Exercise makes me hungry..does this happen to you?

Alright, so when I exercise (home or gym) afterwards I am STARVED!!  If I go to the gym at night I eat prior so I should be full.  But when I come home I swear I could eat everything in my fridge!  Same goes if I go out for a walk or jog, I come home and am starving!  I don't eat as well as I should.  OK..that's a complete lie, I eat HORRIBLY.  I'm kind of at a really low budget right now..so I kinda eat what I can when I can, which usually consists of lots of pizza and popsicles.  But even if I make a meal, (such as rice and veggies) prior to working out, I could eat even more after.  Am I crazy?

I'm the exact oppisite. I can't eat anything after working out. Actually exercising kills my appetite. I can be hungry as a dog on a deserted island when I start but when I'm done the hunger is not there anymore. Maybe my brain releases a seriously high amount of endorphins but after exercising I'm so high on the workout afterglow I can't eat for at least 3 hours afterwards.

ah, LUCKY !!!! haha.  I could eat my hand off!

You should eat after a workout - no longer than 30 minutes later. A good protein, some small amount of carbs.

There's a decent article on it

HERE.

Ya know I used to take every bit of advice on what to do with my own body as if it was gosple handed down from my God but I don't do that any more. Most of the times the advice I get does not work well for me.

drewcypher I am in no way putting you down or attacking you but your little link might help someone out.

All I'm saying is I will do what I feel is right for me. If I'm not hungry within 30 minutes of exercising I will not eat. I am not going to force food down my mouth just because someone on the web says I should.

Drew is correct.  You should eat lightly before workout, but after you should have protein.  You body is trying to repair the muscles and refuel the deleted protein supply.

Post workout nutrition is very important.   Drew is right on the money.

We may have a semantics problem here.  One person's "workout" is another person's "amble in the park".

I know that for me, personally, I am trying to incorporate more movement into my (naturally) sedentary lifestyle.  So, I often take a 30 minute walk before dinner preparation to de-compress, get up to my 10,000 steps/day goal, and generally be healthier.  I do not push, I do not worry about my heart rate, I do not consider it a "workout".  It usually suppresses my appetite and allows me to eat a rational dinner after about an hour of food preparation.  I think that if I did HIIT, or weightlifting, or kick-boxing, or something very strenuous it might have a different impact both on my appetite and my food choices. 

I absolutely agree with epiphany that each of us needs to try different strategies and see what works for us as individuals.

You are correct that all bodys react differenctly, but nutritional needs to fuel the body are not that different.

I am actually a Personal Trainer and Spinning instructor.  I have a BA in Education with a minor in Nutrition so I do have some knowledge in this field.

I don't go into a workout hungry, ever.  I can't workout hungry - so that is a plus for me.  Unless I am doing a 3 hour workout, or a very long run, I am not ever hungry after a workout.  I simply make sure I am nourished BEFORE.  Having the body run out of fuel during a workout is not a good thing for MY body, so I plan properly to avoid that whenever possible.

I haven't started working out steadily like I used to - YET.  But I remember when I was a regular at the gym that I was generally more hungry ALL the time regardless if it was right after the actual workout. 

Original Post by fitmom4life:

I don't go into a workout hungry, ever.  I can't workout hungry - so that is a plus for me.  Unless I am doing a 3 hour workout, or a very long run, I am not ever hungry after a workout.  I simply make sure I am nourished BEFORE.  Having the body run out of fuel during a workout is not a good thing for MY body, so I plan properly to avoid that whenever possible.

maybe the reason why I'm never hungry after a workout is because I religiously eat a banana or 2 and drink 2 glasses of water about 1 hour before

I do this so I will have fuel and "coolant" for my workout. BUt as I said before I am never hungry afterwards.

Oh, good idea!  I'll try that banana/water idea.

Well exercise promotes hunger in some people. Try eating something right after. This is not really about "recovery" or whatnot just something that works for me. I am not all that hungry right after the exercise, but if I don't eat something I would be STARVING an hour later.

UD

Regardless if you are hungry or not after a workout, your body needs certain nutrients to repair the muscle damage done during that workout.   Consuming protein within 30 minutes after your workout prevents the body from breaking down it's own muscle tissue to repair that damage, which is called catabolism.

In terms of what is considered a "workout", I would not consider a nightly stroll through the neighborhood a workout that would apply to this.  By workout,  I'm talking about elevating your heart rate to about 50-85% of your maximum heart rate for at least 30 minutes or by doing weight training.  

That's actually a good tidbit of advice, thanks!  I bought these little cans of flavoured tuna from Superstore--just no-name brand--and they have 15g of protein and only 90 calories.  I feel these will suit a post-workout protein boost perfectly. 

I usually force myself to eat something after a workout, or else I stay lightheaded for a bit, and then end up ravenous anyway.