Are you one of those people who enjoy your exercise session? Running on the treadmill, working out on your elliptical or perhaps kickboxing! You feel great, all those endorphins begin kicking in, your heart rate has gone up and you have that ‘feel good’ feeling about yourself! Step out of the gym or exercise class and an hour later you feel famished! Driving home you may gorge on chaat or you get a take out from your favourite fast-food restaurant. After enjoying your treat, you lean back wondering – what just happened? All those calories I burnt, I just put back on!!

Or do you exercise with a post-workout pizza in mind? Is your exercise session making you overeat? Sounds unthinkable! We tend to associate exercise with fitness, healthy eating, knocking off the pounds, a slimmer figure…… the list goes on.

If this is a familiar scenario and leaves you scratching your head, read on and be enlightened! Here we share why you may be feeling hungry after a workout and what you can do, so you don’t end up erasing all your exercise efforts. What you are experiencing has both biological and psychological factors at play.

Reward Psychology:

Because we exercise, we feel like we have ‘earned’ our treat or we ‘deserve’ to reward our self with food. After all we have burned all those calories, right? 1 hour at the gym and 500 kcal burnt...........................so bring on the biryani! This trend is most often seen in those who are new to exercise, or in some cases in those who do not view exercise as enjoyable. They feel a need to compensate for all they are doing and feel they deserve something in return (most often a high caloric food that lacks nutrients, only contains empty calories). In this case, the need is not driven by hunger at all.

What can be done instead- This pattern is actually counterproductive to your efforts. Instead, give yourself non-food rewards. If you like reading, download a book you enjoy on Kindle or you could buy yourself art supplies if painting is your thing. Find rewards that do not include food as far as possible.

Post Workout Binge:

Being obese can specifically cause an increase in neural activity in the brain. This could be responsible for hunger and cravings post exercise. Our brain is also wired to images of food which could again set off these cravings.

What you can do- Stick to your exercise and fitness regime. As you continue to monitor your calories and lose weight, your muscles also get strengthened. Gradually the cravings also

subside and your brain activity also shows a reduced stimulus to visuals of food and cravings.

You ‘fear’ calories:

Not eating your preworkout snack may cause more damage than you think. You may save on 100 or 150 kcals only to end up eating something that contains 400-500 kcals post your exercise session. A pre-workout snack needs to be a healthy food whose primary function is to fuel your exercise session. A lot of women worry that they are adding an extra 100 kcal that they need to burn off.

What you can do- Include a snack! A healthy one that gives you more nutritional bang for your caloric buck! This can help you power through your exercise session so you are working out long and hard enough. This can actually help you burn more calories and build muscle. In addition, you will not be famished after your workout. When you think about it, hunger is your body’s demand for fuel (ghrelin starts to kick in) and why not? You have been burning off those calories, so be proactive with a pre and post workout snack. This should ideally have a carb and protein combination- a homemade yogurt/ a small slice of whole wheat toast with unsweetened peanut butter etc.

Dehydrated?

Perhaps one of the worst things to happen when you exercise. And the worrisome thing is, you may not even know you are feeling dehydrated! You mistake these signs for hunger and then the cravings kick in, leading to a binge. Talk about signals getting crossed!

What you need to do- Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Do not give in to your cravings immediately, drink 2-3 cups of water and wait… are you still hungry? Then fix yourself a healthy snack (preferably under 100 kcal). You also need to be hydrated before, during and after your exercise. Drink water/ infused water/ tender coconut or buttermilk to get enough fluid and electrolytes.

Balance:

You need to be eating healthy when you are exercising. Drastically cutting back on calories while exercising can lead to fatigue and can cause cravings, leading to a setback.

What you need to do- Eat healthy, portion-controlled meals. Avoid skipping on any food group, add in lots of colours, opt for various sources of lean protein. Plan your meals and snacks in advance to stay focussed.

Methodical and consistent efforts are important when it comes to fitness and maintaining a healthy diet. When you see those muscles being strengthened or those pounds melting away, your efforts will be worthwhile! Don’t let being unprepared side track you at any time.

Stay smart, stay motivated!

References

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Brenner-Roach, T., & Brenner-Roach, T. (2018). Does Working Out Make You Eat More?. Retrieved from https://www.liftlearngrow.com/blog-page/does-working-out-make-you-eat-more

Does Exercise Make You Hungrier? | HealthyWomen. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.healthywomen.org/content/blog-entry/does-exercise-make-you-hungrier

Girl!, U. (2018). Why Am I Always Hungry After a Workout?. Retrieved from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/5552/why-am-i-always-hungry-after-a-workout

http://time.com. (2018). Retrieved from http://time.com/3341969/overeating-after-your-workout/ 

https://master.elementdev.io. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/eating-help/control-cravings/control-your-post-workout-appetite/

Shy, L. (2018). Here's Why Your New Exercise Habit Makes You So Hungry. Retrieved from https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Does-Exercise-Make-You-Hungry-36487176

This is why workouts make you hungry. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/why-does-working-out-make-you-hungry-2016-8?IR=T

Why Am I So Hungry After My Workout?. (2018). Retrieved from https://greatist.com/grow/when-exercise-makes-you-overeat