Food-Fuel

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The more I workout, the hungrier I get. I understand that it is a natural reaction of the body, but it doesn't help with the daily calorie count limit. Any ideas of what and when to eat pre and post workout to combat this?

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  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    Everyone is different unfortunately, and you're going to have to play with it to find what works best for you. I've found that oats and protein powder work well for me.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you are eating at a deficit, hunger is part of the game. Aside from that, I find that fruit tends to be filling while not having a huge amount of calories.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    Pre workout I find carbs help (bagel, banana, sunflower seed butter and toast). Post workout I try to get in more protein which also helps with satiety (lean meat, cheese, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, protein powder/bar).
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Maybe try different kinds of exercise and see if there's something that won't make you so hungry.

    But before you do that, make sure you are eating enough. That's the "switch it off and on again" of hunger problems.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    I workout close to a meal time so I don't have to worry about being over calories. It means I can't always workout when I really want to, but at least I'm not super hunger.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    If we work out more, we need to fuel our bodies more - certainly that's how I've found it. Its just a matter of not consuming more than we need to.

    I used to average 21k steps a day, I had to eat more because of that. Joint issues in the past 6 months let me see I was doing too much so I cut back 1/3 of those steps. Previously I was needing 2200 calories a day to maintain, I now only need around 1900 calories to maintain my weight. I thought it would be hard cutting those calories back when I cut my activity back but it was fine. The more we move the more we need to eat and vice versa.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    work out in the evening, eat a post workout meal, then go to bed.

    If I work out first thing in the morning, then I am hungry all day long. Work out at night, get belly full, then go to sleep... problem solved!
  • kcotey54
    kcotey54 Posts: 24 Member
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    Any truth to not supposed to be eating after a certain time. I work out at night but sometimes my workout takes me past 7. Is a post workout meal that late ok if it still within my calorie limit?
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    You should eat back some of your exercise calories as your deficit is built into your initial goal, so if you aren't eating back some, that's why you're dealing with extra hunger.

    I work out before a meal for this exact reason. If I workout in the AM, I do so right before breakfast. If I workout in the PM, I do it right before dinner. I know dealing with hunger cues is a weakness for me, so I try to set my day up to make it easier for me!
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    kcotey54 wrote: »
    Any truth to not supposed to be eating after a certain time. I work out at night but sometimes my workout takes me past 7. Is a post workout meal that late ok if it still within my calorie limit?

    none whatsoever. As long as you are staying within your calorie limits, timing is irrelevant to weight loss. For that matter, you could eat double your goal for a couple of days and below your goal for a few days and still be OK. I lost over 100 lbs eating close to 1000 calories within an hour of going to bed. It is simply energy in vs energy out.