy physical activities. It will be hard for your body to do it if you do not replenish your energy within 15 to 30 minutes after the workout. The good news is your post-workout meal does not have to be heavy. Even a little post-workout snack will do.

What to Eat After Workout to Lose Weight

Before getting straight to post-workout snacks, let us talk about the importance of having a post-workout meal. Why is it as important as a pre-workout meal? Your body will burn calories whether you work out or not. The more active you are, the more calories you will burn. So, it is important to replenish the lost energy by eating the right foods after your workout.

So, without further ado here are some of the best foods to eat after a workout for weight loss.

Super fiber booted-foods: Fruits, vegetables, whole grains

Do you know that fiber-rich foods are helpful in weight loss? As a matter of fact, they are essential in any weight loss journey. Soluble fiber slows down digestion, making you feel full for a longer time. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and lowers cholesterol. On the other hand, insoluble fiber promotes regularity and prevents constipation.

You can find soluble and insoluble fibers in many fruits and vegetables. Fruits like avocado, raspberries, and oranges are rich in soluble fiber. Meanwhile, items such as carrots, wheat bran, and dark leafy greens have high levels of insoluble fiber. You may also get fibers from whole grains.

Foods rich in protein: Protein shakes, grilled chicken, ricotta cheese, etc.

When muscle proteins are broken down during heavy exercise, eating protein will help you build lean muscle mass again. There is no need to be highly selective with protein-rich foods as both whey protein and lean protein are helpful.

Consuming a good amount of protein provides your body with the essential amino acids, which promote muscle protein synthesis. Through it, your body will have building blocks for new muscle tissues needed to build up your muscle mass again.

You can prepare a post-workout meal with dietary protein powder. You must be vigilant with the source of the product you are buying. Surely, you do not want to spend your money on fake products.

To reduce the hassle, you are encouraged to have nutrient-dense foods instead. High-quality sources of proteins include but are not limited to berries, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, skim milk, ricotta cheese, and kefir. You may also prepare a trail mix with grilled chicken and string cheese.

Complex carbs: Sweet potato, oats, whole grain bread

Eating carbohydrates while losing weight is not bad. Your body still needs it, especially when doing regular exercise. While protein is good for muscle building, you need carbohydrate-rich foods to boost energy. Indeed, experts recommend consuming protein and carbs at the same time.

You have plenty of sources of carbs-rich foods. Sweet potatoes, whole grain, bread, and serials are just a few examples. Many fruits also contain healthy carbohydrates. If you need specific recipes, you may prepare a baked sweet potato with a post-workout smoothie containing protein-based veggies. You may also combine whole grains with Greek yogurt.

Healthy Fats: Almond butter, avocado, olive oil

Health Canal Publishing believes in and supports a safe weight loss journey. As you start your weight loss journey, you may be thinking of eliminating fat in your diet for the fear of gaining weight. It is paired with the fact that the more calories you consume, the more your weight increases. However, our body still needs some fats. Thus, instead of removing it entirely, choosing healthy ones is the best.

Based on research, fat may slow down the absorption of what you eat, but it does not reduce your post-workout meal’s benefits. Instead, it helps in improving your overall health. In relation to weight loss, it supports better body composition. So, it is okay if you want to consume some low-fat chocolate milk.

We recommend food with healthy fats like almond butter, avocado,  and olive oil. You may add them to your post-workout smoothie or oatmeal.

An Overview of Sports Nutrition

Sports nutrition plays a big role in the success of most athletes and people aiming for sustainable weight loss. Its aim is to optimize the positive effects of physical activities along with balanced meals. The website of Nutritionist Resource defined it as “the study and implementation of a diet/plan that is designed to increase athletic performance.”. Sports nutritionists’ aim is to provide the right number of foods under each type including fats, carbohydrates, and proteins, according to each person’s needs.

Is it for everyone? If you are an athlete, you will surely benefit from it. Otherwise, it can still be your personal choice. One thing to remember however is that nutrition programs may be different from one person to another, depending on your body chemistry and goals.

Timing Your Post-Workout Meals

Proteins build up muscles. Carbohydrates give more energy and assist proteins in regaining your muscles’ strength. Healthy fats bring benefits to your bodily functions. However, things do not end with these.

Be aware of time when having post-workout nutrition meals. Did you know that your body’s ability to rebuild glycogen and protein increases after doing work out? To maximize this, have your post-workout snacks right away or within 45 minutes after the exercise. Delaying it may decrease protein and glycogen synthesis, sacrificing the growth of your muscles.

Conclusion

Having the right knowledge on what to eat pre and post-workout is important in any weight loss journey. It helps improve your body composition and supports better overall health. Choose healthy fats, fiber-rich foods, complex carbs, and protein-rich foods time your meals properly to maximize the benefits. Besides the aforementioned foods to eat, there is a list of unhealthy foods to avoid compiled by The Peach Kitchen if you want to lose belly fat.

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