Eating at night and morning hunger

KnitSewSpin

I'm not a breakfast eater. I know, I know I'm a terrible dieter. My ideal eating schedule is a very big lunch, a big afternoon snack, small dinner if I eat dinner at all, and I hardly ever eat after dinner.

But I have a husband and four kids and the social aspect of eating dinner with them is important so I usually cook a good supper, eat a bit of it with them, then I chow leftovers for lunch the next day.

Anyway, my question is more of an observation. On those rare occasions I do eat late at night, like popcorn if I watch a movie with my kids, or a late dinner party or snack, I wake up Ravenous. My stomach feels so empty it hurts. So I eat breakfast. This has happened many times so it's a reoccurring phenomenon for me.

What does that mean? Is my metabolism revved up from eating later? Is that even a real thing? I would like to know an explanation because if my metabolism does do the feed the furnace thing (is that even real?) maybe I should work harder at eating smaller amts throughout the day. Should I eat breakfast and spread my food out more? Can I or should I try to change my hunger patterns? My husband thinks since I'm losing weight I should be eating breakfast.

Thoughts?

KnitSewSpin

Btw, I've lost 30 pounds not eating breakfast, but my weight loss has been slowing the past few months.

ndj1979

couple things:

1. breakfast has nothing to do with metabolism. All that talk about "kick starting metabolism" is a bunch of BS…
2. meal timing and metabolism have zero correlation. So you can eat six meals a day, three meals a day, one meal a day, or 24 meals every hour, and the impact on metabolism is zero.
3. As for feeling hungry in the morning, you are probably not eating enough during the day….
4. You have lost 30 pounds, so what you are doing is working, why change it?
5. if your weight loss has slowed you may need to readjust your calorie goal based on your new weight, have you done that?

cajuntank

Meal frequency is irrelevant to weight-loss (it's overall calories in vs overall calories out), so if by not eating breakfast, you can adhere to your daily caloric goal better and your hunger stays under control, then that's what works for you. If you find that you do better spreading your calories out over more meals, then do that. It's all about personal adherence to fit your goals.

On the eating late at night and feeling ravenous part...see link for a possible explanation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/507237-why-are-we-hungrier-in-the-morning-when-we-eat-late-at-night/

Metabolism, feed the furnace stuff is mostly bunk. Yes, when you eat more, your metabolism tends to increase some mostly due to the natural way your body tends to move more due to that extra energy, but only to a very small degree and nothing to the degree of how it's portrayed by some.

GiveMeCoffee

ndj1979 wrote: »

couple things:

1. breakfast has nothing to do with metabolism. All that talk about "kick starting metabolism" is a bunch of BS…
2. meal timing and metabolism have zero correlation. So you can eat six meals a day, three meals a day, one meal a day, or 24 meals every hour, and the impact on metabolism is zero.
3. As for feeling hungry in the morning, you are probably not eating enough during the day….
4. You have lost 30 pounds, so what you are doing is working, why change it?
5. if your weight loss has slowed you may need to readjust your calorie goal based on your new weight, have you done that?

All of this.

I've lost 119 lbs not eating breakfast, eating a small lunch and large dinner. It works for me.

KnitSewSpin

cajuntank wrote: »

Meal frequency is irrelevant to weight-loss (it's overall calories in vs overall calories out), so if by not eating breakfast, you can adhere to your daily caloric goal better and your hunger stays under control, then that's what works for you. If you find that you do better spreading your calories out over more meals, then do that. It's all about personal adherence to fit your goals.

On the eating late at night and feeling ravenous part...see link for a possible explanation.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/507237-why-are-we-hungrier-in-the-morning-when-we-eat-late-at-night/

Metabolism, feed the furnace stuff is mostly bunk. Yes, when you eat more, your metabolism tends to increase some mostly due to the natural way your body tends to move more due to that extra energy, but only to a very small degree and nothing to the degree of how it's portrayed by some.

Interesting article. I didn't understand much of it but it seems like it's a hormonal thing not a metabolism thing. But aren't the two of those things connected?

I really don't want to change my eating patterns. I was just curious about the whys of it.

KnitSewSpin

ndj1979 wrote: »

couple things:

1. breakfast has nothing to do with metabolism. All that talk about "kick starting metabolism" is a bunch of BS…
2. meal timing and metabolism have zero correlation. So you can eat six meals a day, three meals a day, one meal a day, or 24 meals every hour, and the impact on metabolism is zero.
3. As for feeling hungry in the morning, you are probably not eating enough during the day….
4. You have lost 30 pounds, so what you are doing is working, why change it?
5. if your weight loss has slowed you may need to readjust your calorie goal based on your new weight, have you done that?

I have just readjusted and I'm trying to add more exercise. I'm working on it. I think part of it is I've been doing this since last December/November and I'm getting a bit burned out on dieting and calorie restriction. So I'm still counting calories but on the weekends I e had a lot if days where I'm eating to maintenance. I've got 10-15 more lbs to lose. I'm so close! Gotta hunker down again.

2013sk

It doesn't really matter if you eat breakfast or not - You don't have too!!

But I love breakfast, and couldn't imagine not having it & having lunch instead. Its like I wake up, get to work, and have it... A bit like brushing my teeth.

I do think though with your case, Seen as you don't eat breakfast, you should maybe snack more? Or eat more throughout the day?

Try snacking on high protein - Peanut butter, cottage cheese & greek yoghurts are my fav!!!!

Or space your calories out throughout the day if you want.

You've lost 30lbs already, so you already know what your doing

Congrats to you! Fab work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ndj1979

KnitSewSpin wrote: »

ndj1979 wrote: »

couple things:

1. breakfast has nothing to do with metabolism. All that talk about "kick starting metabolism" is a bunch of BS…
2. meal timing and metabolism have zero correlation. So you can eat six meals a day, three meals a day, one meal a day, or 24 meals every hour, and the impact on metabolism is zero.
3. As for feeling hungry in the morning, you are probably not eating enough during the day….
4. You have lost 30 pounds, so what you are doing is working, why change it?
5. if your weight loss has slowed you may need to readjust your calorie goal based on your new weight, have you done that?

I have just readjusted and I'm trying to add more exercise. I'm working on it. I think part of it is I've been doing this since last December/November and I'm getting a bit burned out on dieting and calorie restriction. So I'm still counting calories but on the weekends I e had a lot if days where I'm eating to maintenance. I've got 10-15 more lbs to lose. I'm so close! Gotta hunker down again.

you may need a reefed day AKA "cheat day" where you eat up to maintenance or maybe a little over maintenance ...that way you can eat a bunch of stuff that you want and it will give a "diet break"...

also with only 10-15 pounds to go maybe you could adjust to .5 pound per week loss, instead of 1 pound per week loss ...that would give you an extra 250 cals a day to play with ...

gnalani

I don't have any scientific explanations for you, but Ive experienced what you have! If I eat late at night I'm starving! Or if I eat a big breakfast, I'm hungrier throughout the day. I try not to eat too late at night or have too big a breakfast just so that I'm not starving all day. So much of weight loss/health is getting to know your body!

KnitSewSpin

[qu

[/quote]

I have just readjusted and I'm trying to add more exercise. I'm working on it. I think part of it is I've been doing this since last December/November and I'm getting a bit burned out on dieting and calorie restriction. So I'm still counting calories but on the weekends I e had a lot if days where I'm eating to maintenance. I've got 10-15 more lbs to lose. I'm so close! Gotta hunker down again. [/quote]

you may need a reefed day AKA "cheat day" where you eat up to maintenance or maybe a little over maintenance ...that way you can eat a bunch of stuff that you want and it will give a "diet break"...

also with only 10-15 pounds to go maybe you could adjust to .5 pound per week loss, instead of 1 pound per week loss ...that would give you an extra 250 cals a day to play with ...[/quote]

I think having a "cheat day" on the weekends would be a good mental break for me. Also, it's so counterintuitive to me to up your calories when you get to the last 10-15 lbs when it's already coming off slower. I can't wrap my mind around it!

GiveMeCoffee

getinfigure wrote: »

Eat breakfast! The stomach ace in the morning is natural call from organism, it warns you about that you have been starving for last 6-9 hours and you have to eat. Usually in the morning it is said that metabolism is highest that's why sometimes they advice you to skip breakfast. However, additional meal during the day is really important for boosting up metabolism. By adding extra meal you'll accelerate metabolic process. Eat 6-8 meals a day in small portions to remain calorie consumption the same. No need to suffer skip breakfast. To know more about metabolism and weight loss in general download this free Report.

Good luck!

Not necessary at all. Meal timing is personal preference, you aren't boosting up your metabolism by eating 6-8 meals.

If that was the case I'd be in lots of trouble I eat 1-2 meals a day

And stop pushing your venus crap