Site navigation and social media links
Why is it important to earn certain meals with a workout
Nutrition | February 20, 2017
As many of you already know, I have been following a control carb diet for well over seven years now. Eating this way keeps me energized, lean, and strong for my workouts and day to day activities.
I divide my meals into two major categories:
FM– Free meals
These are meals that are low in carbs, mostly based around veggies, protein, and healthy fats. I enjoy FM meals any time of the day.
WEM– Workout Earned Meals
These are meals that I have earned with a high-intensity workout and tend to be higher carbs. These are things like fast-digesting starchy carbs (such as baked potatoes, rice, legumes, white bread or pasta), certain fruit, and alcohol. I tend to only eat these on days that I have done a high-intensity workout.
While there is now new research that shows eating carbs right after your workout is no longer as important as the number of total carbs you eat over the course of the day, you can benefit greatly when you save these carbs for the days you do a high-intensity workout.
Here’s why…
After high-intensity exercise, our bodies are primed to accept and use nutrients (especially carbs) more effectively than on the days when we don’t work out. After an intense workout, our muscle and liver glycogen levels are running low. When you eat a WEM or a higher carb meal, these carbs get sucked up by your muscles, and it works to repair them and deliver nutrients more efficiently. When you eat carbs without depleting your glycogen stores, you are more likely to store these carbs as body fat, since muscle and liver levels are full.
Earning your carb-heavy meals with a workout is a great way to ensure you’re burning fat instead of storing it.
Rob Sulaver, Board of Advisors for Arnold Schwarzenegger, says, ”Eating a high carb meal when you work out will feed those hungry muscles without storing energy as fat. An influx of carbs will spike your insulin which will drive glycogen into your muscles and get you all prepped for your next intense workout. Plus, this carb/insulin spike helps with a cascade effect that returns your hormones to their happy pre-workout state, because while all those higher-stress hormones are great when you’re working out, you don’t want ‘em in your system all day.”
Earning your WEM meals with a workout will fuel your muscles, prep your body for the next workout, drive essential nutrients into your muscles, and help you burn fat instead of storing it.
Private Member |
prague, czech republic
I think that everyone should find their own way of eating. Your way might work for you and you love it, but for someone else it might not be sustainable. Some people can handle more carbs, some people are doing better with more fats. I think we should all experiment and find what works for us and not just follow someone else’s diet because it works for them and we would truly hate it 🙂
Private Member |
Thanks for sharing the explanation of the diet you post.
Private Member |
uk
so what about pre workout meal? is that can be high in carbs as well? you’ve got to get energy from somewhere.. ?
Private Member |
toronto, canada
I almost need a beginner low carb program haha – I feel amazing when I do this but I get super hungry… Thanks for the post!
Private Member |
ponte vedra beach, fl
I think this is a great way of eating but having kids pretty much makes it impossible. Like when you’re going out I noticed you’ll do a quick workout if you want to have a drink or dinner you don’t normally have. If I’m going out I don’t have time to do a quick workout and get myself ready and get the kids their dinner or dressed or whatever they need before I leave or we all leave together. I’ve tried in the past and it really pisses my husband off b/c it overloads what he has to do to get ready rather than us splitting what needs to be done. I am able to stick with it in the morning when I just have my little one at home but unless all the stars and moons are aligned in the evening it is not happening.
Private Member |
Same here, Amy. That is one of my main struggles and I think it is not worth to have an angry husband when you finally got a babysitter and want to go out and have some fun. My strategy right now is getting up very early, before hubby and kids, working out, then fasting till 9 or 10am and try to moderate the overall calorie intake.
Private Member |
amman, jordan
I feel you, plus no carbs drained me out of energy to keep up the kids later in the day.
I believe thats what the diet styles post was aiming for, every type of body has its own way of functioning and each one needs to figure out his own.
Private Member |
portland, oregón, clakamas
La Dieta baja en carboidratos me encanta !! Estoy con ella 2 años al prinsipio resulta bastante dificil llebarla acabo. Mientras el cuerpo se acostumbra o adapta a lo que es la dieta me a resultado muy bien grasias Zuzka todo lo que conpartes es muy bueno!!
Private Member |
switzerland/, france
glad to see (yet again another study) that following my instinct was not so wrong after all. Right after a workout I am not so hungry and prefer to eat veggies with protein (if any) and have carbs only a few hours later.
Private Member |
melbourne, victoria, australia
Thank you Zuzka for keeping us constantly updated and informed about nutrition. I’ve personally noticed amazing changes in my body since I’ve gave up simple carbs! I used to be hungry all the time, craving for sweets and processed food, gained belly fat and felt lazy. It wasn’t easy at the beginning as Iove dumplings, but now I can eat them only if I’ve earned it with my workout. I have so much more energy, I sleep so much better and I don’t miss any of that junky, processed food at all! I’ve lost over 7 kilos (16 pounds), my blood results are perfect and I don’t feel sleepy and sluggish after meals anymore. Planning meals and meals prepping help a lot. I also don’t have cravings since I quit sugar (I eat fruit instead). It’s become a habit and things get easier.
Private Member |
brooklyn, ny, usa
I do notice I am leaner when not eating more carbs (grains mainly). I’ve also got myself pretty brainwashed by the Paleo philosophy which may be a bad thing. Definitely have no interest in processed junk or simple carbs or sugars but I do hesitate even with “healthy” carbs like oatmeal and quinoa because everything I read (in the paleo-sphere) says they are unhealthy and cause inflammation etc. So when I do eat them (which is rare) I feel like I’m doing something really bad. It’s kind of ridiculous, it’s not like I’m eating a doughnut but a bowl of oatmeal with half a banana and I feel like I’m eating junk food. But regardless, I do work out on those “carby” days! I do agree that whatever works for you is the way to go. If I was eating grains more regularly and more fruit I’d definitely be gaining weight despite workouts.
Private Member |
mumbai, india
Oh i feel You. Paleo brainwash is the correct term. 😉 i am Sure it is a life-changer for a lot of People, but I feel the low-carb/ earn your carb Thing which started my healthy eating, also started an eating disorder and fear of certain food groups. Even though none of the diets I tried Made a significant physical or mental difference, I still feel the need to restrict certain food groups… Now it is meat and dairy products, which at least is good for the Environment, but not Sure if it good for my mind.
Private Member |
uk
I have yet to meet someone who got fat eating oats, beans, lentils, potatoes or bananas cos they didn’t earn it. If it makes you feel good you can follow the rule but I think it’s just going to mess with your head, make you fear carbs and create paranoia around food. Also what happens if for whatever reason you can’t exercise for longer period of time? Or just do low intensity like walking , yoga, pilates – no carbs (starches) ever in that case?
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
The point of sticking to slow digesting carbs is to maintain healthy weight and blood sugar levels. There are plenty of delicious options in the form of veggies, fruits that are lower in sugar, and healthy proteins and fats. I think that it shouldn’t be a problem to swap bread or pasta for nicely prepared veggies. The only reason why would anyone feel restricted is if they don’t know how to prepare healthy delicious meals.
Private Member |
I agree with you, Katarina. I don´t “earn” my carbs. I eat them when I feel like it. It doesn´t mean I´m eating sugar all the time. =D But you know, whole wheat bread, oats etc. I´m a vegetarian (prefering vegan eating) so beans and lentils are like my little friends. Which I eat. =D I eat lots of vegetables. (And some fruit.)
I train hard anyway so I feel like “earning” food kind of thinking does not resonate with me. And yes, I´m lean and I have stayed that way for years. And my blood sugar levels are perfect. I have followed them daily for curiosity, just to see do they really “spike up” that much. They don´t. At least mine. =D Things are not that black and white – everyone is different. =D
Private Member |
mumbai, india
I entirely agree with You… I have had a fear of carbs for years after starting to follow zuzka (and losing weight) and then went from paleo, intermittent fasting to “normal” (60% carbs, 30% Protein 10% fat) and now vegetarian/vegan which of course is higher in carbs and lower in protein and fat. And seriousl my bodyshape has hardly changed, Same as my health, muscle, wellbeing etc. Which of course might be different for others! But I also have a hard time believing that someone would get fat from oatmeal, potatoes and Rice…