Surprised by my exercise hunger

Soopatt · February 2016

I am 4kgs away from my goal and decided (as was always my plan) to increase my exercise now that I have lost most of my weight and start behaving in the sort of way I would in maintenance.

I have joined the gym at my office and since early Jan am now exercising 3 or 4 times a week at the gym and in addition to the 10 000 steps I am logging on my fitbit during my daily commute (I also took the deliberate decision to walk part of the way to work which I never used to do.) All of this is a dramatic change from the almost sedentary life I was leading before and I am already seeing a nice difference in my muscle tone, energy and stamina. Loving the exercise!

The only trouble is that since starting exercising, my weight loss has stalled. When I did no exercise I managed to eat to 1200 to 1300 calories a day quite easily and was losing between 0.5kg and 1kg a month. Now that I am exercising I use my fitbit to track exercise calories and I struggle to not eat every last one of them back... I am MUCH hungrier than I was before. I am eating around 1500 to 1600 (my diary is open).

I have not gained weight but I have not lost in a month. I seem to be eating at maintenance by eating back my exercise calories and I was hoping to still have a small deficit to lose the last 4kg.

I eat a range of food and I do not believe sugar and ice-cream stall my progress (they never did before - I have been on MFP almost a year and have lost 14kgs).

I would appreciate any tips. As this is meant to be my "ease into maintenance" phase, I am worried that I would gain weight quite easily if I don't tackle my exercise hunger issues.

If I stopped exercising I could go back to 1200/1300 and lose the last bit of weight but that seems silly and it does not represent the lifestyle I plan to lead.

(For anyone viewing my diary - I am forced to guesstimate my breakfast and lunch calories as I work at an office with a very nice canteen which provides me with a buffet of choices free of charge. I weigh my supper and anything I prepare myself but weighing at work is not an option. I try wherever possible to order items which can be more easily guessed (2 eggs, 1 sausage etc). I believe in weighing, but I am not going to bring a scale into the VP lounge and attempt to pull a chicken tikka wrap apart into its component parts.)

mirrim52 · February 2016

Give it time and keep going.
A new exercise routine often can cause some water retention that can mask weight gain.
Make sure your logging is tight, and give it a few more weeks to see if your weight loss starts back up again.

feisty_bucket · February 2016

I have not gained weight but I have not lost in a month. I seem to be eating at maintenance by eating back my exercise calories and I was hoping to still have a small deficit to lose the last 4kg.

Are you measuring yourself? Use bodyfat %, much better than the scale IMO.

Also, the calorie counts given for exercises are often exaggerated, so that might be an issue.

jacklifts · February 2016

more cardio makes some people hungrier. maybe substitute strength training ? also, having a higher protein proportion may help you feel more satiated. try eating similar amounts of protein and carbs.

PAV8888 · February 2016

If you aren't already, start using a weight trend tracking application especially as you approach periods of slower weight loss and/or maintenance and are not expecting to be losing regularly.

Your water weight changes, including water retention due to exercise are orders of magnitude larger than your underlying weight level variations.

libra-android
happy scale-iphone
www.trendweight.com, which I love and use, in conjunction with a supported scale or by connecting to a free fitbit.com account (free even without owning a Fitbit product)
www.weightgrapher.com, as trendweight, except you can also enter data manually.

Soopatt · February 2016

Good tips, thank you.

I have not measured myself since the middle of last year but I really should start to look at that to get a better take on what is happening to my body at this point.

I have heard about weight trend apps - it is time for that I think.

I have been pushing it hard - from nothing and I am often stiff and sore from my exercises. Maybe water retention is playing a bigger role than I think.

As far as cardio vs strength training is concerned my trainer is ignoring my wishes a bit in this regard - he insists that I need to do mostly cardio (with a resistance element) at this stage until I am fitter, before I move on to strength because I have no stamina. I run uphill, I bike with resistance, I stair-climb and I use that machine that is like riding a bike with your arms (whatever that is called) When we designed my program I was clear on wanting to focus on strength but he did not seem to believe me. South Africa is still a little old school and the trainers here are still cardio obsessed if anyone mentions they want to lose a bit and tone. I need to stand up for myself.

bioklutz · February 2016

I looked at a couple of days of your diary. Try to getting a little more fiber and a little more protein and see if that helps with hunger.

LivingtheLeanDream · February 2016

When we exercise more we are naturally more hungry, its normal. Fuel your body, more protein will help.
And maybe sack your trainer! strength training is whats needed to really shape the body.

sijomial · February 2016

I have been pushing it hard - from nothing and I am often stiff and sore from my exercises.

Soreness = inflammation = water retention = weight.

Suggest you keep your new routine consistent for another month and then reassess.

...and start behaving in the sort of way I would in maintenance.

By the way - very impressed with this approach!

...South Africa is still a little old school and the trainers here are still cardio obsessed.

Not so impressed with your trainer.

Sounds like he needs to be told not asked!

Chewer713 · February 2016

Well done with how you have done so far thats not to be ignored.

You are paying the trainer so you should have a say in what you do.

Keep going and maybe change up things you eat and see how you get on.

AnnPT77 · February 2016

bioklutz wrote: »

I looked at a couple of days of your diary. Try to getting a little more fiber and a little more protein and see if that helps with hunger.

+1 to this . . . for the protein, especially so since your exercise has increased.

Side note: As a weight-trend app user (Libra), I've actually found it less useful as I approach maintenance. A wonky week or two sometimes gets it thinking I'm gaining when (based on current logging & extensive experience during weight loss) I know I'm not. Because I've used the app for a while & have a good understanding of how it works, this doesn't freak me out, but if I'd just started using it now, it might. I wouldn't discourage you from using one - I think it will be helpful - but don't let it shake your confidence in the short run if you know you're on track.

Springfield1970 · February 2016

Big alarm bells going off for me in regard to guesstimating breakfast AND lunch. You've got no idea how much fat this food is being cooked in.
The closer you get to goal the more meticulous you'll have to be.
Just take food in, it's your loss if not, so it's a bit more expensive, you'll have to keep it simple. Boiled eggs, cans of tuna, black beans etc.

The water weight may be playing a part, take a few days off exercising, go back to 1300 and see what happens.
Ditch the trainer and the money you save spend on food you can control.

myfitnesspale3 · February 2016

Carbs and especially breads/cereals and sugars will accelerate your hunger later.

Cheese and meats will quell hunger for longer.

PAV8888 · February 2016

AnnPT77 wrote: »

bioklutz wrote: »

I looked at a couple of days of your diary. Try to getting a little more fiber and a little more protein and see if that helps with hunger.

+1 to this . . . for the protein, especially so since your exercise has increased.

Side note: As a weight-trend app user (Libra), I've actually found it less useful as I approach maintenance. A wonky week or two sometimes gets it thinking I'm gaining when (based on current logging & extensive experience during weight loss) I know I'm not. Because I've used the app for a while & have a good understanding of how it works, this doesn't freak me out, but if I'd just started using it now, it might. I wouldn't discourage you from using one - I think it will be helpful - but don't let it shake your confidence in the short run if you know you're on track.

Play with your smoothing and forecast days in the advanced options of the app. increase from the default 7 to 14 or 20.

Sued0nim · February 2016

myfitnesspale3 wrote: »

Carbs and especially breads/cereals and sugars will accelerate your hunger later.

Cheese and meats will quell hunger for longer.

Nope - might be true for you - isn't true for me

OP yes exercise makes you hungry, yes to increase your protein and go for progressive weights alongside some cardio

good approach - don't get screwed up by the waterweight, ride it out for 6 - 8 weeks it will go back if you're still logging accurately

You have a fitbit - you can open a trendweight.com account for your trendline / forecasting

Soopatt · February 2016

I do share the concerns about guestimating my breakfast and lunch.

I was weighing every grape that went into my mouth up until December when I started my new job. I had nine months of weighing to help me out with eye-balling, but I will be the first to admit that its a terrible method of guessing quantity.

It was stressful to not be able to weigh, but I think I actually eat healthier food than I ever prepped for myself, particularly for lunch as they have a salad bar (they sell the salad by weight so I have some idea and I never opt for dressing). The prepped meals come with two vegetables and there are many simple wholesome choices like the wraps - I choose the ingredients myself and the chef makes it up for me (I told you it was a nice canteen!) - I had one with raw pineapple, chopped tomato and chicken pieces today for example (no sauce, no oil). For breakfast I am pretty disciplined in choosing items that are *worse* than they actually are from the database. For example I choose "french toast with butter" when I have un-buttered french toast, to allow for any oil it might have been cooked in and try to err on larger portions - there is certainly not 100g of mince put on one slice of my french toast, but that is what I choose.

It is far from ideal, but I don't think this is the main cause of my stall. I guessed those meals in Dec/Jan and still lost weight. It is since the exercising that I have experienced the stall.

I suspect that I will have to find a way to tackle the guessing the closer I get to my goal weight, but it does not explain it all - I was losing eating at the canteen until my exercise started and I got hungrier.

I will go over to bringing in my own food if I have to. It certainly would be worth the experiment if I can't make any headway.

By the way, for anyone looking at my diary it is the worst ever this week - my birthday weekend! I ask that you look at more than just the past two days - they don't represent how I eat or live generally (although I do have take out every sunday of my life - no apologies there).

I also have carby hormonal weeks, and I do prefer a higher protein ratio. I need to get better at that but I do like the instant fuelling feeling carbs give me.

Soopatt · February 2016

In case it is not clear I know that if I eat more I will lose less. I have definitely been eating more, so no surprises there - my extra eating is in my diary for all to see.

hopeandtheabsurd · February 2016

I've had weight loss masked by exercise for an entire month, at which point all the weight I'd been expecting to lose for the month came off in a three day whoosh (and stayed off).

Is it possible you are eating back too much for your exercise calories?

caroldavison332 · February 2016

Muscle weights more than fat, so perhaps you are burning off fat and building muscle. Put on your tightest outfit and take a photo. Do the same thing a week from now. Are you getting smaller? Then keep on doing the same thing.

The_Enginerd · February 2016

Based on my experience and what I've seen with others, I have to agree with a couple of points others have made as the primary cause:
1) Water retention due to the new exercise regiment. After over a year of maintaining my weight within a 2 lb windows, I gained 5 lbs when I took up running. It took about 6 weeks for the weight to come off on it's own and for me to get back into that window.
2) Possibly eating too much due to high estimates for calories burned. If after another month, your weight still isn't moving, I'd look to this and start adjusting the estimates downwards.

AnnPT77 · February 2016

PAV8888 wrote: »

AnnPT77 wrote: »

bioklutz wrote: »

I looked at a couple of days of your diary. Try to getting a little more fiber and a little more protein and see if that helps with hunger.

+1 to this . . . for the protein, especially so since your exercise has increased.

Side note: As a weight-trend app user (Libra), I've actually found it less useful as I approach maintenance. A wonky week or two sometimes gets it thinking I'm gaining when (based on current logging & extensive experience during weight loss) I know I'm not. Because I've used the app for a while & have a good understanding of how it works, this doesn't freak me out, but if I'd just started using it now, it might. I wouldn't discourage you from using one - I think it will be helpful - but don't let it shake your confidence in the short run if you know you're on track.

Play with your smoothing and forecast days in the advanced options of the app. increase from the default 7 to 14 or 20.

I appreciate your comment, sincerely! In general, that makes sense, if someone understands the implications.

That said, I tried that a bit, back at the time. Results still Stoopid. (I'm not a statistician, but have enough statistics in my academic background that I Get It.)

For example, when you're increasing calories gradually every week or two to coast into maintenance, but have a week or three when eating gets peaky (cue the water weight & a tiny bit of actual gain), the trending results can be anomalous for a period of days to a smalll number of weeks.

Could I tweak it to make that specific period come out "better"? Prolly. But why? I know what's happening - I've been tracking my weight for years, even when not losing, and using the app for months. I have a good estimate of my TDEE.

Keep in mind I was offering a caution to someone considering newly adopting a trending app as they head toward maintenance, and with an unknown (to me) grasp of how the stats work. I still think "don't let it shake your confidence" is good advice. At minimum, one needs a reasonable time period of data in there, and a little understanding of what it's telling one, before treating it as Deeply Meaningful Advice.

Surprised by my exercise hunger

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