Issues with Meal Timing/habits

blukitten

So, a little background on me. I have been trying to lose weight for a while and last year I got serious about it and had lost 78lbs. Over the holidays though I went off the wagon- struggled like many people do- and gained 30 of that 78 back.

So during this time gaining some of the weight back, I had fallen into a routine of stopping to grab a snack (yes sometimes a not so healthy one I will admit) after I pick up my kids from school because there is a popular gas station (QT for those of you who live in AZ) that I designated as a meeting place for my son to meet me at to pick him up.

Anyway, now that I am trying to eat healthy again and get back into it, my biggest struggle has been that I eat healthy at work- do great! Veggies, protein, etc, keep my cals in check, stick to my macros (this is what works for me) etc. but when I get home - my body goes into insta-starvation mode! I am starving - like stomach growling, hunger.

At work I eat adequate calories during the day so that this shouldn't happen. I have tried eating multiple meals, eating lunch later in the day so this doesn't happen, etc, but nothing has worked. As soon as I hit the door at home- I am starving.

Has anyone else had this issue- where you get super hungry at a weird time of day from a possible "habit" you have established and now your body expects food at that time?

If so- what did you do about it?

I have even tried eating like a small healthy snack to stave off the hunger, but I am still starving after eating the snack.......

Any feedback/recomendations is appreciated

MityMax96

Try this....
When you get up, just guzzle water and/or black coffee....
Hold off eating as long as possible....once you get hungry, eat some fruit...
apples, banana, oranges, etc.....

Then save all your calories for eating when you get home from work.
Then you will feel full and satiated, and still stay in your calorie/macro goals.

SideSteel

blukitten wrote: »

So, a little background on me. I have been trying to lose weight for a while and last year I got serious about it and had lost 78lbs. Over the holidays though I went off the wagon- struggled like many people do- and gained 30 of that 78 back.

So during this time gaining some of the weight back, I had fallen into a routine of stopping to grab a snack (yes sometimes a not so healthy one I will admit) after I pick up my kids from school because there is a popular gas station (QT for those of you who live in AZ) that I designated as a meeting place for my son to meet me at to pick him up.

Anyway, now that I am trying to eat healthy again and get back into it, my biggest struggle has been that I eat healthy at work- do great! Veggies, protein, etc, keep my cals in check, stick to my macros (this is what works for me) etc. but when I get home - my body goes into insta-starvation mode! I am starving - like stomach growling, hunger.

At work I eat adequate calories during the day so that this shouldn't happen. I have tried eating multiple meals, eating lunch later in the day so this doesn't happen, etc, but nothing has worked. As soon as I hit the door at home- I am starving.

Has anyone else had this issue- where you get super hungry at a weird time of day from a possible "habit" you have established and now your body expects food at that time?

If so- what did you do about it?

I have even tried eating like a small healthy snack to stave off the hunger, but I am still starving after eating the snack.......

Any feedback/recomendations is appreciated

How much protein (in grams) are you eating in your first meal of the day and how much protein are you eating during lunch?

How many servings of vegetables do you eat in those two meals?

ereck44

Yes, it happens to me all of the time. I work nights and after working all night, I carb crave like crazy....I had packed some raw veggies to eat on my ride home from work (approx. 40 minutes), but the minute I walk through the door I start looking for carbs to eat....it may help to have some pre-packaged carbs to take with you...crackers with peanut butter, glass of chocolate milk, or something that you can fit in your cals for the day. An ounce of corn nuts does it for me, usually.

kportmanshark

MityMax96 wrote: »

Try this....
When you get up, just guzzle water and/or black coffee....
Hold off eating as long as possible....once you get hungry, eat some fruit...
apples, banana, oranges, etc.....

Then save all your calories for eating when you get home from work.
Then you will feel full and satiated, and still stay in your calorie/macro goals.

This guy knows what's up. Came here to say that.

Also whenever you get super hungry drink a bunch of water. I'll pound a Vitamin Water (it's bs but tastes good) right before dinner and helps keep my hunger under control.

ereck44

By the way, my diet is open...you can see that I don't eat perfectly. Last week I was on vacation and drank a fair amount of beer, which I don't normally do...but have been faithfully logging since Oct., 2012.

Hornsby

How many calories are you eating?
How many during the day?
and at night?

blukitten

Hornsby wrote: »

How many calories are you eating?
How many during the day?
and at night?

@hornsby

I stick to under 1300 cals (as recommended by my doctor), I try to do most of my carbs in the morning, and then smaller amounts for lunch and a small amount for dinner- only because this has been what worked for me in the past to lost the 78lbs I initially lost.

I even the cals out between my meals- try to do between 300-400 per meal and to three meals a day (also as recommended by my doc) I have tried to do other proportions as well so see if that works... but still have the "I'm starving" issue when I get home that not even a snack will satiate.

Hornsby

are you exercising at all?

blukitten

SideSteel wrote: »

How much protein (in grams) are you eating in your first meal of the day and how much protein are you eating during lunch?

How many servings of vegetables do you eat in those two meals?

I try to do minimum of 20-30 grams per meal and then will use it as a snack as well - If I do a snack.

I also do at least 2 servings of vegetables per meal, and a fruit (berries) with breakfast.

(If more info is wanted on my macros or what they are, message me, cause I don't want to get into the carb debate or turn this thread into a carb debate, I have read lots of those on here, my macros are for health issues that warrant low carb eating)

But also reading your question helps me..... I haven't really been meeting my protein macro and I think I need to concentrate on that and maybe that will help... thank you!

SideSteel

blukitten wrote: »

SideSteel wrote: »

How much protein (in grams) are you eating in your first meal of the day and how much protein are you eating during lunch?

How many servings of vegetables do you eat in those two meals?

I try to do minimum of 20-30 grams per meal and then will use it as a snack as well - If I do a snack.

I also do at least 2 servings of vegetables per meal, and a fruit (berries) with breakfast.

(If more info is wanted on my macros or what they are, message me, cause I don't want to get into the carb debate or turn this thread into a carb debate, I have read lots of those on here, my macros are for health issues that warrant low carb eating)

But also reading your question helps me..... I haven't really been meeting my protein macro and I think I need to concentrate on that and maybe that will help... thank you!

Protein is generally a very satiating macronutrient and there's also some data suggesting that getting a good chunk of protein in your first meal of the day may reduce food seeking behaviors later in the day.

If I were you, I would make a very conscious and deliberate effort to increase protein intake in your first two meals and I suspect this MAY help attenuate the late-day hunger.

blukitten

I also currently drink half my body weight in water a day (right or wrong this is a personal preference based on my own experience and what helps me lose weight)

so I should be drinking enough water during the day..... and have tried this as a solution to the hunger when I get home issue.. it helps for a few minutes or a little bit then the hunger comes back

Mike02209

I eat three meals and also a few snacks throughout the day. I pre-log everything except dinner. Then I rarely go more than 2 and a half hours without eating. For example I eat breakfast at about 7:30am. At 10:00am I will have my first snack, so if at 9:15 I get hungry, I tell myself that I only have to wait another 45 minutes to have my pre-logged snack. Lunch at 12:00, another snack at 2:00, etc. If I didn't do this I would likely eat most of my calories too early and be susceptible to binging.

TeaBea

My habit after work was to GRAZE when I got in the door. A bite of this, a little bit of that, not aware of how many calories I was eating. There is too much crap in the house.

Anyway, I started bringing an extra snack to work. I save this snack for the drive home (30 minutes). This way I have had my (calorie portioned) snack by the time in get in the door. After a month or two, this got better. It's a habit you can break.

staceypunk

I would do some crockpot cooking or prepare a protein packed, satisfying dinner the night before and reheat it when you walk through the door. Having it ready to go will help you avoid your identified problem time. Even if it's not what the rest of your family does, maybe do it and eat separately until you are back on track.

blukitten

Hornsby wrote: »

are you exercising at all?

@Hornsby

I do exercise - currently I do Muay Thai and Kickball currently with plans (after I get my eating/hunger down) to add more to it like kettlbells and weight lifting again

I also hike (but randomly and not regularly), swim (but again randomly but more often than hiking), and do walks on the weekend

Hornsby

Honestly, at 1200-1300, is it possible you just aren't eating enough? I know it's simple, but sometimes simple is the answer. I know your doctor recommended it but was that a dietitian?

blukitten

SideSteel wrote: »

Protein is generally a very satiating macronutrient and there's also some data suggesting that getting a good chunk of protein in your first meal of the day may reduce food seeking behaviors later in the day.

If I were you, I would make a very conscious and deliberate effort to increase protein intake in your first two meals and I suspect this MAY help attenuate the late-day hunger.

Thank you @sidesteel

I think you are correct- I think I need to concentrate on meeting my protein and fat macros and that will probably help satiate me so that I don't have the hunger when I get home

I know fat and protein are satiating just didn't think about it for some reason

but I am one of those people that need to talk things out- and this makes sense

Thanks!

SideSteel

Hornsby wrote: »

Honestly, at 1200-1300, is it possible you just aren't eating enough? I know it's simple, but sometimes simple is the answer. I know your doctor recommended it but was that a dietitian?

^ This is also something to consider ^

kimny72

Can you try eating a couple of hundred calories less at work and pre-log a snack when you get home? I am a late night snacker and what worked for me was pre-logging my day to include a snack after dinner.

It's possible also that you aren't really "hungry" at this time, your body is just in the habit of being fed at that time. You might try chewing gum or using mints, do something for a few minutes that requires concentration to get your mind off of it, or something like that.

Finally, I don't know your stats, but 1300 cals is pretty low. If you are losing weight faster than 1 lb per week, go ahead and eat a little more.