Curb Your Appetite With This Combo

Ever emerge from your workout hungrier than a lion on a bug-only diet? Well, changing what you do in the gym may have the power to make you eat less. The magic formula? Doing both cardio and strength training.

When men in one small study did both for 16 weeks, they ate significantly fewer calories than the men who did either aerobics (60 minutes) or weight training or who did no exercise at all. And people doing the combo weren't in the gym longer -- in addition to weights, they did only 22 minutes of cardio. It's possible that the cardio/strength pairing produces a favorable effect on blood levels of fats, glucose, amino acids, and satiety hormones -- adding up to a powerful combination that helps keep hunger under control.

Of course, there's physical appetite, which this combo seemed to squelch, and there's emotional appetite. The latter means using the "I deserve it" theory to binge on more calories after exercise than were burned. And the gym probably can't help you with that. What can: Being aware of how your emotions can steer your desire to eat. Also help squelch emotional eating by aiming to keep your feel-good hormones level by getting the right amount of sleep, eating a healthy balance of foods, and working hard to create a more authentic and happier you in your life and relationships.