Evening classes, what do you eat afterward?

[Lynne]

I have class from 7 - 8 pm. I always eat a substantial snack around 4:30 pm, like a peanut butter sandwich (about 400 calories) or some chicken and rice - something healthy and balanced.

I may not be hungry right after class, but I will surely get hungry by 10:00 or 11:00 pm and usually down about 400 more calories.

So, I'm listening to the women in the locker room. Most of them do not eat after class in order to maintain their weight/lose weight, not even a recovery shake or something like that.

I need to lose about 20 pounds. Weight loss is not always easy. You either lose it slowly like I am doing now or you submit to hunger pangs, nausea and weakness.

Do you eat after evening classes? A regular meal? A reduced-calorie meal (I consider my 400 calories a reduced calorie meal)? A recovery shake and maybe a meal later? Nothing? If you eat nothing, did you have to adapt to that/did the hunger pangs finally go away?

Do you eat to feed your muscles/replenish glycogen stores regardless of whether you're hungry or not? After all, don't we burn off somewhere between 500 and 1000 calories each class, after subtracting out BMR?

 

[terryl965]

I have a 32 oz of water and either and aplle or some type of fruit. at that time of night not much else helps.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I almost never eat after evening training. Most of the time I just have some water.

 

[Lynne]

Hmmm...very interesting! Two men who don't eat much after training.

Pfffffffft!

Maybe I'll try a Slim-Fast.

 

[MJS]

I have class from 7 - 8 pm. I always eat a substantial snack around 4:30 pm, like a peanut butter sandwich (about 400 calories) or some chicken and rice - something healthy and balanced.

I may not be hungry right after class, but I will surely get hungry by 10:00 or 11:00 pm and usually down about 400 more calories.

So, I'm listening to the women in the locker room. Most of them do not eat after class in order to maintain their weight/lose weight, not even a recovery shake or something like that.

I need to lose about 20 pounds. Weight loss is not always easy. You either lose it slowly like I am doing now or you submit to hunger pangs, nausea and weakness.

Do you eat after evening classes? A regular meal? A reduced-calorie meal (I consider my 400 calories a reduced calorie meal)? A recovery shake and maybe a meal later? Nothing? If you eat nothing, did you have to adapt to that/did the hunger pangs finally go away?

Do you eat to feed your muscles/replenish glycogen stores regardless of whether you're hungry or not? After all, don't we burn off somewhere between 500 and 1000 calories each class, after subtracting out BMR?

Hi Lynne!

Its been a while since I've taken an evening class due to work, but I'll tell you what I used to do in the past. I'd say that it depends on how you feel. There were some nights when I'd head out with a group and get a burger. Those nights, I'd make sure that I stayed up long enough afterwards to digest a little, so I wasn't going to bed on a full stomach.

Those nights that I didn't go out, I'd eat something light. Toast, PBJ, bagel w/cream cheese or a bowl of cereal. A power bar or a shake is a good idea too.

Mike

 

[Lynne]

Hi Lynne!

Its been a while since I've taken an evening class due to work, but I'll tell you what I used to do in the past. I'd say that it depends on how you feel. There were some nights when I'd head out with a group and get a burger. Those nights, I'd make sure that I stayed up long enough afterwards to digest a little, so I wasn't going to bed on a full stomach.

Those nights that I didn't go out, I'd eat something light. Toast, PBJ, bagel w/cream cheese or a bowl of cereal. A power bar or a shake is a good idea too.

Mike

Good idea - I'll try something a little lighter like the power bar or shake. I just tried eating some dinner and couldn't eat much though.

 

[terryl965]

Good idea - I'll try something a little lighter like the power bar or shake. I just tried eating some dinner and couldn't eat much though.

Lynne mand over matter will win everytime except for oreo cookies there is no way around eating them so just give in to temtation as we all do.

 

[lkblair]

This is a real issue for me, too, as I find that I have trouble with my GERD during class if I eat much after 3pm (class is from 7:30-9pm). We've gotten into the very bad habit of picking up burgers after class, but I definitely would like to start doing something healthier. I'll be watching this thread.

Lisa

 

[aplonis]

On Saturdays after TKD it's my night to cook. I usually buy pizza.

On Sundays after Jujutsu I eat whatever it is my wife has kindly put out on the table.

To manage my weight I moderate (or skip) breakfast or else just have salad for lunch.

 

[Kacey]

My sahbum's senior class runs from 7:30 - 9:00 pm, and it's about 30 minutes for me to get home - if I don't eat something on my way home, I'm really hungry by the time I get there, and then I eat more than I want. To avoid this, I keep cereal bars in my car, and eat one (occasionally 2) on my way home... because before I started doing that, I used to stop at McDonald's or somewhere similar on my way home.

Eating right before you go to bed may or may not cause weight gain, depending on your metabolism - but you will weigh more first thing in the morning if you eat late at night, even if you lose that extra weight in the first hour or two after you get up. If you are suffering hunger pangs that prevent you from sleeping, and/or nausea and/or weakness, your body is telling you that you need to eat something. Slim Fast or similar shakes may be appropriate, as are cereal bars, yoghurt, fruit, or electrolyte replacement drinks (e.g. Gatorade). One of the keys to weight loss is to eat enough - too many people cut their calories down so far that their bodies go into starvation mode and they plateau at a weight, and don't allow themselves the extra calories they need when they exercise.

 

[qi-tah]

Hi Lynne;

I also have an evening class to contend with - we end at 9.30pm on Wednesdays. I generally eat something about 30 mins before starting, then after i'll have a recovery bannana or apple. And heaps of water throughout training. However, i invariably have a cup of tea and toast with vegemite when i get home at about 11pm. I know it's not good to eat so close to bedtime, but it's habit i guess...

I've heard that to maintain a healthy weight, you should eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch and a pauper at dinner. Either that, or distribute yr meals as 6-8 snacks throughout the day. I find the latter stratagy fits best for me, although i'm still a big fan of breakfast!

 

[Gordon Nore]

My class runs 8:30 to 9:30. Those nights I'm usually home be 5:00, giving me plenty of time to eat a full helping of dinner and digest well enough to train. After training I have to push the water, or I'm apt to dive into the calories.

 

[Jdokan]

Water is my savior also...I work out in my own Dojo on my property. I train every day, Bowflex every other day alternate days I do my forms then once a week I have a small group of guys that provide the body work....My workouts are typically after supper which I've slowly started to reduce the quantity on...I do do a LOT of water during the day (that was a tough thing to do) NOW I am very used to drinking water so it is no longer a task....I actually look forward to it, soda etc has been almost totally replaced... I typically finish my workouts around 9:00 to 10:00pm depending how soon I get into my routine....Afterwards....cup of yogurt, a glass or two of water and off to bed.....
There was a time when I would get up and eat half a sleeve of "Chips Ahoy" cookies and a glass of milk....my waist line looked it as well.....I haven't recorded what my weight change has been but my belt notch tells me I have done better. I believe overall the water has been a major help...when I get an idea of having something I drink another glass of water....Now...all that said I still "reward" myself at times with a nice breakfast at work: 3 egg omlet/(with cheese), sausage, homefries, toast...twice a month maybe 3 times...
Good luck with your decision...you have alot of opportunites to try what works best for you...experiment and select what you feel is best...

 

[Drac]

Depends if I have to work the next day...If I don't I'll knock back a couple of drinks and forget eating..

 

[Tarot]

Depends on what time the class is being held. For my 7:30-9pm class, I always eat dinner before hand. I am hungry when I get home though. So it's water and then I snack and try to keep it healthy. Maybe some seasoned edamame (my favorite), or an apple with a couple of pieces of cheese, or a pita (low carbs with good protein, most pitas are anywhere from 5-7g of protein) with PB and hunny. Sometimes some dried fruit.

For my 6:00 class, I don't have time to eat dinner before hand. I'll usually have a bowl of cereal to help with the energy during class. Then afterwards I will come home and make dinner. It's late by the time I get home and shower (around 8pm) and I'm tired so I really don't feel like making a huge mess in the kitchen. So Tuesday night has been dubbed "big salad night" and I just make huge salads with whatever I have on hand.

I know a lot of people who don't eat after dinner to help themselves lose/maintain weight but I'm not one of them. I need a small healthy snack at night in order to lose weight. Plus, I'm hungry after working out and damnit I'm gonna eat.

 

[benj13bowlin]

I train in the mornings but I go to the gym for about an hour and a half every other day at 7 – 8 pm. I usually eat about 5 – 6 times a day. I try to eat most my carbs earlier in the day, and I almost never eat carbs after 5 unless I am taking someone to dinner. I usually eat fruit before my workouts and after my workout I usually eat a can of tuna with lemon pepper (not because I am a fitness fanatic, but because I like tuna) for the protein. I drink a lot of water throughout the day. I also don’t drink more than one or two soda’s a week. All together I eat between 2500 – 3500 calories a day depending on the day and whether or not I drink any beer. Since I started doing this in May I have lost a little over 15lbs. And best of all my sister is a registered dietician with her masters in nutrition, and other than the beer she has no problems with my diet.

 

[Lynne]

Thanks for the input. Lots of smart advice.

Well, guess what. I had a moderate breakfast and lunch yesterday. As I said above I wasn't very hungry in the afternoon (I think that was because of my two very balanced meals earlier - lean protein, some whole grains and a little fat or it could have been nerves - first orange belt class). Last night's class was pretty rough as far as conditioning goes and I did sparring the first time, Then, I went to my first sparring class - thought I'd die, we did 3 and 4 minute sparring rounds plus some sparring drills - 45 minutes. So, I worked out 1 hour, 45 minutes.

I wasn't hungry after class. When I got home, I was a little hungry. I had a Slim-Fast High Protein Shake (yummy and creamy). They have 15 grams of protein, some carb and some fat. I think they're 190 calories or so. Anyway, the High-Protein shakes are a pretty good balance. You have the protein for rebuilding your cells and some simple carbs to restore your glycogen. The shake filled me and rehydrated me a little too.

During the day, shakes don't do much for me as far as hunger - at least the Optima shakes - sugar ride. What a joke. But last night, the High Protein did the job. Maybe because I'd had good nutrition throughout the day and enough calories.

Because the shake was satisfying, I ended up eating less calories and on top of two workouts! Honestly, I would think burning at least a thousand calories in exercise would have made me ravenous. Intense exercise generally increases my appetite to a crazy degree.

I can't say this will work every time. If a shake doesn't cut it, I will eat more.

 

[Lynne]

I train in the mornings but I go to the gym for about an hour and a half every other day at 7 – 8 pm. I usually eat about 5 – 6 times a day. I try to eat most my carbs earlier in the day, and I almost never eat carbs after 5 unless I am taking someone to dinner. I usually eat fruit before my workouts and after my workout I usually eat a can of tuna with lemon pepper (not because I am a fitness fanatic, but because I like tuna) for the protein. I drink a lot of water throughout the day. I also don’t drink more than one or two soda’s a week. All together I eat between 2500 – 3500 calories a day depending on the day and whether or not I drink any beer. Since I started doing this in May I have lost a little over 15lbs. And best of all my sister is a registered dietician with her masters in nutrition, and other than the beer she has no problems with my diet.

Tuna is nice, has lots or protein and good fats. I need to cut back on the diet sodas because of the chemicals. One thing at a time, I guess.

Are your other meals clean as in a bodybuilding-type diet?

 

[benj13bowlin]

Tuna is nice, has lots or protein and good fats. I need to cut back on the diet sodas because of the chemicals. One thing at a time, I guess.

Are your other meals clean as in a bodybuilding-type diet?

My other meals aren’t all completely healthy. I mostly stay away from candy and deserts. And I try to stay away from fast food. I mostly make my food the night before so I will not be tempted to go out and grab a burger. A lot of the food I make isn’t “healthy” I love cheese and meat. I just try to keep my portions under control (300 – 500 calories) and I make sure to eat a lot of vegetables. They fill you up without having too many calories.

If I try too keep my diet to strict it is to hard for me to follow it. I just try not to eat anything too unhealthy. Other than that I eat pretty much whatever I want in small portions several times a day.

 

[Lynne]

My other meals aren’t all completely healthy. I mostly stay away from candy and deserts. And I try to stay away from fast food. I mostly make my food the night before so I will not be tempted to go out and grab a burger. A lot of the food I make isn’t “healthy” I love cheese and meat. I just try to keep my portions under control (300 – 500 calories) and I make sure to eat a lot of vegetables. They fill you up without having too many calories.

If I try too keep my diet to strict it is to hard for me to follow it. I just try not to eat anything too unhealthy. Other than that I eat pretty much whatever I want in small portions several times a day.

That's pretty much what I'm trying to do. I have found some low-fat dairy products I like and I only eat them because I like them. I do have dark chocolate almost every day but it has very little sugar.

I have tried some strict diets in the past and I could not follow them. I can't handle dry chicken breasts, oatmeal, broccoli, brown rice, and whey shakes day-after-day.