Running and SO HUNGRY!!

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angelbody2013
angelbody2013 Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
Hey Guys! I've recently started running again and a couple of quesitons to you runners.... does it make you SO HUNGRY!! Like I feel like Im a bottomless pit. Just curious if this goes away because Im totally eating over my calorie goal!!

Thanks :)

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  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    It does make me hungry, but not as intensely as before. On longish runs, I eat at maintenance or a little over. On non-run days, I make sure to stick to my deficit so I'm not overeating for the week.

    How far are you running?

    You may need to look into foods that are more satisfying (higher protein/fat) on those days to mitigate that hungry feeling.
  • angelbody2013
    angelbody2013 Posts: 10
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    Im running 4-5 miles 4-5 days a week... usually around 20-25 miles a week. I guess I SHOULD be eating more but I feel like Im eating so much it will hinder my weight loss
  • ash190489
    ash190489 Posts: 587 Member
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    Exercise in general just makes me hungrier! Your body needs the energy! Eat up sister!
  • Mr_Excitement
    Mr_Excitement Posts: 833 Member
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    It's weird, but running has never made me hungry. I have to consciously force myself to eat a bit more when I run a lot. Walking, on the other hand, gives me the munchies like you wouldn't believe. It's stupid.
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    Im running 4-5 miles 4-5 days a week... usually around 20-25 miles a week. I guess I SHOULD be eating more but I feel like Im eating so much it will hinder my weight loss

    Make sure you're eating enough to fuel those runs. I average 15-20 miles a week (run 3 days). If you're following the MFP method, eat your exercise calories back (at least most of them). You need to fuel your body for those runs. As long as you're in an overall deficit, you will still lose weight. Too large of a deficit will harm your runs (low energy, etc).

    As I said before, you may need to look at what you eat as well. Certain foods might make you feel more satisfied and less likely to overeat.
  • priscillaes87
    priscillaes87 Posts: 230
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    It's weird, but running has never made me hungry. I have to consciously force myself to eat a bit more when I run a lot. Walking, on the other hand, gives me the munchies like you wouldn't believe. It's stupid.

    oddly enough, I'm kind of with you! When I get a good work out I'm less hungry and on my "off" days I can't get enough, possibly making up for the deficit in previous days?
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    It's weird, but running has never made me hungry. I have to consciously force myself to eat a bit more when I run a lot. Walking, on the other hand, gives me the munchies like you wouldn't believe. It's stupid.
    I have the same thing. I normally force myself to eat especially after the long runs
  • Pinkranger626
    Pinkranger626 Posts: 460 Member
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    I know for me on the days of my long runs, and the days I do intervals I struggle to reach my minimum calorie intake, but the day after the hard workouts I can't stop eating! For me it helps to keep my burn versus intake numbers prominent in my mind and to make sure that I'm eating clean foods rather than the junk that I'd really rather eat (cookies.....french fries....etc.). Are you training for anything in particular? If you are training for a certain distance it might be helpful for you to focus on the training and just maintaining where you are in your weight loss until after the event. I know when I was training for my half marathon I had to put weight loss on hold or I would have gone nuts!
  • S3r3knitty
    S3r3knitty Posts: 159 Member
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    Hey Guys! I've recently started running again and a couple of quesitons to you runners.... does it make you SO HUNGRY!! Like I feel like Im a bottomless pit. Just curious if this goes away because Im totally eating over my calorie goal!!

    Thanks :)
    In the first few weeks after running I always got so hungry and no matter how much I ate I always felt like I was starving troughout the day!! I had to remind myself that this portion size usually gets me more than full so no second helping for me.
    Anyway I am now at week 8 and it's no comparison to the beginning. Now I don't necessarily need to eat afterwards. I still do because I get a bit hungry but you know I could manage without it. Additionally I, finally, feel full again after eating.
  • smarionette
    smarionette Posts: 260 Member
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    You may need to experiment with your macros a bit to find the combination that keeps you feeling full. I know that if I don't have enough carbs (especially before a long run) then I end up starved if I run more than a few miles, but if I'm fueled properly then I'm fine.

    Nutrition for runners starts 1-2 days before our runs! I found this guide http://www.runnersworld.com/nutrition-runners/fill-er?page=single to be very helpful, and saw definite improvements in my races when I was properly fueled. While you are looking for day to day runs information, I think the overall point is relevant.
  • Garthamatic
    Garthamatic Posts: 84 Member
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    It's weird, but running has never made me hungry. I have to consciously force myself to eat a bit more when I run a lot. Walking, on the other hand, gives me the munchies like you wouldn't believe. It's stupid.
    I have the same thing. I normally force myself to eat especially after the long runs

    This. I struggle a bit with the food volume, since I've been conditioning myself to stay the hell away from the densely caloric menu items.

    However, I am starting to come around. This weekend I treated myself to a full rack of ribs with mashed potatoes and broccoli with a beer for lunch after a long morning run. Guilt free indulgence is a great reason to keep hitting the pavement. :)
  • GoRun2
    GoRun2 Posts: 448 Member
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    RunnersWorld says people traing for a half or a marathon sometimes end up gaining weight. That much exercise makes you really hungry.

    Eat but be careful not to out eat your legs.
  • effrontery
    effrontery Posts: 32 Member
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    Running makes me want to eat like a BEAST! i get teased about it all the time. I'm still sticking to my goals, but I agree with some of the other posters...if your body is telling you you're hungry, I definitely recommend listening to it and giving it healthy food. I'm not a distance or fast runner by any means, and I saw a change so quickly in my weight loss and body (of course, I lift, also, but still.) Definitely think running revs up the engine!
  • Lizzy622
    Lizzy622 Posts: 3,705 Member
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    Have you thought of carrying glucose gels and eating while running? They may fuel your muscles and not leave you starving after. My son uses them when he is running over 5 miles.
  • learnerdriver
    learnerdriver Posts: 298 Member
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    It goes away- I've had to adjust a major meal time to line up with my runs (ie run before you eat lunch), and I eat a bit more when I run over 10km, as otherwise I binge the following day.
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    Yeah I gained weight last time I was training for a 1/2...trying not to gain weight this time unless it's muscle. I'm not a major runner so I will def continue weight training while running training. This should allow me to continue to eat insane amounts (imo) of food still.
  • RoyBeck
    RoyBeck Posts: 947 Member
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    I'm the opposite. In fact exercise in general makes me less hungry!

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