Exercise in the morning making you more hungry?

I just started to try and get to bed early so that I could wake up at about 5:30-6:00am and hit the gym and shower before I come into work just because I like the idea of being able to get it out of the way and be able to do whatever after work but I've felt that it's made me crave food and be hungry more. Anyone else had this happen?

What is an ideal breakfast to eat at work after I work out? Today I just ate a large peach because I wasn't all that hungry by the time I got here but now that it's 11:30am, my stomach is growling!
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Replies

  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    YES -- but to me that's a good thing. I think it means something is actually working. I walk at LEAST every other day for 1 hour (brisk)...if I do a "rest day" the next day of walking I am almost starving.

    ps. I eat 1 frozen waffle (bare) and have my coffee after I walk. It takes care of the hunger and lasts me a couple of hours.
  • holly3585
    holly3585 Posts: 282 Member
    I know exactly what you are talking about! I am really only consistant with my early morning workouts! No one at home is awake to disrupt Insanity.....even the strip of beach I jog on is pretty abandoned early in the morning... plus I don't have time to rationalize myself out of 'feeling like doing it'. It just WORKS for me!!

    On that note though, My hunger consumes me VERY early on, especially on w/o days. I feel like this is a good thing, obviously my metabolism is going, and I have realized that eating a substantial breakfast is the best cure. For example, I get up at 4 am on AM Insanity days......Get to work at 6:30. I may hold out until 7 or 7:30, then MUST EAT. I can have a few tablespoons of almond butter, and hour or two later a bananna. An hour later a serving of almonds. An hour later some protein- last nights leftovers, or a protein bar...ext,ext, ext. This literally goes on until about 3 pm! On the other hand, if I pre make a big breakfast burrito (we are talking a 400-700 calorie serving) I am good until my 12 lunch. From then on I eat light! I think that working out ANYTIME is amazing, so if doing it makes your body want food- I say EAT and eat big. I have recently started applying a 'cut off' time' to my daily feedings, which I am inching up earlier and earlier, but this works for me!! I NEED early calories to keep me going, and I indulge- I just limit my latter calories.

    Keep up your morning workouts and find what makes your body the most happy! Good luck :)
  • Jesstruhan
    Jesstruhan Posts: 331 Member
    Oh heck yes. I posted something similar and folks replied with protein shakes, greek yogurt and fruit and basically fiber+protein combos. Bananas, too. Good luck! Speaking of which, my blueberries and greek yogurt are waiting. I'm starved.
  • dreja82
    dreja82 Posts: 43
    I worked out early for the first time the other day and I was hungry all day long and I craved sweets more too that day. I like having Kashi go lean and Kashi go lean crunch for breakfast, it has a good amount of protein and leaves me feeling full but not stuffed. I change between 1 and 2 cups of it in the morning. Scrambled eggs and toast is always yummy too.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Yeah! I definitely REALLY enjoy working out in the morning because it just feels good to get it out of the way, I feel better knowing what I just accomplished before most people wake up, etc!

    I think I just need to start to eat a little bit more for breakfast, maybe a waffle and a banana or something instead of something so small like the peach I had today and maybe I'll be able to last a little longer without feeling like I'm starving!
  • sing4me4you
    sing4me4you Posts: 88 Member
    you could bring hard boiled eggs, greek yogurt (high in protein), cheese - anything that has protein in it will be digested slower and make you feel satisfied longer.
  • kinzytg
    kinzytg Posts: 42
    I have been doing morning exercise recently, and I am starving if I don;t eat more in the morning. So, I eat a Greek yogurt for protein soon after (liek within 45 minutes), a piece of fruit mid morning and usually lunch is a bit early (11:30-12). But by afternoon things are fine, so i think maybe it's actually good to get things revved up early?
  • MMarvelous
    MMarvelous Posts: 1,067 Member
    Great post! I am thinking about doing a couple of days of early morning workouts, so this is good information to have handy. Good luck!
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Awesome guys! Thanks so much for the responses!! I love Greek yogurt so I definitely grab some of that at the store as well as some more bananas and eggs! I'm kind of a picky eater but I'm trying to branch out to more, haha.
  • badgeratheart
    badgeratheart Posts: 91 Member
    I always workout in the a.m. before work and then eat at my desk. My go to breakfasts are:

    Whole wheat English muffin with 2 turkey sausage patties
    Yogurt mixed with Kashi Go Lean crunch
    Instant oatmeal with applesauce and slivered almonds mixed in.

    I do find that I'm hungry about 2.5 hours later. I will usually grab a protein bar, veggies with hummus, or an apple with peanut butter for my mid-morning snack.
  • sbernardy
    sbernardy Posts: 188
    I also get up early.. 4am :( I work out for an hour.. then rush home take a shower and get kids up to get them to my ex's by 6:30 Plus in that time I have a 30 min commute.. and I'm at work at 7 am.. and I have a package of oatmeal.. I think I'm in so much of a rush after my work out I don't have time to think about eating till I get to work... but oatmeal really does hold me over!
  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    do you eat before you work out? working out and then just having a peach after is like skipping breakfast.... and you will naturally be starving later! You should have a protein shake or something before you work out..... And then another protein shake AFTER you work out. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT POST WORKOUT. (something more than a peach -- protein & carbs!)
  • Lyssa62
    Lyssa62 Posts: 930 Member
    the frozen blueberry waffles only have 85 calories for 1 if you don't put anything on it. I break mine up into little pieces while I am reading and it curbs the hunger for quite a while.
  • only a few hours (if that) after a morning run & im hungry. it's not even 12noon & i've already grabbed almonds and my lunch.
  • Healthy_Melva
    Healthy_Melva Posts: 91 Member
    Right after exercise, I can't eat. But, by the time I stretch and shower, I am hungry and Ready To Eat RIGHT NOW! :laugh: I have found having a protein and a small carb will get me through to lunch. When I worked, my job would have allowed me to eat a bowl of cereal (standing in the kitchen), then have something at my desk, such as a cheese stick. Also a yogurt cup with granola might be a good choice instead of the cereal. For me, having that bit of protein, though, makes the difference. I don't like breakfast meat, so would have to take along a little portion of lunch meat in a baggy to get that protein in if I didn't like or couldn't eat cheese.

    I also found that drinking coffee after exercise adds to my being hungry too soon. I think the caffeine gets my digestive processes going too soon. It's almost as it I must "feed" the coffee.
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    do you eat before you work out? working out and then just having a peach after is like skipping breakfast.... and you will naturally be starving later! You should have a protein shake or something before you work out..... And then another protein shake AFTER you work out. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO EAT POST WORKOUT. (something more than a peach -- protein & carbs!)

    I just started this but no, I didn't eat before working out. I ate afterwards, but like I said, it was only a peach because at the time, that's all I was really hungry for and quite frankly, I need to go grocery shopping (haha). I never really got into the whole protein shake thing, I mostly just thought it was for all the big muscle head guys at the gym I saw.

    Any good/easy/decent tasting ones out there?!
  • mereyrae30
    mereyrae30 Posts: 15 Member
    I am and have been a morning workout person for a few years now. I love how much more motivated I am in the mornings and can whip through lunch making, dishes, etc ALL before going to work. But I do feel like I am always hungry and thinking about food:)

    My favorite breakfast is fresh strawberries(cut up) and fruit dip. The fruit dip is lite whipped cream(20 cals a serving) and 2 containers of whatever strawberry yogurt you like. I like Kroger brand "Carb Master" Strawberry yogurt(60 cals a container) Mix the whipped cream and yogurt together. This makes a huge bowl so I only use a few good spoonfuls to mix up with the strawberries.

    I also eat every 2 hours. I have found a new love for Kind bars. They are Gluten and wheat free and OH. SO. YUMMY. This is usually my mid-morning snack before lunch. The kind bars can be found in the nutritional aisles in most any grocery store- i.e. Kroger, Wal-Mart, Target, etc.
  • I do morning workouts every day and I am constantly starving! I eat two breakfasts every day to help combat this problem. The first I eat right when I get up - egg white omelet with spinach and fat free feta, then I have oatmeal when I get to work. On top of all this I usually need to have a mid morning snack too, but all of this food is pretty low cal so I'm ok with it. They say small meals all day is the way to go, right?

    Ps. Clif Bars are my best friend!
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Awesome! Thanks so much for all of the info, I'm writing all the breakfast ideas down for my next grocery shopping trip!
  • Have been working out in the morning for the past 5 weeks. i used to have eggs and cheese omlet after my workouts. then i have found these protein shakes (30g protein) and i drink that on my way home from the gym. It lasts me for about 3 hours and then i have my regular breakfast. My trainer is always telling us that we have a 45 min window after the workout in which the body burns the most and that is the time to eat. it works great. I have found that if you eat protein after an workout you don't get hungry during the day
  • I am the same way about wanting to just get the workout over with for the day before work and I totally get hungry way earlier when I do an early AM workout vs. nothing at all.

    I've heard that if you have a scrambled egg and a piece of wheat toast that's a good way to start out your day; lots of protein & a few carbs to keep you energized and full until lunch.
  • smilebhappy
    smilebhappy Posts: 811 Member
    I used to get up at 4:30 a.m. to hit spin class before work
    working out in the morning def made me hungrier so
    Before I left I grabbed a banana & ate while driving
    I always made (the night before) a morning snack to eat while at work
    protien bar, greek yogurt & fruit, almonds, whole wheat waffle with peanut butter, banana with peanut butter, smoothie
    hope this helps ;)
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
    I find I eat more if I DON"T do my morning workout....so it the opposite for me :) I do however have a protein packed after workout shake along with a big breakfast so that many be why! :)

    Also if I try and skip breakfast I am ravenous all day long!

    My usually post workout shakes consist of protein powder, frozen fruit, yogurt and almond milk!
    My breakfasts are usually eggs or yogurt with fruit! I try to have at least 15 grams of protein by the time I leave the house for work....maybe that willl help. :)
  • SHHitsKaty
    SHHitsKaty Posts: 301
    Any suggestions on the best protein shakes? Or how to make them? I'm a newbie at them!
  • MsKeelah919
    MsKeelah919 Posts: 332 Member
    I exercise early in the am as well and I notice the same thing. Since I workout on an empty stomach, I make sure to eat WELL at breakfast. Its easier for me, being a creature of habit to have the same thing for a week. This week I enjoy a cup of steel cut oats sweetened with craisins, 2 boiled eggs, coffee, water. I eat this at about 9:15 when I get to work and this keeps me full until about 1 or 1:30...which for me is AMAZING!! Then I enjoy a brown rice based lunch. I sautee some stuff to have on top. (Shrimp or chicken or like today just cabbage and mushrooms) I try to keep my lunches very veggie, since I am sedentary during my work day. This leaves me a NIIICE dinner budget, which works for me, because I can eat a nice volume of food, so I have more wiggle room that way. Good luck!
  • I have started working out in the mornings the past 2 weeks and have found that I do get hungrier earlier in the day. I get up around 5:30am do my work out shower get my daughter and myself ready for the day then get to work by 7:30ish. I keep the Better Oats oatmeal at my desk, most of them are 100-160 cals with flax seed and I have a protein shake (Premier Nutrition Chocolate Shake) or add some protein powder (Jay Robb Whey protein) to the oatmeal to make it 'meatier' then I have a protein bar (Pure Protein, the deluxe chocolate tastes like a brownie!) or unsalted peanuts for a snack. I find that I do have more energy throughout the day and still workout after my daughter goes to be every M, W, F and Saturday just do the morning work out then my rest day is Sunday. Good post, I also need some additional snack options :happy:
  • I buy my protein shakes at costco or sams club. it says on ir protein shakes and 30g of protein. hope this helps
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
    I'm sure someone already mentioned it but eat something with protein. Make sure your meals are well-balanced. I usually do something like "proatmeal" in the morning (I'm eating a higher protein diet anyway). With that I do plain oatmeal and ad 1tbsp of pecans, 1/2 a banana, 1 scoop of whey protein, and 1/4 cup of organic silk milk. It's tasty and filling and keeps me full until my next "meal" 3 or 3.5 hours later.
  • cmccorma
    cmccorma Posts: 203 Member
    I do half a banana before workout at 5am, then come home and microwave some egg whites (in a bowl with pam spray), add some low fat cheese and salsa. That keeps me until 10, when I do a greek yogurt. Then I do a salad with chicken at 11:45. But yes, on my morning workout days I am much hungrier and pack an extra snack :)
  • mereyrae30
    mereyrae30 Posts: 15 Member
    Any suggestions on the best protein shakes? Or how to make them? I'm a newbie at them!


    Yoplait makes a good packaged mix for Protein shakes.I like the Berry one. Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. Add water to cover mixture and a scoop of EAS Soy Vanilla Protein powder(any protien powder will work) and blend it all up with my Ninja- best thing ever for smoothies!

    One of my favorites is a Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Protein Shake:

    Cup or 2(give or take) of Ice
    One spoonful of PB
    One Banana(sometimes I'll only use half)
    1 cup milk (skim, almond, soy...your choice)
    1 scoop Chocolate Protein

    Again- blend altogether- YUMMO!

    Made this recently to sneak in some veggies:

    Cup of Ice
    Handful of Pineapple
    Handful of Fresh Spinach Leaves
    One Banana
    One cup of Cocunut Milk(it tastes basically like reg milk so you can use any you prefer)

    **this one can be mixed up with all kinds of fruits and other veggies: kale, peaches, apples, kiwi, etc. The fruits mask the taste of the veggies so it tastes sweet. Looks pretty gross, but very good!