Hungry after workout

yoginimary

I've read a lot of post about people not being able to eat all their calories, or working out so they don't eat.

I just don't get it. I have the opposite problem: I'm starving after working out. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

BTW, I heard Dr. Dean Edell say that for men exercise is an appetite suppressant, but for women, it is an appetite stimulant.

yoginimary

I've read a lot of post about people not being able to eat all their calories, or working out so they don't eat.

I just don't get it. I have the opposite problem: I'm starving after working out. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

BTW, I heard Dr. Dean Edell say that for men exercise is an appetite suppressant, but for women, it is an appetite stimulant.

katiechakos

Hi Mary! My trainer told me that it's best to eat within the first 30 minutes after a workout. I guess that is when your body uses it the best. She suggests something that is a "quick sugar" like an apple and some protein, maybe a spoonful of peanut butter. I have found that protein really does help keep me feeling full longer. Do you eat small meals throughout your day?

yoginimary

I've tried to eat small meals throughout the day, but can really only manage 4 a day without going over my calorie limit. Once I start, can't seem to stop. How do you do it Katie? If you're going to go out to eat that night, how do you eat 4 other meals and still have enough calories to eat away from home?

I usually eat a piece of fruit and a few nuts after a workout -- how long does it take to kick in?
Also, hunger seems to be proportional to the length of the workout -- does anyone else experience this?

Healthier_Me

You should have some type of bar with you (Special K bar, Energy bar, granola bar).

:flowerforyou: Joanna:flowerforyou:

lotusfromthemud

I always eat about a half hour or an hour before I go to the gym. Otherwise, I bonk during the workout and am starving afterwards. Usually it's a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts, or a larabar or clif nectar bar. I've heard a complex or fruit carb mixed with protein is the way to go. I find that if I do this, I don't get ravenous after working out. (I used to)

Also, I think that my body is getting more used to the heavy workouts, as this problem is less difficult than it was when I had first started working out. Also, I've seriously upped my protein intake, and that has changed everything for the better.

Hope that helps.:drinker: <

---

(protein shake)

time2wrk

This wouldn't work for vegetarians, but I cook up a bunch of chicken breasts in herbs and seasonings and keep them in the refrigerator all week. I use them in salads and other dishes, but I also keep them on hand for right after workouts where I feel particularly hungry. (Some days are worse than others.) Then, I can come home and if I am starving, eat a chicken breast and some fruit. That seems to hold me for a while.

serenity1272

Our trainer and others that I have talked to said that if you can handle it, drink 8 oz of chocolate milk. I have tried it and it seems to work. Just don't drink it before, blech...not a great combination with water :sick:
Almonds and some fruit are also great....just make sure you eat within 90 min and it is very small....

kjllose

I try to eat a little hummus with about 6 triscuits about a half hour before I exercise. I've never talked with any trainers and it keeps me going and then when I get done if I'm hungry I just eat a little protein of any kind. I never manage 4 small meals. I usually do a 300 calorie breakfast, a 100 calorie snack 3 hours later, with lots of water , a salad at lunch time saves alot of calories, another 100 calorie snack with lots of water and then whatever is left caloriewise for supper (it adds up to more at supper if I exercise). you have to play around with it to see what is right for you because we are all different( even if we are the same in wanting to lose weight .

katiechakos

These are all good options... I would also double check yourself to see if you are drinking enough water. Sometimes when I think I'm super hungry, I'll drink a big bottle of water and it seems to tide me over for awhile. You would be surprised at how little water we drink when we're not keeping track. Definitely don't starve yourself... Healthier_Me suggested a bar of some sort. They have some great options for around 110 calories, and they are pretty tasty.

This is a tough one, because part of it is most definitely real, but maybe part of it is habitual. I know for me there are many things that I've done in the past that have been HABIT, and I've had to really focus to re-train my brain.

Today is a new day and plus it's FRIDAY! You're going to have a great one.

Big hug to you!!!
Katie

yoginimary

Thanks for all your suggestions -- it's nice to have a network of people out there who can give you help.

I sure hope it's not habitual -- I'm not very good at breaking habits, I just start new ones. I'll try the eating 100 calories before and after. I do drink lots of water, most people would say too much.

Thanks again,

Mary

banks1850

Hi Mary,

Personally I know how hard it is to keep within calory limits when you go out to eat.
Most of the restaurants out there don't know what a real portion is, most give you
2 and sometimes 3 portions. Forget the idea of cooking healthy with them.

I guess what you really need to do is (sadly), is plan out what you will eat if you do go out.
Most restaurants will post their menu and/or nutrients. Check it out before hand, find
the food you will be ordering and calculate it out before hand, and make out your
day's calories based on that.

Its terribly unromantic, I know, but romance can come from other avenues, I know my
wife and I use dinners out as a very special prize that we decide on ahead of time
and save up calories to do days in advance.

Other then that, if you are constantly hungry, examine the types of foods you are eating, highly processed foods metabolize extremely fast in your body and that means you feel hungry faster after eating them (thus the old chinese food dillema). Protien, Omega 3 fatty acids, Whole grains and other "good" carbohydrates that take a long time to break down...etc will keep you feeling full longer and are much better for you anyway. there are some great sites out there that explain this better then I can, off the top of my head I can think of Webmd.com

rethun01

I have to agree with Banks about checking out the menus ahead of time. It really helps! I felt weird about it in the beginning, as the family I married into are HUGE eaters. By husband and brother-in-law are both indoor football players (linemen none the less) so they always eat waaaaaaaaay too much. And they evidently learned it from their parents!!

The first time I tried to do this with them was when we went to Texas Roadhouse one night. I planned everything out ahead of time, but figured they were all going to harass me for not eating very much. You know what, though? No one even noticed. I just kept talking and enjoyed the company instead of focusing on the food. Now it's such a habit that when we go to certain restaurants like T.R. I don't even get tempted by the other selections any more!

yoginimary

Banks,

Too bad only chain restaurants list their calories -- we have some really healthy places here in Austin through. Since I'm a vegetarian, I've been planning what I'm going to eat for 20 years, I just know how many calories are in pizza. Maybe I'm so hungry because I don't save up, I just work out longer. I blame my mother: when she was pregnant with me, she ate everyday: I've been eating ever since.

I'm on the YOU diet, so I haven't had a processed carb in months (I did find a restaurant that served ww pizza crust).

Alas, my husband and I go out every weekend, but I usually know ahead of time where we are going.

banks1850

Mary,
I'm not sure how restaurants around you are, so I can't really comment on that, but if it isn't a chain, then I imagine you can call them and ask if they have an online menu. I know some of the restaurants around here do. And if you know what kind of food it is, even if it isn't a chain, then you can make some general decisions about what you will have before hand and that way you can have a general idea of your calories. Other then that, all I can say is, this is a lifestyle change, along with it comes some sacrifices, I know I don't eat out nearly as much as I used too. I sigh once in a while when I drive by a melting pot... (been there once this year with my wife, it was great, but went over almost 1000 calories, luckilly we planned for it so I was actually under 200 for the week afterward). but when I hop on the tread mill and can do 3 miles in 24 minutes now when 3 months ago I couldn't even DO 3 miles total, I smile a little.

As to the exercise hunger, I've never heard about a difference between women and men, that doesn't mean it isn't true, I just never heard it before. What the others posted about this seems to be what I would suggest as well. My only point to add would be that, veggitarians tend to absorb less protein then us omnivores, and therefore need to eat a lot more plant protein then the rest of us (plant protein is much less digestable then animal protein), maybe your just not absorbing enough protein? This is just a suggestion, I'm not a nutritionist, but I do spend a lot of time on nutriants as my wife is obsessed with it (probably a very good thing for me).

Najah5150

Working out supresses my apetite. I don't have the urge to eat for HOURS after I finish working out. I'm just thirsty...so I drink tons of water until I get hungry.

kjllose

you could try this website to see if it has any of the restaurants listed you go to. It has a big database. It is www.dwlz.com You have to scroll down the page half way before you get to the restaurant part. It has helped me in the past when I ate out and wanted to find out how many calories were in what I ate. LOL Yeah there were too many calories but at least I could find them.

yoginimary

Thanks kjllose, that's a great website. Here's one in return:
http://calorielab.com/index.html

alas, like Banks, I love the melting pot -- haven't been since last year's wedding anniversary though -- probably for the best.

banks1850

MAAAAANNNN!!

Now I wanna go to the melting pot!

:frown:

reneejodobbs

HAVE YOU TRIED TAKING A PROTEIN DRINK WITH YOU. YOU CAN FIND THE POWDERS WITH LOW SUGAR AND CALORIES. JUST ADD 8 OZ OF WATER.. THEY ARE FILLING.

rtamayo

I've read a lot of post about people not being able to eat all their calories, or working out so they don't eat.

I just don't get it. I have the opposite problem: I'm starving after working out. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

BTW, I heard Dr. Dean Edell say that for men exercise is an appetite suppressant, but for women, it is an appetite stimulant.

I get that too, my metabolism is through the roof since i started to workout again, I am hungry every 2 hours, but i have managed to stay in my calories by changing what i am eating, eating 6 times a day, small meals and snacks, veggies, fish, fruit, subway sandwiches, lots of water, no junk food and as little suger as i can stand. it is good that you are more hungry, it means your metavolism is up and you are burning off your food faster!

oldandbroke

I don't know which men get their appetites suppressed but its not me. You need a small amount of quick carbs immediately after a work out something like gatorade or juice and then some fast acting protein like whey. The carbs replinish the glycogen in the muscle and help the protein get used. That usually knocks the ravenous hungers out of me. I use 35g carbs and 24g of protein on a baseline diet of 1700 cal. You have to factor this into the overall daily calories - unfortunately they are not free.

If you are staying hungry all day that is a bad thing if it goes on for more than a day or two. You may want to increase your protein ratio first while keeping the calories the same to see if that works. If not you have to eat more. It really helps me to go very carb heavy for breakfast and taper off by dinner. My dinner carbs are all high fiber veggies, no potatoes rice or bread. I try to save enough calories in the day to allow for a protien shake mixed with milk right before bed. It helps me sleep and to get through the morning work out.