Going to bed hungry?

2

Replies

  • Jewlz280
    Jewlz280 Posts: 547 Member
    Hmmm... I'm wondering what she REALLY meant. Because like another poster said, if she meant that you've burned through all of your calories and you have none left and you just 'feel' a bit hungry then to go to sleep. OR, if she meant it a different way. Because I can see if you are eating a good amount of cals and you get to the day and you 'think' you might be a bit hungry to just drink something and hit the hay. But if you aren't at your cal limit and you TRULY feel hungry, I think a snack is good. Or if you have met your cals and feel TRUE hunger, then a snack is good. But too often, the reality is if we are eating well during the day and had an adequate dinner (and you aren't like me, a night owl who is up for HOURS after dinner) then you probably aren't experiencing true hunger then just go to sleep. My dinner is usually around 7 and I frequently am up to 1 or 2AM. So I do feel true hunger. I usually have hot tea and a couple of ginger cookies or some ice cream. Sometimes a smear of pb on some good crackers or some cheese and fruit. Whatever strikes my fancy. If it's real hunger, I just KNOW I won't sleep. Not only that, but I wake up feeling 'sick' during the night. So, you probably need to evaluate what you are eating during your day, figure out if you are having true hunger, and then if you are and it happens a lot, move your cals around to make it work. Because really, there is NO reason to not eat right before bed. Truly. It's more about your total over the day and then over the long haul. If anything, studies are showing that a small carby snack before bed helps the melatonin flow and you get better sleep.
  • forevertoday
    forevertoday Posts: 101 Member
    I don't care if I go to bed hungry or not, If i've eaten my calorie allowance, tough. If I have not, then sure, piece of fruit or whatever. Not a big deal to me, I am mentally strong willed when it comes to food and my stomach making weird noises. :)
  • I definitely wouldn't go to bed hungry. BUT, there could be a benefit to consuming more of your calories earlier in the day than later in the day.

    There was a study that looked at whether consuming more of your calories earlier in the day was more beneficial than consuming more calories later in the day. Those that consumed more calories earlier in the day had 3x more weight loss than those who consumed more calories at night. Each group consumed the same number of calories (1400), and with the same macronutrient breakdown. Glucose and insulin levels improved in both groups, but more so with those with the heavy early food intake.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
  • .
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    I literally go to bed with a 500 calories snack and have done this from day 1 of my weight loss journey and have lost a few hundred pounds in the process so I think this fitness instructor better stick to fitness and not nutrition because meal frequency has No Bearing whatsoever on weight loss.... Best of Luck

    This. All of this.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I definitely wouldn't go to bed hungry. BUT, there could be a benefit to consuming more of your calories earlier in the day than later in the day.

    There was a study that looked at whether consuming more of your calories earlier in the day was more beneficial than consuming more calories later in the day. Those that consumed more calories earlier in the day had 3x more weight loss than those who consumed more calories at night. Each group consumed the same number of calories (1400), and with the same macronutrient breakdown. Glucose and insulin levels improved in both groups, but more so with those with the heavy early food intake.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23512957
    meh
  • I need to lose in a short time span for surgery so going to bed hungry helps. It isn't so bad cause I fall asleep and then I am not hungry any longer. LOL I also look forward to some breakfast in the morning. :happy:

    Further more, I do eat just not eating after 7 PM which is not a bad thing and I also know what I should and shouldn't eat to lose weight besides taking on much more exercise and that is why I am losing weight. I do know eating late at night is not a good thing! :ohwell:
  • SuccessHere
    SuccessHere Posts: 240 Member
    I've heard that when you're hungry that means your fat cells are burning energy which is good. If you go to bed hungry you tell yourself that you can have a big healthy breakfast. It worked for me years ago. I don't know if it's the right thing to do. It does make sense to me.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    A fitness instructor friend of mine told me the best way to lose weight is to go to bed hungry. I've never done this but I wondered what your thought are on it?

    That's plain silly. :laugh: It doesn't matter when you eat as long as you stay below your calorie goal.

    Go to be hungry and you wake you wake up a grump. :bigsmile:
  • servilia
    servilia Posts: 3,452 Member
    It will work but it's totally unnecessary so why put yourself through that? Meal timing is irrelevant.

    Edited to add that it won't necessarily work.. Just if you're under your maintenance.
  • Cheeky_and_Geeky
    Cheeky_and_Geeky Posts: 984 Member
    If I'm starving, then I'll eat a piece of fruit or veggie with a tablespoon of peanut butter or almond butter, but that's it. I just can't go to bed after I've scarfed down a full meal or a pint of ice cream, I'll wake up in the morning with a binge hangover!
  • Llamapants86
    Llamapants86 Posts: 1,221 Member
    I used to use food as a way to stay awake when I was working super long hours. It is hard to sleep while eating chips or buttery popcorn. That habit was kind of hard for me to break so I had to go to bed "hungry" for awhile to get out of it. If you still have calories left over, I don't think there is anything wrong with a snack before bed, but for me it was more of a habit than true hunger.
  • I can't go to sleep hungry. That's why I always have a light snack after dinner like less than a 100 calories to get me through the night and off the munchies.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Stupid.

    You should never really be hungry, anyway. Hopefully you are eating enough and choosing foods that make you feel full longer. Being hungry leads to either binging or just being miserable, and neither of those is fun. Like many people here, I eat right before bed. In fact, I just finished nachos and am now going to sleep.
  • star5785
    star5785 Posts: 140
    I've heard it too, but just can't do it. I'm one of those that can't sleep on an empty stomach, I'll be tossing and turning all night. So I save a bulk of my calories for dinner and eat between 7-8pm. I don't think it's hindered me so far.
  • beastmode_kitty
    beastmode_kitty Posts: 844 Member
    Eat smaller meals more often so you aren't going to bed feeling hungry, or drink a glass of water about 15-20 mins before bed.
  • redladywitch
    redladywitch Posts: 799 Member
    That doesn't seem right to me. Why would anyone want to go to bed hungry?
  • guessrs
    guessrs Posts: 358 Member
    It's all about calorie deficit. I choose to stop eating after 6 pm because I hate feeling full in the morning.
  • Mouse_Potato
    Mouse_Potato Posts: 1,512 Member
    I need to lose in a short time span for surgery so going to bed hungry helps. It isn't so bad cause I fall asleep and then I am not hungry any longer. LOL I also look forward to some breakfast in the morning. :happy:

    Further more, I do eat just not eating after 7 PM which is not a bad thing and I also know what I should and shouldn't eat to lose weight besides taking on much more exercise and that is why I am losing weight. I do know eating late at night is not a good thing! :ohwell:

    It all depends upon your body's preference. I can't fall asleep when I am hungry. I just can't. I have a snack right before bed or I'm in for a rough night.

    Also, for me, late night eating is okay, but early morning eating is a no-no. I usually have my late night snack and then don't eat again until 11:00 AM. Today I had a breakfast meeting at work. I had over 600 calories before noon and I've been ravenous all day. I went way over my calories and I *still* needed my late night snack! :noway:
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
    The trainer at my gym suggested to cut carbs so many hours before bed, and if I was hungry I could eat hardboiled egg, or chicken, or some protein, but no carbs. I went to bed feeling hungry and didn't like it, at all! Lol. I did it for a week or so, lost a few lb's really quick, but then stopped. It worked temporarily only. If I'm hungry before bed, I'll eat. I try not to pig out too bad though. Usually just a protein shake or bowl of cereal with almond milk, or a couple pieces of chocolate. :)))
  • needsalife3
    needsalife3 Posts: 56 Member
    I don't do hungry, at bedtime or anytime. I always have a low cal snack with me because hunger is what messes me up. Before bedtime I usually have a bowl of cereal.
  • xmysterix
    xmysterix Posts: 114 Member
    Not hungry, no, but I do go to bed with late-night-munchyitis, sometimes, to avoid the siren call of the peanut butter mug cake :noway: If I'm genuinely hungry, I'll have a piece of fruit.

    My mom's endocrinologist recommends having a banana shortly before bed to help stabilize blood sugars overnight and avoid early morning BSL drops. She's still managed to lose a good bit of weight through food tracking and occasional exercise, getting herself out of the pre-diabetic category.
  • CubicalF13
    CubicalF13 Posts: 263 Member
    to each his own. for some it works but for me id prefer to have eaten something before bed. I get pretty annoyed when my nap time is interrupted by my stomach wanting more!.
  • I think there is a certain reason, you can try some of the following methods should be helpful to you in:
    (1) drinking water. But be careful not to exceed 200ml, drink plenty of water before going to bed because the next day is likely to cause swelling.
    (2) brush. Because brushing can suppress appetite, for people who lose weight, it is a method of controlling appetite. But if one day brushing teeth too many times, it is not very good for teeth, brush your teeth with toothpaste so every time the amount is less.
    (3) continuous pressing recess 16 under the chin, can reduce hunger. Since there is a recess in the chin point, it can play a similar role in our stomach switch, continuous pressing under 16, you will feel less hungry.
  • HealthyVitamins
    HealthyVitamins Posts: 432 Member
    I think there is a certain reason, you can try some of the following methods should be helpful to you in:
    (1) drinking water. But be careful not to exceed 200ml, drink plenty of water before going to bed because the next day is likely to cause swelling.

    Your whole post was amusing, but this is just stupid.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    There's nothing particularly wrong with going to bed hungry every night (unless it impedes your sleep), but to claim it as the best way to lose weight is just overly simplistic. It doesn't account for how much you're eating the rest of the day, how much you exercise, how it affects your mental health, etc.
  • I have a snack right before bed almost every night. I sometimes have problems with my blood sugar going to low at night....so a snack before bed is helpful. I usually have a slice of bread with a little peanut butter....yummm.
  • Showcase_Brodown
    Showcase_Brodown Posts: 919 Member
    Going to bed hungry or not doesn't make any difference one way or another. I suppose you could say that if you spent longer in the fasted state, you'd be burning fat during that time. But all of that is just little bumps in the graph when you're looking at your calories in vs. calories out over a week or month. The calorie math is what it comes down to.
  • dannytrees1
    dannytrees1 Posts: 353 Member
    If you do feel hungry going to bed eat somthing light like a rice cake...don't hit the cookies or the cheese wizz...be good
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i go to bed fuuuuuull, and wake up not hungry. can usually make it to about 11am before i'm hungry.