awake and hungry

iceey
iceey Posts: 354 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So it's 4:30am and I just woke up from a dream (topic not important). But now I'm wide awake and hungry! Can/should I eat? This happens alot. I'm always hungry almost immediately when I wake up in the morning, but even sometimes late at night right before bed.

Replies

  • jumpingsquare
    jumpingsquare Posts: 10 Member
    I don't have any advice for you, but i can at least let you know you aren't the only one up at 430 and hungry. Both my wife and I are up with a sick 1.5 year old and despite the smell of half digested hot dogs permeating the air, im still super hungry.
  • Ejwelton
    Ejwelton Posts: 331 Member
    Would a glass of water help?
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    You can absolutely eat. Just make sure to log it and count it towards your target. When you eat during the day has no impact on your metabolism or your weight loss.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    If you're hungry and you have the calories, then eat! It doesn't matter what time of day it is!
  • spamantha57
    spamantha57 Posts: 674 Member
    I'm the kind of person who can't go to sleep hungry, so I have my "4th meal" after midnight & plan for that. But if you're randomly hungry & just want a little something to hold you over, some things I like to have that are all between 70 - 140 calorie snacks: hard boiled egg, yogurt, toast (with jam or butter), fiber bars... :)
  • zechks
    zechks Posts: 224
    So it's 4:30am and I just woke up from a dream (topic not important). But now I'm wide awake and hungry! Can/should I eat? This happens alot. I'm always hungry almost immediately when I wake up in the morning, but even sometimes late at night right before bed.

    If you're not eating enough, then you'll be hungry.. This was my problem too, I get hungry all the time, and it sucks when you can't eat.. Have you tried IF? It's making wonders for me, I don't get hungry at night, and I only eat 2 meals.. 2 big satisfying meals (60% of total calories are consumed post workout), so I don't have to nibble small food portions all the time like a rabbit (like I used to before I switched to IF) This stuff works, you should try it. :)
  • nezsorou
    nezsorou Posts: 51
    I think if you're hungry EAT. Just count it toward your calories. I can't sleep if I'm hungry, I'll usually just have a small snack and get back to bed.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    I have found that protein really really helps with hunger... it has totally changed everything for me in just the last couple of days! So try exercising in the afternoon and having a protein shake after that, and be sure to also have protein with dinner (fish/chicken is best). You will be amazed how much it helps. I had just accepted that I am ALWAYS hungry and ALWAYS want to snack, but it was just my body screaming out for protein!

    Give it a try :)

    Jess

    p.s. it's good to have a protein shake in the morning too, I get about 35g of protein at breakfast with the shake/egg/chia/rice and find it gets me through 5 hours (used to be hungry after only 2 or maybe 3 if I was lucky).
  • iceey
    iceey Posts: 354 Member
    I think not enough protein may be the culprit as you mentioned. I was high on calories today so I opted for a light dinner. Thus probably the hunger now. And I do usually have a protein shake in the morning.

    If I'm regularly hungry does that mean I'm under-eating?
  • iceey
    iceey Posts: 354 Member
    So it's 4:30am and I just woke up from a dream (topic not important). But now I'm wide awake and hungry! Can/should I eat? This happens alot. I'm always hungry almost immediately when I wake up in the morning, but even sometimes late at night right before bed.

    If you're not eating enough, then you'll be hungry.. This was my problem too, I get hungry all the time, and it sucks when you can't eat.. Have you tried IF? It's making wonders for me, I don't get hungry at night, and I only eat 2 meals.. 2 big satisfying meals (60% of total calories are consumed post workout), so I don't have to nibble small food portions all the time like a rabbit (like I used to before I switched to IF) This stuff works, you should try it. :)

    What's IF?
  • nextrightthing
    nextrightthing Posts: 408 Member
    I am also wide awake and hungry. I am also going to bite,,,,, what is IF? Is that intermittent fasting?
  • jr309
    jr309 Posts: 1
    This late myself I will have something with some protein and low on the carbs if i plan on going to bed soon
  • Sharkington
    Sharkington Posts: 485
    Well, if you ate a lighter dinner than usual, then like you said, that's probably the reason why you are hungry now - since so much time has passed since your body last had food. I think it's totally okay to eat something right now; just count it towards your daily calories, as others have mentioned. No biggie. Enjoy your pre-breakfast snack! :flowerforyou:
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    I think not enough protein may be the culprit as you mentioned. I was high on calories today so I opted for a light dinner. Thus probably the hunger now. And I do usually have a protein shake in the morning.

    If I'm regularly hungry does that mean I'm under-eating?

    It could mean that, though it's hard to tell since most people have messed up hunger signals by the time they show up here. Do you know what your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is?

    Basically, everyone knows that you have to eat less than you burn (your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE) in order to lose weight. However, there is a minimum calorie intake that is necessary to ensure good health, and that is your BMR. The reason is that your BMR calories go towards just keeping your body alive. They are the ones that get used by your heart, your brain, your lungs, your bones, your digestive tract, etc.

    If your weight loss goal has you eating below BMR on a regular basis, you are trying to lose weight too quickly. :ohwell:
  • iceey
    iceey Posts: 354 Member
    I think not enough protein may be the culprit as you mentioned. I was high on calories today so I opted for a light dinner. Thus probably the hunger now. And I do usually have a protein shake in the morning.

    If I'm regularly hungry does that mean I'm under-eating?

    It could mean that, though it's hard to tell since most people have messed up hunger signals by the time they show up here. Do you know what your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is?

    Basically, everyone knows that you have to eat less than you burn (your total daily energy expenditure, or TDEE) in order to lose weight. However, there is a minimum calorie intake that is necessary to ensure good health, and that is your BMR. The reason is that your BMR calories go towards just keeping your body alive. They are the ones that get used by your heart, your brain, your lungs, your bones, your digestive tract, etc.

    If your weight loss goal has you eating below BMR on a regular basis, you are trying to lose weight too quickly. :ohwell:

    BMR is about 1360 and TDEE is 2120. I set my daily goals at 1350 and eat back my exercise calories.
  • SaraBrown12
    SaraBrown12 Posts: 277 Member
    I would be inclined to go for fruit. An apple maybe? banana?
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I normally wake up 'hungry' in the morning, and then I have my morning coffee and a glass of water and find I'm actually just thirsty.

    That being said, it doesn't matter what time you eat, so if you want to, go ahead, just make sure you log it.
  • iceey
    iceey Posts: 354 Member
    I normally wake up 'hungry' in the morning, and then I have my morning coffee and a glass of water and find I'm actually just thirsty.

    That being said, it doesn't matter what time you eat, so if you want to, go ahead, just make sure you log it.

    So middle of the night calories aren't free? That's so unfair! :laugh:
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    I normally wake up 'hungry' in the morning, and then I have my morning coffee and a glass of water and find I'm actually just thirsty.

    That being said, it doesn't matter what time you eat, so if you want to, go ahead, just make sure you log it.

    So middle of the night calories aren't free? That's so unfair! :laugh:

    You laugh, the amount of times I've got up because I can't sleep, had a snack and forgotten to log it. :laugh:
  • Faded_Memories
    Faded_Memories Posts: 37
    I normally wake up 'hungry' in the morning, and then I have my morning coffee and a glass of water and find I'm actually just thirsty.

    That being said, it doesn't matter what time you eat, so if you want to, go ahead, just make sure you log it.

    So middle of the night calories aren't free? That's so unfair! :laugh:

    If they were, I'd make it a point to wake up in the middle of the night and raid my fridge :D
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    I buy 35 calorie 0% fat yogurts and keep them for the times I want something to eat but not blow a lot of calories. Tummy gets food, mouth is happy and I've only used 35 calories.
  • StrawberryThief
    StrawberryThief Posts: 115
    You're not getting enough protein! MFP is pretty low on the protein allowance so you should hit the target or even go over it. Anything less is not enough.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    Yes I aim for 100g protein a day. Go for 35 at breakfast, another 15 straight after workout (shake) + 20 at lunch and 20 at dinner and mixed up in snacks (at least, I try my best!).

    Also yeah, if you aren't drinking a lot of fluids that is likely your culprit. I used to eat SO MUCH MORE than I do now (I am talking only 3 weeks ago) however now I find I go grocery shopping and over-buy all the time, it's horrible! Your body needs to adjust to the decrease in calories, and you need to be sure to keep the fluids up. In Western culture we are so overfed, it's ridiculous. I look at my 5"10" boyfriend (here in Japan so yes he is Japanese) who is slim and very healthy, and he rarely eats more than I do... only sometimes now that I am on 1200. Yes, a healthy, strong guy on about 1500 who is full of energy and rides a bicycle everywhere. I still can't stomach the fermented soybeans and raw egg on rice for breakfast though!

    It's simply what stupid Western culture stipulates, the ridiculous 'healthy' cereals, focus on carbs (yuck to wheat) and 1000+ calorie servings at restaurants that has caused so much difficulty... /endrant

    Just keep working at it, and you'll find things improve. Your brain will retrain itself in time :)

    edit: spelling

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