Exercise Regimen and Ravenous Eating

[durron597]

My father rollerblades from the train station to his office every day. He also lifts 3-4 times per week. Yet, he still has a very noticeable belly. I asked him about this, and he said (paraphrased)

Back before I was working out I ate what I ate, which wasn't too much food. However, when I started working out and exercising regularly, I noticed a HUGE increase in appetite; I'm hungry a lot more often now than I used to be. So while I'm exercising more, I'm eating more too, and I don't lose fat.

I don't work out as regularly as my father, but I have started working out more often recently and I've noticed the same thing. So I ask you all: how do you deal with the increased appetite that comes with exercise (other than good self discipline?)

[nutsflopper]

Nutrient timing.

[AZK]

I'm the same way, only when I run really, for whatever reason my appetite goes through the roof on days where I run. I like a post work out shake/meal is key followed by a real meal 1-2 hours later. This normally does it for me. I know my body is getting enough food throughout the day and with the PWO so I just don't indulge even if I am hungry.

[Triumph36]

this is a great question - my problem is that my appetite has increased permanently it seems, but my workouts have dropped in frequency and length of time since I was traveling for 3 weeks.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
Nutrient timing.

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please enlighten a noob. i know in general what you mean but not in specific.

[XxGodJrxX]

Depending on your goals, you would eat 300-500 calories every three hours. This would have the effect of curbing your appetite, since you always have food in your system. It takes a good amount of willpower as well.

[nutsflopper]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nutrient timing.

[/ QUOTE ]

please enlighten a noob. i know in general what you mean but not in specific.

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant to say nutrient partitioning too. Only eat carbs at breakfast and Post-workout. Don't mix carbs and fat and have protein at every meal. So either protein+fat or protein+carbs in small meals spread throughout the day.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nutrient timing.

[/ QUOTE ]

please enlighten a noob. i know in general what you mean but not in specific.

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant to say nutrient partitioning too. Only eat carbs at breakfast and Post-workout. Don't mix carbs and fat and have protein at every meal. So either protein+fat or protein+carbs in small meals spread throughout the day.

[/ QUOTE ]

do you know where i can find a good article and/or long post on this?

[AZK]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nutrient timing.

[/ QUOTE ]

please enlighten a noob. i know in general what you mean but not in specific.

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant to say nutrient partitioning too. Only eat carbs at breakfast and Post-workout. Don't mix carbs and fat and have protein at every meal. So either protein+fat or protein+carbs in small meals spread throughout the day.

[/ QUOTE ]

do you know where i can find a good article and/or long post on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't bother as this is somewhat inaccurate. All meals should have protein/carb/fat. meal replacements/shakes most often don't but should if they are replacing a meal and should not if they are giving your body something to feed it's insulin spike post intense workout (i.e. you don't want fat in this shake as it slows digestion/processing)...

[nutsflopper]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Nutrient timing.

[/ QUOTE ]

please enlighten a noob. i know in general what you mean but not in specific.

[/ QUOTE ]

I meant to say nutrient partitioning too. Only eat carbs at breakfast and Post-workout. Don't mix carbs and fat and have protein at every meal. So either protein+fat or protein+carbs in small meals spread throughout the day.

[/ QUOTE ]

do you know where i can find a good article and/or long post on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

summary (http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=199ess2)
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[skunkworks]

durron,

The best ways to deal with the increased appetite have already been mentioned.

Smaller, more frequent meals is probably the best way. Eating higher-quality food and finding ways to get rid of empty calories allows you to consume more and feel more satisfied (cutting out soda being the best example of this). Nutrient timing is important as well: your body is least likely to store calories as fat before, during, and after a workout, so this is the best time to get lots of healthy carbs for the day. The flip side of this is when you're in a sedentary phase. You don't want to suck down a lot of calories then if you can help it. Breakfast is an exception though because your body treats food differently after a long fasting period.

Also, a good workout isn't a get out of jail free card where you can binge to reward yourself. Obviously I don't know if that's what's going on in your father's case, but it's just something I thought I'd throw out there.

[tdarko]

[ QUOTE ]
Back before I was working out I ate what I ate, which wasn't too much food. However, when I started working out and exercising regularly, I noticed a HUGE increase in appetite; I'm hungry a lot more often now than I used to be. So while I'm exercising more, I'm eating more too, and I don't lose fat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just think of your body as a car. Food is just the gas that runs your car, if your car is in the garage and never leaves it isn't going to need gas all the time (though we feed it anyway =)) but if it is out on the town driving everywhere it is going to run out of gas, right? So then you have to feed it or the car will stop. The more active you are the more calories you are burning, the more calories you are burning, the more you are going to need to replace them by eating.

Here is something to think about: From training for a marathon and the marathon itself you lose 41,800 kilocalories. This is approx. 12 pounds of fat and if your diet is cut back by 500 kilocalories a day you would lose 16 pounds of fat. Yet, there aren't many marathon runners that actually lose any weight after it is all over and it is b/c of their increase in appetite. They look different and better but it is a different type of weight. *Now there are those that train for train and run a marathon who are very overweight and do it to lose weight, I am not talking about them--though I know a few of my moms friends that were pissed when they didn't lose but like 5 pounds and didn't realize that they looked like a new person*

Its also funny that nobody has asked how well your father eats. Fat is essential in the diet but the problem is that the majority of Americans are eating the wrong fats, too many saturated fats and not enough fats found in vegetable and grains. Also palm and coconut oils are highly saturated though they aren't animal fat. Fats are needed b/c the longer the duration of an exercise at any intensity, the proportion of fat use goes up. This is b/c carbs can only be stored for so long and when they are used up, fat is used. Ideally, you don't actually want to run out of carbs, the perfect workout would be where your depletion would be exactly as you were done but this is something even elite athletes can't master.

Skunkworks says it well, proportion your meals better. Eat smaller meals more often than bigger meals 3 times a day. Do you know how a Sumo Wrestler diets--well diet as in gets humongous for competition? Here is his regimen...doesn't eat until noon in which he eats a very large lunch, huge proportion and eats it all. Then he doesn't eat anything until around 9-10 where he has another huge meal in which he eats every bit again. Then he goes to sleep and does the same thing. Does this sound familiar? It is basically the American diet, skip breakfast, eat a big lunch, and then eat a big dinner late in the evening.

What this does is it slows down their metabolism almost to a screeching halt. So then on the contrary by eating more smaller meals all throughout the day you are speeding up your metabolism. Get healthy snacks and anytime you are hungry eat. I snack all the time on raisins, almonds, rice cakes, ton of fruits and vegetables, yogurt etc. Just figure out what you like and keep it near you, throw away all the junk b/c it is easy to snack on that if it is around.

[durron597]

thanks for all the replies everyone.

so if the key is eating smaller meals all day long (i.e.

[ QUOTE ]
Get healthy snacks and anytime you are hungry eat. I snack all the time on raisins, almonds, rice cakes, ton of fruits and vegetables, yogurt etc. Just figure out what you like and keep it near you, throw away all the junk b/c it is easy to snack on that if it is around.

[/ QUOTE ]

This seems like a logical conclusian, but since "It is basically the American diet, skip breakfast, eat a big lunch, and then eat a big dinner late in the evening. " is basically my life, I just want to verify:

What do you do at actual meal times? Do you have real meal times? For dinner I would guess you could have like a piece of fish and some brown rice and leaving that as a small portion wouldn't really mean much because you've been eating raisins etc. all day. Sound about right?

[tdarko]

durron,

My typical day is get up early from my run or my weight workout, whatever the day brings. I eat some Honey Bunches of Oats (good for you and f'ing tasty!) with banana, some yogurt and a powerbar. This is usually what I eat in the mornings b/c it is light and doesn't weigh me down for my workouts and gives me plenty of energy. My father eats egg whites and cereal so people are different.

If I lift weights and am not running I will drink a protein shake and eat a turkey sandwich, maybe some pasta. If I am running after the workout I will wait on the pasta and shake until after the run obviously and this is lunch. I like to eat pasta and bread to replace what I lost on my run, for me this is essential.

At around 2 I get frickin' hungry. I will eat a clif bar or powerbar, to be honest clif bars have been making me sick lately (they are really sweet) so I have been eating powerbars only. Until dinner anytime my body tells me its hungry I feed it with some of the snacks I mentioned, those snacks work for me not only b/c they are healthy but b/c they take away my hunger without stuffing me and leaving me unable to eat a 6 o'clock dinner.

Around 6 I eat dinner. I need protein in my diet and I need to make sure I am getting protein for tissue repair and fat is needed in my diet as well. I like to eat lean meat, chicken and fish for dinner and usually my sides are any of these vegetables such as broccoli, rice, squash, green beans, baked potato, or pasta.

Everyone can't be perfect and stick strictly to a perfect diet and fwiw I frickin' love ice cream. I don't have much of a sweet tooth for some odd reason, I really don't know how that happened? Anyway, ice cream and key lime pie are a serious weakness of mine (as well as tacos and chips & salsa /images/graemlins/smile.gif) and the occasional bowl of ice cream after dinner isn't actual that bad for you. Only when all you eat is trash and your entire lifestyle is poor is when compounded it with ice cream bad. I don't make it a daily thing but every now and then to keep sane I have to have a bowl of ice cream or a slice of key lime pie.

[durron597]

how many powerbars do you typically eat per day?

[tdarko]

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how many powerbars do you typically eat per day?

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2. I eat one before I run/workout and then I usually eat one in the afternoon sometime.

[durron597]

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[ QUOTE ]
how many powerbars do you typically eat per day?

[/ QUOTE ]

2. I eat one before I run/workout and then I usually eat one in the afternoon sometime.

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh I misread this:

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Until dinner anytime my body tells me its hungry I feed it with some of the snacks I mentioned

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Do you have an office job?

[kyleb]

Durron,

He's a semi-pro baseball player.

[durron597]

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Durron,

He's a semi-pro baseball player.

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ok. because I was thinking that keeping that much of food around in the office would be a bit of a pain. though, if losing weight is my goal then i guess i should take the time to do it eh?