11 Ways to Stop Overeating After Workouts

Getting hungry after a workout is just normal. But that isn’t an excuse to pack back the pounds.

Stay fit even after every exhausting workout with these tips:

1. Work Out Right Before a Meal

 If you’re ravenously hungry even if you ate before the workout to fuel up, have your workout before a main meal. More or less, you’ll be too tired or too hyped to overeat.

2. Make Workout Fun

Study proves that when exercise is something one enjoys doing rather than getting seen as a routine chore, it lessens eating afterward.

3. Pair Protein with Carbs 

Sometimes, all it takes is getting the ratio of carbs and protein right to avoid overeating.

The recommended ratio is 4:1 of carbohydrates to protein.

If your workout is less than an hour, keep snack to 150 to 200 calories. This is equivalent to an open-faced peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a slice of turkey and cheese on crackers, or a handful of trail mix.

If you worked out for longer than an hour and wouldn’t eat a full meal soon, aim for half a gram of carbohydrates for every pound of body weight. Thus, a 140-pound person should refuel with 70 grams of carbs and 18 grams of protein. This translates to an energy bar or a protein shake.

4. Get Milk 

Low-fat milk is great after a workout because it’s got plenty of protein to keep you full until your next meal. It also has the added bonus of improving athletic performance better than sports drinks.

5. Stop Eating Out of Habit 

This really isn’t a problem but if you’ve gotten used to consuming a 500-calorie smoothie after every workout, there goes your hard work.

Pay attention to hunger cues and try different snacks for different workouts. The shorter the workout, the fewer calories you need to replenish with.

6. Don’t Trust Your Tracker 

Activity trackers have become an easy way to estimate calorie burn. But not all devices are accurate. It can sometimes have an error rate of 23.5%.

Listen to your body. Eat in response to hunger and stop when you’re comfortably full.

7. Snack Throughout the Day 

When all else fails, this could work for you.

Include two to three healthy snacks during the day. This wouldn’t be so bad because snacks regulate hunger, increase energy and keep metabolism up.

8. Don’t Overestimate 

Many overestimate the calories they burned after a workout. Thus, justifying what you’re eating with your tiredness wouldn’t cut it.

Studies had proven people think four-fold wrong the amount of calories they burn with each workout.

9. Drink Water ASAP 

Electrolytes used up during a workout is the number one priority for replenishment. What’s more, having water in the stomach reduces appetite. Fair warning though. Taking too much water or any fluid may cause water intoxication because of the low levels of salt in the body.

10. Ask Yourself if You Really Need to Eat 

It’s true that one needs to eat after every workout.

However, if your next workout will still be in a few days because you’re taking a few days off, you might not need to eat right away, especially if you’re not hungry.

11. Refuel Along the Way 

This goes for any physical activity lasting longer than two hours, like a long bike ride or a marathon training run. Sipping a sports drink will keep one from feeling very hungry afterwards.

Consume 30 to 60 grams of carbs, or 120 to 240 calories, every hour after your first hour of a long physical activity.