Why is this happening?

lizblizz2012

Here's my deal. I'm on a 1500/day calorie plan. I eat a healthy breakfast most days, have a light lunch around 1, some snacks in the afternoon, and then a wholesome homemade dinner when my husband gets home from work in the evenings around 8 pm. What I'm getting at is that I don't just eat 1500 calories worth of empty junk food. I eat good foods and I don't go long periods without eating.

So this is the problem. I'm fine all day, but then around 11 pm I am overcome with this insatiable hunger, an almost uncontrollable desire to stuff my face with everything under the sun. It feels like I haven't eaten in days. It happens every single night. I sometimes allow myself a snack because I hate going to bed hungry, but once I eat that first little snack, it's so hard to cut myself off because I am just SO HUNGRY.

This is what I'm looking for: Reasons this is happening, what I can change about my diet so that it doesn't happen as much, and what I can do when it does happen.

What I'm not looking for: "You're starving yourself, ahhhh!" Because no. If I eat much more than 1500, I WILL gain weight.

Thank you!

aprilnicole1987

I am actually trying to eat the same amount and feel the same way every night! I have been told go to sleep earlier and just try not to eat but it just does not work that way for me! I recently read that eating something a snack that has protein in it is suppose to make it easier but I don't know about that one. I have been trying to just snack on different fruits, pickles or some greek yogurt....although I would much rather have some chips and candy any day!!! It is just plain hard sometimes, but you can do it!!

Chief_Rocka

Try reducing calories during periods of the day when you're less hungry, and save those calories for a larger night time snack. You could, for example, skip breakfast and not eat until lunch time (which won't hurt you in anyway, contrary to the popular myth).

bronnyd

I'm not so sure there has to be a reason why it's happening. It sounds like you eat well and are eating whole nutritious foods. I think that everyone just has that time of day when they are hungriest - for example, I need to eat around 600 calories for breakfast to really feel satisfied and energized, while others can have a piece of toast and last until lunch at 1pm. On the flipside of that I eat a very light dinner around 5pm and then don't feel like eating for the rest of the evening. It may just be your body's "clock".

Something that helps me on occasions when I DO start to feel hungry in the evening is I will make myself a cup of herbal tea. No calories but the warmth and the flavour make me feel like I am snacking on something.

You could also save a few calories and have a few bites of yogurt or something like that at 11pm. Won't do much damage to your 1500 calorie plan but I find that a few bites of yogurt coats the stomach enough to stop the growling.

bcattoes

It's surely psychological so you might just need to try some tricks. Have a low calorie drink (a hot cup of tea, cup of almond milk,etc) and then brush your teeth. Maybe eat dinner an hour later. Tell yourself you can only eat 100 calories for every 50 jumping jacks you do (you'll soon be too tired to eat).

mariabee

I hear you OP - but my problem is weekends. I eat very well during the week, then subconsciously I think that I can treat myself all weekend because I work out a lot and eat well, and what I binge on is garbage... sugar, tons and tons of sugar comprised of little kids' candies such as gummies and jujubes - like, how old am I? And the older I get, the worse my sweet tooth gets. Surely this is why I've plateaued.

Anyways, someone here mentioned brushing your teeth after dinner, or eat dinner much later. I think those are great ideas for you. I may be lucky because I personally hate the feeling of going to bed full, but if you can handle it, just eat dinner at like 8:30 or 9.

Good luck

:happy:

reagentmel

Someone suggested a protein snack, this may help, but you might also want to look at what you're eating for dinner. Some people are more sensitive to carbs, and if you're eating a carb heavy dinner, this might set up the hunger feeling later on. Try to keep the carbs light at dinner, or balance with protein (max 30 carbs with 7 to 14 grams of protein) and see if that changes things at all (source for carb ratios is "The Insulin Resistance Diet" book, which I recently read and am implementing with my own plan, it has helped me a lot!).

stephanie1133

Try reducing calories during periods of the day when you're less hungry, and save those calories for a larger night time snack. You could, for example, skip breakfast and not eat until lunch time (which won't hurt you in anyway, contrary to the popular myth).

This is a good idea!

I am the opposite though, I can't stand going to bed full. If it were me I'd just tough it out and go to bed. BUT if you really need to eat, just plan for those calories!

lizblizz2012

Thanks guys! I will try your suggestions!

renatte68

Ice cold water will take hunger pains away and fill up your stomach a little. And a flavored rice cake will expand and also fill you up too.

Not sure why it happens. Happens to me too. I've taken some of the advice that you got here. I'm restricting during the day as much as I can to just have energy and then allowing myself more freedom at night. I could do better at my nighttime choices, but I would rather not feel guilty.

meeper123

Maybe have some peppermint tea and try going to bed earlier? Peppermint has a chemical in iathat tells your brain ok stop eating. That is why they give you pepperments after you eat i know i watch to much doctor oz but it helps

skcanna1

How intense are your work-outs? Maybe the simplest answer is you need more calories to support how active you are. Perhaps you need more protein, more water, "cleaner" foods so you can eat more volume, etc. If you body is truly genuinely hungry, don't ignore it. That's just not a healthy lifestyle. If you're bored or just want to fight cravings, that's another issue entirely.

msbunnie68

What time to you go to bed? If you are a night owl then the 11pm munchies might be how your body clock is wired.. your body may view breakfast as a 'snack' lunch as breakfast, dinner as lunch.... get my drift?

Try to pre-plan for the 11 o'clock munchies. You should have room to move in a 1500 calorie cap. Borrow some cals from breakfast (make your serve smaller/different food), lunch (slightly smaller/save 100 cals) and dinner (again try to borrow 100 cals from what you have been eating) and suddenly you have a decent amount of cals for a good filling snack. Maybe add it as a mealtime in your diary so you plan it as you do your food diary.

For the snack pre-plan earlier in the day what it will be - maybe a nibble plate that has a bit of different things for you to graze on that fits into the saved calorie cap and fills you enough to stay away from the candy jar.

LPCoder

I took the time to look at your profile. You are 20 year old and your circadian clock is most active in the evening and most sluggish in the mornings. You might try altering when you eat. Try a sugar-free protein shake in the morning (Like Jay Robb) and then eat a bit later in the day. Also, if you want to hold off hunger pangs, the protein shake blended with a bit of fresh fruit might do the trick. The fact is, at your age, your body likes to be awake at this time and it wants fuel.

Here is a copy of the conclusion in a study on the circadian clock and metabolism:
"Advances in genetic studies of circadian rhythms have led to the recognition that the circadian system is tightly coupled with processes controlling both sleep and metabolism. These dynamic interactions ensure that energy metabolism is coordinated in a proper temporal pattern and that circadian control is also subject to modulation by the energy status of the organism. Disruption of either the circadian clock or metabolism can lead to derangement of the other, thus predisposing to metabolic disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Future research will continue to focus on expanding our understanding of how brain and peripheral clocks coordinately regulate metabolic processes at both the cell-autonomous and non-autonomous level, how nutrient flux translates information regarding environmental milieu to the clock, and the impact of circadian rhythms in human health and disease."

Since people you age are active at 11:00 pm, your body sends signals to fuel your body. I am guessing that you are not as hungry before 10:00 in the morning, but eat anyway because it is "time" to eat. Try delaying your eating times.

Hope this helps!

mgobluetx12

Maybe have some peppermint tea and try going to bed earlier? Peppermint has a chemical in iathat tells your brain ok stop eating. That is why they give you pepperments after you eat i know i watch to much doctor oz but it helps

Restaurants have peppermints for after you eat so your breath doesn't smell.

saravsally

maybe save some calories for a couple of adult friendly nightcaps??