Hungry at bedtime

[holly262]

My meals are pretty much at 7:30, 12:30, and 5:30. I've been doing well not needing to snack between meals.

 

But at 10:00 at night, when I'm almost ready for bed, I'm starting to get legitimately hungry -- after all, it's been a while since dinner!

 

So do I -- eat even MORE at dinner? (I'm full when I'm done). 

Proactively have a small snack at 8, so it's not right at bedtime, even if I'm not hungry yet?

Eat only if I'm truly hungry -- even if it's at 10pm?

[Tom Denham]

Of the three ideas you listed, having a small meal at 8 would be the best choice.

 

My own approach is to eat lunch a little later and then eat super at 7 or 7:30. Another choice would be to eat a mini-meal in the afternoon and have your last meal at about 7:30.

[holly262]

Thanks, I did think of that, but we have small kids who eat earlier. They go to bed at 7:30 so that would mean we couldn't eat dinner as a family.

[pjena]

I struggled with this a bit, too, for the same reason.  It's important to me to eat as a family and my kids aren't waiting until 7 to eat.  I try to push dinner to 6 and then would have a small snack at 8 or so.  After several months of this, I've found that most nights, I don't really need a snack.  I might start to get hungry at 10, but I just ignore it and go to bed.  I feel better when I wake up hungry.  I think any new lifestyle requires some tweaking.  So, for now, I'd take Tom's advice and have a mini meal snack at 8ish.  But, be open to trying to go without it later.  You might surprise yourself.