I'll break it down here for you how to not hit a plateau when losing weight, how to not shock your metabolism into a screeching halt and some general post work out meal and it's importance on your recovery.
To lose fat, you must have a deficit of calories in your daily intake, that is common knowledge and we all pretty much know that.
The secret is how to avoid hitting plateaus when cutting, most people reach a certain % in body fat and can't lose anymore fat. You're like WTF happened? I barely eat and can't lose fat! Well, that happens because you reduced your calorie intake too fast and your metabolism basically stopped.
To maintain you consume ~2000 calories a day, then you decide you're too fat and you cut everything from your diet and eat only 1000 calories a day. BAM, you'll lose weight for the first few days and you won't be able to lose anymore, why? Because your body went into starvation mode and decided to shut down.
To properly reduce weight, you must reduce your calorie intake gradually, by 200 calories a day until you stop losing weight, then onto another 200 calories a day; If you're in a hurry to lose weight, 200 calories a day, every week should be reduced from your daily intake.
Ok so now you know why you have to gradually reduce your calories, then you're asking what should I eat if I'm cutting?
You should eat complex carbs(oatmeal, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, yams, veggies, etc) or leafy greens and lean sources of protein in every meal.
What is complex carbs and how is it different from simple carbs?
Complex carbs are oatmeal, whole wheat bread, yams, sweet potatoes, veggies, etc.. They break down slowly giving a steady production of insulin; Unlike simple carbs = processed foods, white bread, spaghetti, etc.. which break down quick and give bursts in the insulin promoting fat storage.
Now you are wondering what is insulin and how it promotes fat storage?
Insulin is the most anabolic hormone we have, it rushes nutrients to the cells and muscles to optimize recovery, unfortunately it also stores that extra energy into fat.
Basically you need insulin to maximize your recovery and this is why I'm going to emphasize the post work out meal to consist of simple carbs to spike your insulin levels and also the breakfast to have some too.
When you wake up in the morning, you were fasting all night and your levels of cortisol, hormone that wastes protein for energy is in high and insulin, which is directly related to cortisol, is in low. So to spike the insulin and stop wasting muscle, you should eat some sort of simple/complex carb(oatmeal is always good with a little bit of sugar, not too much sugar because you don't want to overdo it and start promoting fat storage) and some egg whites for protein.
* When cutting, avoid fruits, which are very high in fructose and unfortunately cause a over the top spike in insulin, besides that the carbs are stored in the liver, which is what we don't want, we need to maintain carb storage in the liver very low to maximize fat loss. Other carbs(starchy, fibrous and leafy greens) are stored in the muscles for ready use when you hit the gym, so those are fine.
The post work out meal is your most important meal! This is where you set the recovery time and whether your muscles will be ready for the next workout or not!
That being said, after a very strenuous activity, you will have depleted your carb storages and that bastard cortisol will be in high again, so you must spike your insulin to rush the nutrients to your sore muscles and stop wasting them by lowering your cortisol levels.
On a bulk, you should eat 70-100 grams of simple carbs, like sugar with water, sports drink high in sugar or something of the like and your favorite 30-40grams whey protein shake immediately after your work out, add some fat free cottage cheese too, which research shows to help aid in recovery.
On a cutting phase, eat 30-50grams of simple carbs and 30-40grams of protein after your work out.
* For hard hitters, people that crash hard and have trouble gaining muscles, eat 60-100grams of complex carbs 45 mins before hitting the gym. - I usually eat this, when on a bulk.
To sum it up, you need to slowly reduce your calorie intake to keep your metabolism running high to maximize fat loss and not muscle loss! Control your simple carb intake to the times where you need it most, manipulating your insulin levels to do what you want it to do, rush nutrients to the muscles and not store fat.
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