Exercise and Appetite?

[Sunny_0ne]

I've been doing two 20-minute sessions on my exercise bike the last two days, and tonight my appetite was huge!

This evening, long after dinner, I had to eat two extra hamburger patties just to keep from feeling famished. This will run me WAY over the recommended calorie limits.

Is this normal? Does anyone else have this problem?

How do you cope with it?

I am wondering if I should cut back to one 20 minute biking session per day.

[boonie stomper]

I eat 4 patties sometimes, if I'm hungry. Best solution is not to go too long without eating, but if you are hungry, on Atkins, 2 patties is not over any limits, but half bun or bagel could be devastating. We dont count calories - and the hamburgers are ok. Perhaps it would be better to eat them nextime along with some veggies, perhaps mayo or cheese, and extra water. Often, especially after heavy exercise, thirst can be mistaken as hunger.

[Elizellen]

Originally Posted by Sunny_0ne

I've been doing two 20-minute sessions on my exercise bike the last two days, and tonight my appetite was huge!

This evening, long after dinner, I had to eat two extra hamburger patties just to keep from feeling famished. This will run me WAY over the recommended calorie limits.

Is this normal? Does anyone else have this problem?

How do you cope with it?

I am wondering if I should cut back to one 20 minute biking session per day.

No - don't cut back on the exercise to limit your appetite

Depending on your body's needs you will find your appetite varies throught the weeks, so concentrate on eating when hungry and till no longer hungry.

As Susan suggested, sometimes your body misinterprets the thirst signal as being a hunger signal (I think I read that they emanate from the same brain location) so see if having a drink of water changes things, then after 20 minutes or so if you still feel hungry then eat

If it seems to be a constant then maybe you need a larger meal before you exercise, or if you last meal was a few hours before exercising perhaps a small highfat snack before you get on the bike will do the trick.

[Sunny_0ne]

Thanks so much for the reassurance!

I doubt very seriously it's thirst, as I am drinking 11 glasses of water a day.

I will try the larger meal and/or snack before exercising and see if that helps.

Sure am glad I have this board. No telling what kind of "solution" I would have come up with on my own.

[ceemarie]

As you lose weight, your body's signals will change. Water is an important after you exercise. Make sure you are drinking enought after you exercise.

[Elizellen]

Just a thought, sunny one, I saw on your food log that you had this snack yesterday

2 oz. cream cheese 2.0
1/4 t. maple extract and liquid splenda

which though perfectly 'legal' I found gives me the 'munchies' - you know, that feeling that I need to eat something else even though I know i am not hungry and if I am not careful leads to browsing the fridge for more of the same.

Also I noticed you had 5.2 ounces of cheese in total which is above the 3-4 ounces max for induction, which I think you are still on.

[Georgiana]

Are you used to those 40 min of biking? Before I started exercising regularly, I used to eat about 400-500 calories more in the days when I exercised (i.e. 1h cardio at gym or 1.5h badminton for example). Now, I eat pretty much the same whether I am exercising or not. If biking is something you didn't do before, your body might just need some time to adapt, so I think it's normal to eat more in the days when you are exercising. Obviously, this doesn't mean going on a binge. (Not that I *ever* did that, of course... ).

[not2late]

Don't worry too much about that appetite. When you are more active, your body will use more calories (energy). That's why it's important to re-learn to listen to your body. Somedays you will eat more than others because you aren't as active. And that's okay.

What you will need to watch for is if you find yourself over-eating. Many of us are overweight because we are over-eaters. So you need to do the tricks that avoid over-eating such as eating slowly, taking smaller forkfuls, putting your fork down between bites, etc.

[Lia]

hi.. all... the longer I am on atkins.. I am not hungry in between meals.. in fact.. I don't remember the last time my stomach growled.... I know when I was eating carbs.. before atkins.. I was hungry all the time.. I know I am carb sensitive... it feels great not to feel hungry.. but I do have an appetite... keep up the exercising.. I did 3.5 miles of jogging onthe treadmill without stopping.. I am trying to get back to 7 miles of running on the treadmill in one hour... 5 times a week... peace, Lia

[Sunny_0ne]

Elizellen, I noticed that I wasn't really hungry before I ate the sweet cream cheese snack. I just wanted something sweet. I wondered later if that had triggered my appetite. Your observation confirms to me that that was probably the trigger.

Also, I realized I went over on the cheese yesterday and had already planned to keep a closer watch on it.

Thanks so much for caring enough to check!

Yes, I am still on induction. I am trying to keep it perfectly clean, as I didn't at first. Too bad I didn't keep better track of the cheese!

Georgiana, no, I am new to biking and my body is definitely not used to it yet! The pounds are coming off very slowly for me, so the increased appetite distressed me! I am trying to remember I am in this for the long term health benefits as well as the weight loss. And if the exercise slows it down a bit (due to muscle and water weight) it's a worthwhile tradeoff.

Not2late, the reminder about not over-eating is a good one. I am still trying to distinguish between when I've had all I need and just wanting to eat more. I tend to want to eat in the evenings after dinner. I think I will start doing needlework just to keep my hands busy and distract myself from kitchen thoughts!

Appreciate everyone's thoughts and comments. It really helps!