Two Questions: Weight Lifting and Hunger

ohtobe140 · May 2013

Okay, so I have read New Rules for Lifting for Women, I have lifted heavy in the past, I have been a runner, I have done lots of things and I have eaten a LOT. Okay, so I have lost almost 30 lbs by eating less and moving more, two weeks ago I started lifting heavy again and now I am STARVING. I was unprepared for the higher level of hunger and my kitchen has not been properly stocked with the right foods. It is stocked now ready for tomorrow. My question is, is this new hunger normal and will it be temporary? Due to my unpreparedness, I have eaten more junk foods in the past five days than I would like to admit to. sigh. Oh well, moving on.

My second question is, is it considered lifting to failure if your muscles are shaking but you can still do one more rep after a 1-5 second rest period. If I can still do a move after a short break should I up the weights substantially? I am doing Les Mills Pump and I really like it, but I am shaking at the end of the sets and video, but I can still walk and my soreness is definitely dissipating faster after every workout. How heavy should I go? What are the signs that I am loading as much as I can for it to be beneficial and not damaging?

I apologize in advance if some words are missing or misspelled I am very tired but was hoping to get responses over night.

Thanks so much for any insight.

jillfrd · May 2013

hmm i'm curious to see what the answer is. when I do weights I find myself more hungry too!

craigmandu · May 2013

How much protein do you get on a daily basis?

When you do a lifting routine you normally have a rep range...say you do 3 or 4 sets of Bench Press...and your rep range is 5-7 reps...once you consistently can do the 7 reps, then you up the weight slightly, which will make it hard to get the 5.....as your workouts progress, that 5 turns into 6, then 7 and then again you up it. I wouldn't worry so much about, if I take a 5 second break can I "squeeze" out one more...unless you like doing that for a little "extra" pump. (Or if your program has you do this)

Stick with your program and as you go up in weight you should be able to tell when you "aren't" going to make your reps (because you weren't really ready for it) and when you can go ahead and up the weight.

dixiewhiskey · May 2013

Stop eating junk food and eat real food.. usually a sign of hunger means you aren't eating enough (or enough of the right stuff). I felt that way when I first started lifting.. I was eating 1600 or so cals a day, I upped it to 2100 and I feel great. I never feel hungry

ohtobe140 · May 2013

I don't usually eat a ton of junk I just wasn't prepared. I eat about 100-150 grams of protein a day, I eat almost 90 grams before noon every day as I am a morning eater.

Thanks for the info, I think I am going to up my weights on my next workout and see how it goes. I think I can go higher, I can always lighten the load if I can't.

catfive1 · May 2013

Eat carbs 1/2 hour before your workout.
Have a protien shake or bar withing 25 minutes after your workout.
This may help with the hunger feeling.

dixiewhiskey · May 2013

When do you work out? Morning, afternoon? My biggest guess is that you aren't eating enough although you say you are getting lots of protein.. sometimes our bodies just need more nutrition all around (not just protein)

Also, not knowing your weight.. I'm sure that protein range of 100-150g is good. I aim for about that per day

ohtobe140 · May 2013

Here's a typical day:

Breakfast #1
100 grams shredded potatoes
6 scrambled egg whites
2 slices of american cheese
1 piece of fruit

Breakfast #2
280 grams of mixed fresh berries
1 cup NF Plain greek yogurt

Lunch
5-10 oz of meat (5 if its beef, 10 if it's chicken or turkey)
vegetables (today I had a bag of frozen green beans (cooked obviously)
1 tbsp of butter (on green beans)

Mid Afternoon Snack
1 LF cheese stick
1 apple

Dinner
2 corn tortillas
80 grams pasta sauce
30 grams RF mozzarella shredded cheese
3-6 oz of chicken
Fruit

Snack

1 cup dip (made with NF plain greek yogurt and seasonings)
Raw veggies

This is a typical day, some things may change but this is fairly normal.

ohtobe140 · May 2013

I work out in the morning before I eat, I cannot eat first I will get very ill. It's always been that way for me. I eat breakfast within half an hour of working out about 5:45 a.m. and I eat the second breakfast about 9:30; lunch at 12:00; snack at 2:30-3 ; dinner at 6:00

The past five days haven't been that great, but really above is my 85% of the time eating structure.

Hexahedra · May 2013

Timing is key. I concentrate my meals closer to my exercise. Since I exercise at night, I eat relatively light breakfast and lunch, then load up some carbs an hour before the exercise. Afterward I take a mix of protein shake and glucose, then have a full meal when I get home. Even though I'm on a deficit, I don't recall being ravenous with this arrangement.

craigmandu · May 2013

In regards to your hunger, realize that when you start a lifting routine, your body will utilize more calories throughout the day as it starts trying to repair the effects of that activity. So I can see where you might get some actual hunger.

Are you drinking plenty of water?

How much of a deficit are you in? You may want to consider some low cal filling snacks, which may push up your calories a little, but could also help satiate your hunger some. Your protein intake seems very adequate. You can do some easy snacks like popcorn (not that stuff you buy that's loaded with crap), but simple kernel corn 1/4 cup in a brown paper bag, stapled at the top and popped in the microwave for a couple of minutes. Will fill the bag and be about 100-150 calories total (for a whole paper bag full of popcorn)....just a thought.

richardheath · May 2013

How many calories is that? Looks like you are eating nowhere near enough to me. I'm not very familiar with Pump, but it looks like a high intensity type of circuit routine, so you probably burn a lot of calories. Get a good idea of your TDEE, and eat at 20% less than that. You need to fuel all that work. And no timing is not critical. Eat when it suits you - just make sure you get enough throughout the day. Also junk vs clean is rubbish. Eat as well as you can, but don't stress it.

Progressively adding load will gain you strength, so yes, up them if it is too easy. And the soreness/DOMS will go away as you get used to the exercises. But, again, Pump isn't a strength training program like NROLFW. So you might be upping reps/intensity each session - don't go so high you can't keep up.

RepsnSets · May 2013

Okay, so I have read New Rules for Lifting for Women, I have lifted heavy in the past, I have been a runner, I have done lots of things and I have eaten a LOT. Okay, so I have lost almost 30 lbs by eating less and moving more, two weeks ago I started lifting heavy again and now I am STARVING. I was unprepared for the higher level of hunger and my kitchen has not been properly stocked with the right foods. It is stocked now ready for tomorrow. My question is, is this new hunger normal and will it be temporary? Due to my unpreparedness, I have eaten more junk foods in the past five days than I would like to admit to. sigh. Oh well, moving on.

My second question is, is it considered lifting to failure if your muscles are shaking but you can still do one more rep after a 1-5 second rest period. If I can still do a move after a short break should I up the weights substantially? I am doing Les Mills Pump and I really like it, but I am shaking at the end of the sets and video, but I can still walk and my soreness is definitely dissipating faster after every workout. How heavy should I go? What are the signs that I am loading as much as I can for it to be beneficial and not damaging?

I apologize in advance if some words are missing or misspelled I am very tired but was hoping to get responses over night.

Thanks so much for any insight.

It is normal to feel famished after a heavy lifting workout. Make sure you stick to your macros however, I am supersetting at the moment using 30 reps for warm up and then 16 reps each for the supersets using much lighter weights and Im still hungry afterwards.

Do not be afraid to increase your weight. Fail for me would be where I would find it hard to lift the second to last or last reps. If its too heavy, then reduce the weight. Remember, good things take time, what you dont need is an injury from punching above your own weight. Every gain takes time

ppdes · May 2013

I too have this question. I currently eat around 1300 types, and do brisk walking and circuit training, my BMR being 1443.

I plan to start stronglifts 5x5 as soon as I can. I am doing circuit training right now and I want to first reach a comfortable level of endurance and recovery from that.

But I keep thinking that I have to begin eating more after I start lifting. How much more is the question. I am here to lose fat and I am worried that if I overeat, I will gain fat. But at the same time, If I starve myself, I wont have any energy to lift.

Is there some thumb rule I can apply? Applicable for all individuals in general irrespective of their weights, the amount of weights that they are lifting etc?

bidwell69 · May 2013

If you can take a 5 sec pause and do another rep that is not fatigue.
If you pause for 5 sec and cannot push out another rep that is fatigue/muscle failure.
Looking at your typical day your hunger comes from the carbs in breakfast 1.
The carbs will be burnt off within an hour after a training session leaving your body craving carbs all day.
Either take on more carbs at lunch or move your carbs from breakfast to lunch.
You will know when you get the balance right.

Joyride81 · May 2013

I work out in the morning before I eat, I cannot eat first I will get very ill. It's always been that way for me. I eat breakfast within half an hour of working out about 5:45 a.m. and I eat the second breakfast about 9:30; lunch at 12:00; snack at 2:30-3 ; dinner at 6:00

The past five days haven't been that great, but really above is my 85% of the time eating structure.

Try to drink a proteinshake before your workout. After a 8hour fast (sleep) your body needs protein.

richardheath · May 2013

I too have this question. I currently eat around 1300 types, and do brisk walking and circuit training, my BMR being 1443.

I plan to start stronglifts 5x5 as soon as I can. I am doing circuit training right now and I want to first reach a comfortable level of endurance and recovery from that.

But I keep thinking that I have to begin eating more after I start lifting. How much more is the question. I am here to lose fat and I am worried that if I overeat, I will gain fat. But at the same time, If I starve myself, I wont have any energy to lift.

Is there some thumb rule I can apply? Applicable for all individuals in general irrespective of their weights, the amount of weights that they are lifting etc?

TDEE - 20%. Make sure you are getting enough protein (1 g per lb of lean body mass).

Based on the calculator here: http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/ that would be about 1800 calories per day for you (using the info from your profile) at 3-5 hrs per week of moderate exercise.

Two Questions: Weight Lifting and Hunger

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