The 5 Towns Jewish Times

Dear Basya: Midnight Munchies

Nutrition by Tanya

 

Dear Basya:

I was told that I would never be hungry on this plan. However, I do find that I am hungry, especially at night. Can you tell me if I am doing something wrong? Or is this just the normal part of dieting?

Signed,

Hungry at Night

Dear Hungry,

I often find that when clients are hungry at night it can be traced back to something they did earlier that day or even the day before. Here are some areas that I like to investigate:

  1. Did you eat breakfast within two hours of waking up or did you wait too long?
  2. Did you go longer than three hours without eating at any point throughout the day?
  3. Did your meals incorporate enough vegetables to fill you up and to give your brain time to process that it is full?
  4. Did you drink all your water or are you somewhat dehydrated?
  5. Did you choose the most filling proteins or just the most convenient ones? For example, tuna tends to keep people more full than an ounce or two of reduced-fat cheese.
  6. Are you sure you are hungry? Maybe you are having a craving, which will pass. Maybe you are stressed or exhausted, and need to find some forms of stress relief. Maybe you are so habituated to eating at night that it just feels like hunger!
  7. Are you experiencing any hormonal changes or medication changes that can affect your hunger?

If after investigating all of the above, you are sure that you are still hungry, discuss it with your nutrition counselor. A client who is losing well may be encouraged to add more food to his or her day to alleviate the hunger, and will still be able to lose weight.

Best,

Basya

Basya Kovacs is a nutrition counselor at Nutrition by Tanya, and is a co-manager of the Five Towns location. Nutrition by Tanya offers personalized and practical weight management and nutrition counseling for men, women, and children. Nutrition by Tanya has locations in Boro Park, Flatbush, Williamsburg, Monsey, Lakewood, Crown Heights, Five Towns, Monroe, Queens, and Monticello. The office can be reached at 844-TANYA DIET.