Does anyone else experience this after working out?

femmi1120
femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
edited November 7 in Fitness and Exercise
I know it should be the complete opposite, but I tend to eat a lot less (calorie-wise) on days when I get a really good workout. Part of it is just that for whatever reason, it suppresses my appetite, but I think I'm also subconsciously afraid to ruin a good workout with calorie-dense foods. It wouldn't usually be an issue, except my net calories end up being really really low :-\ Does this happen to anyone else and how do you handle it?

Replies

  • Katrob9
    Katrob9 Posts: 431 Member
    I get exactly the same thing, I'm less hungry on days when I get in a big workout and just can't eat because I need to get the calories in. Unfortunately I don't have an answer on how to solve the problem but I'd like one!

    I totally understand how you feel about not wanting to undo your good workout work, it does seem a bit counter productive but obviously you need to keep your net calories up. It is hard though - if you have a day where you burn 1000 calories that's like having to eat 3 extra meals in the day!
  • Yes. Excercise usually does suppress appetite. So that day if I'm not hungry I listen to my body BUT the next day I usually make up for it as my body catches up in hunger. :)
  • AmyEm3
    AmyEm3 Posts: 784 Member
    Yes. Excercise usually does suppress appetite. So that day if I'm not hungry I listen to my body BUT the next day I usually make up for it as my body catches up in hunger. :)

    Ditto. This happens to me fairly often.
  • zoe4friends
    zoe4friends Posts: 727 Member
    Yes, I feel the same way!
  • buttahbaby
    buttahbaby Posts: 53 Member
    I feel the same way to!!
  • I'm screwed, I do come home very very hungry, but as mentioned before I wouldn't like to throw all that away with food, so yeah a can of tuna and a whole wheat cookie and that's it.
  • EllaA26
    EllaA26 Posts: 48
    Yes. Excercise usually does suppress appetite. So that day if I'm not hungry I listen to my body BUT the next day I usually make up for it as my body catches up in hunger. :)

    Ditto. This happens to me fairly often.

    Same!
  • MaximalLife
    MaximalLife Posts: 2,447 Member
    I know it should be the complete opposite, but I tend to eat a lot less (calorie-wise) on days when I get a really good workout. Part of it is just that for whatever reason, it suppresses my appetite, but I think I'm also subconsciously afraid to ruin a good workout with calorie-dense foods. It wouldn't usually be an issue, except my net calories end up being really really low :-\ Does this happen to anyone else and how do you handle it?
    Yes, and I have either a protein shake or bar right after a workout.
    Hunger had nothing to do with it.

    Just eat.
    Your body needs that.
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    Wow, glad to see I'm not alone in this!
    Yes. Excercise usually does suppress appetite. So that day if I'm not hungry I listen to my body BUT the next day I usually make up for it as my body catches up in hunger. :)

    Is it ok to do this though? Like essentially just save up the extra calories for the next day?

    I know everyone always says "listen to your body" but I feel like that's what made me overweight in the first place :-\ So, now I don't really trust my body to make these sorts of decisions =[
  • scarlettd12
    scarlettd12 Posts: 111 Member
    This happens to me too. I like it though. Not the whole "not hungry" part, but I find that I eat healthier after I get a good workout in. Probably because I would feel like I wasted my workout if I ate junk. Working out makes me feel great in general. I'm less hungry, make better choices, and I am in a GREAT mood! Nothing like the high from a work out.
  • mariapuhl
    mariapuhl Posts: 529 Member
    If I work out at night - I am not hungry after.

    If I work out in the morning, I am not hungry after either but then like 4 or 5 hours later I'm even more hungry than normal. Haha. I've learned if I just eat something light and protein packed after that workout, then the 4/5 hour later hunger is normal.
  • I get that too. I think it all works well together, a lot of people I know say they're starving after working out but I'm not hungry at all...BUT, it is important to have some protein after working out!
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 844 Member
    Yup I get that. Also I get really cold after a really good workout. If I don't feel hungry, I try to keep up on protein at least.
  • hhakb0
    hhakb0 Posts: 7
    I would say that you should not try to totally use up your calories but dont leave tons either becasue you will want to over eat the next day. You may want to get a good filling breakfast like eggs or oatmeal and have som fruit near by so you have that to snack on before lunch. It is wierd but I feel the same way, I think it is like you body is getting healthier and breaking the habit of snacking and cravings.
  • chachita7
    chachita7 Posts: 996 Member
    I am extremely hungry after my workouts... it might have to do with the fact I workout in the wee hours of the morning.

    As far as eating, I have made myself a schedule to follow for fueling, making sure I keep nicely fueled and able to function with much energy thru the day. My body already asks for that fuel at that given time.

    On the weekends its a different story because I don't work out until mid day (Saturday)
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member
    I am extremely hungry after my workouts... it might have to do with the fact I workout in the wee hours of the morning.

    As far as eating, I have made myself a schedule to follow for fueling, making sure I keep nicely fueled and able to function with much energy thru the day. My body already asks for that fuel at that given time.

    On the weekends its a different story because I don't work out until mid day (Saturday)

    What is your experience on Saturdays? I'm used to working out at night right before bed, which solves the appetite suppresant problem. But now I'm working out at school during the day, after lunch time and it just makes me not want to eat in the evening/late afternoon. I did have a smoothie right after because I felt like I needed to eat something, and I made a cucumber melon juice when I got home, but aside from that all I've had was a greek salad w/ pita bread from Murphy's deli.

    And I burned 1k today at my work out....
  • jwhit31
    jwhit31 Posts: 450 Member
    Yup, it happens to me. I try not run too late or I won't eat. Yesterday was a perfect example of this. I ran a total of 12 miles and well, I didn't eat nearly enough. Today I have been ravenous. I've consumed close to 2,000 cals to make up for it though. :blushing: Don't worry, I'm still not over my goal.
  • WandaMM1
    WandaMM1 Posts: 132 Member
    I'm pretty sure it's a scientific fact that a tough workout releases endorphins that are a proven appetite suppressant! So, it's like a win-win. Like MaximaLife said, even if you're not hungry after a kick-butt work out, you need to refuel. You body needs good refueling to repair itself. I have read multiple times that your post workout refuel should be 50% of the calories you burned in your workout. Not eating after working out is actually detrimental to your overall health and wellness goals.
  • Canonoch
    Canonoch Posts: 120
    Not me. I need to try and control my self everyday no matter what or else I'll will empty the fridge
  • 10kaday
    10kaday Posts: 177
    Interesting I never thought about it before but yeah this happens to me too. In my "previous life," I used to eat cheetos and soda in the evenings and maybe other stuff too. Now I sit here and eat nothing because I feel fine. Sometimes I think, should I eat because I'm so far under my calorie goal? I just don't really worry about it. I eat when I'm hungry and that's about it. Not sure if that's correct or not but I've lost the weight and so I'm not to worried about it. What I do worry about now is losing more weight than I want. So I think once I've lost all the weight I will need to try to get closer to my calorie goal otherwise I'll keep dropping weight and I don't want that to happen once I reach my target.
  • paeli
    paeli Posts: 295 Member
    I get this too, I just mentally note that my body needs nutrients so I force myself to have a protein shake or hearty snack afterwards to make sure I'm well fuelled!
  • desirae500
    desirae500 Posts: 142 Member
    Yes. I find that exercise suppresses my appetite. I make sure I eat enough but if I am not hungry I don't force it.
  • DenverKos
    DenverKos Posts: 182
    In the big scheme of things, not eating back your calories that day is not going to hurt you if it happens on occasion. Keep the big picture in mind. My phone app has a weekly chart to see where I stand in calories over the course of the week.

    What happens if you overeat on one day? Do you go out and run a marathon that night to try to burn off all those calories so that you stay within calorie allotment for the day? Most likely you're going to go out of the next couple of days and work out a little harder to burn them off. Same thing with eating them back, especially after a big workout. I work and go to school during the week; Saturday and Sundays are the only days where I have enough time to go out on a 3 or 4 hour bike ride. No way can I eat back all those calories in those two days!

    But at the end of the week, it all more or less evens out. I do plan ahead for long rides or races and eat and hydrate appropriately in the days leading up to an event to make sure my body is fueled and ready for it - same thing with any big workout you're doing. If you know you're going to workout for 2 hours in the evening, make sure you eat a substantial breakfast and lunch to get your calories in, then just have something light or a shake afterwards to refuel the immediate recovery needs - but you don't have to eat back the 2000 calories that you just burned before you go to sleep.

    Keep it all in perspective :)
  • Troy67
    Troy67 Posts: 556 Member
    A lot of people have the same issue. I can't eat anything before working out and for several hours after working out I am not even close to being hungry. I try to make sure to get protein, but sometimes it is 7 or 8pm before I eat for the first time each day.
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    don't worry if you don't eat them on the same day, you'll just be insanely hungry on another day. your body will get what it wants, food
  • My net calories are usually about 0 when i get a really good workout. As long as you are still eating your reccomended calories for the day it really isnt a problem, but make sure a lot of it is protein. It doesnt have to be fatty at all, just any good protein.
  • sizzlinoverthefat
    sizzlinoverthefat Posts: 136 Member
    I know it should be the complete opposite, but I tend to eat a lot less (calorie-wise) on days when I get a really good workout. Part of it is just that for whatever reason, it suppresses my appetite, but I think I'm also subconsciously afraid to ruin a good workout with calorie-dense foods. It wouldn't usually be an issue, except my net calories end up being really really low :-\ Does this happen to anyone else and how do you handle it?
    Yes, and I have either a protein shake or bar right after a workout.
    Hunger had nothing to do with it.

    Just eat.
    Your body needs that.
    ^^^Yes maximalife is right, eat some protein right after working out. You hear pasta is good if you worked out extra hard and long but I found a protein bar (watch for the sugar content) is the best:flowerforyou:
  • femmi1120
    femmi1120 Posts: 473 Member

    ^^^Yes maximalife is right, eat some protein right after working out. You hear pasta is good if you worked out extra hard and long but I found a protein bar (watch for the sugar content) is the best:flowerforyou:

    Are there any specific brands you like? I actually tried looking for some at my school but the amount of sugar was absolutely insane. I really couldn't bring myself to get it, so I opted for a skinny smoothie at smoothie king instead. I have a friend who buys atkins brand protein bars which have only 1g of sugar and he really likes them. Which ones do you usually go for?

    I'm not anti-sugar/carbs by any means, but I do prefer for it to come from a natural source, so I really don't trust most protein bars =\
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