Does anyone here get hungry after they exercise? Right now I do. I do not know if it is because when I exercise is right before lunch anyway or if it is because I am a beginner and my body is trying to compensate for the calories burned. I usually ignore it and drink more water. I am just wondering if others have this hurdle too.

--Sara

Hey! I usually don't get hungry after exercising, but that's because I've gotten in the habit of eating something, and including protein in the snack, half an hour before I exercise. You might try that!

Jay

**** yes, but I used to be much worse. When I first started working out extensively, I would come home and eat the entire world while hardly realizing it!

This hunger will eventually subside. It is a good idea to eat something high in protein before a workout, or something high in fiber. That way, you are already starting out feeling a little more full.

I still get hungry! I've read a recent article that suggest maybe vitamin deficiency, especially magnesium. I'm gonna check that out. This is still going on even after 3 years of exercising. I eat carb snack before exercising and protein shake and/or snack after exercising, especially lifting weights. My boyfriend says his appetite actually decreases. Totally not fair.

Yep. This is normal. When I first started exercising I would be soooooooo completely ravenous when I finished that I'd be in danger of eating everything in the house. Two things have helped with this problem: 1. the ravenosity has decreased as I've become fitter, so now I'm just moderately hungry after the gym. 2. I plan my trips to the gym around my meals. These days I'm eating breakfast when I get home, so I get to eat 200-300 cals of protein and carbs to restore balance to the universe of my body. It works for me.

I don't eat anything before I exercise--I find it much, much easier to exercise on an empty stomach. (This is one of the reasons that, despite not being a morning person, I prefer to get up earlier and workout then, rather than later in the afternoon. Even if I've had a couple of hours to digest my lunch, I still feel sluggish and prone to stitches...)

oh i always get hungry after exercising. I really refrain from eating right after because it feels as if I'd just wasted the exercise...

Hungry like the WOLF. LOL!

I was told by a trainer to have a snack after working out - protien specifically. So I plan my on of my snacks to be right after my workout and then drink more water.

Ahhh. Not true. The exercise boosts your metabolism for about an hour afterwards, so it's actually better to eat right after working out than to wait a couple of hours. Also, I believe your body better absorbs nutrients in the window directly after exercising.

Depending on the type of exercise you do and duration it is important to eat within 30 minutes of exercising to replenish glycogen stores more efficiently. This will help you work out harder the next time and burn more.

So it is actually good for me to eat lunch after I exercise? I do not eat big lunches btw. Just a sandwich and soup or a portion of dinner leftovers.

-- Sara

I do and I don't. It depends on how hard the exercising is. If i am doing a 1 mile WATP tape I do eat a little hungry now but a yogurt of a piece of fruit works well for me. But if its a hard longer exercise (like this week mowing the grass for 4 days) I get a lot hungrier within 2 hours. Then I come in and have a good carb (whole wheat noodles) and a chicken breast and fruit if I have any. And that does the trick for 2 more hours.

Usually I'm hungry after working out, and I usually eat straight away - that's the best bit and it feels entirely justified too! But after a really hard workout (either a 15+ mile run, or a 10+ mile race, I often have trouble eating which is even worse. I know I need to get energy back in me, but I just can't stomach it.

Yep, that usually happens to me. I plan to have a snack afterwards that is a nice balance of fat/protein/carbs, and drink plenty of water.

Absolutely. Go ahead and eat your lunch. You replenish your body with nutrients, burn through the lunch calories quicker AND you eliminate the post-exercise starvation problem.