[Elanajel]

Hi everyone--
My latest struggle is a wonderful, invigorating 6 p.m. kickboxing class. I eat a reasonable snack around 3 p.m. I have found that if I eat later, I'm too bogged down to do a thorough cardio. workout.

The problem: I get home at 7:30ish, sweaty and absolutely starving. I ate a healthy and reasonable dinner last night; put the kids to bed and just kept going. At 9:30 I went back downstairs and ate 2 large (and I mean large) bowls of Puffins, salted cashews and raisins (a nice blend of textures, but certainly not lo-cal, especially with all the cashews).

I'd appreciate tips from any and all who face this problem. Should I have a Luna bar while I'm driving home to take the edge off?
What else could help?

Thanks.

[Meg]

I'm always starving after exercising too!

It may take a little experimenting to see what works best for you. A Luna bar on the way home sounds like a good place to start. Or you might consider having a little more for dinner, being sure to include a starchy carb along with protein and veggies.

If you're exercising at night, don't be afraid to shift more of your calories to the evening when you need them. Studies have shown that when you eat doesn't matter - it's the totals for the day that count.

Good luck!

[AnneWonders]

I like to have a carb-heavy snack about an hour before an intense workout, even a higher glycemic load snack is OK then because those sugars get used up pretty quickly during the workout. I'm a huge Luna bar fan, but I find that extra fiber/protein tends to interfere with absorption and well, I can get some digestive issues during the workout, so I stick with bananas, granola bars, things like that. The carbs help my workout keep its intensity, and I'm less hungry afterward. Ideal after workout nutrition for me is a low-fat carb-protein rich meal or snack, to help put back some glycogen and supply raw materials for rebuilding muscle. Then it's back to the usual veggies, veggies, veggies.

Once you get your pre/post workout nutrition figured out, another thing that really helped me with nighttime snacking is just to go to bed. Turn of the TV, log off the computer, and sleep. I always need more sleep, so it serves double duty. I can sleep anytime after 8 pm.

Good luck figuring out what works for you. It's very individual, and I even have to tweak my recipe for different types of workout, swimming vs running, etc.

Anne

[Airegrrrl]

Would a protein shake as soon as you walk in the door help? My fave is to combine whey protein powder, cottage cheeze, skim milk and ice. Using my particular brands and quantities, that can max out at about 280 calories, but it's loaded with protein and it really fills me up (this is a breakfast mainstay). If I have a shake later in the day, I usually delete the cottage cheese, which brings it down to under 200 calories. Not only do I love the flavors, shakes perk me right up and make me feel more virtuous than a saint.

[Kevin100]

I like to have some foods on hand that are low calorie but take a long time to eat. Big apples, low calorie microwave popcorn (100 c per bag), low fat yogurt (80-90 c), Blue Bunny brand fruit or fudge pops (60-80 c). I have dinner, and then I can snack on these items later when I get cravings.