Always Hungry After Dinner

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graelwyn
graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am not trying to lose anymore weight, just maintain.
It seems even when I eat a fairly large dinner, I am still really hungry after. It doesn't seem to matter how much protein or carbs I have, it is the same. I didn't seem to get this hungry eating the same amount for a meal when I weighed more.

Tonight I had a fillet of boiled trout, 300g of sweet potato, and 200g of broccoli. I only at it an hour ago. And already I am hungry.
I did my usual cycling, 105 minutes of it and I had a tub of cottage cheese before I set off.

I am sure I should not need so much food to be full.
Someone suggested that it is because I am at too low a weight for my body.
But I really would rather not go up too much above the 126 I originally aimed for. I am 5'9.6

What will help fill me up more with my meals? Ideas?
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Replies

  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    You could try cutting down the exercise to see if that makes a difference? You may be burning off most of your meal and not leaving enough for your body to run on?
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    It is a possibility, I suppose, tho I generally end up eating all the site tells me to, sometimes more.
    And with an underactive thyroid I had assumed that my metabolism would be ridiculously slow, along with being 36, and not young anymore.
    I see others on here having pretty small portions and being full, and wonder what an earth is wrong with me, lol. It would have taken double what I had to have left me full and that is crazy as I had a plateful.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I'm always a lot more hungry after exercise. Maybe a piece of fruit and a yoghurt after your meal might do the trick?
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    I can see why you're hungry today - you're about 1400 cal under what you could eat. I suspect part of it, today anyway, you had a small breakfast and 200 cal lunch before going on your bike ride. You're way under on your carbs (personally I find on Sundays after my long run if I don't have something to eat right away afterward I feel like I'm starving for the rest of the day) try something like chocolate milk or a clif bar after your ride.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I'm always a lot more hungry after exercise. Maybe a piece of fruit and a yoghurt after your meal might do the trick?

    I tend to usually have a large pear with a little 0% greek yoghurt on top a bit after dinner, but usually end up eating more later on as well, and often not very healthy stuff either, lol. I get chocolate and carb cravings before bed.
  • coconutbuNZ
    coconutbuNZ Posts: 578 Member
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    Go to bed early and sleep off the hunger, well that's my solution anyway. The munchies always happen at night.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    I can see why you're hungry today - you're about 1400 cal under what you could eat. I suspect part of it, today anyway, you had a small breakfast and 200 cal lunch before going on your bike ride. You're way under on your carbs (personally I find on Sundays after my long run if I don't have something to eat right away afterward I feel like I'm starving for the rest of the day) try something like chocolate milk or a clif bar after your ride.

    Yes, I am often way under this time of day as I tend to make up a lot of my calories at night, because I am in the bad habit of not going to bed until gone 3 or 4am. I am trying to change that a bit. I must admit, I tend to wait til dinner to eat after my cycling as I usually don't get back until a few hours before dinner. And because I dont get up til around midday, I don't get in breakfast, so tend to count whatever I eat before I sleep as breakfast. My body clock is a bit messed up as I am a night owl.

    I am finding it really hard to get things right after so long of chaotic eating habits. I find it scary to experiment and see what happens weight wise. Usually I have about 800 still to eat by this point and get through it before bed.
  • navstone
    navstone Posts: 30
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    Have you checked your BMI at that weight? For some reason that seems a little low in weight, but maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.
  • hutchy100
    hutchy100 Posts: 103 Member
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    maybe try and eat more during the day as you are way under your goal maybe try protein shakes
  • leannems
    leannems Posts: 516 Member
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    Another thing you should check - are you actually hungry or do you feel hungry? A long time ago, my trainer told me that feeling hungry at night may actually be your body burning the fuel you've put into it (particularly for late in the day exercisers). You can tell this burn from actual hunger by listening to your stomach. If your stomach growls - you've hungry, and you should eat. If not - you might just be burning away what you ate because of the exercise.
  • 1953Judith
    1953Judith Posts: 325 Member
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    Mentally, regardless of what I ate during the day, I have not been able to break the habit of feeling like I need to continue eating after dinner. My "hunger" after dinner does not correlate to my food choices or quantity throughout the day or at dinner. Your hunger may be very real, based on physical needs. In that case my advice may not apply. Here are my tips (maybe one or more will work for you:

    1. I split dinner into two parts. I eat part 2 about an hour after part 1.
    2. If I sense I am going to go on a binge, I allow myself to do so with raw vegetables such as carrots, celery and green pepper.
    3. If I sense I am craving a sweet, I have tablespoon of mini chocolate morsels with a table spoon of walnuts.
    4. I am really trying to end food by 8:00 in the evening (hope nobody goes balistic with this one, it is on the advice of the pharmacist in terms of medication management, as a cancer survivor I take quite a mix, but I know it doesn't apply to everyone).
    5. To symbolize closure of the daily food cycle, I have a cup of peppermint or camomile tea.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
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    Well - I know you don't want to gain weight but you are right on the lower end of the healthy range BMI. So you might be just plain hungry!

    And it doesn't sound if your food is that weel tied in with when your bpdy's asking for it after exercise, so it might be worth experimenting with the same calorie intake but changing the times of day and cutting down the nighttime calories (I do sympathise as I'm insomniac and struggle with this too, but I'm really making an effort to go for lower caloris snacks).

    Also I had a quick look at your diary and you're pretty constantly high sodium and low protein, shouldn't think either helps.

    Do you drink enough water? That often helps with hunger pangs.

    But overall it sounds as if you're doing really well, but perhaps a bit scared to experiment in case you lose control. I don't think you will, you could have more confidence and maybe make a small change here and there to see if it helps.
  • dododo123
    dododo123 Posts: 105 Member
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    That is just your body's natural response. For so long, it was starving itself. Now it has access to food. It is trying to grab anything to put in the fat stocks.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    Have you checked your BMI at that weight? For some reason that seems a little low in weight, but maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.

    For 5'9, my BMI at my goal of 126 would be about 18.5
    But admittedly, I am half an inch over 5'9 and have dropped to 122/123 at the moment, so don't know my exact BMI now. even eating chocolate as well as my healthy stuff.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
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    That is just your body's natural response. For so long, it was starving itself. Now it has access to food. It is trying to grab anything to put in the fat stocks.

    I haven't starved myself in sometime, until last summer, I was over 140 Ibs and ate what I wanted pretty much.
    Though for a period of time, I did tend to go out cycling and not eat all day until evening. But I am now trying to eat in the daytime as well.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Options
    Another thing you should check - are you actually hungry or do you feel hungry? A long time ago, my trainer told me that feeling hungry at night may actually be your body burning the fuel you've put into it (particularly for late in the day exercisers). You can tell this burn from actual hunger by listening to your stomach. If your stomach growls - you've hungry, and you should eat. If not - you might just be burning away what you ate because of the exercise.

    Hmm, not sure. My stomach isn't growling. I just have a gnawing sense of hunger really, and don't feel full.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Options
    Mentally, regardless of what I ate during the day, I have not been able to break the habit of feeling like I need to continue eating after dinner. My "hunger" after dinner does not correlate to my food choices or quantity throughout the day or at dinner. Your hunger may be very real, based on physical needs. In that case my advice may not apply. Here are my tips (maybe one or more will work for you:

    1. I split dinner into two parts. I eat part 2 about an hour after part 1.
    2. If I sense I am going to go on a binge, I allow myself to do so with raw vegetables such as carrots, celery and green pepper.
    3. If I sense I am craving a sweet, I have tablespoon of mini chocolate morsels with a table spoon of walnuts.
    4. I am really trying to end food by 8:00 in the evening (hope nobody goes balistic with this one, it is on the advice of the pharmacist in terms of medication management, as a cancer survivor I take quite a mix, but I know it doesn't apply to everyone).
    5. To symbolize closure of the daily food cycle, I have a cup of peppermint or camomile tea.

    Splitting dinner into a few parts is something I had considered actually last night as a possible help. I do tend to just eat it at once, then a short time later have a piece of fruit and yoghurt. The 8pm wouldn't work for me, lol, I tend to eat dinner at 9pm and often have snacks right before bed at 3 or 4am. Pretty bad routine to have gotten into, I know.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Post workout food that I really like that keeps me full is bananas. It might be worth a try to eat one after your workouts and see if it helps curb the food cravings.

    I would also suggest saving up a few calories for post-dinner snack. Just preplan it so you know you can eat it if you need to.

    You may also be able to get away with eating a little more. Experiment with your calorie intake a bit to see if you can get away with eating 100-200 calories more per day that you're currently eating.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
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    This is the old hunter-gatherer response. The game is plentiful, the berries are ripe, and it is time to fatten up for the winter. And if you do, you will gain it all back.

    This is the toughest part of dieting: outlasting that hungry response when you have received adequate nourishment long enough that your metabolism has a chance to adjust.
  • graelwyn
    graelwyn Posts: 1,340 Member
    Options
    Well - I know you don't want to gain weight but you are right on the lower end of the healthy range BMI. So you might be just plain hungry!

    And it doesn't sound if your food is that weel tied in with when your bpdy's asking for it after exercise, so it might be worth experimenting with the same calorie intake but changing the times of day and cutting down the nighttime calories (I do sympathise as I'm insomniac and struggle with this too, but I'm really making an effort to go for lower caloris snacks).

    Also I had a quick look at your diary and you're pretty constantly high sodium and low protein, shouldn't think either helps.

    Do you drink enough water? That often helps with hunger pangs.

    But overall it sounds as if you're doing really well, but perhaps a bit scared to experiment in case you lose control. I don't think you will, you could have more confidence and maybe make a small change here and there to see if it helps.

    With water, I am doing really well actually. I used to be really stupid and restrict what I drank for fear of it showing when I checked my weight, but now I make sure I get plenty of water on top of my tea and chicory drinks. I didn't notice I was high on sodium, but I had assumed I needed the salt as I do sweat a lot when cycling. I want to add more protein, I thought tonight I should have had more fish and less sweet potato.

    True I am afraid to experiment and also because it has been so long since I actually ate 3 meals a day, and was up early enough to eat 3 meals a day, that trying to adjust to the idea of a proper meal for lunch is really hard. And you cant really cycle on a full stomach. I guess I need to start getting to bed earlier and getting up early enough to fit in a lunch before my cycling. I am such a routinised person, I tend to get stuck in the same way of doing things each day.

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