Question about appetite and strength training

Options
RollTideLisa
RollTideLisa Posts: 41
in Health and Weight Loss
First off, I apologize if this is a dumb question. I began heavier strength training about 2 months ago. Ever since I have been doing this routine (LIVEFIT by Jamie Eason), I feel hungry all the time. I even wake up in the middle of the night hungry and a bottle of water doesn't help. I am getting adequate water,protein and fiber, so my question is why do I feel hungry all the time and how do I stop feeling hungry all the time? And my caloric intake is usually from 1600 to 2000 calories. Thanks in advance for any help!!

Replies

  • RollTideLisa
    RollTideLisa Posts: 41
    Options
    And I have worked out for years, but have never done really heavy strength training before, so this is new for me in that aspect.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    Are you getting enough protein?
  • RollTideLisa
    RollTideLisa Posts: 41
    Options
    Yeah, I actually asked my doctor and he said what I was getting was plenty, but he never answered why I'm hungry so much now lol.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    Doctors don't know much about nutrition, neither do I in relation to strength training tbh ..you're probably best asking on the fitness boards

  • Kekekylene
    Kekekylene Posts: 112 Member
    Options
    what are your stats? and how much protein per day are you eating, doctor may think its enough but that doesnt mean its true!
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    I made the mistake of eating Kashi Go Light for breakfast yesterday after lifting on Monday. Normally I'd have eggs - I was ravenous all freakin' day. Ended up 400 calories over for the day!

    You say your getting plenty of protein - it should be at least .8 to 1g per lean body mass. For me that's about 100 - 140 grams depending on the day.
  • esjones12
    esjones12 Posts: 1,363 Member
    Options
    Are you losing weight? At what rate? If you are losing pretty fast, cut your deficit and eat more food. Being hungry like that all the time is no fun. Also evaluate what for food you are eating. Since my calories have been decreasing due to weight loss I've been finding more nutrient dense foods (they tend to be less processed foods!) and they definitely keep me fuller longer.
  • RollTideLisa
    RollTideLisa Posts: 41
    Options
    As far as protein ,yesterday for example I took in 166 grams of protein. But I only took in 14 grams of fiber and I normally eat a Fiber One bar when I do that, but I didn't have enough calories left to do that.
    I'm not really losing much weight, but I have lost some size. I would rather lose size than weight any day, and I am overweight for my height(5ft9in.)
    @sjaplo--I feel ya. I love my eggs in the morning ,and when I don't eat them, I feel more hungry than usual.
  • RollTideLisa
    RollTideLisa Posts: 41
    Options
    Actually after looking back over my diary over the last month, I guess I am a little lower on fiber on some days than I initially thought. I am going to try to intake more fiber over the next few days and see if that helps. If it doesn't, I don't know what to try. Thanks again everyone with your help!
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Options
    With your daily calories having a range from 1600 to 2000, it may be that the 1600 calorie days are adding to your frequent hunger. I would try bumping that minimum up to about 1800.
    Other than that, my biggest suggestion is to keep the protein up around 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight but it looks like you're doing that. For fiber, I try to get 25-40 grams per day.
    Also, for hunger, you probably already know this but it definitely helps to eat foods that aren't as calorie dense so you get more volume in your belly for the calories you eat.

    For what it's worth, I have to eat more now that I've been lifting regularly for the past couple months than I did when I was just running. I've also found that I'm hungrier the day after a real heavy workout than I was the day of the workout itself.
    And it makes sense that you'd be losing more inches than pounds. Being a beginner with the weights, you'll have newbie muscle gains. The weight of the new muscle would offset the fat loss when you get on the scale but would give you smaller measurements since muscle is more dense than fat.
  • LittleWarriorBee
    LittleWarriorBee Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    I am no expert. Everyone is different. I am hungry 1 hr after eating cereal even if I am staying still. If I am going to do a strenuous workout I have an egg 1 hr before. I am always hungry after swimming unless I have an egg before.
  • cbhubbybubble
    cbhubbybubble Posts: 465 Member
    Options
    I tend to be hungrier on days I lift. Not always, but often. If I'm truly hungry, I let myself eat....Quest bars are a good option for getting fibre and protein all in one.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    RollTideLisa wrote: »
    Actually after looking back over my diary over the last month, I guess I am a little lower on fiber on some days than I initially thought. I am going to try to intake more fiber over the next few days and see if that helps. If it doesn't, I don't know what to try. Thanks again everyone with your help!

    raspberries are great for fibre (if it helps)
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
    Options
    If you didn't change anything else (diet, calories in, other exercise all stayed the same), then it is not surprising that you are hungry all the time. Heavy lifting will give a big boost to your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) for up to 36 hours. Additionally, you will permanently increase your BMR due to added muscle mass. You are hungry because you are in a calorie deficit due to your higher BMR. Some people new to lifting gain weight from the added muscle mass, but lose body fat at the same time (this is known as recomposition). If your primary goal is to get stronger, then you need to eat more. If your primary goal is to lose body fat, keep on truckin'.
  • icrushit
    icrushit Posts: 773 Member
    Options
    I find fibre and both fat-rich foods and protein-rich (especially casein) foods help with appetite a lot. Also, I would ensure you're getting a good workout snack/ meal after your weight training, as aside from helping with hunger, some protein and carbs post-workout tend to be recommended for best results.

    Re: late evening/ night-time, if the above doesn't help control your hunger levels, I would look into making your evening meal later, or having a late evening snack. This might help, or particularly perhaps a late evening casein-protein shake, if you do shakes.

    Perhaps also see that your calorie intake is in line with your activity, in case you're just eating too little. But that ravenous hunger you describe, I used to get it after gym sessions, and found something with a mix of fast releasing carbs, slow releasing carbs and some protein within a short enough space of time after training helped a lot to reset things to normal, as otherwise I could eat all around me. These days, a protein shake would probably be the easiest, but equally I found something like some juice/ fruit and a small sandwich ideal as an easy post workout snack.

Categories