m o rning and immediately after you train, when your muscles
a re primed to pull in the glucose and store it as glycogen.
(Studies show that even 100 grams of carbohydrates after a
hard weight-training workout does notpromote fat storage—it
all goes to the muscles.)
The sample diet on the previous page (adapted from the
book Fat to Muscle 2) accomplishes that. By the way, it works
even better if you can train in the morning, thus getting your
high-carb postworkout drink in the a.m. too. That’s impossible
for most people, but just remember that the carbs you get in
the late afternoon right after you train will be absorbed by your
muscles, not by your fat cells.
And don’t think that just getting all protein afte r your
workout is the way to go. A University of Washington study
showed that postworkout drinks that have both carbs and
protein are nearly 40 percent more effective than protein alone
at repairing muscle tissue after a workout. It’s why we use the X
Stack after workouts (Meal 5 above). We’ll have more on that in
the supplement chapter. For now, just remember: Don’t cut out
the postworkout carbs! Just keep other afternoon meals low in
that macronutrient so fat burning isn’t stopped in its tracks.
What About Slow Carbs?
So too many carbs at one meal can stop fat burning and
perhaps increase fat storage. Once your muscles are glycogen
loaded and your energy needs are met, excess carbs are
simply excess calories that are stored as energ y — b o d y f a t.
Some experts will say that the amount of fast or slow carbs can
make a difference in how much is stored as fat. Fast carbs are
those that cause a spike in insulin from your pancreas, such as
processed sugar foods like candy, as well as some high-sugar
f ruits and juices. Because insulin is considered a storage
hormone, it will shuttle carbs that you don’t need for immediate
e n e rgy to your fat cells if your muscles are already full of
glycogen. That means that high insulin levels can knockout
your fat-loss efforts—except after a workout.