Hungry After Dinner

[HawaiiDolphin]

I've been working really hard to become healthier through diet and exercise, but my weight loss has stagnated as I have fallen off the proverbial wagon.

I'm always really hungry after dinner, which is usually healthy, comprised of protein and lots of fiber (rice and beans, salad w/ tempeh, etc.). I can't stop snacking afterwards! I never feel full, but I can easily snack away an extra 750 calories! I know there's a self control issue here, but does anyone have ideas how to curtail it? I mostly crave carbs (brown rice cereal, cold cereal, oatmeal) etc. I try to make it "healthier" but I need to stop! Please offer any advice.

[lobsteriffic]

I try and get out of the house or find something to do that keeps me busy and my mind occupied. If I really, really want a snack and I just can't control myself I'll make myself some air-popped popcorn...not many calories in that but it's good for 'mindless munching' if you will.

[beforewisdom]

Eat more.

 

Seriously the max the experts say to lose is one pound per week. Two if you are a large person. If you go faster you will be hungry all of the time........like you are finding out. You will also lose more muscle and end up being "skinny fat" at your goal weight instead of tight. Reduce the amount of calories you are cutting back on so you still loose steadily, but at an amount you can live with.

 

Slow down the pace of your aerobic exercise too. Just my personal experience, but I've found long and slow to be better for fat loss. If I push myself into the anaerobic zone or even very hard I get serious munchies I can't ignore. Maybe because I'm exhausting my muscle glycogen.

 

Drink at *least* two quarts of water a day. Put a quart bottle on your desk in the morning and make it game to polish off two of them before you go home. A lot of times people confuse low level thirst with hunger.

 

If all else fails have a cup of hot salty vegetable broth. It will make you feel full for a bit. Pickles help too, they are low calorie.

 

Not all fiber is the same for giving you a full feeling. Focus on oatmeal ( especially with lots of ground flax ), freshly made beans and cabbage family vegetables.

[NicTVG]

do you have caffeine later in the day? i've been finding caffeine sometimes causes me to have this hunger that i can't get rid of in the evening

[Ruz]

I used to be hungry all the time! but then I discovered something surprising about my appetite when I was doing a low carb diet..carbs make me hungry! I have since started adding a load of raw oilve oil to my food and it cuts my hunger so much that my total calorie intake is much lower and I've lost all the fat I've been battling with for many years

Worth a try no?

[andrea]

I think you should eat more too.

if I feel so hungry I generally eat bran, blown barley, or cocoa in cup with sweetner and my hunger flows away! I could eat no more than 300 kcal. but if this behavior persists frequently for the next days, I correct my diet increasing the calories I normally get with these extra meals.

do you have caffeine later in the day? i've been finding caffeine sometimes causes me to have this hunger that i can't get rid of in the evening

really caffeine is anorectics... this that happens to you could be due to the fact that caffeine is stimulating so you play more activities during the day -> then you spent more calories -> then you are more hungry. this is what happens to me!

[aryan]

Eat when you're hungry, stop when you're full.

Simple as that.

 

If you're hungry after dinner, eat. But make sure you're not just driven by boredom or stress. Check and see if you actually feel it in your stomach, not just in your head, because if the hunger is in your head alone, you're not really hungry. True hunger is felt in your stomach.

[Ruz]

OK..I don't think anyone is taking my reply about eating more fat seriously..I wouldn't have done so either before I tried it! It was recommended to me by "Built" on the vegeterian bodybuilders site. Just to put things into perspective, I've gone from 19.4 % bodyfat, to 11.7% bodyfat (as measured today), in 2.5 months and managed to retain all my muscle. I started on the UD2 diet but it left me starving and then I learnt the secret about eating more fat! So, I'm never as hungry now as I was before when I ate a lot of carbs and less fat, I've been intaking a lot less calories without even trying (I'm used to eating as a response to hunger and fat curbs my hunger while carbs stimulate it), and I've lost a lot of body fat.

Investigate a little more, you might be surprised to find that this concept isn't so strange and that many athletes eat like this to maintain low bodyfat levels

[lobsteriffic]

Ruz do you keep your carbs low enough to go into ketosis?

[Ruz]

Ruz do you keep your carbs low enough to go into ketosis?

No way! it gives me headaches and makes me feel like crap. I've stopped counting calories and carbs now, and eat far less fruit because that's what makes me hungriest. I dont normally eat bread, pasta etc efter lunch, but if I fancy it occasionally its no problem as I seem to be maintaining this weight eating pretty much what I like within these guide lines. I do eat carbs in the form of beans, nuts, seeds and veggies, but nowhere near as many as before.

[lobsteriffic]

Yeah I can't do ketosis either. Next time I'm dieting down I'll have to try the low carb/high fat thing.

[andrea]

the problem is that generally girls don't tolerate carboydrathe restrictions. I don't feel good a few carboydrathes too. obviously a low carb diet can work good, it depends on the subject (male or female too).

[madcat]

I find that brushing my teeth after meal helps me to avoid snacking. If I am going to snack I like foods that I have to eat slowly... right now I'm eating frozen blueberries.

p.s. Hi Rob!

[MikeB]

I agree with eating more as well .

 

Soup and crackers is nice .

 

Try those soups by " Amy " and some nice multigrain crackers .

[aryan]

Are you actually HUNGRY - meaning you feel the slight burning/tingling sensation IN YOUR STOMACH, or is the only "hunger" in your head? If it is the latter, you are being driven to eat by something other than actual hunger, such as stress or boredom, and need to work on the underlying issue or find some other way to cope (a more short term solution). If the former, go ahead and eat because it means you haven't consumed enough; you may just need more calories than most.

[veganmama]

I agree w/ aryan... when I feel like I am eating out of boredom or stress I put my hand on my stomach for a few seconds- I know this sounds crazy- but by focusing that way, I can really feel my fullness level and even rate it from 1-10 (starving-full), I swear it works. At that point if I am not really hungry, it is a lot easier to tell myself to walk away from the cupboard. If I am hungry, then I eat more and don't feel like I am pigging out for no reason

 

I get a sweet tooth after I eat lunch, so I try to eat a piece of chocolate, or something semi-healthy b4 it gets the best of me! That seems to give me a sense of closure too... like the meal is done now, time to move on.

[lobsteriffic]

I like something sweet after my meal too. I usually have a bit of fruit.

[veganmama]

I like something sweet after my meal too. I usually have a bit of fruit.

 

 

you are a better woman than I! I am weak for chocolate.

 

p.s. your blog makes me hungry!!

[Star_psl]

I had this problem. Trying to get busy and forget the hunger does not always work for me. If you are truly hungry you will want to eat. If I go out for a walk or do something and I am still thinking about food my body wants something I am not giving it. I can eat tons of rice and beans and I will still be hungry. I have to eat more green vegetables nuts, seeds, fruits. What do you snack on after dinner? I have to have celery, nut butters, berries, raw fruits and hummus. I guess I have to have some lower carb foods, the high carb foods seem to feed my hunger. Also make sure you drink enough water as has been mentioned.