hungry in the evening
 

I find myself pretty much always hungry in the evening. How can I avoid binging and what causes that ? Could it be because I don't eat enough calories ? I eat at least 1200 calories a day.

a lot of people get hungry in the evening...make sure you have a filling dinner, and if you are still hungry eat some berries...they are good for you and low calorie.

I don't know exactly what causes nighttime snacking, but I used to do it all the time. It was like, I could eat just perfectly fine all day long, and then as soon as nighttime hit, BAM! I was raiding the fridge or hitting up McDonalds.

You can get past it though. I know it's hard, but resist the urge. After a few days, it will be easy and become a habit. Drink plenty of water. If you must, snack on some celery or cucumbers. Chew gum. Go for a walk or bike ride to take your mind off of eating. Whenever I get a SUPER serious urge to eat when I shouldn't, I exercise. Takes my mind off of it, and instead of doing something horrible for my diet like binging, I'm doing something very productive :)

I used to eat constantly at night. It was boredom, killing time until bed. Nowadays I don't get home from work until 6:30 and I immediately work out for an hour or so. By the time I eat dinner it's at least 7:30. By the time I'm done eating and cleaning up I have time to watch a show or two before bed and that's it. I had to stop allowing myself time to be bored.

Evening hunger usually comes from not eating enough earlier in the day. You say you eat up to 1200 calories - probably not enough unless you stay in bed all day. Try adding 100-200 at least and be sure to get then all in. If you exercise you will need more. A snack in the evening is fine, just plan for it.

Well, when evening comes I might have eating like 1200-1300 calories and I'm hungry even though. So should I add another 100-200 calories to that ?

are you getting in enough to drink? and it's ok to go to bed a little hungry its actually a GOOD thing! means your body is having to turn on it's fat stores instead of you feeding it so just because you are feeling hungry doesn't mean you need to eat. Also it could be out of habit and not TRUE hunger. I would say drink a couple glasses of water, do something to take your mind off of it and don't give in. In a couple days your body will adjust and the feeling will go away :)

You might want to save some of your calories for a late snack but honestly, you'd be better off breaking yourself of the habit. It's best if your mind shuts off food after dinner. Try knitting or something that keeps your hands busy. Try crossword puzzles while you watch tv--that keeps your mind occupied during the commercials. Try reading a really good book instead of watching tv. Do this in a room far from the kitchen.

Not having dinner too early helps me. But so does eating 1500 calories. YMMV.

it's true hunger i think..when i was eating more calories i wasn't this hungry in the evening..

it could be not enough cals or it could be not enough of the right foods. or a combo of the 2.

I try to make sure to have a decent amount of protein (chicken, seafood, beans) at dinner. I also try not to eat until after 7pm so that I'm not hungry when I go to bed. A combo of the two always works for me, and I only notice I'm hungry if I ate an early dinner, or no protein.

Good luck!

Kaytlin, I think the answer to whether you need to be eating more than 1200 calories depends on things we don't know yet; like how much weight you need to lose (your current weight and height would be helpful) and your age. If you need to lose 100 lbs, you aren't eating nearly enough. If you need to lose 10 lbs, you probably just need to eat better (more filling - fiber and protein rich) foods.

Make sure you're getting enough protein throughout the day.

Make sure you're eating enough.

Save some calories for after dinner for a planned snack.

Remember that a lot of veggies are very bulky/filling for few calories. Make sure you're getting plenty of vegetables in your diet.

jtammy: i'm 21 and weight 195 pounds.