Eating too much after swimming

Good food & fiber. Ice cream & donuts for dessert.

Another key is to slow down when you do finally eat. Too often, we chomp our way into overeating, because we are not giving the stomach time to recognize what it's already got! Also, eating smaller portions more often is actually a better idea than oversized portions less frequently.

There's research out there that shgows we crave carbs and fat after swimming - the fat is due to being in the water. Weight training tends to make us crave protein and carbs. Runners don't really get cravings for more food. As someone who swims, runs, and lifts weights, all with some regularity, I think it really depends on how one swims, runs, or lifts. Simply doing one or the other really doesn't impact me so much as what specifically I did while swimming, running, weights. An example: most teams do shorter swims on intervals. I'll commonly do a mix of 100s and 200s in swim workout, maybe some 50s thrown in too. A set like this will make me feel much more hungry than say a T30 or even a T60. When running I mostly just go out and run, and I'd say that's probably what most adult runners do, either outside or on a treadmill. I'll be much more hungry after most track workouts (say 8 x 400m) than I would with an 8-mile straight run. All that said, I generally just eat an Aussie Bite before any morning workouts, and a protein bar within 30 min after the workout. Then I decide if I need/want anything else.

Don't swim on an empty stomach, unless it's first thing in the morning. I always follow this advice, but even if it is the first thing in the morning I'll eat something before swimming. Before my 4:45 a.m. workouts I usually have a bowl of cereal. I really don't want to feel like I'm starving during a workout.

Good food & fiber. Ice cream & donuts for dessert. There's research out there that shgows we crave carbs and fat after swimming - the fat is due to being in the water. Weight training tends to make us crave protein and carbs. Runners don't really get cravings for more food. The point here is that being in the water 'tricks' our bodies into 'thinking' it needs fat, but we are only in there temporarily. If you can get beyound those initial cravings that will help. After training it is important to get some carbs in, but our bodies can only process so much so no point in going crazy. Once the glycogen is replaced, carbs do little for us. Protein, however, aids recovery. When we were younger we tended to be guided to high carb diets, low protein but the role of protein is recognised as being more important for athletes now, including endurance athletes. The key is not to overeat. I don't always do it (am getting better) but stop when you are full! Aim for more complex carbohydrate - e,g, wholemeal bread and pasta - and avoid too much sugar. To me, the role of sugar in weight gain has been overshadowed by an emphasis on low fat food. If you are full and you start craving more food, it means that the balance is probably wrong.

This is what has worked for me: Don't swim on an empty stomach, unless it's first thing in the morning. Since you're not burning that many calories on your swim, you probably want to accomplish this by scheduling rather than adding an additional snack. In other words, try to swim right after a meal or a snack that you would have had anyway. You want carbs for this--your body needs them for your workout, plus fat and protein are harder to digest. Have a light snack right after you swim. A thermos of chocolate milk (1 cup skim milk + 1T Nesquick) works great for me. The ideal recovery snack should be around 75% carbs, 25% protein. If your electrolytes get low, you'll feel hungry and exhausted. Swimming outdoors in dry Arizona, that's a big issue for me. I add a little juice to my water bottle and drink it on my rest intervals (About 8 parts water to 1 part juice.) That's been a huge help for me--I don't know whether it would make a difference if you're swimming in an indoor pool or in a non-desert climate. Good luck!

Same here on the morning thing. Swimming on an empty stomach in the morning is bad for performance. But, for some reason, it doesn't create that Evil Hungry Girl dynamic like it would at other times of the day.

Same here on the morning thing. Swimming on an empty stomach in the morning is bad for performance. But, for some reason, it doesn't create that Evil Hungry Girl dynamic like it would at other times of the day. Kudos to all of you that can motivate yourselves to train early mornings! I use the excuse that nothing local to me is open early enough to train before work, but I know that's not completely true :). Then again, if I lived in Southern California and could train outdoors....

lowcarbdiets.about.com/.../wholewheatbread.htm Many whole grain breads are about 20% whole grain 80% white flour. If you use 100% whole grain it has a much lower glycemic index. Sourdough bread also has a much lower glycemic index even if made with white flour.

This is what has worked for me: Don't swim on an empty stomach, unless it's first thing in the morning. Since you're not burning that many calories on your swim, you probably want to accomplish this by scheduling rather than adding an additional snack. In other words, try to swim right after a meal or a snack that you would have had anyway. You want carbs for this--your body needs them for your workout, plus fat and protein are harder to digest. Have a light snack right after you swim. A thermos of chocolate milk (1 cup skim milk + 1T Nesquick) works great for me. The ideal recovery snack should be around 75% carbs, 25% protein. If your electrolytes get low, you'll feel hungry and exhausted. Swimming outdoors in dry Arizona, that's a big issue for me. I add a little juice to my water bottle and drink it on my rest intervals (About 8 parts water to 1 part juice.) That's been a huge help for me--I don't know whether it would make a difference if you're swimming in an indoor pool or in a non-desert climate. Good luck! This pretty much aligns with my approch. Try different things, see what works for you. If you swim with others, ask them what they do. I talk to triathletes about nutrition often. They have good advice - usually battle proven.