High Intensity Cardio and Binge Eating

madi777
madi777 Posts: 11 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I've been struggling with binge eating for the last 2 years or so! Not as long as many people but longer than is comfortable. I have spent 2 years feeling horrible- out of control, only worth what I look like, tired, unhappy, obsessed with weight loss... this was while I was doing cardio 5-6 times per week with classes like body attack, body step, RPM etc. (and i push myself VERY hard in these classes).

My gym membership ran out 5 weeks ago- about the same time that I decided to go on a beach holiday in June. So I decided not to re- signup and do pilates and cardio from home. I was doing zumba, kickboxing and jump rope for cardio for half an hour a day and pilates for another half hour. I want to lose fat for the holiday so I went on a bikini comp. prep diet- quite restrictive and clean but I enjoy it that way. I got fantastic results and had NO desire to binge! Everything seemed fixed completely!

Anyway, two days ago i started back at the gym, wanting to add some variation into my exercise regime- I tried body attack and body step (one on each day) and hey presto! Here I am again wanting to binge!!

So I guess my question to you is: has anyone else noticed the correlation between high intensity cardio and binge urges/ eating? Does the cardio put too much stress on the body? Am I underestimating my caloric burn (leading to bingeing)?

I am really curious to know if anyone else has experienced something like this!

Replies

  • SuperC_85
    SuperC_85 Posts: 393
    Wow I can totally relate,
    Ive noticed when I do more cardio workouts I am SOOO HUNGRY ALL THE TIME! And yes I definitely binge more during that time.

    With strength training I dont have that problem at all.

    Weird.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    it could well be that you're not fuelling your workouts properly, or not getting the nutrients your body needs from what you are eating.

    i am not a binge eater, but when i did insanity it made me huuuuuuuuuuuuungry!
  • xstea11
    xstea11 Posts: 11
    Hi!
    I am not experiencing exactly the same thing, but have observed lately that when I work out really hard and I dont eat the calories back, I have the urge to binge - in my case sugar cravings, in the evenings. Curious to see if someone has a suggestion how to come across this, because it is soo frustrating!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Hi!
    I am not experiencing exactly the same thing, but have observed lately that when I work out really hard and I dont eat the calories back, I have the urge to binge - in my case sugar cravings, in the evenings. Curious to see if someone has a suggestion how to come across this, because it is soo frustrating!

    if you're following MFPs settings you should be eating your exercise calories back.
  • JazmineYoli
    JazmineYoli Posts: 547 Member
    In the beginning with HIIT I was super hungry more often, but it seemed to level out now. Swimming used to make me want to binge, but that also leveled out.
  • GillianMcK
    GillianMcK Posts: 401 Member
    How many calories are you eating??
    What are you macros, are you eating a protein source after exercise to help hunger, are you eating carbs to fuel beforehand??
    Open your diary so people can see what you're eating and they may be able to make suggestions for tweaking it.

    I'm overweight, run 4 times a week, weights once a week and a PT session once a week (which could be weights/cardio/HIIT or a mixture of them).

    My rest day I eat 2000 calories and exercise days it's between 2100 - 2300, with the exception of my long run day where it can go above 2500 calories (long run for me is above 13miles), I lose approx 1kg a week (although I expect that to change this week as I'm on my taper so the runs have shortened but have 26.2miles to do on Sunday), I aim for 45% carbs, 15% protein and 35% fat, I normally have a glass of whole milk after my run/exercise to keep me going whilst my dinner cooks, I'm petty boring and tend to eat pretty much the same thing all the time!!
  • LauraJayneHazzard
    LauraJayneHazzard Posts: 12 Member
    I think your body needs to be refueled after a high intense workout but I think with binging it's about the addictive nature to eat, no matter if you've worked out or not. I've just finished reading 'Say goodbye to overeating'

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B005H0CALU/ref=oh_d__o02_details_o02__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    Which had some good points about setting times and plans to eat and dealing with over eating by trying to understand you have a choice when you eat and what you do.


    I've also just started reading:

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002GYI960/ref=oh_d__o00_details_o00__i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    which I think will help more as it seems like it helps you to understand your body and your hunger instincts. Hoping this will help me, maybe try these books a go and see if they help?
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Being hungry is nto the same as binging. Based on your weight, your age, your photo and the exercise routines you describe, are you sure you are not simply eating a lot to fuel the exercise?
  • MissBabyJane
    MissBabyJane Posts: 538 Member
    Hi!
    I am not experiencing exactly the same thing, but have observed lately that when I work out really hard and I dont eat the calories back, I have the urge to binge - in my case sugar cravings, in the evenings. Curious to see if someone has a suggestion how to come across this, because it is soo frustrating!


    Yes, This happened to me 3/4 times this month and all of them were on the days I had extra long workout.
    In the evening I feel the need to eat all the chocolate, cookies and stuff that there's home. :( I thought what my would cause this problem and the only thing what came to my mind was that I had longer and harder workouts lately.
  • madi777
    madi777 Posts: 11 Member
    Hi everyone! Wow! thanks for all your responses!
    I have now opened my food diary (not a techno savvy person :/) and it can be seen here:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/madi777

    Recently I have had a few days of indulgence but that is due to birthdays/ celebrations and not really the norm (which you will see if you look at most of the days)

    I really do enjoy what I eat...I have my NET calories set to 1250 or so and I always eat back my exercise calories (although I don't log the number of calories mfp suggests because I think it is too high- I usually take off anywhere between 50-100 calories from the provided total)

    It is interesting to hear that for some of you after you began doing high intensity cardio were hungry but that it tapered off! I have been exercising consistently for about 2 years now and haven't seen that effect unfortunately... and those two years were marred by a LOT of bingeing!

    So right now I am going to stick to exercises like zumba and pilates, maybe with a once- a- week high intensity class.
    I do also lift weights for arm strength (as I do pole fitness)...

    Can anyone else make suggestions on exercises that are enjoyable but dont involve too much high intensity work?
    As I said, I'm not unfit! I'm actually VERY capable of doing these workouts and push myself very hard but they just make me hungry and want to binge!
  • madi777
    madi777 Posts: 11 Member
    I also don't know if it helps but I am 5'6 and weigh 62-64 kg (it fluctuates) so I'm not overweight, I'm just trying to lose fat and tone up!

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