10 pm and hungry
alexanderhoofie
Posts: 9
I've been trying to stay around 1500 calories per day, and I always end up hungry in the evening. The last two nights I've nibbled at stuff (bringing me over 1500), and I ended up annoyed at myself. I actually feel hungry, I'm not just bored either. My BMR is around 1500, and somewhere my TDEE was calculated at 1800 (I told it I'm sedentary, which I pretty much am). Should I eat something or just try to sleep early so I'm not obsessing about eating?
I'm getting really frustrated.
I'm getting really frustrated.
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Replies
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do you eat a big breakfast? try eating a large breakfast and smaller lunch and dinner (being the smallest) and eat 2-3 healthy snacks in the day like fruit and veggies. make sure your breakfast is filled with protein and you should find you won't be hungry! if you're eating a lot of protein (not what MFP suggests, their macro percents are totally wrong) then you should feel full all day.0
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I am doing 1500 calories a day, eating a meal/snack every 3 hours and reaching the water requirements. I find it is difficult for me to eat my 1500 calories. Sometimes I find I am kind of making myself eat even though I am not hungry. I would suggest you look at how many calories you are allotting to your meals. You should try cutting down on those so you have calories left for the evening. I do 300 a meal/snack. I plan my meals in the morning for the day, so I know if I want a 400 calorie lunch, I usually grab calories from the snack, but I never eliminate a 3 hr. eating time. I also find that spacing out the water helps keep me full in between meals. Finally, are you eating protein at every meal? Protein will help keep you fuller longer. I do hamburger, chicken, eggs etc, try and put one in each meal. Sounds like you may just need to look at what you are eating.0
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Timing and what I eat I'm sure is the issue. I've admittedly been living off PBJ and Raisin Bran lately lol I don't like preparing food. I also stress over what to eat based on calories etc. It annoys and stresses me out more than it should. Learning curve I guess...0
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Go to sleep!0
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Timing and what I eat I'm sure is the issue. I've admittedly been living off PBJ and Raisin Bran lately lol I don't like preparing food. I also stress over what to eat based on calories etc. It annoys and stresses me out more than it should. Learning curve I guess...
Couldn't you plan out most of your calories the previous day & then either prepare some of the easier foods that same night or prepare them earlier the next day?0 -
Yeah, I think you're right. A little planning and a little better-quality food will probably be the answers for this problem. Once you're in the habit, I think you'll definitely find it to be worth it.
Also, not stressing/obsessing over small overages, etc. You've lost almost 40 pounds - not something to beat yourself up over!0 -
One thing I learned as I spent more time on MFP is that prepared meals do tend to fill you up more. If you find more filling snacks and meals it does help. A couple things I like are Cottage Cheese (with fruit or there are tons of ways to eat it, google is your friend) and raw unsalted almonds are filling also. As someone else mentioned, more protein will tend to keep you satisfied longer.0
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Take a 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar, it curbs hunger.0
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When this happens to me, I drink a big 16oz glass of water with a little squeeze of crystal light liquid (the strawberry lemonade and blueberry raspberry are both very good.) Sometimes a cheese stick helps-a little protein and fat, with only 50 calories. Herbal tea is good to sip on as well. Then go to bed and try not to think about food again till tomorrow. Better food prep and choices besides cereal (Raisin Bran is very calorie dense) would also help. Think produce section plus lean protein.0
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I can understand to a point the PBJ and raisin bran being easy ( I am somewhat of what I call a repetitive eater but I have a pretty extensive list of choices to choose from) but I little planning and learning to add over time more food choice in the end will be a better approach to long term sustainability. If you are logging everything daily, consistently then you will learn to manage your calories over the course of the day and like me intentionally save calories for bedtime because I do not like to go to bed hungry. I sleep better on a settled stomach. Best of Luck0
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Go to sleep!
What I was thinking, too.
OP, can't you customize your own min calories/goals?0 -
I eat dinner early so I tend to get hungry at night too. For me, it's logical because (even when I eat protein) I get hungry every 2-3 hours. So of course I am hungry if it's 10m--it's been five hours since I last ate. So I'm trying to combat this by eating a small protein mini-meal of 100-200 calories at night. It does help. Sometimes light popcorn works but sometimes it doesn't. I can't sleep if I am hungry. Maybe saving calories at the end of the day will help you at night. There is NOTHING worse than being biting-your-fingernails hungry and your body is obviously needing sustenance at that time. I don't see anything wrong with that as long as you plan for it and make good choices for yourself.0
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Thanks for all your replies, y'all. I honestly do NOT like cooking at all, and have to force myself to prepare anything that takes longer than 5-10 minutes. I know I'm going to have to get over this though. We're also 9 days out from moving into a new place, so much chaos is happening.
I have customized my calorie goals, but I keep going back and forth between what I think will actually work. The 40 lbs I lost came off pretty easy over the course of a year because of some medication changes, but I still need/want to lose about 25 more. Most of this is I'm sure psychological, because I feel like being "allowed" to eat 1500-1700 calories is too good to be true LoL0 -
eat something like a rice cake or a fruit something lite that will fill your tummy0
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MFP told me I didn't eat enough today (extreme rarity) so I grabbed some PB and fresh figs and now over 250...if you are hungry grab something light to eat.0
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and takes the enamel off your teeth and gives you mad gas! lolTake a 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar, it curbs hunger.
You could save some cals for a 10 pm snack.
That's what I do. I love to nibble on some honey nut cheerios or something while I read my book at night.0 -
I go for a jog around the block a few times, burn a couple hundred calories and eat some veggies with peanut butter. That is the best option - I'm no longer hungry, I get to eat yummy food, and I get some exercise in.
EDIT** - OR, drink a big glass of green tea (or whatever kind you like). Even with half&half, it's few calories and filling for those couple hours before bed.0 -
It doesn't matter how much I eat, at 10 pm I am hungry. So I either save calories for 10pm, or I go over. I have tried extra protein, extra fiber, lots of water, none of it works. I think some people are just hungry at night. Start planning a snack before bed so you factor those calories in and don't end up eating them.0
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Timing and what I eat I'm sure is the issue. I've admittedly been living off PBJ and Raisin Bran lately lol I don't like preparing food. I also stress over what to eat based on calories etc. It annoys and stresses me out more than it should. Learning curve I guess...
Take a day during the week when you can carve out a 3-4 hour stretch and prepare some things ahead of time. Boil chicken breasts and portion them out, wash and cut up veggies, portion out snacks, etc. That way you don't have to spend a lot of time cooking during the week.
You may have to get over the 'don't like to prepare food' part to some extent. I didn't like to exercise 6 months ago but I forced myself because I knew it was important to my health and my goals. Now I find that I enjoy it.0 -
If you are still under your calorie requirement, graham crackers, cheez it crackers, or a lowfat yogurt might make a good evening snack. I get hungry in the evenings too.0
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Thanks for all your replies, y'all. I honestly do NOT like cooking at all, and have to force myself to prepare anything that takes longer than 5-10 minutes. I know I'm going to have to get over this though. We're also 9 days out from moving into a new place, so much chaos is happening.
I have customized my calorie goals, but I keep going back and forth between what I think will actually work. The 40 lbs I lost came off pretty easy over the course of a year because of some medication changes, but I still need/want to lose about 25 more. Most of this is I'm sure psychological, because I feel like being "allowed" to eat 1500-1700 calories is too good to be true LoL
I eat a lot of water packed tuna mixed with frozen and nuked mixed vegetables with a tea spoon or two of natural greek yogurt and a squirt of lemon/lime juice. By itself it is less than 150 calories and full of protein and fiber. You can mix it with all kinds of veggies and add something like tostadas, rice cake, a wrap or whatever for a meal. Preptime: 2 minutes0 -
I am sorry but that sounds disgusting...I think I just puked all over my laptop...Thanks for all your replies, y'all. I honestly do NOT like cooking at all, and have to force myself to prepare anything that takes longer than 5-10 minutes. I know I'm going to have to get over this though. We're also 9 days out from moving into a new place, so much chaos is happening.
I have customized my calorie goals, but I keep going back and forth between what I think will actually work. The 40 lbs I lost came off pretty easy over the course of a year because of some medication changes, but I still need/want to lose about 25 more. Most of this is I'm sure psychological, because I feel like being "allowed" to eat 1500-1700 calories is too good to be true LoL
I eat a lot of water packed tuna mixed with frozen and nuked mixed vegetables with a tea spoon or two of natural greek yogurt and a squirt of lemon/lime juice. By itself it is less than 150 calories and full of protein and fiber. You can mix it with all kinds of veggies and add something like tostadas, rice cake, a wrap or whatever for a meal. Preptime: 2 minutes
nuked tuna, really?0 -
I'm hearing you don't like to cook, so your alternative is to have ready-to-make meals. That means have PB with honey and wheat germ on hand, Granny Smith Apples with gruyere or Monterey Jack cheese, rotisserie chicken (bought at store), toast bread with cheese and garlic (you can use mozzarella or gouda), buy a can of tomatoes with Italian spices and throw it on toasted bread for a quick bruschetta.
I lived off the cheese on toast for a week once. I actually shoved some spinach underneath the cheese to get more nutritional value. All these things take like 2 minutes to make. Get going!
I think you're probably at a crossroads in your meal plan/life so you're maybe not feeling it as much as you used to. It's a bit of a grind to keep the weight off and coming off. Congrats for getting this far.0 -
I get hungry around 9:30 most nights. I usually just drink a big glass or two of water and head to bed at 10:30. I'm mostly thirsty at night anyways, so I attend to the more important need.
Along with the awesome snacks others suggested, I might suggest rearranging the calorie allotment for each meal. Maybe shave a few cals off of lunch and put them in a evening snack slot. Or push supper back a half hour and add a few more cals to it. Are you getting enough protein with supper? Also, using more complex carbs can help make the tide last longer, so to speak.
I'm a huge, HUGE, cereal girl. I lived off of it while I was pregnant with each kid. Still, I started trading in my cereal for oatmeal because for close to the same cals, I could stay fuller, longer. Oatmeal is easy peasy to make!
I know you said you aren't too interested in cooking, but convenience comes at a price, unfortunately.
But with the chaos of moving, I'd wait till your dust settles before embarking on a new cooking spree.
Good luck!0 -
I don't really enjoy cooking, either. So on Sunday, I prepare something that keeps well, and package up a week's worth of dinners. That way, when I come home from work, I pop my meal into the oven, and spend the next 20 minutes tidying up the house. When I'm done with that, my dinner is ready for me, and I didn't "cook" at all!Timing and what I eat I'm sure is the issue. I've admittedly been living off PBJ and Raisin Bran lately lol I don't like preparing food. I also stress over what to eat based on calories etc. It annoys and stresses me out more than it should. Learning curve I guess...
Take a day during the week when you can carve out a 3-4 hour stretch and prepare some things ahead of time. Boil chicken breasts and portion them out, wash and cut up veggies, portion out snacks, etc. That way you don't have to spend a lot of time cooking during the week.
You may have to get over the 'don't like to prepare food' part to some extent. I didn't like to exercise 6 months ago but I forced myself because I knew it was important to my health and my goals. Now I find that I enjoy it.
I find it's worth it to take the time on one day a week to do real food prep, because then I know that my portions are already measured, and there's no work involved later in the week. Plus, with home-cooking, I can control my sodium and fat intake more than I can if I eat out, or have a microwave meal.
Also, lat at night, try having a bottle of water to drink. We all know that thirst masquerades as hunger. If that doesn't work, try a low calorie snack such as a package of peanut butter crackers or one of those 100 calorie snack packs. One of my favorite late-night snacks is frozen yogurt. The Dannon Whips freeze to the consistency of ice cream, and my body thinks I'm having a much more sinful treat than I actually am!0 -
Take a 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider vinegar, it curbs hunger.
I tried this because I read the pectin helped alleviate gall stone pain. I don't recommend it as it burned my throat and tasted awful. Unless it's buried in a cup of apple juice, it's really unpleasant0
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