Anyone have a solution for late night hunger pains?

Hi all,
I generally finish my last meal around 8 or 8:30 pm. Two nights in a row, around 12:30am my stomach was rumbling. I drank water but that only delayed it for about 10 minutes. If I go to sleep like that I wake up with a bad headache. Any solutions?
Thanks in advance for your help.
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Replies

  • Oatmeal is amazingly filling. Have a little bowl of some oatmeal. (Not the instant kind though.)
    :)
    Do you like tea? Chamomile will sometimes do the trick. Having some hot tea in your stomach can be very filling and relaxing.
  • e46dude
    e46dude Posts: 15 Member
    I'm a night owl, so it's pretty common for me to eat my last meal at around 9pm and not go to bed until 2-3am. I really think the best way to avoid late night hunger is to eat a bigger dinner. Save enough calories during the day to have a nice satisfying dinner that won't leave you hungry in 2-3 hours.  On the rare occasion I do snack at night, it's normally something like string cheese, a piece of fruit or a trader joes fiberful granola bar. 
  • jo_marnes
    jo_marnes Posts: 1,601 Member
    I eat late - the majority of my daily calories are consumed after 8pm. Works for me. If you know you will be hungry late at night, eat to avoid it!
  • ImaVeryLuckyMan
    ImaVeryLuckyMan Posts: 8 Member
    Thank you all for your suggestions. I will give them a try!
  • ImaVeryLuckyMan
    ImaVeryLuckyMan Posts: 8 Member
    My wife grows her own Chamomile and I know we have some dried out, so I will give it a try too.
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
    Eat a bunch of Ambien at 6:00 PM. Make sure you have a ton of junk food in the fridge.

    Problem solved.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    Seems you have hundreds of calories remaining most days. Eat them.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Eat.

    Seriously though, if you are that hungry, it is likely real hunger and not boredom... You need to eat something.. Maybe a snack bar (south beach makes them @ about 100 calories so it will not set heavy)... Make sure it has a bit of nutrition in it... Are you getting enough calories during the day? if not, this could be the problem Best wishes in defeating this problem.
  • erikkasusann
    erikkasusann Posts: 104
    I've been struggling with this same thing. I'm a bit of an insomniac, & wandering to the fridge when I can't sleep is my biggest dieting challenge. Lately I've been doing the 5 small meals instead of 3 bigger ones thing & it seems to be helping with the late night cravings. It especially helps to have the last of the 5 later than my big dinner used to be. Good luck!!
  • I have noticed that Greek yogurt is very filling. Just get the 2% fat ones. its about 120 calories but i can eat that and have some water after and its like a meal for me. Hope that helps :)
  • Lolli1986
    Lolli1986 Posts: 500 Member
    Eat? Doesn't need to be much.
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
    Oh, yeah, I just scoped out your diary. Eat.

    There seems to be a common practice of people trying to eat way under their daily calorie goal and then congratulating themselves and others for being like 600 calories shy. You calorie goal is set specifically to meet your weight loss goal. You aren't doing yourself any huge favors by increasing that deficit by such a high number. Also, you are torturing yourself with this hunger thing.

    Going way under might even be detrimental to your weight loss.

    Google around for "eat more lose more".
  • ediesmommy
    ediesmommy Posts: 76
    When I was pregnant with my daughter, a 2am bowl of cream of wheat was my lifesaver. It filled me, was good for me (and her) and it seemed to be the only thing that I didn't lose due to morning sickness.
  • EmilyTwist1
    EmilyTwist1 Posts: 206 Member
    Eat something, ideally something that a little bit will make you feel full. When I get hungry at night, I usually go for peanut butter. A little bit of it makes me feel full. I usually eat something right before bed. When I sleep on an empty stomach I have really weird dreams about food, lol.
  • Elf_Princess1210
    Elf_Princess1210 Posts: 895 Member
    Greek yogurt is good
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,090 Member
    I like to have a big salad with some protein and cooked vegetables for dinner. I think it takes longer to digest and seems to last me through the night. A sweet potato is also very filling and healthy if you don't ad butter. I cut one up into potato logs and season with a salt free garlic seasoning mix.
  • LoFoSho100
    LoFoSho100 Posts: 66 Member
    I read somewhere that a good solution for late night hunger is a serving of deli meat; it is protein and a serving is usually under 100 calories. It was also suggested that you could wrap the meat around a stick of string cheese. :)
  • serentity78
    serentity78 Posts: 89 Member
    this hasnt happened to me this time but a few months back it was happening bad...those pains are awful! I would often drink like 1/2 glass choc milk as milk is filling to me...deli meat sounds like a good one too and lower in cals and sugar! Be sure your eating enough or maybe need more protein.
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    I shifted my meal pattern.
    Skip breakfast.
    Eat Lunch, Dinner and a late night snack before bed.
  • lilylight
    lilylight Posts: 128 Member
    I always make sure I have enough calories left over for an evening snack. A stick of string cheese and a glass of water works well for me. Or about 10 raw almonds. both of these around 80 calories.
  • I glanced at your diary...my guess is your body is reacting to the severe calorie restriction....you might want to consider eating closer to your recommended calorie goal. That being said here are the small snacks I go for at night if I'm too hungry to get to sleep.

    My night time go tos:

    -Fiber one Honey Squares 80 calories for 3/4 cup serving...I like it dry. It's sweet and crunchy
    -One part skim string cheese also about 80 calories
    -A couple of tablespoons of greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey or a small spoonful of all fruit preserves
    -half a cup of lowfat cottage cheese
    -2oz of home-roasted chicken or turkey if I have it.


    Most of these are under or around 100 calories. If I try to sleep when I'm hungry, I don't sleep well, so I eat a very little bit so I can get to or go back to sleep.
  • soulynyc
    soulynyc Posts: 302 Member
    eat your calories.. even if it's later. and if you have already eaten your calories then much on some veggies or make some tea or lemon juice (with steviana for sweetner).
  • Domi_BTGfit
    Domi_BTGfit Posts: 149
    Drink a protein shake before bed - it's better than most of your other options and you'll be full under breakfast :))

    Good luck!

    9912108.png
    Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
  • pennyrtyler
    pennyrtyler Posts: 79 Member
    Seems you have hundreds of calories remaining most days. Eat them.

    ^^I noticed that, too. If you're logging all of your food in your diary, you're simply not getting enough food during the day. Try adding some easy snacks into your day. I noticed that you prefer food that's already prepared. Try lowfat greek yogurt, hummus and pita bread, a can of low sodium soup, and of course, Mother Nature packages snacks, too: fruits and veggies are portable and relatively easy to grab and chew! :flowerforyou:
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Hell yes, eat more! There are a few days where you are subsisting on 800 or 900 calories - of course you are hungry!

    Eat all your calories and you probably won't be hungry. And you'll still lose weight. How good is that?
  • speechsteff
    speechsteff Posts: 21 Member
    Almonds!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Seems you have hundreds of calories remaining most days. Eat them.

    ^Agreed! The old adage about not eating after a certain time is BS. I always save a couple hundred cals for a late night snack. Nothing wrong with it, and I'm still losing weight.
  • greasygriddle_wechnage
    greasygriddle_wechnage Posts: 246 Member
    eat
  • Shayztar
    Shayztar Posts: 415 Member
    Try eating. Your food diary says you are not eating nearly enough. 800 cals? A teenage girl eats that on a bad day. You are a grown man. Eat the calories MFP give you, at the very least.
  • SPBROOKS68
    SPBROOKS68 Posts: 561 Member
    I drink a glass of milk - keeps me full and helps my blood sugar stay steady overnight.