# Re dieting why are we so hungry at night during our lowest waking activity levels? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 15, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758 "2012-09-15T03:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/1 "2012-09-15T03:40:14Z")
Re dieting why do our appetites go into overdrive and drive us up up the wall is the late evening and nighttime hours when we are usually sedentary and expending the fewest number of calories during our waking hours? Assumedly the body has some logic for pressing these metabolic chemical buttons at this time. Why does this happen? ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/2 "2012-09-15T20:05:53Z")
Mine doesn’t. I eat little or nothing after 6:00 P.M., and I don’t get hungry. But I may be older than you. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/3 "2012-09-15T23:00:46Z")
Well, if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the standard times, that’s only 4 or 5 hours between breakfast and lunch and maybe 6 or 7 more to supper. But if you eat supper at 7, that’s about 12 hours to your next meal (give or take). That might have something to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/4 "2012-09-15T23:04:02Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Re dieting why do our appetites go into overdrive and drive us up up the wall is the late evening and nighttime hours when we are usually sedentary and expending the fewest number of calories during our waking hours? Not all bodies are the same in this regard. I can eat lunch, then skip dinner, and not be hungry until breakfast. I must have some lizard DNA. 🙂 > [@filling\_pages](#): > > Well, if you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the standard times, that’s only 4 or 5 hours between breakfast and lunch and maybe 6 or 7 more to supper. But if you eat supper at 7, that’s about 12 hours to your next meal (give or take). That might have something to do with it. But your metabolism isn’t the same if you are dormant or sleeping, so 12 hours asleep can’t be equated with 12 hours awake and active. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/5 "2012-09-15T23:47:49Z")
If I’ve eaten a proper dinner, and I still get hungry in the evening, I’ve found I’m usually bored. If I’m watching a really interesting program or working on a challenging piece of knitting, I rarely get “hungry” after dinner. For me, it’s more mental than physical. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2012, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/6 "2012-09-15T23:56:03Z")
You can’t exercise and digest at the same time; your body doesn’t really multitask very well. Once you’re done exercising for the day, it’s time to eat. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/7 "2012-09-16T00:16:46Z")
I think when activities levels drop, the mind wanders. When the mind wanders, it tends to wander to the refrigerator. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/8 "2012-09-16T01:08:28Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Mine doesn’t. I eat little or nothing after 6:00 P.M., and I don’t get hungry. But I may be older than you. You don’t sound like you’re dieting. Most people I know who are restricting their intake get famished in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/9 "2012-09-16T01:18:07Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > You don’t sound like you’re dieting. Most people I know who are restricting their intake get famished in the evening. It’s _cravings_ that beset the troubled dieter, often in the evenings, not actual hunger. There is a difference. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/10 "2012-09-16T01:23:15Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > It’s _cravings_ that beset the troubled dieter, often in the evenings, not actual hunger. There is a difference. As a lifetime yo-yo dieter, I definitely know the difference. Sometimes I get so hungry in the evening I could chew my own arm off. Yes, it is often just appetite and desiring that packet of chips but, speaking only for myself, I never get physically hungry until about 11:00 am (having eaten nothing for well over 12 hours). After I eat, I’m hungry again within an hour or so and ravenous in the evening. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/11 "2012-09-16T01:45:30Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > As a lifetime yo-yo dieter, I definitely know the difference. Sometimes I get so hungry in the evening I could chew my own arm off. > > Yes, it is often just appetite and desiring that packet of chips but, speaking only for myself, I never get physically hungry until about 11:00 am (having eaten nothing for well over 12 hours). Well perhaps part of your problem is that you aren’t structuring your diet in a way that spaces out your meals so that your “fast” lasts only 8 hours or so (or however long you sleep). I am currently in the middle (or actually nearing the end) of a 12-week pre-contest bodybuilding diet and it is incredibly restrictive and difficult. I manage it by eating every three hours, starting at the first hour upon rising and eating until I go to bed (six meals). The only time I exceed three hours without eating is the eight hours or so I am sleeping. ETA: I hope this doesn’t come across as “know-it-all” type shit. I know I can only speak for myself and I know you have LOTS of experience with dieting yourself. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/12 "2012-09-16T01:49:54Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > But your metabolism isn’t the same if you are dormant or sleeping, so 12 hours asleep can’t be equated with 12 hours awake and active. No, but if I’m hungry at midnight I’ve been awake and at least mentally active since dinner. ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/13 "2012-09-16T03:12:29Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > ETA: I hope this doesn’t come across as “know-it-all” type shit. I know I can only speak for myself and I know you have LOTS of experience with dieting yourself. Heh. Yeah I have lots of experience with dieting. Sadly, not so much in the way of success. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/14 "2012-09-16T04:37:03Z")
> [@jabiru](#): > > Heh. Yeah I have lots of experience with dieting. Sadly, not so much in the way of success. It does sound like your diet may not be tailored to your particular metabolic needs. I have extensive experience with dieting, and I’ve never experienced the “famished at night” phenomenon. In fact, I recently moved my dinner an hour earlier because I felt it would work better, and so far it’s been a great success. Could you try experimenting with different meal configurations? Change the time and/or frequency to see if one works better for you. To the OP – I don’t think your experience is by any means universal. It’s certainly not something I’ve commonly heard in conversations with dieters. That doesn’t mean it isn’t true for you and others, just that you need to create an approach that works to alleviate your hunger. If you are famished, waking up at night because of hunger, or ready to chew your arm off, then your plan is not working for you. No one with access to food should be that hungry, and it’s not sustainable. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/15 "2012-09-16T05:33:14Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > It does sound like your diet may not be tailored to your particular metabolic needs. I have extensive experience with dieting, and I’ve never experienced the “famished at night” phenomenon. In fact, I recently moved my dinner an hour earlier because I felt it would work better, and so far it’s been a great success. > > Could you try experimenting with different meal configurations? Change the time and/or frequency to see if one works better for you. > > To the OP – I don’t think your experience is by any means universal. It’s certainly not something I’ve commonly heard in conversations with dieters. That doesn’t mean it isn’t true for you and others, just that you need to create an approach that works to alleviate your hunger. If you are famished, waking up at night because of hunger, or ready to chew your arm off, then your plan is not working for you. No one with access to food should be that hungry, and it’s not sustainable. All due respect, but for people trying to lose weight night hunger in the late evening is _extraordinarily_ common and is widely acknowledged as one of the main obstacles in successful dieting. [See here](http://www.livestrong.com/article/403785-late-night-hunger-when-dieting/) [and here](http://dietandweightlossprograms.com/low-fat-food/curb-those-late-night-hunger-pangs/) [and here](http://ask.metafilter.com/138301/Why-do-I-always-get-so-hungry-late-at-night) ---
**Author:** ![jabiru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bbce88/32.png) [@jabiru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jabiru)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/16 "2012-09-16T06:55:29Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Could you try experimenting with different meal configurations? Change the time and/or frequency to see if one works better for you. Not really. I’m a shift worker and my meal times are very irregular. Sucks, but there’s nothing I can do about it. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-dieting-why-are-we-so-hungry-at-night-during-our-lowest-waking-activity-levels/634758/17 "2012-09-16T12:23:11Z")
Some people do, some people don’t. I don’t have a problem at night regardless of dieting state. The key issue is mental distraction. If you are mentally active about something else, the urge to gorge goes down. So if you’re just lying there thinking and you can’t keep your mind off food, guess what’s going to happen? The number one thing with watching what you eat is to avoid thinking about food. Which means you need to think about something else, even in bed.