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Baraka_Guru · 01-07-2009, 01:11 PM

Leto, thanks for taking the time to lay this out.

You aren't very hungry during the first half of your day. This is (typically) when you should be most hungry. Can I ask how hungry you typically feel around suppertime and before bed? In both scenarios, you have late snacks. While there is nothing wrong with having a small snack before bed (the right kind can help you sleep), eating too much this late in the day can do two things: 1) cause you to gain weight due to consuming too many calories when your metabolism and caloric expenditure will be at its lowest (during sleep), 2) lead you to be not hungry enough upon waking to have a proper breakfast. What this means is that you might have yourself on a vicious cycle of poor meal timing. Stress might play an issue as well. Things like poor sleep habits and work-related issues (plus holiday stress perhaps?) can cause stress, and stress can suppress hunger at a good time to be hungry, leading you to be more hungry at inopportune times later on.

Food choices aside at the moment, here is what I recommend: limit or eliminate your late-night snack. If you must eat something at this time, try to have some light carbs with little or no protein or fat. Try a small bowl of cereal, a piece of toast, or some fruit or something (like a banana). This should stave off hunger while you try to sleep and will even help you sleep, as carbs at this time of day can set off the right chemicals for sleeping.

If you are eating anywhere near 300 - 500 calories (or more) at night usually, it could be throwing off your hunger in the morning. (And too much protein can interfere with your sleep.) Try also to go to bed at a reasonable time if you aren't already (and if you can). Being sleep deprived or not getting a good night's sleep even once can lead your appetite to be suppressed in the morning. The two combined is even worse.

One other issue is that delaying your coffee until later in the morning might help too. An early-morning coffee can suppress hunger, plus it can interfere with your body's "waking up" chemical process. Ideally, wait until 9 or 10am (if you can!!!

)

Let's start there and see if we need to get into more detail. Let me know what you think. When I get home tonight, I'll spend more time thinking about this.

01-07-2009, 01:11 PM	#20 (permalink)
Baraka_Guru warrior bodhisattva Super Moderator Location: East-central Canada	Leto, thanks for taking the time to lay this out. You aren't very hungry during the first half of your day. This is (typically) when you should be most hungry. Can I ask how hungry you typically feel around suppertime and before bed? In both scenarios, you have late snacks. While there is nothing wrong with having a small snack before bed (the right kind can help you sleep), eating too much this late in the day can do two things: 1) cause you to gain weight due to consuming too many calories when your metabolism and caloric expenditure will be at its lowest (during sleep), 2) lead you to be not hungry enough upon waking to have a proper breakfast. What this means is that you might have yourself on a vicious cycle of poor meal timing. Stress might play an issue as well. Things like poor sleep habits and work-related issues (plus holiday stress perhaps?) can cause stress, and stress can suppress hunger at a good time to be hungry, leading you to be more hungry at inopportune times later on. Food choices aside at the moment, here is what I recommend: limit or eliminate your late-night snack. If you must eat something at this time, try to have some light carbs with little or no protein or fat. Try a small bowl of cereal, a piece of toast, or some fruit or something (like a banana). This should stave off hunger while you try to sleep and will even help you sleep, as carbs at this time of day can set off the right chemicals for sleeping. If you are eating anywhere near 300 - 500 calories (or more) at night usually, it could be throwing off your hunger in the morning. (And too much protein can interfere with your sleep.) Try also to go to bed at a reasonable time if you aren't already (and if you can). Being sleep deprived or not getting a good night's sleep even once can lead your appetite to be suppressed in the morning. The two combined is even worse. One other issue is that delaying your coffee until later in the morning might help too. An early-morning coffee can suppress hunger, plus it can interfere with your body's "waking up" chemical process. Ideally, wait until 9 or 10am (if you can!!! ) Let's start there and see if we need to get into more detail. Let me know what you think. When I get home tonight, I'll spend more time thinking about this. __________________ Knowing that death is certain and that the time of death is uncertain, what's the most important thing? —Bhikkhuni Pema Chödrön Humankind cannot bear very much reality. —From "Burnt Norton," Four Quartets (1936), T. S. Eliot Last edited by Baraka_Guru; 01-07-2009 at 01:21 PM..