I keep waking up hungry!

BrookieHatesCookies

If I don't eat wayyy over my daily allotted calories I always wake up at around 1-3am feeling starved. No matter what I eat I always wake up at that time! I've been on about a 1200 calorie diet.

I've been having trouble sleeping since quitting smoking weed. The exercise does help, as I run about 3.5 miles 5 days a week.

I've tried taking lots of melatonin and tylenol pm to stay asleep but I almost always wake up anyways. This has never happened to me when I smoked weed and it almost made losing weight easier.

It's throwing my diet out of whack and making losing just 7 lbs a living hell for me. I've been recovered from anorexia for quite some time now but I feel disgusting at this weight, like I can't stand the sight of myself.

It makes me hate myself to feel like I can't do this, it just feels so stupid!


What should I do??

bajoyba

It's hard to say without knowing your stats or seeing your diary. How did you come up with 1200 calories? And are you eating your exercise calories back?

If you're actually waking up in the middle of the night because you're so hungry, your body is probably trying to tell you that it needs more food.

BrookieHatesCookies

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

Hbazzell

Hey guys. You are not eating enough. Here is a link that may help you. It is long but important info. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937709-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

Jessi_Brooks

Keep smoking weed then?


edit. I just read about the anorexia. Why are you trying to lose weight? Those 7 lbs are probably all in your head.

WendyTerry420

Eat more. Smoke more. Problem solved.

WendyTerry420

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

You probably don't need to lose anymore. Eat at maintenance; go back to smoking; lift weights.

lmelangley

Plan your food so that you can have some protein and some fiber right before you go to bed. Nothing too big - a hard boiled egg on a whole wheat piece of toast, maybe. Anything, really, as long as it's heavy protein and heavy fiber. Both things take a while to digest, so I'm thinking they'll help you sleep through the night. Worth a shot. And, if you plan your calories throughout the day, you should have enough for nighttime. Don't drop under 1200 calories, though. That'll make it that much rougher.

peggysue218

I go to bed starving to death and I just deal with it. Growling stomach does not mean you HAVE to eat. Just sleep it off.

Joehenny

Damn, Elliot Hussle had a vid about this too. I forgot the name, will link you if I remember.

bajoyba

MFP will assign 1200 calories if you don't have much to lose and plug in an aggressive weekly weight loss goal. It does this simply because it goes by the information you give it and will not assign a calorie goal any lower than 1200 for liability reasons. MFP is also designed for you to net your calorie goal and eat back your exercise calories.

Even though you're small, 1200 calories still may not be enough for you. With only 7 pounds to lose, your weekly weight loss goal should be half a pound per week.

But since you've suffered from an eating disorder in the past, your metabolism may be different than it otherwise would be. A doctor would definitely be able to better assess your metabolic needs and give you a better idea of what your goals should be.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

You probably don't need to lose anymore. Eat at maintenance; go back to smoking; lift weights.

This but without drugs. Marijuana raises that evil little hormone called estrogen. Estrogen = bad. Lift and eat. No drugs.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I go to bed starving to death and I just deal with it. Growling stomach does not mean you HAVE to eat. Just sleep it off.

Hmmm I don't think it's wise to tell someone recovering from an eating disorder that being hungry doesn't mean she has to eat. Just sayin'.

Graelwyn75

Eat more, starvation causes insomnia in many cases, especially in females. Forget this magic number, you clearly need to be working on what is going on in your head, not your body. And you will not feel like a fitness model doing what you are doing. They are not on 1200 calorie diets, I can assure you. They work on body fat and muscle, over weight loss.

Athijade

I go to bed starving to death and I just deal with it. Growling stomach does not mean you HAVE to eat. Just sleep it off.

Why would you go to bed starving? Why would you not just save a few calories for later at night and have a snack? It doesn't make you fat to eat at night.

Graelwyn75

I go to bed starving to death and I just deal with it. Growling stomach does not mean you HAVE to eat. Just sleep it off.

Stupid advice for anyone, let alone someone with a history of eating disorders. Seriously. And a growling stomach should not be ignored as that usually is a sign of genuine hunger.

lovemitch125

I'd say up your calories to 1500 or 1600 and use those extra cals for at night. Usually I'm opposed to eating so late, but I think you'll be fine, I would never say go back to smoking, but to put me to sleep all night, sometimes I used to do my workout later a night so it would tire me out. I'd sleep through the whole night

ContraryMaryMary

Sometimes I wake up hungry in the middle of the night and its enough to stop me falling back to sleep. My solution, a small glass of milk - fills you up enough to get you through the rest of the night, not huge in calories and has the added bonus of making you sleepy.

Graelwyn75

Fact is. If people are waking up as a result of hunger, common sense dictates they are doing something wrong. Lack of sleep and interrupted sleep can impact weight loss negatively also. I have some greek yoghurt and a piece of fruit with a low calorie hot chocolate before bed.

Maridonna

Hi there, I am by NO means an expert. I am just a Zumba instructor who teaches 8 classes a week. I never weight myself, and if I do, I just shrug it off. It's just a waste of time to get on the scale..
The Body Mass Index (fat vs lean body mass=muscles) is the only thing I care about. I'm at 18% (low) and you know what? I am 5'1" and weigh 125 lb. I am a size 4 and I love it. My students ask me WHAT DO I DO to have such a great body.

Your 107 lbs are worrisome. Your starvation is scary. I would like to know... how on earth do you have energy to run 3.5 miles almost daily?? With so little calories (my intake is minimum 1400/day) there is NO WAY you will EVER lose weight.

I am a certified group exercise Aerobics instructor by the American Fitness Aerobics Association. I studied nutrition, physiology, anatomy, among other topics. I can ASSURE you, that you are NOT losing fat when you are doing what you are doing. Your body is in a state of catabolism (google that) so very soon, everyone who is starving AND depriving themselves will eventually give up.

And you know why? Because your body is not damn. We are programmed by nature to survive. I would strongly encourage you to seek professional help. Good luck and blessings to you. Trust me, the route to successful weight loss is not THAT hard.

The MORE YOU EAT THE MORE YOU'LL LOSE-- of course, given you exercise.

Best wishes again.

KaraAlste

Hope you feel better soon. You may be having a relapse of anorexia. I think you should ralley up your support team. Like whoever helped you the first time. Call them up and tell them what's going on or find someone you really trust because I'm hearing some red flags in your post. Take care!!

beyondjupiter

Hi there, I am by NO means an expert. I am just a Zumba instructor who teaches 8 classes a week. I never weight myself, and if I do, I just shrug it off. It's just a waste of time to get on the scale..
The Body Mass Index (fat vs lean body mass=muscles) is the only thing I care about. I'm at 18% (low) and you know what? I am 5'1" and weigh 125 lb. I am a size 4 and I love it. My students ask me WHAT DO I DO to have such a great body.

Your 107 lbs are worrisome. Your starvation is scary. I would like to know... how on earth do you have energy to run 3.5 miles almost daily?? With so little calories (my intake is minimum 1400/day) there is NO WAY you will EVER lose weight.

I am a certified group exercise Aerobics instructor by the American Fitness Aerobics Association. I studied nutrition, physiology, anatomy, among other topics. I can ASSURE you, that you are NOT losing fat when you are doing what you are doing. Your body is in a state of catabolism (google that) so very soon, everyone who is starving AND depriving themselves will eventually give up.

And you know why? Because your body is not damn. We are programmed by nature to survive. I would strongly encourage you to seek professional help. Good luck and blessings to you. Trust me, the route to successful weight loss is not THAT hard.

The MORE YOU EAT THE MORE YOU'LL LOSE-- of course, given you exercise.

Best wishes again.

I completely agree with this. Your body is in starvation mode. You need to recover. I used to starve myself in my teens and I always noticed when I stopped and started eating normally again, I'd lose weight. It is like your body is saying "WHEW! We're not dying. We have food. Call the troops back".

Considering your height and weight I would consider some therapy. In all seriousness here. You are technically underweight. If you want to build muscle, more power to you, but it sounds like you may still have some body body dysmorphic issues if you think you need to lose 7 lbs. Please find a counselor that specializes in eating disorders.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

ajhugz

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

You probably don't need to lose anymore. Eat at maintenance; go back to smoking; lift weights.

This but without drugs. Marijuana raises that evil little hormone called estrogen. Estrogen = bad. Lift and eat. No drugs.

Do you have proof of marijuana raising estrogen? I got my hormones tested for other reasons and everything was fine. I've never heard of this. Estrogen is not bad.

Palrn

Protein is the key. Have some protein before you go to sleep, if you do a carb, the blood sugar will spike and then drop and you will be hungry. But I agree with another poster which is that this seems to a much different issue than waking at night hungry. Are you sure you are not depressed? Eating disorders are nothing to fool around with, I, as a nurse have seen several deaths of young people. Make sure you are not falling into old patterns. You need to work with a professional to manage your weight.

BrookieHatesCookies

Plan your food so that you can have some protein and some fiber right before you go to bed. Nothing too big - a hard boiled egg on a whole wheat piece of toast, maybe. Anything, really, as long as it's heavy protein and heavy fiber. Both things take a while to digest, so I'm thinking they'll help you sleep through the night. Worth a shot. And, if you plan your calories throughout the day, you should have enough for nighttime. Don't drop under 1200 calories, though. That'll make it that much rougher.

That's a good idea, combining the fiber and protein! Because when I do wake up I usually stick to only 1 or 2 small items high in fat because that's what I'm craving at the time. Usually ice cream or dairy. But maybe eating that right before bed should help.

TheRealParisLove

How long were you a pot smoker? If you have been using for longer than a few months, then it may take you a while to feel "normal" again. I was a regular smoker for about 10 years, and it took me several tries to quit completely. At first it was no big, but food tasted bland and I just didn't feel like I could get enough to eat. I had weird sleep patterns, sometimes sleeping 4 hours in the afternoon and 4 hours at night. I gained weight. I was grumpy. It was like constant PMS, for months on end.

I noticed that I felt much, much better somewhere around the 4 months post-quitting time frame. I don't know if it is true or not, but I think maybe long term use subtly alters brain chemistry and it takes a while to get back to normal once you quit.

It will get better, you just have to push through. Oh, and quit taking the tylenol pm. It actually makes sleeplessness from withdrawals worse, not better. Melatonin is good, as is exercise. Good luck and hang in there. You've begun this journey, may as well keep going!

WendyTerry420

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

You probably don't need to lose anymore. Eat at maintenance; go back to smoking; lift weights.

This but without drugs. Marijuana raises that evil little hormone called estrogen. Estrogen = bad. Lift and eat. No drugs.

Gotta love drug war fear-mongering. :laugh:

WendyTerry420

The fitness calculator on here came up with 1200 calories for me! But that is even a little bit higher than I usually eat when I'm trying to lose. I'm 5' even and 107 lb.

You probably don't need to lose anymore. Eat at maintenance; go back to smoking; lift weights.

This but without drugs. Marijuana raises that evil little hormone called estrogen. Estrogen = bad. Lift and eat. No drugs.

Do you have proof of marijuana raising estrogen? I got my hormones tested for other reasons and everything was fine. I've never heard of this. Estrogen is not bad.

Yes, didn't you know? It also makes jazz musicians rape white women. It was in all the papers.


:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

BrookieHatesCookies

Protein is the key. Have some protein before you go to sleep, if you do a carb, the blood sugar will spike and then drop and you will be hungry. But I agree with another poster which is that this seems to a much different issue than waking at night hungry. Are you sure you are not depressed? Eating disorders are nothing to fool around with, I, as a nurse have seen several deaths of young people. Make sure you are not falling into old patterns. You need to work with a professional to manage your weight.

I don't know if depression would have very much impact on my sleeping patterns right now. I think it may be more to do with anxiety or nervousness rather than depression. Thank you, I think addressing the underlying issues may be more help than I think.

TR0berts

A) Eat more.

Eat something later.

C) Combine A and B so that you eat at least some of your additional food a little (about an hour would probably be good) before bed.

doubleduofa

MFP will assgnes 1200 NET calories - they put a * near that number and define NET as total cals - exercise cals. So if you eat 1200, you should eat your execise cals back (or about 1/2 to 3/4 of most MFP estimates of calories burned).

OP - when do you eat dinner? Is it really early? I think it is best to eat a protein/fat snack (low to no carb) before you for to bed or eat your dinner a little later (7pm?). Snacks - cheese is a good choice - also nuts or a small salad with chicken. Not a big meal, because that might inhibit sleep (it does for me). I personally wouldn't eat the carbs because of the reading that I've done.

Also, melatonin does work, but you must have a completely dark and quiet room. I take it, then shut off all the lights/TV/Computer. I am trying to start shutting all of those down about an hour before bed, but that's not always eay to do. Anyway, practice good sleep habits and that should help.