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• Part 1 of 2: Calculating your daily calorie intake
• Part 2 of 2: Planning your meals

Before you exercise, your body needs fuel (mainly carbohydrates) for energy. Because training weakens the muscles and puts extra stress on the bones, your body also needs fuel after a workout to replenish and recover. The right nutrition after a workout ensures that you have fewer injuries, can replenish energy, and you are able to deliver top physical performance. Once you know what to eat and when to get the most out of the workout, you can start making a plan that suits you.

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Part 1 of 2: Calculating your daily calorie intake

1. Determines your basal metabolic rate (BMR). Your basal metabolic rate is what you use to calculate your calorie intake. It is based on your age, height, weight and gender. Most calorie calculators use the Harris-Benedict equation to determine how many calories you should be eating each day.
   • If you are male, your basal metabolic rate is: 88,362 + (13,397 x mass in kg) + (4,799 x height in cm) - (5,677 x age in years)
   • If you are a woman, your basal metabolic rate is: 447,593 + (9,247 x mass in kg) + (3,098 x height in cm) - (4,330 x age in years)
2. Assess how active you are each week. Calorie calculators also take into account how active you are. For example, if you are very active, and you exercise almost every day of the week and you are vigorous, you may have to eat more calories than if you have a more sedentary lifestyle, where you are not (or hardly) active. The five different levels of activity are:
   • Sedentary: You have an office job where you sit all day, and you do little or no physical activity.
   • Slightly active: You participate in light exercise or sports 1-3 days a week.
   • Moderately active: You participate in moderate to moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days a week.
   • Very Active: You engage in vigorous, intense exercise or sports 6-7 days a week.
   • Extremely Active: You engage in intense exercise or sports twice a day, and you do physical labor or participate in a football or other contact sport training camp.
3. Use your basal metabolic rate and your fitness goals to determine your calorie intake. You can process all of the above information into the calorie calculator, which will then estimate your required number of calories per day based on your basal metabolic rate. Once you've estimated your calorie intake, determine how you can decrease or increase your daily calorie intake based on your fitness goals.
   • If you are trying to lose weight, reduce your estimated calorie intake by 500 per day. Balance your fitness plan by eating 250 calories less each day and exercising enough to burn 250 calories. For example, walk or run 2.5 miles every day. When planning your meals, eat smaller portions to cut the amount of calories you take in by 250.
   • If you're trying to gain weight, eat 500 more calories a day and limit cardio. Focus on strength training with free weights to build muscle mass. It is also necessary to eat at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and to get plenty of rest for recovery after your workouts.
   • Always start reducing or increasing your calorie intake in small increments, no more than 500 calories in either direction. This prevents your body from scaring too much and ensures that you are eating enough calories to keep your body functioning properly.

Part 2 of 2: Planning your meals

1. Create an exercise diet based on your calorie intake. Using your estimated basal metabolic rate, minus or plus 500 calories, and based on your fitness goals, create meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as meals you eat after your workout. Eat at least three meals a day, and balance the amount of protein, vegetables and healthy fats on your plate to ensure a healthy diet.
   • Example. You may be a 28-year-old woman who weighs 70 pounds and is particularly active. You do intensive training seven days a week, with an hour in the gym every other day and recreational football two days a week. Your estimated calorie intake based on your basal metabolic rate is approximately 2,050 per day. If you would like to lose weight, you can reduce 500 calories by eating 250 calories less daily and burning 250 calories more during training. So you now consume 1,800 calories per day and have added more training time to your existing schedule to burn 250 extra calories.
   • You can further divide your 1,800 calories per day per meal, so 600 per meal (600 x 3) or allocate more calories to lunch and dinner and less to breakfast (500 for breakfast, 650 for lunch or your meal after training, and 650 before dinner).
   • Don't eat too many calories after your workout. It is important to make sure you have enough calories left for the rest of the day.
2. Prepare post-workout meals that are rich in protein and carbohydrates. Eat a meal that balances protein and carbohydrates within two hours of your workout. If you train as an athlete and do a weight workout, you should eat a meal rich in nutrient-rich carbohydrates right after you finish the workout. Your body is in recovery mode after a workout and this helps your body to recover and gives you more muscle strength. Possible meals you can eat after your workout are:
   • Greek yogurt with fruit, such as blueberries or raspberries: This meal is full of protein and low in calories. So you do not run the risk of exceeding your daily calorie intake.
   • A Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich: This simple meal is great for post-workout recovery because it's packed with carbohydrates and easy to digest.
   • Tuna and Crackers: A handful of whole grain crackers with a can of tuna make a great high-protein post-workout meal, containing no more than 300 calories.
   • Low-Fat Chocolate Milk and Crackers: Chocolate milk is a great source of protein and carbohydrates, providing moisture lost during your workout, plus calcium and sugar. These ingredients help you to recover quickly from your workout. The crackers give your body some extra carbohydrates that are not too heavy or give you a lot of fat, and help your body absorb the nutrients in the chocolate milk.
   • Grilled Chicken With Brown Rice or Vegetables: This is a nutrient-dense meal that contains protein and carbohydrates, but won't make you feel bloated. The vegetables are also good for your overall health and can be combined with high-protein grilled chicken.
   • Whole Wheat Pasta With Meatballs: This is another high-protein meal that won't give you indigestion or bloating. Make the meatballs from lean beef or chicken to make sure they don't get too fatty.
3. Avoid fatty foods and empty calories. Skip the French fries, cheeseburgers, chili dogs, and pizza, as they will add fat to your existing fat stores and slow down your digestion. Although fats keep your energy supply up to standard, they are not nearly as effective before and after workouts. This is because they are usually high in calories and prevent the body from using its own fat stores for energy.
   • It is also better to avoid salty snacks such as pretzels and chips, as they can lower your potassium levels. Potassium is an electrolyte and an essential mineral that helps keep your cells functioning. Don't deplete your potassium reserves with salty snacks, as your body needs to replenish as much electrolytes as it can after a workout.
   • While it may seem good to eat raw vegetables for post-workout recovery, they are too low in nutrients to provide you with enough protein and carbohydrates. If you have raw vegetables, eat them with a protein source such as hummus, a yogurt dip, or peanut butter.
   • Milk chocolate bars and pastries should also be avoided as they are full of empty calories that won't speed up your body's recovery. You may feel a surge of energy after eating a bar of milk chocolate, but this will soon dissipate and your body will crave more substantial protein sources.
4. Take supplements after a bodybuilding workout. Supplements such as creatine can help your body recover after intensive bodybuilding training, especially if you do high-intensity strength training. These supplements (about 5 grams) can be dissolved in water and taken immediately after training.
   • Studies have shown that consuming creatine after your workout can increase muscle strength and reduce the amount of fat stored in your body.
   • Protein shakes are a great way to get a lot of protein quickly after a workout.
5. Drink water instead of sports drink. Drinking plenty of water after a workout helps your body recover and hydrate. Only take a sports drink if your workout causes you to sweat out a lot of electrolytes, or if you exercise hard for more than 60 minutes. Water and a banana (for the potassium) is the best option for quenching your thirst and replenishing the electrolytes you've been sweating out.
   • Drinking sugary fruit drinks or soda after a workout can slow your metabolism and make you gain weight, not lose weight.
6. Continue your exercise diet for the rest of your day. Maintain your estimated calorie intake by sticking to your workout's meal plan. Include a post-workout snack that matches the decrease in calories taken for the day. After exercising, try not to overeat or indulge in bad snacks, as this will make your recovery difficult, make you tired, and can cause you to gain weight.