Why You Feel Hungry Right After Working Out (And What to Do)

 

You finish a workout feeling strong and accomplished… and then twenty minutes later you’re standing in front of the fridge wondering why you’re suddenly starving. If post-workout hunger has ever caught you off guard, this episode will help you understand exactly what’s happening inside your body.

In this bonus episode, I break down the science behind post-workout hunger, why it can feel intense, and what to do so you’re not stuck guessing whether you “should” eat or trying to ignore your body’s signals. You’ll walk away knowing how to fuel your workouts in a way that supports recovery, energy, and long-term results.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Why glycogen depletion and hunger hormones spike after workouts
• The three main reasons post-workout hunger feels extreme
• How to structure your pre-workout meals for better energy
• What to eat after training to support recovery and stabilize hunger
• When constant hunger may mean you’re under-eating overall
• How hydration plays a role in post-workout appetite

If this episode gave you clarity around your hunger, don’t stop here. Go listen to Episode 466: Still Hungry After Hitting Your Macros? Do This and 5 Reasons Why You’re Always Hungry to better understand what your body is signaling.

If you’re ready to calculate your macros in a way that actually supports your workouts and recovery, check out Macro Counting Made Simple at macrocountingmadesimple.com.

And if you want your strength training structured for you so you’re not guessing what to do in the gym, head to movementwithjulie.com and get started inside the Movement With Julie app.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Website: www.juliealedbetter.com

Transcript

(0:00) Hey, hey, beautiful human. Can I steal five minutes of your time? I have something super (0:05) important to share with you, but I promise I'll be really quick. You're listening to my weekly (0:09) bonus episode of Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Labrador.

I'm about to give you a quick tip for (0:14) building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving your authentic self. (0:19) Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get in.

Let's go. (0:32) And welcome back to another bonus episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. There's a thing that (0:37) happens to so many women and it used to drive me crazy until I finally understood what's going on.

(0:42) Like you finish a workout feeling strong, accomplished, ready to take on the day. (0:46) And then 20 minutes later, you're standing in front of your fridge, (0:49) genuinely shocked at how hungry you are. Not just I could eat hungry, like the kind of hungry (0:53) where you're trying to figure out if you should eat a full meal, even though it's 10 AM (0:57) and you've already had breakfast.

It feels backwards, right? You just worked out, (1:01) you burn energy. Shouldn't that tide be over? But instead you just feel more ravenous than (1:05) you've been all day and you're not prepared for it. And if you're not prepared for it, (1:10) it's easy to either ignore that hunger thinking you shouldn't be that hungry or panic and overeat (1:15) because it just feels so intense.

So today we're going to be breaking down exactly why this happens, (1:20) what your body's actually trying to tell you and the practical steps that you can take. (1:24) So you're not so caught off guard every time. Before we dive in though, I want to share this (1:29) review.

She gave a five-star view and said best podcast ever. I'm recently coming out of an (1:34) exercise and meal planning slump. I stumbled upon Julie's podcast and wow at the difference.

(1:40) It's crazy how every week her podcast seems to hit the places I need some inspiration in my life. (1:45) I'm also finishing up my first week on the Movement With Julie app. And after spending (1:50) the past year on a popular fitness app, I'm so glad I made the switch.

I'm feeling happy, (1:55) strong and confident. Yes, girl. I love this so much.

You guys can go to sale.movementwithjulie.com (2:03) if you want to join her inside the Movement With Julie app. I have five brand new dumbbell-only (2:08) workouts every single week released there for you. All you need genuinely, you guys, (2:12) is a few pair of dumbbells and a small space.

Like I say, if you have a light to medium pair, (2:18) so this could be 5, 8, 10 pounds and then a medium to heavy pair. So this could be 12, 15, (2:24) 20 pounds. If you have one pair of each of those, then you will be golden.

You don't even need a (2:29) bench. If you have a bench, amazing, but I always give no bench alternates. So thank you so much (2:34) though for taking time out of your day to send in this review.

I really do love reading your (2:38) guys' reviews. Okay, let's get into it, starting with the science behind kind of why post-workout (2:43) hunger happens. So during your workout, especially strength training or anything intense, your body (2:48) burns through glycogen and glycogen is stored carbohydrates in your muscles, your liver, (2:54) and it's your body's preferred energy source during exercise.

So by the time that you're done, (2:58) these stores are depleted and your blood sugar drops and your body immediately goes into recovery (3:03) mode. That's where the hunger comes in. Your body starts signaling that it needs fuel to replenish (3:08) what it just had and repair your muscles.

Ghrelin, this is your hunger hormone, increases and leptin, (3:14) which is your fullness hormone, decreases. So basically your body is saying, I just did a (3:19) lot of work, so feed me now. And that's completely normal.

Post-workout hunger is actually a good (3:24) sign. It means that your body's responding to the work that you're putting in. But if that hunger (3:27) feels extreme, there are usually a few specific reasons why.

Reason number one, you didn't eat (3:33) enough before your workout. So if you worked out, fasted or had very little food beforehand, (3:38) like just one banana or something, or a half a bar, your glycogen stores were already low (3:44) before you started. This is especially true if you work out first thing in the morning without (3:48) eating, or again, just eating very little, but your body has been fasting overnight.

So by the (3:52) time you finish, it's desperate for fuel. Reason number two is that you had an intense workout, (3:57) not all workouts deplete glycogen at the same rate. Heavy strength training sessions and high (4:02) intensity intervals, those burn through a lot more than a lighter workout or a walk.

(4:07) Leg days in particular are notorious for post-workout hunger because your legs are the (4:12) largest muscle group in your body. And during that workout, you're recruiting a ton of muscle fibers (4:17) burning through that glycogen fast and your body needs to replenish all of it. Reason number three (4:22) is that you're not eating enough overall.

And this one's a big one. If you're chronically (4:26) under eating, you're not consuming enough to support your activity level. Post-workout hunger (4:30) is going to feel amplified.

Your body is already running on less fuel than it needs. And then you (4:36) go work out and depleted even more. That hunger isn't just from the workout.

It's actually your (4:40) body telling you that it's been underfed for a while. So here's what you can actually do about (4:45) it. So strategy number one is to plan your pre-workout meals strategically.

So eating something (4:49) one to two hours before you work out, you don't need a huge meal, but you do need something that (4:54) has carbs and protein. Carbs are going to give you energy to push through and protein is going to (4:58) help stabilize that blood sugar and support that muscle repair. Some easy options.

This can be, (5:03) you know, oatmeal with protein powder, a banana with some nut butter, Greek yogurt with granola, (5:08) toast with scrambled eggs. When your body doesn't start from empty, your post-workout hunger won't (5:12) be as extreme. Strategy number two is to have a post-workout meal or snack ready.

So don't wait (5:17) until you're starving to figure out what to eat. Have something prepared, at least, you know, (5:21) a plan ready to go. Post-workout, your body needs protein to repair muscles, a fast digesting carb to (5:27) replenish that glycogen.

So I want you to aim with, you know, eating within 30 to 60 minutes (5:32) of finishing your workout. That's when your body is most receptive to using that fuel for recovery. (5:37) So easy options, they can include, you know, a protein shake with some fruit, Greek yogurt with (5:42) granola, chicken with rice and veggies, eggs with toast and avocado.

When you fuel properly post (5:48) you won't be ravenous an hour later because your body actually got what it needed. Strategy number (5:53) three is to check if you're eating enough overall. So if you're doing everything right, you're eating (5:57) before and after your workouts and you're still just starving, I want you to look at your overall (6:01) daily intake.

A lot of women are under eating without realizing it. They're working out four (6:06) to five days a week, building muscle and still eating like they're sedentary. This is going to (6:10) create a huge gap between what the body needs and what it's actually getting.

And if post-workout (6:15) hunger is a constant issue, it may be time to recalculate your macros to make sure that you're (6:20) actually eating enough to support your workouts. This is exactly what my Macro County Made Simple (6:25) online academy does. It teaches you how to calculate your personal macros based on your (6:29) body, your activity, your goals.

And we show you how you, how we did it step-by-step so that you (6:34) can do it in the future. You can go to macrocountymadesimple.com or just click the link (6:38) in the show notes. But strategy number four is to hydrate.

This one is so simple, but it's often (6:43) very overlooked. Sometimes what feels like extreme hunger is actually just thirst. Like your body (6:49) loses a lot of fluid during a workout and dehydration can mimic some hunger signals.

(6:55) As soon as you finish, I want you to aim to drink 16 to 20 ounces of water, let it settle, (7:00) and then reassess how hungry you actually are. You might find that a lot of the ravenous feeling (7:05) was your body just asking for hydration, not food. All in all, just remember that post-workout hunger (7:10) is normal.

It's your body's way of asking for what it needs to recover. But if it feels extreme (7:15) and constant, that might be a signal. Either you need to adjust your pre and post-workout nutrition, (7:20) or you need to increase your overall daily intake.

Listen to your body, give it what it needs. Don't (7:25) be afraid to eat after your workouts. That's literally when your body is asking for you to (7:29) fuel it.

If you want to keep learning, you can go to episode 466. Still hungry after hitting your (7:36) macros, do this. Also, I have another episode, Five Reasons Why You're Always Hungry.

I will (7:41) go ahead and link both of those in the show notes that you can easily go check that out. (7:46) But that is all that I have for today's episode. Keep fueling your body well, (7:50) keep showing up for your workouts.

I love you so dang much. I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next (7:53) one.

All right, sister, that's all I got for you today. But I have two things that I need you to do. (8:10) First thing, if you are not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so.

Julie A. (8:14) Ledbetter, yes, it's with an A in the middle, for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips (8:20) and tricks, and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, (8:25) be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcast to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining (8:32) me.

It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. (8:36) The most beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident (8:41) and secure in being authentically themselves.

Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than (8:48) the surface. So go out there and embrace your room because you're worth it.

 
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