Feeling hungry at work, feeling hungry at night

rosieknowsme

I tend to 'feel' hungry in the evening and I would always save my calories for the evening to compensate for it. But this would make me feel tired during the day because I hadn't ate enough. So I've now changed it so I eat more at breakfast and lunch, eating a smaller dinner. This worked really well during the day because now I don't snack on biscuits at work, but I still feel 'hungry' at night and tend to go over my calorie limit (around 1600kcal).

How can I ensure I am not over eating at night but still feel awake to do my job in the day?

rosieknowsme

Also is 1600kcal too much? I'm 5' 3" and I weigh 140lbs

Kgirlbball5

Right now, I'm on a 1,200 calorie diet and you can have snacks!! Just make sure that they are healthy and good for you Good luck!!

sepulchura

I tend to 'feel' hungry in the evening and I would always save my calories for the evening to compensate for it. But this would make me feel tired during the day because I hadn't ate enough. So I've now changed it so I eat more at breakfast and lunch, eating a smaller dinner. This worked really well during the day because now I don't snack on biscuits at work, but I still feel 'hungry' at night and tend to go over my calorie limit (around 1600kcal).

How can I ensure I am not over eating at night but still feel awake to do my job in the day?

There can be lots of answers to that, but I will let you know what I do since I am pretty much in the same boat as you, I ran into the same thing and also am trying to not eat a big night meal.

I drink a lot of water at night. I add a squeeze of fresh lemon to it.

The other thing I do: I try to eat things at night that have little to no calories, such as pickles (careful, some of them have calories, some have little to none, of course always read labels) or celery or maybe some tomato and bell pepper with very little dressing on it.

It actually kind of does suck to feel hungry at night, but I do the above and I also just... well, endure it. It's worth it, and I keep telling myself that. As I do my weekly check in and find myself weighing a little less, it makes me happier.

rosieknowsme

What does the lemon do? Or is it just a flavour thing? I do eat low calorie snacks like carrots and bell peppers but sometimes the cravings just overwhelm me. I don't even have high cal snacks in my fridge and it drives me mad!

Kgirl I'm not really sure if that was even advice? I tried 1200kcal and I literally can not do that and my job. I feel tired and lazy and just don't want to do anything. I just think if I'm having a lazy day at home I could eat that little but there's no chance at work as a teacher. Good luck to you too.

tmpecus78

if you're hungry, eat.

TheRealParisLove

Also is 1600kcal too much? I'm 5' 3" and I weigh 140lbs

Let MFP set your calorie goals. Then make sure you log your activity and eat back those calories as well.

Try having a protein heavy breakfast. I like to eat eggs and beans, as it is low in calories and will keep me satisfied and energetic all day long. Avoid simple carbs early in the day, this is what causes the energy crash. So no white bread, breakfast cereal, sweets of any kind. Fresh fruit is fine because it has lots of fiber. Same with whole grains like oatmeal.

Also, avoid sweet foods at night. I like to have a glass of red wine in the evening, and this helps curb my desire for sweets. Other people will have a protein shake to help with sweet cravings in the evenings. It is the simple carbs and sugar that is causing your fatigue during the day.

C1C2C3

I know this feeling well! I normally reserve a good part of my calories for supper and evening snacks, but have gone through the too tired feeling. So even though I am not a huge breakfast eater, i have increased from eating 100-200 calories to eating closer to the 250-300 calorie range. I sip on tea or iced coffee (an indulgence that is sometimes half of my breakfast calories :blushing: ) all morning. This helps me not feel hungry during the morning. I eat a 150-200 calorie "lunch", then a 100-150 calorie snack in the afternoon. For supper I may have anywhere from 350 to 700 calories for dinner. These are just estimates, but kind of give an idea of my eating schedule.I know that still isn't a huge amount of calories during the day, but it is more than I was eating before and is working for me.

If I have a bigger supper, my evening snacks will be pickles, sugar free jello, fruit, etc. Otherwise, the sky is the limit!!...well my calorie goal is the limit...but it is still is a good feeling! :happy: Some of the lower calorie snacks I enjoy are lite ice cream with some unsweetened cocoa (for a whopping 114 calories :happy: ), toast and a small amount of jam or honey, cereal and milk, etc. Hope this helps give some ideas and will help you figure out what is right for you! :flowerforyou:

Edited to add: alot of my afternoon snacks will be a piece of fruit (pear, banana, etc.)..it seems to keep me full longer and is much healthier than the alternatives.

Squamation

gum. have a set period at night that you don't eat after and chew gum until bedtime.