Hungry After Exercise? For Women over 40

Hungry after exercise? J., a 40 your old woman wrote in recently (slightly changed for her protection):

“I go to the gym twice weekly late in the evening because I have little or no time during the day. I’m not able to have dinner earlier in the evening because I finish work late. How do I deal with my hunger when I get home after the gym. HELP.”

I get this question “I’m hungry after exercise, what to do?”  from time to time so J’s question might be interesting for your too- she’s describing a fairly common situation for women over 40 who want to lose weight:

• Having a busy life
• A regular eating schedule is hard to maintain
• Getting hungry after exercising

Here’s what I replied – and I’m interested in what you would have told her to help her lose weight:

“Congrats on going to the gym twice a week. Sticking to such a schedule is really helpful for women over 40 who want to lose weight.

Eating immediately before exercising is not advisable anyway, so if you have a chance to eat a bit at work this will be at 7 latest.

You are not alone with the problem of getting hungry after exercising. I get this question from time to time from women over 40. Some women then feel compelled to eat sweets, or drink sweet beverages (sodas, or coffee with lots of cream and sugar). Of course, when trying to lose weight having a lot of sweets is not really helpful.

It’s totally understandable that you are getting hungry after exercising- not only because you didn’t had anything to eat for several hours, but the body wants to get back the calories spent while exercising. So, the body releases hormones which will make you feel hungry in order to get you eating.

What you can do:

• Understand that it’s OK to be hungry after exercising, and it’s actually a sign of calories spent == losing weight
• Get some fruit. The fruit sugar goes into the blood very fast, so you won’t feel that hungry after exercising, and the fiber keeps your stomach full. I tend to have some oranges or apples in this situation (apples are great because they are so easy to carry). As always, get high quality food (organic, or from your local farmer’s market).

Let me know how your weight loss is progressing and if you have any more questions!”

What would your reply to her question be? How can a woman over 40 lose weight if she’s hungry after exercising and reduces the effects of exercising by eating? Let me know- I’m always interested to hear what really works for busy women over 40. Leave me a comment below.

Are you a woman over 40? Do you want to lose weight permanently? Signup for your free, personalized “Lose Weight Permanently” program. I answer your questions individually. Click here now.

Recommended reading:

• How to Lose Weight – Conquer Your Obstacles to Lose Weight Once and For All
• Losing Weight at 40
• How to Lose Weight over 40
• Diet Foods And Weight Loss

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