going to bed hungry

FaithandFitness
FaithandFitness Posts: 653 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
Just a question . . .usually in the evenings I head to the second floor of my house to finish up the day. I relax, fold clothes, etc. I do this so that I am away from the kitchen and mindless, unhealthy night time eating. Last night I went to bed HUNGRY!!! I am sure it was due in part to the frozen pizza my husband was making downstairs, and the pieces that he brought upstairs so we could watch our show together.The smell made me hungry and I did not eat any, but I am just unsure if it is late at night and I am genuinely hungry is it better for me to just go to sleep and wait the 10 hours for breakfast, or should I go eat something sensible? Any other suggestions?

Replies

  • heatherhart
    heatherhart Posts: 113 Member
    I normally eat dinner around 6 or 7 & sometimes if i stay up late i start getting hungry again. I do the same thing you did last night tho I just go to bed hungry & wait til morning
  • patio1313
    patio1313 Posts: 169 Member
    I used to have the same problem, I always wanted to eat something right before bed...Now what I try to do is about an hour or two before bed I eat a small bowl of Cheerios and then drink a glass of water...That has helped me to fall asleep without feeling hungry and also help me to not eat RIGHT before bed.
  • TNAJackson
    TNAJackson Posts: 686 Member
    Guess it kind of depends on how many calories you've taken in already that day... if you have room to eat a little more (like from exercise or something) I'd definately eat something sensible. That's a long time to go if your body is actually hungry. Alternatively, You may want to try drinking a big glass of water when you feel like that and see if it helps. I've heard that a lot of times when you think you are hungry, you are actually thirsty.

    Good luck to you! :)
  • RoniDoll
    RoniDoll Posts: 262
    Its best to eat a small healthy snack if you are really hungry. If you go to bed hungry your muscle tissue doesn’t have a chance to repair and your body could start to eat away your muscle
  • Justin741
    Justin741 Posts: 249 Member
    I believe the majority of my weight gain came from nighttime snacking so a part of my routine is eating a snack that is sensible or within my daily goals shortly before bed usually 2-3 hours after dinner. Sometimes I have a cup of ice cream but I make sure I have "room" for it in my daily goals. Other times I may have something light like fruit or string cheese but I always choose something I really enjoy. With this planned snack it has almost completely eliminated the temptation to snack at night and I don't feel hungry but just sastifed before crawling into bed. Some people have trouble falling asleep after eating within a couple of hours because of caffiene or sugar levels in the food so just be sensitive to that as well.
  • brayaddie
    brayaddie Posts: 101 Member
    I just wanted to say that our weight loss goals are very similar!! I go to bed hungry myself, I'm not sure if its a good or bad thing. Feel free to add me if you need more support!!! I'm new to MFP but have been trying to loose since July 2010! Best Wishes!
  • atlcrompton
    atlcrompton Posts: 1
    I agree with several of the other posts. I think if you have room (maybe even if you don't) have something small like a fruit, a small yogurt or glass of milk. That's low enough calories (between 60-120) so it won't kill your food plan that day however it should be able to hold you over for an hour or more to get you to bed and asleep where you don't notice it as much any more.
  • BrittBrat33
    BrittBrat33 Posts: 50
    I used to have the same problem, I always wanted to eat something right before bed...Now what I try to do is about an hour or two before bed I eat a small bowl of Cheerios and then drink a glass of water...That has helped me to fall asleep without feeling hungry and also help me to not eat RIGHT before bed.
    I love eating cherrios at night i think it just taste better than in the morning!!! :o) but if you dont want to munch at night i suggest drinking a whole bottle of water like an hour before bed....it feels me up! I might have to use the potty 1 or twice?! :ohwell:
  • TLC1975
    TLC1975 Posts: 146 Member
    Eat....it's bad enough you fast while sleeping which slows the metabolism down, if you're up late and hungry eat! Just avoid simple carbs and you should be fine..

    I eat every 2-3 hrs...and never go to bed hungry...I also take a glass of water to bed with me, make sure I'm hydrated..
    Good luck.
  • maimden
    maimden Posts: 4 Member
    In previous experience, I would also eat a small, low-calorie, high-fiber cereal with fat free milk and a couple glasses of water maybe 1 hour before bed if I was hungry. For days when I just felt like munching, I would snack on low-calorie veggies such as celery, lettuce (with pepper and lemon juice), peas, etc. Going to bed ravished often affects how you sleep, resulting in higher sugar cravings the next day.
  • kylakesgal
    kylakesgal Posts: 952 Member
    Hi there, I'm also from Kentucky. I never go to bed hungry here. I usually eat 3 meals and have 2-3 snacks. I eat smaller meals now and the snacks in between keep me from being hungry plus all the water drinking during the day helps too. If I'm hungry at bedtime and have extra calories (always do with exercising) then I will have a bowl of kashi go lean or special k red berries. Anything high fiber or high protein fills you up better and if you are getting in snacks with fiber that helps keep you satisified. Good luck to you and don't feel guilty to have a snack before bedtime. (a good healthy one).
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    I usually save up 200-300 calories and have a sensible snack around 9pm. Something with a good balance of fats and proteins, preferably, but anything healthy will do. I cannot stand going to bed hungry and there is little evidence that supports the notion that eating after 6pm has any real negative impact on weight loss. Calories in - Calories out. No sense having to go hungry! :bigsmile:
  • perrytyra
    perrytyra Posts: 357 Member
    I need to have a snack at night. So I save some calories for that. Also, if I am really hungry, stomach growling hungry, it is too hard to fall asleep. And then I am extremely hungry in the morning.
  • lisapickering
    lisapickering Posts: 374
    I usually save up 200-300 calories and have a sensible snack around 9pm. Something with a good balance of fats and proteins, preferably, but anything healthy will do. I cannot stand going to bed hungry and there is little evidence that supports the notion that eating after 6pm has any real negative impact on weight loss. Calories in - Calories out. No sense having to go hungry! :bigsmile:

    I agree. I workout after work then eat dinner around 8pm, and I'm losing 1 lb / week. If you have calories left eat something. You will sleep better!
  • Mariaa46
    Mariaa46 Posts: 5
    Going to be hungry is the story of my life...try to eat an apple drink water and think about something else other than how hungry you are! It works!
  • denise_earheart
    denise_earheart Posts: 354
    I eat a light or air popped popcorn in the evenings and it satisfies me just fine and I still stay under my daily intake .....
  • TrimmingTracie
    TrimmingTracie Posts: 30
    I have gotten used to needing something warm in my belly to fall asleep. I try glass of water followed by hot green tea or a can of soup. If I don't do one of those, I usually will snack like its going outta style until I'm full. I also have added an area on the food tracker for things that I eat after 9pm, so that I am aware of my problem timezone.
  • Juniper3411
    Juniper3411 Posts: 167 Member
    I've been having a problem with this as well but mostly because I am not getting much sleep (I have a one month old and a five year old!). I find that it is really difficult to not eat something in the middle of the night because I'm up all night (therefore using more calories by being awake). Although I guess it helps that a lot of times I can't get something because my son is in my arms so I can't raid the fridge!

    I agree that you should try to eat if you are really honestly hungry. Don't want the body to go into starvation mode! Just make sure it is something healthy and easily digestible :)
  • nickscutie
    nickscutie Posts: 303 Member
    If you are legit hungry, you should eat.
  • adamd1215
    adamd1215 Posts: 5
    I would buy a tub of protein from any nutritional store. Mix it with 16 oz of water and put in freezer for about 45 minutes. It will fill you right up and it's low in carbs and sugars...Like having a frappe... Take care, Adam
  • andrea777
    andrea777 Posts: 23 Member
    I used to have the same problem, I always wanted to eat something right before bed...Now what I try to do is about an hour or two before bed I eat a small bowl of Cheerios and then drink a glass of water...That has helped me to fall asleep without feeling hungry and also help me to not eat RIGHT before bed.

    I am right there w/ you - usually I have a small bowl of cheerios or cornflakes - and I am so happy and satisfied and never go to bed hungry! :)
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
    I stay up really late most nights because of my work schedule and I find that a small, healthy snack about an hour or so before bed helps me sleep. I have a half cup of applesauce (no extra sugar) or a piece of cheese or similar. I only eat it if I have calories left and genuinely feel hungry.

    Over the last few days I've been eating under my calories and not snacking at bed time. At 3am I woke up so hungry I had to get something to eat. I could tell it wasn't a craving because I reached right past the cookies for some protein. I had a little tuna on low fat crackers, felt immensely better and slept like a baby. Lesson - don't starve yourself. (I know, I'm a slow learner sometimes.)

    So, I think if it's planned eating and not your your heavy meal of the day, a pre-bed snack won't hurt and it might help keep your blood sugars even, which is good for weight loss.
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    protein shake in the freezer, huh? never thought to do that.... but now I will! thanks Adam!
  • McBoBo
    McBoBo Posts: 87
    Eat a healthy snack...:)
  • pchann
    pchann Posts: 84
    One cup plain nonfat yogurt mixed with 1 scoop of casein protein powder. Healthy pudding :)
  • LilMsMeliss
    LilMsMeliss Posts: 1 Member
    I've been drinking a cup of Almond Milk, the vanilla unsweetened kind only has 40 calories per cup, helps the hunger pangs before going to bed.
  • adamd1215
    adamd1215 Posts: 5
    protein shake in the freezer, huh? never thought to do that.... but now I will! thanks Adam!

    Yah I am a huge fan of low carbs, low fats, and low sodium so you don't wake up the next morning all weighed down and groggy! Take care and hope it helps.... Adam
  • meagalayne
    meagalayne Posts: 3,382 Member
    Tried it at work on Thursday - Froze it for 30 mins. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it just tasted super cold. Nothing amazing. Either way - Protein powder FTW! Love that stuff. Definitely one of my "best finds for 2010" ...
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