Girls, I’ve been tracking my calories regularly for 3 weeks, and I’ve lost a bit of weight, but at night I literally go into a hunger crisis. No matter what I do, it doesn’t help, and I end up attacking everything in the fridge. I feel like if this continues, all my efforts will go to waste. How did you overcome a situation like this, or can it really be overcome?
I experienced the same thing; I literally ate whatever I could find in the pantry at night and woke up with regret in the morning. Honestly, adding things that keep me feeling full for a long time worked for me. I especially started eating boiled eggs or yogurt at dinner, and I noticed that my cravings significantly decreased.
The overwhelming feeling of hunger at night is very familiar. I’ve found that adding something protein-heavy to my snacks helps. For example, just 2-3 almonds can make a difference. The same might work for you too.
You’re definitely making a mistake somewhere. Could you be leaving too large of a calorie deficit? Your body is going into survival mode after all, which is why you’re having these cravings. I don’t think this situation can be explained just by saying ‘I go and raid the fridge.’
Buddy, my friends are also on a diet, and this situation is just like the whole “going on a crash diet on your own” thing. I think you should consult a nutritionist; otherwise, if you keep this up, both your health will suffer and your motivation will fade.
Your body has its limits, and these crises seem to be a result of ignoring them. The part about ‘attacking everything in the cupboard’ clearly creates guilt, but that’s a problem of that mindset, not yours. A restrictive culture devalues your efforts, so explore flexible eating.
Nighttime hunger crises are often the result of an imbalanced distribution of calories consumed throughout the day. If you’re skipping meals or missing out on macro balances like carbohydrates, proteins, and fibers, it’s as if your body is signaling an alarm. I think you should consult a dietitian to analyze this distribution.
Let me add this as well; I actually pay a lot of attention during the day, I don’t exceed 1200-1300 calories and I’ve significantly reduced carbohydrates. So I can’t understand where I went wrong, I’ve started to wonder if even these calories might be too low.
If you don’t eat anything after 8 PM, it may be increasing your hunger. Add cinnamon to a small bowl of yogurt around 9-10 PM; it will both suppress your hunger and regulate your blood sugar.
I swear I felt the same way, it turns out I was drinking very little water during the day. Sometimes hunger pangs can actually be confused with thirst. So when a craving hits, try drinking a glass of water first and wait 10 minutes.