I hope everyone knows how important the dietary piece of the puzzle is by now when it comes to losing weight and staying fit: nutrition is about 70-80%. So you want to make sure you’re fueling your workouts in the best possible way. After all, what you’re consuming during your workout probably isn’t a leisurely 4-course meal with your boyfriend, so let’s try to make it nutritionally optimal. But you don’t need to plan it yourself! Lucky for you, I’ve created this workout nutrition guide for you.
One thing that is often neglected in the fat loss diet is the need to eat enough fruits and vegetables. You often see fitness models with egg whites and bowls of oatmeal, with no fruits or vegetables in sight! Some might even argue that fruit is fattening! Here’s the deal: Eating too much of anything makes you fat. The fruit has been given an especially bad name because of the sugar it contains. However, you’ll be glad to know that sugar isn’t always bad.
Raw fruits and vegetables are absolutely crucial to a fat loss diet because of all the vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber they contain. They can also help you stay more satisfied throughout the day while managing your blood sugar and insulin levels.
Speaking of insulin…if you were to ask most professional fitness models what the most important hormone in your body is for building muscle*, they might say testosterone.
*: REMEMBER, in our world (ie girls who want to look fabulous) building muscle really means getting toned, defined and burning more fat. It does NOT mean getting bulky, so please don’t be afraid to build muscle. Muscle will help significantly in your fat loss efforts.
Actually, the most important hormone when it comes to building muscle is insulin. The good thing is that, unlike testosterone, taking insulin will not cause you to grow balls or hair on your face. It’s easy to completely control your insulin intake with your diet without the use of strange pills.
Insulin is a hormone that is released in response to a rise in blood sugar. Its action can be good or bad depending on the moment you ingest it.
Let’s start with the bad news: the downside of insulin is that it stops fat burning.
Here’s the good news: Research shows that blood sugar spikes during and immediately after exercise will NOT stop fat burning. Insulin will actually send sugar and amino acids to your muscle, HELPING with growth and recovery. And better growth and recovery means more muscle building.
So, let’s put it all together:
* You need more fruits and vegetables.
* You must have something sugary during and after your workout for insulin to be released.
* You can’t realistically eat food during or after a workout, as blood rushes to the muscles during exercise and it’s hard to digest anything.
* One more thing… a new sports nutrition study consistently indicates that adding a little protein to your workout drink will make a big difference in your progress.
So here’s the answer: You should have a smoothie made up of fruit (which cuts out the sugar) and some protein powder. You have several options for this:
1. Visit Jamba Juice or your favorite juice bar and order a smoothie with a scoop of protein.
2. Put fruit and ice in a blender at home and add a scoop of protein. Mix well.
3. If you’re really pressed for time and need something pre-made, you’ll have to sacrifice some nutritional value. Have a naked “protein” juice or Odwalla. Definitely not your best option, but better than nothing.
Drink this gradually throughout your workout and afterwards. I usually start drinking it about 20-30 minutes after my workout.
Don’t be surprised when you start to see faster results.
