Starving at night - help!!!!

[Tinkobell]

I'm a bit overweight. Not really bad but want to take action. Started HRT 2 weeks ago which hasn't helped the weight. Walk dog energetically twice a day. 5ft 2 inches, 11stone.
DH is uber skinny and works out every day v hard. Eats tonnes and never gains an ounce. His portions are twice the size of mine plus he and teen son need a hefty supper on top about 10pm. That's the problem. The sight and sound of them munching at night makes me starving. I want to switch off but I can't. I eat celery and cottage cheese to bulk me but if I'm disturbed in the night by DH going the loo or anything then my tummy wakes up and I cannot sleep at all if I'm hungry. I feel the issue is a kind of mental / diet thing. Any advice on fixing this issue from others who might have experienced would be great thanks. Diet overall is v good and balanced. Don't drink alcohol or eat red meat.

Celery isn't exactly known for its satiety value. This sounds like your blood sugar is crashing.

Things that might help - eating a greater proportion of fat and protein and sitting with the hunger (through mindfulness) rather than trying to eat it away.

Have a bath while they're eating. The smell of soap and bubble bath will put you off food and you'll be able to look at your body while you soak and remind yourself that you're doing this because you love I your body and want it to be sleek and healthy.

If I wake hungry during the night I eat a banana. Nice and quick and enough to send me back to sleep.

Bettybattenburg I'm not surprised you're starving, that isn't enough food. Yesterday I had

B: Porridge with skimmed milk, banana, skinny latte, hard boiled egg

L: 2 chicken wraps and fruit salad

D: Lean steak, roasted butternut squash, asparagus, sweetcorn. 0% fat Greek yogurt and squashed berries

S: Hard boiled egg, small handful of mixed unsalted nuts

I've lost 10 stone over 2 years by eating like this, you don't have to starve yourself to lose weight. The only exercise I do is walking due to health issues

I find eating popcorn or something crunchy like lightly salted tortilla chips helps me at night. Especially if I haven't eaten enough protein during the day. I make up for it by having a meaty breakfast and keep moving during the day even before weights.

It depends on whether you have a kcal deficit before bed. If you do then don't take that away with a snack and if you don't then don't add more kcals as you will gain!
Brush your teeth and do something else to take your mind off it. You'll get used to it.
Or leave extra kcals for that snack.

@bettybattenburg you must be starving! My kids eat more than that. Where is all your fruit and veg, fibre?

Drink a glass of full fat milk before bed.
Its got a hormone in it that makes you feel fuller.

I have to eat before bed or I wake up hungry in the night. Sometimes even then.
I usually have cereal before i sleep, and sometimes I might still wake in the night and need to eat something so have a banana or a biscuit.

Not ideal for weightloss purposes but I cant seem.to train myself out of it, and tbh, its quite nice to have a little supper, so I just go with it now

Ignore it. Or drink a pint of water and brush your teeth. Make your last meal protein and fat heavy and really garlicky.

I reckon it’s because you hear them and so a slight noise of them doing something when you are in bed signals food which signals hunger. So their movement or timetable is like your trigger. I suggest you cancel out or block triggers ear pods (or something to drown out noise / listen to music etc and an eye mask and see if that helps.

Not sleeping because your body tells you its starving is not strong. Thats disordered.
You need to listen to your body.
You dont need to be eating fry ups at 2am, but feeling starving and munching on celery and still not sleeping is helping noone and wont help you lose weight. Youll be more likely to eat more than you wanted to tommorow and have less energy.
This is a quick road to failure with your weight control plans bevause the misery will make you give up.
The trick is to not eat when you're not hungry anymore, not to starve yourself when your body is crying for food

It definitely sounds like you're not getting enough protein. I would second the suggestion of boiled eggs. Keep them in the fridge and eat two before bed. Very low in calories and the protein will really help you satisfied.

I love to eat and have little will power. I joined a weight loss group that's about healthy eating not measuring. If I'm hungry I eat plenty of free food and I still get to eat mince pies and chocolate!

Hunger passes your body becomes trained.
It doesn't seem you are eating much in the day.
Can you bump your day with lots of veg, plain pasta, boiled rice, think the slimming world method.
My Dsis went from 12.5 to 9 stone 3 years ago. She said it was hard ignoring hungar but like anything her body adjusted. She kept the weight off.

Can you bump your day with lots of veg, plain pasta, boiled rice, think the slimming world method.

They are carbs, they will still lead to the issues with insulin, hunger, storing fat and not burning fat.

Ok thanks everyone. I'm going to try upping the protein big time. I love the hard boiled eggs idea and @ItsNovemberNotChristmas, I think your diet plan sounds good. I'm pretty gluten intolerant so reducing carbs - certainly pasta and bread not hard for me. I'm not sure I can afford it every night but am trying a chicken breast tonight as a filler upper. Thank you!

Anyone had any success with soups?

honestly, try a glass of full fat milk before bed. It is lower calorie than you think, and the leptin in it stops hunger pangs.
Skimmed milk doesnt work, but full fat does

small and often might suit you

you can eat when you want then

Try a bowl of special K before bed (if you’re super hungry add banana) it’s pretty healthy and will keep your tummy comfortable through the night.

I can’t sleep when I’m hungry either ❤️

I can't sleep if I'm hungry. I'd go with the porridge option, or something like peanut butter and apple slices to give you a bit of protein

I’m not being a crazy diet promoting weirdo, I promise - but ditch low fat, cut carbs a and sugar out completely - it’s kind of keto - but I’ve lost 16kgs and I have t felt hungry for months....

Hungers kicking in. The boys have just scoffed their suppers. I'm giving chicken a go. I will try whole milk another night - great idea on the leptin!