Eating at night

hunter041

I have a real problem and that is eating at night. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night to grab a snack. I know this is the main contributor to my inability to lose weight. I welcome any suggestions to help me overcome this problem.

Thank you.

tomcustombuilder

Weight loss is a product of a consistent weekly calorie deficit where you're taking in fewer overall calories than you burn.

If those snacks are within the amount of weekly calories that cause you to lose weight then there is nothing wrong with them.

If those calories in the snacks put you into a calorie territory that prevents loss then yes they are a problem. You can always cut back on some food during the day to fit in the snacks if they're something that give you comfort. Much depends on how many calories are in the snacks

WalkingMyAssOff

Make sure you're eating enough calories during the day and tiring yourself out with a good amount of exercise so that you sleep well. If you wake up, drink some water and try and go back to sleep. That's what I do anyway. May take a while to get used to as all new habits do but I'm sure if you're consistent with it, it will be become the new norm for you 😉

cmriverside

I have to eat my last meal or snack really close to my bedtime or I can't sleep. If you're waking because you're hungry, that could help.

When I lost weight I re-structured my entire life. I go to bed really early and get up really early. I delay my first meal for 3-4 hours but then have a good hearty meal with lots of protein.

Second meal might be an actual meal or might be a couple smaller snack/meals midday.

Then last meal, 2-3 hours before bed. Sometimes a snack afterward if I have calories left - but usually not.

If you're going to bed hungry your body IS GOING TO WIN and you'll be night-eating. :flowerforyou:

jonikwhite

I have this exact same problem! I think part of it is psychological, and part is that I don’t eat enough calories and nutrients during the day. I am coming off of a “medical weight loss” program that was pretty unhealthy and now finding that I need to reprogram how I approach food. They wanted me eating under 1000 calories per day, so I was starving and then binging at night. I’d be “good” through the day, but at night it was awful and I couldn’t sleep and was so hungry.

kshama2001

I've struggled with this for years.

I agree with the comments above to make sure you're eating enough during the day, and enough late in the day. I'd add make sure your last meal/snack isn't going to spike your blood sugar. I've found it helpful to have it contain high fiber and moderate protein:



Also, don't eat chocolate before bed. (Or in the middle of the night.) Most google results say this is because of the caffeine, but for me I think it's the theobromine. I can dig up a link if you're interested.

Ok, that's the straightforward stuff. Once that was out of the way I tackled psychological issues. Therapy helped, but I've since learned it was more than just therapy. Since last fall, I've been taking Buspirone for anxiety, at night because it's a little sedating so helps me sleep. I had poison ivy last week and was taking Benadryl at night, and didn't want to be over-sedated so stopped the Buspirone. I slept great the first few nights, then that wore off and I noticed I was waking and not able to stop wanting to eat in the middle of the night. I remembered Buspirone isn't technically for sleep, but for anxiety, and started taking it again, and am no longer wanting to eat when I wake to pee. Having taken Buspirone earlier helps me get right back to sleep after this.

So if anxiety is an issue for you, I encourage you to look into the best way for you to manage anxiety. There are many ways to self-soothe, but this is really challenging for me in the middle of the night. (I do make sure I get exercise every day.)

tomcustombuilder

As others have mentioned, make sure your overall calories during the day aren’t too low.

Also, don’t eat your final meal too early. Many articles stress no eating after 6pm for fatloss and that is a myth. Try pushing your final meal up more towards bedtime.

Postpone your first meal of the day a bit later than normal as for many people, myself included, when I start eating then it comes down to time between meals and a later start means a later last meal of the day.

Ask yourself if you’re truly hungry in the middle of the night or if it’s just a habit. If it’s the latter then you’ll just have to work on your willpower.

Hobartlemagne

Look into Casein protein. It turns into a gel after you drink it and can keep you feeling full for an extended time. I've heard the same reasoning for drinking Metamucil before bed.

Dontkillbill1509

IN the last 2 months I have found that a protien shake 1 percent milk and whey protien (230 cals) has been helpful. I would go skim but I think the extra fat help alittle with sleeping and I do loose a bit of sleep as I wake up hungry. I used to eat 1000-2000 after 8 pm it was very distructive physically and mentally.

Adventurista

Beyond a later dinner and late evening snack,...
For awhile, i scheduled cals for middle of night, and ate the snack when desired. By having that available/permission, i also could choose not to eat it, and it gradually tapered off and I stopped. Did notice strong urges to resume during big stress, and again, allowed for the snack. It has gone away
Really can't remember the last time.

mtaratoot

Would it help to give yourself a reminder? Could you put a sign on the fridge that says "Kitchen Closes at 21:00?" Then when you get up to get a snack, you can stop for a moment and ask yourself, "Do I really need this, and will I feel good about it tomorrow?" You can also leave room in your calorie budget during the day so that the night time snack won't put you over - just be sure you know what that snack will be BEFORE you eat it.

spiriteagle99

I can't sleep if I'm really hungry, so I generally will have a snack before I go to bed. I keep it light:100-200 calories. It can be fruit, cheese, milk, bread and butter, etc. As long as it fits within my overall calories, I don't gain weight.

kngddmbppx

I used to have that habit too. I know exactly how it feels. I started doing intermittent fasting to stop it. But that’s what works for me. Maybe keep some water in your room and only allow yourself to only get up to go to the bathroom and drink water when you wake up.

kngddmbppx

I forgot to say with intermittent fasting you still need to stay within your calories for whatever goals you have.

Adventurista

kngddmbppx wrote: »

I used to have that habit too. I know exactly how it feels. I started doing intermittent fasting to stop it. But that’s what works for me. Maybe keep some water in your room and only allow yourself to only get up to go to the bathroom and drink water when you wake up.

pretty good idea there
-- think my eat middle of night habit developed over time in our first home - we passed through the kitchen on the way to the restroom - it was easy/tempting to grab a nibble/leftovers. didn't realize it was even a problem until I tried to stop...

kngddmbppx

I know you can stop bc if I can then anyone can! 😊

nikko_quinto

I try to eat some snacks right before bedtime.

1. Smoothie made of 1 scoop protein and 1 tbp peanut butter.
2. Rice cakes with peanut butter and sugar free jelly
3. A handful of cashews
4. Some lean protein without carbs

Hope this helps

westrich20940

Why don't you just log your nighttime snack in your daily calories? Include it so that you stay within your daily calorie goal.