Hungrier on lifting rest days?

Nopedotjpeg

I've noticed over the last few months of strength training I've been hungrier on rest days than I am on lifting days. Despite the variable food differences, it seems like a consistent thing. This ends up being a pain in the *kitten* big time because I'm going over on rest days. I'm guessing the only thing I can do is just better planning, but I'm wondering if other people experience this or not? I always read people who eat more on lifting days than rest days.

docktorfokse

I actually rarely notice a huge difference. That's possibly because I try to pre-plan my meal times so that if I do get hungry, I'm not left alone with a house full of food.

MsNewBooty83

im not heavy lifting, but i get ravenous on my rest days too. it actually throws me off for days at a time sometimes. Firstly because I usually eat back my work out calories so my body is used to having more food in a regualr day....secondly because I dont feel as responsible maybe? I'm starting to consider not taking rest days at all. I dont think thats a good thing necessarily, but i do some pretty rigorous workouts. so much so that i can actually double my calorie intake on most days if i do eat them all back.

JNick77

I always read people who eat more on lifting days than rest days.

It depends. If you're on a calorie deficit or even just maintaining you really don't eat more on lifting days versus non-lifting days but you should consider eating differently. Lifting days are commonly higher carb, high protein, low fat, whereas non-lifting days can be high protein, reduced carbs, increased fat.

LabRat529

I am usually hungrier on my rest days too.

RestartThisRight

ive stopped taking rest days because of it! That, and I always hate rest days anyway. I get soo hungry on rest days! its ridiculous!

Nopedotjpeg

ive stopped taking rest days because of it! That, and I always hate rest days anyway. I get soo hungry on rest days! its ridiculous!

I don't have that option. The result of me not taking my rest day the day before upping the weights is a barbell rolling off my back because of having to fail a rep. =/

EDIT: And yeah, I know I screwed up having to fail the rep. Should've set up safety catches higher.

Lolli1986

I'm hungriest the day after lots of exercise, which usually corresponds with rest. I presumed my body is saying "you used half my glycogen and I want it back, oh, and look at all these cells you broke, I need stuff to fix them."

I eat a sustained intake that does not fluctuate based on exercise, with what seems to be a quite modest deficit.

love22step

I do cardio on rest days, so I'm hungry every day.

gafrausto

My 2 cents, but that's when you're body is repairing (building) after you've made micro tears in your muscles. Sleep the most productive repair/growth time, but those rest days (especially since you're going to fail) are also essential for growth and as you've stated to recover in order to go to fail on your next workout.

If you speak to a reputable trainer, they'll tell you that you need more rest days when going to failure so often and may recommend that you not go to failure as often.

Good luck and as long as you're not gaining unwanted to weight feed your hunger

autumnk921

It's good to hear that I am not the only one...I am so hungry the days after lifting as well.

jenniejengin

I always read people who eat more on lifting days than rest days.

It depends. If you're on a calorie deficit or even just maintaining you really don't eat more on lifting days versus non-lifting days but you should consider eating differently. Lifting days are commonly higher carb, high protein, low fat, whereas non-lifting days can be high protein, reduced carbs, increased fat.

wow, I never knew that, thanks

Crazy4Healthy

My 2 cents, but that's when you're body is repairing (building) after you've made micro tears in your muscles. Sleep the most productive repair/growth time, but those rest days (especially since you're going to fail) are also essential for growth and as you've stated to recover in order to go to fail on your next workout.

If you speak to a reputable trainer, they'll tell you that you need more rest days when going to failure so often and may recommend that you not go to failure as often.

Good luck and as long as you're not gaining unwanted to weight feed your hunger

^^^ This

CoryIda

Any time I get a really good lifting session in, I am voraciously hungry the next day - pretty much no matter what I do or don't do.

Nataliaho

Does your rest day follow your lifting day? I am always ravenous the day after a heavy day (I lift at night)...

Nopedotjpeg

My 2 cents, but that's when you're body is repairing (building) after you've made micro tears in your muscles. Sleep the most productive repair/growth time, but those rest days (especially since you're going to fail) are also essential for growth and as you've stated to recover in order to go to fail on your next workout.

If you speak to a reputable trainer, they'll tell you that you need more rest days when going to failure so often and may recommend that you not go to failure as often.

Good luck and as long as you're not gaining unwanted to weight feed your hunger

It's not supposed to be to failure. But I did something dumb and did sprints the day before I tried upping my Squat another 10 lb. Didn't go over well.

taso42

I don't think it would be an issue if you consistently ate a little more on rest days and a little less on lifting days. I know lots of people do the opposite, but to me, it almost seems to make more sense to eat more the day AFTER to fuel the muscle rebuilding. But like all the other fine tuning stuff we try to do, I bet in the end, the impact is negligible to nil.

ChasingSweatandTears

Here seems to be my new pattern, I'm new to lifting....
I lift heavy, I come home and all I want to do is SLEEP.
Later that day or the next day, I seem to be really hungry. And I'm eating at a moderate deficit, nothing extreme.
So I've been curious as well if this is just psychological or if others have had the same experience.

CaseRat

I'm like a ravenous beast on the days after lifting, especially considering I lift at night.
Keeping in mind that I'm eating 3,200-3,500 a day and aiming to bulk up, but muscles do their building and repair work on your 'rest days' - not during the workout. Hence why you're hungrier the day after.

TheFunBun

Yeah. Rest days are the hungriest days ever. I'm going to start eating the same amount on rest days, because I doubt it will affect me in the long run, 500 cals more or whatever. Hongriness is no friend of mine.

Nataliaho

breaking it down into 'rest day' and 'lifing day' is probably a little pointless, depending when you lift. Logically something you haven't actually done yet can't really effect you. When lifting at night, why would that make you hungrier during that day?? I mean your body is not psychic. But if I lifted in the morning, I am sure I'd be hungry all day.

IAmCorStar

The same is definitely true for me. Today is my rest day and I've already eaten almost has much as I do in an entire workout day. The body's not stupid. It's asking for food because ineeds it. My feeling is that as long as I'm eating more in response to actual hunger cues and not social or emotional ones (though that's cool from time to time to), that that "extra" food is being put to work. I'm not trying to lose however (trying to gain if anything), so I actually use my rest days to compensate for any severe deficits I created during the week when the opposite happens and intense workouts kill my appetite and/or are really long and leave less time for eating.

Unless your an elite athlete, nutrient timing is really not that important, especially if you're trying to lose weight. A 140 pound woman with 20% body fat has nearly 50,000 calories worth of fuel stored as fat to use when you're in a daily deficit. (Actually closer to 100,000, but assuming that 10% of that fat is "essential" and should not be used for fuel) Very lean athletes, whose body fat% is much closer to that "essential" point, need to worry mpre about making sure the body doesn't feel the need to dip into that, or to burn muscle, and so pre and post exercise nutrition, rest and work days become an important factor. You're body has

Anyways, I digress. Eat when you're hungry, not just because some number on MFP says you "can" or "can't" eat more on any particular day. Aim for a total weekly caloric deficit if your trying to lose. Or for a change of pace, try setting your calories at maintenance level (I would even suggest using a number that you think is your maintenance from experience, probably higher than than what MFP comes up with) and just aim for going under (being in the green) whenever you can, rest days, workout days, birthdays, whenever.