Be Prepared for Post Workout Ravenousness

How many of you are guilty of this: You have a great workout, come home starving, reach into the cabinet or the refrigerator for the easiest thing you can eat to curb your hunger pangs, and before you know it, you've consumed enough to cancel out the workout?

Guilty as charged. I have done this more than once, and aside from the extra calories, it's a shame to squelch the energy and good feelings from the workout with guilt from eating the wrong things. So I decided that to combat my tendency to eat up a storm post workout, I needed to plan ahead.

Let's be honest. I know myself, and I know I'm going to be ravenous after I exercise. I also know that my body needs to refuel, but I want to do that with foods my body can actually use for nourishment and energy, not ones that will slow me down and make me feel heavy! In the past, I have come home after a workout to binge on blue chips and hummus, pretzels, multiple bowls of cereal... all things that are not terrible in small portions, but I'm talking an entire container of hummus and half a bag of chips!

My best advice is to prepare your post workout snack or meal beforeyou exercise, that way it's ready and waiting for you when you finish. For example, today I made a baby spinach salad topped with raw string beans, carrots, chopped cashews and almonds, and half a can of plain tuna. I went to the park for a jog, and when I came home, ravenous as expected, all I had to do was dress the salad and toast a slice of whole grain bread. Easy! Plus, I felt great knowing that I fed myself protein to refuel and colorful veggies filled with fiber, iron, and antioxidants. Perfect post workout lunch!

For more advice on how to plan to optimize your health, schedule a 1-on-1 Breakthrough Session with me. Upgrading your health is easier than you think with the help of a coach to encourage you when you're feeling stuck and give you a kick in the rear when you're slacking off! Make your health a priority - you're worth it.