Ravenous At Night, Any Suggestions?

[Sunrise85]

Hey all! So I've been eating gluten free (with the occasional accidents) for almost 2 months now, and find that I keep having the same problems with being terribly hungry at night no matter how much I eat during the day. I find that I'm eating much more, but still can't get full. Problem is, I don't have much of an appetite during the day, only at night. I think it's also affecting my sleep cycle a lot. The nights I force myself to stay hungry and not eat at night, I just never fall asleep and end up lying awake all night. When I do eat at night, many times I wind up eating more than I had eaten all day! Anyone having similar problems?

Today for example:

7 am: 3 egg whites, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, salsa, coffee.

*45 min elliptical workout*

12:30 pm: apple + 1 tb peanut butter

3:30 pm: 10 almonds, 2 tb hummus, 15 baby carrotts

6:30 pm: large sweet potato, 3 oz. fish, large portion mixed vegetables, veggie soup.

8 pm: cup of almond milk, apple + 2 tb peanut butter

10-11:30 pm: larabar, another cup of almond milk, gluten-free brownie (whopping 400 cals), 1 cup hood ff frozen yogurt, bowl of rice with veggie soup, half can tuna.

I realize that I should try to eat a more solid lunch.. but even in days that I do, it seems like at night nothing seems to fill me up. I'm trying to stay away from too many sweets and processed gluten-free treats, but what else will fill me up enough so I can sleep?

I'm also aiming to lose weight, about 20-25 pounds that I've put on from yo-yoing and night binging for a while. I can't seem to find stable ground..

Any advice appreciated Thanks!

[linuxprincess]

Tried moving your workout to the evening?

[Ursa Major]

You are starving yourself, no wonder you can't sleep and are ravenous at night! That is NOT the healthy way to lose weight. You need about 2000 kalories a day, especially if you work out.

You aren't getting enough fat and protein, which are the two foods that fill you up, and keep you satisfied. And your body absolutely needs them to function.

And no, it is a myth that meat and fat will make you fat. In fact, eating lots of saturated fat will help you LOSE fat! While your body thinks it is starving right now (in fact, it is), which will make you GAIN, because your metabolism will slow way down to preserve energy when you don't eat enough.

Your body needs protein (preferably animal protein) and saturated fat (obviously, not hydrogenated fat, which is poison for our bodies) to function. Every cell in your body needs saturated fat.

Cold pressed, non-hydrogenated coconut oil is an extremely healthy saturated fat, that is also heat stable and therefore excellent for cooking. But animal fat is healthy, too. In fact, the fat in meat turns mostly to mono-unsaturated fat during cooking (yes, the same kind of fat as olive oil).

First of all, eat the egg yolks along with the egg whites. In fact, eat two whole eggs (three is fine, too), with bacon or sausages (yes, a healthy, satisfying breakfast, that will keep you going!). Or a nice omelet with mushrooms. Egg yolks are very healthy, and will keep you satisfied much longer.

For lunch forget about apple with peanut butter! How about some yummy chicken soup instead? Have the apple for dessert. That is all it is good for, for a snack......... not as a meal!

Your afternoon snack is not too bad. Your supper is fine, too. Have that brownie for dessert after supper.

For your bedtime snack have a sandwich (maybe a tortilla) with some meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce and sour cream in it. Yummy, healthy and will keep you until morning.

Eating small meals throughout the day is a good idea. But make them worth eating.

[RiceGuy]

I absolutely agree that you need to eat more during the day, but not just more of the same. What your body needs is lots of nutrients, and yes, fat and calories are an important part. I haven't read about the particulars of animal fat which Ursa Major mentioned, but I do know that coconut oil is wonderfully healthy stuff. Although saturated, it is mostly medium chain (animal fat is mostly long chain). Studies have shown that the human body tends to burn medium chain fatty acids more than storing them. Plus it can actually help to burn body fat to a certain degree.

You may also benefit from certain key nutritional supplements. I was also ravenous for awhile - over a year as a matter of fact. With each meal I'd stuff myself to the point where I couldn't swallow another bite, yet I was still hungry. Severe malabsorption tends to have that effect. In my research, I read that magnesium assists in nutrient absorption (amongst a myriad other benefits), and taking a magnesium supplement has proven very helpful to me. Vitamin B12 is another which many on this board (including myself) find beneficial. The sublingual methylcobalamin form is about the best available. Some of the more notable benefits are energy, mood, sleep patterns, and the health of the skin, hair, and nails. A B-complex, multivitamin, vitamin D3, calcium, zinc, and vitamin C are some of the others which come to mind.

[sickchick]

I have this problem too. What helps me is good old Psyllium pills. I eat 6-8 every day... keeps my belly feeling full and it also helps (I have trouble when I exercise with my gi symptoms getting worse)

Good luck!

[Sweetfudge]

are you drinking enough water? that REALLY helps!

[Sunrise85]

You are starving yourself, no wonder you can't sleep and are ravenous at night! That is NOT the healthy way to lose weight. You need about 2000 kalories a day, especially if you work out.

You aren't getting enough fat and protein, which are the two foods that fill you up, and keep you satisfied. And your body absolutely needs them to function.

And no, it is a myth that meat and fat will make you fat. In fact, eating lots of saturated fat will help you LOSE fat! While your body thinks it is starving right now (in fact, it is), which will make you GAIN, because your metabolism will slow way down to preserve energy when you don't eat enough.

Your body needs protein (preferably animal protein) and saturated fat (obviously, not hydrogenated fat, which is poison for our bodies) to function. Every cell in your body needs saturated fat.

Cold pressed, non-hydrogenated coconut oil is an extremely healthy saturated fat, that is also heat stable and therefore excellent for cooking. But animal fat is healthy, too. In fact, the fat in meat turns mostly to mono-unsaturated fat during cooking (yes, the same kind of fat as olive oil).

First of all, eat the egg yolks along with the egg whites. In fact, eat two whole eggs (three is fine, too), with bacon or sausages (yes, a healthy, satisfying breakfast, that will keep you going!). Or a nice omelet with mushrooms. Egg yolks are very healthy, and will keep you satisfied much longer.

For lunch forget about apple with peanut butter! How about some yummy chicken soup instead? Have the apple for dessert. That is all it is good for, for a snack......... not as a meal!

Your afternoon snack is not too bad. Your supper is fine, too. Have that brownie for dessert after supper.

For your bedtime snack have a sandwich (maybe a tortilla) with some meat, cheese, tomato, lettuce and sour cream in it. Yummy, healthy and will keep you until morning.

Eating small meals throughout the day is a good idea. But make them worth eating.

Thanks for the suggestions! Problem is, I'm not a big fan of meat, especially red meats. No particular reason, just didn't grow up eating much of it and never acquired a taste for it. I do eat seafood and chicken sometimes though I really should add more fats and proteins, but was trying to think of ways how. I've never heard of coconut oil-- where would I find that, and how would it be used?

I'm also getting over a glutening period from last week (had a friend visit and ate out a lot), so this week have not had much of an appetite during the day and have to make myself eat. except at night, then it's full on! it's as if my hunger was stored up all day! i also seem to have ballooned from last week.. feel like a magical blowup doll that balloons and shrinks based on the week

[Sunrise85]

I absolutely agree that you need to eat more during the day, but not just more of the same. What your body needs is lots of nutrients, and yes, fat and calories are an important part. I haven't read about the particulars of animal fat which Ursa Major mentioned, but I do know that coconut oil is wonderfully healthy stuff. Although saturated, it is mostly medium chain (animal fat is mostly long chain). Studies have shown that the human body tends to burn medium chain fatty acids more than storing them. Plus it can actually help to burn body fat to a certain degree.

You may also benefit from certain key nutritional supplements. I was also ravenous for awhile - over a year as a matter of fact. With each meal I'd stuff myself to the point where I couldn't swallow another bite, yet I was still hungry. Severe malabsorption tends to have that effect. In my research, I read that magnesium assists in nutrient absorption (amongst a myriad other benefits), and taking a magnesium supplement has proven very helpful to me. Vitamin B12 is another which many on this board (including myself) find beneficial. The sublingual methylcobalamin form is about the best available. Some of the more notable benefits are energy, mood, sleep patterns, and the health of the skin, hair, and nails. A B-complex, multivitamin, vitamin D3, calcium, zinc, and vitamin C are some of the others which come to mind.

Thank you! Just picked up a new multi-vitamin today (Natrol brand). It's called "My Favorite Multiple", and includes all of those things, and is gluten free. The vitamin also has 10mg of magnesium--is this enough?

I definitely see how being deficient could affect a lot of things.. particularly low energy, thinning hair/loss of hair, and not being able to sleep through a night. We'll see how this goes! Hopefully the vitamin will give a boost on top of eating more fats etc.

[Sunrise85]

I have this problem too. What helps me is good old Psyllium pills. I eat 6-8 every day... keeps my belly feeling full and it also helps (I have trouble when I exercise with my gi symptoms getting worse)

Good luck!

Did a quick google search on psyllium.. sounds like an interesting thing to consider. Curious--does the fiber make you feel uncomfortable or bloated (or make you 'go')?

[sickchick]

Did a quick google search on psyllium.. sounds like an interesting thing to consider. Curious--does the fiber make you feel uncomfortable or bloated (or make you 'go')?

I eat the Metamucil with Calcium. And no I don't go a lot at all (it IS bulk-forming though so it makes you feel full all the time) I never feel uncomfortable, it makes me feel more stable actually. All foods tend to go right through me. The psyllium keeps me from getting that 'ravenous' feeling.

GOOD LUCK keep us up on your progress

[Sunrise85]

Tried moving your workout to the evening?

Usually get preoccupied with something in the evening But I do notice, the weeks when I don't workout, I don't feel as hungry at night and also feel 'smaller' in general. Seems that when I work out in the morning, I don't feel hungry all day, until eveningtime. But if I don't workout at all, my meals are more regular.

For example today was better:

8am Rice chex w/ almond milk, coffee.

11am 30 almonds

2pm 1 can salmon with salad and tomatoes, 1 med sweet potato with 2 tb smart balance butter

7pm squid w/ mixed veggies (asparagus, broccoli, mushroom, zucchini), 1 cup brown rice

9:30pm 1 cup vanilla ice cream with 1 small peach, clif nector dark choc rasberry bar (tastes like a brownie!)

*also took a great new multivitamin (natrol brand), and have been drinking lots of water

Feel pretty good tonight! Guess I gotta get the workout thing figured out too though, lately my muscles have felt 'beat up' after i work out also.

[Ursa Major]

Usually get preoccupied with something in the evening But I do notice, the weeks when I don't workout, I don't feel as hungry at night and also feel 'smaller' in general. Seems that when I work out in the morning, I don't feel hungry all day, until eveningtime. But if I don't workout at all, my meals are more regular.

For example today was better:

8am Rice chex w/ almond milk, coffee.

11am 30 almonds

2pm 1 can salmon with salad and tomatoes, 1 med sweet potato with 2 tb smart balance butter

7pm squid w/ mixed veggies (asparagus, broccoli, mushroom, zucchini), 1 cup brown rice

9:30pm 1 cup vanilla ice cream with 1 small peach, clif nector dark choc rasberry bar (tastes like a brownie!)

*also took a great new multivitamin (natrol brand), and have been drinking lots of water

Feel pretty good tonight! Guess I gotta get the workout thing figured out too though, lately my muscles have felt 'beat up' after i work out also.

That looks like your diet was a little more balanced today. But do try to get some protein for every meal, it really helps to stop yourself from feeling like you are starving. Eggs for breakfast are great, and you absolutely can eat two or more a day!

You will find the coconut oil in health food stores. Make very sure it is non-hydrogenated, though.

I don't advise taking Metamucil, EVER! Three years ago my doctor wanted me to take it, and since it didn't say what it was sweetened with on the package, I had the pharmacist call the 1-800 number. It is sweetened with Aspartame! Which is poison, of course. In fact, he was upset when he found out, too, because he didn't know.

If you don't like red meat, eat chicken, turkey, fish, eggs for your protein.

[RiceGuy]

I tried many many brands of coconut oil, and only one actually tastes like fresh coconut. All the other are processed with high heat, which ends up giving the oil a sort of roasted/toasted taste. Some have little or no flavor at all. But do be sure never to eat RBD coconut oil, with is Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized. Thats stuff is basically what is used to make soaps and candles.

The good one is extracted by centrifuge, and sadly, is about twice the cost of most others. Fabulous taste though! Plus it really is healthier than the cheap ones, even though the label claims are basically the same from brand to brand. Here's where to get the good stuff: Open Original Shared Link

As for protein, you might like amaranth or teff, made as a hot cereal. A bowl of either can give you just as much protein as eggs, plus numerous minerals, fiber, and more.

On the magnesium, no, 10mg is not even close to enough IMO. The daily recommended amount is 400mg, so 10mg seems like nothing to me. Of course, we each have our own requirements, depending on diet and malabsorption. But as long as the vitamin has a decent amount of most of the other things, especially B vitamins, and the others I mentioned previously, you could always get a separate magnesium and see if it helps. One woman's multi which am aware of is Open Original Shared Link, but like most multivitamins, the B12 it has is cyanocobalamin, which I'd never recommend because it actually has cyanide. Interestingly, Open Original Shared Link they sell does have methylcobalamin, so I don't know why they chose not to do that for the woman's formula.

[Sunrise85]

I tried many many brands of coconut oil, and only one actually tastes like fresh coconut. All the other are processed with high heat, which ends up giving the oil a sort of roasted/toasted taste. Some have little or no flavor at all. But do be sure never to eat RBD coconut oil, with is Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized. Thats stuff is basically what is used to make soaps and candles.

The good one is extracted by centrifuge, and sadly, is about twice the cost of most others. Fabulous taste though! Plus it really is healthier than the cheap ones, even though the label claims are basically the same from brand to brand. Here's where to get the good stuff: Open Original Shared Link

As for protein, you might like amaranth or teff, made as a hot cereal. A bowl of either can give you just as much protein as eggs, plus numerous minerals, fiber, and more.

On the magnesium, no, 10mg is not even close to enough IMO. The daily recommended amount is 400mg, so 10mg seems like nothing to me. Of course, we each have our own requirements, depending on diet and malabsorption. But as long as the vitamin has a decent amount of most of the other things, especially B vitamins, and the others I mentioned previously, you could always get a separate magnesium and see if it helps. One woman's multi which am aware of is Open Original Shared Link, but like most multivitamins, the B12 it has is cyanocobalamin, which I'd never recommend because it actually has cyanide. Interestingly, Open Original Shared Link they sell does have methylcobalamin, so I don't know why they chose not to do that for the woman's formula.

hmm.. i will look into getting a magnesium supplement--have you felt a big difference? Also, you're right, the B12 is cyanocobalamin, and there's only 50mcg of that, and 17mg of the B6 (pyridoxine HCL). Which brands/formulas of vitamins have you liked for magnesium and the b complex? Also, are armaranth or teff cereals usually sold in health food stores (which brands have you liked?) thanks, this is all so helpful for a newbie!

[sickchick]

The pills have no sweetener or flavor. I'll read the ingredients.

Psyllium Husk, Calcium Carbonate, Gelatin, Titanium Dioxide, Caramel color, looks like it does have artificial colors though .

damm sorry I am soooooooo upset and frazzled they can ruin a good healthy thing with retarded additives.

I am still learning the process of what we can and can't eat

I am going to stew right now

I did find some psyllium in vegetarian pills with no additives artificial anything they just had acidophilus

I am too mad to order though right now. LOL

lovelove

[Sunrise85]

Ok, so today would be an example of a 'bad' day

7am rice chex w/ skim milk, coffee

10am 33 almonds

12:30 1 can salmon, salad w/ tomato and salsa

2pm lara bar

4pm clif bar

5pm apple w/ 3 tb peanut butter

7pm large bowl brown rice, big plate veggies (cauliflower, green beans, mushroom) mixed w/ lots of chicken, 1 egg white

9pm 1 cup stonyfield rasberry white chocolate lowfat frozen yogurt

9:30-12am small peach, 5 tb peanut butter, 3 gluten-free peanut butter cookies, 3 larabars (200 cal each), prob over 2 cups vanilla ice cream, 1/2 large lindt chocolate bar, cup of vanilla soymilk

so now i definitely LOOK stuffed, but still no full or satisfied feeling...this is what happens all the time! frustrating, b/c theres no point in working out if i'm going to eat like this.. sigh. just want my fit body back.. (sorry, having a moment)

no workout today either.. is this b/c my body is having trouble absorbing things? i was glutened several times last wee, which is why this week ive been trying to get back on my feet..

definitely looking into the psyllium tomorrow!

[RiceGuy]

hmm.. i will look into getting a magnesium supplement--have you felt a big difference? Also, you're right, the B12 is cyanocobalamin, and there's only 50mcg of that, and 17mg of the B6 (pyridoxine HCL). Which brands/formulas of vitamins have you liked for magnesium and the b complex? Also, are armaranth or teff cereals usually sold in health food stores (which brands have you liked?) thanks, this is all so helpful for a newbie!

Yes, I have seen major improvements in absorption, as well as energy, muscle/nerve health, mood, sleep patterns, and much more. I'm sure I was terribly deficient. It does seem to take time though, and will depend on your diet, the severity of malabsorption, etc.

I have tried several different magnesium supplements - all in powdered form for maximum absorption. Some taste awful, some are fine. I've tried magnesium carbonate, magnesium citrate, and a calcium & magnesium combo w/vitamin D. All are effective to some degree, but in different ways. The citrate form has a much more pronounced tendency to soften stool, so if you're already prone to D, you may want to try the carbonate form. The more acidic, the faster the absorption, thus the more they can make you "go". Not having tried pills, I can't suggest any, but I figure some of them will take longer to digest, thus not act so much like a laxative. There aren't very many powdered forms available, and between that and whatever additives there might be, all the ones I've tried are from Open Original Shared Link.

I never found a B-complex I really felt safe or comfortable taking, but the multi I referenced appears to have a decent amount of the various Bs. I take a separate methylcobalamin, made by Source Naturals. If you feel your digestive system is up the the challenge of breaking down pills, you'll have more options than I've had, though more recently I think my system is getting close to being able to handle some pills.

Amaranth and teff should be available in your local health store. I just get them online in bulk. For a brand, Bob's Red Mill has both amaranth and teff, though it looks like they don't carry the ivory teff, only the brown. Another (and cheaper) grain which has decent protein and fiber is Kasha (roasted buckwheat). It is one of my favorites. If you can have lentils, the red variety cooks relatively quickly, and will supply lots of protein as well.

One thing I've noticed is that your day seems to start out with coffee. I'm sure you're aware that coffee is a diuretic, and causes the body to lose nutrients, particularly minerals.

[sickchick]

I found a B-complex I used to take is gluten free now. (Nature Made) Ascorbic Acid, Cellulose Gel, Niacinamide, Hydropoyl Methylcellulose, Thiamin Mononitrate,d-Calcium,Panthenate, Riboflavin, Croscarmellose Sodium, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride,Magnesium Stearate, Polyethylene Glycol.

No artificial flavors, colors, no preservatives, yeast, gluten or starch..

I annot live without my B-complex. I eat 5000 mcg Biotin too (for hairloss and weak nails) I got rid of my sublingual b12 though it had artificial colors, and flavors and aspartame

I also can't live without my psyllium so after I dry my hair I am headed off to health food store to find safe psyllium pills...I can't function with out them they make it so I can leave the house without having toilet anxiety lol

BE WELL!

sickchick

[RiceGuy]

I got rid of my sublingual b12 though it had artificial colors, and flavors and aspartame

[sickchick]

Thanks Riceguy!!!!

Sunrise85, I found an awesome psyllium pill, Yerba Prima. Straight up 100% Psyllium in gelatin based caps. I take less I am eating about 4 a day now... good stuff.

Be well!!