One downside I’ve found to working out in the evening is that I’m twice as hungry come dinnertime. It doesn’t help that most days I’m lollygagging between getting home and going to the gym, so much so that by the time I finally hit the machines it’s close to 7 PM. While working out does make it slightly easier for me to steer clear of junk food (see Combat Cravings), it doesn’t necessarily encourage me stick to those pesky portion sizes. The last thing I want to do, however, is pack on more pounds by overcompensating for the calories I burned.
Here are two culprits as to why I might be so hungry after working out: dehydration and improper fueling before exercise. I admit, I’m guilty of both. I certainly don’t drink enough water before, during, or after a workout. Theoretically this would be an easy fix because I have access to drinkable water both at home and at work. Each day, though, I only manage to refill my 16 oz water bottle 3-4 times, even with working out. I’m trying to become more conscious of water intake and on the fence about whether this type of water bottle would help. Another thing I need to work on is remembering to eat lunch at a decent time. Often times, I forget to eat lunch and instead, load up on snacks that don’t provide enough nourishment. Tsk, tsk.
Here are two additional suggestions to help mitigate hunger pangs: meal timing and meal composition. The sweet spot of eating a meal is some time between 30 to 60 minutes after I complete my workout. Meanwhile, nutritional experts have reinforced the notion that dinner should be the smallest meal of the day. Dinner is usually my biggest meal, sigh. In terms of what to eat post-workout, it’s recommended to have a certain ratio of carbs to protein depending on the intensity of the workout. For high-intensity, you should aim for 4:1 or 3:1 ratio, while low-intensity (ahem, me) only requires a 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of carbs to protein.
After working out on Wednesday, Hubby and I were mindful not to overeat. We showered quickly and ate within the hour—a meal consisting of some veggies with quinoa and chicken. I wish I could say all of our meals are as timely, healthy and well-balanced, but alas that’s far from the truth.
30 Day Life Challenges 