Question about strength training and eating

 Hi all,

I do my strength training/weight lifting when I get home from work before dinner.  My son got into weight training and would have a protein shake afterwards to help build up his muscles.  When I finish my workout, should I have a protein shake or protein smoothie, or just go ahead and have dinner?  What's the difference/pros and cons?  Also, I've usually finished drinking all my water before working out (I don't like to pee in the middle of the night so I usually drink all day).  Should I be drinking more water after a workout or does it matter when I get the water in?

Thanks for all your help.
Jan

I drink water during my workouts to keep from dehydrating.  As intense as the workouts are, I can't imagine NOT having that bottle of water with me to sip on.

I had to back off of the water in the late evenings, though.  I would be up all night running to the bathroom.  Now, I just take small sips out of one bottle to last me for those last 2 - 3 hours before retiring for the night.  So, the bulk of my fluid intake is now before 7pm daily.

As for the protein, I normally have a Pure Protein bar before my workouts as those deliver carbs for energy and protein to build muscle.  Afterwards, a snack or meal that is also protein/carbs for the same reason to keep my energy level up.  But I do my workouts first thing in the morning and get the bulk of my carbs in during the first 4 hours of the day so I can concentrate more on the protein the rest of the day.

 Thanks.  I'll drink while I workout, but try not to drink later than 6:00pm or I'm up at night.
Jan

I would just eat your dinner.

The difference between a protein shake and dinner:

-Convenience
-Personal Preference

Of course, this assumes your dinner has a decent source of protein. And you are going to eat it 30-60 minutes after the workout.

The main reason to have protein shakes and other "engineered" nutrition is because it's not convenient to eat.

For example, I do some group workouts near my work. Once they are over, I have to drive home. By the time I get home and get some dinner, a minimum of an hour has passed, sometimes two (if I stay afterward to chat with friends). You really want to take in some recovery nutrition within 30 min to an hour at most. So I bring extra food and eat it on the way home or I have some Fluid Recovery drink and drink it on the way home. A lot of the time, I eat everything I've brought to work before my workout so I need to break into my emergency stash of Fluid.

 That's exactly what I wanted to know.  I would eat a protein rich dinner within an hour after my workout since I workout so late in the day, so it's nice to know I don't need the shake too.
Thanks.
Jan

Unless you are looking to really add muscle, I would not do anything different than normal. The normal amount of protein the most post-ops take in is ample to rely on for most weight training routines.

 Thanks.  I'm not looking to add muscle but to make my muscles stronger to prevent future back and joint injuries and osteoperosis.  At least, I think that's what weight training will do for me.  And stronger muscles help burn more energy which will increase my metabolism, and as a side maybe give me a better shape?  Or maybe I'm just dreaming.  I'm new at this.