Hungry every night!

lidanielson
lidanielson Posts: 5
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm finding nighttime to be a struggle in terms of hunger. A few hours after dinner, I'm usually starving again. In the past, I was eating at night, right up until bedtime. Some nights I'm about ready to naw my hand off! I have even been going to bed earlier, just so I don't eat. I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with nighttime hunger pangs?! Thank you :)
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Replies

  • RiverDancer68
    RiverDancer68 Posts: 221 Member
    I'd like to know that too!! I am the hungriest after 9pm. and usually will have a big bowl of cereal before I go to bed. Otherwise, I can't sleep because I am so hungry!
  • Swinter82
    Swinter82 Posts: 2 Member
    I hear ya on the eating cereal thing! Always crave cereal before bed. Have been trying to eat fruits instead so I don't go to bed hungry.
  • tabatham1982
    tabatham1982 Posts: 68 Member
    I'm in the same boat!! It's like I have dinner think I am doing good then hubby and daughter go to bed and I am starving! Really need some help getting this in control so I can get back on track!
  • pepin1224
    pepin1224 Posts: 21 Member
    Eat fruit, they are low calorie and are good for you.
  • JennJenn1211
    JennJenn1211 Posts: 8
    I am finding that I am not hungry at all because I exercise enough that I can add those exercise calories and it's alot!!

    If I didn't exercise I would only have 1550 calories to eat...I would be so hungry!! But I add 1 hour of cardio = 800+ calories = lots of food!!
    Some day's (like today) I couldn't eat enough and left 350 calories, never thought I would see that day:) I save those for my "cheat day"
  • thebrianmo
    thebrianmo Posts: 108
    Sometime after dinner and before bed have a light snack. Fruit is an excellent choice as it has fiber and helps you feel full. Also make sure you are drinking your 8 glasses of pure water each day. I say pure as in "straight" not tea or crystal light or anything like that. I've just learned to ignore feeling hungry if I've reached my calorie limit for the day.
  • hippietofugirl
    hippietofugirl Posts: 430
    I had the same problem but recently I've been making room in my calorie allowance to have a couple TBSP of peanut butter as a dessert for after dinner and it really keeps me full right up until bed time
  • uwdawg07
    uwdawg07 Posts: 372 Member
    I am the same way. I'm always hungry at night. I found what helps me is to eat smaller amounts during the day and save a lot of my calories for dinner (and I eat a later dinner) and a snack before bed. Drinking hot tea, or diet hot chocolate, helps as well.

    Sometimes brushing my teeth works because I feel all clean and minty and I don't want to eat.
  • tazzy_toon
    tazzy_toon Posts: 17 Member
    I eat every night before bed. Just something small, fruit doesn't help at all, leaves me hungry, so i eat a piece of rvita crispbread with a slice of cheese and a glass of water Honestly, if you haven't hit your calorie limit you can eat. Like previously stated, more excercise means you can eat a few more cals. So for more, healthy choices through out the day and exercise allows me to eat more and more often. (which I like) If I don't exercise I feel all depressed because I don't get to eat as much, so sad, but at least it motivates me to do more. LOL
  • volume77
    volume77 Posts: 670 Member
    mee too. i just save most of my calories for night and eat light during the day. works for me.
  • zozzabubba
    zozzabubba Posts: 137 Member
    I have the same thing, I prepare for it...always try to make sure I have about 200 cals still after dinner, so I can take a snack upstairs for right before bed - usually fruit and yogurt or a bit of cereal or sometimes a few squares of chocolate or a cookie or something...count it in your daily plan and have that snack without guilt :)
  • joshuamhort
    joshuamhort Posts: 81
    When I feel hungry before bed, I tend to go for vegetables. I prefer a stalk of celery with a touch of peanut butter, since that gives fiber plus protein. If I don't have celery, I go for broccoli. I try to stay away from fruits or anything with sugar because sugar just before bed tends to give me nightmares more frequently than I otherwise have them.
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
    I have fat free yoghurt. Maybe one. Maybe 2. I always have tons of fruit in the house. That way I don't feel guilty if I eat too much of it. Plus it fills you up I have chopped up fruit and natural yoghurt for breakfast most days and it is surprisingly filling (I'm used to enormous bowls of cereal) I do find the more fruit I eat the less I want to snack in the evening. Maybe it's because it's sweet and I have a mega sweet tooth and the fruit is managing my cravings! x
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    I eat around half of my calories between 7-8pm and that solves this problem for me. Exercise calories are a godsend. Why not take yourself out for a half hour walk after dinner to earn calories for a snack before bed? You may even find that reduces your appetite due to the distraction.
  • lidanielson
    lidanielson Posts: 5
    Thanks! I have gotten to the point many nights where I've reached my calories goal for the day and then I go for a long walk so I have more calories I can eat when I get back home :)
  • lidanielson
    lidanielson Posts: 5
    Thanks! I know what you mean, I'm starting to learn to ignore my hunger too. I used to always give in, but I'm getting better at it. Thanks for the reply!
  • nikkialbutg
    nikkialbutg Posts: 4
    hi there im new to this and wondering what are the best things to eat :)
  • Laurayinz
    Laurayinz Posts: 930 Member
    Or how about a 100-calorie bag of popcorn? easy on the butter and salt, of course. :wink:
  • NatsukoG
    NatsukoG Posts: 104
    Have you tried eating more during the day? Perhaps you are just hungry from not eating enough.

    If I lived on the 1200 calories MFP recommends for me, I'd be starving all the time so I eat more than this and I'm doing quite well with weight loss (down 70lbs in 5 months)

    For me, night time eating was a bad habit I fell into. I now try some sugar free gum when I get cravings at night but failing that I have a small handful of nuts or a tea spoon of peanut butter as it's satisfying without being too high in carbs.

    Best of luck x
  • katicasi82
    katicasi82 Posts: 121 Member
    chromium is supposed to help with cravings - blood sugar etc... that may help but I'd google it or something!
  • Chrabovecky
    Chrabovecky Posts: 3
    Today is day 3 and I'm struggling too with the same issue at night. During the day at work, I can control my eating. I like the suggestion about the 100 cal bag of popcorn.
  • ScubyUK
    ScubyUK Posts: 271 Member
    I used to have the same problem, have my evening meal around 7:30/8pm and then be hungry again around 10/10:30. My nutritionist advised me to add 20g of decent protein to my meal. Either a Steamed or Grilled Skinless Chicken Breast or Salmon Fillet.

    Bingo, no more cravings, and my weight loss increased too.
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
    Grab a snack before bed. Problem solved.
  • SickSkilz
    SickSkilz Posts: 40
    +1 on the peanut butter suggestion. Of course it always depends on your full lifestyle. Personally I have a very heavy workout from 9:00-10:30 at night. If I don't have protein before working out, I am very lethargic and starving afterwards. Sometimes I do 1 glass of milk and 1 spoon of peanut butter after working out. When I have particularly strong hunger pangs, I eat a bowl of oatmeal (1 cup oats + raisins, cinnamon,a nd splenda

    I think what is important is not to get to that point. If you eat dinner at 6:00 and are hungry at 9:00, make it a point to get a spoon of peanut butter or something similar at 8:00.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
    I find that if my dinner is a higher-fat/ protein meal (a good, healthy fat - omega-3 or medium chain fatty acid like coconut oil for cooking or olive oil as a dressing), I am completely full. Fats get a bad rap, but the right kinds at the right times in a reasonable amount can be a godsend.
  • gabi_ele
    gabi_ele Posts: 460 Member
    For me protein does the trick. My favorite snack at night is bing cherries and Greek yogurt. you can sweeten with a little bit of honey... delicious. Or if you are in the mood for something salty greek yogurt dip with veggies should help. To save all the calories until right before going to bed might not be the healthiest choice, it gives me indigestion and nightmares:huh:
  • KINGoftheBUFF
    KINGoftheBUFF Posts: 67 Member
    My professional oppinion is this:

    It is very good to have a light snack before bed. Make sure it is either a protein snack like several hard boiled egg whites or a piece of chicken. Casein works very well. The other option would be good fats like almonds. I also like to take my fish oil supplement before bed. Contrary to popular belief, a fat or protein snack before bed will keep your metabolism raised during sleep and you will not be hungry.

    Do not, I repeat do not, eat fruit or carbs before bed if your goal is weight loss. I have had clients gain weight just because they added fruit before bed. The sugars in fruit does not convert in the same way other carbs do. I can write volumes on this, but bottom line the sugars in fruit are stored in your liver, any excess beyond what your liver can hold will be converted to fat.
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 549 Member
    I always have two scoops of casein or about a cup of cottage cheese before bed, keeps the protein in the system overnight.

    I used to struggle with the same late night cravings the OP mentioned, my fix was keeping myself hydrated throughout the day. For me at least, that almost completely killed them. I still struggle with it sometimes because for years I would eat cookies or something before bed but once you break the habit for a while it's pretty easy to stick to it.
  • MandaLeigh123
    MandaLeigh123 Posts: 351 Member
    Regardless if I eat a lot during the day or a little, I am still hungry before bed. Because of that, I tend to save calories for that time of night.

    I am surprised to hear so many people eat fruit at night. The sugar in fruit does not help me get ready for bed, it winds me up!
  • NYChick84
    NYChick84 Posts: 331 Member
    chromium is supposed to help with cravings - blood sugar etc... that may help but I'd google it or something!

    Interesting suggestion. Do you take a pill for it?

    Make room for a snack. I work out (religiously - look at my diaries). ... I plan a snack every single day now. I also drink tea at night. Helps keep me full.

    What really helped me with my late night snacking and binge control is to pre-log my food for the following day. I see what I am allowing myself to eat, which in return helps me make wise decisions. I used to be big into fruit, til I revamped my macro's and now I eat only 28 grams of sugars a day. With fruit, stick to berries: blueberries, black berries, raspberries....it'll help keep the sugar content down (which in return could spark a binge for more sugar - which in return would send you searching for the cookies and chocolate). Mix it with greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Also, protein is key - the more protein you have, the less hungry you'll be. I try to hit at least 150 of protein a day. My goal is to hit 200 a day for protein. Lean meats, chicken and fish. :)

    I can't stress enough how water intake is SO important for help maintaining a balanced day. Lack of water could send you looking for more food. You need to learn the difference between hunger and dehydration. Since drinking nearly a gallon of water a day, I'm not nearly as hungry at night anymore.

    Remember that this is a journey, not a race. It's all about finding what works for you. I hope that this litle tibit helped somewhat. Please feel free to message me if you have any questions. :)

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