Overnight eating advise....

matty4130

hey all,

so here is my biggest weight loss issue. I have been losing since January and have seen some good success. However...

I eat at night, specifically between 2am and 220 am. I can almost set a watch by it. I wake up starving. I generally can eat a good snack but there are times I don't.

I am hoping someone here might have some advise. I cant imagine I would not benefit from NOT killing a good portion of my calories in the middle of the night.

Nilla wafers and milk....if its in the house. I eat it.

oddly the only discipline problem I have had with my diet.

bethannien

Do you eat a bedtime snack? I usually eat something healthy like 1/4 cup of almonds an hour or so before bed. Or anything with fat or protein to keep me from reaching for a late night snack

matty4130

yep, small healthy snack...good fats and protein. didn't help.

considered blood sugar issues, got a meter...no sugar issues.

kikicooks

How many calories do you eat a day on average, is it possible you are not eating enough?

cmriverside

Eat a larger dinner, and eat it later, or have a good protein snack right at bedtime - like cottage cheese.


The waking at 2AM is something I do too, but the desire to eat isn't part of it.

Get rid of the Nillas, to start.

Until you can gain control over this habit, just don't have the sugary treats in the house.

matty4130

2050 cal goal a day. MFP suggestion. I am real close if not a bit over.

I have eliminated the cookies, and it helps. I just find something else.

I know, self control....its odd because I am very strict on my food intake.

for whatever reason, I just find myself loosing it at night.

guess Ill start putting up signs for myself in the house.

Mokey41

Keep a large glass of water by your bed. Drink it all when you wake up and then stay in bed, exercise willpower and break the habit.

FrankiesSaysRelax

Have you tried just drinking a glass of water? Could you be thirsty and not actually hungry?

RunnerElizabeth

My thought is, if you don't wake up, you won't have a snack.

So first, make sure you are meeting your calorie target. Do eat something healthy an hour or so before bed. My thought is that it isn't hunger that is waking you, but stress. Our brains play funny tricks on us. So I think 15 minutes before bed you should try some gentle yoga, focusing on breathing and relaxation, not touching your heels to your ears yoga. Then immediately go to bed afyer (if you walk around the house much it ruins the effect). See if that helps you stay asleep.

This helps me (but I usually can't be bothered to be consistent with it). Funny though, I've been plagued with sleep issues since I was a toddler. When I woke up in the middle of the night my mom would give me nilla wafers and milk. To this day, if I had it in the house I'd eat it when I had trouble sleeping. It's comfort food.

TinGirl314

I have a really tough time at night too. I know my reason though...
I'm always alone at night.
Sadly at work it's like I have a rep to protect (They all noticed the 60 pound loss last year.)
Or I'm watching people eat mcdonalds and burger king all day and it makes me feel blech about eating.
I try to get the Yoplait light yogurts...they of course do not taste like red velvet cake but they are sweet!
And since I get home from work at 23:30 I feel like I should still be able to have dinner.
So sometimes I'll eat like three turkey sausage links too.

Find creative ways to kill the sweet and savory cravings in a healthy way.

pamelak5

This happened to me, actually. When my daughter was born I wasn't eating enough during the day, and then when she woke up at night I'd eat, too. But when she started sleeping better (and I started eating better during the day) I'd still wake up ravenous. I had just gotten used to it.

I didn't allow myself to eat anything at that time for a few days and the problem was solved. It's disruptive to your sleep to start digesting in the middle of the night, anyway. Good luck and report back!

MelsAuntie

I usually eat an ounce of dark chocolate covered freeze dried strawberries at bedtime. That will last me until morning.

matty4130

Thanks for tips all, Ill try some/all of them.