Increased hunger on rest days

gabriellax92
gabriellax92 Posts: 65 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I work out 5 days a week, I eat back about 50% of my excercise calories usually. I've noticed on my rest days I'm more hungry then usually and I'm trying not to go over my deficit. Could this be because my body is used to eating more on my workout days? Any tips on how I can avoid over eating?
I have my calories set to 1350. I just started seeing some weight come off so I don't want to ruin it.

Replies

  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?
  • gabriellax92
    gabriellax92 Posts: 65 Member
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?

    2 pounds a week. I'm 5'3 and 249 pounds so I really don't want to increase calories. I lost 10 pounds over the past 6 weeks, I want to keep it up.
  • msdemeanor70
    msdemeanor70 Posts: 66 Member
    I notice I'm pretty hungry on Mondays which follow my long-run Sundays. I think it's because I burn so many calories on that run (usually around 1,300) that my body is still trying to make up for it even the next day. Maybe try for more protein and/or fiber to help you feel fuller longer. Keep plenty of veggies on hand. Drink a little extra water. But either way, hang in there, you are on the right track.
  • IrisFlute
    IrisFlute Posts: 88 Member
    I always log my exercise the day after I actually do it, because that's always when I'm extra hungry.
  • brznhabits
    brznhabits Posts: 126 Member
    I usually do a song and dance with fluffy words but on this one...

    You are hungry because you aren't eating enough. 1350 is nowhere near the recommended intake for you. It's reconfirmed by simply taking your total cals by week, instead of more cals on exercise days splitting your total by day and eating those cals everyday (same weekly total). You would be hungry every day. This is your body telling you that.

    Your long term skin tone and metabolism will thank you if you slow down.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    I'm hungry (really, just want to eat) when I'm idle or bored. Perhaps it's just that you have more time on your hands on these days.
  • LessCookiess
    LessCookiess Posts: 538 Member
    edited April 2017
    gabriellax92 wrote: »
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?

    2 pounds a week. I'm 5'3 and 249 pounds so I really don't want to increase calories. I lost 10 pounds over the past 6 weeks, I want to keep it up.
    That doesn't sound right when you click on the goals option and list that you want to lose 2 pounds what's the calorie number that MyFitnessPal lists?
    I'm also 5'3 and I'm 153 pounds though I'm aiming to lose 0.5 pounds a week and my calorie intake is at 1400 calories. If I eat to lose 2 pounds it's at 1200 calorie which I have no desire to eat at.

    Try inputting your information into MyFitnessPal and see what number agree I agree with the other user that number seems awfully low for your height and weight. If you want to have a better toned body eating more will help with that. Fast weight loss isn't always that great you could end up with loose skin since you could just end up losing muscle which no one wants to loses muscle is what gives you more tight skin.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
    i tend to not get many rest days and i tend to undereat honestly on my busy days (no lectures i pack in nutrients and force in atleast 1500-1800 i just burn...well alot...

    But yeah my exercise tends to suppress my appetite when i dotn get any im a mix of bored and have to much free time on my hands, And the hunger i didnt have comes. Because i dont eat all my calories back most days i have no issue eating similar to my busy day on my rest days. Sort of like a TDEE/CICO mix

  • tifoso0013
    tifoso0013 Posts: 3 Member
    My guess based on my experience: You're hungry on rest days because your metabolism is still accelerated from working out. My experience is elevated metabolism lasts about 24 hours from my last workout. I have trouble not exceeding daily calories on such days, but try to put more fiber and water in my diet to help feel more full.
  • gabriellax92
    gabriellax92 Posts: 65 Member
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    gabriellax92 wrote: »
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?

    2 pounds a week. I'm 5'3 and 249 pounds so I really don't want to increase calories. I lost 10 pounds over the past 6 weeks, I want to keep it up.
    That doesn't sound right when you click on the goals option and list that you want to lose 2 pounds what's the calorie number that MyFitnessPal lists?
    I'm also 5'3 and I'm 153 pounds though I'm aiming to lose 0.5 pounds a week and my calorie intake is at 1400 calories. If I eat to lose 2 pounds it's at 1200 calorie which I have no desire to eat at.

    Try inputting your information into MyFitnessPal and see what number agree I agree with the other user that number seems awfully low for your height and weight. If you want to have a better toned body eating more will help with that. Fast weight loss isn't always that great you could end up with loose skin since you could just end up losing muscle which no one wants to loses muscle is what gives you more tight skin.

    My calories are set according to MFP. I was actually overriding it to 1200 for awhile and not seeing results, so I am eating more now. I don't eat 1350 calories every day unless I'm sitting on my butt all day not moving, I tend to eat around 1700-2000 depending on how much exercise I do (eating back those calories). However I just notice days I don't exercise I want to eat more then that.
  • gabriellax92
    gabriellax92 Posts: 65 Member
    JaydedMiss wrote: »
    i tend to not get many rest days and i tend to undereat honestly on my busy days (no lectures i pack in nutrients and force in atleast 1500-1800 i just burn...well alot...

    But yeah my exercise tends to suppress my appetite when i dotn get any im a mix of bored and have to much free time on my hands, And the hunger i didnt have comes. Because i dont eat all my calories back most days i have no issue eating similar to my busy day on my rest days. Sort of like a TDEE/CICO mix

    Yes, I agree. I don't notice my hunger as much on days I excercise.
  • ferd_ttp5
    ferd_ttp5 Posts: 246 Member
    When I became hungry on rest I sleep it up lol but seriously it is rest day one way to rest is to sleep
  • crowed1993
    crowed1993 Posts: 61 Member
    Add me!
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    That's why I did TDEE and don't really do rest days anymore.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I found my hunger level wasn't really less on lower activity days (I might be hungry from a long run the day after), so I flexed calories throughout the week and then switched to the TDEE method. You might want to look into that.

    If TDEE method isn't familiar to you, it's where you put in exercise over a week to get an estimated daily TDEE that doesn't change and then cut off a percentage or set amount. http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • TMW2119
    TMW2119 Posts: 178 Member
    On rest days I get into this mental head space of telling myself I can't eat as much because I don't have exercise calories to eat back. Once I put that restriction on myself, I'm starving all day long. I've stopped worrying about it. I plan to eat a lot of fruits and veggies those days. If I go over...I go over. I'm under calories most of the time and steadily losing 1 lb a week. I really feel like it is just a mind game.
  • elambmuise
    elambmuise Posts: 1 Member
    I'm a long distance runner and I do a long run (2 hours+) usually in the evenings on Sunday. I find it impossible to eat back my calories that night (usually about 1300-1500). I usually just have a protein shake with a banana added or if someone in my house has cooked for me I usually forced myself to eat the carbs and some of the protein. But it usually ends up being about a 300 calorie meal. In the morning when I wake up I am absolutely starving and have a 700 calorie breakfast (usually involving a couple eggs or a turkey sausage patty). Then I eat as I usually would for the rest of the day (two more 400 calorie meals and the milk in my coffee in 'snacks') which usually only puts me slightly above my calorie count for the day. I find this works the best for me. I don't see the point in forcing myself to eat when my body is saying no or starving myself when my body is saying gimme gimme gimme! I'm telling you all this to give you an idea of how I deal with this problem but also to hear from others if this is suitable for weight loss or not. I know trying to lose weight should ideally be saved for a runners 'off' season but it really is extra weight im trying to lose and so long as I stick closely to my macros I think the weight loss is helping my ability to train harder. I'm pretty relaxed weighing myself only every couple of weeks and keeping in mind I'm gaining muscle but I am seeing atleast a 3 pound weight loss every couple weeks.
  • Running_and_Coffee
    Running_and_Coffee Posts: 811 Member
    Could you be thirsty? You might be drinking extra water at the gym that you skip on days of rest?

    I'm also hungrier when I don't work out. I run in the morning most days and that seems to temporarily repress my hunger...when I don't run I am more likely to be hungry before lunch.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
    I find that exercise tends to reduce my hunger. I agree tho that you are probably used to higher intake on exercise days as well.
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    gabriellax92 wrote: »
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?

    2 pounds a week. I'm 5'3 and 249 pounds so I really don't want to increase calories. I lost 10 pounds over the past 6 weeks, I want to keep it up.
    That doesn't sound right when you click on the goals option and list that you want to lose 2 pounds what's the calorie number that MyFitnessPal lists?
    I'm also 5'3 and I'm 153 pounds though I'm aiming to lose 0.5 pounds a week and my calorie intake is at 1400 calories. If I eat to lose 2 pounds it's at 1200 calorie which I have no desire to eat at.

    Try inputting your information into MyFitnessPal and see what number agree I agree with the other user that number seems awfully low for your height and weight. If you want to have a better toned body eating more will help with that. Fast weight loss isn't always that great you could end up with loose skin since you could just end up losing muscle which no one wants to loses muscle is what gives you more tight skin.

    @xchocolategirl MFP isn't actually giving you a plan to lose 2lbs, you would get the same calorie goal if you input 1lb a week. You've hit their hard limit of 1200 calories that they don't go below regardless of your size and intent.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited April 2017
    Theo166 wrote: »
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    gabriellax92 wrote: »
    xchocolategirl wrote: »
    Have you considered reducing how many pounds you want to lose so you can eat more food? What's your loss rate set to right now?

    2 pounds a week. I'm 5'3 and 249 pounds so I really don't want to increase calories. I lost 10 pounds over the past 6 weeks, I want to keep it up.
    That doesn't sound right when you click on the goals option and list that you want to lose 2 pounds what's the calorie number that MyFitnessPal lists?
    I'm also 5'3 and I'm 153 pounds though I'm aiming to lose 0.5 pounds a week and my calorie intake is at 1400 calories. If I eat to lose 2 pounds it's at 1200 calorie which I have no desire to eat at.

    Try inputting your information into MyFitnessPal and see what number agree I agree with the other user that number seems awfully low for your height and weight. If you want to have a better toned body eating more will help with that. Fast weight loss isn't always that great you could end up with loose skin since you could just end up losing muscle which no one wants to loses muscle is what gives you more tight skin.

    @xchocolategirl MFP isn't actually giving you a plan to lose 2lbs, you would get the same calorie goal if you input 1lb a week. You've hit their hard limit of 1200 calories that they don't go below regardless of your size and intent.

    Right, at 5'3 at 249, plus sedentary, 1350 seems about right for 2 lbs. When I started MFP I was 200 and 5'3 (and older than OP) and got 1200 with the estimate it would be a loss of about 1.8 lb/week. I ate 1250 net and lost more, since I was not sedentary -- most people are probably at least lightly active, or at least I was.

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