Is it okay to go to bed hungry?

Girlrose
Girlrose Posts: 127 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I last ate at 6:30 PM and I am now gearing up for bed at 11:40 PM having eaten nothing for several hours. Is the hungry feeling an indication of not eating enough today or is it only because I'm up too late?

Are late night snacks okay or will it cause me to gain?
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Replies

  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    If you have calories left...eat! Your body doesn't know what time it is...its hungry! Give it a sensible snack!
  • ericdcruz118
    ericdcruz118 Posts: 14 Member
    get something to eat..
  • jsjentz
    jsjentz Posts: 14 Member
    Interesting question. I always thought it was bad to eat before you go to bed??
  • kathleenjoyful
    kathleenjoyful Posts: 210 Member
    I can't sleep if I'm hungry and I can't sleep if I overeat. I always budget for snacks late in the evening into my calorie goal for the day.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    I eat. Just had 6 Who Nu? Vanilla wafers and hitting the sheets in 15 minutes.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I would eat. I don't care if I go over my calories, going to bed hungry SUCKS. Being miserable will greatly reduce the chances of long-term success too. If you're hungry now, imagine how you feel when you wake up at 4AM and now you're starving. Just eat a filling snack and be done with it (some protein works great for me).

    Edit: I just checked and you have a couple hundred calories left for the day (and yesterday). Just eat. You have the allowance, use it. Shouldn't even be a question.
  • dimam13
    dimam13 Posts: 35 Member
    Your body does know what time it is since you wake up and get tired around the same time! That said, being hungry is fine. There are programs which focus on fasting for 16 hours each day and your body can burn fat, too. You may prefer to space out your intake so your last meal/snack/item is closer to bed time. I ate whenever was convenient and was able to lose weight.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    I last ate at 6:30 PM and I am now gearing up for bed at 11:40 PM having eaten nothing for several hours. Is the hungry feeling an indication of not eating enough today or is it only because I'm up too late?

    Are late night snacks okay or will it cause me to gain?

    I think either is ok. It depends if you feel better just a tiny bit hungry, or if you really need to eat. I prefer being a bit hungry, because I practice IF and also believe that in certain cultures people believe that being hungry is just ten minutes away from dying of the famous starvation syndrome, while often, if one does the math, it is not possible to be hungry again after a few hours.. That of course does not apply to all people, but too many. I think many of us ( myself included ) often confuse psychological hunger with a real need to eat. But either way, if you have a snack right before retiring, you will not gain as long as you maintain a caloric deficit. Sweet dreams !
  • dimam13
    dimam13 Posts: 35 Member
    I would eat. I don't care if I go over my calories, going to bed hungry SUCKS. Being miserable will greatly reduce the chances of long-term success too. If you're hungry now, imagine how you feel when you wake up at 4AM and now you're starving. Just eat a filling snack and be done with it (some protein works great for me).

    Edit: I just checked and you have a couple hundred calories left for the day (and yesterday). Just eat. You have the allowance, use it. Shouldn't even be a question.

    Interesting advice. 1. If you go over your calories you enter the maintenance stage so you're no longer losing weight. This is like saying "who cares, eat the pizza if you want to because depriving your wants sucks" 2. Cardio, in the morning on an empty stomach, has shown over and over to burn more fat than at other times and other exercises. Specifically, high intensity interval training. You're hungry..so what? Some people max out their calories for the day early, suck it up and keep your eye on the goal!
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    going to bed hungry is a no-no. maybe once or twice a year is ok, but no more than that.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I think it's okay to have a small snack and it's okay to just go to bed (if you've already eaten enough for the day). But if you're worried that eating before bed will cause you to gain weight, it won't (unless you eat over maintenance).
  • LinkSatonaka
    LinkSatonaka Posts: 3
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.
    2. Moving around aids digestion, sleeping won't.
    3. If you're hungry (not starving) but going to bed soon, there is no reason to eat. If your body needs energy, it will take it from the energy reserves it has built up (your fat). If you're eating regularly and well, this doesn't hurt any. However....
    3.5 Note that starvation "diets" are not maintainable or healthy- I don't know the health specifics, but if you're starving yourself, your body basically goes into survival mode and the moment you do start eating regularly, your body will prioritize building up fat and you'll rapidly gain weight.

    That said, a having a healthy snack is insignificant in terms of gaining weight.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I would eat. I don't care if I go over my calories, going to bed hungry SUCKS. Being miserable will greatly reduce the chances of long-term success too. If you're hungry now, imagine how you feel when you wake up at 4AM and now you're starving. Just eat a filling snack and be done with it (some protein works great for me).

    Edit: I just checked and you have a couple hundred calories left for the day (and yesterday). Just eat. You have the allowance, use it. Shouldn't even be a question.

    Interesting advice. 1. If you go over your calories you enter the maintenance stage so you're no longer losing weight. This is like saying "who cares, eat the pizza if you want to because depriving your wants sucks" 2. Cardio, in the morning on an empty stomach, has shown over and over to burn more fat than at other times and other exercises. Specifically, high intensity interval training. You're hungry..so what? Some people max out their calories for the day early, suck it up and keep your eye on the goal!
    If you go over MFP's calorie goal for you, that does not mean you go over maintenance. It's likely that your maintenance amount is at least 500 calories more than the goal MFP sets for you.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.

    False.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I would eat. I don't care if I go over my calories, going to bed hungry SUCKS. Being miserable will greatly reduce the chances of long-term success too. If you're hungry now, imagine how you feel when you wake up at 4AM and now you're starving. Just eat a filling snack and be done with it (some protein works great for me).

    Edit: I just checked and you have a couple hundred calories left for the day (and yesterday). Just eat. You have the allowance, use it. Shouldn't even be a question.

    Interesting advice. 1. If you go over your calories you enter the maintenance stage so you're no longer losing weight. This is like saying "who cares, eat the pizza if you want to because depriving your wants sucks" 2. Cardio, in the morning on an empty stomach, has shown over and over to burn more fat than at other times and other exercises. Specifically, high intensity interval training. You're hungry..so what? Some people max out their calories for the day early, suck it up and keep your eye on the goal!

    she is under her calories.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    going to bed hungry is a no-no. maybe once or twice a year is ok, but no more than that.

    Just curious, not looking for drama/trouble......why ? Are you aware that about 40% of the world's population on any given night go to bed hungry and I have never seen a study that mentions it to be bad. I think it is bad if it is a way of life, but the occasional little bit hunger at night is not bad at all.
    Often if people are consistently hungry at night, even after a full dinner it is because they eat too many processed and refined calories. A little more quality protein or complex carbs, or better both at dinner will usually take care of the before bed munchies.
  • LinkSatonaka
    LinkSatonaka Posts: 3
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.

    False.

    Your post is useless without elaboration.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I often go to bed hungry. But with that said if you have calories and you want to eat then eat. The whole not eating after a certain time is total BS in my opinion.
  • Groovyca2022
    Groovyca2022 Posts: 21,378 Member
    Never...If i am hungry, I eat. Make good choices this is NOT a diet.
  • bubblygoldfish
    bubblygoldfish Posts: 213 Member
    Have a snack. It's okay. But i notice I get "cravings" if I stay up late too. I try to tamp these down with water and a light snack. If i know I'm going to stay up later, then I eat my dinner later to stop from feeling hungry! Hope it helps!
  • baileyaad
    baileyaad Posts: 19
    I'd have a snack. Going to bed hungry is the worst... whenever I do that I wake up absolutely starving.

    I actually make sure to save some calories for a late-night snack. I take my dogs for a walk around 10pm and I'm always a bit hungry when I get back.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.

    False.

    Your post is useless without elaboration.

    This myth has been busted at least 3 billion times on these forums alone. It's not even worth the time it takes to refute it again (and again, and again). It's not true, never has been true and a quick google search (or search of these forums) brings a wealth of information.
  • Ang108
    Ang108 Posts: 1,711 Member
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.


    If you are eating at a deficit that is not possible. The body can not distinguish between calories digested while waking and calories digested while sleeping, or the calories needed to just survive ( while sleeping ) and those used when doing other activities. Sorry, you are the victim of misinformation.
  • UmmaOfThree
    UmmaOfThree Posts: 31 Member
    I discovered that eating a few slices of watermelon works wonders for this.
  • laurenschultz96
    laurenschultz96 Posts: 7 Member
    I generally decide to snack depending on how many calories I have left, if any. I usually don't, so late night snacks aren't an option. I also find that when I go to sleep hungry, I wake up not hungry at all and eat less at breakfast than I would if I HAD snacked.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I would eat. I don't care if I go over my calories, going to bed hungry SUCKS. Being miserable will greatly reduce the chances of long-term success too. If you're hungry now, imagine how you feel when you wake up at 4AM and now you're starving. Just eat a filling snack and be done with it (some protein works great for me).

    Edit: I just checked and you have a couple hundred calories left for the day (and yesterday). Just eat. You have the allowance, use it. Shouldn't even be a question.

    Interesting advice. 1. If you go over your calories you enter the maintenance stage so you're no longer losing weight. This is like saying "who cares, eat the pizza if you want to because depriving your wants sucks" 2. Cardio, in the morning on an empty stomach, has shown over and over to burn more fat than at other times and other exercises. Specifically, high intensity interval training. You're hungry..so what? Some people max out their calories for the day early, suck it up and keep your eye on the goal!

    She has something like 250 calories left for the day to meet her goal. Maintenance is probably at least 500 more than that. She has plenty of buffer room. Starving yourself is a terrible idea. Long-term diet adherence is priority #1 and intentional suffering will cause even the strongest person to fail eventually. That's why I suggest eating. Even if she ate at maintenance, who cares? It's one day. Long-term adherence is all that matters. I've had many days where I ate at maintenance, probably one/two hundred. I've had probably another hundred where I ate over maintenance, sometimes to the tune of 1000, 2000, 3000 calories over maintenance. Still going strong (90lbs down) because I don't make myself suffer.

    I have no idea why you're talking about fasted cardio in the morning, it has nothing to do with the conversation. Doing fasted cardio is extremely overrated. The most ripped people I know don't even do any cardio at all, nevermind fasted cardio. Regardless, even if she eats right now then she will still be plenty fasted by morning after 6-8 hours of sleep. So it's pretty pointless to use that for any sort of talking point.
  • TheSlorax
    TheSlorax Posts: 2,401 Member
    I'm no professional, but here's my two cents.

    1. Eating immediately before bed doesn't give your body the chance to use the energy you just consumed, so it goes straight to energy storage... fat.

    False.

    Your post is useless without elaboration.

    This myth has been busted at least 3 billion times on these forums alone. It's not even worth the time it takes to refute it again (and again, and again). It's not true, never has been true and a quick google search (or search of these forums) brings a wealth of information.

    yup

    I think I'm gonna start telling people to not eat on their lunch break if they have a desk job. I'll say since they're sitting in a chair and not using their calories after they eat they're gonna get fat. Then when they tell me stop, you're being ridiculous, I'll just say that what's ridiculous is your logic for not eating before bed. Problem solved!
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
    going to bed hungry is a no-no. maybe once or twice a year is ok, but no more than that.

    Just curious, not looking for drama/trouble......why ? Are you aware that about 40% of the world's population on any given night go to bed hungry and I have never seen a study that mentions it to be bad. I think it is bad if it is a way of life, but the occasional little bit hunger at night is not bad at all.
    Often if people are consistently hungry at night, even after a full dinner it is because they eat too many processed and refined calories. A little more quality protein or complex carbs, or better both at dinner will usually take care of the before bed munchies.
    '

    This. Up the protein.
  • Kikilicious84
    Kikilicious84 Posts: 312
    The OP is probably sleep already... hahaha
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
    going to bed hungry is a no-no. maybe once or twice a year is ok, but no more than that.

    Just curious, not looking for drama/trouble......why ? Are you aware that about 40% of the world's population on any given night go to bed hungry and I have never seen a study that mentions it to be bad. I think it is bad if it is a way of life, but the occasional little bit hunger at night is not bad at all.
    Often if people are consistently hungry at night, even after a full dinner it is because they eat too many processed and refined calories. A little more quality protein or complex carbs, or better both at dinner will usually take care of the before bed munchies.

    I live in the first world. I was born into luxuries compared to a large percentage of the rest of the world. Luxuries which I take for granted. Having plenty of food in my house and eating it when I'm hungry is one of them. Going to bed hungry makes me sad. Being sad means not being at my best. I want to be at my best.

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