Is it normal to eat more when you exercise

Home Health News How hard do I have to workout to be able to eat more? How hard do I have to workout to be able to eat more? January 15, Pin FB More. Credit: Photo: Romulo Yanes. Struggling to cook healthy? Here's where protein is super important, as it builds and repairs muscles, explains Ilyse Schapiro, M. She suggests Greek yogurt and berries or a piece of grilled chicken and veggies, plus a small sweet potato.

Another option? A healthy, slow-digesting carb such as quinoa, brown rice, or hummus. A goal of 15 to 25 grams of protein is smart, says Pamela Nisevich Bede, M. Think before you inhale. Simply slowing down the eating process can make you rethink whether or not to eat an entire meal of snacks before your actual dinner. So take a minute, take a shower, unpack your gym bag and then decide what to eat.

It takes about 15 minutes for your stomach to register fullness, says Mohr, so enjoy your food and wait before grabbing seconds. Consider your workout. Really think about how many calories you've burned during your workout, and what that means for your next meal.

That approach can backfire. So if you burn calories jogging, you have calories to play with afterward. Rather than use those calories on a vitamin drink-the wrong move, because liquid calories won't satisfy your hunger-a better option would be to "spend those calories on healthy, filling foods, such as a sliced apple with peanut butter, to maximize satiety," says Blatner.

The biggest piece of the hunger puzzle is knowing what, when, and how much to eat to stoke your body's engine. It's the peaks and dips in energy levels, set off by inconsistent eating habits, that send cravings into overdrive.

To keep things on track, follow this around-the-clock advice. Make your digestive system work. With shredded wheat, you have to work to chew it," says Kendrin Sonneville, R. Be a meal splitter. Look for a mix of three carbs to one protein; banana and peanut butter on whole wheat is a good option. Have half the sandwich an hour before you exercise, the other half immediately after your workout. You'll be amazed at how much more energy you have during your session, without the hunger pangs afterward.

Do the apple test. An apple is a stomach-filling food, so if it's appealing, you probably are hungry and should break for a healthy snack. If an apple isn't calling your name, you may be turning to food for other reasons, like boredom or stress.

Drink water instead. Turn in earlier. Exercise seems to affect people differently, stimulating appetite in some and decreasing it in others. When you increase your exercise routine, you may need to monitor your calorie intake for several weeks in to identify any unintentional changes in your eating patterns.

If you're unintentionally losing weight as a result of your expanded exercise routine, try increasing your food intake by calorie increments until you get the effect you're after.

If you want to lose weight but find that you're constantly hungry, try increasing your calorie intake by calorie increments. As long as your calorie expenditure exceeds your intake, you will still lose weight. A slow rate of weight loss is healthier and more sustainable in the long run. Most Americans don't get enough exercise. The recommendation is minutes of moderate-intensity exercise at least five days a week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. While minute workouts won't likely have a significant impact on your calorie needs, regular intense sessions of an hour or more may warrant an increase in calories, even if your goal is weight loss.

If you're losing weight at a rate of more than 2 to 3 pounds per week, you need to eat more energy-dense foods to support a healthy rate of weight loss.