Can exercising increase your appetite?

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sweetxsour35
sweetxsour35 Posts: 177
in Fitness and Exercise
Today, I noticed that i burn through everything I eat so quickly. I usually eat a bagel and cream cheese with some sort of fruit for lunch, and that usually keeps me filled until dinner, but today, I was hungry before I even got home. I went to the gym about an hour after dinner (6:30?) and started week 4 of C25K. I got home at 7:30 and ate a bowl of cereal, and at 8:30 I ate an apple. I got hungry at about 10:00. Is it normal to gain an appetite from exercise?

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  • catwrangler
    catwrangler Posts: 918 Member
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    Yes, that's why you should eat your exercise calories.

    But not always, sometimes I won't feel hungry until way after a workout.
  • PennyNickel14
    PennyNickel14 Posts: 749 Member
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    This is actually super common and there was a huge article in time mag (US) about it a while back.

    I do have a high protein snack right after I do cardio/Lift and it does really help.
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
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    Yes, I generally keep up with my calories burned on a daily basis, but I find that it really doesn't hit me until the next day. On the biggest burn days I just want to stick my face into some serious food the next day.
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
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    YES, YES, YES, YES, YES! Many a times I have almost eaten my fork because I got so hungry, exercise WILL do it to you:)
  • 1LRoy
    1LRoy Posts: 95 Member
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    Your body needs more energy to do more work, so the short answer is yes. However, this sharp spike is usually the body transitioning and should decrease some. You should be giving your body enough calories to get the job done without "crashing" but be reasonable about it. Sometimes changing what you eat and when in relation to your workout can do the trick without actually adding calories.
  • stef_3
    stef_3 Posts: 173
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    Yes, it's normal. Try to eat something with protein to fill you up and it's good for your muscles after a good workout.
  • kanonxbou47
    kanonxbou47 Posts: 265 Member
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    Yeah, I think so... I always have to eat at least a little snack after I work out.
  • Saruman_w
    Saruman_w Posts: 1,531 Member
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    Yea, sometimes I'd start to feel hungry after getting done exercising. That's when I grab a small snack and be done with it.
  • dckim
    dckim Posts: 311 Member
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    I think even if you eat all your exercise calories and sometimes more, it's still worth it. Exercise is good in it of itself. :flowerforyou:

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