Q: When you’re dieting, are you supposed drink a post-workout shake? Or nothing until you eat a protein meal with a slow-acting carbohydrate? And how long after should you drink a shake? I always see so much on how to drink shakes after workouts when you’re not dieting, but I never read anything about pre-diet/ pre-contest. Help here?

A: Personally, in the off season, I recommend getting that protein shake with 15-20 grams of carbs almost immediately – as rapidly as possible. I definitely recommend getting protein (30-40 grams) in as soon as possible after working out prior to a competition, but I think it should come in the form of an actual food meal. But I also think that if you can’t get to a full meal that fast – and who can? – then you should do a protein shake (up until 2 weeks out) of 35-40gm whey protein + 10 grams of carbs. The meal you end up eating should also have a carb, despite dieting, depending on what your plan is, and should be a clean protein like tuna or other fish, with some brown rice. The meal should be about 40-45 grams protein and 25-30 grams of carbs. Believe it or not, you won’t get low, low, low in body fat without adding some carb back in. I know it’s all the rage to do the low carb thing and that’s fine if you’re eating steak and broccoli for 8 weeks up until that last week or two. But I think once you’ve come in and look good, two weeks out, you need to make sure you are eating some carb. You won’t go lower without it. Some people cut whey out altogether those last two weeks, but it depends on how good you look and if it’s a problem for you. I would recommend hydrolyzed whey those last two weeks and you’ll be fine. If you’re just going low cal and not low carb, I think you should do a protein shake with both carbs and proteins and make sure the calorie count is low overall.

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