Someone please help. I have been counting calories now for about 3 weeks, also I've been working out 5x a week, but my problem is I do extremely well with portions and calorie maintence during the day but my problem comes after I leave the gym in the Afternoon, I save my last 350-400 calories for dinner after the gym, for example tonight I had 4oz skinless chicken breast and 1/2 cup peas and 1/2 a mango, I ate slowly trying to give my body time to realize that I was full, but it did'nt work I turned around an hour later and had a banana and 1 cup of cheerios and 1/2 cup of milk, at this rate I will never make any improvements do any one have any suggestions. FYI according to the calorie calculator with my height of 5'3 and weight of 215 my daily calorie intake should be no more than 1500 daily. Please help...
I tend to be more hungry after I workout too. So, I eat more. I don't see anything wrong with how you are doing things. Have you not been losing weight or something? A suggestion is to add a large salad to your dinner. Your dinner doesn't sound very filling at all hence the reason I can see why you are hungry an hour later.
Maybe you're hungry because that's not enough calories. 1500 sounds like it might be low to lose weight (unless you are trying to lose quickly) at 215, especially since you exercise. I weigh about 225 and am losing on 1800-1900 calories/day on average with moderate exercise. (though, everyone is different).
One suggestion is to eat as you have been (it doesn't sound like you're crazy binging after) and see if you lose weight or not! You may not lose more than 1 pound/week on average but that's considered healthy anyway! If you do lose weight, then problem solved. If you don't, try adding more protein and fiber to what you do eat (you might want to try that anyway).
I try to work out before lunch or dinner, or before i'm going to have a (healthy) evening snack. It's good for you to eat after you work out, even though you may feel like it's just ruining your exercise, but as long as you eat something healthy, you'll be fine!
I usu. work out after dinner. I've been told it's not as effective on an empty stomach, but the combination of eating and exercising curbs my appetite for the rest of the evening. Just me though, try a protein snack after, that will probably help.
It helps me if I re-hydrate my body after the gym. I have a large water bottle in the car with a lot of ice (it gets very warm down here in the south, even now!). The ice melts and I drink all of it on my drive home. I find that all of that water fills me up. I also agree that a salad might help, although I find salads hard to eat unless someone else makes it! heehee Hang in there! ~aholden
Thanks for all the comments, I will try a protien snack before working out, I thought that my calories were right on track according to fitday.com, maybe I'll look around on some other sites and see what other calorie calculators say and average them out. Again thanks for the advice.
1500 calories may be on track but it is ok to go a little above or below that number. Actually it is good for you. If you stay at 1500 everyday your body will begin to adjust and allow you to maintain. If you mix it up a little - the body will respond with weight loss and increased metabolism.
Try peanuts or a tablespoon peanut butter (something with protein and reasonable calories) and water before you workout. Also a huge glass of cold water after may help too.
After I work out I usually have a protein drink as a meal replacement and it keeps me full for hours, then again I work out as soon as I wake up. It gives me a lot more energy through out the day! Also I agree with the other ladies... If you save your last 300 or 400 calories for dinner ...try eating more filling foods. A lot of foods will fill you up ..but because they are empty calories..they leave you unsatisfied and starving. Also, like what was said before keep yourself good and hydrated...drink some water, and keep yourself busy. A lot of people I know get craving and feel really hungry after dinner because it's night...they are settling down and they get bored. Just sitting there watching TV (with their food commercials lol) it's easy to feel hungry even if you arn't! Hope this helps a little
Starving After working out!!!!
