Eat Junk. Lose Weight

Here at Mens Fashion Magazine, we like to treat you. Everyone deserves a treat once in awhile, and that statement is doubly true for those of us who spend our free time in the gym, working tirelessly to attain the body that compliments our wardrobe choices.

It’s a hard task. We know that, you know that, but it’s that constant struggle that keeps you from attaining greatness slightly quicker than you are right now.

It’s that constant struggle that has you walking to the fridge when you don’t need to. Choosing the leftover Christmas chocolate instead of the delicious protein shake you’ve spent your hard earned cash to stock up on.

There is a solution though, listen close ….

At a certain time in the day. It is possible to eat some unhealthy junk food and STILL LOSE WEIGHT.

Seems impossible right? Well i’ll give you the Science bit, and then i’ll give you the solution.

Your muscles run on something called ‘Glycogen’. It’s effectively muscle food. This Glycogen is stored and distributed by the Liver. When you eat food, the liver will store glycogen to keep fuelling your muscles throughout the day.

When you workout, your glycogen stores get depleted. You run out of fuel. That feeling is masked by your post workout endorphins being released in your body. All of those delicious chemicals that tell you you’re feeling great.

You’ve worked hard, but you feel better for it. That’s the lie.

In actual fact your body is starving for food to replenish your glycogen stores, and here’s the bit where you can give yourself a solid high 5.

You’re allowed to have junk food post workout, because your body’s insulin will spike up, and prioritise that naughty sugar into replenishing glycogen stores in your Liver.

Here’s What I Do

I have my workout. A fair split of weights and cardio, then I leave it one hour before I eat my first meal. This gives my body chance to increase my levels of Growth Hormone. The hormone responsible for the amount of muscle I can build while I sleep.

Insulin kills growth hormone. They don’t get on. So it’s important to let Growth Hormone do its work before you eat your post-workout meal.

Then you need to spike your insulin for optimal recovery. That’s why those Lucozade recovery drinks are so popular. They contain lots of glucose (sugar), that replaces glycogen stores.

Personally I prefer a bowl of Nestle Lion Bar cereal with a chocolate protein shake over the top instead of milk.

It feels like a cheat, it tastes like a cheat, but spiking your insulin then, instead of later, encourages your body to concentrate on post workout recovery instead of fat storage.

Not sure if you know this, but keeping your insulin steady all day is the number 1 secret to sustained fat loss.

Just try not to go too wild. If you’ve not worked hard in the gym, then just have a small glass of juice afterwards. If you have worked incredibly hard. Then a 50g sugar-filled treat is perfectly okay to indulge on.

It’s all part of keeping yourself sane when dieting harshly.

I know this, as I’ve been cutting weight for 10 months now. It’s hard to ask the waiter to bring you chicken, with a side of chicken, and not ordering the fries or garlic bread.

It’s hard to say no to dessert and be the only guy in a cocktail bar drinking water, instead of delicious sugar-licious cocktails.

Here at Mens Fashion Magazine, we feel your pain, but hopefully that one little trick is going to keep you on the right path to success, and help you reach your fitness and weight loss goals a whole lot easier.

It’s important to say that you STILL have to be on a calorie controlled diet. It’s not a free pass to assume that this junk won’t contain any calories. It still does, and you need to count that into your daily amount.

It just makes it a lot easier to stick to a calorie deficient diet, if you’re allowed a small treat each day. Right?