Should I eat before bed just to reach 1200?

girlr94

I have been eating on average 1100 calories for the past week or so. I'm by no means starving myself, I have just been choosing healthy foods during the day, but I always make sure that I won't be going hungry. I'm more active than I used to be (walking average 40 minutes to lectures every day and learning weightlifting in the gym 3-5 times a week) so I've been told I should put my activity level as lightly active rather than sedentary. To me it seems like cheating but I suppose it's not. Some days I manage to get up to my goal of 1500 calories fine, for example if I have a slightly more calorific dinner or find myself really wanting to snack at night, like if I have a lot of uni work to do or something. But some days I've found myself sitting at night under 1200 and not feeling hungry enough to justify more food. Either that or I feel a bit peckish but more food just before bed seems pointless.

Take yesterday for example. I had:
Breakfast: Natural Yoghurt, Banana and a few flaked almonds (211 calories)
Lunch: Ryvitas with soft cheese and ham, sunbite- like crisps and apple slices (365 calories)
Dinner: Fish finger sandwich with ketchup, lettuce and mayo (414 calories)
After dinner: 2 squares of dark chocolate (115 calories)

I also walked about 50 minutes in yesterday (I live on a slight hill), went to the gym for about an hour and had a ballroom dancing lesson for an hour. So I wouldn't say I've been that sedentary.
I had a late start too so I had breakfast about 12, lunch about 2 and dinner about 10 (I wasn't home in time to eat before that). I wasn't hungry last night before bed(a rarity for me but then again I did eat late) but I was still way under my calories and I don't want to be too deficient, especially as I want my weight efforts in the gym to be worth it. I'm trying to keep my protein up but even with 3 protein-containing meals a day it's still not up to what MFP recommends, about 20g less on average in fact.

What should I do? Should I eat more just for the sake of it? The reason I'm here in the first place is because I don't get full easily so I snacked a lot and ate when I wasn't hungry. I know how easy it would be to slip into old habits of large portion sizes and just snacking out of boredom. I'm also drinking a lot of water (which actually makes me need the toilet all the time but I suppose that's expected). I used to struggle with getting under 2000 a day without the exercise, but now I'm struggling to reach it even though I'm trying to eat substantially to last me.

What do you guys think?

BoxerBrawler

I would say that instead of getting caught up in the numbers, learn to listen to your body.
If you are hungry (truly hungry) not just bored hungry or emotional hungry... than eat. Give you body what it needs.
I don't eat mechanically just to hit a number.
Hope this was helpful.