Hungry at night

[sarah]

I'm having some difficulties dealing with hunger at night.

Here's a typical breakdown of my day:

I wake up at 10 or 11 AM and eat breakfast (250 - 350 cal)

If I get hungry, I'll eat a snack (50-100 cal)

I eat lunch around 3 PM (250 - 350 cal)

Dinner at 6:30 PM - 7:00 PM (400 cal)

I then exercise.

If I get hungry, I eat another snack (100-150 cal). Later I drink some decaf coffee with sweetener and milk to stave off cravings.

And I go to bed between 1 - 3 AM.

I'd say right now my total calories per day is around 1000-1200.

I'm scared to eat something more substantial after dinner, but I get genuinely hungry by 1 AM, and I'm guessing that's not so great for my metabolism.

Any advice on how I should proceed? Should I just add more calories throughout the day, or just after dinner? I'm thinking of including a veggie snack on top of my after-exercise snack, like broccoli/salad/peas. I'm pretty much just sitting down at this time, so I'm confused about what would be good to eat.

[DarthAvarous]

To make an accurate recommendation, I'd need your height, weight, and what your exercise consists of. If you check out the Calorie Calculator post near the top of the Diet and Foods section, you can plug in your information and it will help provide some guidance (Whichever you feel more comfortable with). Feel free to PM me too. If you are eating less than the amount of calories your body needs, you will generally feel hunger. Almonds are a quick, easy, healthy, and cheap snack. Maybe try a handful when you get hungry at night. Your caloric intake does seem low.

[sarah]

Thanks, I will check that out that calculator when I'm done posting!

I'm 5'3", 167 lbs., and I generally exercise on my elliptical 5 times a week for 25 min., and burn about 200 calories each time. Other than that I'm pretty much sedentary (though I'm working on becoming more active!)

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm just scared of eating at night because of all the dieting mythology out there - most of which my mom lectures me with. But learning more about nutrition and such, it seems better than not eating and shutting down my metabolism. My weight loss has slowed up quite a bit too after my initial first week of dieting. Also, my family is diabetic, so I try to eat smaller quantities of fruit. I think i might take your nut suggestion and try steamed veggies as well.

[DarthAvarous]

After plugging in your information, the chart suggests about 2250 calories per day. I would not worry about eating another meal. You have to be careful to consume enough calories (Especially protein) during weight loss, otherwise your body will start to cannibalize muscle tissue. Protein has the added benefit of being the macronutrient most responsible for feelings of satiety (Fullness). Try eating a small meal high in protein and vegetables after you work out to refuel your body.

[sarah]

Thanks so much for your help! I'm falling in love with whey powder to help fill me up and I'll look out for other high-protein things. Cottage cheese is on my list too :3