Hungry before bed on 2000 cals
halimaiqbal00
Posts: 288 Member
To lose 0.5 pounds a week, I've not hit my target of 2000 cal this past week as I'm hungry every night a couple of hours after dinner. I'm working out hard 4-5x a week. I'm eating filling, healthy unprocessed meals for the most part. This is annoying! Imnkiftjng heavy 4-x a week and then doing intense cardio 2x a week. Should I just eat more?
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Replies
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You don't have to eat more. Part of losing weight is the mental aspect of it all. Just because you "feel" hungry does not mean you are hungry. If you are use to snacking after dinner and before bed you have trained your brain and body to "feel" hungry at those hours of night. 2000 calories is a good amount (depending on your stature) so you probably just "feel" hungry. My suggestion would be to eat 1oz walnuts before bed. The good fat in them along with high calories will fill your stomach up enough to curb that hunger. Remember though, 90% of it is probably mental. I hope that helps. Any other questions do not hesitate to ask. Thanks.11
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Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
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I agree with kenyonhaff, it could me more to do with your nutrition within what your eating rather than how much.
Other than that though it could also be more to do with the process of eating such as feeling the need to chew or taste in which case gum or investing in a chewable necklace to use may help you feel less hungry too.
You should also make sure you're drinking enough water as not having drunk enough can also make you feel unusually hungry!2 -
Might be time for a mental break and eat at maintenance for a few weeks. Alternatively you can try intermittent fasting where you skip morning meals and eat more at night. And as others have said, eat enough protein and fiber and make sure the majority of your food is nutrient dense.2
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Every so often u post similar questions. You're already eating the food, so what's the problem?0
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Crazy idea: plan a snack before bed?13
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Been there. Up the protein a little more at dinner time, it will help satiate that feeling of hunger.2
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Could it be all the exercise you're doing is making you hungry? One of the reasons why I don't do intentional exercise is because it triggered hunger and it made it really difficult for me to stick to my calorie targets. I control my weight completely by my calorie intake and it works well for me.
Not saying to quit the exercise you're doing, but if that's what's triggering the hunger, you're going to have to come up with a plan to deal with it-maybe try an IF protocol like pp mentioned and stagger your calories more towards the evening hours?
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lemonychild wrote: »Every so often u post similar questions. You're already eating the food, so what's the problem?
The last time I posted a similar question, I was eating 1800 cals and asking if I should consume more. I went with the advice of consuming 2000 and am finding that still doesn't satiate me hence another question. That's the problem.0 -
I'll try IF and eat more at night and more protein at that. Thanks!1
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kenyonhaff wrote: »Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »I'll try IF and eat more at night and more protein at that. Thanks!
I haven't read up on IF very much but I have a 5pm cut off time for eating and it has virtually stopped all hunger at night.
It could be a mental thing for me though:)0 -
The ways I've dealt with this personally are:
1) I eat salads with chicken for lunch. All of the vegetables and lean protein help me feel satisfied for longer. I get rid of all the bread / grains! Those calories don't sustain me.
2) I reduce the calories I eat with supper so that I can have 100 - 300 calories to eat closer to bed. Reduce calories consumed at breakfast so that I have about 1000 calories left going into the evening.
3) I don't overdo it on cardio. It's the weights that build/maintain lean body mass, and the calorie deficit that loses fat.
4) I have small, healthy things to eat for that before-bed snack: 100-calorie packs of almonds are a favorite.0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »kenyonhaff wrote: »Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought
How much more weight are you trying to lose? Are you currently losing? At what rate?
Eating 2000 but working out intensely means you could still be undereating for your level of activity.1 -
WinoGelato wrote: »halimaiqbal00 wrote: »kenyonhaff wrote: »Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought
How much more weight are you trying to lose? Are you currently losing? At what rate?
Eating 2000 but working out intensely means you could still be undereating for your level of activity.
I'm wanting to ideally get to 135 pounds albeit slowly so I can stick to it and not binge. I think you may be right and maybe 2000 calories aren't enough for the amount and intensity I'm training at.
Thanks for the replies all
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If extra protein isn't helping try drinking more water - you are exercising a lot and might be mistaking thirst for hunger (its very common - even underactive people often eat instead of drinking, and when you are so active you might not be able to address your fluid imbalance immediately).1
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I'd be hungry on 2000kcal a day too, which is why I'm happy to lose very slowly, as I need to be happy enough within myself to be kind to my children, my husband and my pupils, and if I'm hungry too long I won't be!
For me that's the trick: find your sweet-spot, where you're still losing but you can sustain the calorie control long enough to reach your goal. A little hunger is fine by me because it shows my system is still working well. To never feel hunger when under eating isn't necessarily a good thing.1 -
At least half of the weight I lost was lost while I was eating between 2350 and 3000 Calories a day on average. I am now maintaining while eating the same amount or slightly less than I was eating while losing.
Obviously the difference is the amount and intensity of activity and exercise. Whether you're eating 1800, 2000, or 3000 Cal a day does not tell anyone anything if they do not know how many calories you're spending!
The question is and remains: are you losing or gaining and how fast. That answers whether you're meeting the goal of a slow weight loss or not.
And I strongly suggest you use a trending weight app to help you determine whether you're meeting your goals or not.
At 0.5 lbs a week you cannot tell from ground level whether you're meeting that rate of loss or not because of normal water weight fluctuation.
If you can tell that you're losing weight without having to graph it out... you're losing at a rate that is faster than 0.5 lbs a week.2 -
If extra protein isn't helping try drinking more water - you are exercising a lot and might be mistaking thirst for hunger (its very common - even underactive people often eat instead of drinking, and when you are so active you might not be able to address your fluid imbalance immediately).
I didn't think that the issue may be thirst! I drink 2 litres of water a day but will increase it0 -
MyFitnessPalCoach wrote: »You're current protein intake is good for your weight so I wouldn't worry to much about that, I get why everyone is mentioning it as protein is shown to be more satiating than other macronutrients. What is generally your last meal before bed?
Someone earlier mentioned about planning a snack before bed which might be a great idea and allow you to stay in your current plan.
Are you getting the results you want on the current plan?
I try to have a nice combination of carbs/fat:protein before bed and bulk it out with a large salad or some vegetables. I tend to eat it around 6pm and go to bed between 11-12. I think scheduling in a snack a little before bed will help. I'll cut the calories from elsewhere to make room for it0 -
At least half of the weight I lost was lost while I was eating between 2350 and 3000 Calories a day on average. I am now maintaining while eating the same amount or slightly less than I was eating while losing.
Obviously the difference is the amount and intensity of activity and exercise. Whether you're eating 1800, 2000, or 3000 Cal a day does not tell anyone anything if they do not know how many calories you're spending!
The question is and remains: are you losing or gaining and how fast. That answers whether you're meeting the goal of a slow weight loss or not.
And I strongly suggest you use a trending weight app to help you determine whether you're meeting your goals or not.
At 0.5 lbs a week you cannot tell from ground level whether you're meeting that rate of loss or not because of normal water weight fluctuation.
If you can tell that you're losing weight without having to graph it out... you're losing at a rate that is faster than 0.5 lbs a week.
My body shape is trimming down nicely though my weight is staying the same. There is a definite change in my physique0 -
halimaiqbal00 wrote: »MyFitnessPalCoach wrote: »You're current protein intake is good for your weight so I wouldn't worry to much about that, I get why everyone is mentioning it as protein is shown to be more satiating than other macronutrients. What is generally your last meal before bed?
Someone earlier mentioned about planning a snack before bed which might be a great idea and allow you to stay in your current plan.
Are you getting the results you want on the current plan?
I try to have a nice combination of carbs/fat:protein before bed and bulk it out with a large salad or some vegetables. I tend to eat it around 6pm and go to bed between 11-12. I think scheduling in a snack a little before bed will help. I'll cut the calories from elsewhere to make room for it
Are you getting 7-8 hrs of sleep? If not that can cause stress hormones to increase making you feel hungrier as well.0 -
Remember you'll have to up exercise your body gets used to what your doing
Losing weight is 70% diet 30% exercise
You maybe over doing exercise tbh
I did that 4 years ago exercise loads and damaged my calve muscle lost weight slowly on the scales but on tape measure I dropped tons inches
Dont be a slave to the scales that aren't an indication to complete weightloss
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Remember you'll have to up exercise your body gets used to what your doing
Losing weight is 70% diet 30% exercise
You maybe over doing exercise tbh
I did that 4 years ago exercise loads and damaged my calve muscle lost weight slowly on the scales but on tape measure I dropped tons inches
Dont be a slave to the scales that aren't an indication to complete weightloss
Losing weight is 100% calorie deficit, no exercise required.
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »kenyonhaff wrote: »Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought
I found eating up lots of lean protien for several months, that eventually I was craving fats! You might give that a go? Maybe a bedtime snack of peanut butter and yogurt, thats what I do and it puts me to sleep hunger free. My calories for the day ar usually 1400 to 1500, and I'm 5'7".
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If you're hungry then eat! That's what I always tell myself - if hungry - eat. That late in the day though I try hard to pick a low cal food, nothing too sugary unless it's natural sugar. I will eat a banana, apple, applesauce, grapes - something with only one ingredient if at all possible.0
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halimaiqbal00 wrote: »kenyonhaff wrote: »Have you been meeting your protein goals? Too many carbs and not enough proteins--especially if you're very active--can lead to you being hungry even if you're meeting calorie goals. Filling, healthy unprocessed foods may not be enough if your body needs more protein.
I'm 5' 7, 143 pounds and am hitting 120-140g of protein daily so am consuming more than enough protein, I would've thought
I found eating up lots of lean protien for several months, that eventually I was craving fats! You might give that a go? Maybe a bedtime snack of peanut butter and yogurt, thats what I do and it puts me to sleep hunger free. My calories for the day ar usually 1400 to 1500, and I'm 5'7".
Do you exercise? I tried 1500 calories and lost 2.5-3 pounds a week eating that little! The bedtime snack idea is s good one- thanks!
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Have you tried making some swaps to increase the volume of the food you're eating, for the same calories?
I peeked at your diary and saw a lot of entries for pita bread. Personally 300 cal of pita bread in the evening isn't going to fill me up like 300 cal of say sweet potato or other veggies would.0 -
It could be a lot of things. It could be you're used to eating at night; not getting enough water; too many carbs/day and not enough protein; not getting enough fiber. I remember talking to my nutritionist and telling her I was still hungry even though I was hitting my caloric intake. She told me to increase my fiber intake, and that did it. Talking to a nutritionist about where you can make some tweaks to your food intake would be a good idea.0
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