Working out burns calories and uses glycogen reserve, so naturally you’d be hungry after you work out. It’s one reason that exercise can help you shed pounds, but won’t do as much good if you’re not eating a healthy diet. That’s why it’s important to fuel up before you workout, to ensure you’re not building a ravenous appetite.
Avoid the problem of a ravenous appetite by snacking before a workout.
If you want to avoid that feeding frenzy that comes after you workout, eat before you start. You need at least 30 minutes between the time you eat and ideally, an hour. If you only have 30 minutes, eat light. Make it an easily digested carb, like a banana, and some protein, such as peanut butter. If you have longer, opt for more fuel like an egg and fruit or oatmeal with seeds, fruit and nuts added.
If you had a snack before you worked out and are still hungry, maybe you need to hydrate.
Sometimes, when you’re hungry, you’re really thirsty. Dehydration can occur during a workout if you didn’t drink water before you started or didn’t sip on it while you were working out. Thirst can trick the brain into thinking it’s hungry, so you eat, which gives you fluid from the food you eat, but often not enough to fill the gap. That means you continue to feel hungry. Always drink water before a workout, sip during that workout and then finish off your workout with a 12-ounce bottle of water. If the problem is hydration, you’ll notice your appetite disappearing.
The type of food you eat makes a difference in your level of hunger.
Carbohydrates digest more quickly than protein does, so you need a combination of both for your pre-workout food and your post workout meal. If you’re pushing yourself hard in endurance training, you’ll burn more energy, so you need more carbohydrates in your post-workout meal. You should have carbohydrates that turn to energy quickly, such as fruit and slower energy carbs like whole grain breads. You should get 3/4th of your calories from carbs and 1/4th from protein. If you’re doing weight training, you need more protein to rebuild muscle tissue, so a one to one ration or 2/3rds carbs and 1/3rd protein will do.
- When you eat before a workout, not only will you reduce that hungry feeling after you workout, you’ll also have a better workout because you’ll have more stamina and energy to give it your all.
- One way to ensure you stay hydrated is to drink a glass of water when you first get up, drink a glass before each meal (you’ll eat less), drink a couple of glasses an hour before you exercise and a couple after you’ve finished.
- Don’t just slam through eating, take the time to enjoy each bite. Chew each bite carefully and wait for cues that tell you that you’ve had enough to eat. Focus on flavor, but also on the feeling of fullness.
- At Iron Fit, we provide a wide selection of exercise options that burn calories quickly and help you reach your weight loss goal.