9pm and I'm starving

[doutri2]

What are you supposed to eat when it's 9pm and you're starving b/c you already ate all of the calories allotted to you?  

This keeps happening to me each night and sometimes I give in and then eat too much.  

[SunsetRunner]

Try some low calories veggies like celery and carrots. Pickles also work

[Odyssey13 · Accepted solution]

When I'm hungry, I get some tea and toast. Celery works too - anything that crunches and helps me know I'm actually eating. Sometimes it's harder than others.

If you somehow get busy doing something else, you might forget being hungry.

[ahceinaej]

My midnight snack usually consists of cheese and meat or nuts. I like to stick with protein and no carbs for snacks. 

[kmo706]

I know how u feel. I do good all day with my calories and eating. Getting in all my exercise and steps, then 9pm comes around & I want everything in sight. So hungry. I was trying not to eat after 8pm, but tonight it was 9pm. I got a few almonds, & cracker with some almond butter. Probably not a good choice. I am still hungry. I think I should go to bed earlier. 

[runnergirl318]

I have never been a calrue counter. Never will. If you're hungry at 9pm then eat! I would stick with protein. Maybe a protein shake w some Greek yogurt and berries. I would avoid empty carbs and sugar.

[Tannia]

I am a compulsive eater. I would lay in bed at night, when everyone else was asleep, and eat peanutbutter from the jar. This is what worked for me: I keep a little calendar next to my bed and each night that I DON'T give in to temptation I put a large X through the day. Then I have motivation to get all these X's in a row. Honestly, it's only been 4 days since I last ate compulsively. And I can tell you, I think I am so very hungy at 9 pm. But if I X out the day I feel so much better. I can say to myself, Nope nope nope not gonna eat anymore today. Your cellular recovery needs to focus on rejuvination and repair, not digestion. Another tip that helped was this: instead of trying to shut down the kitchen at 7 or 8, just try 15 minutes earlier each day. Today stop snacking at 8:45, tomorrow 8:35, or whatever. Pretty soon you'll be at 8 PM, which is closer to ideal. I hope my ranting helps....

[doutri2]

I went for the celery stalk with salt last night.  Definitely a better choice than my night before which was 2 slices of cheddar cheese and some lentil chips.  

The celery worked.  And I feel that I ate a food with "negative" calories.  Thanks for all the advice. 

[KJScarp]

It's a total myth that one shouldn't eat after a certain time of day.  Your body burns calories 24 hours a day - it doesn't just mysteriously stop burning calories because 7 or 8 or 9 rolls around.  The reason that this myth came about is because most people eat too many calories when they snack, which results in taking in more calories than is burned.

Of course, if eating at that time of night interferes with sleep, then you might want to eat more at dinner, or schedule an earlier snack.

The most likely culprit is that you are over-restricting your calories during the day, resulting in excess hunger at night.

[abb123]

If you drink more water throughout the day it will keep your stomach full and your body won't being telling you that you are hungry.

Dieting is also about training your body what to expect and when to expect it.  Chances are before you started dieting you had some late night snacking habits and your body won't forget that right away.  

The human body and mind are completely habitual.  Some people can't sleep without a TV on because they have become accustomed to having a TV on in their bedroom.  Likewise, some people want to eat earlier than others because they may have been raised to eat at 6 in the evening and others may want to eat at 8, even if they started their day at the same time... their bodies have come to expect food at X time.

[runnergirl318 · Accepted solution]

Snacking doesn't have to be a negative thing. Your body needs fuel. snacks are fuel. make them healthy no matter what time of day. To me hunger is a positive thing, it tells me that my metabolism is working. 

[doutri2]

That is a great way to look at it and I've been trying to be more conscious of the nighttime snacks this week: cheese, celery (with and without veggie cream cheese) and hard boiled eggs.  I even count out the Lentil chips from Trader Joe's.  

I'll get there slowly but surely.

[doutri2]

Thanks.  I had all three for snacks today.  

[Inga]

If I've already eaten all my calories ... I acknowledge that I am obviously not starving and I make a big cup of hot tea.

[magiic]

In the rare instances I am still snacky in the evening I usually have celery with some Sriracha on it.

[Algenon]

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@Odyssey13 wrote:

When I'm hungry, I get some tea and toast. Celery works too - anything that crunches and helps me know I'm actually eating. Sometimes it's harder than others.

If you somehow get busy doing something else, you might forget being hungry.

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I would also drink at least one glass of water before you eat anything.  This really helps!

[SunsetRunner]

I would recommnd eating something light, like some greek yogurt or some fruit or some 100 calorie progressive soup. It'll still be filling but it's better than grabbing a sandwich or some junk food. You could also try filling up on liquids like drinking a bunch of water or unsweetened tea.

[Fabgolab]

Wow this is old