question on appetite
silverfiend
Posts: 329 Member
Just wondering if others have the same experience as me or if I'm just "unique" LOL. I notice that when I get up in the morning, I'm hungry. After going to the gym, I'm hungry. When I go for a long run (before eating), food is the last thing I want. Running 10 - 12 miles on an empty stomach, I should be ready to eat everything in the kitchen, but all I want is a shower and to go back to sleep. I also notice that those long run days I have a depressed appetite all day. I'll eat my normal 500-600ish calorie meals, but I don't typically have cravings to snack which is even stranger because a "normal day" I want to eat all day long.
thoughts?
thoughts?
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Replies
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Not me. I almost never run on an empty stomach and never with long runs. Most of my long runs are 1.5 - 2 hours after breakfast. I'll usually eat lunch soon after I'm finished. On really long runs (i.e. 18 miles or more) it can take a couple of hours before I'm actually hungry, but I usually force myself to eat something right away just to get the glycogen replenished so I have the energy to do what I need to do. Later I'll get hungry and eat back most of the calories I expended. Today I ran 10.5 and walked 2 and I still went over on my calories.2
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Usually the longest I'll run on an empty stomach is 3 to 5 miles. If I'm running 10 to 12 miles, I have to eat before hand or I'll run out of steam. For a 12 mile run, I even fuel during the run or I'll hit a wall. 10 miles is usually the longest distance I run without fueling during the run.
Additionally, I'm not usually tired after long runs unless they are 18+ miles or a race. Even with 18 to 20 mile runs, I'm not tired enough to sleep afterwards, it's just muscle tiredness.
I'm also not hungry immediately following long runs, but I do eat something. About 1 to 2 hours after the long run, I'm famished!2 -
BeeerRunner wrote: »Additionally, I'm not usually tired after long runs unless they are 18+ miles or a race. Even with 18 to 20 mile runs, I'm not tired enough to sleep afterwards, it's just muscle tiredness.
I'm also not hungry immediately following long runs, but I do eat something. About 1 to 2 hours after the long run, I'm famished!
Same for me, but really my extreme hunger actually hits me the day after my long run. That's when I want to eat everything in sight!
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I've never felt tired enough to need a nap after a long run.
Sometimes I'm hungry straight after a run, sometimes a couple of pints of water does the trick for an hour or so, but generally speaking, I'm a rungry person so I love long runs for letting me eat ALL the food!2 -
lporter229 wrote: »BeeerRunner wrote: »Additionally, I'm not usually tired after long runs unless they are 18+ miles or a race. Even with 18 to 20 mile runs, I'm not tired enough to sleep afterwards, it's just muscle tiredness.
I'm also not hungry immediately following long runs, but I do eat something. About 1 to 2 hours after the long run, I'm famished!
Same for me, but really my extreme hunger actually hits me the day after my long run. That's when I want to eat everything in sight!
OK, yes I have the same "day after" hunger!0 -
Yup. Running is an appetite suppressant - I force myself to eat soon after I finish my run otherwise later I eat all the things.2
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ContraryMaryMary wrote: »Yup. Running is an appetite suppressant - I force myself to eat soon after I finish my run otherwise later I eat all the things.
I am going to start making myself eat after those long runs, maybe it will help quell those next day desires to eat everything in the house. Plus, its just not healthy to burn that many calories and not replace them. I'm trying to maintain a reasonable calorie deficit, not 1500 for a day, which yes does happen on long run days for me.0 -
This happens to me. I've been running fasted for all distances, and it usually suppresses my appetite for an hour or two. I did 11 miles last weekend and had no appetite for the rest of the day, and don't really remember much the day after either.1
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silverfiend wrote: »ContraryMaryMary wrote: »Yup. Running is an appetite suppressant - I force myself to eat soon after I finish my run otherwise later I eat all the things.
I am going to start making myself eat after those long runs, maybe it will help quell those next day desires to eat everything in the house. Plus, its just not healthy to burn that many calories and not replace them. I'm trying to maintain a reasonable calorie deficit, not 1500 for a day, which yes does happen on long run days for me.
If you're not hungry don't eat on long run day, save your cals for the next day when you need them?2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »If you're not hungry don't eat on long run day, save your cals for the next day when you need them?
This is what I finally learned. I know from experience that the hunger will the following day, whether I've eat a lot after a long run or not. Now after a long run I only eat until my hunter is sated, saving the extra calorie deficit for the following day. Ok, I *try* to do that, but it's hard not to pig out when I see that big deficit in my diary, whether I'm hungry or not.
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TavistockToad wrote: »
If you're not hungry don't eat on long run day, save your cals for the next day when you need them?
Yeah, thats what I have been doing, but when I get voraciously hungry it can easily turn into a binge and then I completely blow the calorie count out of the water. Like I said before, I am trying to maintain a consistent, reasonable deficit. going -1500 one day to +2000 the next isn't good. I'm not saying that is a weekly thing, but after @ContraryMaryMary mentioned the next day hunger, it kind of clicked in my head that was happening to me also. My binges do seem to follow a day after a really heavy workout/run.0 -
I have noticed that when I have big workout days, I am not as hungry. However, I emphasize hitting all of my macro AND micro goals as if I didn't work out. In addition, if there are certain things I know my body goes through extra when I do my long run, I'll make sure to stock up on that as well. This usually helps me avoid the all-day-craving the following day. However, I cannot seem to figure out ANY solution for when I do a long swim...the next day I am starving no matter what. This has been my experience at least. I read some articles for Runner's World and some health sites, but they are all rather conflicting on a solution. My guess is use trial-and-error and once you find what works, stick with it.1
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I run on an empty stomach, all the time. Anything over 2 hours, I'll have a gel during the run. I find that the post run appetite is dependent on hydration. If I'm dehydrated, I won't have much appetite until my fluid levels are up.
The falling asleep thing is funny. Sometimes it's like I've been hit with a tranquilizer dart after a long, hard run. (This goes away if I shower and eat.) I've even fallen asleep at the finish line of a trail marathon. But I only sleep for a few minutes.1 -
If I'm going to race, I'll get up early and have a hearty breakfast. (Oatmeal, typically )1
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Not sure what you do in the gym, but if you're doing weights, that's a different type of exercise and your muscles desire for protein may increase your appetite. Exercising is an appetite suppressant, as someone else mentioned. That could be your issue with long aerobic efforts. Your desire to sleep after a run may be your body crashing due to lack of energy in the form of calories.
Looks like you found some answers here! That's awesome! Good luck and happy eating!0
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