Can exercise make you gain weight?!

"Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach"

-Tom Robbins

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Hold on, isn't exercise supposed to be the way to take off that extra insulation?!?! Both the New York Times and Time Magazine covered research linking exercise to actual weight gain! How in the world is this possible? Well, it can take 45 minutes to burn 500 calories and 5 to eat it all back (and then some). Yes, exercise does in fact increase your appetite...as it should. You are burning extra calories and your body needs to replenish your supply. There should be a direct correlation between the amount of exercise and the amount of food, but this does not mean you can eat an entire bag of sun chips just because you logged an hour at the gym.

Before you go crazy and cut back, exercise really has immense benefits for your body and your healthy lifestyle. Being physically active is more successful in keeping off the weight for the long haul, much more so than dieting alone.
In order to curb cravings it is important to know where it is coming from. Food gives us energy and we need that for a strong workout. But, people are taking this "energy" source and making it an excuse to eat whatever.
-Happy Hunger: So many people reward a great workout with a slice of raspberry cheesecake...you earned it right?!?! A good rule of thumb is to eat back half of the calories burned. Don't forget the massive calories in a Gatorade which won't satisfy cravings. Go for something filling such as an apple with peanut butter.
-Fear Hunger: Some people are too scared to eat before a workout in fear of the extra calories that may log. This gives them less energy for a workout and they end up burning fewer calories. Try amping up on a piece of fruit or protein.
-Rebellion Hunger: People get back from the gym feeling great, and don't want to ruin that with food so they deprieve themselves of the necessary replenishment. Sooner or later your body will require food and when you go into that starvation mode you will look for a quick fix, which often includes highly-fatty foods.

STAY HYDRATED. Your signals can get crossed, and what you think is hunger is actually your body's cry for water. This is before, during and after a workout. Many people suggest 8 oz. of water before snacking to make sure it is hunger and not thirst. For the most part, water throughout a workout is sufficient for the average person. This should be plenty for a 60-minute workout. It is those that are having long runs and hard trainings that will begin to need food and energy drinks throughout to keep the body's energy source supplied.

Make it an all-day commitment. Don't settle for that sugary donut in the morning, you will pay for it later. Make your body work to digest your high fiber, high protein breakfast and you will be fuller all day long. Get plenty of sleep and make sure you are choosing healthy snack foods. Don't let yourself get too hungry and give yourself a little bit of breathing room. Those that manage hunger well are the ones who are mindful about it (yes, it seems obvious!) It is not all about counting calories, but rather listening to your body's cues. A slight increase in calories due to exercise is OK, just don't let yourself fall into the catergory of overeating after a gym session.

Working out in the morning, no time for breakfast??
-Try some sliced fruit before your workout for energy and having a serving of high-protein cereal with milk following the activity

Mid-afternoon snacking bring you down??
-Snacking can help you from making poor decisions, so try a mid-morning snack to keep you from scarfing down 3 slices of Pizza Hut at lunch

Hunger hits after a workout??
Make smart, healthy decisions. Yogurt or an apple/peanut butter will give you the protein supply without crashing in on your healthy lifestyle.

Megan