Help! Exercise is making me gain weight!
My husband and I took up kayaking this summer, and I dropped a dress size in a week! Figuring that more exercise would lead to even faster weight loss, I started dragging him along on daily jogs, too. But while he’s losing weight, I’m so ravenous afterward that I’ve been eating more and gaining. What gives?
This happens to so many women, and new research confirms that intense exercise affects the sexes very differently: 75 percent of women (verses just 9 percent of men) end up eating more calories than they burn. And by “more,” we’re talking 80 percent more calories than usual—typically consumed during the first hour after exercise. Fortunately, there’s no need to give up your active lifestyle. Instead, have a snack that contains protein and carbohydrates 30 minutes before exercising. This preempts post-workout hunger by giving the brain time to register fullness. Plus, the food combo prolongs satiation. Smart choices include 2 Tbs. of peanut butter on a few rice crackers or a 6 oz. whey-protein smoothie.
