Exercise increased appeitie

ChrisUK70

Hi,

I have started going to the gym more this week I have been 3 times and likely to go at the weekend.

What I have noticed is some days I just want to eat loads, yesterday I was over my calories by 1,202!

Anyone else had this happen to them?

I do not feel like this every day but maybe once a week.

Chris

stuffinmuffin

On days you're going to the gym are you:

a) Measuring your calories burned fairly accurately
b) Eating those calories back?

Chevy_Quest

Yo!

This is the classic "puzzle to solve". I was talking to a friend about it the other day. He had lost 30 lbs in about 4 months and he mentioned that he had to limit his exercise because he got too hungry. He looked kind of "flabby" and not "fit".

It is a hard thing... for example: You want to do 500 calorie deficit per day and still have energy.

1. Eat 1000 - Net 500 -
So many people try to do that here and they are headed for disaster. (I used to do that too )

2. Eat 1500 - Net 1000 -
A lot of people lose weight, feel pretty good, but are "hangry" all the time. I did that, but because I was always thinking of food I would binge and erase all my progress.

3. Eat 2200 - Net 1700
This is what I have been doing the last two months. My weight loss is modest 2-3 lbs per month. But, I feel good and I have energy to workout.

4. Eat 2800 - Net 2300
This didn't work.. I was fooling myself and my weight loss was a ridiculous .5 lbs per month. Plus I ate more junk.

---

I guess it is about finding the right level on the sliding scale where you balance three variables:

1. Intake
2. How much exercise
3. Weight loss rate.

Great topic! :drinker:

segovm

Haven't really noticed that. I mostly just ride my bike around town for exercise and notice that it decreases my appetite rather than increases it. I think there is a mental aspect to it all though if you have exercise linked to food and are already hungry then it's easy to want to "reward" yourself for all the extra hard work.

I find I don't get hungry when I eat between 1700-1900 calories most days regardless of how much I work out. If I tried to take that down to 1500 I would probably rip through everything in the house if I thought I had magically "earned" more food for the day.

My advice, eat enough to not be hungry and then work out aggressively as often as you can.

Samstan101

I tend to get really hungry if I've put some extra mles in over a couple of days, day 3 I'm craving carbs and protein. I had this this week where I did 18miles in 2 days inc a hilly race. I use the TDEE-20% method but went over this by 300 cals on day 3 as was under it for the 2 days I did the mileage. The average for the week will still equate to around 1.3-1.5lbs loss (I hope!). So basically if I'm really hungry I'll eat something reasonably healthy to fill me up (my go to is usually a tuna sandwich).

ChrisUK70

Great response thanks for your thoughts and input.

On days you're going to the gym are you:

a) Measuring your calories burned fairly accurately
b) Eating those calories back?

I am being very accurate and in some cases over estimating, most days I have been to the gym I kept under my calories but yesterday I just ate food that is not good for me fat and sugar. Which is the first time in nearly 4 weeks I have even thought about sugary or fat foods.

The other thing is I do not do the treat thing anymore so have got out of that way of thinking.

aedreana

People are so different. I have always avoided exercise because it makes me hostile (people tell me it is "adrenaline"). Yet, many people say exercise has the exact opposite effect on them-- it relaxes them and aids in stress reduction. If I am forced to. exert myself physically, like if I have to pack and move my belongings, it drastically cuts my appetite. I have heard many other people say exercise cuts their appetite too. Some people say that they eat more when they are depressed. I am one of those who eats less when depressed. I suspect there might be some correlation here between "type A"/""type B" personality and physiological reaction to activity. It appears to me that high-strung, active Type A people tend to find exercise a stress-reduction tool, find that exercise increases appetite, and eat more if depressed. Mellow, sedentary Type Bs like me, it seems, are more inclined to lose appetite, and become stressed-out by exercise, and eat less when depressed. I believe that Type B people's bodies react to exercise as a form of stress.

Kalikel

Makes me hungrier. I don't think I'd have any appetite at all if I didn't get in the pool every morning. Pee, weigh, swim.

If i do a harder workout, swimming hard and for a long time, I get MUCH hungrier and can sometimes sit down and eat as many calories in one meal as I'd eat in a day if I hadn't.

I am lucky/unlucky enough to not have to worry about eating up or down to the number. Most days, I'm well below what MFP thinks I should eat. If I go over because I swam a lot, I'm fine with that. It works for me.

But everyone is different. Just keep track for a while and see if what you want to do is working for you. If so, great! If not, adjust.