I love a good protein shake.

My favorite is vanilla plant-based protein powder (click here for my favorite) with chia seeds, frozen strawberries, spinach, and almond milk.  OMGosh, it’s like a strawberry shortcake. (No, you don’t taste the spinach, I promise!)

In fact, I have a shake at least once, sometimes twice a day.

But, I keep seeing people use the protein shake in a way that is SABOTAGING their goals, and it’s high time I said something!  

I recently was a member of a fancy gym that had an awesome protein shake bar attached to it.  Day after day I would watch women do a 50-minute Hiit workout and then down a calorie-ridden, high-carb, whey protein shake, all the while saying to myself, “These women THINK they are doing right by their bodies and their health and they are totally sabotaging themselves!” 

Let me explain.

Unless you are training for the Crossfit Games, a typical workout at CrossFit, Orange Theory, Barre, Hiit, or any of the other trendy workout gyms out there….you don’t need it and it may actually be sabotaging your progress.

When we are fueling our bodies properly, all day, with the right portions of proteins, fats, and carbs, at EVERY meal, at the right frequency, we are literally setting ourselves up for incredible energy and strength. 

We call this eating “PFC Every 3” and it throws out the concepts of counting calories, points, or macros for the day. Can I get an AMEN???

Yes, when we know the right portions of PFC, and have it at every meal, about 3-4 hours apart, our bodies are well fueled for typical workouts and energy.  PFC not only fuels our body to boost our metabolism but it also gives us renewed energy and builds lean muscle, ESPECIALLY when we add strength training to our workout repertoire.  

So, ADDING a calorie-driven protein shake just because you did a 45-minute HIIT workout is NOT necessarily fueling your body at the right time and may actually just be spiking your blood sugar, depending on when you last ate.

I have even coached marathon runners in training and we typically kept to our PFC every 3 routines, with just a few tweaks, even on long run days. 

So, you ask, just how to fuel your body appropriately for a workout?

• Start your morning with a big glass of lemon water: This gets your digestive system ready for its first meal and is a natural way to detox!
• Eat within an hour of waking up, a complete protein, good fat, and good carb.  This may be a protein shake or something like eggs with the yolk and an apple.
• Eat every 3-4 hours after that initial meal. Try to plan your workout in between those three hours so you aren’t hungry in the middle of it.  If that is too hard, have a ½ a meal to buy you about 90 minutes to be more flexible with your gym time.
• If you feel like on days you workout you are hungrier earlier than 3 hours or need more energy, consider having a denser carb before your workout or make your after-workout PFC meal have a carb that has a higher glycemic index, like an orange or a banana.
• If you are doing a particularly hard workout that lasts more than 40 minutes, you may be hungry earlier, in which case you can eat.  But first, try a high-quality after-workout supplement that can replenish lost electrolytes and amino acids. 

So can you have a protein shake after your workout?  Yeah!!!! If it is 3-4 hours after your last meal!!!