I always gain weight when I do cardio often due to ''overeating"? How do I solve that?

[Anonymous]

I always deal with this problem. When I start doing cardio a whole lot, I get SO hungry all the time. I try my best not to eat too often, but when I eat, I eat bigger meals. I swim twice a week and I do zumba once a week. I don't eat junk and I try to eat only until I feel full. I don't deprive myself cause I want to stay away from starvation mode.

I think the problem is that I don't burn enough calories to compensate for my portion increase (my swimming workouts are only 20-30 min long these days), but what can I do? I just eat cause I'm hungry! I don't think it's that I'm gaining muscle that much... I just can't maintain a low weight at all when I'm working out regularly! It frustrates me cause I used to be around 123 (I'm 5'7'') back when I wasn't training at all, eating junk all the time but small portions. Now that I have a healthy, balanced lifestyle, I'm around 130ish and I don't as lean as before. I feel/look bloated more often and I look bulkier in my midsection due to it. I'd really like to look fit and slim but it seems that I'm incapable of it when I ACTUALLY do what I should do (healthy eating and working out). And besides, if I eat less, I don't have enough energy to work out properly so... :/

[Anonymous]

Ok so first couple lines alone eat more often it's better keeps your metabolism going just smaller portions. The key to losing weight is to burn more calories then you take in. So swimming twice a week and zumba once isn't going to do much that's an awesome start but of course you won't lose weight.

Working out regularly is not 3 times a week. I'm a total fat kid at heart and on the outside. I'm over weight not some skinny bitch that doesn't get hunger or how hard it is to lose weight. First you wanna lose weight cardio isn't enough you have to do muscle training too. I actually burn more calories using weights then I do on cardio. I love food I will never give it up pizza McDonald's ice cream LOVE IT! I will never give it up completely but I have lost 5lbs not just water weight in two weeks. I eat a lot I just do it in smaller portions.

Plus you get older you can't keep the same body like you used to

[confugirl]

I suggest adjusting your diet. Exercise will only take you so far. Diet is the most important component of losing weight. Figure out what you can and can't eat. If you feel like overeating, eat the foods you're allowed to eat.

[Cobalt]

130 doesn't sound bad at all for 5'7", but that's obviously not what you're asking.

What is your diet? Ideally you want to eat protein, vegetables, and fruit with a smaller amount of carbs just to keep your energy levels up for the workouts. Couple that with plenty of water on top. I would have to hear a general idea of what your usual menu consists of to have a real idea of where you may be getting tripped up. My immediate assumption would be excess carbs, but that could very well not be the case. Do you have any particular foods that you cannot or will not eat due to allergies or choice of diet?

Just as an example - I get hungrier when I work out more frequently, so I tend to add things like black beans to a meal instead of bread or rice. So I could have a salad with chicken and just put them on top since the fiber will help you keep full longer.

[Asker]

I always have a big breakfast. I just need to, otherwise I'm hungry by 10 and I snack throughout all the morning! Here's my typical diet:

7:00 Breakfast: Omelette (2 eggs, seasoning, no salt, with a veggie such as mushrooms or tomatoes, one slice of cheese or some goat cheese, just to tie it together - no milk added) + Cereals with berries OR 2 slices of plain toast OR one toast with one tbs of nutella and chopped bananes on top. 250 ml OJ + one cup of coffee (1 cream, no sugar).

[Asker]

Some days, I try not to eat any eggs cause I know too many eggs per weeks isn't good. Then, I eat cereal+berries AND toast, sometimes with some chopped up bananas too. Sometimes I add a bit of brick cheese, just 1-2 thin slices.

Lunch: A salad with some chicken or no meat, just veggies, no nuts. Not a lot of dressing, but creamy dressing. No salad? Then it's a sandwich or some chicken and rice or some pasta. I add to that a yogourt, an apple and sometimes some veggies with ranch/spinach dip.

[Asker]

Dinner: Meat with some veggies and a carb (potatoes or rice usually). If not, it's pasta. I don't eat fancy food but I cook most of it. I don't eat out often, no junk food ever.

Snacks: Greek or meditarrean yogourt (1 individual serving) + berries + granola OR cereal with berries (I take a fibre-rich kind). I also like cottage cheese.

Indulgences: Goat cheese. Bread/eggs (I eat some everyday). Big breakfast everyday. Frequent snacking. Lots of dip with veggies.

[Asker]

So overall, it's not really WHAT I eat or where I eat from, it might be what I add to season my mood that adds up the amount of fat I eat (goat cheese, pesto, salad dressing, oil in the pan when I eat omelettes + butter on my toast, really creamy yogourt). That and the fact that I snack quite often once I come back from school around 5. It's never junk, but it adds up I guess. :/

[Cobalt]

Your diet sounds good, if you wanted to alter it at all you could try to change out some of the dairy for nuts - you definitely want your calcium but it can be overdone especially if you're having lots of cheese, yogurt, and dip everyday. If on top of all that you're drinking milk with most of your meals that can be a stealthy sabotage going on to your efforts. You could just do something as simple as making your greek yogurt into dip for your veggies if you are buying a premade kind and

[Cobalt]

replace the yogurt snack with apples, seasonal fruit, nuts, or anything of that sort. Naturally you want to get plenty of water. If you want a bigger change than that you could try carb cycling. The basics of that you have high carb, low carb, and no carb days as dictated by your workouts. High carb days on the day of your hardest workouts (typically a serving per meal), low carb on easy days (replace half the carbs with fruits/veggies), then on light days you have none, obviously enough.

[stubbsy]

your not eating the right meals, and enough of them, a little but often is key here, so start the morning with a bowl of tuna pasta and sweet corn, and make sure the pasta is whole wheat, and 60/80 grams of pasta, is plenty, then when you go to the gym take a chicken breast with you, eat after your work out, with a protein shake or protein bar, then give it 2 hours and have some cereal and fruit, and for dinner, have your meal but have it on a smaller plate and half the portion size but double the veg, this will help you lose weight,x

[kheserthorpe]

First of all, if you're gaining weight, your paranoia about 'starvation mode' is ill founded. I'm not suggesting you go make yourself miserable, I'm just saying if you're thinking 'I better eat' and then gaining weight, you apparently did not need to eat as much as you do.

When during the day do you workout? I suspect you could time your carbs better to your workouts to have the energy you need. Probably cut down carbs at night?