Waking up hungry in the middle of the night

lynette111

So to give you all a little background on me-when I started my weight loss journey I weighed 235. Over a period of about 9 months I lost down to 155 and looked and felt great. Then my dad passed away and all of a sudden my journey came to a halt. I hadn't really planned on going any lower than around 150 but wanted to maintain that weight. Well since that time-July of last year-I have put about 20 pounds back on and am weighing in at 174. I got my groove back almost a month ago now but instead of eating 1200 calories and eating my exercise calories back which is the way I lost the weight before I wanted to lose it slower hoping to eventually have my maintenance calories be decent and livable for a lifetime so as not to gain it back again. I have my calories set right above my BMR which is 1500 and also eating my exercise calories back. I am doing C25K three days a week (currently on week 4) and strength training with dumbbells three times a week as well. Some days I have trouble eating all the calories as I am choosing healthy items but have always been close to what I should be taking in. Now to my question- with all of this food and sometimes feeling like I am having to force myself to eat to get all my calories in-I have been waking up around 2am most every night this last week feeling like I'm starving. Physically feeling hunger. I don't know how it is even possible. I haven't gotten up and ate anything. I just force myself to forget it and go back to sleep. Then when I get up at 6am I pretty much eat breakfast right away to take that nauling hunger pain away. I haven't had this happen before and I am eating way more than the last time I lost weight. Any thoughts?

lizard053

If you are really and truly hungry, so much so it's waking you up, you should eat. Keep some nuts or crackers on hand to munch on. No more than 100 calories. But it should be enough to take the edge off and getting back to sleep easier.

My opinions on eating are this, eat if you're hungry, don't eat if your not. Forcing yourself to eat is never going to help you maintain a weight loss in the future. It's encouraging bad habits that got us here in the first place! As long as you are eating healthy, this should work! A little treat once in a while isn't going to hurt either.

Perhaps increasing your fiber and/or protein intake with your last meal/snack of the day might help you stave off hunger in the middle of the night?

CMomma23

I don't know but I seem to have the same issue. I have to eat first thing or I get sick to my stomach. And, I wake up occasionally in the middle of the night with hunger pangs. ??

Debby0904

Before you go to bed, drink casein. It's a slow processing protein and really should be drank late in the day. Also, if you are trying to lose the weight change your macros to place protein higher and lower carbs until you get close.

LucianaMilk

Take water to your bedroom. Drinking water resolves 100% the night hungry.
I feel the same way you do, and it is working for me.

lynette111

What is strange is I am eating way more protein and fiber that I use to. I believe that is the reason why I am having a hard time eating all my calories without forcing them down. I don't know if maybe I am burning more calories than I am thinking exercise wise and need even more and my body is trying to tell me that or what.