Waking up in the middle of the night with hunger pains

ConnieLynn

Hi there.

Has anyone experienced this?

I woke up the other night at around Midnight and new I had to eat something to sustain myself through the night. I ate about 4 triscuits and that seemed to do the trick.

I sometimes feel a lack of focus and a slipping feeling and I know I need to eat something right away.

I am making sure I eat 5 times throughout the day and now I even eat a little something before I go to bed.

I am still adjusting to this program and I am sure I will find a balance. I just wanted to see if anyone else had this happen.

Thanks,

Connie Lynn

ConnieLynn

Hi there.

Has anyone experienced this?

I woke up the other night at around Midnight and new I had to eat something to sustain myself through the night. I ate about 4 triscuits and that seemed to do the trick.

I sometimes feel a lack of focus and a slipping feeling and I know I need to eat something right away.

I am making sure I eat 5 times throughout the day and now I even eat a little something before I go to bed.

I am still adjusting to this program and I am sure I will find a balance. I just wanted to see if anyone else had this happen.

Thanks,

Connie Lynn

lotusfromthemud

How big is your calorie deficit? A little hunger is normal, but hunger that wakes you up. . .

I've heard (actually I think someone posted here a while ago) that your body finds "use-able" foods more easily to utilize, and empty calories leave you physically hungry because you're body can't do anything with them.

Maybe that's what's going on?

Also, I've added 10% of my calories to my calories to account for the energy it takes to digest your food. Especially since I eat about 28 grams of fibre or more, this makes sense.

just a few ideas .:flowerforyou:

bob9304

I woke up last night too feeling hungry. I ate a bowl of oatmeal which seemed to fill me up pretty good. Hasn't happened to me before but I worked out pretty hard yesterday.

mjfer123

A big no no for losing weight is eating at night. Im no expert, but Ive heard it takes up to 2 hours for your body to digest the food, if you go to bed after youve recently ate, it takes longer and the energy isnt used.
If you are waking up because you are "hungry" try a glass of water instead. A lot of people, including myself, feel hungry when the body is naturally thirsty, its kind of the same response. I also do this when I feel like Im about to snack.
Hope this helps!

Matt

ConnieLynn

Hi there and thank you for your ideas.

I am eating very healthy. I eat tons of veggies and protein. I don't deprive myself, but I do watch the calorie intake closely.

I am currently eating 1520 calories a day which is a 500-700 deficit for my current weight. I always eat the calories I burn from exercise.

I have reduced the sugar quite a bit. My body may still be adjusting to the healthy new lifestyle.

I may have to eat a little more each day, but I wanted to see if anyone else has had this happen and what they did to fix it.

I also drink the 8-8 oz. glasses of water a day.

Thanks,

Connie Lynn

diannholland1965

About 2 hours before bed try fruit. Like an orange, You are going to need the extra Cs this time of year anyway.
I wonder if there is another vitamin you are missing in your diet however? It is not normal to wake up from hunger. I wonder if you where thirsty instead. Thirst and hunger feel the same and our bodies do not know the differance. Try having a glass of water by your bedside. if it happens again. drink the water and see if that does not help.
--Diann...

walnut

Sometimes if I am hungry at night I'll have a small glass of milk, and that does the trick. Milk is great because it has sugars and protein, and unless it's skim, a little fat to help curb your hunger. I notice this happening to me when I've worked out hard that day.

dulceluva

A big no no for losing weight is eating at night. Im no expert, but Ive heard it takes up to 2 hours for your body to digest the food, if you go to bed after youve recently ate, it takes longer and the energy isnt used.
If you are waking up because you are "hungry" try a glass of water instead. A lot of people, including myself, feel hungry when the body is naturally thirsty, its kind of the same response. I also do this when I feel like Im about to snack.
Hope this helps!

Matt

I think there are some people out there that will disagree with the no-no about eating before bed or about eating after 7pm, etc. I think if youare hungry and its within your daily limit, you should eat it. because no one wants to wake up with hunger pangs and then be awake most of the night stuff their faces with the wrong choices.

Try eating yogurt or fruits and veggies with a tall glass of water before bed time. I am the infamous sleep eater. I could literally wake up at 2 am and eat whatever was in the cupboard. All this because I stopped eating at 7pm. Now I eat 1/2 cup a yogurt with some fruit 30 mins before bed time and I dont even wake up with the munchies anymore.

ConnieLynn

Hi there and thank you for all of your ideas,

I've been doing some research and I think my glucose level was to low.

"Glucose is the only fuel normally used by brain cells. Because neurons cannot store glucose, they depend on the bloodstream to deliver a constant supply of this precious fuel. This blood sugar is obtained from carbohydrates: the starches and sugars you eat in the form of grains and legumes, fruits and vegetables and dairy products." www.fi.edu/learn/brian/carbs.html

I think I have been depriving my brain of the glucose it needs and I don't want this to happen to anyone else.

I found a source that says the highest concentration of glucose is found in grapes, figs, sweet fruits and honey. http://www.answers.com/topic/glucose?cat=health

I don't like the feeling of losing the ability to focus at times and that slipping feeling or waking up at night and feeling these symptoms.

I am going to try and make sure I am better at feeding my brain while I lose weight.

Learning as we go.

Connie Lynn

ConnieLynn

Hi,

I had some honey and a baked potato today and I feel like my focus is better and more sustained.

Anyone experiencing light-headedness and loss of concentration at times as a result of calorie reduction?

Thanks,

Connie

dulceluva

Hi,

I had some honey and a baked potato today and I feel like my focus is better and more sustained.

Anyone experiencing light-headedness and loss of concentration at times as a result of calorie reduction?

Thanks,

Connie

Yup that is...me right now in fact but that means I need to eat more often. Its time for my 3pm (est)snack.

Yesterday I was feeling lightheaded and didnt even go work out. I needed to get my dinner in me first.

Aunt Flo is here ... I need to get her under control first.

jessneill

A big no no for losing weight is eating at night. Im no expert, but Ive heard it takes up to 2 hours for your body to digest the food, if you go to bed after youve recently ate, it takes longer and the energy isnt used.
If you are waking up because you are "hungry" try a glass of water instead. A lot of people, including myself, feel hungry when the body is naturally thirsty, its kind of the same response. I also do this when I feel like Im about to snack.
Hope this helps!

Matt

I think there are some people out there that will disagree with the no-no about eating before bed or about eating after 7pm, etc.

I agree, recent medical studies show that eating at night does not effect weight loss. It's total calories in vs. total calories out, no matter when you eat them. That said, just for general health reason you probably should eat a huge meal then go to sleep, as Matt stated it is harder for some people to digest food when sleeping. I usually eat some small carb about half an hour before bed due to sleep issues. I have a very hard time falling asleep hungry and research shows that a small carb snack will help you fall asleep.

lotusfromthemud

Hi,

I had some honey and a baked potato today and I feel like my focus is better and more sustained.

Anyone experiencing light-headedness and loss of concentration at times as a result of calorie reduction?

Thanks,

Connie

When I first started here, I was eating 1200 calories a day on days I didn't exercise. I fainted twice before I realized: "hey, I think I'm hungry." I've done some research and my BMR is actually around 1500. I've upped my calories to 1600 on non-workout days, and I feel much better now.:flowerforyou:

dulceluva

Hi,

I had some honey and a baked potato today and I feel like my focus is better and more sustained.

Anyone experiencing light-headedness and loss of concentration at times as a result of calorie reduction?

Thanks,

Connie

When I first started here, I was eating 1200 calories a day on days I didn't exercise. I fainted twice before I realized: "hey, I think I'm hungry." I've done some research and my BMR is actually around 1500. I've upped my calories to 1600 on non-workout days, and I feel much better now.:flowerforyou:

Oh my. You shouldn't be fainting. This site is trying to encourage healthy eating. If you feel like headed, eat something. In the long run it will work out for you.

I eat around 1300 calories even though I know mine says 1200 and on workout days its around 1500.