Easing Nightly Hunger

ChampCrucial
ChampCrucial Posts: 120 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

I am usually one to give a multitude of tips and tricks along with knowledge. Today I am stuck. From my diary you can see that I frequently go over my calorie goal. I work my butt off more than is noted in my exercise because it is too much to keep up with. An example is I may get an extra 60 minutes of activity on a heavy day running errands for work.

My problem is nightly hunger. I have tried going to sleep, almonds, bananas and pb, protein(pork, fish, beef), and drinking plenty of water (8 cups last night). How do you control your hunger at night????????? I guess my metabolism is high now because I quiet the hunger, eating a tuna sandwich and drink water and 20-30 minutes later I am hungry all over again! Feeling like a fatty already for being at such high calories and not meeting my goal.

(Don't bash me for today!!! Craved some skittles !)

Replies

  • jrline
    jrline Posts: 2,353 Member
    My go to was always peanut butter on celery.

    Good Luck

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  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    I don't read diaries and would never bash someone if I did. These are the only options I can think of...

    Save some calories for snacks at night.

    Eat low-cal, but filling things. You can eat tons of strawberries for very few calories.

    Stop the night snacking.

    That's all I have. If you're actually hungry at night, one of the first two is better. If it's just a bad habit, break it.

    Good luck!
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
    I don't have hunger at night, but if you know you're always hungry, try planning your day ahead and leave 150-300 calories at night for a snack. Find a nightly snack that works for you and makes you feel better. Maybe a bag of popcorn or a serving of ice cream. What ever you want that keeps you satiated at night. Try different things out. But if you can account for it in your day, you don't have to feel bad about your nightly snacking.
  • KIZGNARR
    KIZGNARR Posts: 28 Member
    Other than what you are already doing, I also have incorporated the gummy fiber and gummy vitamins, etc... anything that will make me feel full with very few calories. I am usually craving sweets and there are gummy fibers that make me feel full, taste sweet and with some water, I am satisfied enough to go to bed and try again the next day! Good luck!
  • Foodiethinking
    Foodiethinking Posts: 240 Member
    I agree with the others about peanut butter. It's pretty rich so lasts longer and you appreciate it too. Have a large cup of tea or coffee and the heat from the liquid will help fill you up too. If you're winding down for the night maybe herbal tea? Beef jerky is also a great alternative.. it's pure protein and the chewiness of it makes it last longer too. These tend to work for me anyway :)
  • AmigaMaria001
    AmigaMaria001 Posts: 489 Member
    Night snacking is what caused me to be fat! I didn't eat much during the day but I was the WORST kind of night snack... from 8pm until midnight when I went to bed I'd eat anything and everything I could get my hands on. Every night without exception!
    When I started MFP 9 months ago I gave myself only TWO RULES:
    1. Stay within my deficit each day
    2. NO snacking after dinner even if I have the calories left over.

    It took two months, but I have now stopped craving a nightly snack completely! I don't even get hungry anymore! So I know that snacking is just a habit; and like a drug, your body will tell you that you MUST have it or you can't sleep! Ignore that liar within and he will go away eventually!

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  • LeonCX
    LeonCX Posts: 862 Member
    I'm only 2 months into my program, but I think I have "trained" my stomach to not be hungry late at night. I always have a PM snack, at 10pm. A small one, usually a fiber one 90 bar or something light. It took a week or so, but I'm no longer ravenous at night anymore.
  • spiralated
    spiralated Posts: 150 Member
    Depending on your activity, you may also just need to eat. When I was rehearsing 18-24 hours a weekend, I was always under my calorie goal on Friday/Saturday/Sunday and sometimes Monday but Tuesday I wanted to eat *all* the things. I tried to moderate, I tried to stay hungry, I felt just miserable. So I ate on Mondays and Tuesdays until I wasn't hungry and stayed moderate the rest of the time.

    I'm not saying that's your situation, what I'm just saying is you gotta listen to your body and if you're doing high muscle building activity, you just might need to eat more for a little while. (Mine lasted about a month and a half and then I hit an equilibrium).

    Hope that helps!
  • spah33
    spah33 Posts: 18 Member
    I know this sounds crazy but my husband is a night snacker and I started to develop that habit so what I did was convince myself that feeling hungry at night was good thing. I just kept saying, "Feeling hungry at night means less weight tomorrow!"
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Dude!! you're addicted to skittles....laughsssss! Okay seriously, I try not to ever drink my calories (you have some 600 calorie drinks in there), EAT REAL FOOD. Additionally, you may want to try pre-logging.
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
    I don't have much advice, but I'm here to commiserate because I'm totally a night eater. I can go all day not caring about food but then 7pm hits & I want to eat everything in sight. It's crazy.

    When I'm in school it's not as big of an issue because I can control what I eat all day by only taking certain things, I get home late and eat dinner late so I have less of an appetite to munch, and I go to bed earlier. But this summer when I had nothing to do with my life, I had to save all my calories for nighttime because I would stay up til the wee hours of the morning watching Netflix & munch the entire time.

    I personally just go with it. I don't try to 'curb' my night hungries. I figure that's just how my body is. Rather than eating between like 9am and 6pm, I like to eat between like 4pm & 12am. No big deal, I just have to adjust my calorie intake to reflect that. I just have coffee in the morning and then wait until 4pm to really start eating. In my opinion, it's easier to adapt to it than try to fight it. When I try to eat during the day like a normal person, I end up going on crazy binges in the evening, and it's just not worth the risk.
  • dgobbett
    dgobbett Posts: 53 Member
    Nightly eating is a vice of mine, I haven't stopped but started making more intelligent choices and I am still losing weight. What helps me is that I eat dinner a bit later now, around 7-8pm, I exercise about an hour a night and have a snack right before bed at 12-1am its never anything big, a protein bar..some peanut butter, or almonds and then go to sleep.

    Keeping yourself busy right up until bed is a good way to ease out of the hunger pains, sometimes I will get wrapped up in a show..or a game, or even cleaning and by the time I know it its time for bed.
  • FitOldMomma
    FitOldMomma Posts: 790 Member
    I used to be a late evening and nighttime eater too. I realized I only did this because I wasn't eating enough during the daytime. I wouldn't take the time stop and eat a healthy breakfast or lunch, and of course would be starving by 4 pm. Then the eating really started and wouldn't finish until I was in bed.

    Since I've been eating real meals at regular times I no longer feel that insatiable hunger in the evenings. Sure, sometimes I get cravings for high fat/calorie stuff like a big bowl of ice cream, but now I can stop with just a small scoop.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,486 Member
    Try cutting out the high protein drinks during the day, and eat high protein snacks at night.
  • shballa
    shballa Posts: 133 Member
    A cup of decaf coffee with a little milk usually fills me up if I'm still hungry in the evening.
  • cylence82
    cylence82 Posts: 14
    I find myself with the night hungries as well, usually craving sugar because my daytime foods don't have much unless its from fruit, and I usually pig out on cereal or chocolate after 8 pm. MFP sent out an email a few weeks ago with some recipes in it, one was for tuna salad with avocado instead of mayo. I've been trying to use this to replace the cereal and it works on most days and is fairly filling, plus a lot healthier than resorting to cereal or chocolate. Other than that, I try a protein bar...that usually works too.
  • Cmejstrik
    Cmejstrik Posts: 25 Member
    I totally sympathize with this. I am always hungry at night. Since I can't sleep with a growling stomach, I have to eat something right before bed. I have found that cottage cheese is magic. Half a cup of low fat cc with 3 or 4 rice cakes seems to be the trick for me personally. Maybe you could try cottage cheese and a little carb of your choice? I can see how PB would help too, but there is no such thing as 1 serving for me, I would eat half the jar! Anyway, either way you will have to save some calories for your night snack if you want to stay at goal. Try to eat something with fat and protein. Sugar really won't do much for night cravings.
  • 0dreamer0
    0dreamer0 Posts: 21
    I have the same issue - I am new to "eating right" and exercising... typically I get sooooo hungry at night. I'll snack on almonds, pickles, anything than what I would normally grab. I am usually under my calorie intake (I also don't log all my workouts because it's time consuming) but I do find, that even though I'm under my cals, I am too driven by night hunger to stay focused!

    Night time hunger pangs are going to be the death of my fitness goals
  • 0dreamer0
    0dreamer0 Posts: 21
    A cup of decaf coffee with a little milk usually fills me up if I'm still hungry in the evening.

    I'm going to try this because coffee in general acts as a filler for me. GREAT idea! thanks!
  • ChampCrucial
    ChampCrucial Posts: 120 Member
    Thank you all for your answers! I read each and every one. I think I will eat protein at night. I made a challenge with one of my friends that if she ate an apple at night then I would drink a protein shake for dessert. One particular comment is soooo true. I know I should eat more on some days. That is one reason I would like to get a fitbit but at the same time it can only be so close to the actual burn. I know how to torch calories lol, I have never tried some decaf coffee before bed or warm beverages. I will try coffee and possibly soup. Time to get my mind right and eat this 90/10 good to bad food ratio.

    I just thought about something. I know that some days when I am super active I shower grab something light and end up going to sleep right away at night before the hunger hits. That shall be my protein shake with peanut butter and warm liquid. Thank you all!
  • maoribadger
    maoribadger Posts: 1,837 Member
    Glad you found some answers. I used to be a huge night snacker and eventually just trained myself that after dinner I am allowed one snack at about 730pm of grapes and a low cal choc mousse for about 100 cals altogether and now I dont really notice night hunger. It just took some time
  • cosmonew
    cosmonew Posts: 513 Member
    Your diary makes me hungry.... Are you a student...eating at cafeteria... anyway..... get you a george foreman grill and some MEAT.
    I love chicken breast and individually wrapped steaks.. Protein powder is also awesome can be packed"to go" and added to cafeteria milk.
    My diary is open. for viewing
  • BenjaminS_Fitness
    BenjaminS_Fitness Posts: 70 Member
    On my cut i go for a big bowl of salad with pineaplle and balsamico dressing.
    low in calories, i like it a lot and it keeps me full.
  • BrendaRey74
    BrendaRey74 Posts: 31 Member
    I was having similar troubles then I started eating protein with breakfast, eating my big meal for lunch and no food with TV. Those things stopped the late night munchies. Now I often catch myself around 6pm and need to eat a few 100 calories because I know I haven't eaten in awhile not because I want anything.
  • Jessa333777
    Jessa333777 Posts: 4
    The protein shake idea works for me--I have protein "ice cream" -- I make a protein shake with almond milk and enough ice to make it kinda thick and eat it with a spoon out of a bowl after dinner. It fulfills my need for sweet and is less than 200 calories with almond milk.

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