Now you have made the effort to start working out. You are ready to get in shape and transform your body. While you are lifting weights, running and doing everything possible to improve your physique you need to pay close attention to the foods that you are eating. You may not be aware that there are some foods that need to be avoided after a grueling workout. After you have put yourself through a strenuous training and exercise session your appetite could easily rev into overdrive. You might just find yourself craving salted snacks, sweet treats or one of your favorite sodas. These cravings can be very intense and many people give in to their "gourmet" desires because they figure that they have already burned off a number of calories. Surely just one little treat is not going to cause any problem. Unfortunately it seems that the very foods that you tend to crave the most are the same ones that can kill that diet. You should also realize that you can quench those food cravings with a banana, carrot, raisins or a protein drink. Here is a primer that alerts you to the 10 worst foods to eat after you have been working out. Do Not Eat These 10 Foods After Workout Sessions at The Gym! 1. Popcorn with Salt and Butter - This snack is still bad for your body, even if you omit the butter. When you are eating popcorn that has been seasoned with salt you are just overloading your system with sodium. When electrolytes are depleted you lose potassium as well as sodium, and need to take care when you are attempting to replace these essential nutrients. 2. Salted Nuts - Once again it is the salt that is going to be the problem if you choose this snack after a workout. Sure your body needs to have the electrolytes replaced but pure salt is not the best option. Try eating some fruit or drinking a sports drink to satisfy that craving. You could even select some unsalted nuts to eat if you are strongly drawn to eating sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans or peanuts. 3. Raisins with Yogurt Coating - Are a popular snack item found at many gyms. This is a food which looks much healthier than it proves to be in reality. If you choose this product after a workout you are delivering a double dose of sugars and calories to your system. The plain truth is devastating. When you eat sugar you are going to slow your metabolism and stop that rapid weight loss that you are working so hard to achieve. Experts are still trying to raise consumer awareness about the health dangers posed by sugar. While sugary foods taste wonderful there can be long-term consequences for your body if you continue to indulge in foods that satisfy your wicked sweet tooth. (The raisins have natural fruit sugars and then there are processed sugars used to make that decadent yogurt coating.) 4. Peanut Butter and Jelly - Is another of the food choices that you need to avoid after a workout. These seemingly harmless ingredients are often used to make snacks and sandwiches, so what is the problem? Isn't peanut butter a protein-packed food? That's true, but both of these items include concentrated sugars. Once again you are working out to lose weight and boost your metabolism. Eating sugars will only work against you by slowing down your weight loss results. When you eat sugar you are applying an internal braking system that will serve to slow down the speed at which your metabolism is burning calories. 5. Popular Sodas with Sugars and Caffeine - This should be a "no-brainer". You have to give up those sugary sodas if you want to lose weight and get healthy. Most sodas contain about 100-150 calories in an eight ounce serving. When you get thirsty after an intense workout you could easily down 2-3 servings while you are cooling off. Think of how many calories you could consume in just a few minutes. Think about all of the sugars and chemicals you will be drinking. Imagine how bloated you are going to feel even if you only consume a single serving of a carbonated drink? These reasons should be more than enough to make you give those popular sodas a pass, especially after a workout session. 6. Hot Dog - Is a food which should be avoided by any conscientious dieter. Let's face it. A hot dog contains fats, oils, chemicals and other compounds that your body just does not need. The aroma of a freshly cooked hot dog can be tantalizing but you should not give in to the temptation. If you eat hot dogs after a workout you will just be negating almost all of the positive benefits that your body has just achieved. It has also been shown that hot dogs can increase your cholesterol counts. This means that this food choice is a bad one for any individual who is serious about losing weight and improving their physical health. 7. Pizza - Contains fats and sugars. Your system has just been stripped due to that vigorous workout. Now you may be in that prime "fat-burning" zone. Do you really want to ruin your efforts by devouring calorie-laden slices of pizza? The bread dough alone will deliver high amounts of processed, refined carbohydrates that can easily overwhelm your metabolism. Those extra calories from the slices of pizza will simply be stored as excess fat. 8. Muffins - Are warm and aromatic pastry treats that deliver fantastic flavor. Some individuals choose a muffin to eat after a workout. Their reasoning is that they are going to be able to replace the carbs and glycogen that they burned when they were exercising. The trouble with this reasoning is that a muffin can contain an excessive amount of calories, refined carbs and empty nutrients. Your body does not need refined carbohydrates and empty nutrients. Avoid muffins and other pastry products if you have just completed a tiring workout at the gym. 9. Doughnuts - Are not approved for most healthy diets. The high number of calories in one of these glazed treats could exceed the number of calories that you have just burned during your workout. Let's not even discuss the sugar content of doughnuts. 10. Energy Bars - May not be the best food to choose immediately after a tiring workout. The problem is once again due to the sugars that are included in these popular nutrition products. An energy bar is basically designed to give you the energy that you need for running or exercising. If you eat some of these energy bars after a workout you will be slowing your metabolism and adding extra calories that will eventually be stored as unwanted fat. Below you'll find the most effective diet products on the market, we determine these products based on 4 key factors: Active ingredients, ability to suppress appetite, fat burning potential, backed by clinical studies. Ultimately, we determined the bottom-line value of each product. Manish is Personal Health and Beauty columnist who writes frequently for both health and beauty issues. You will get best tips from him to solve your health and beauty problems.
