Question about Exercise and Snacking

The Great Fatsby · Post by **The Great Fatsby** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:07 pm

Sorry if this question has been asked before, but I'm curious what people out there do about getting hungry after exercise. Today I had breakfast at 7 and lunch at 12, which, in my 3 days of no s has worked pretty well for me because I tend to be hungriest in the morning.

But today I went on a two and a half hour bike ride. It's now 4 o'clock and I'm pretty hungry. I had a glass of milk, but it's going to be a white knuckle situation untl dinner at 6:30.

So the question is, how do y'all deal with exercise and snacking? Say you're skiing or something and you're moving all day? Because right now I'm sorely tempted to snack!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:25 pm

Isn't today an S-day for you? In which case, it's not a problem.

But on normal days, I just tough it out at this point. But I go the other way - don't eat before. I exercise in the morning, have my coffee and the equivalent of a glass of milk before and breakfast after.

However, when I first started No-S, 4:00 was "white-knuckle" time for me even though I wasn't really exercising - just too used to having a snack then. So, I sort of phased in No-S... cut sweets and other snacks, and then had a "limited choice" snack at four IF I felt I really needed it. Eventually, I was able to cut it altogether.

Why don't you try a "mini-meal" (not a snack - it's psychologically different) for a while, and then see how you do?

The Great Fatsby · Post by **The Great Fatsby** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:35 pm

Thaks KCCC!

The problem is that I don't exercise in any consistent way. On any given day I might take a 3 hour bike ride or I may just stay home and read. Is it a good idea to have a mini meal only when I exercise? That seems open to all sorts of rationalizations... say if I only biked for an hour, would that warrent a "mini meal" too? BUT, that said, I am pretty hungry right now. Time for another glass of milk!

Oh, PS, what would consitute a "mini meal"? I'm curious what and how much people who have the mini meal eat....

gratefuldeb67 · Post by **gratefuldeb67** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:15 pm

I agree.. Mini meal is the way to go.. Make sure it's healthy and planned in advance so that you aren't simply eating impulsively.

Exercise makes me hungrier too.
Try to drown yourself in water.. That helps.
Besides these ideas, you could also plan a "virtually plated" fruit after your workout and count it towards dinner.

Continued good luck!

Debs

jules · Post by **jules** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:19 pm

I'd say if you know you're going to exercise that day and you tend to eat before you exercise, then eat more then.

What I tend to do is have a glass of milk or kefir (instead of protein shake) after I lift weights. If I walk that day as well, I'll usually have another glass of milk when I get home.

You can go for a light mini-meal when you're done but be careful about what you eat, how much you eat, and how often you take the mini-meal. You don't want to counterbalance the benefits of exercise by going overboard either.

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:41 pm

My "weaning snack" (lol!) was a piece of fruit. Period. Nothing else. If I wasn't hungry for an apple, the urge to eat wasn't about hunger. (I like fruit, but am unlikely to go over the deep end on it.)

To be honest, I like the idea of eating more at a meal earlier in the day better. Or timing your exercise so that you come back to a meal. (I exercise before breakfast - though after coffee, which I have as cafe au lait, giving me the equivalent of a small glass of milk.) The mini-meal idea was mostly because you're SO new that I thought you might need to phase in the general habit. Some people do, some don't.

Btw, if you're just getting going, I recommend the "Strictness" podcast (number 13, I think), which is one of my very favorites.

Over43 · Post by **Over43** » Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:40 pm

Two and a half hours of bike riding is spectacular. As others have stated, on an S day, no big. Plus a glass of milk or a bit of fruit won't wreck anything.

midtownfg · Post by **midtownfg** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:23 am

Like Jules, I find it better to eat more at lunch if I know I will be working out later - before dinner. This usually keeps me satisfied until mealtime. And I like the hungry feeling that exercise gives me. That means it's working.

Post by **reinhard** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 2:24 pm

There's a saying in computer programming that "premature optimization is the root of all evil."

And unless you're a SERIOUS athlete, I think snacking to optimize exercise falls into that category.

And if you are a SERIOUS athlete, then add a four mini meal maybe (just please don't call it a "snack!")

For ordinary mortals, I'd recommend just eating bigger meals if you think you need the extra fuel. Our ancestors burned a quantity of calories that would shame most of us today doing hard manual labor all day long on three square meals.

And/or have a caloric drink just before exercising.

Reinhard

clarinetgal · Post by **clarinetgal** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:13 am

I've been doing No S for a little over a week now. I've been struggling with this issue, too. I exercise almost every day, and on the days I do more cardio, I get VERY hungry at around 4 PM. I've had some days where I was able to tough it out until 6, but there were a couple of times where I ate at 4. One was a slip up, and I ate a mini ice cream cone, and the other was an actual mini meal (a carton of Dannon Activa yogurt with cereal).