I shared a blog post earlier this week on how to know when you should be taking a rest day (i.e. off from intentional exercise). After figuring out when those days are, the next question that typically comes to mind is, “what should I be eating?”
If you rely on your workout to dictate your food intake or appetite, you may be surprised to keep reading below for my tips on eating on a rest day!
What should I eat on a rest day?
1. Eat as normal as possible, don’t restrict just because you didn’t “burn and calories” that day.
Yep, you heard me. If you exercise regularly, you’re probably used to feeling hungrier on days you workout vs. days you don’t. You can absolutely let your appetite dictate your intake, but I sometimes find that some of my clients feel the need to under-eat on purpose because they didn’t do a workout.
They think since they didn’t burn the extra calories that they will somehow get stored as fat. That’s likely not the case. Fat storage is the result of consistently eating more calories, not eating normally on a day you haven’t worked out. Your body also needs calories to recover from workouts (especially high intensity or strength type workouts) so you should give it the fuel it needs!
2. Make sure to include plenty of water and enough carbs/protein to recover from previous workouts!
Your muscles and body need to refuel, so you need to provide that fuel. Our muscles love protein and carbs. They help replenish glycogen stores, build and repair muscle tissue (also prevent muscle breakdown) and can contribute to improved performance next workout.
Notice I didn’t mention fat because fats aren’t as much of a requirement for post-exercise nutrition as the other two macronutrients. Fats have more to do with other body processes, not so much repair and recovery!
3. Don’t be surprised if your appetite is higher (your body is recovering) or lower (you’re less active), just go with it.
This may seem like a non-answer or too broad, but it’s really the truth! Some of us may be starving after a workout day and some of us may feel a little slower. The key is to go with it and eat or lay back a little as needed.
What I wouldn’t advise is thinking anything like, “I can’t be this hungry today, I didn’t even work out!” or “I have no appetite, I guess I should have worked out” because these thoughts are providing nothing but negativity and damage to you understanding your body. Really the best thing you can do is listen to yourself!