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advice on best diet and whats the best thing to eat after going to the gym
- Thread starter wullieglasgow
- Start date
Hello,
It really depends what you want from your diet, likewise it depends what you want to gain from the gym. By understanding this, and then Understanding what your body needs (how big you are/want to be, how active you are ect ect) you will be able to work out the best diet for you.
What ever you choose try and keep to a well rounded diet as your body needs things from each food group to function. Believe it or not your body actually gets withdrawal symptoms from carbs, and they are not fun! However as I say it all depends on what you want to gain/lose and how fast you want the results. An extreme diet can be good for a short period of time but unsustainable in the long run.
So what are you looking to achieve? Do you want to lose fat? Build muscle? Increase fitness?
Exile
It really depends what you want from your diet, likewise it depends what you want to gain from the gym. By understanding this, and then Understanding what your body needs (how big you are/want to be, how active you are ect ect) you will be able to work out the best diet for you.
What ever you choose try and keep to a well rounded diet as your body needs things from each food group to function. Believe it or not your body actually gets withdrawal symptoms from carbs, and they are not fun! However as I say it all depends on what you want to gain/lose and how fast you want the results. An extreme diet can be good for a short period of time but unsustainable in the long run.
So what are you looking to achieve? Do you want to lose fat? Build muscle? Increase fitness?
Exile
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Hi first of all id like to lose fat bcause i think that will be easier to gain muscle id like to keep the same build but as muscle not as much fat i use to play rugby so as you can expect i do have a rugby players build but bcause iv not trained so long all the muscle iv had has been turned into fat i need to find a diet that i can do on a tight budget aswell i know what your thinking what a pain in the arse lol
Ok so your in the same boat I was a while ago. I'm guessing from your post that you're a fairly big guy (not necessarily really fat, just a large build person).
First of all cut out alcohol, you will be surprised how much of a difference this can make! What's your height/weight? If you want to burn fat and build muscle at the same time it can be tricky because you still need to get enough food to build muscle without eating the wrong foods slowing down fat loss. What I would do personally is have a normal eating week whilst training, record everything you eat including any drinks including calories. Weigh yourself at the start and end of the week. As long as you stay the same or lose the. You know that is the maximum calorie count you should be looking at.
Then it's just lowering that by 200-300 calories a day while eating the right foods to gain muscle. The best way of doing this is by having a high protein diet (don't cut carbs out, just eat the right ones). For best results you should be eating protein within 30 minutes after working out. Good meals are chicken or tuna steak with either cous cous or brown rice/pasta. Get a good whey protein (a lot of people think they are a myth, however they are a great way of getting protein without getting the calories from food).
Eat 4-5 small meals a day. Again some think this is a myth but as you are trying to lose fat you don't want your body to get hungry as this is when you will suffer and make things harder.
You can do simple things to help as well. Don't put milk in your tea/coffe, don't use sugar use low calorie sweetener. Also a strong black coffee is good 15-20 minutes before your work out. Caffeine raises your heart rate and alertness, this will not only start your metabolism increasing but get you ready for your work out.
Also cut out fizzy drinks, they contain citric acid which actually makes you hungry. Even diet ones (this I would suggest for the first few weeks until your body is adjusted to your new diet) after that diet drinks are fine and most contain little to no calories.
Another simple thing to do is drink water, lots of it. After your meal drink a large glass of water, this will make you feel more full up.
One main thing to consider is to have protein in each meal, not just for building muscle but protein actually releases the chemical in your body to make you feel full quicker than any other food group.
Think of food in a new way. Food is no longer something that you crave because you like the taste. Food is now a fuel for your body, you have to give it what it needs. I find it easier thinking like this (most dieting is in your mind). When you are hungry think of what your body needs rather than what your taste buss want!
I am not a personal trainer or diatrition. However this has worked for me! Don't forget cardio when you work out, yes you burn fat when you do weights however the fitter your body is the better you will be at lifting weights as you will be able to get oxygen to your muscle.
If you smoke, keep smoking until you have lost the fat you want to lose it will make it easier (again not medical advice just from experience).
If you struggle with cardio like I did because I found it boring 2 good ways to get it are cycling to the gym and martial arts classes. Kickboxing is great for cardio!
Try and stick to a meal plan for the first couple of months. This will make sure you are only eating what you need until your mind and body adjusts to your new way of life.
I hope this helps.
Exile
First of all cut out alcohol, you will be surprised how much of a difference this can make! What's your height/weight? If you want to burn fat and build muscle at the same time it can be tricky because you still need to get enough food to build muscle without eating the wrong foods slowing down fat loss. What I would do personally is have a normal eating week whilst training, record everything you eat including any drinks including calories. Weigh yourself at the start and end of the week. As long as you stay the same or lose the. You know that is the maximum calorie count you should be looking at.
Then it's just lowering that by 200-300 calories a day while eating the right foods to gain muscle. The best way of doing this is by having a high protein diet (don't cut carbs out, just eat the right ones). For best results you should be eating protein within 30 minutes after working out. Good meals are chicken or tuna steak with either cous cous or brown rice/pasta. Get a good whey protein (a lot of people think they are a myth, however they are a great way of getting protein without getting the calories from food).
Eat 4-5 small meals a day. Again some think this is a myth but as you are trying to lose fat you don't want your body to get hungry as this is when you will suffer and make things harder.
You can do simple things to help as well. Don't put milk in your tea/coffe, don't use sugar use low calorie sweetener. Also a strong black coffee is good 15-20 minutes before your work out. Caffeine raises your heart rate and alertness, this will not only start your metabolism increasing but get you ready for your work out.
Also cut out fizzy drinks, they contain citric acid which actually makes you hungry. Even diet ones (this I would suggest for the first few weeks until your body is adjusted to your new diet) after that diet drinks are fine and most contain little to no calories.
Another simple thing to do is drink water, lots of it. After your meal drink a large glass of water, this will make you feel more full up.
One main thing to consider is to have protein in each meal, not just for building muscle but protein actually releases the chemical in your body to make you feel full quicker than any other food group.
Think of food in a new way. Food is no longer something that you crave because you like the taste. Food is now a fuel for your body, you have to give it what it needs. I find it easier thinking like this (most dieting is in your mind). When you are hungry think of what your body needs rather than what your taste buss want!
I am not a personal trainer or diatrition. However this has worked for me! Don't forget cardio when you work out, yes you burn fat when you do weights however the fitter your body is the better you will be at lifting weights as you will be able to get oxygen to your muscle.
If you smoke, keep smoking until you have lost the fat you want to lose it will make it easier (again not medical advice just from experience).
If you struggle with cardio like I did because I found it boring 2 good ways to get it are cycling to the gym and martial arts classes. Kickboxing is great for cardio!
Try and stick to a meal plan for the first couple of months. This will make sure you are only eating what you need until your mind and body adjusts to your new way of life.
I hope this helps.
Exile
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Hi thanks for taking the time to post such a big reply i really appreciate it eh im 6ft and i weigh 20stone i dont really driink alot of alcohol bcause i work alot so i mite drink once every three months or so yeah i always do cardio when i go to the gym i try and do atleast 5/10mins on the treadmill or cross trainer but im goin to try all your advice i wasnt sure about whey protein do you think iim better taking it with water or milk also what do you think of sushi last nite after i went to the gym i went to asda and bought a packet of sushi do think thats good to eat especially after the gym im hoping to get into the run of eating better and goin to the gym but as you know its hard to try and get into the way of things also i find it so expensive to eat good and properly but i know it all takes time and especially effort also do you think that pro plus pills would wwork just aswell as coffee before goin to the gym as il be goin to the gym different times im aiming to go 5/7 nites a week lol as you can tell i dont have much of a social life lol. Thank you again for your help and advice mate much appreciate it what isit you do yourself as in what kind of security work
That's ok no worries. As for sushi not really sure to be honest, however have a look at the packet and look at content. Gym 5-7 times a week will be good if you can sustain it just make sure you are working different muscle groups as your muscle needs time to recover from a hard work out.
6 foot and 20 stone is not the end of the world. I was 22 stone 18 months ago and through a lot of hard work I'm not 16 stone and I'm 6,3". I'm now a lot fitter and a lot stronger than I was. I did the Cambridge diet for a while where I lost a lot of my weight initially but was very careful when I came off of it and used good meal plans. Unfortunately now I only manage to get to the gym 2-3 times a week due to work but something is better than nothing.
I was doing door work when I did the majority of my training, my now doing CP. That is one of the things that motivated me to lose weight, no one wants to hire an over weight CPO. Make sure you weigh yourself on a weekly basis and keep a record, there is loads of apps if you have a smart phone, seeing your progress will keep you motivated. You need to make going to the gym a habit rather than a chore. It is thought that if you do something consistently for over 3 weeks then it will become a habit. Going to the gym is easy for the first week as its new and different after that a lot of people try and find excuses not to go.
And yes I know what you mean about trying to make your diet cheap, it's really not easy as meat is not cheap. However eggs/rice/pasta all are. Tuna is a great source of protein but don't buy cheap tins as they contain a load of salt and preservatives! Turkey is good, it's cheaper than chicken and you get a lot more for your money. Another way to make it cheaper is to buy in bulk from butchers and then freeze. This does take a lot of planning, however it is easy to cook your meals for the whole day and make I to portions, then you only need to cook once a day.
Exile
6 foot and 20 stone is not the end of the world. I was 22 stone 18 months ago and through a lot of hard work I'm not 16 stone and I'm 6,3". I'm now a lot fitter and a lot stronger than I was. I did the Cambridge diet for a while where I lost a lot of my weight initially but was very careful when I came off of it and used good meal plans. Unfortunately now I only manage to get to the gym 2-3 times a week due to work but something is better than nothing.
I was doing door work when I did the majority of my training, my now doing CP. That is one of the things that motivated me to lose weight, no one wants to hire an over weight CPO. Make sure you weigh yourself on a weekly basis and keep a record, there is loads of apps if you have a smart phone, seeing your progress will keep you motivated. You need to make going to the gym a habit rather than a chore. It is thought that if you do something consistently for over 3 weeks then it will become a habit. Going to the gym is easy for the first week as its new and different after that a lot of people try and find excuses not to go.
And yes I know what you mean about trying to make your diet cheap, it's really not easy as meat is not cheap. However eggs/rice/pasta all are. Tuna is a great source of protein but don't buy cheap tins as they contain a load of salt and preservatives! Turkey is good, it's cheaper than chicken and you get a lot more for your money. Another way to make it cheaper is to buy in bulk from butchers and then freeze. This does take a lot of planning, however it is easy to cook your meals for the whole day and make I to portions, then you only need to cook once a day.
Exile
My Experience
Hi Exile
I have just been through the same as you, I was on a budget and wanted to lose weight. I am 6ft and was 16 stone and had a little excess round the mid section and on my face, so I watched what foods I ate and cut my portions down and stopped eating after 8pm if it was possible with work. If I was on nights I would have small portions but it averaged around 6 small meals. I trained around work in my garage and garden for around 40 mins and it worked out around 3 times a week. Its been around 2 months now and I have managed to trim down to 14 stone 12 and tone up, but there is still a bit of work but its coming. Its not the fastest loss but it worked for me around my work.
In the garage and garden I did a body circuit ( press ups, sit ups, running up and down the stairs which pissed the misses off lol, anything I could find to do an exercise on) I have a small weights bench and bar so did an old military weight circuit I used to do with the lads on ship and its worked so far. I worked with what I had at the time and watched what I ate and it seems to have done the trick. These fast diets are good for a quick weight loss but my thinking is the quicker you lose it the quicker it comes back on.
Good Luck
Matt
Hi Exile
I have just been through the same as you, I was on a budget and wanted to lose weight. I am 6ft and was 16 stone and had a little excess round the mid section and on my face, so I watched what foods I ate and cut my portions down and stopped eating after 8pm if it was possible with work. If I was on nights I would have small portions but it averaged around 6 small meals. I trained around work in my garage and garden for around 40 mins and it worked out around 3 times a week. Its been around 2 months now and I have managed to trim down to 14 stone 12 and tone up, but there is still a bit of work but its coming. Its not the fastest loss but it worked for me around my work.
In the garage and garden I did a body circuit ( press ups, sit ups, running up and down the stairs which pissed the misses off lol, anything I could find to do an exercise on) I have a small weights bench and bar so did an old military weight circuit I used to do with the lads on ship and its worked so far. I worked with what I had at the time and watched what I ate and it seems to have done the trick. These fast diets are good for a quick weight loss but my thinking is the quicker you lose it the quicker it comes back on.
Good Luck
Matt