A Self.com poll recently found that 22 percent of readers tend to pig out post-exercise. I (sadly) am in that group; a tough workout leaves me famished, especially later if I don't replenish my energy soon afterward. So now I always eat something within an hour of exercise. Turns out refueling right away may actually help prevent cravings later in the day—as long as it doesn't mean scarfing down a huge piece of chocolate cake!
These days I'm careful about what I choose: I go for a mix of protein and carbs, like trail mix with nuts and dried fruit, or a healthy bar like Luna or Pria. The combo of protein and carbs helps muscles recover and rebuild without undoing your work, says SELF contributing editor and Yahoo! Health expert Joy Bauer, R.D. (Other ideas: a small bowl of edamame or soy crisps, which you can stash in your gym bag.) Eating after a workout may even help you avoid muscle soreness.
More food for thought:
• Get milk. Exercisers who had 2 glasses of skim right after toning and another two an hour later lost 2 pounds of fat in 12 weeks, while those who gulped a sports drink lost only about 1 pound. (Cow's milk drinkers dropped four times more fat than those who sipped soy.)
• Save your cereal for breakfast. Eating carbs before exercising may reduce the amount of fat you burn, researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reveal. To fight fat, try a preworkout, protein-packed snack like lowfat string cheese or peanut butter instead.
Want some tasty and healthy ideas to fuel your workouts? Sign up for SELF's Recipe of the Week newsletter.
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