Hungry After Exercising
 

What should I eat (or should I eat at all) after exercising? Sometimes I'm not hungry...other times I feel like I'm starving! lol I typically wait an hour after dinner to exercise. My husband tells me I'm just always hungry. :p

I have always heard to eat protein after working out for best results. I'm someone more experienced will show up with a definite answer soon though. :)

I had heard protein as well, but also with some carbs added in to help replace depleted glycogen. Fat is least beneficial. There was a discussion on here a while back, and it was supported by some articles I've seen since, that stated chocolate milk is a perfect post-exercise drink.

Sounds like my Greek Yogurt and banana/strawberries is just the right post workout breakfast then :)

Yup! That exact same thing was my favorite when I used to do morning cardio tennis...didn't get hungry till lunch at all.

In my opinion, yogurt is a good way to go. If that isn't enough, raw lettuce with a tomato and a squeeze of lemon juice and pepper, aka the simple salad.

I usually save dinner for after working out. My personal post-workout meal is usually a nice piece of chicken breast on brown rice 30 minutes to a hour after the workout. That'll fill you up. I like to eat a little snack prior to working out too, like a couple of small apples or a banana.

(...of course what I really want is a T-bone with a baked potato slathered in butter, cheese, bacon, and sour cream.)

LOL
That would be my Dad's idea of a perfect dinner (with something chocolate for dessert)

Yes, you should eat after an intense workout. I like oranges, almonds or protein bars after a long run, but everyone is different.

One thing I found helpful was to walk around the supermarket after a really tough workout and try to determine what I was craving. I let myself consider anything in the store but was honest about whether I really craved it or not. I found that I REALLY wanted a package of roast beef lunchmeat. To me, that meant my body needed protein and salt after the workout....which makes total sense to me. If you happen to crave a doughnut, that would mean to me that you needed some carbs and sugar (which you can get from fruit too ;) ).

Anyway, it helps to listen to your body as to what you might be lacking in your diet as well as the numbers on fitday.

+1 Knowing why you're craving certain foods is an important tool in healthy eating. It took me some time to figure this out.

My favourite post workout snack is chocolate milk. It has carbohydrates and protein.

I agree with the chocolate milk. You can also try a banana and some nonfat plain Greek yogurt sweetened with honey after you exercise.