Endless hunger episode

[madeinmanc]

I've recently upped my distance when running, but only by a bit. I prepare by eating bananas, oatcakes, dates and other sources of carbohydrates. I ran 12k yesterday instead of 10, not much further. Today, though, I have felt unwell and ravenously hungry all day. I've just eaten and eaten and eaten all day but I don't feel full.

I was meant to go out today but I had to cancel because of feeling so off and instead I've had two whole plates of pasta with a tomato sauce. Today I've also had: oatcakes with butter, two extra large buttered teacakes, apples, two bowls of soup with bread, dates, half of a large bar of dark chocolate, a hot chocolate made with whole milk, most of a 200g bag of walnuts, and finally out of desperation couple of dextrose energy tablets and maybe more I can't remember. I don't even normally even eat pasta. If I didn't feel so tired I'd go to the shop and buy more food! My stomach hurts from being stretched but I'm not full.

I feel really odd and exhausted but not in a normal post-exercise way and also still hungry, despite eating at least three times what I normally eat.

This can't be from just adding 2k, can it? 😕

I was like this - endlessly hungry never felt satisfied- when I became post menopausal. It was awful. HRT helped...

I'm on my period right now so I don't think I can be post-menopausal, can I?

I just feel so weird

It doesn't sound like you've had much protein there, OP, if any at all.

The foods you've listed wouldn't keep many people satiated.

How about adding some peanut butter, chicken, protein powder to your meals?

You could be going down with something completely unrelated to running. Alternatively it's possible that your body wants something that it's not getting from what you're eating at the moment, perhaps protein based on what you've posted. Finally you could be putting yourself on a carb rollercoaster with some of those foods, i.e. getting blood sugar peaks followed by crashes which then make you very hungry - you do need carbs when you're exercising and normally your body will deal with them very well as your muscles are ready to store sugar as glycogen, but if you have too much in a quick release form at the wrong time then that could mess things up, particularly in peri which can impair our blood sugar control. Fuelling before exercise is good but you don't need to go overboard.

Sorry I had Skyr with linseed for breakfast, I missed that off. With the walnuts that's masses of protein.

I don't normally have the carbs at all, I just am so so hungry I tried to stop the hunger.

Skyr is a good amount of protein for one meal.

It's still odd eating, OP.

Try more balanced meals.

Could you be anaemic? That causes insatiable hunger.

I don't think this can be the result of increasing from 10 to 12k, especially on the first day you've done it. Could be you're coming down with something. I hope you soon feel better.

Obviously this isn't what I normally eat, that's the point of the post.

Thanks. Yes, I am anaemic actually, I didn't know it causes hunger. It is supposed to be being treated, though.

Thanks, I've given Parkrun a miss 😔 and I'm going to rest for a few days as it doesn't feel right. And possibly go back to 10k.

You could be peri menopausal, I wouldn’t think it would come on overnight though.

Do you eat meat? If you’re anaemic that may help. DM takes iron tablets, strong ones from the GP.

Thanks, I don't eat meat but it's not iron deficiency anaemia.

I can't run anymore, but when I was doing 10+ miles, I had to be really careful to drink enough water.

Also, I didn't eat so much carbs as it gave me runners runs, so I used to focus on protein the day before a run, lots of fish and lean meat with basic green veg so not too much fibre. This usually left me feeling full.

And yes, you can! My periods got shorter but heavier and then I had three in 6 weeks and then GP said I was in peri. (lots of other symptoms, not just the period thing)

Thanks, you may be on to something as I actually drank less because I was worried about needing to pee part way through!

I was also advised to eat more carbs on here but maybe I've not got that quite right, either. When I'm not exercising I eat a fairly low carb diet (not carb-free).

I'm also thinking I've reached my natural limit with 10k and I will stick with that. I was only going further to try and improve my 10k, anyway. I don't have a massive drive to run long distances or anything.

Well I used to wee behind trees on my runs, but I live very rurally so no chance of anyone seeing me!

But I don't really mean drink while you run, I didn't do that ever, even on a half marathon.

I mean when you get back, drink water regularly all day. I also like coconut water after exercising.

Also a friend who is a marathon runner says that an egg sandwich on brown bread and a pint of milk is the best post run food. All the protein with some complex carbs.

I'm a bit gutted because of missing out on going out last night and the last Parkrun of the year for me 😔

I don't have masses of events to go to so that's a big disappointment.

Could you have been mistaking thirst for hunger? I'm sure I've read that is a thing. I know I often feel tired if I'm a bit dehydrated.

I have days like that, endless hunger, and I don't even go running... 🙄

It turns out those of you that said I might be coming down with something were right. I've been in bed all day, not sure what's wrong and it's not following the pattern of a normal cold at all* but I'm definitely ill with something, maybe some kind of virus? I can hardly get out of bed l, let alone run. Talk about timing! 😒

• Actually I don't know why I mentioned a cold as I don't have cold symptoms.