Exercise and feeling ravenous...

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I have been working on this for a bit and seem to have a pretty good handle on my Macros and overall calorie intake. I work out pretty much daily burning between 800-1100 calories (per HRM) and feel great...but then find that later in the afternoon/early evening I feel ravenous and could eat anything and everything. I have to work really hard to keep myself distracted so I don't do this. I am eating back at least the majority of my exercise calories, and generally have my bigger meals for breakfast and lunch with a couple decent snacks throughout the day as well. I'm wondering if this ravenous feeling is more from old habits/boredom, or if it's my body yelling at me for too much exercise. Anyone else have similar experiences or thoughts?

Replies

  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Do you replenish right after your workout? You may need to do a protein shake when your muscles are most receptive.
  • Shereta5
    Shereta5 Posts: 13
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    Im in the same boat. I just eat good food with good protein. A few times I went right to my allowed calorie budget for the day and one time i went over. I still lost 4.4 my first week. You have to eat well, and keep keeping busy.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    How many calories do u net per day? What's your height and weight?
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    Recent studies about exercise duration and caloric consumption have shown that typically the harder you work out and the more calories you burn, the hungrier you feel, which can lead to over-eating. I had this problem a while back and I actually culled my exercise back some to about 60% of what I normally did, found my hunger pains went away and I was still losing weight.
  • sjhatcu
    sjhatcu Posts: 12 Member
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    I have been having the same problem - I am eating what I think is enough calories, but I am ravenous for a couple of hours after I workout. Normally I eat just a protein bar before I workout, but I noticed that if I eat a protein bar as well as some other protein - turkey and cheese rollup or a hard boiled egg, that I'm not as hungry at night. An extra 150 calories before my workout seems to save me from eating an extra 300-350 calories later.
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    Do you replenish right after your workout? You may need to do a protein shake when your muscles are most receptive.

    I do yes, that's usually when I have my biggest meal of the day
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    How many calories do u net per day? What's your height and weight?

    I NET right around 1680 calories a day. 5'8.5" and 182lbs
  • Caitable
    Caitable Posts: 14
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    You said you eat your biggest meal right after your workout, how long is it before you eat next? Perhaps just adding a mid afternoon protein shake would help?
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    You said you eat your biggest meal right after your workout, how long is it before you eat next? Perhaps just adding a mid afternoon protein shake would help?

    I eat about every 2-3 hours...my journal is open feel free to look and make any suggestions
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
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    Your calorie burn is pretty high. I wouldn't be surprised to find that your body is craving more food to handle that kind of work. I also find that after my kids are in bed, I become much more susceptible to the "bored", old-habit type snacking, which is even worse after the exercise I'm doing daily. I'm thinking I've gotta start adding a thick Rockin Wellness shake to dinner to try to hold off that hunger.

    Maybe adding some protein will help hold off some of that hunger, as others have mentioned.

    Good luck!
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    I eat about every 2-3 hours...my journal is open feel free to look and make any suggestions
    Journal is not open.
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    I eat about every 2-3 hours...my journal is open feel free to look and make any suggestions
    Journal is not open.

    Now it is...sorry! :)
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    Are you remembering to log all your exercise? You're working out daily, but have only logged exercise on 5 of the past 14 days. That would make a huge difference, if your daily goal is to net 1680 but you work off up to 1000. Also, while 1680 is your goal, it doesn't seem to be your net. Many days you're 200+ calories short, and often not hitting your protein or fat goal--both would help fill you up.

    You could add those calories to dinner, or use them for a snack after dinner. I would also shift some of the calories you eat earlier in the day to the evening and see if that helps. Your dinners seem to be pretty tiny--a meal-replacement bar wouldn't fill me up!
  • dlcarroll13
    dlcarroll13 Posts: 65 Member
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    Are you remembering to log all your exercise? You're working out daily, but have only logged exercise on 5 of the past 14 days. That would make a huge difference, if your daily goal is to net 1680 but you work off up to 1000. Also, while 1680 is your goal, it doesn't seem to be your net. Many days you're 200+ calories short, and often not hitting your protein or fat goal--both would help fill you up.

    You could add those calories to dinner, or use them for a snack after dinner. I would also shift some of the calories you eat earlier in the day to the evening and see if that helps. Your dinners seem to be pretty tiny--a meal-replacement bar wouldn't fill me up!

    Your right...looking back at it there are a few days I forgot to log my exercise, need to be better with that. I do need to pay closer attention to my protein and fat, though I already feel like I have far more protein in my diet than ever before. I'll try a snack later in the evening that's higher in protein to make up that difference and see if I feel a little different. Thanks!