How Much Should You Eat on Non Training Days?

You know how I love expressing an opinion, which is exactly the opposite of what you considered to be right, don’t you? Well, today won’t be an exception!

Most of you, probably think that they should eat more on training days and limit the food consumption on non training days. This might seem right, if you follow the myths, oops I meant the “rules” spread in the mass media. But if you forget about everything that you’ve read and you learn to listen to your body, you will probably notice that its needs differ a lot, from what popular magazines teach you.

I am sure that a lot of you have noticed, how on non training days you feel hungrier, than on training days. And the opposite is true as well. On training days, it is a lot easier to eat less and still feel satiety.

Why?

For sure one of the reasons might be the social factor, and by this I mean that on days during the week, most people have somewhat of a fixed schedule and that’s why they find it easier to follow a strict plan. While on weekends ( if they coincide with non training days), most people’s schedule is kind of chaotic, in a way that they have a lot of unplanned meetings. This often makes some people eat more than they need, if they are being misled by the food habits and desires of their friends.

But if we accept the fact, that you already have a more conscious approach to workouts and nutrition and that you already don’t look on food, as the only way to entertain yourself and that you eat when you are hungry, I am sure that you’ve noticed how you need more food on non training days.

Personally I ALWAYS eat more on non training days, than I eat on training days. And the reason behind this, is not that I set is as a rule to follow. I just feel hungrier on rest days.

One of the things, you should keep in mind is that your body does not function in the standard 24 hour day. What do I mean by this? Well, not every day is a separate one. Just because you worked out yesterday and today you decided to rest, does not mean that your body needs less food. Just the opposite! If we keep in mind that after a workout ( especially if you work out the way I recommend- with more weights, less reps and high intensity), a lot of hormonal changes take place in your body, which have to do with the stimulus you put on your muscles and your nervous system, you should be aware that in order for all the processes in your body to take place normally, you will need quality food in enough quantities. But recovery processes in your body won’t be complete when the clock hits 00:00 and the new day comes.

This means that if you worked out yesterday, and today is your rest day, your body will need enough food on the next day, in order to recover.

My personal experience and observations ( because I was once a slave of the myth about less food on non training days), show me that when you learn to follow the biological drives of your body, when you learn to give it what it needs and when you are more conscious, everything is just a piece of cake. Getting in shape becomes easy and your mind is free of obsessions.

Because, even if you manage to go against your natural biological drives of the body, by limiting your food intake on non training days, I am sure that this costs you a lot of obsessive thoughts about hunger and food.

And still, everything that I wanted to say was to advise you to pay more attention to the natural needs of your body and when it needs more food- give it, do not forcefully deprive yourself.

Last week, I read a great post on Lift Big Eat Big, where the body was compared to a house. If the food is the material for building this house, then imagine the following, When you work out, this material is being used and it runs out. If you do not supply more materials on your rest days, then how do you think you are gonna have the materials, in order to continue with the building?

This does not mean, that the next time when you happen to be invited to a birthday party on your rest day, and you see your favorite cake and cookies, you should say “Ines, said that I should eat more on my rest days, so I can allow myself to eat a couple pieces of cake and a dozen cookies.”

This will be just another try to fool yourself, because I am sure that you know what I am talking about. When I say eat more, I do not mean to forcefully stuff yourself with food. What I mean is to just listen to your body and eat when you are hungry. And JUST CLEAN, QUALITY food!

And one picture from yesterday 🙂