You like to exercise, you’ve developed a routine of working out. So you think you’re fit, but what most don’t realize are the poor detrimental habits they have after their workout.
What doing so does is causes them to gain weight or fat, resulting in the workout becoming redundant. Many wonder what the heck?
Some post workouts have become so routine, they’re not even recognized as being bad habits. Most then aren’t getting fit, losing weight, or gaining muscle.
Instead, the weight or fat continues to increase, even once continuing the exercise regularly.
So what needs to be understood, is considering your actions post workout, which may be the cause of the weight gain.
8. Sports And Energy Drinks
What’s pounded by ads on social media are athletes constantly downing sports and energy drinks, before and after their workouts.
It’s not that these drinks are bad for you, this depending on the type of drink or situation, but your body usually doesn’t need what’s in them.
Those who train intensely may need the high sugar and electrolytes they contain, but the average weekend warrior doesn’t. The sugar they contain can actually cause weight gain.
Unless the activity is extremely demanding such as running a marathon, the body can’t properly digest the sugar, so it turns into fat.
So instead of just grabbing an energy or sports drink thinking you’re an elite athlete, eat snacks instead which are high in nutrients, and drink plenty of cool water infused with lemon.
7. Not Committing Yourself
Not being able to commit isn’t just bad for your personal relationships, but also bad for your next workout, as you’ll just pack on the pounds.
Feeling great after a workout, should be something you look forward to and embrace.
So once the endorphin high wears off after a workout, you should be making plans to do it again. Just remembering how great it felt, should be enough.
Those who exercises regularly, makes it a habit in their daily schedule, by religiously planning their next workout.
It’s best to set up a dedicated time daily, determining that exercise isn’t just something you do whenever you feel like it.
Most make working out a mandatory part of their day. Then once you do happen to miss a work out, you feel guilty.
6. Rewarding Yourself Too Easily
There’s a dangerous mindset that exercising, even moderately, gives you the ticket to ingest as many carbs and calories as you want.
So as a post workout reward, many will eat poor detrimental foods such as a chocolate bar, and it becomes a habit.
They know it’s easy for them to gain weight by eating sinful sugary food, but fool themselves into believing they’ll just burn it off during their next workout at the gym.
All they do however, is just gain weight and fat, and can’t figure out why.
Rewarding yourself is fine, provided it’s in moderation, this to reach your weight loss goals.
If gorging on sweets has become a bad habit for you after your workout, then it’s time to snap the addiction. Your cravings shouldn’t be overtaking your willpower.
5. Thinking You’ve Done Enough
Exercising is an intense and exhausting process when first starting out.
Fitness junkies however, constantly crave the endorphins, the feeling of accomplishment, as all the happy chemicals kicks in, forcing them to exercise harder the next day.
Not everyone likes to exercise however, some dread it, so they don’t bother working out hard, while thinking they are, which causes weight gain.
What needs to be realized is you need to work out hard at all times, but most don’t do enough, such as working out just once a week.
Don’t just adopt the “concept” of working out, giving yourself a pat on the back you exercised, then use that excuse to down a pint of ice cream.
Most think working out once a week, earns them the right to eat anything they want, which only packs on the pounds.
4. Not Properly Stretching
It’s not “stretching” itself that causes weight gain, but what improper stretching does, is causes muscle pain, discomfort and at times injury, this during your workouts.
This forces you to not perform your workout properly. Many will get sore or hurt from not stretching properly, as it’s a mandatory process.
Once you miss a few days because of an injury, is when you gain weight. Missing a few days, also makes it difficult to get back into routine.
All this can be avoided, by properly stretching before and after workouts, to preserve and train your muscles.
What proper moderate stretching such as leg lifts does, is soothes out tense muscles, knots, and pressure points.
You’ll then begin to notice that stretching has a positive effect.
3. Not Drinking Enough Water
Dehydration is one of the most common issues for those who work out. Not realizing how it affects their physical ability and fitness goals, along with developing potential serious health risks.
The body sweats out plenty of water during a workout, and it needs to be replaced.
What’s known is not re-hydrating post-workout with plenty of water, can actually cause weight gain.
What water does is affects how the muscles function. Not drinking enough water, causes fat to be stored instead of it being burnt off.
Being thirsty is also confused with being hungry, so what happens is you end up eating more post workout, causes weight gain. Feeling hungry can linger when you’re not hydrated.
The best way of staying hydrated at all times, is by drinking water before, during, and after workouts.
2. Overloading On Calories
What you eat along with how much, right after your workout does matter. Most understand protein and carbs are needed.
What many think however is they need to overload on calories directly after their workout, to refuel the body when their metabolism is still high.
What can result, is calorie overload when attempting to refuel. Working out doesn’t allow you to consume as many calories as you want.
What’s recommended instead, is eating the same amount of calories you just burnt off from the workout, with low-fat snacks that’s loaded with carbs and protein.
Also choose foods that contain fiber, this to help you stay and feel full for longer, which also refuels your body.
What you don’t need is a full meal immediately after your workout, but eat fortified nutritional snacks instead.
1. Not Eating Enough
While eating too much food can cause weight gain after a workout, what many don’t realize is not eating enough, can cause weight gain as well.
This may be difficult for some to understand, because to lose weight, what you’re doing is burning off calories, and you should be replacing them.
What’s known, is not eating enough does is actually increases fat storage, as the muscles become deprived.
What eating carbs and protein after a workout does, is helps the muscles develop. Muscles play a key role in losing weight, because they increase metabolism.
The more muscle you develop, the higher your metabolism becomes. Feeding your muscles what they need right after a workout, encourages healing and refueling.
What doing so does is helps in weight loss, provided you refuel with the proper nutrients.