Why do you feel more hungry on days you do not workout?

If you are consistent with your workout routine then you might have noticed that it is considerably easier to maintain your diet on days you are exercising, but on rest days you feel famished and end up overindulging. Instead of having lean protein and salad, which makes the major part of the meal on workout days, you crave unhealthy foods like pizza and fries. Have you ever wondered why you have to deal with this dilemma often on your rest days? We will uncover the exact reason for you.

When you exercise, the hormones in the body trigger the release of stored glycogen and also up-regulate glucose production from the liver. This change in the hormone level can decrease your appetite. You may not feel hungry for a longer time after performing a high-intensity exercise. However, when the blood sugar levels begin to drop, your body may need food to re-energise itself.

If you are strength training even then you might feel extra hungry on a rest day. The reason being, lifting weight increases your body's metabolic rate for about 36 hours after performing the exercises. During this time, our body tries to recuperate the strained muscles and the growth of muscle takes place. All this process requires more nutrients than usual.

Our body needs some specific amount of calories daily to carry out its basic function. Even if you are trying to shed kilos, you have to maintain the calories count for producing energy to perform your daily chores. If you are not consuming a sufficient amount of calories before and after your workout session, then it is obvious to feel ravenous later.

Apart from diet, it is very important to keep a note of your water intake. Feeling hungry can be a sign of dehydration. Our muscles also need water during the recovery phase. So, it is mandatory to consume at least 2-3 litres of water every day.

Not only your body, but your mind also tricks you to eat more on resting days. After exercising we all feel motivated and there is a sense of achievement, so we prefer to eat healthy food. However, when you are not exercising you crave more for unhealthy food.

If you are not someone who is trying to manage your weight then there is no harm in having some extra calories on rest days. Make sure you are not overindulging and are feasting only on healthy food. However, if you are watching your weight then here are a few things that you must do to avoid this complex situation.

Fuel yourself properly before and after exercising.

Drink sufficient amounts of water to maintain the level of fluid in the body.

Plan your rest day meal carefully

Include cheat meals in your fitness plan.