Starving at Night

SnuggleSmacks

One thing that could help is to be prepared with some pre-portioned low-cal snacks. For example, last night I bought some smoked turkey deli meat that was 50 cals for 2 oz. So I took out my food scale and measured 2 oz. portions and put them in baggies, and put them back in the package. Then when I was feeling peckish, I just grabbed a baggie. 50 calories in the middle of the night is much better than sitting down with a pint of ice cream. I also have 100 cal portions of cashews and cheddar to munch on ready to be grabbed on a moment's notice.

JBfoodforlife

There are some great ideas here.... I would also consider taking a minute to figure out if it is truly hunger... It may be nothing more than boredom or part of a routine and less about hunger... Grab a bottle of water (or whatever you like to drink) and do something you enjoy to occupy your mind... Good luck!

JJHnIOWA

I am your typical late night junk eater.

So, what i have done is just try to really limit my intake during the day and save up those calories for at night.

I usually eat a 200 cal breakfast, 400 or so lunch, that gives me 1000 or so calories heading into the evening.

Then, i usually eat supper late, like 9 or 10, then still have a midnight snack.

I have lost 45 lbs over 4 months doing this, so i guess the "It matters when you eat" stuff is out the window! :-)

I know if i eat to many calories during the day, i will blow right over them when the late night urges appear. SO, i just try to save lots of calories for that time.

I still can't eat as much (obviously) as i use to in the evenings, but this strategy has helped me. If i eat all my daily calories by 6PM, i am gonna be in deep *kitten* for my goal.

_KitKat_

Water can help you feel full, and a good snack can be plain almonds. they have 15 calories each, healthy fats and protein. It is easy to regulate them and sometimes you really just want the taste of something or too chew.

RHachicho

As others have mentioned go for bulky lower calorie food. Like popcorn or low calorie jelly. Gulping down a large amount of water can help too for a while. If you must snack try to go for a protein based snack. As they tend to increase satiety more and carbs close to bed time is not generally a good idea.

RHachicho

Oh and I forgot to mention my number one Hunger Killer. Any amount of whole or semi skimmed milk 200ml+. Do not drink low fat milk it's terrible for you. And doesn't have the same effect.

AliceDark

I know this sounds weird to some people, but I love warm milk before bed. Sprinkle some cinnamon on top, or add a little bit of some kind of Torani syrup if you have the calories (vanilla is my favorite).

hilaria81

This happened to me a lot in the beginning, but I've lately shifted my calorie distribution so that I'm eating a smaller breakfast in the morning and a more satisfying dinner later in the day. That seems to help, and I find myself naturally feeling less hungry in the mornings now anyway, so it doesn't seem like a sacrifice.

I did wake up really hungry in the middle of last night, but sipping some water and slowly eating a few fresh strawberries turned out to be enough that I could get back to sleep.

CaitlinW19

I am a big snacker, so it's just something I fit into my day. I know it's going to happen if I don't plan for it, so I better plan for it!

I eat about a 100-200 calories for breakfast most days, I try to have a lunch around 300 calories and I try to keep dinner around 400 calories. Not much I know. But I snack all day. By the end of the day, I have about 600 calories worth of snacks. So I keep low calorie things I can reach for at work a few times throughout the day. I use the rest of my calories at the end of the day having a big bowl of air popped popcorn or something like that which is around 130 calories for 3 or 4 cups, depending on the type.

Some people might be happier with bigger meals instead, but this is what works for me so I don't fight it.

Eleonora91

I used to suffer from hunger after dinner when I wasn't eating enough. I know that you need a deficit to lose weight, but if your deficit is way too big or you're not eating your calories back it's hard to keep doing this for a long time. How many calories are you eating and burning each day and what's your TDEE? If you're on the typical 1200 kcals a day it might not be enough. If you already answered this question and I didn't see it sorry - please ignore this.
Anyway, this is what has helped me to feel less hungry after dinner: eating most of my calories at dinner instead of lunch/snacks (I would manage to save 100-200 more kcals from my other meals to add them to my dinner); having filling foods for dinner, such as lots of veggies, salads, some bread (it makes me feel fuller), and always 1 piece of fruit at the end of the meal; having a small snack before going to bed, usually a few biscuits with a hot herbal tea. I really hope you can find a solution, I know it's hard.

magerum

Eat more at night. I eat 2/3 (or more) of my calories in the last two hours before bed, right up to the point of going to bed, on most nights.

BoxerBrawler

Yeah I have gone through this terribly as well and it was a result of not eating enough and not spacing out my meals and snacks appropriately. It doesn't happen anymore due to sheer will power. If that doesn't work, I just got to bed. I find that if I'm not truly hungry and just want a snack because of a craving or something, once I have one small snack, that turns into two, then three, then four, then the next thing you know I've consumed a ton of calories and I'm still not satisfied. Its just not worth it. So when the feeling comes up I usually make myself a strong cup of hot tea (decaf), sip it slow, chew a piece of gum, pick up a magazine, get into a movie and I remind myself that the guilt I'll feel after is just not worth the few minutes of satisfaction I'd have in the moment. I always take 10 to 15 minutes and try to think about my stomach... is it grumbling? Am I really truly hungry? Am I bored? Tired? Thirsty? I try to really figure it out first. Usually by the time I am done analyzing I forget that I wanted to snack in the first place. Also, I don't keep snacks in my house and if there ARE snacks in my house, like left over from people bringing them over or something I simply walk out the door and dump the bag for the animals outside. If there is nothing to snack on it's pretty impossible to snack. If I am truly hungry some of my choices are baby carrots, a plain non fat Greek yogurt with a little stevia or P2B mixed in, some air popped pop corn... I can't do the cereal thing because if I have one bowl I am eating he entire box! I always try to leave calories in my day for a potential snack later at night. Nine times out of ten, just knowing that I can have a snack and fit it within my calories stops me from even having one. It's funny but once you give yourself permission you don't want it as bad anymore. Good luck.

lindsey1979

How many calories are you eating right now? How big is your deficit? What are your macros? Are you getting all your micros?

I ask these questions because I can think of a couple different scenarios that may be the case if this is true hunger (and not boredom or an emotional triggers):

(1) You're not getting all the nutrition you need, so your body is still craving foods to get those nutrients. This may be the case if you have a lot of empty calories in your diet from processed or heavily sugar laden foods. If this is the case and swap out some of those foods for more nutritionally dense ones (think dark green veggies, good proteins, good fats, etc.), your cravings may dissipate.

(2) You're not eating enough calories, period. If your deficit is too large, this may be your body's way of trying to tell you to eat more as it needs more fuel. That's why the calories/deficit information is needed.

(3) You may be someone that simply needs more protein and that's why you're getting those cravings. How much protein are you getting? I personally aim for 0.7 g per 1 lb body weight as that amount has been shown to maintain or reduce lean body mass in a caloric deficit (i.e. I'll lose more fat versus muscle).

(4) You may have a carb sensitivity issue that you're not aware of -- like insulin resistance. Some people are sensitive to carbs, especially high glycemic carbs, and so when they eat a certain amount, they want more and more of them (likely because of the excess insulin response). So, folks like this (and I'm one of them) do well to reduce their carb intake, especially of the high glycemic carbs (sugar, white flour, certain fruits, etc.). I personally keep my overall carbs in the 100g range or less per day and always have either fat or protein with them. And, for me, this has greatly reduced my carvings for carbs and makes it much easier to stay within my calorie goals.

Just my thoughts on the situation.