“I’ll have an order of hot wings, spicy please and a Coors Light.”

At 25 years old, this was my standard dish after my aerobic class. With my workout partner sitting across the table from me, we laughed ridiculously about class, our uncoordinated moves, and how fine the instructor was.

We were young, slim, and trim, and as far as we were concerned, we were going to stay that way forever.  Lol! When you’re young, you think that way; at least I did.  

Recently I saw a video of “The Stanky Leg Workout,” and I laughed so hard. These people have a blast dancing to a choreographed aerobic workout. The class is getting their cardio in, as well as getting their heart-rate up.  

For some reason, the video reminded me of the early ’90s when me and my girl worked out then feasted on the hot wings and beer.

I wondered what the participants in the class ate after their Stanky Leg Workout. I wondered if it mattered to them or if they understood how important their post-workout meal is to the hard work they put in during class.

After all, when I was 25, I didn’t give a hoot about post-workout nutrition. It didn’t matter. I was lean; I could not gain weight, I did not have any fitness goals, so what I ate did not matter. We worked out because it was fun. Both of us were married and with kids. We enjoyed the hour of “me time” away from work and family.  If this is the case with you; that’s cool; enjoy every minute!  If you workout for additional reasons, this post is for you. 🙂

What are your fitness goals?

Fitness goals motivate your behavior.  Fitness goals dictate what you do before, during, and after your workout.  Your goals move you to live better. 

I am not an expert, a certified nutritionist, a certified personal trainer, or any other fitness pro (yet); however, for over 20 years, I have lived a healthy lifestyle and continue to educate myself in the world of fitness and nutrition.  It just keeps getting better.

I care about myself and…

I care about you!  I don’t have to know you to care about you.

Every day I see the results of unhealthy lifestyles. I see it in children, parents, and my family. I have lost family members to cancer, diabetics, and morbid obesity. It hurts.

When I see an obese child, it makes me sad; and I want to cry. I know it is likely they are teased in school.  If nothing changes for these children  (or their parents), they will experience a lifetime of struggle, some may fail to reach their full potential in life.  The prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States is disturbing. 

By the way, I AM NOT saying that a person cannot be heavy or large and be in shape and live happily. I’m talking about lifestyles that lead to major healthy issues such as, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, strokes, and more.

I want to take these obese children and the parent by the hand and tell them there is a better way. In reality tho, I’d probably be told to mind my business, so I stay in my lane.

I receive daily emails, texts, private FB messages, and phone calls from people asking me for help; these inquiries compelled me to write this post.  My advice to you is to sit down and decide what your goals are and to write them down.

Don’t generalize: “I want to lose 20 pounds.” Instead, be specific:

To reduce my blood pressure to ______ and to reduce or get off my medication, I want to lose 20 pounds.

Start a food journal.  For three or four days, write down the following:

1. What you ate/drank.
2. How much ate (estimate don’t measure).
3. When you eat (time of day).
4. Why you’re eating (breakfast, lunch, stress, boredom, at a party, etc…).
5. How you felt after you ate.

This may seem time-consuming and cumbersome; however, to get the results, you MUST do the work… inside the gym and outside. There are no quick fixes.

If you don’t understand what you do or why you do it, you cannot make progress.

So what should you do after any workout?

Eat within an hour. If you are not going home immediately after your workout, pack your meal, and take it with you to your workout. Eat it in the locker room, in the car, or on the bus, just eat.  After a workout, your body is in recovery and needs fuel to recover.

If you’re into bodybuilding, pre and post-meal workouts are more complicated.  This post is for the average person.. if there is such a thing.

Eat what?  This will vary greatly depending on your fitness goals.

Generally speaking, avoid:

• fast food
• fried foods
• processed food (such as lunch meat)
• sugary drinks/soda (including diet sodas and fruit punch)
• packaged foods
• frozen foods (except vegetables and fruits)
• can foods

Try eating:

• green/leafy food (spinach, broccoli, kale, collards, brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc..)
• lean meat (skinless, boneless chicken, turkey, beef, etc…)
• fish
• beans (sometimes I use organic canned beans, but I always rinse them thoroughly)
• water
• brown rice or pasta
• Quinoa
• yams/sweet potatoes
• whole wheat vs. white
• yogurt (plain with fresh fruit)

This lists above are general.  Again, depending on your health and fitness goals, your diet will vary.

Before starting any fitness regimen or nutrition plan, you should ALWAYS discuss it with your doctor.

Likewise, if you are being treated by your doctor for any condition, discuss and develop a plan with them.  Safety and overall wellness should always be your first priority.

I hope this helps. 

Thanks for stopping by. Have a fabulous day!