Exercise and hunger

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WickAndArtoo
WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am sure this has been asked a million times, but I need some comradeship please! I get hungrier after exercise, more so than the extra calories I earn. How do you handle this, I am assuming I can’t be alone here :) help!

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  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
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    What kind of exercise are you doing?
  • Mslmesq
    Mslmesq Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Are you drinking enough water after you exercise? A lot of times dehydration is mistaken for hunger.

    Honestly, I rarely am hungry after exercise. If anything, the opposite. Sometimes I was hungry and lose my appetite a little. Happens when I’m cooking too, so who knows.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    pamfgil wrote: »
    What kind of exercise are you doing?

    Pretty much everything. I do yoga, hiking, running, strength (both with weights and body weights), jump rope etc. I don’t do it all at once, just different things different days (I do yoga and other things on the same days, but I am in pretty decent shape and it’s only a 20 min beginners dvd). I’ve noticed the excess hunger with everything I do, unless I just walk (this is because I walk nearly every day with my dogs so my body must be more used to it).
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    Mslmesq wrote: »
    Are you drinking enough water after you exercise? A lot of times dehydration is mistaken for hunger.

    Honestly, I rarely am hungry after exercise. If anything, the opposite. Sometimes I was hungry and lose my appetite a little. Happens when I’m cooking too, so who knows.

    It’s usually later in the day, not immediately after. I just notice that I tend to be hungry again after a solid dinner on days I work out, but on days I don’t my dinner is plenty.

    You make a really good point about hydration, now that you mention it I could definitely be making this mistake!!
  • litoria
    litoria Posts: 239 Member
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    Oh yes, hungry like the wolf! I know this feeling. And I struggled with strategies to manage it for ages. The only approach that has worked for me has been increasing my calories. Now eating 1850 a day and losing consistently on this. (But gaining muscle)
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    litoria wrote: »
    Oh yes, hungry like the wolf! I know this feeling. And I struggled with strategies to manage it for ages. The only approach that has worked for me has been increasing my calories. Now eating 1850 a day and losing consistently on this. (But gaining muscle)

    Glad I’m not alone! What does your exercise schedule look like to achieve this balance?
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
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    I’ve been exercising for years and I don’t get hungrier anymore. I always have a planned snack or just lunch after because I know my body needs it. You can eat something that won’t be more than 500 cals. Big salad with grill chicken for example. Plan a snack or a meal just knowing you need it. It hopefully will get easier for you.
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    I get hungry too, I feel like it's a common occurrence. Make sure you stay hydrated before and during your work out. If you are lifting heavy or doing a ton of cardio it may in fact be your body telling you to eat a little more to fuel those work outs and build muscle.
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
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    kingscrown wrote: »
    I’ve been exercising for years and I don’t get hungrier anymore. I always have a planned snack or just lunch after because I know my body needs it. You can eat something that won’t be more than 500 cals. Big salad with grill chicken for example. Plan a snack or a meal just knowing you need it. It hopefully will get easier for you.

    Thank you for sharing your experience with this. I always make sure I fuel up with a complete meal before and after for things that I know will take more out of me. That’s why I find it so interesting that I am still extra hungry at night. I am hoping that my body will become accustomed to it like yours.

    It’s weird because in the past I never thought much of it and would just eat as much as I felt hungry for, but now that I am more aware of my calories I would love to have a little more control! I am more interested in building muscle than losing weight, but eating a ton extra after a cardio exercise isn’t really helping me there I don’t think.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
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    It depends on what I do. Cardio doesn't tend to make me very hungry. But, heavy barbell work will definitely increase the hunger. I try to focus on eating more protein and fat to help keep me feeling full.
  • pamfgil
    pamfgil Posts: 449 Member
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    Sometimes getting your heart rate up really high can suppress your appetite, you don't need long, a couple 30 second sprints as part of your exercise may do it
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,224 Member
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    I think this is an individual thing. Some people don’t get hungry, some do. Some get hungry after weights, some after higher intensity cardio, some after long-duration cardio, sometimes the same day, sometimes the next day, any combination of the above...I don’t think there’s a single universal experience.

    I get ravenously hungry on long run days (anything over 10-12 miles). I sometimes get hungrier the day after a heavy weight workout. I plan my intake accordingly (meaning I “Bank” calories for long run days knowing that I’m going to be ravenous on those days, and tend to save a bit to eat the day after a heavy weight workout). I don’t generally have hunger issues with other types of workouts.

  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    if you are using the MFP calorie calculation - are you eating back exercise cals? (their recommendation does not include purposeful exercise)
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
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    I get the same thing a couple hours after I work out. I've managed it by taking a 150-200 cal snack to the gym with me for right after, and making sure I have another one of 150-200 cals another hour later. I'm usually not far from lunch then so I don't overeat at that time.
  • boehle
    boehle Posts: 5,062 Member
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    One thing I hate about morning workouts, I feel like all I want to do is eat the whole day away but I love my morning workouts because I feel accomplished.
    I try the drink more water when you are hungry, but sometimes my stomach growls like a bear and the people around me think we are about to be attacked!
  • AudreyJDuke
    AudreyJDuke Posts: 1,092 Member
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    It is so important to eat before and after your wokouts, that will help.

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