Hungry before bed on 2000 cals

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halimaiqbal00
halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
To lose 0.5 pounds a week, I've not hit my target of 2000 cal this past week as I'm hungry every night a couple of hours after dinner. I'm working out hard 4-5x a week. I'm eating filling, healthy unprocessed meals for the most part. This is annoying! Imnkiftjng heavy 4-x a week and then doing intense cardio 2x a week. Should I just eat more?
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Replies

  • kenyonhaff
    kenyonhaff Posts: 1,377 Member
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    Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
  • ShaleSelkies
    ShaleSelkies Posts: 251 Member
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    I agree with kenyonhaff, it could me more to do with your nutrition within what your eating rather than how much.
    Other than that though it could also be more to do with the process of eating such as feeling the need to chew or taste in which case gum or investing in a chewable necklace to use may help you feel less hungry too.
    You should also make sure you're drinking enough water as not having drunk enough can also make you feel unusually hungry!
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Might be time for a mental break and eat at maintenance for a few weeks. Alternatively you can try intermittent fasting where you skip morning meals and eat more at night. And as others have said, eat enough protein and fiber and make sure the majority of your food is nutrient dense.
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
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    Every so often u post similar questions. You're already eating the food, so what's the problem?
  • WatchJoshLift
    WatchJoshLift Posts: 520 Member
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    Been there. Up the protein a little more at dinner time, it will help satiate that feeling of hunger.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited December 2016
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    Could it be all the exercise you're doing is making you hungry? One of the reasons why I don't do intentional exercise is because it triggered hunger and it made it really difficult for me to stick to my calorie targets. I control my weight completely by my calorie intake and it works well for me.

    Not saying to quit the exercise you're doing, but if that's what's triggering the hunger, you're going to have to come up with a plan to deal with it-maybe try an IF protocol like pp mentioned and stagger your calories more towards the evening hours?

  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    lemonychild wrote: »
    Every so often u post similar questions. You're already eating the food, so what's the problem?

    The last time I posted a similar question, I was eating 1800 cals and asking if I should consume more. I went with the advice of consuming 2000 and am finding that still doesn't satiate me hence another question. That's the problem.
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    I'll try IF and eat more at night and more protein at that. Thanks!
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.

    I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    I'll try IF and eat more at night and more protein at that. Thanks!

    I haven't read up on IF very much but I have a 5pm cut off time for eating and it has virtually stopped all hunger at night.

    It could be a mental thing for me though:)
  • cloudbrows
    cloudbrows Posts: 3 Member
    edited December 2016
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    The ways I've dealt with this personally are:

    1) I eat salads with chicken for lunch. All of the vegetables and lean protein help me feel satisfied for longer. I get rid of all the bread / grains! Those calories don't sustain me.

    2) I reduce the calories I eat with supper so that I can have 100 - 300 calories to eat closer to bed. Reduce calories consumed at breakfast so that I have about 1000 calories left going into the evening.

    3) I don't overdo it on cardio. It's the weights that build/maintain lean body mass, and the calorie deficit that loses fat.

    4) I have small, healthy things to eat for that before-bed snack: 100-calorie packs of almonds are a favorite.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.

    I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought

    How much more weight are you trying to lose? Are you currently losing? At what rate?

    Eating 2000 but working out intensely means you could still be undereating for your level of activity.
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    halimaiqbal00 wrote: »
    kenyonhaff wrote: »
    Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.

    I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought

    How much more weight are you trying to lose? Are you currently losing? At what rate?

    Eating 2000 but working out intensely means you could still be undereating for your level of activity.

    I'm wanting to ideally get to 135 pounds albeit slowly so I can stick to it and not binge. I think you may be right and maybe 2000 calories aren't enough for the amount and intensity I'm training at.

    Thanks for the replies all

  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
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    If extra protein isn't helping try drinking more water - you are exercising a lot and might be mistaking thirst for hunger (its very common - even underactive people often eat instead of drinking, and when you are so active you might not be able to address your fluid imbalance immediately).
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    I'd be hungry on 2000kcal a day too, which is why I'm happy to lose very slowly, as I need to be happy enough within myself to be kind to my children, my husband and my pupils, and if I'm hungry too long I won't be!

    For me that's the trick: find your sweet-spot, where you're still losing but you can sustain the calorie control long enough to reach your goal. A little hunger is fine by me because it shows my system is still working well. To never feel hunger when under eating isn't necessarily a good thing.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,643 Member
    edited December 2016
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    At least half of the weight I lost was lost while I was eating between 2350 and 3000 Calories a day on average. I am now maintaining while eating the same amount or slightly less than I was eating while losing.

    Obviously the difference is the amount and intensity of activity and exercise. Whether you're eating 1800, 2000, or 3000 Cal a day does not tell anyone anything if they do not know how many calories you're spending!

    The question is and remains: are you losing or gaining and how fast. That answers whether you're meeting the goal of a slow weight loss or not.

    And I strongly suggest you use a trending weight app to help you determine whether you're meeting your goals or not.

    At 0.5 lbs a week you cannot tell from ground level whether you're meeting that rate of loss or not because of normal water weight fluctuation.

    If you can tell that you're losing weight without having to graph it out... you're losing at a rate that is faster than 0.5 lbs a week.
  • halimaiqbal00
    halimaiqbal00 Posts: 288 Member
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    mazdauk wrote: »
    If extra protein isn't helping try drinking more water - you are exercising a lot and might be mistaking thirst for hunger (its very common - even underactive people often eat instead of drinking, and when you are so active you might not be able to address your fluid imbalance immediately).

    I didn't think that the issue may be thirst! I drink 2 litres of water a day but will increase it

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