How exercise can affect your appetite

Even if we burn calories during a workout, our bodies may nudge us to sit more to reduce our overall energy expenditure and compensate for the loss of fat

Does being active make us extra ravenous and even prone to eating more than we perhaps should? Or does it blunt our appetites and make it easier for us to skip that last, tempting slice of pie? A new study provides a few cautionary clues.

The study, which involved overweight, sedentary men and women and several types of moderate exercise, found that people who worked out did not overeat at an enticing buffet after. However, they also didn’t skip dessert or skimp on portions.

Contradictory results

For most of us, exercise affects our weight and hunger in unexpected and sometimes contradictory ways. According to multiple studies, only a few people who start to exercise lose weight immediately after beginning their regimen. This could be a result of our bodies stubbornly trying to hang on to our fat stores, an evolutionary adaptation that protects us against a possible famine.