Should you eat junk food on the day you work out vs on a non gym day?
I lift weights 2-3 days a week, spread as evenly as possible throughout the week.
Saturday is my "do nothing productive day" which helps me stop burning out (this actually really helps me stay disciplined as I know there will be a light/release at the end of the tunnel).
E.g. I do no work (as in my job's work), don't gym, will read a book/watch a movie, check my facebook, let myself eat junk food (note I do not end up eating too much more calories, I just end up substituting something unhealthy for lunch or dinner), and just generally lounge about.
My question is: should my unhealthy eating day be on a day I lift or not?
What I am wondering is
Situation 1: I eat junk food and a slight calorie excess on lifting day, once a week
Situation 2: I eat junk food and a slight calorie excess on non-lifting day, once a week
Would applying situation 1 make more of the excess calories turn into muscle (or less of it turn into fat)? I.e. does how much muscle you build/fat you lose depend on time between eating something and time between working out.
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Try to keep your diet as healthy as possible. This will help on the long run in weight control as fats take a long time to burn.
It is recommended to keep at least 1-2 hours of gap before eating and working out.
This is because muscles need blood for circulating nutrients and oxygen essential to get maximum results from your workouts while digestion of food will divert blood to the stomach.
This will not give you the required benefits of working out.
Should my unhealthy eating day be on a day I lift or not?
As I have previously answered, meal timing isn't important, generally you should view you food intake as a weekly (overall) thing and don't bother trying to micromanage it on a daily/hourly basis.
From a practicality perspective you should look at what effect food has on your workout. I personally find if I eat fish and veg before a workout as dinner then I am a little low on energy and need to compensate with some caffeine to give me more energy. If I have a beef stir-fry (higher carb) then I have that energy and don't need the caffeine to perform well.
BUT, this varies week-to-week! The true answer to this question is that you need to listen to your body and see what it feels like. If your cheat meals make you lethargic then use it as a rest day, if not then use it as your heavy lifting day.
Listen to your body and adapt your plan accordingly.
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