Eating more since I started lifting?

hyIianprincess
hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Not sure if this is the right forum to post in, but I'm hoping someone can help. I started lifting back in February. I love it! Ever since then though, my appetite has been ravenous. I'm easily eating 2300+ cals a day. Is that normal? I'm in recovery from an eating disorder so eating that much has been pretty distressing. I lift 3-4 times a week for 30 min and do light cardio 1-2 times a week. I'm at the low end of a healthy BMI now. I really don't understand why I'm eating so much :neutral:

Replies

  • bubble_wrap0428
    bubble_wrap0428 Posts: 88 Member
    I would like to know this answer as well. Sorry no help hehe.
  • hulesjames
    hulesjames Posts: 10 Member
    Yes its completely normal its because when you work out your body is giving off key nutrients for energy such as the fats and carbohydrates and when your done working out they are depleted so your body is wanting more but don't stress about it after all eating more = more muscle
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Assuming your eating disorder was of the low-calorie-intake variety, it's quite possible your body is in rebuilding mode -- replacing muscle that was wasted away. Without knowing your maintenance calories, I can't comment on whether or not 2300+ is particularly large.
  • megemrj
    megemrj Posts: 547 Member
    Personally, on days I lift I'm very hungry and have heard it's very common for others as well. I make sure to eat nutrient rich food to help replenish and repair.
  • hyIianprincess
    hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
    hill8570 wrote: »
    Assuming your eating disorder was of the low-calorie-intake variety, it's quite possible your body is in rebuilding mode -- replacing muscle that was wasted away. Without knowing your maintenance calories, I can't comment on whether or not 2300+ is particularly large.

    That could be it. I honestly had no muscle when I started and yes, I was restricting. Before I began lifting, my maintenance was around 1700-1800 cals. I haven't noticed a dramatic weight gain since eating this amount, but the scale is going up slowly which has been getting to me. I feel a little better reading some of the comments in the thread though.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    Lifting is very taxing on the body. It puts stress on everything, both mental and physical. That requires energy to repair, which we get from food. As long as you're not packing on the pounds and happy with how your weight is going, I wouldn't worry about it. After a taxing leg I can easily consume 1000-1500 calories in one sitting.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Yes, it's normal. If you're lifting heavy and doing cardio, plus your job (if you move a lot) 2300 is normal. I'm a police officer and I do foot patrols instead of sitting in my suv all day, then go lift, then walk some more with my wife and daughter at the park. I'm sitting at 3050 calories and losing.
  • willywonkabar
    willywonkabar Posts: 1 Member
    martyqueen52 wrote: »
    Yes, it's normal. If you're lifting heavy and doing cardio, plus your job (if you move a lot) 2300 is normal. I'm a police officer and I do foot patrols instead of sitting in my suv all day, then go lift, then walk some more with my wife and daughter at the park. I'm sitting at 3050 calories and losing.

    May I ask what you eat normally, on a work day? I couldn't imagine eating that much.
  • mickmok
    mickmok Posts: 7 Member
    To add to all of the above when you add more muscle to your body; your energy requirements increase to fuel that muscle. Now if you arent putting on a heap of fat then 2300cals is fine. Sometimes you just need to assess your body changes and work out if you are putting on too much fat then cut the cals by a few 100. If you are losing too much then up it by a few hundred until the scales and your composition come in line with what you are trying to achieve.
  • hyIianprincess
    hyIianprincess Posts: 302 Member
    Thank you all for replying. I feel so much better :)
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,396 Member
    I searched for this topic and this thread came up! Homg, I'm so hungry! I only started Stronglift 5X5 about 3 weeks ago but since then I've been wanting to eat everything! The first week I did not follow my hunger cues and felt faint in the afternoons. It's then I realized that lifting really makes a bigger difference than I thought. I've let myself eat more now (sometimes a LOT more) and have felt awesome! I'm in maintenance, mostly, but would always love to be a couple pounds down at the start of summer, so I'm just going to keep an eye on the scale and continue lifting. I did add in a protein shake after my lifting work outs only (I also run).
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    OP, if y'all have access to a trainer who can do body fat measurements, that would be useful. You're going to see muscle mass gains, and since you have really no body fat to lose, the scale is going to go up. If you can convince yourself to pay attention to your body fat% instead of the scale, you'll have a much better gauge of your progress.
  • AbigailC17
    AbigailC17 Posts: 78 Member
    It's normal to eat more when lifting weights no worries. I go through the same thing. I just recently discovered that I can lose weight around 1800-1900 cals (5'1 height) and no cardio anymore (all I do is just walk super slow for 2 miles then I am done). If I want to maintain, I have to eat at least around 2200 cals.
  • MichelleHarrisSmith
    MichelleHarrisSmith Posts: 2 Member
    Reading these threads just put my mind at ease some what. In September last year I was 251lbs and wore 2x clothes. I am down to a large and weighs 207lbs since January. I have started weight training since end of January. My weight has been fluctuating between 212 and 207. Since starting weight training I find I too have become so hungry after work out. I have started taking supplements too since. I would like my weight to go below 200lbs by summer. Just did my body fat percent and was told im at 31%. Im 5'9". When I put my info in my fitness pal I'm to consume about 1800 kcal. Its hard to eat 1800kcal . I combine 40 minutes of cardiology and about 40 minutes weights 5-6 days. What else can I do to get below 200lbs.
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    Simple sugars are broken down into glycogen. Glycogen is used as an energy source by your muscles. Deplete the stores, and your body will be hungry for nutrients. Even after a post workout shake, I'm ready to eat.
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    willywonkabar wrote: »
    martyqueen52 wrote: »
    Yes, it's normal. If you're lifting heavy and doing cardio, plus your job (if you move a lot) 2300 is normal. I'm a police officer and I do foot patrols instead of sitting in my suv all day, then go lift, then walk some more with my wife and daughter at the park. I'm sitting at 3050 calories and losing.

    May I ask what you eat normally, on a work day? I couldn't imagine eating that much.

    Pretty much anything I want.

    morning is a few eggs and two servings of oatmeal.... or two servings of whey mixed with milk and coffee

    lunch is usually 8oz. of bison, steak, or chicken, or sausage... sometimes tuna with mayo

    dinner always consists of a meat or fish with veggies, potatoes (fries), or rice.

    then I eat whatever I want just to fill my carb intake.... usually two bags of popcorn with a package of poptarts or some movie boxed candy.


    if I'm on midnight shift, like now, my diet gets a bit weird. At our substation we have a little kitchen and I usually whip up 3 servings of whey, two poptarts, and two scoops of peanut butter into a big shake because where I live, we have a drug problem, and night shifts get so wild sometimes I literally can't even eat.
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