Is feeling hungry a good thing?

I feel sooo hungry in the middle of the night. I could eat a horse...but I stop at just a cup of juice or water which I have been doing sucessfully for a month now. It paid off lost at least 7lbs. but I'm still hungry from around 10pm. to 5am in morning...Is this normal?

Mon. Oct 1, 1:01am

I have protein 2-3 hours before I am set to fall asleep. I have programmed my body and fall asleep at around the same time every night. This way I'm not awake in those hours when people are most likely to grab a late night snack which is not on your meal plan. I also make sure I eat enough during the day so that I'm not so famished at night.

Monday, October 01, 2007, 8:48 AM

Going to bed hungry is my secret weightloss strategy, the only way to go as far as I am concerned. During the day I can't afford the distraction of hunger, I need to focus on tasks at hand. During the evening the pressure to be at my best is reduced, so I can handle a little gnawing feeling. But if I'm not hungry by the time bedtime rolls around, I know that I've eaten too much that day.

I have learned to embrace the hungry feeling. I think of it like a message back from my body saying "Yes, I'm burning fat right now", and I go to bed happy.

Monday, October 01, 2007, 9:16 AM

Most people think they're hungry when they're actually thirsty or just digesting. Also, you should look at what you're eating for dinner. Eating two rice cakes and a banana vs. a plate of roasted veggies with a piece of chicken...which do you think would sustain you longer?

If you're really hungry and you want to eat something, try microwaving a sweet potato and eating that (poke it with a fork a few times, wrap it in a paper towel, nuke for 3 min. then turn it over and nuke for 2 more min). Doesn't have too many calories and it will really fill you up!!

Monday, October 01, 2007, 3:01 PM

Thanks for the suggestion...I'm cutting out carbs for a while and increasing my veggie intake to about 75%...eating lean meats and easing up on the carbs is the way of my diet now.

Monday, October 01, 2007, 6:36 PM

No, it's not normal. I just had this discussion with my dietician, who was trying to determine if I was eating enough, and whether the cause of my hunger was physiological or not. She says that waking up hungry in the middle of the night is a very clear sign that you are significantly undereating.

Monday, October 01, 2007, 7:08 PM

Undereating? Thanks...I never heard of that before...I'll look into it.

Monday, October 01, 2007, 8:56 PM

Waking up feeling hungry can also be a sign of "silent" acid reflux, which is more common at night. Not all acid problems feel like heartburn. If you inexplicably feel more physical hunger pangs after eating something, this is probably the actual problem.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007, 1:14 PM

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