What you do after your workout is just as important as the exercise itself, so why are you refueling with junk? You exercise to look good, lose weight and/or to keep fit, and because it’s good for your heart and health so I don’t know why people think it’s okay to pig out right after a workout session. After a leisurely stroll around the lake, one woman curbs her hunger by buying a couple of chocolate bars. That’s right, not one…a couple! I don’t know what brand or size she buys but a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar is 210 calories and more than half of those calories are from fat. Your body is primed for food after exercise so you want to replenish with water, carbohydrates and nutrients, not fat and sugar.
A friend of mine always wants to schedule a workout before lunch so we can go out to eat afterwards. Restaurant meals are always higher in calories, salt and fat than what I make at home so dining out is what I limit to once a week. I don’t want to eat a heavy meal after hard training either. What I prefer is fruit blended with water, ice and protein powder. It’s low in sodium and calories, is refreshing and guilt free.
Exercising won’t offset frequent bad eating habits. You cannot eat anything you want no matter how much or how hard you exercise. You can have your snack, just save it for your cheat day (which is once a week, not seven days a week!). Stop thinking of food as a reward and treat yourself to a football game or a spa day instead. You won’t remember what you ate in September 2013, but you’ll definitely recall that event.