Problems eating late

deebrown1374

:noway: Does anyone have any suggestions on what I could snack on later.. I know I probably should just stay OUT the kitchen after a certain time... And also does anyone know what TOO LATE is to eat??? struggling with these nights...:sad:

ritchiedrama

If you are within your calorie limits you can eat at anytime you want.

itsscottwilder

If you are within your calorie limits you can eat at anytime you want.

+1

I generally try not to eat close to bedtime. That's just me and my own weight loss superstitions.

But studies seem to indicate that it's not as important what you do hour by hour or day by day.

What's important is your consistency over time.

JuantonBliss

Normally, I think it's after7, that you don't digest food as well, but other than that relatively it doesn't matter much other than what you are consuming.

itsscottwilder

Kiwi - 50 calories
yellow mango - 100 calories
small granola bars - 100 calories
small bag of pretzels - 100 calories.
Peaches - 60 calories
one Oreo double stuff - 70 calories

ritchiedrama

Normally, I think it's after7, that you don't digest food as well, but other than that relatively it doesn't matter much other than what you are consuming.

That is not true.

JanMarie2BHealthy

When I feel a late night snack attack - I visit the success stories here at MFP and it passes some time. I do not know if there is a "do not eat at this time of night rule of thumb".

lizbeths88

This has been working for me lately, I will try to eat a bigger meal for dinner that actually fills me up and then I will log in my snack that I know im going to want at 9,10 or 11 . Prepare your snack ahead of time so you have them ready and you don't find yourself grazing through the refrigerator or worse the pantry. I sometimes even log my exercises waaay earlier and it actually works in getting me to do them.

taso42

It's never too late to eat.

rgr625

Ive heard 3 hours before bedtime

deebrown1374

Interesting.. Thank you so much for your replies...:happy:

hailzp

I eat in bed if I have the calories left Why not reserve a few for a late night snack...?

_EndGame_

It's a myth about eating late at night. If you have calories within your allowance, despite it going over to the next day on MFP, you can eat. It's not going to make you fat, at all. I am the proof.

I work strange hours, I usually end up having breakfast at between 6pm and 7pm, lunch at 1am and then dinner around 6am, then usually I am in bed for 9am, I sometimes have a bowl of cereal. As long as it fits into your calories, you can eat as late as you like.

deebrown1374

This is what I've done today, logged all of it ahead of time and planned ahead, and yet I still found myself munching on some dark chocolate with almonds. good grief... although I did log it as a bar earlier, and only ate half so i'm hoping that will just work itself into that calorie intake...I do find this to be very is helpful.. Thank you ...

MinMin97

Best time to eat is individual. Doesn't work for me to eat late, my body seems to need the "fasting" time from 7pm on.
Just do what works for you right now. If you think you shouldn't then don't.

wordpainter09

I try to avoid carbs later at night, but some people swear by them to help with sleep.
For me it's helped with my cut to not do them with dinner or my night snack, so I do almonds, cheese sticks, Greek yogurt or something like that for a snack after dinner.

123im4u2c

Hi,
At least you ate something good for you! You can eat dark chocolate and almonds everyday, just don't go overboard!
Both are very good for your heart!

Majda1234_wechange

I have just had a conversation with a dietitian so I will try to help you. Do you exercise? And if you do how much and what kind?

whitebalance

If I were eating late at night, my goal would probably be to cut the hunger so I can get to sleep soon and stay there. Nuts take my system some work to digest; so do empty carbs. Not what I want right before I hit the sack. So I'd reach for either something light that will digest easily (e.g., fresh fruit) or something soporific and protein-dense (e.g., turkey or eggs or yogurt/skyr). The former if I'm just munchy-snacky hungry, the latter if I'm rumbly-stomach eat-the-paint-off-the-walls hungry. And plenty of water, because I always seem to wake up a bit dehydrated.

So that's what I'd suggest to you. Real food for real hunger, and fairly low calories in any case -- to avoid messing with a good night's sleep. Good luck.

chariette

Hi I have this problem as well but what has helped me during this past week is drinking lots of water, and especially making sure that I have my bottles of water ready, even though I can pour from the brita cup it makes it easier to just reach for the water bottle. I also keep containers of cut up fruit in the fridge, but the one that seems to keep me staving off the munchies are grapes and plums. Sometimes I will eat about 3 grapes if i need to or another night maybe half of a black plum. Ive also found that cherries, the really dark red ones are sweet and help with my nighttime munchies as well.

I really do hope this helps (I havent cheated yet, so I think its working)

Hang in there, or we can hang in together.

MinMin97

I generally try not to eat close to bedtime. That's just me and my own weight loss superstitions.

But studies seem to indicate that it's not as important what you do hour by hour or day by day.

What's important is your consistency over time.

Here here
My whole goal has been to make good habits and patterns...a lifestyle that produces fitness.
That and to lift heavy...to get a really awesome weights workout.

pnmacgeorge

I've starting brushing and flossing my teeth around 7:00 p.m.; this way I am less likely to eat because then I will have to brush and floss again.

deebrown1374

I have just had a conversation with a dietitian so I will try to help you. Do you exercise? And if you do how much and what kind?

I do everything from boot camp, yoga, zumba, eliptical, cycling, to just plain running anywhere from 1-3 miles...

Sarah_Slimdown

I've heard the main reasoning behind avoiding eating before you go to bed is basically because your body will be going into a state of rest- not moving, inactive. Therefore, it will not process the foods as quickly or as entirely as if you engaged in activity. I also have a problem with late-night snacking, and often that's when my brain (not my body) starts screaming, CHOCOLATE WHERE IS IT NOW I NEED NOW CHOCOLATE. I've found that a cup of cocoa, a cup of herbal tea, a fruit, a small bag of popcorn, some gum, or a little frozen yogurt can keep me from going crazy, but even then, I try to brush my teeth and keep from eating an hour before bedtime. It's been said that you should go to bed without an empty or a full stomach, and that you should wake up ready (and hungry-ish) for breakfast.

I'd like to emphasize that the importance of calories is only so much. You can have 100 calories worth of pasta salad or 100 calories of beans or 100 calories of celery or 100 calories of spinach, but what really matters is the nutritional value. If you've "saved up" calories, make sure you "saved up" on fats and sugars (though sugars in fruits aren't hardly as harmful as in processed foods).

I'd also suggest, when you get cravings at night, to try a guided meditation, engage in a quiet hobby (knitting, sketching, etc), listen to music, or reading to get your mind off of it.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!!

ritchiedrama

I've heard the main reasoning behind avoiding eating before you go to bed is basically because your body will be going into a state of rest- not moving, inactive. Therefore, it will not process the foods as quickly or as entirely as if you engaged in activity. I also have a problem with late-night snacking, and often that's when my brain (not my body) starts screaming, CHOCOLATE WHERE IS IT NOW I NEED NOW CHOCOLATE. I've found that a cup of cocoa, a cup of herbal tea, a fruit, a small bag of popcorn, some gum, or a little frozen yogurt can keep me from going crazy, but even then, I try to brush my teeth and keep from eating an hour before bedtime. It's been said that you should go to bed without an empty or a full stomach, and that you should wake up ready (and hungry-ish) for breakfast.

I'd like to emphasize that the importance of calories is only so much. You can have 100 calories worth of pasta salad or 100 calories of beans or 100 calories of celery or 100 calories of spinach, but what really matters is the nutritional value. If you've "saved up" calories, make sure you "saved up" on fats and sugars (though sugars in fruits aren't hardly as harmful as in processed foods).

I'd also suggest, when you get cravings at night, to try a guided meditation, engage in a quiet hobby (knitting, sketching, etc), listen to music, or reading to get your mind off of it.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!!

That reasoning is wrong, you are free to eat whenever you want

southerndream24

Eat whenever you want. It doesn't matter as long as your within you calories and macros. It's a myth. I say this being someone who always eats something within an hour of going to bed.

brenn24179

I am a night owl, I am not going to bed hungry so it is usually tuna, peanut butter, sugarfree jello, cantelope or watermelon, sugarless gum, lunchmeat rolled up without bread.

SailorKnightWing

The idea that you're not supposed to eat x number of hours before bed came about through a misunderstanding of the study results. It turns out that most pre-bed snacking is more importantly surplus calories. Most people eat up their daily calories by dinner, and therefore snacking after dinner is really overeating, which does cause weight gain.

If you plan for eating calories late at night and don't go over your calorie goals, you will not gain weight from it.

Majda1234_wechange

Yes, in that case i can help since i am in a similar situation. No carbs(rice, pasta, bread etc) after 6pm, you should aim for lean protein(turkey, chicken, seafood etc) with some baked or cooked vegetables. It doesn't really matter that much how close to bedtime but the dietitian told me it is optimal to aim 3 hours prior, not because of weight gain but because many people tend to have trouble sleeping.Other than that it shouldn't matter.

ritchiedrama

Yes, in that case i can help since i am in a similar situation. No carbs(rice, pasta, bread etc) after 6pm, you should aim for lean protein(turkey, chicken, seafood etc) with some baked or cooked vegetables. It doesn't really matter that much how close to bedtime but the dietitian told me it is optimal to aim 3 hours prior, not because of weight gain but because many people tend to have trouble sleeping.Other than that it shouldn't matter.

Latest studies have shown eating carbs before bed increase fat loss.

kittenful

I can't sleep if I'm hungry. My stomach will not let me. My solution? I eat a piece of snack cheese. I flippin' LOVE cheese, and I can then sleep happily. I make sure I leave room for it in my food diary, too, just in case.