How exercise impacts dietary choices & cravings

From my own personal experience, intense cardio over 15 minutes, makes me hungrier, crave more carbs, and I end up eating more calories than I need to, so I gain weight (mostly fat). Other people have reported the same issues with HIIT workouts, boot camps, cardio classes, running…etc. (you get the drift). Since many people chose cardio to lose bodyfat, yet their cravings increase, crazy-cardio is not the best exercise for weight loss for many people.

I fell in love with weight training about 10 years ago because I found it less intense, more fun, and was able to cut my exercise time in half, with much better results in my body composition. My cravings for carbs reduced so my bodyfat went down.

As a personal trainer, I work with a lot of different people of various ages, and medical issues. I work with anorexics, people of healthy weight, and obese individuals. What I’ve found is that, all of these folks are slow in making changes to their diet, if they make dietary changes at all. The more frequently people train with me, and the longer they train with me (usually after the four-month mark), is when they see training as a lifestyle, and feel comfortable changing their eating habits.

So, to summarize my findings: cut back on intense cardio if you want to lose weight, weight train at least two days a week, be consistent, be open to dietary adjustments, and you’ll see a fitter and more positive you.

Photo: Pasta should be put in the “bad carbs” category. It has little nutritional value, is high in calories, increases blood sugar, and is highly-processed.