Working out has been increasing my metabolism in full force...maybe too much?

  • So I have been working out hard core this week and eating good (except for the chocolate I ate last night) my metabolism seems to be super fast. It is to the point that I will wake up between 3-4am and I will be starving. Literally to the point that I am having hunger pain. I have been eating an orange or banana and just going back to sleep. When I weigh myself in the morning I seem to still be on losing. I just don't like waking up feeling that way. I have tried adding more protein in my dinner? Even during the day I am constantly hungry, in a painful way. I think I am eating more before I started dieting.

    Has anyone experienced this? Have you tried anything that works?
  • May I ask how many calories you are consuming a day? Did you cut back on calories AND up your working out at the time same?

    It is possible you ARE overworking your body and not giving it enough nutrients.

    Once I know this, i can let you know what I think may be happening. ^_^
  • It's because your body is losing weight, which is something it, from a biological/survival standpoint, doesn't want to do! Just stay strong, and keep it up -- it sounds like you're doing a great job.

    With regard to combating hunger, how many calories per day do you eat? I know a lot of people on these forums eat counts like 1200/day, which seem really low to me. With your exercise factored in, a daily "net consumption" of 1200 seems reasonable. That is, if you ate maybe 1600/day, but burned 400 through exercise, 1200 would be your net consumption. To be eating 1200 and then burning however many calories, you'd have a net consumption of below 1000 calories, which is naturally going to be pretty rough on your body.

    Perhaps upping daily calories or cycling calories would help?
  • Aside from how many calories are you consuming, what are you consuming? Are you feeding your body what it needs? Or, are you eating lots of processed empty calories? If you're eating enough calories and they are rich in nutrients, then maybe you should cut back a little on the exercise and increase the intensity more gradually.
  • well. DUH.
    it will go away. Your eating less, moving more, OF COURSE youre going to be more hungry because at this point, your metabolism IS Still functioning properly. Give it a few months and you'll be all outta whack like everyone else and you wont *feel* hunger anymore (actually, the suppression of your ghrenlin hormone (hunger hormone) will happen mich faster.... within a couple weeks.


    hey, im not saying ANY of that is good, but its pa for the course when you are dieting down. There is no diet in the world that prevents metabolic adaptation, in some form. Some peope are smarter than others, some people bodies are just more hormonaly sensitive to the effects of being in a caloric deficit.

    Just do me a favor, as soona s your period goes even a TINY BIT wonky (comes early, comes late, start spotting in between, lighter than normal, heavier than normal, ANYTHING ABNORMAL for you) then you NEED TO TAKE A DIET BREAK. That means approx 1 week of backing off the training, and eating at *maintenance* or above. IT WONT RUIN YOUR FATLOSS. Ya, youll temporarily gain some water weight and some food weight, but your body will need it, if it comes to that.
    Let me put it another way. Your menstrual cycle is a vital sign, like your blood pressure, and HR. If its outta whack, thats your body's way of screaming that its under too much stress!!! I didnt listen to mine and i lost my period for 2 years, and no matter what they did, the doctors couldnt make it come back. At 30 years old i was written off as going into menopause. Just be careful.

    So suffer through the huunger pains (they'll pass) make sure you get a good mix of PROTEIN and FATS (carbs are good, of course). If youre starving at nighttime, id suggest eating cottage cheese right before bed, or when you wake up in the middle of the night, rather than a simple carb, like sugar (FRUIT). ANd make sure youre getting enough SLEEP! Alot of people dont realize this, but sleepy-time is when fatloss actually occurs within your body, and its also how your body heals. Take care of yourself
  • That's good...your metabolism is revving up and you are burning your food more efficiently. You should't be hungry all day, though. Make sure you have lean protein, healthy fat, and some type of produce with each meal. Are you getting enough healthy fats? Try some almonds or avocado if you wake up in the middle of the night. And plenty of water. Don't freak, this will pass....