First time burning 1000+ calories!!!

Wow..

I haven't been  to the gym for like, 4 months

But I don't know WHAT came over me today

I just kept running and running and I was telling myself "just 100 more calories.."

I know the elliptical lies to you though, so I probably only burned 500 calories in reality

But even so, I'm pretty proud of myself

 

Oh and a quick question-

Should you eat something after working out? I don't feel hungry at all, but it seems logical to refuel your body after vigorous exercise.

What are some things you should eat?

 

 

I refuel immediately afterwards with a protein powder in orange juice.  Though tonight I just had orange juice.  Then I eat a sandwich, like tuna on whole grain bread or a salad with meat in it. 

you're going to want anything with some protein in it be it a powder or a drink (although drinks usually come with a lot of fat... for other reasons).  That will help your muscles recover quicker.

I most times have trouble taking down protein powder because of the taste but all you need to do is mix it with some vanilla flavored soy milk and it tastes like a milkshake.

Is there a food source that will provide enough nutrients? Because I feel like drinking protein shakes is just a waste of calories.. since I don't really count liquids as meals.

 

I'd much rather have a hearty meal that will give me enough vitamins and protein!

A liquid form of Protein is the fastest way to get it into your system, versus a meal that not only has to be prepared but also digested.  So it depends on your personal preference.  I would say both, mix your protein with water so you only get the calories from the powder then have a meal an hour or so later.  But as far as a meal any lean meat will have plenty of protein in it.  Tuna probably has the most protein to calorie ratio if calories are a concern. 

I'm planning on working out in a couple of hours, so I just finished a can of sardines for the protein.

Is that a good choice? Or should I have saved the protein for AFTER the work out...?

 Both, actually. If you're a detail-obsessed exercise nerd like - oh, me -  the current recommendation for Best Pratice is to have a solid meal 90-120 minutes before your workout, no later. The protein in your food mostly digests in 3 hours, and the whole point of pre-workout nutrition is to have protein available in your system while working out. Therefore, eating more than 2 hours before your workout potentially leaves you without available amino acids in your blood stream at the end of your workout - not good.

 Alternatively, you have a liquid meal in the form of a protein shake 0-30 minutes before starting your workout - I personally feel this is the better option based on David Barr's research, but either way will work.

 Post-workout, a protein shake with moderately fast-acting whey protein taken within 30 minutes of your workout and containing carbs in a 4:1 carb:protein ratio is supposedly ideal for recovery.

 You'd then go on to eat your regularily scheduled meal within 90 minutes of having the protein shake, as whey protein mostly digests that fast.

 As for specifics: Alan recommends
Pre-workout
Protein = 0.25g/lb Target Body Weight
Carbs = 0.25g/lb TBW
Post-workout
Protein = 0.25g/lb TBW
Carbs = 0.5g/lb TBW

 'course, you don't have to get it right to the micro-gram, your body's more resilient than that. As long as you're within the right ballpark range, it's all good :)

Wow that sounds like a lot of work!

I just worked out today, not much.. around 400 calories. I also walked for about an hour too.

I usually don't eat a lot, but today I had around 2000 calories! I feel like this is a good trade off.. especially since I LOVE to eat. That's why I don't really want to start drinking protein shakes, because I'd much rather eat solid food and get the feeling of actually chewing something.

Thanks for your reply, melkor!