A 29-year-old busy professional told me she was not losing enough weight although she took out one hour for herself daily to alternately jog, walk and do workouts. I asked her about her meals and was surprised to know that she usually picked up her post-workout snack or dinner from a fast food chain. “I am on an intensive exercise regime. Why should it matter where I am getting my calories from? I am burning them, aren’t I,” she asked.
What she didn’t know is that although a one-hour jog can burn up to 400 calories, those calories can be easily reversed in minutes by the intake of a sweet snack or a meal at a fast-food outlet. She, like many others, made the classic mistake of ignoring diet while focusing on intense exercise. In reality, about 70–80 per cent of weight loss is due to diet and only about 20-30 per cent due to exercise. The key is to feed your body intelligently, not pamper it unnecessarily and not undermine the workout by eating the wrong foods. In the absence of voluntary control over diet and a calorie deficit, physical exercise will not result in noticeable or long-term weight reduction.
Why shouldn’t you have a heavy meal after walking or your exercise regime?
Having dinner or a big meal right after a walk, particularly if it’s of the burger and fried chicken kind, oozing with cheese and spreads, can potentially contribute to weight gain. In fact, you should not eat immediately after walking or workout as intense physical activity can stimulate appetite. While walking can boost metabolism initially, if the meal is large and followed by inactivity, the body may not efficiently burn those calories, leading to fat storage. Exercise builds muscle, reduces cardiovascular disease and promotes sound mood but nutrition is the engine.
So how should one eat after an exercise session?
Just have a balanced, portion-determined diet. We told the woman that even if she wanted to have a burger on a certain day, she should have it in the middle of the day, share it with a friend and have a smaller portion so that the calories could be worn out during subsequent workout sessions.
After activity, it is best to consume light, protein-based foods to aid recovery without over compensation. Similarly, skipping meals on the false belief that it will enhance weight loss actually slows down metabolism and causes overeating in the long run.
In the 30-60 minutes after your workout, your muscles can store carbohydrates and protein as energy. Wait for 45 minutes to an hour before eating if you are into intense activity and longer if you are just a walker. For carbohydrates, go for whole grains and healthy proteins like skinless chicken breast, beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds. Opt for unsaturated oils as a cooking medium such as olive oil, canola or sunflower oil. The body stores these healthy fats which increases the availability of energy during the next day’s endurance exercise.
Have plenty of fluids infused with lemon, lime or cucumber slices. Replenish electrolytes and minerals through fruits, leafy green vegetables, fatty fish, low-fat dairy products, nuts and seeds. Although sports drinks, tablets and powders can do the same, these could be high in sugar and caffeine.
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What to eat before your routine?
Fuel up two hours before you exercise. Drink water, eat healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereals, fruits and vegetables. Avoid saturated fats and proteins, even healthy ones. Your stomach digests these types of fuels slower. This takes away oxygenated blood from your muscles to aid digestion. Try a piece of fresh fruit, such as an apple or banana.
(The author is senior dietician, Marengo Asia Hospitals, Gurugram)
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