5 Ways to Tame Post-Workout Hunger

Luckily, I am rarely ravenous after working out, and I think all of the water I drink may be the reason. Plus, there is also the overwhelming feeling that I just did a lot of good for my body, and I shouldn't go and mess it up.

Eating intuitively is really a great thing to master, but that doesn't mean it is easy. Unfortunately, the goal I have ingrained in my mind from childhood is to clean my plate! In the absence of eating intuitively, a well-planned diet definitely is the next best option.

Thanks for the tips!

"Keep your protein intake somewhere around 1g per pound of target body weight."

Don't you mean 1g per target kg of body weight?

I think another tip should be to make sure you are drinking enough water during and after your workout. If you aren't staying hydrated, your body might be confused and think you are hungry. Plus, if you drink all the way through your workout, and then a lot afterwards as well, it will fill your stomach up a lot.

"Tame" post-workout hunger? Ridiculous... post workout hunger EXISTS FOR A REASON. Your body is starved of all its glycogen stores, so feed the damn thing.

It is also the best time to take in the carbs you want along with protein. The insulin spike will do you good.

There are 2 times during the day where the body will obliterate any food you throw at it. That is in the morning and after a workout.

Let's keep in mind that post workout nutrition for a REAL workout, you know, one that includes lifting heavy things, is MUCH different from the kind of "workout" most people do where they spin their wheels on a stationary bike for half an hour.

There has been a lot of talk in the blog world on this & I have read many that said working out makes them too hungry after & they put on weight when they work out. This stems from that Time article which I posted about & disagree with.

I agree with the above commenters that say that it is WHAT you choose to eat after a workout that matters. Just because you work out does not give you permission to eat a 25g of fat, 500++ calorie coffee cake or cookie from Starbucks or a place like that. If the goal is to get healthy & lose weight, if that is your plan, or even maintain, the choice should be healthy foods that replenish after the workout like lean good protein, carbs & healthy fats.

And yes, it does depend on what type of workout you are doing. Many people think they are doing more than they actually are or burning off more calories that they actually are.. so, if you choose to derail all your hard work by eating crap, than don't complain that exercise makes you fat.

Exercise is so important for weight maintenance, healthy heart & lungs & strong bones so if you are trying to be healthier, why not replenish with better food.

And yes, if you have a plan for your days worth of calories, stick to that & you should do OK although me, personally, I still think the types of foods make a difference in how the body looks.

I don't usually have issues with eating way too much after working out. I actually find that after a good workout, I'm not hungry at all for a good hour afterwards. Then I get hungry and I eat my breakfast and I'm all good until a few hours later. Of course, there are a lot of people out there who work out for 45 minutes and then go to McDonald's and eat a value meal because they are "STARVING" and manage to undo their whole workout. I think those are the people Mike was targeting in the article.

Im a runner and if i dont take in carbs immediately after i come in from a run, then it affects my performance next time.. as well as how i feel immediately afterwards.

I sometimes take in 2000+ calories post-run in addition to regular meals (although, some of my runs are in the 35-40km range).. you have to recoup your glycogen store as well as give your body protein so it can recover and rebuild muscle. If you dont do this, your recovery is severely affected and you will not be able to sustain your exercise regimen.

Working out makes me hungry, so I like the idea of working out less to keep down the hunger. I started doing that and Bam! The weight is coming off.

My biggest post-workout issue is that im sooooo cold i have to EAT and DRINK anything and everything hot i can find. in the summer i have to typically lay out in the sun wearing dark cover-ing sweats to heat up and in the winter im in a hot shower for a good 20-30 minutes; shivering, painful with goosebumps. i need an explaination for that :-P

I agree with the tip about eating protein. That really works for me to eat less calories. Because I've noticed that I am hungrier when I do demanding workouts, but not much hungrier when I do moderate ones.

And the last tip is right on. I was just having a conversation with a friend about that today. Keeping track of absent-minded calories eaten can be really telling. You'd never expect that all that munching here and there and add up to hundreds of calories each day!

Camille McConnell

Type of workout may be a factor--I was always hungry after swim team workouts (maybe the cold?), but almost never hungry after hiking all day with a pack.

About the "when to eat": My doctor said to not eat anything for one hour after the workout. And that's what I want to get my body to: emptying the fat cells for energy, don't I? So if I refill my glycogen store immediately it's counterproductive for my fat loss, isn't it?

Good article Mike.

And to the people who posted comments, a lot of good responses. If your goals are more performance-oriented, then yes, peri-workout nutrition is very important. But I think a distinction needs to be made here. This article is addressed specifically to those to tend to overeat after exercising. That's why Mike specifically states that this article is for "helping those who may overeat in response to exercise".

Also I don't obsess about the protein requirement anymore, no matter how much I'm lifting. I just don't feel there's any solid scientific evidence to back up the 2.2g/kg of lean muscle mass requirement.