The addition of minimalist exercise to anyone’s lifestyle will impact people in different ways depending on their unique and individual response.
The most common response is for individuals is to see an increase in hunger because more energy is expended on a daily basis when you perform intense exercise sessions.
In some cases, there is an overshoot of hunger…meaning you will actually be hungrier in comparison to how hard you’re working. You will want to eat back the energy you burned off during your workout session…and then some.
If weight loss is your goal and you fall victim to “and then some” you will be working against your own efforts.
You’ll cause a positive calorie balance and weight loss will no longer occur. The good news is you may experience some muscle gain but the chances that you will lose fat will be slim at best.
First you need to be aware that this condition most often happens to those who are exercising more than they should.
If you find yourself resonating with these words, controlling the urge to eat more than you should after intense exercise is ultimately important to your success.
Over exercising and overdoing workouts for hours each week is what is likely contributing to the increase in hunger levels. If you cut your workouts back to a healthier level you will see your hunger approaching a more moderate, manageable level.
Often making just a few strategic changes helps you to quickly gain control over your hunger so you’re back on track again.
Here’s some strategies you can use for maintaining better control of your hunger:
Double up on your servings of vegetables to get more fiber into your day.
Make sure you are eating enough healthy fats – and accounting for the calories they provide.
Sip on hot beverages such as tea or coffee to help fill the stomach and calm hunger.
Chew gum to take the edge off the craving to put food in your mouth.
Make sure you are consuming enough total carbohydrates around your work-out. You may need to add more around work-out time and cut back on them at other points during the day.
Not everyone falls into the same category…not everyone experiences an increase in hunger after intense workouts. Some people actually find that immediately after a very intense workout session their hunger actually declines for about an hour before it comes back with a vengeance.
Others simply find that intense workouts blunt their hunger.
Whichever category you find yourself in the important thing to note is that you must make sure you are accounting for all your food intake. You always need to be aware of what you are taking in.
Be patient and give your body time and pay attention/listen to how it is responding and adjust accordingly.
Yes, it’s important to monitor your post eating and not allow yourself to eat with abandon.
But, don’t ever let the thought that you should avoid exercise because of the influence it has on your hunger level.
Simply learn how to structure exercise with diet for optimal results.
When it comes to maintaining your body weight, what you EAT is more likely to affect whether you can attain your health and fitness ideals more than what you do in the gym.
For that reason I created “The Minimalist Exercise And Nutrition Program.”
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