Where do you actually feel less hungry?

cstuartdc · March 2023

penguinmama87 · March 2023

Staying within daily calorie limit with exercise added

My calories are based on TDEE based on my own data, so not how MFP is supposed to work (where you eat exercise calories back), but I am less hungry when I am more active and get to eat more. I don't think, on its own, that deliberate exercise makes me feel more hungry. I think my "natural" hunger signals correspond with a fairly vigorous active lifestyle.

Lietchi · March 2023

There is no real answer to that question. It's highly individual AND will depend on the specifics of the calorie goal (how aggressive is the deficit) and the exercise.

Some people get hungry from low intensity steady state cardio, others get hungry from intense cardio or from doing strength training. Others may find that exercise actually blunts their hunger.

It's also a good idea to not only look at the day you exercise, but also the day after, since the effect can be delayed.

For myself, I wouldn't even know what answer applies, my hunger levels are quite variable as well as my exercise, but I don't think there's a pattern.

Retroguy2000 · March 2023

For me, I've found two things to be true:

1. The transfer effect is real. If you make positive changes to your diet or your workouts, it carries over in other areas. If I've had my workout as planned, I feel more desire to eat to plan. If I haven't, I may feel bad depending if there's a legit reason for missing the workout (a twinge, realizing I need to deload, etc.) and I may be more likely to slip with the diet. Likewise, if I haven't fueled up enough in the hours before a workout, or if I've eaten too much before, then I'm more likely to skip the workout, which can lead to more snacking.

2. I have trouble maintaining a multi-day deficit of close to 20%. I'm more likely to binge after a few days of that. However, 10% is much more sustainable. And probably better for my goals anyway.

StaciInGa · March 2023

I kind of factor it all in - I have my profile set at a .5 pound per week loss (250 deficit) but I only log intentional cardio. I also try to increase my general activity, and do not log 'extra' for that. My hope is that the extra movement helps me lose a little more, but since I'm not SUPER active or working out extensively that does not really impact my appetite.

If I do have a very active day (walked a half marathon on Mar 4 for example) I eat a little extra that day, and I know I'm likely to be hungrier than usual the NEXT day. So I prepare/plan for it.

If you're having hunger issues, a few thoughts:

1. Is your food/calorie target realistic? If you're aiming for 2 pounds per week lost, consider changing to 1 or 1.5 for more calories per day
2. Make sure you're ACTUALLY hungry, not wanting to eat because you are bored or thirsty
3. Consider the foods you're eating and if you could tweak things in your meals/snacks to help you feel fuller. Such as having some protein each time you eat.

kshama2001 · March 2023

Staying within daily calorie limit with exercise added

I'd be way too hungry and thus unable to maintain a calorie deficit without earning and eating exercise calories.

Moderate exercise acts as a mild appetite suppressant for me, and that's what I do the most of.

I also like to swim and snowshoe, and that seems to increase my appetite.

Side note, this is the first winter since I started snow shoeing and the first winter of my life (except for the 7 years I lived in Florida and two years in Okinawa) in which there wasn't enough snow to shovel or snowshoe.

drjeff0609 · March 2023

kshama2001 wrote: »

I'd be way too hungry and thus unable to maintain a calorie deficit without earning and eating exercise calories.

Moderate exercise acts as a mild appetite suppressant for me, and that's what I do the most of.

I also like to swim and snowshoe, and that seems to increase my appetite.

Side note, this is the first winter since I started snow shoeing and the first winter of my life (except for the 7 years I lived in Florida and two years in Okinawa) in which there wasn't enough snow to shovel or snowshoe.

Me too, I'm not hungry while I'm exercising... sometimes when I am really hungry, I'll just go on a walk.

cstuartdc · March 2023

Staying within daily calorie limit with exercise added

Thanks for all the comments. Although not a 100% i notice when I exercise I’m less hungry with the added food i get from exercise.

I wonder if there is a sex difference as I’d say my wife it wouldn’t make a difference.

The ol wanting to eat manly portions thing.

AnnPT77 · March 2023

cstuartdc wrote: »

Thanks for all the comments. Although not a 100% i notice when I exercise I’m less hungry with the added food i get from exercise.

I wonder if there is a sex difference as I’d say my wife it wouldn’t make a difference.

The ol wanting to eat manly portions thing.

Maybe not. I want to eat as much as I possibly can, within reason (and consistent with a happy, balanced life), while still accomplishing my weight management goals, whatever they may be at any given time.

I'm not remotely male.

Maybe there's an individual difference - irrespective of sex - but I have no way to know, of course.

HoneyBadger302 · March 2023

Staying within daily calorie limit with exercise added

For most of my life (into my early-mid 30's) I was extremely active, and had no problems maintaining my weight. If I'd start to get a little heavy, just cutting back on the fast food or soda would do the trick.

Then I landed the infamous desk job, and the pounds started to slowly pile on.

I got up to around 35-40 pounds over my ideal/happy weight (not sure as I wasn't weighing myself at the time) when my fattest pants wouldn't fit, so on a diet I went. After that I yo-yo'd many times 10-25ish pounds over my ideal, and always it was the hunger that got me - we're not talking a little peckish here, but downright hangry.

Finally figured out (through trial and error) that my personal sweet spot is a) LOTS of exercise added in; b) lower carb (<150 net carbs/day). IF I am doing these two things, I won't lose FAST, but I will lose, I won't feel like I'm starving, and as long as I can afford to eat this way (sadly, it is not cheap), I can pretty steadily and predictably lose weight or recomp as expected (which is what I am currently doing as I would prefer some mass gains right now over losing the fat, so the scale loses are painfully slow but right around what I'm shooting for).

If I'm just eating to a calorie limit with limited exercise and a desk job, it's a no-go zone for me. Literally would eat a branch I think lol.

yirara · March 2023

Exercise uses up energy. Calories are energy. If you're eating the lowest possible amount of calories on MFP (1500 calories for a male) and exercise without eating this back then you're effectively eating below 1500 calories. Say you do a short run for 300 calories and eat 1500 calories. For your body that's not much different than only eating 1200 calories. See where the problem might come from?

smwp4mpc4j · March 2023

Staying within daily calorie limit with exercise added

I am usually not hungry for several hours after exercising. Also when I’m in slight to moderate ketosis I am not hungry. When my ketosis test strips are really dark or light (negative) I feel more hungry

Jthanmyfitnesspal · March 2023

Honestly. . .no difference. Feel the same.

My apatite is highly variable and subjective. I can be ravenous at the end of the day, but drag myself to the gym. Once I start exercising, the hunger goes away and stays away for at least an hour afterward.

If I do a lot of exercise one day (like 1-2h bike ride), I will be hungry all day the next day (usually a rest day) even once I've eaten the all exercise calories back. It will still go away if I exercise.

In general, the hardest days not to over eat are low-energy days spent at home where there's a lot of food. Work and other activities distract me from eating.

Where do you actually feel less hungry?

Where do you actually feel less hungry? 35 votes

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